Classical music at the museum

Bruch: Violin Concerto in G minor – Allegro
Vivaldi: “Summer” from The Four Seasons
Mozart: Overture from The Magic Flute
Mozart: Violin Concerto in A major – Rondeau
Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major – Adagio; Allegro giocoso

Simon Zhu – Solo Violin & Residenz-Solisten

In the warm candlelight of the Max-Joseph-Saal, an evening of musical poetry unfolds: Simon Zhu, an exceptional violinist, leads the audience through centuries of violin music together with the Residenz-Solisten. The concert’s title, “The Violin Through the Centuries”, already highlights the instrument’s versatility and richness – from Baroque elegance, through Classical radiance, to Romantic depth.

Vivaldi’s “Summer” from The Four Seasons brings the sun and storms of the Venetian landscape to life. The solo violin dances over stormy passages, accompanied by sparkling ensemble textures.

Mozart’s Violin Concerto in A major – Rondeau follows in glittering elegance. The solo violin sings, dances, and delights the ear with clear articulation and melodic wit. Simon Zhu illuminates Mozart’s classical grace with refined technique and a touch of lightness.

One of the evening’s highlights is undoubtedly Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G minor – Allegro: powerful, passionate, with striking bowing and dramatic turns. Zhu shapes the melodic lines with dynamic precision; his tone is clear and expressive, supported by the Residenz-Solisten, who provide an elegant and nuanced orchestral foundation.

Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major completes the historical arc: the Adagio expresses profound introspection, while the Allegro giocoso bursts with joyful vitality. Zhu unites lyrical singing and technical brilliance, with the ensemble responding in a robust yet supple sound. The finale carries the violin through the centuries – from Baroque virtuosity, through Classical elegance, to Romantic expressivity.

Thus, the master concert in the Max-Joseph-Saal becomes a journey through the history of sound, illuminated by candlelight, interpretative finesse, and the dazzling presence of an extraordinary soloist.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – complete
Boccherini: Fandango & La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid for Guitar & Strings
Albéniz: Asturias and other famous Spanish compositions for guitar

Mon-Fu Lee – violin
Leonard Becker – guitar
Residenz Soloists

Spanish–Italian Night – A Musical Evening of Sun and Passion

We begin in Baroque Venice, where the “Red Priest” Antonio Vivaldi made music history with his Four Seasons. He was a master at letting nature speak without a single word. A virtuoso violinist himself, he constantly pushed the boundaries of the instrument.

The Four Seasons are more than just beautiful melodies; they are an immersive experience that brings the renewal and drama of nature directly into the concert hall.

Isaac Albéniz – Asturias (Leyenda)

Although the title Asturias suggests the green landscapes of northern Spain, every note of the piece breathes the spirit of Andalusia in the south. Originally composed in 1892 for piano, the work later became an icon of Spanish music through its transcription for guitar—an instrument for which Albéniz seemed almost instinctively to write.

Albéniz originally titled the piece simply Leyenda (“Legend”)—a fitting name for a work that has become one of the most recognizable melodies in classical music worldwide.

Luigi Boccherini – La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid

Imagine sitting by an open window on a warm summer night in the year 1780. Outside, in the winding streets of Madrid, a vibrant nocturnal life begins to unfold.

Luigi Boccherini, the Italian virtuoso living in Spanish exile, captured these fleeting moments in his String Quintet Op. 30 No. 6. He considered the piece so deeply connected to Spain that he believed its magic could hardly be understood anywhere else.

More than chamber music, this work is an acoustic painting that dissolves the boundary between the concert hall and the streets. It invites the listener into a world of shadows and light, filled with the irresistible rhythms of old Spain.

His famous Fandango was, in its time, almost a provocation of courtly etiquette. Boccherini brought the passionate and seductive folk dance of the streets into refined chamber music—often crowning it with the clattering rhythm of real castanets.

Vivaldi: „Die vier Jahreszeiten“ - Ausschnitte 
Boccherini: „Fandango“, „Madrid“ für Gitarre & Streicher 
Albeniz: „Asturias“ und weitere berühmte spanische Kompositionen für Gitarre 

Leonard Becker - Guitar & Resident-Solists

Spanish–Italian Afternoon – A Musical Afternoon Full of Sun and Passion ☀️?

