Siegfried Lenz Prizewinner Claire Keegan as a Guest on NDR Kultur

Music as light as a feather

Paul Hindemith is among the most underrated artists of the 20th century. Anyone who listens to his Kammermusik, op. 24 no. 1, a genuinely sparkling with ideas and light as a feather piece of music, will come to this conclusion. This architect of the cornerstone of historical performance and founding father of the famous Donaueschingen Contemporary Music Festival embodied the dominant ideals of the New Objectivity in German art of the 1920s, namely simplicity of means and communicativeness, in his Chamber Music series. It is a peculiar variety of neo-classicism, unjustly overshadowed by French or Russian music. The third movement in Kammermusik (op. 36 no. 3) is essentially a chamber cello concerto with explicit references to Baroque music. It is not without reason, after all, that this entire series has been compared to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. Surprisingly similar in its spirit tone, although referring to the classical form and not devoid of stronger emotional accents, is the Sinfonietta of the then-only 18-year-old Benjamin Britten, already heralding his extraordinary talent. Adam SuprynowiczConcert duration: approximately 70 minutes

NOSPR / Alsop / Requiem as a tribute

“It is with greatest ease and willingness that I am working on this Concerto and, nota bene, I feel that this is going to be a first-class trick” – these words from a letter by Karol Szymanowski are proof of how important the Symphony No. 4 was for the composer. It was his unfulfilled dream of a “true” piano concerto. One of a pianistic tour de force, the first sketches of which he dropped to focus on the Stabat Mater he was working on back then. The moving „Peasant Requiem” (such was the title Szymanowski had originally intended for the work), born out of the pain he experienced after his niece’s death, it brings together religious ecstasy and a note of the Polish folklore to be heard in a recollection of the popular Bitter Lamentations resonating in the composer’s memory.How different was that world from the instrumental Chaconne by Krzysztof Penderecki! The latter is an expressive musical tribute to the memory of the late Polish Pope. It was this piece that provided a symbolic closure for the Polish Requiem, which Penderecki had been working on for a quarter of a century – a monumental chronicle of Poland’s modern history, the melancholic finale of which contains both a nostalgia for the baroque tradition and emotions of a surprisingly romantic nature.Róża ŚwiatczyńskaConcert duration (intermission included): approximately 90 minutes

Film: My Life as a Courgette

The film »Ma vie de Courgette« (My Life as a Courgette) about little Icare begins in the dreariness of a failed family. It turns into an impressive story about a child’s ability to create substitute families. It is not least the light-hearted soundtrack by Sophie Hunger that gives the film its life-affirming atmosphere. Swiss animation filmmaker Claude Barras is known for his affectionate characterisation using stop-motion techniques. For »My Life as a Courgette«, he adapted a novel by Gilles Paris; the screenplay was written by French director Céline Sciamma. The orphanage drama about the power of childhood friendship premiered in Cannes in 2016 and was showered with awards. In her soundtrack, Sophie Hunger combines her love of rock music and sound experiments to create an atmospheric framework that perfectly accompanies the film. Sophie Hunger wrote her first film score for »The Friend« by Swiss director Micha Lewinski back in 2008. She has since worked on various soundtracks and was honoured with the »Des Notes et des Toiles« prize at the French festival and the German Television Award.

Film: My Life as a Courgette

The film »Ma vie de Courgette« (My Life as a Courgette) about little Icare begins in the dreariness of a failed family. It turns into an impressive story about a child’s ability to create substitute families. It is not least the light-hearted soundtrack by Sophie Hunger that gives the film its life-affirming atmosphere. Swiss animation filmmaker Claude Barras is known for his affectionate characterisation using stop-motion techniques. For »My Life as a Courgette«, he adapted a novel by Gilles Paris; the screenplay was written by French director Céline Sciamma. The orphanage drama about the power of childhood friendship premiered in Cannes in 2016 and was showered with awards. In her soundtrack, Sophie Hunger combines her love of rock music and sound experiments to create an atmospheric framework that perfectly accompanies the film. Sophie Hunger wrote her first film score for »The Friend« by Swiss director Micha Lewinski back in 2008. She has since worked on various soundtracks and was honoured with the »Des Notes et des Toiles« prize at the French festival and the German Television Award.

