Exciting to the heavens, saddened to death: Hardly any other symphony shows such extreme emotional outbursts and sudden mood swings as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Sixth, the “Pathétique”. Planned as the declared capstone of his work, it is a kind of requiem, a farewell to life that was accepted amidst struggles and finally celebrated with resignation after manic, noisy joys. Nine days after the premiere in October 1893, the 53-year-old composer was dead - and the rumors and speculation surrounding his sudden death have not subsided to this day. Julian Rachlin faces this expressive challenge at the conductor's podium of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Before the break he welcomes his violin colleague Janine Jansen to Herbstgold: all in all, undoubtedly an evening of great emotions.