We begin in Baroque Venice, where the “Red Priest,” Antonio Vivaldi, made music history with The Four Seasons. A master of musical storytelling, Vivaldi had the remarkable ability to let nature speak without a single word. A brilliant virtuoso, he pushed the technical limits of the violin and transformed the concerto into a vivid musical narrative. The Four Seasons is far more than a sequence of melodies—it is an immersive experience that brings the renewal and drama of nature directly into the concert hall.

Next comes Asturias (Leyenda) by Isaac Albéniz. Although the title refers to the green northern region of Spain, the music itself breathes the spirit of Andalusia in the south. Originally composed for piano in 1892, the piece achieved worldwide fame through its transcription for guitar—an instrument for which Albéniz often seemed to write instinctively. He originally titled the work simply Leyenda (“Legend”), a fitting name for a piece that has become one of the most recognizable melodies in classical music.

Finally, we encounter the secret masterpiece of Luigi Boccherini: La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid. Imagine sitting by an open window on a warm summer night in Madrid around the year 1780. Outside, in the winding streets of the city, a vibrant nocturnal life unfolds. Boccherini—an Italian virtuoso living in Spain—captures these fleeting moments in his String Quintet, Op. 30 No. 6. He believed the work to be so closely tied to Spanish life that listeners outside Spain might never fully grasp its magic. More than chamber music, it is an acoustic painting that dissolves the boundary between the concert hall and the street, inviting the audience into a world of shadow, light, and the irresistible rhythms of old Madrid.

Within this work, the famous Fandango becomes almost a provocation against courtly etiquette. Boccherini boldly introduced the passionate and seductive folk dance of the streets into refined chamber music, often crowning it with the lively clatter of real castanets—an unforgettable fusion of elegance and fiery Spanish spirit

Cimarosa: Doppelkonzert für Flöte & Oboe 
Vivaldi: “Der Sommer” aus „Die vier Jahreszeiten
Vivaldi: “La tempesta di mare” 
Mendelssohn: Sommernachtstraum-Suite
Mozart: Symphonie „Haffner“ 
Strauß: „An der schönen blauen Donau”

Elector Max Emanuel had the New Schleißheim Palace with its wonderful baroque court garden built in 1701 based on the model of Versailles - in the hope of achieving imperial dignity - and was the summer residence of the Bavarian ruling family for centuries. The palace complex bears witness to the power, wealth and prestige of the Wittelsbach family. With their concerts in the baroque hall, the resident soloists relive well-known masterpieces in a dignified ambience.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – complete
Boccherini: Fandango & La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid for Guitar & Strings
Albéniz: Asturias and other famous Spanish compositions for guitar

Mon-Fu Lee – violin, Leonard Becker – guitar & Residence-Soloists

Spanish–Italian Night – An Evening of Sun and Passion

We begin in Baroque Venice, where the “Red Priest,” Antonio Vivaldi, made music history with his famous Four Seasons. Vivaldi was a master at allowing nature to speak without a single word. A brilliant violin virtuoso himself, he constantly pushed the limits of the instrument’s expressive possibilities. The Four Seasons are far more than a series of beautiful melodies—they are an immersive musical experience that brings the changing moods of nature directly into the concert hall.

Isaac Albéniz – Asturias (Leyenda)

Although the title Asturias evokes the green landscapes of northern Spain, every note of this piece breathes the spirit of Andalusia in the south. Originally composed in 1892 for piano, it became an icon of Spanish music through its later transcription for guitar—an instrument for which Albéniz seemed almost instinctively to write. The composer originally titled the work simply Leyenda (“Legend”), a fitting name for a piece that has become one of the most recognizable melodies in the classical repertoire.

Luigi Boccherini – La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid

Imagine sitting by an open window on a warm summer night in the year 1780. Outside, in the winding streets of Madrid, a unique nighttime life begins to unfold. Luigi Boccherini, the Italian virtuoso living in Spanish exile, captured these fleeting moments in his String Quintet Op. 30 No. 6. He believed the piece to be so deeply rooted in Spanish life that its magic could hardly be understood outside the country. More than chamber music, the work is an acoustic painting that blurs the boundary between concert hall and street, inviting the listener into a world of shadows and light and the irresistible rhythm of old Spain. His famous Fandango was, in its time, almost a provocation of courtly etiquette. Boccherini brought the passionate and seductive folk dance of the streets into the refined world of chamber music—often crowning it with the clattering rhythm of real castanets.

