Munich Philharmonic

Munich Philharmonic – Lahav Shani conducts and plays

The Münchner Philharmoniker (Munich Philharmonic) return to the Great Hall of the Musikverein (Großer Saal), the Golden Hall (Goldener Saal), for the second evening of their Vienna guest appearance. Lahav Shani takes a dual role, directing the orchestra from the keyboard as both conductor and piano soloist.

Founded in 1893, the Munich Philharmonic is one of Germany’s foremost symphony orchestras, with a history closely bound to Gustav Mahler, who conducted the world premieres of his Fourth and Eighth Symphonies with the ensemble. That connection gives the closing work of this programme a particular resonance.

The evening opens with Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25, the “Classical” Symphony, a witty homage to Haydn written in 1917. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major, Op. 102 follows, composed as a nineteenth-birthday present for the composer’s son and famous for its radiant slow movement. The concert closes with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major.

With nearly 1,700 seats, the Great Hall of the Musikverein is Vienna’s most celebrated concert venue, renowned worldwide for its magnificent Golden Hall, exceptional acoustics and rich musical history — and, through Mahler, a hall with a direct historical link to this orchestra.