On Friday, May 9th, 2025, the Radio Hall hosts the Royal Concert - an event that has already become a tradition. The evening's program includes the Royal Anthem by Eduard Hübsch, Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 4 for piano and orchestra, havingthe famous Alexei Volodin as soloist, and Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony. On this occasion, Sascha Goetzel is again at the rostrum of the National Radio Orchestra. In between rehearsals, the conductor spoke to our colleague Ariadna Ene-Iliescu:

The concert that you will be conducting on Friday evening is dedicated to the Royal Day. The program traditionally opens with the Royal Anthem by Eduard Hübsch and continues with Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 4 for piano and orchestra and The Fifth Symphony by Gustav Mahler. How do you think the proposed program reflects the royalty theme?

Let's start with Mahler's Fifth Symphony. A parallel can be drawn between this work and The Fifth Symphony from Beethoven's creation. In what way? We are coming from a striving, from something that is frustrating, something that we struggle a lot with, to move towards glory, towards success. As in Beethoven's symphony, we start in what is called "minor" in music - it's a depressing atmosphere, we start with a motif reminiscent of a funeral march. Then the musical journey takes us to the beauty of existence as we can feel it - the life that is given to us, life as a gift. The famous Adagietto, the fourth part of the symphony, is the greatest hit of all Mahler's symphonies. Everyone knows it. Adagiettois basically a love letter to Alma Mahler, his wife, whom he met the same year. When we listen to Adagietto, we can hear, we can feel the power of love to transform life completely. We are then carried to the awakening of nature in the last part of the symphony, we are enveloped in awe and respect for nature - feelings that are directly related to humanity. You can observe again the parallel with Beethoven's Symphony - in which the last part depicts people celebrating a revolution of their times, but which, fundamentally, depicts in fact people celebrating the humanity we all believe in. Therefore, the final parts of the two symphonies have the same core. We have a program dedicated to Royalty - that space of ages of human striving and struggle... I think the program perfectly reflects this idea: we are all creating a world together, under a leadership that supports us enduring and moving forward. The music program paints a big picture, but I think it works very well.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Concerto No. 4 in G major is also part of the program, in which, of course, we also find hints of the nobility of spirit. What is your perspective on the work?

For me it is one of the most charming pieces of musical literature. Especially the slow part, which in a way represents the conflict between good and evil. We feel the presence of an entity that is trying to bring us under its spell, we feel the earth slipping away from under our feet, we feel how we blindly follow the dark forces of life... The orchestra represents these evil spirits, while the piano embodies the forces of good. It is again about transformation... You mentioned "nobility of spirit", but what does that actually mean? We are all governed by the laws of human nature, no matter who we are, where and when we were born, what culture we belong to. It is the same thing - we operate in the law of nature, the law of life. This second part of the Concerto shows the constant struggle between the two forces within us: the good and the evil. I believe that Beethoven's work reflects perfectly the course of a human life and shows us how we can become noble, elegant, how we can cultivate mutual respect. I think this is what Concerto No. 4 proposes. At the same time, the work sets the stage for the second part of the concerto, in which we are carried by the music into the struggle, which is about human striving. But first we must find out who we are - in the first part of the program. It's a very philosophical program, in a way! But, in fact, everything can be looked back at, through philosophical lens. Our lives and our perspective are constantly changing, technology is evolving, the environment we live in is changing, but human nature never changes. And this Beethoven concerto is about the never-changing human nature, that's what makes it so special...

You will be back on stage with the pianist Alexei Volodin. How do you see this collaboration?

Alexei and I have known each other for a long time. We have already had great projects together. I think he's one of the greatest pianists of our times, who is not only versatile, but also incredibly sincere in the music he plays - he's always trying to find the right phrasing, the right articulations, the right colors... I love working with Alexei, it's always a pleasure to make music together, I can't wait!

You frequently return to the National Radio Orchestra rostrum. How would you describe your relationship with this ensemble?

It is something very beautiful... I think that when an orchestra and a conductor come to resonate, it's something that both sides value. So both the ensemble and the conductor try to do their best. And every performance becomes a little gem, which we share with the audience. It's always something unique. Maybe nowadays it's not as appreciated as it used to be... I think at the 20th century, when a conductor and an orchestra connected and managed to get deeper and deeper into the core of the music, the public celebrated it with great joy, it was incredible at the time. Now, of course, things have changed. On streaming channels, people can watch a performance from anywhere in the world, something that perhaps changes the perspective of the experience of being present in the concert room. I think audiences will start to feel and appreciate the uniqueness of each performance again. After all, music only comes to life through the act of performing. The particularities of each approach make the listening experience so enchanting.

I value very much the relationship I have with the National Radio Orchestra. I think there is a lot of mutual respect. I want to protect that connection. I think it's a bit like a love relationship. When we fall in love, at the beginning, we can feel great enthusiasm. Everything is full of colors, we're almost overwhelmed with emotions and energy. Then comes the second stage of love - a transformative one. And if this stage succeeds, we reach a relationship of trust, we build a safe space with the other, where anything is possible. It's a calmer, but also deeper feeling than the one at the beginning - which is always exaggerated. I think we have reached this third phase with the National Radio Orchestra, after more than a decade of collaboration. And it's clear when we make music together - there's respect, there's trust, there's belief that we can do anything. So every concert is a unique experience and I'm very happy to be back with these musicians and the audience here.