Mozart: Overture from The Magic Flute
Vivaldi: Summer from The Four Seasons
Mozart: Flute Concerto in D Major
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”  
Michael Kofler- Soloflöte MPhil. & Residenz-Solisten 

From Enlightenment to the New World

The journey begins with Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute, a work that feels like a gateway into another world. With three powerful, solemn chords—often interpreted as a symbol of Masonic initiation—Mozart raises the curtain. What follows is a brilliant interplay of light and shadow: a sparkling fugue rushes through the strings, capturing the playful spirit of the bird-catcher Papageno, while the more solemn passages echo the dignity and wisdom of Sarastro. Mozart completed the score under immense time pressure only two days before the premiere on September 30, 1791. He was so exhausted that his wife Constanze served him punch and told him stories from Aladdin and the Magic Lamp to keep him awake. It is one of the small miracles of music history that such a joyful and vibrant piece emerged from this sleepless night of work.

The contrast could hardly be greater as we move to Vivaldi’s Summer from The Four Seasons. Here we encounter not gentle warmth but the relentless physical weight of the Mediterranean midday sun. One can almost hear the shepherd’s weary breathing, the distant call of the cuckoo, and the anxious flutter of the goldfinch. Yet the calm is deceptive: in the final movement one of the most spectacular storms in Baroque music erupts, as the strings unleash thunder and lightning in a dramatic musical tempest.

Elegant brightness returns with Mozart’s Flute Concerto in D major, performed by world-renowned flutist Michael Kofler. The work is a perfect example of the galant style—brilliant, virtuosic, and filled with an air of effortless charm. Mozart, however, was not entirely pleased when composing it: his Dutch patron Dejean failed to pay the agreed fee in full. Despite this financial frustration, Mozart created a work of such grace and beauty that it has become one of the ultimate touchstones for every flutist.

The evening concludes with the grand, epic soundscape of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World. In this masterpiece, longing for his Bohemian homeland blends with fascination for the vast landscapes and cultures of America. Dvořák absorbed the sounds around him in New York—urban rhythms, echoes of spirituals, and elements inspired by Native American melodies—without quoting them directly. During his stay in the city he became so famous that he found little peace; he often spent hours at railway stations simply watching the locomotives. Some listeners hear the driving rhythm of the symphony’s final movement as reminiscent of the pounding motion of a steam engine, perhaps symbolically carrying the composer back toward his beloved homeland.

The premiere at Carnegie Hall was a triumph. The audience erupted with enthusiasm, and Dvořák was called back to the stage again and again—like a modern-day superstar.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – complete
Boccherini: Fandango & Madrid for Guitar and Strings
Albéniz: Asturias and other famous Spanish compositions for Guitar

Mon-Fu Lee – violin & Residence-Soloists

A Spanish-Italian Evening: Music Full of Sun and Passion

We begin in Baroque Venice, where the “Red Priest,” Antonio Vivaldi, made history with The Four Seasons. A master at making nature speak without a single word, Vivaldi pushed the violin to its expressive limits. The Four Seasons is more than a melody; it is an immersive experience that brings the renewal of nature directly into the concert hall.

Isaac Albéniz – Asturias
Although the title suggests the green north of Spain, this piece breathes the fiery soul of Andalusia. Originally composed for piano in 1892, it became an icon of Spanish music through its transcription for guitar—an instrument Albéniz often “tailored” his music for. He initially titled it simply Leyenda (Legend), a fitting name for a work that has since become one of the most globally recognized melodies in classical music.

Luigi Boccherini – La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid
Imagine sitting at an open window on a warm summer night in 1780. Outside, the winding streets of Madrid come alive. Luigi Boccherini, the Italian virtuoso living in Spain, captures these fleeting moments in his String Quintet Op. 30 No. 6—a work so exclusive that he believed no one outside Spain could truly grasp its charm. This piece is more than chamber music; it is an acoustic painting, blurring the line between concert hall and street. Immerse yourself in a world of shadow, light, and the unbridled rhythm of old Spain.

