Edo de Waart celebrates 80th birthday with Brahms' Symphony No. 2

Edo de Waart celebrates his 80th birthday with works by Brahms. With the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra he conducts, among other works, the Second Symphony. Also heard is Nänie, sung by the Groot Omroepkoor.

Brahms

Brahms takes center stage this morning in a concert full of zest for life and reflection on death. The Groot Omroepkoor will sing the beautiful Nänie with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra . Brahms set to music a poem by Schiller about mourning, but especially about consolation. In Gesang der Parzen he seeks out a darker side of the subject, full of drama and powerful movements. Incidentally, Brahms liked to joke about his interest in the dark side of life. He made several people believe that his Second Symphony would be top-heavy. That as a composer he would be better off wearing a mourning band. The opposite turned out to be true: in the Second, Brahms shows his disarming, life-loving side.

Edo de Waart

Shortly before his 80th birthday, Edo de Waart is leading the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. He was principal there for a long time. In Het Parool De Waart said: 'I had the best time of my life with that orchestra'. Now he is honorary guest conductor. To a newspaper, De Waart described Brahms' compositions as 'incredibly human'.