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Q & A with Valentin Priebus

Q & A with Valentin Priebus
By Bethany Tillerson (photo credit: © North German Radio Symphony Orchestra)

On October 10, Monday Night At The Symphony featured the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra. I spoke with the orchestra’s cellist, Valentin Priebus, who lives in the orchestra’s home city of Hamburg, Germany. He has been a member since 2013, and is open about his love for both his city and his workplace—the impressive halls of the Elbphilharmonie are where the musicians of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra work, practice, and, in some cases, live; in addition to concert halls, the Elbphilharmonie includes a set of apartments, a hotel, restaurants, and a 269-foot escalator.

I appreciated the opportunity to get a glimpse into the mind of a musician belonging to such a remarkable orchestra.

Q: What is your favorite piece of music to play?
Priebus: One of my favorite pieces to play is Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony no. 5. I first played it as a teenager and become more fascinated by it each time I play it.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being part of the North German Radio Symphony?
Priebus: I really enjoy playing with inspiring world-class musicians and wonderful colleagues in one of the world’s most beautiful concert halls, the Elbphilharmonie.

Q: If you could spend one day with any composer who would it be?
Priebus: That would be György Ligeti – what an incredible mind and entertaining personality!

Monday Night At The Symphony is one of our most-loved programs, where we feature music from one orchestra at 8:00 p.m. every Monday. You can enjoy it on The Classical Station’s app, on 87.9 FM, or streaming it on TheClassicalStation.org.

Now Playing

Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Prosseda/Hague Philharmonic/de Vriend

Label

Decca

Catalog Number

481

Today's Playlist

10:33am Waltz in D flat, Op. 64 No. 1 "Minute"

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Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

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Lang Lang

10:36am 2nd mvt (Adagio) from Concierto de Aranjuez

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Bonell/Montreal Symphony/Dutoit

10:49am Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, BWV 1048

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

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Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood

11:01am Rhapsody under a High Sky

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RTE Sinfonietta/O'Duinn

11:12am Kitty-valse from the Dolly Suite, Op. 56

Composed by

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

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Katia & Marielle Labeque

11:16am The Bells of St. Genevieve

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Marin Marais (1656-1728)

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Harnoncourt Trio

11:27am The Legend of the Pianist (From "The Legend of 1900")

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Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Performed by

Butta/Munich Radio Orchestra/Morricone

11:36am La Catedral

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Agustin Barrios (1885-1944)

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Xuefei Yang

11:45am Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25 "Classical"

Composed by

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

Performed by

USSR Symphony/Svetlanov

12:00pm Symphony No. 088 in G

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

La Petite Bande/Kuijken

12:24pm 1st Movement ~ Piano Trio in A, Op. 101 No. 6

Composed by

Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Trio Bohemo

12:33pm Papillon (Butterfly)

Composed by

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

Performed by

Luke Welch

12:38pm Concerto No. 12 in D minor, "La Follia"

Composed by

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I Musici

12:53pm Music selected by the announcer

1:01pm Offenbachiana

Composed by

Jacques Offenbach, arr. by Manuel Rosenthal

Performed by

Monte Carlo Philharmonic/Rosenthal

1:24pm Violin Sonata No. 3 in C, BWV 1005 : I

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Alon Sariel

Performed by

Alon Sariel

1:30pm The Lark Ascending

Composed by

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Performed by

Garcia/English Chamber Orchestra/Menuhin

1:45pm La Valse

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Paris Orchestra/Karajan

2:01pm Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Wild/Royal Philharmonic/Horenstein

2:23pm The Swan of Tuonela

Composed by

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

2:34pm 1st mvt (Non Allegro) ~ Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

Composed by

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)

Performed by

Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Canellakis

2:47pm Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A

Composed by

George Enescu (1881-1955)

Performed by

London Symphony/Dorati

3:01pm Hebrides Overture, Op. 26

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Swensen

3:12pm Symphony No. 083 in G minor, "The Hen"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

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Amsterdam Baroque/Koopman

3:37pm Main Theme (From "H2S")

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Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Performed by

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3:41pm Prelude No. 1 in C ~ The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, BWV 846

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), arr. Alon Sariel

Performed by

Alon Sariel

3:44pm Six Epigraphes Antiques

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Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Zofo Duet

4:00pm Concert Pieces (Pieces en Concert)

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Francois Couperin (1668-1733)

Performed by

Shao/Jokubaviciute

4:12pm The Hen (La Poule )

Composed by

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)

Performed by

Tiffany Poon

4:18pm Michel Angelo (Concert Overture)

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Lyngby-Taarbaeck Symphony/Eriksson

4:29pm 1st Movement ~ Piano Trio in C, Op. 101 No. 3

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Anton Reicha (1770–1836)

Performed by

Trio Bohemo

4:38pm Presto con brio from Quartet in D, Op. 44 No. 1

Composed by

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Performed by

Blair Quartet

4:46pm Leonore Overture No. 2, Op. 72a

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Hanover Band/Goodman

5:01pm Andante cantabile from String Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 11

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Harnoy/London Philharmonic/Mackerras

5:09pm Two Works for Harp (Rumba and Bolero)

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Yolanda Kondonassis

5:15pm Pastorale & Allemande

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Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

Williams/Bream

5:31pm The Waltzing Cat

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Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)

Performed by

Eastman-Rochester Pops Orch/Fennell

5:34pm Selections from "Indiana Jones"

Composed by

John Towner Williams (b.1932)

Performed by

United States Marine Band/Williams

5:45pm Suite from Ballet Egyptien, Op.12

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Alexandre Luigini (1850-1906)

Performed by

Royal Philharmonic/Fistoulari

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Vertavo String Quartet/Bodtker

6:13pm Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan

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Suisse Romande Orchestra/Ansermet

6:16pm Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor

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Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Rattle

6:30pm March from "1941"

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6:36pm Spanish Dances, Op. 37

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6:48pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Pictures at an Exhibition

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Khatia Buniatishvili

7:35pm Concierto de Aranjuez

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Composed by

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John Ogdon

10:06pm Sinfonietta in A minor, Op. 31

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10:32pm String Octet, Op. Posth.

Composed by

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Performed by

Ensemble Ulf Hoelscher

10:59pm Guitar Concerto No. 1 in A, Op. 30

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Performed by

Williams/Australian Chamber Orchestra/Tognetti

11:30pm From Blackbird Hills, Op. 83

Composed by

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Lara Downes

11:35pm Oboe Quartet in F

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Performed by

Goodwin/Terzetto

11:50pm Music selected by the announcer