His famous Fandango is a deliberate provocation of courtly etiquette: he brought the passionate, almost seductive street dance into chamber music, often crowned with the crisp rhythm of real castanets.

Vivaldi: Concerto for Piccolo Flute Il Cardellino
Vivaldi: Flute Concerto La tempesta di mare
Vivaldi: Concerto for Piccolo Flute in C Major
Vivaldi: Spring & Summer from The Four Seasons
Mozart: Overture from The Magic Flute
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Suite
Gershwin: Summertime 
 

Janine Schöllhorn – flute, Mon-Fu Lee – violin & Residence-Soloists

From Baroque Birds to Gershwin’s Jazz Dream

In the quiet halls of the Ospedale della Pietà for orphaned girls in Venice, music was created to reach far beyond its walls. Antonio Vivaldi composed his flute and piccolo concertos for the exceptionally talented young musicians of the institute—virtuosos who became both his performers and his experimental canvas. In the piccolo concerto Il Cardellino (The Goldfinch), the tiny instrument comes alive: it chirps, flutters, and trills as if a little bird were perched within the orchestra. Vivaldi does not treat nature as mere decoration—he makes it a sonic event.

In the flute concerto La tempesta di mare, nature erupts from the idyllic into the elemental. Rapid runs leap across registers, cascading waves of sound rise and fall, and the strings tremble under an imaginary wind. Here, the sea is not painted—it rages. In the piccolo concerto, the instrument itself becomes a marvel: soaring to extreme heights, moving at breathtaking speed, a performance at the very edge of possibility. Virtuosity is never an end in itself—it is the expression of overflowing energy.

With The Four Seasons, Vivaldi expands the view to the cyclical rhythms of nature. In Spring (La Primavera), the awakening of the world is heard: bird song threads through the violins, streams murmur in gentle figures. Vivaldi even published explanatory sonnets to accompany his concertos, anchoring the music firmly in imagery—the second movement depicts a sleeping shepherd under the watch of a viola, while a dog barks in the distance. Summer (L’Estate), by contrast, is heavy and oppressive. The heat shimmers in dense harmonies, fatigue spreads, and the finale erupts into a thunderstorm: lightning flashes, thunder rolls, nature unleashes itself with dramatic force.

Another gateway opens with Mozart’s overture to The Magic Flute. Three solemn chords stand like pillars in the room—serious, symbolic, imbued with Masonic gravitas. But soon everything is in motion: a lively fugato unfolds, clever, spirited, and full of theatrical tension. Mozart composed this overture under immense time pressure; it is said the sheets were still wet with ink at the premiere in 1791. Perhaps it is precisely this risk of the moment that one feels in every turn of the music.

The evening concludes with Summertime—the floating, haunting melody from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. It echoes tradition, spirituals, and folk songs, yet it is entirely new. Gershwin composes authenticity; he invents a musical memory. Perhaps that is the secret of the song: it feels as if it has always existed, waiting only to be recognized.

The result is a concert that weaves together nature and theater, Baroque delight, classical symbolism, and the dreamlike world of Romantic and American music.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Mozart: Serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Rossini: String Serenade in C Major & “Aria of Figaro”
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 6

Simon Zhu *- violin & Residenz Soloists

* 1.Pricewinner Premio Paganini Genoa 2023

Following this achievement, he performed for King Charles III on the famous “Cannone” by Guarneri del Gesù.

A summer festival concert at Schleißheim Palace: the evening air lies gently over the baroque façades, the sky stretches wide above the garden parterre, and even before the first note is played, the scene itself seems to breathe music. In this radiant setting, Antonio Vivaldi’s Le quattro stagioni unfolds.

When Vivaldi published these concertos in 1725, he created more than agreeable Baroque music—he designed a living theater of nature. In Spring, the violins chirp like excited birds, streams murmur in flowing lines, everything seems to bloom. Yet the idyll is not without interruption: a brief thunderstorm sweeps through, tremolos flashing like lightning across the orchestra. In the second movement, the shepherd rests, dreamily sketched by the solo violin, while the viola with dry, repeated notes imitates the “barking dog”—a charming detail that sharpens the imagery with a wink.

