Film concert with Frank Strobel

Frank Peter Zimmermann plays Respighi

»Music is love‘s soul, for it is the touching of the divine with the human.« These were the thoughts of Bettina von Arnim – and in our concert conducted by Andrew Manze we indulge in such deep soundscapes as Respighi‘s »Concerto Gregoriano« from 1921: it conjures up a religiously solemn world of the middle ages – inspired by his preoccupation with the honorable church modes and meditative melodies of Gregorian chant, which had seized him »like an addiction« at the time. The violin concerto is therefore largely a lyrical-contemplative composition and quotes the Easter sequence »victimae paschali laudes« in the middle movement – but in the end it soars hymn-like with echoes of the famous »Salve Regina« chant like a fervent profession of faith. One critic characterised the violin part as that of »a cantor in an ancient religious ceremony, with the orchestra personifying the choir of the believers«. With us, Frank Peter Zimmermann will assume the role of solo choir leader with his Stradivarius. What follows is a journey into the Bruckner cosmos: his creative work was inseparably intertwined with religious sentiments, which earned him the nickname »Musician of God«. Before he had dared to approach symphonies, he had already made a name for himself as an eminent organist and church composer. After several dissatisfactory attempts, he composed his first definitive symphony in Linz in 1865/66 – which, however, he reworked in Vienna in 1891 on the basis of the experience he had gathered thereafter: it captivates the listener with its natural originality, grandiose themes and climax after climax – and in addition offers deep insights into Bruckner‘s state of mind in the heartfelt Adagio.

Klaus Mäkelä & Frank Peter Zimmermann

A programme with three works requiring solo singers is certainly something special – so that Frank Peter Zimmermann has brought along two pieces never heard before in the concerts of the BRSO: Bartók’s roughly ten-minute Rhapsody No. 2 for violin and orchestra (1928) and Martinů’s Suite concertante (1944), a four-movement violin concerto in everything but name. Both works thrive on the tension between original eastern European folk melodies, modern sonic garb and the unique individual styles of their respective creators. A folk inflection of a quite different kind depicts the “heavenly joys” that soprano Anna Lucia Richter invokes in the final movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. But the childlike naivety of this idyll openly displays its fractures, and perhaps no Mahler symphony is as enigmatic as his purportedly “simple” Fourth. Standing at the rostrum is the young Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, now in his second appearance with the BRSO following his début of February 2020.

Klaus Mäkelä & Frank Peter Zimmermann

A programme with three works requiring solo singers is certainly something special – so that Frank Peter Zimmermann has brought along two pieces never heard before in the concerts of the BRSO: Bartók’s roughly ten-minute Rhapsody No. 2 for violin and orchestra (1928) and Martinů’s Suite concertante (1944), a four-movement violin concerto in everything but name. Both works thrive on the tension between original eastern European folk melodies, modern sonic garb and the unique individual styles of their respective creators. A folk inflection of a quite different kind depicts the “heavenly joys” that soprano Anna Lucia Richter invokes in the final movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. But the childlike naivety of this idyll openly displays its fractures, and perhaps no Mahler symphony is as enigmatic as his purportedly “simple” Fourth. Standing at the rostrum is the young Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, now in his second appearance with the BRSO following his début of February 2020.

Summer Concert with Wagner

Helena Munktell’s romantic Suite for large orchestra is a piece that the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra has never before performed in its entirety. The music was composed in 1895, and like the now often performed Bränningar, this suite was premiered in Monte Carlo in the late 19th century.Next, we hear the young Swedish soprano Jessica Elevant tackle Wagner's Wesendonck Songs – music filled with burning longing and celestial beauty. Jessica Elevant has recently gained attention for her participation in Daniel Nelson's opera Pride and Prejudice at the Norrlandsoperan. This marks her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.Another debutant is Sergej Bolkhovets – as a conductor, that is. He has previously been a violin soloist with the orchestra. He leads the orchestra in Shostakovich's first symphony. Already in this symphony, Shostakovich demonstrates his phenomenal ability to handle the orchestra. It's personal music with humorous twists and great finesse. A remarkable symphonic debut by a 19-year-old composer.