András Schiff as guest in Bamberg

E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote that "Haydn and Mozart, the creators of the newer instrumental music, first showed us art in its full glory; but Beethoven is the one who looked at it with a gaze full of love and penetrated its innermost essence.” András Schiff features in this concert as both conductor and pianist, performing works inspired by very different places and ideas. Our musical journey will start with one of Haydn’s "London Symphonies”, named for the British capital even though Haydn did not in fact compose it there. Rather, he travelled to England with the score of the E flat major Symphony in his luggage, ready to be premiered shortly after his arrival in 1794. One critic praised its “ideas, as new in music as they are grand and impressive”. Our programme also features Beethoven’s popular Fifth Piano Concerto. It was composed in 1809, when Vienna was being bombarded by French troops. In the English-speaking world, the concerto is known as "Emperor” because of its thundering, martial tone. But its rich trove of complex emotions is equally fascinating – Beethoven is said to have had "the religious songs of pious pilgrims" in mind when composing the Adagio. In addition to these two masterpieces, our orchestra will perform a work that draws on the music of earlier times: the folk music of his native region was an important source of inspiration for Bartók, and his ravishing dance suite is "a kind of ideally conceived peasant music". He wrote it in 1923 for the 50th anniversary of the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest to form the new capital city of Budapest. In doing so, Bartók looked beyond the borders of Hungary, weaving Romanian, Slovakian and even Arabic influences into his work. After all, his goal was to “create a new spirit in music – from musical forces sprung from the earth itself!”This project was originally planned for December 2020 but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic – we are thrilled that the great artist Andràs Schiff is now finally able to join us in Bamberg!

András Schiff as guest in Bamberg

E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote that "Haydn and Mozart, the creators of the newer instrumental music, first showed us art in its full glory; but Beethoven is the one who looked at it with a gaze full of love and penetrated its innermost essence.” András Schiff features in this concert as both conductor and pianist, performing works inspired by very different places and ideas. Our musical journey will start with one of Haydn’s "London Symphonies”, named for the British capital even though Haydn did not in fact compose it there. Rather, he travelled to England with the score of the E flat major Symphony in his luggage, ready to be premiered shortly after his arrival in 1794. One critic praised its “ideas, as new in music as they are grand and impressive”. Our programme also features Beethoven’s popular Fifth Piano Concerto. It was composed in 1809, when Vienna was being bombarded by French troops. In the English-speaking world, the concerto is known as "Emperor” because of its thundering, martial tone. But its rich trove of complex emotions is equally fascinating – Beethoven is said to have had "the religious songs of pious pilgrims" in mind when composing the Adagio. In addition to these two masterpieces, our orchestra will perform a work that draws on the music of earlier times: the folk music of his native region was an important source of inspiration for Bartók, and his ravishing dance suite is "a kind of ideally conceived peasant music". He wrote it in 1923 for the 50th anniversary of the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest to form the new capital city of Budapest. In doing so, Bartók looked beyond the borders of Hungary, weaving Romanian, Slovakian and even Arabic influences into his work. After all, his goal was to “create a new spirit in music – from musical forces sprung from the earth itself!”This project was originally planned for December 2020 but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic – we are thrilled that the great artist Andràs Schiff is now finally able to join us in Bamberg!

Guest performance Debut in Deutschlandfunk Kultur

Guest performance On Fire

SOLD OUT: The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO) as a guest in the subscription

The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO) as a guest in the subscription

Aural Spaces – Space as a Collective Sonic Instrument (listening session)

4DSOUND is an Amsterdam-based studio focusing on spatial sound as a creative medium. For over a decade, they have been pioneering the design of advanced spatial audio software and omnidirectional sound systems. Through the development of bespoke technology and their close collaborations with innovative artists, the studio fosters a dynamic international network of creatives, engineers, studios, and institutions within the fields of music, art, education, and research.FIBER Festival is an Amsterdam-based festival and platform for contemporary digital culture, audiovisual art and progressive music culture. Through the lens of art, FIBER reflects on the ever-changing impact of technology on society and the planet. They explore these topics collectively through lectures, installation art, club nights and by showing groundbreaking artistic processes to a broad audience.This concert is part of the Aural Spaces festival. From 12 to 15 December, a new dimension will be added to the live music experience in the Recital Hall of The Concertgebouw. The familiar red plush chairs will make way for a 4DSOUND installation, consisting of 13 pillars with 41 speakers. Classical acoustic methods are combined with the modern technology of 4DSOUND, further expanding the possibilities of sound experience.Aural Spaces explores the boundaries between sound and space, blurring them and merging them. The result is a completely immersive listening experience that’s all too rare. Discover and feel how the music moves through space!