Summer lays a heavy weight on the shoulders. In the accompanying sonnets, Vivaldi explains: the cuckoo calls, the turtledove responds, a gentle wind stirs. Beneath the surface, tension grows. Finally, the storm breaks, unleashed and dramatic, as if the heavens themselves discharge over the palace gardens.

Autumn celebrates the harvest. Dance rhythms stomp, wine flows freely, the violins laugh. Merriment and good wine lull the peasants to sleep. During the hunt, gunshots ring out while the fleeing game is musically depicted in fast runs by the solo violin.

Winter finally cuts sharply through the summer warmth of this evening. The strings make the teeth chatter, rapid repetitions freeze the air. Footsteps crunch on ice, skaters glide—and fall. Yet even here, there is beauty in frost, a clear, sparkling transparency.

A change of scene: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik begins, seemingly made for such an open-air evening. Perhaps originally composed for a summer gathering, it now epitomizes classical cheerfulness. The themes are radiant, the elegance effortless. That a movement of the serenade is lost makes it a fragment—but one that feels complete.

Italian temperament enters with Gioachino Rossini. His string serenade bursts with energy, and in the “Aria of Figaro” from The Barber of Seville, the music races along in breathless tempo. Wit, virtuosity, and exuberant joy combine into a musical firework that sets even the palace walls vibrating.

On this summer evening at Schleißheim Palace, a panorama of the seasons and moods unfolds—nature, theater, and musical storytelling blending into a vivid, unforgettable experience.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Mozart: Serenade Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Rossini: String Serenade in C Major & “Aria of Figaro”
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 6

Simon Zhu *- violin & Residenz Soloists

*1st Prize at the Premio Paganini in Genoa 2023. Following this achievement, he performed for King Charles III on the famous “Cannone” by Guarneri del Gesù.

A summer festival concert at Schleißheim Palace: the evening air lies gently over the baroque façades, the sky stretches wide above the garden parterre, and even before the first note is played, the scene itself seems to breathe music. In this radiant setting, Antonio Vivaldi’s Le quattro stagioni unfolds.

When Vivaldi published these concertos in 1725, he created more than agreeable Baroque music—he designed a living theater of nature. In Spring, the violins chirp like excited birds, streams murmur in flowing lines, everything seems to bloom. Yet the idyll is not without interruption: a brief thunderstorm sweeps through, tremolos flashing like lightning across the orchestra. In the second movement, the shepherd rests, dreamily sketched by the solo violin, while the viola with dry, repeated notes imitates the “barking dog”—a charming detail that sharpens the imagery with a wink.

Summer lays a heavy weight on the shoulders. In the accompanying sonnets, Vivaldi explains: the cuckoo calls, the turtledove responds, a gentle wind stirs. Beneath the surface, tension grows. Finally, the storm breaks, unleashed and dramatic, as if the heavens themselves discharge over the palace gardens.

Autumn celebrates the harvest. Dance rhythms stomp, wine flows freely, the violins laugh. Merriment and good wine lull the peasants to sleep. During the hunt, gunshots ring out while the fleeing game is musically depicted in fast runs by the solo violin.

Winter finally cuts sharply through the summer warmth of this evening. The strings make the teeth chatter, rapid repetitions freeze the air. Footsteps crunch on ice, skaters glide—and fall. Yet even here, there is beauty in frost, a clear, sparkling transparency.

A change of scene: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik begins, seemingly made for such an open-air evening. Perhaps originally composed for a summer gathering, it now epitomizes classical cheerfulness. The themes are radiant, the elegance effortless. That a movement of the serenade is lost makes it a fragment—but one that feels complete.

Italian temperament enters with Gioachino Rossini. His string serenade bursts with energy, and in the “Aria of Figaro” from The Barber of Seville, the music races along in breathless tempo. Wit, virtuosity, and exuberant joy combine into a musical firework that sets even the palace walls vibrating.

On this summer evening at Schleißheim Palace, a panorama of the seasons and moods unfolds—nature, theater, and musical storytelling blending into a vivid, unforgettable experience.