It was such a pleasure to have Vassilis Christopoulos here in Konstanz. He is a great conductor and will definitely be missed. For his farewell concert on June, 21, Vassilis chose two pieces that one would never even dream to hear in combination: Beethoven’s Symphony Nr.6 F-major op.68 “Pastorale” and Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique op.14. The first piece is all about country life – cheerful mood on arrival in the countryside, scenes from a brook, thunder and storm, singing shepherds – pure nature. The second piece, on the other hand, is based on the autobiography of Hector Berlioz and reflects his love affair with the actress Harriet Smithson. At least, the first three scenes. The last two scenes describe his dreams under the influence of opium: his own execution and a witches’ Sabbath featuring his lover. Quite an impressive mixture, isn’t it?
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