HOUSTON (Oct. 9, 2019) – The Houston Symphony welcomes back world-renowned conductor and critically acclaimed Wagner interpreter Marek Janowski in Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program that celebrates the music of two revolutionary composers, 8 p.m. Oct. 25 and 26, and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Jones Hall.
First on the program, Janowski leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s upbeat Symphony No. 2. Even though it was written as Beethoven grappled with his tragic hearing loss, the lively masterpiece finds the composer putting on a brave face, combining musical jokes and jovial energy throughout the symphony. With its brash, forward-looking style, the work marks an important point in Beethoven’s development as a composer, bringing him to the brink of the musical revolution he would unleash in his next symphony.
Known for his recordings of all of Wagner’s mature operas including a complete Ring Cycle, Janowski opens the second half of the program with two equally innovative works by Wagner: the scandalously provocative Overture and Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser, and two majestic excerpts from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg). The two pieces close an evening of powerful orchestral music that particularly showcases the orchestra’s brass sections.
Wagner + Beethoven 2, sponsored by Rand Group, takes place at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, 615 Louisiana Street, in Houston’s Theater District. For tickets and information, please call 713.224.7575 or visit houstonsymphony.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Houston Symphony Patron Services Center in Jones Hall (Monday–Saturday, 12–6 p.m.). All programs and artists are subject to change.
WAGNER + BEETHOVEN 2
Friday, Oct. 25, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m.
Marek Janowski, conductor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Wagner: Tannhäuser, Overture and Venusberg Music
Wagner: Two Excerpts from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
About Marek Janowski
Marek Janowski is recognized throughout the world for his interpretation of Wagner, Strauss, Bruckner, Brahms, Hindemith, and the Second Viennese School and has an extensive and distinguished discography in the repertoire. This season, he becomes chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. From 2002–2016, he was artistic director of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, with whom he gave a critically acclaimed Wagner opera cycle in Berlin’s Philharmonie in 2012 and 2013. The complete cycle was recorded live on Pentatone and released in 2016.
In the 2018–19 season, he conducted the Dresden Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Oslo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony. In both 2016 and 2017, he conducted Wagner’s Ring Cycle at Bayreuth.
Marek has been a regular visitor to North America since his 1983 U.S. debut with the San Francisco Opera. In the three decades since, he has forged lasting relationships with many top orchestras, including those of Boston, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and San Francisco. He has also conducted The Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Born in Warsaw and educated in Germany, Marek’s artistic path led him from assistant positions in Aachen, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg to his appointment as general music director in Freiburg im Breisgau (1973–75) and Dortmund (1975–79). While in Dortmund, his reputation rapidly grew, and he began conducting in many of the leading opera houses in Europe and North America, where he continued to be a regular guest, including at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Bavarian State Opera Munich, Hamburg State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Paris National Opera, among others.
In the 1990s, Marek Janowski stepped back from opera and began to concentrate on symphonic repertoire. He now enjoys an outstanding reputation among the premier orchestras of Europe and North America and is acknowledged for his ability to create orchestras of international standing. His extensive and acclaimed discography includes complete symphonic cycles and operas, many of which have been awarded international prizes. His recording of Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle with the Staatskapelle Dresden (1980–83) remains one of the most esteemed offerings in a crowded field.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2019–20 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its sixth season with Music Director Andrés Orozco-Estrada and continues its second century as one of America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring, and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $35.2 million, the full-time ensemble of 88 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 1,000 community-based performances each year at various schools, community centers, hospitals, and churches reaching nearly 200,000 people in Greater Houston annually.
The Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony has recorded under various prestigious labels, including Naxos, Koch International Classics, Telarc, RCA Red Seal, Virgin Classics and, most recently, Dutch recording label Pentatone. In 2017, the Houston Symphony was awarded an ECHO Klassik award for the live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck under the direction of former Music Director Hans Graf. The orchestra earned its first Grammy nomination and Grammy Award at the 60th annual ceremony for the same recording in the Best Opera Recording category.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Eric Skelly: 713.337.8560, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
Mireya Reyna: 713.337.8557, mireya.reyna@houstonsymphony.org
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