Gabriela Montero Charlie Chaplins „The Immigrant“

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin: The Great Dictator

It’s one of the great masterpieces of film history, »perhaps the most significant film ever produced« (New York Times): with »The Great Dictator«, Charlie Chaplin created not only a satire of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism, but also a general manifesto against totalitarianism and war. In the opening week of the Hamburg International Music Festival, which is centred around the theme of »War and Peace«, the film is being screened in the Elbphilharmonie – with the soundtrack performed live by the Symphoniker Hamburg. As with his earlier films, Chaplin was responsible for the script, direction and production on »The Great Dictator«. And he also acted the two main roles: the tyrant Anton Hynkel and the Jewish barber who is terrorised in the ghetto by Hynkel’s stormtroopers. The great similarity between these two characters leads to a mix-up at the end of the film and to that famous speech in which the »wrong« dictator takes to the stage and, in a passionate address, makes a plea for humanity and world peace. »The Great Dictator«, Chaplin’s first sound film, is shown in English with the original soundtrack by Charlie Chaplin and Meredith Willson. Talking about the composition process, Willson explained: »We broke the picture into 70 musical sequences and spent weeks fitting original music to these sequences.« In this process, Chaplin’s role was far more than simply providing the occasional idea: »I have never met a man who devoted himself so completely to the idea of perfection as Charlie Chaplin. I was constantly amazed at his attention to details, his feeling for the exact musical phrase or tempo to express the mood he wanted.« In addition to their original music, Willson and Chaplin made memorable use of two classical works: the scene in which Chaplin as the barber shaves a customer to the rhythms of Johannes Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5 has gone down in film history, as has Hynkel the dictator’s dance with the inflated globe to the sound of Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin prelude.

The Naghash Ensemble Songs of Exile

In the 15th century, Armenian priest and poet Mkrtich Naghash wrote about his exile experiences. The resulting poems, with their powerful language, captivated Armenian-American John Hodian. He decided to set these exile songs to music and bring them to the stage with a specially founded ensemble. Hodian leads the Armenian Naghash Ensemble from the piano, inspiring by old Armenian church and folk music, minimal music, and jazz.

Sarah Willis. The Sarahbanda Rondo alla Rumba

When a German French horn flirts with hot salsa rhythms, it carries a lot of Mozart melodies and many more hits from the West, which are received with open arms by the Caribbean rhythms. Such an affair only exists in the "Sarahbanda", founded by Sarah Willis. Together with her excellent Cuban musicians, the horn player thrills her audience with music full of passion and joie de vivre.

Film Concert: Charlie Chaplin »Pay Day« & »The Pilgrim«

This traditional film music concert offers a very special feast for the eyes and ears! Two classic silent films by Charlie Chaplin – a master of slapstick who also had a unique talent for exploring social topics with humour and penetrating insight – are projected onto the big screen. »Pay Day« and »Pilgrim« are hilarious yet profound masterpieces by an all-round genius. Chaplin, of course, also composed the virtuosic film music performed by the Symphoniker Hamburg on this evening in accompaniment to the tragicomic hero’s stumbling through a series of absurd situations.

Schubert-Tag Sternath. Chang. Soulez Larivière. Hagen. Duerden. Carrel. Baillieu. Brauß Soiree: Forellenquintett

Schubert's meditative "Nachtstück" for piano trio opens a program that explores time and timelessness. Debussy's Préludes and Violin Sonata, Steve Reich's eight-part "Cello Counterpoint" (played here on the viola), and Helmut Lachenmann's playful Schubert Variations offer complementary perspectives to early Romantic Viennese ideas. The concert concludes with two timeless Schubert masterpieces: the "Grand Rondeau" for piano four hands and the famous "Trout Quintet". The concert will have two intermissions.

Prokofjew Pass Alle Prokofjew-Klavierkonzerte

Over three consecutive days, Igor Levit performs Sergei Prokofiev's five brilliant piano concertos, spanning the young composer's boundless creativity to his mature mastery. He's accompanied by Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Levit also discusses Prokofiev's challenging 2nd concerto, a piece he hasn't played publicly in ten years.

Igor Levit. Iván Fischer. Budapest Festival Orchestra Alle Prokofjew-Klavierkonzerte I

Over three consecutive days, Igor Levit performs all five of Sergei Prokofiev's brilliant piano concertos, spanning the young composer's boundless creativity to his mature mastery. He's accompanied by the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer. Prokofiev's first concerto features rhythmic agility and sharp percussion. Alongside this and the fifth concerto, they perform the "Symphony of the Greatness of the Human Spirit", whose 1945 premiere coincided with the Red Army's victory announcement. Levit also revisits Prokofiev's second concerto after a decade. A pre-concert talk with Levit and Anselm Cybinski takes place at 7 pm.

Signum Quartett Schubert in Soweto

Dieter Schnebel's essay "In Search of Liberated Time" explored Schubert's late works and their unique handling of time. South African violist Xandi van Dijk of the Signum Quartet connects this theme to the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid. The quartet commissioned South African composers and will perform Schubert in Soweto. A pre-concert talk will be held at 4 pm.