Concerts in Schleißheim palace

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.

Verdi: Overture from Nabucco
Haydn: Symphony No. 73 in D Major “La chasse”
Mozart: Symphony in A Major KV 201
Dvořák: Suite – From the New World
Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 6
J. Strauß: Die Jagd – Quick Polka

Residence- Soloists

In the grand festival hall of Schleißheim Palace, an autumn concert unfolds—rich in color, contrast, and shifting moods.

The evening opens with the overture to Nabucco by Giuseppe Verdi. Dramatic blocks of sound alternate with lyrical passages, and already here, the yearning motif of the later world-famous “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” appears. According to legend, this section of the libretto inspired Verdi—after a period of personal hardships—to return to composing.

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 73, “La chasse,” brings a classical autumn scene to the hall. Its nickname comes from the fourth movement, “The Hunt,” where horn signals and galloping rhythms conjure a traditional hunting scene. Known for his humor, Haydn plays with expectations: unlike many hunt pieces of the era, the final movement fades away gently, as if the hunting party simply rides off into the distance.

Youthful elegance characterizes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony in A Major KV 201. Despite its modest instrumentation, the work is remarkably rich in color and expression—a light, airy composition written by the eighteen-year-old composer in Salzburg.

Antonín Dvořák’s From the New World Suite opens vast sonic landscapes. Impressions from America—the street noise of New York, rhythms reminiscent of spirituals, expansive Native American-inspired melodies, and Slavic dances—blend with Dvořák’s deep longing for his Bohemian homeland.

The cheerful finale is Johann Strauss’s quick polka Die Jagd. At its premiere in Vienna’s Volksgarten, the audience was so captivated by the loud whip cracks and playful “Hali-Hallo” calls in the orchestra that the piece had to be repeated immediately. Strauss masterfully used such effects to stir the exuberant atmosphere of the Viennese ball season.

Verdi: Ouverture from „Nabucco“ 
Vivaldi: Fluteconcerto
Mozart: Fluteconcerto Re major KV 314
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 „Eroica“

Residence - Soloists

Concert Program – From Baroque to Romantic 
This program takes the audience on a journey through centuries: from Vivaldi’s Baroque virtuosity and Mozart’s Classical elegance to Verdi’s operatic drama and Beethoven’s groundbreaking Romantic vision, offering both historical insight and musical adventure.

Overture to Nabucco – Giuseppe Verdi
Verdi’s overture to Nabucco bursts with drama and intensity, immediately drawing the listener into the world of the biblical story. Nabucco was the opera that first brought Verdi widespread acclaim in 1842, and its overture foreshadows the sweeping emotional contrasts of the full work. Anecdotally, when Verdi conducted early performances, audiences were reportedly so moved by the overture’s grandeur that many stood in silent awe before the first act even began. The work’s heroic gestures and majestic themes set the perfect tone for a program that moves from Baroque elegance to Romantic drama.

Flute Concerto – Antonio Vivaldi
Vivaldi’s flute concerto showcases the brilliance of the Baroque flute, an instrument that was considered both delicate and expressive. His concertos often feature virtuosic passages that push the limits of the performer’s technique. Legend has it that Vivaldi, nicknamed the “Red Priest” for his hair, would sometimes write last-minute passages specifically to challenge his students at the Ospedale della Pietà, where he taught orphaned girls. The interplay between soloist and orchestra in this concerto captures the vibrant energy of Venetian Baroque music, alternating between lyrical melodies and sparkling, rhythmic brilliance.

Flute Concerto in D Major – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart’s flute concerto in D major exemplifies the elegance and clarity of the Classical era. Written in 1778 for the Dutch flutist Ferdinand De Jean, the work features graceful melodies and refined dialogue between soloist and orchestra. An interesting anecdote: Mozart reportedly struggled to compose the concerto while traveling, writing letters to his father expressing frustration over deadlines and the flutist’s “insatiable demands.” Despite these challenges, the concerto radiates effortless charm and wit, combining virtuosic passages with lyrical, song-like themes that continue to captivate audiences today.

Symphony No. 3 – Eroica – Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s Eroica symphony is a revolutionary work that transformed the symphonic tradition. Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven famously withdrew the dedication when Napoleon declared himself Emperor, reportedly tearing the dedication page in anger. The symphony’s first movement introduces heroic motifs, dramatic tension, and bold harmonic exploration. The funeral march of the second movement contrasts tragedy with triumph, while the finale bursts with joy, wit, and exuberance. The Eroica represents Beethoven’s belief in music as a vehicle for human heroism and emotional depth, making it a cornerstone of the Romantic symphonic repertoire.