From Baroque and Argentine Tango to Neoclassical Grotesque

The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra takes the stage again on Friday, May 16 with Mario Brunello, a cello superstar and under the baton of Daniel Raiskin, at Kolarac Hall, starting at 8 PM. From baroque and Argentine tango, through Jewish klezmer, to neoclassical grotesque, the orchestra presents a unique blend of music by Alfred Schnittke, Mieczysław Weinberg, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

After a full decade, one of today’s most fascinating cellists returns to perform with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra. Mario Brunello is renowned as one of the most versatile and sought-after musicians, equally acclaimed as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and a pioneer of the piccolo cello. His distinctive style — fusing authenticity and passion — has led to collaborations with some of the greatest conductors of our time, including Antonio Pappano, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Claudio Abbado, and many others.

Performing on his precious early 17th-century Maggini cello, Brunello will present Weinberg’s Cello Concerto, a work deeply rooted in Jewish folk tradition and first premiered in 1957 by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich.

Under the direction of Chief Guest Conductor Daniel Raiskin, the concert features a program of eclectic musical miniatures. It opens with Schnittke’s Polyphonic Tango, a clever fusion of humor and seriousness that playfully dances between the ambiance of a café and a concert hall. The evening concludes with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, a piece bursting with irony and grotesque energy, of which the composer famously said: Musicians will love playing it. Critics will love trashing it.