The power of brass, the might of the manuals

The most beautiful requiem of the 20th century

Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem is said to be one of the most beautiful and moving sacred pieces of the 20th century. Composed in 1947, the work was born out of fascination with traditional choral music, but it shows no dearth of a “symphonic” scope, simultaneously being deeply reflective in its character. Elements of the Gregorian chant interwoven with modern harmonisation and subtle orchestration create a uniquely contemplative atmosphere and encourage one to slow down in the October rush of preparations for All Souls’ Day. Alexandra KozowiczConcert duration: approximately 70 minutes

Gembalski / Organ improvisations / From the baroque to the present day

What did his principals most frequently reprimand Johann Sebastian Bach for? For his musical improvisations between parts of a service being too long. Such improvised organ interludes, fantasias and capriccios provided inspiration for the creation of organ concertos. Today, we also enjoy improvised jazz concerts – let us remember that it all began with the baroque, and musicians such as Leszek Możdżer owe Bach more than we might think. Prof. Julian Gembalski’s recital is such a return to the improvised organ roots and to a spontaneous expression of genius. It is a tribute to the rich tradition, transporting listeners to times, when music was created here and now, before the audiences’ very eyes and in their ears. [Alexandra Kozowicz]Concert duration: approximately 80 minutes

What do the alpine horn and the organ have in common? / Torlontano / Di Lernia

Although the organ is traditionally associated with sacred music and grand concerts, it can also be a fascinating complement to less typical chamber settings. The untypical combinations in this year’s organ concert series provide unique sounds and new, unexpected combinations. The result? We become more open to new interpretational possibilities and free experimenting. True to its "geographical" name, the alpine horn was often used in the Alps as a shepherd's instrument, its sound echoing through mountain valleys, serving both as a means of communication and in folk music. Hence the presence of such pieces as the traditional melody In den Alpen in the programme. This will be completed by the pastoral compositions by Leopold Mozart and Anton Zimmermann, Arcangelo Corelli’s baroque concerto arranged by Francesco Di Lernia, and contemporary compositions by Arvo Pärt and Giovanni D’Aquila. This diverse repertoire will take listeners on a journey across eras and musical styles, towards discoveries of new, surprising sounds. Alexandra KozowiczConcert duration: approximately 80 minutes

Tower of Power

Tower of Power have stood for the ultimate in funk and soul for over 56 years. Their energetic live presence remains unbroken in the fifth decade of the band’s history and they are therefore rightly regarded as one of the legendary formations that every funk and soul fan must have seen at least once in their life. Tower Of Power will return to Germany for three shows in November 2024, stopping off in Leverkusen, Essen and Hamburg.

Organ matinee Richard Gowers and the Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble

Our organ series starts with one of the most interesting organists of our time: Richard Gowers, still only 29 old, discovered his passion for music as a choirboy at King’s College, Cambridge. Trained in Cambridge, London and Stuttgart, he has travelled internationally as a soloist and has also been Director of Music at St Georgeʼs, Hanover Square in London since 2023. Together with the brass section of the Berliner Philharmoniker, he will perform an opulent, late-romantic programme, including the passionate love scene from Richard Strauss’ opera Feuersnot and Franz Liszt’s heroic final tribute to his friend Chopin, Funérailles.

Organ concert at the turn of the year

Brass Ensemble of the Concertgebouw Orchestra

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

abFRACKt: Piano to the power of two

Cinematic Symphony on Organ / Safety Last!

Organ improvisation complements old cinema exceptionally well, lending century-old films a new dimension. The concept is almost as old as cinematography itself. Harold Lloyd – the third geniusThis is one of the most easily recognisable shots in the history of cinema, and certainly in the history of slapstick comedy: a young man wearing a suit, a hat and horn-rimmed glasses is hanging off the minute hand bending away from the face of a street clock… Beneath him, a dozen storeys lower, there is the real bustling life of an American city. Safety Last! (1923, dir. F.C. Newmeyer, S. Taylor) is the most famous Harold Lloyd film, which enabled the American comedian to momentarily outshine Charlie Chaplin himself. Nevertheless, for posterity he remained “the third one” of comic geniuses, after Chaplin and Buster Keaton. He was characterised by a charming comicality rooted in his physique (the expressive body and... teeth) and laughter of the most spontaneous kind – one that stems from treating life as a game, approaching it in a purely comedic, slightly mad, fashion, with no need to fix the world (as opposed to Chaplin). In Safety Last!, the joyous madness, capable of infecting audiences with its laughter, has already survived for 101 years! The slapstick gags (panicky escapes, frantic chases, people slipping and falling over, falling ladders and comedy of errors) feel surprisingly fresh, as if the sense of humour had been preserved just for us. And one more thing: the American urge to go “higher still and at any cost, putting safety last” – does it still work? Anita SkwaraConcert duration: approximately 80 minutes