In the Burgenland state capital of Eisenstadt stands a very special building – Esterházy Palace, the former princely residence of the noble family of the same name. The former Baroque palace was converted into a neoclassical castle under Nikolaus II at the beginning of the 19th century by Karl Ehmann according to the plans of the architect Charles de Moreau.
The historic festival hall of the palace has been known as the Haydn Hall since the mid-20th century and is often used as a concert hall. Joseph Haydn, the first master of the symphony and the string quartet, was employed from 1761 to 1803 as a court musician, conductor and composer at the princely court of the Esterházys. The ceiling design of the magnificent hall ultimately culminated in the large ceiling panels, where at the center the depiction of Psyche’s ascension to the heavens can still be seen today. Thanks to its outstanding acoustics and furnishings, the hall is considered a jewel among concert halls worldwide.
This year, in this hall, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, under their chief conductor since the 2019/20 season, Kirill Petrenko, are playing their now traditional Europe Concert, which always takes place on May 1st. Due to the enormous demand for tickets, the dress rehearsal on the early evening of April 30, 2026, will also take place in front of an audience. The program seems entirely tailored to the external setting. The festive opening is made by the brilliant Overture in D Major Hob. Ia:7 of the genius loci, Joseph Haydn; little adjustment is needed for this inspired work. Likewise, little adjustment is needed for the Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra, op. 33 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, essentially a one-movement cello concerto. The highly motivated orchestra engages in a delightful, soulful dialogue with the soloist Gautier Capuçon, who makes his noble instrument sound mesmerizing with a finely glowing, Mediterranean-bright tone. In between, there is the suite from the ballet “Pulcinella” by Igor Stravinsky, on which conductor Kirill Petrenko works a bit longer after a brisk, lively run-through, until even the most intricate rhythms of the piece reach the hall with the highly delicate precision he demands. After the intermission, the orchestra, which appeared in gala formation – Noah Bendix-Balgley (first concertmaster), Ludwig Quandt (principal cellist), Emanuel Pahud (flute solo), Albrecht Mayer (oboe solo), Wenzel Fuchs (clarinet solo), Daniele Damiano (bassoon solo), Yun Zeng (horn solo) – is entirely in its element under the assertively accented, brisk, yet never rushed direction of its chief. Played superbly, savoring the orchestral details, the work unfolds very directly in the dry, slightly reverberant acoustics of the wonderful hall.
The visitors of the Europe concert on May 1, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Eisenstadt can certainly look forward to a very special concert with very special music – and also the listeners who follow the concert via live streaming in the Digital Concert Hall of the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as everyone who listens to the concert tonight on the radio on Ö 1 or follows it on the afternoon of May 3, 2026, on ARTE TV.
