Brahms: Symphony No. 2

Brahms’s Symphony No. 2

Johannes Brahms composed his Symphony No. 2 in the Austrian village of Pörtschach, a place where, according to one of his letters, “… the melodies flourish so luxuriantly that you have to be careful not to trip over them.” Brahms also warned his publisher teasingly that “I have never yet composed anything so sad and heavy: you will have to publish it with black borders.” However, the Second Symphony has a lyrical and almost elated character, and was soon nicknamed the “Pastoral”.

Andris Nelsons, conductor

Andris Nelsons debuted with the Concertgebouworkest in 2008 and now conducts the orchestra regularly. Nelsons studied with Alexander Titov in St. Petersburg and took private lessons with Mariss Jansons. Having conducted the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, the Latvian National Opera (in his hometown of Riga) and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons currently is music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and recently took up the position of Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig.