There is a reason all remarkable conductors have created their own series of Beethoven symphonies. Each of them has been inspired by the spirit of these marvellous works, each of them had a renewed desire to tell the world what these wonderful pieces mean to them. It is worth noting that this desire arose in all of them when they were middle-aged, proving that it was not youthful enthusiasm that was driving them but rather profound insight. Even as a violinist and chamber musician, Gábor Takács-Nagy considered the humble realisation of the composer's intentions his main goal, and he continues to pursue this attitude as a conductor. With a wealth of concert experience, his time for „Beethoven: Complete Symphonies" has come.
In the summer of 2023, a recording of Beethoven symphonies conducted by Takács-Nagy was released by the world-renowned record label Deutsche Gramophone Gesellschaft, Beethoven Journey In the summer of 2023, a recording of Beethoven symphonies conducted by Takács-Nagy released by the world-renowned record label Deutsche Gramophone Gesellschaft, entitled Beethoven Journey. Interestingly enough, this is the last actual, physical CD released by this prestigious label. The contributing orchestra is the Verbier Festival Orchestra from Switzerland, with whom Takács-Nagy has been working together regularly for years, so much so that they almost "know each other inside out".
Gábor Takács-Nagy has also been working with the MÁV Symphony Orchestra for a long . He had been the orchestra’s artistic director since 2005, its first guest conductor since September 2008, and chief conductor and artistic director since 2010. In 2012, he conducted the MÁV Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere recording of Karl Jenkins' oratorio The Welsh Bards, composed to the poem of János Arany.
The Swiss-based artist was awarded the Hungarian Bartók-Pásztory Prize in 2017, the Prima Primissima Prize in 2021 and the Kossuth Prize in 2024.
The first concert of the Beethoven begins with the King Stephen Overture, composed for the opening of the German Theatre in Pest, which was completed in 1812. It will be followed by Beethoven's Symphony No. 1, premiered on March 2, 1800, in Vienna, at the Imperial Court Theatre. Beethoven’s music bears the legacy of his great intellectual predecessor, Haydn, but also features the characteristics that make Beethoven's later symphonies individual.
In the second part of the concert, the audience will hear Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, composed in 1806. This piece features restless energy to a lesser degree, and portrays the simple, everyday human emotion. The work is a good illustration of Beethoven's process of finding his own individual voice and the progressive qualities in his music.
Beethoven+
A panel discussion on the current program of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra's Beethoven series will be held with conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy before each concert in the concert hall at 5.45 pm for those who have purchased a ticket for the concert.
The discussion will be led by György Lendvai, Executive Director of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra.
Another special feature of the Beethoven series is that the MÁV Symphony Orchestra provides an opportunity for the instrumental students of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music to actively participate in the concerts, in order that they gain more experience during the rehearsals and the performances. The cooperation between the two institutions is intended to support the students' orchestral practice both professionally and personally, since by taking part in the program, they get a glimpse of what it is like to be a member of a professionally functioning ensemble. Conductor Gábor Takács-Nagy was also pleased to join the initiative.
