Bihlmaier and Altstaedt Transform the Isar Philharmonic into a Musical Waltz Ecstasy
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Waltz, Intoxication and Musical Depths in the Isar Philharmonic
The Munich Philharmonic invites you on Sunday, October 18, 2026, to an extraordinary matinee at the Isar Philharmonic. Under the direction of Anja Bihlmaier, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt will present a program that illuminates the waltz between elegance, grotesque, memory, and ecstasy.
From the Danube Waltz to the Dark Side of Dance
Johann Strauss' famous waltz On the Beautiful Blue Danube opens the morning with shimmering string colors and that magically flickering pull that has been associated with Vienna and the grand ball tradition for generations. In the acoustics of the Isar Philharmonic, the orchestral movement can unfold in detail - from the buoyant triple meter to the magnificent sound image of the entire orchestra.
Virtuosity and Inner Tension
With Dmitrij Shostakovich's 1st Cello Concerto, the atmosphere shifts abruptly. Nicolas Altstaedt shapes the solo part between cantabile intensity, sharp rhythm, and virtuosic precision. Here, dance appears not as carefree social art but as a distorted shadow: pulsating, nervous, and permeated with bitter wit.
A Musical Masquerade Ball
Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Musique pour les soupers du Roi Ubu leads into a garish collage of quotes and stylistic breaks. The orchestration combines historical allusions with modern sound language and transforms the concert stage into a masquerade ball of music history. Anja Bihlmaier's conducting precisely holds these contradictory levels together.
Ravel's Waltz Between Order and Ecstasy
To conclude, Maurice Ravel's La valse will be performed. The originally dance impulse gets into motion, loses its stability, and grows into an intoxicating stream of sound. Between synchronization, orchestral color dramaturgy, and eruptive crescendos, a stage performance without words emerges - intense, vivid, and full of musical tension.
A Concert Experience for Classical Music Lovers and Explorers
The program connects well-known melodies with demanding concert literature and shows how differently composers transform dance musically. The audience's mood ranges from the elegant lightness of the Danube waltz to the electrified atmosphere of Ravel's La valse. The concert duration is about two hours.
Those who want to not only hear classical music but experience it in all its emotional and sonic depth will find a special concert date in this matinee. Secure your tickets and experience Anja Bihlmaier, Nicolas Altstaedt, and the Munich Philharmonic live at the Isar Philharmonic.
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