On October 9, 1989, 70,000 people staged a non-violent demonstration calling for more freedom and democracy in the GDR.

Thanks to the claim “Peaceful Revolution” initiated by Kurt Masur as one of six prominent citizens of Leipzig everything proceeded peacefully. That evening the Gewandhaus- orchester played under his baton Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 at the St. Nicolas Church. The following regular "Monday Demonstrations", which came to be described as the “Peaceful Revolution”, became a major milestone on the way to open the Berlin Wall one month later on November 9, 1989 and paving the foundations for the reunification of the two German states. Exactly 20 years later the Gewandhausorchester and Kurt Masur commemorate the beginning of the German reunification by presenting the same symphony.

Repertoire: Beethoven: "Egmont" Overture, Op. 84; Violin Romances No. 1 in G Major, Op. 40 and No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50; Bach: "Fürchte dich nicht", BWV 228; Motet for two four-part choirs; Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: "Denn er hat seinen Engeln befohlen über dir" for eight-part choir; Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Conductor: Kurt Masur
Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Performers: Renaud Capucon, violin; Thomanerchor Leipzig; Georg-Christoph Biller
Director: Michael Beyer
Producers: EuroArts Music International in co-production with MDR/ARTE

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