Concert of Film Music: Korngold in Hollywood

Johan Dalene, photo: Marco Borggreve Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a child prodigy whose talent enchanted Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. He staged his most famous opera at the age of 23, pursued a career as a conductor shortly afterwards and then became, still at a very young age, a lecturer at the Staatsakademie für Musik in Vienna. Nothing foreshadowed his great turn to film, which – bored by the silent image – decided to speak with an audible voice. A few years before the outbreak of the Second World War, Korngold moved to the US, and he eventually took American citizenship. He became permanently associated with Hollywood, setting the mould for later film music composers. At the same time, he remained faithful to the style of the composers whom he had captivated in his early career. Korngold wrote music for many films, including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Kings Row (1941), twice receiving an Oscar. However, he did not abandon the classical forms and contexts of symphonic music. In 1945 he completed his Violin Concerto, with Jascha Heifetz performing the solo part. It is undoubtedly one of the most ‘cinematic’ of instrumental concertos, be it only because the composer took numerous themes from his film scores.

Concert of Film Music: Korngold in Hollywood

Johan Dalene, photo: Marco Borggreve Erich Wolfgang Korngold was a child prodigy whose talent enchanted Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. He staged his most famous opera at the age of 23, pursued a career as a conductor shortly afterwards and then became, still at a very young age, a lecturer at the Staatsakademie für Musik in Vienna. Nothing foreshadowed his great turn to film, which – bored by the silent image – decided to speak with an audible voice. A few years before the outbreak of the Second World War, Korngold moved to the US, and he eventually took American citizenship. He became permanently associated with Hollywood, setting the mould for later film music composers. At the same time, he remained faithful to the style of the composers whom he had captivated in his early career. Korngold wrote music for many films, including The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Kings Row (1941), twice receiving an Oscar. However, he did not abandon the classical forms and contexts of symphonic music. In 1945 he completed his Violin Concerto, with Jascha Heifetz performing the solo part. It is undoubtedly one of the most ‘cinematic’ of instrumental concertos, be it only because the composer took numerous themes from his film scores.

Frank Strobel conducts “Chaplin in Concert”

Chaplin is clearly much more than a tunesmith and filmmaker: his entire cinematic concept is rooted in a deep understanding of rhythm and emotion. His iconic appearance is perhaps the most poignant symbol of the average man struggling with love, hunger, poverty, fascism and capitalism. The resilience of the Little Tramp, his victories and defeats are choreographed with the precision of a ballet. Nevertheless, CHAPLIN IN CONCERT: WITH A SMILE is neither a historical nor a biographical “concert documentary”. Rather, it is about the wondrous interplay of the many facets of a genius: the actor, the filmmaker, the humanist, the clown, the dancer, the art rebel, the egomaniac, the musician.The concert will be broadcast live from the Konzerthaus on rbbKultur. WITH A SMILE – CHAPLIN IN CONCERT A production of the European FilmPhilharmonic Orchestra – EFPI-GmbH under licence from Roy Export S.A.S. and Bourne Co. Music Publishers.Music and film selection Fernando Carmena (EFPI) Reconstruction of the film scores Timothy Brock Arrangements Stefan Behrisch

Casual Concert with Manfred Honeck

A composer buffeted about by a dictatorship, writing music with subtexts – dancing on the edge of a volcano. Nothing is unambiguous in Shostakovich’s Fifth. Manfred Honeck presents the legendary work at a Casual Concert as conductor and moderator: equally exciting for newbies and nerds. And then the perfect contrast in the Lounge afterwards – with a live act and a DJ.

Concert with Friends

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Frank Peter Zimmermann / Andris Poga

»If you want to know who I consider to be the most important living composer, I say without hesitation: Elgar... I put him on the same level as my idols Beethoven and Brahms.« This is how the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler enthused about Edward Elgar in 1905 – and added a personal request: »I wish Elgar would compose something for the violin.« The flattered man was happy to fulfil this wish. Albeit with a few years’ delay. Edward Elgar completed his violin concerto in 1910. The piece was tailor-made for Fritz Kreisler: Elgar placed an extremely demanding solo part in his hands. The sheer abundance of virtuosic cascades and furiously fast arpeggios are such a great challenge that many soloists avoid them. Frank Peter Zimmermann, on the other hand, has taken it on several times and performed the fifty-minute mammoth work with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, for example. In February 2025, he will join the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra to savour the rapturous glow and late Romantic colours of the concerto under the direction of Andris Poga.