Wagner composed the Siegfried Idyll for a family occasion in 1870. His wife, Cosima's, birthday fell on 25 December, and on the morning of the date that year she was woken to chamber music depicting the mood of nature itself awakening. Another source of joy for them at the time was the relatively recent birth of their son, himself named Siegfried. Originally written for 13 instruments, the work was later scored for a full orchestra. Next we will hear the prelude and Isolde's Liebestod from the composer's opera Tristan and Isolde, the latter of which uses riveting musical devices to illustrate the ending of the tragic tale. Both Kovács and the Szent István Philharmonic have long planned eagerly to perform Bruckner's Eighth together. This massive work went through several versions before taking on its final form. At the time of its genesis, the harmonies and rhythmic solutions that emerged in some of its movements were considered innovative.

Presented by: Szent István Philharmonic