Concert Program
Saturday 22 Nov 2025 7:30pm
Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart
Müller-Schott’s cello sings of
struggle, hope, and quiet
triumph.
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the traditional owners and continuing custodians of Lutruwita / Tasmania. We pay respect to the Aboriginal community today, and to its Elders past and present. We recognise a history of truth, which acknowledges the impacts of colonisation upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and stand for a future that profoundly respects their stories, culture, language and history.
About the concert
Works
Grieg In Autumn, Op 11 (11 mins)
Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op 85 (30 mins)
4 movements
- Adagio – Moderato
- Lento – Allegro molto
- Adagio
- Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo
20 minute interval
Brahms Symphony No 2 in D, Op 73 (43 mins)
4 movements
- Allegro ma non troppo
- Adagio ma non troppo
- Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino)
- Allegro con spirito
Eivind Aadland. TSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director.
Uncover the stories behind the works.
Rustic. Playful. Magical.
In Autumn, Op 11
Composed by Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
11 minutes
Edvard Grieg’s In Autumn, Op. 11, is a vivid and spirited concert overture that captures the changing moods of the season. Written in 1865 when Grieg was in his early twenties, it shows the young Norwegian composer beginning to find his distinctive voice – one that would later make him a national musical hero.
Originally conceived as a piano piece, In Autumn was later reworked for full orchestra, giving Grieg a chance to explore his gift for colourful orchestration. The music opens with the bright call of horns and woodwinds, evoking crisp autumn air and perhaps the bustle of a harvest festival. Soon, a more lyrical theme appears, suggesting the beauty and melancholy of fading light and falling leaves. Grieg contrasts these moods with lively dance rhythms and bold brass writing, painting a scene that feels both celebratory and reflective.
Listeners can already hear the qualities that would define Grieg’s later works – the influence of Norwegian folk music, the love of nature, and the ability to turn simple melodic ideas into music of emotional warmth and colour. The overture’s closing pages are exuberant and full of life, as though autumn is giving one last burst of energy before winter sets in.
While In Autumn is an early work, it is full of the freshness and imagination that would make Grieg one of the most beloved Romantic composers. It stands as a joyful celebration of nature’s cycles and a glimpse of the poetic, melodic voice that would later bloom fully in his Peer Gynt suites and Piano Concerto.
Melancholic. Tender. Timeless.
Cello Concerto in E minor, Op 85
- Adagio – Moderato
- Lento – Allegro molto
- Adagio
- Allegro – Moderato – Allegro, ma non troppo
Composed by Edward Elgar (1857–1934)
30 minutes
Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, written in 1919, is one of the most deeply personal and moving works in the cello repertoire. It was Elgar’s last major composition and reflects both his own sense of weariness and the mood of a world emerging from the devastation of the First World War.
Unlike the grand, sweeping Romantic concertos of the 19th century, Elgar’s concerto speaks with intimacy and restraint. The music begins quietly, with a bold but melancholy statement from the solo cello – a cry of emotion that sets the tone for the entire work. The first movement unfolds with dignity and reflection, while the second bursts to life with quick, restless energy. The third movement is the heart of the concerto: lyrical, tender, and deeply expressive, it feels like a private confession. The finale revisits earlier themes, moving between passion and nostalgia before fading into a quiet, haunting close.
The concerto did not receive much recognition when it was first performed, but it was rediscovered decades later, largely thanks to the legendary cellist Jacqueline du Pré, whose passionate 1965 recording brought it worldwide fame.
Today, the Cello Concerto is seen as Elgar’s farewell – not only to the Romantic era, but to a world that had been forever changed by war. Its beauty lies in its honesty: music of sorrow, memory, and quiet courage. The soloist doesn’t so much compete with the orchestra as converse with it, creating one of the most touching dialogues in all of classical music.
Warm. Lyrical. Uplifting.
Symphony No 2 in D, Op 73
- Allegro ma non troppo
- Adagio ma non troppo
- Allegretto grazioso (quasi andantino)
- Allegro con spirito
Composed by Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
43 minutes
Johannes Brahms composed his Symphony No 2 in D during the summer of 1877, in the peaceful surroundings of Pörtschach, a lakeside village in southern Austria. The setting seems to have inspired the music’s warm, lyrical character – so much so that the work is often nicknamed Brahms’ ‘Pastoral’ Symphony, though its moods are more complex than simple happiness.
After the long and difficult process of writing his First Symphony, which had taken nearly 15 years, Brahms completed his Second in just a few months. The result feels relaxed and spontaneous.
The opening movement unfolds gently, with a calm, flowing melody that seems to breathe the fresh air of the Austrian countryside. Yet beneath the surface warmth, there are moments of melancholy and introspection – reminders that Brahms never allowed sentimentality to go unchecked. The second movement is darker and more reflective, while the third offers a graceful contrast – part waltz, part rustic dance. The finale begins softly but quickly builds to one of the most exuberant conclusions in all of Brahms’ music, full of energy and radiant optimism.
At its premiere in Vienna later that year, audiences were struck by the work’s beauty and humanity. Critics described it as “sunshine” after the stormy drama of the First Symphony.
Brahms’ Second Symphony remains a favourite among orchestras and listeners alike. It combines warmth and intellect, lyricism and strength – music that feels both deeply personal and universally uplifting. It captures Brahms at his most approachable: thoughtful but not brooding, radiant yet grounded, and ultimately confident in the expressive power of the symphony.
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Musicians
Eivind Aadland
TSO Chief Conductor & Artistic Director
Eivind Aadland is one of Norway’s most respected conductors. Since 2020 he has been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Leader of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra for seven seasons from 2004, during which time he conducted the complete Beethoven and Mahler symphony cycles. His extensive work with Scandinavian orchestras includes regular guest engagements with the Oslo and Bergen Philharmonics, the Stavanger Symphony, the Gothenburg Symphony and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. In addition, he has conducted acclaimed productions of Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte and Die Fledermaus for Den Norske Opera, Oslo.
He has also worked extensively in Asia and Australia. He is a frequent visitor to the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne, the National Orchestra of Belgium and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He has also worked with Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Gürzenich-Orchester Cologne, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Lausanne and Scottish Chamber Orchestras and the symphony orchestras of Melbourne, Finnish Radio, Bamberg, Staatskapelle Weimar, SWR Stuttgart and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his career as a conductor, Eivind Aadland is a devoted collector of, and authority on, contemporary art. His private collection encompasses works in the diverse media of painting, photography, video and installation.
Daniel Müller-Schott
Cellist
Image credit: Uwe Arens.
Müller-Schott is one of the most sought-after cellists in the world and can be heard on all the great international concert stages. For many years he has been enchanting audiences as an ambassador for classical music in the 21st century, as a bridge builder between music, literature and the visual arts. The New York Times refers to his "intensive expressiveness", describes him as a "fearless player with technique to burn".
Müller-Schott guests with international leading orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia, has appeared in concert with such renowned conductors as Marc Albrecht, Karina Canellakis, Thomas Dausgaard, Christoph Eschenbach, Iván Fischer, Alan Gilbert, Manfred Honeck, Fabio Luisi, Cristian Măcelaru, Susanna Mälkki, Andris Nelsons, Gianandrea Noseda, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Kirill Petrenko, Vasily Petrenko, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Dalia Stasevska, Krzysztof Urbański, Jaap van Zweden und Simone Young.
Daniel Müller-Schott studied under Walter Nothas, Heinrich Schiff and Steven Isserlis and was supported personally by Anne-Sophie Mutter. At the age of fifteen, he won the first prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in 1992 in Moscow. Daniel Müller-Schott plays the “Ex Shapiro” Matteo Goffriller cello, made in Venice 1727.
*Correct at time of publishing
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