Keywords: Symphony Concert
| Landesjugendorchester Sachsen-Anhalt | Orchestra |
| Michael Wendeberg | Conductor |
| Andreas Beinhauer | Bariton |
| Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen für Singstimme und Orchester | Gustav Mahler |
| Der Feuervogel – Suite (Fassung von 1919) | Igor Stravinsky |
| 4. Sinfonie e-Moll op. 98 | Johannes Brahms |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
Lisa Streich's "ISHJÄRTA" explores the coexistence of two emotions. Schumann's Violin Concerto, initially unpublished, is now a beloved piece. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6, meant to evoke spring and youth, departs from his usual dramatic style, building from a slow movement to a wild gallop.
Trumpeter Alison Balsom hailed Wynton Marsalis' trumpet concerto as the most significant in 200 years, surpassing even Hummel's in its diverse use of the trumpet's capabilities. The piece journeys through various classical and jazz styles. Inspired by spirituals and Native American music during his time in the US, Dvořák's 9th Symphony reflects a new world of possibilities and cultural diversity, becoming his greatest success.
Shakespeare's Hamlet has always fascinated artists and composers. Hans Abrahamsen focuses on Ophelia, creating a song cycle from her perspective based on her few lines. Tchaikovsky also composed Hamlet-inspired pieces. The concert features music by Abrahamsen and Tchaikovsky, reflecting Hamlet's enduring influence.
The Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra opens its first symphony concert of 2024 with Carola Bauckholt's ATEMPAUSE, a work reminiscent of music from the Industrial Revolution. The concert also features Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 2 with soloist Sibylle Mahni, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, "The Romantic," offering a majestic and warming experience.
The Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ektoras Tartanis, performs works by Ravel, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloé" Suite No. 1 evokes ancient Greek pastorals. Stravinsky's "Firebird" Suite is based on Russian folklore. Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1, though initially overshadowed by Stravinsky, is a playful and beautiful work celebrating life despite difficult times.
Omer Meir Wellber’s conducting is »a miracle of transparency and rigour« according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The Israeli conductor has held a number of posts, including chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and he will be assuming the position of general music director at the Hamburg State Opera in 2025. Those who’d like to see the globetrotter in action in the Hanseatic city before then now have their chance. The unconventional conductor – who once inserted a techno interlude into an acclaimed Verdi production at the Bavarian State Opera – gave his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in 2019. And he is now back on the conductor’s stand here for the third time. As an introduction to the programme, Wellber has chosen a work that was originally conceived as incidental music for a play: Gabriel Fauré’s »Pelléas et Mélisande«. Shortly after composing it, Fauré revised his opulent music for Maeterlinck’s Symbolist fairy-tale to create an independent orchestral work. The suite featuring the famous »Sicilienne« is followed by Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, which »was written in the spirit of Mozart’s and Saint-Saënsʼs concertos,« as the composer himself emphasised. That, however, does not mean that Ravel neglected his own tonal language – he opens the concerto with a spirited lash of the whip and Spanish sounds. Jazz harmonies and rhythms then increasingly come to the foreground. The soloist tasked with performing this virtuosic score is the American pianist Kirill Gerstein – a popular guest with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra for many years now. The concert comes to a close with Franz Schubert’s Third Symphony. Schubert composed the masterpiece in just a few days when he was only 18 years old. With that level of productivity, it is no surprise that the composer, despite his early death at the age of 31, still managed to leave behind an impressive oeuvre. The theatre critic Eduard Hanslick described Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 as »a work of youth and of youth’s gleefully raucous zeal «.
The Haydn-Orchester Hamburg is regarded as one of northern Germany’s top amateur orchestras. Founded in 1977, Rida Murtada has occupied the position of musical director since 2003. The orchestra performs biannually at the Laeiszhalle.
Omer Meir Wellber’s conducting is »a miracle of transparency and rigour« according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The Israeli conductor has held a number of posts, including chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and he will be assuming the position of general music director at the Hamburg State Opera in 2025. Those who’d like to see the globetrotter in action in the Hanseatic city before then now have their chance. The unconventional conductor – who once inserted a techno interlude into an acclaimed Verdi production at the Bavarian State Opera – gave his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in 2019. And he is now back on the conductor’s stand here for the third time. As an introduction to the programme, Wellber has chosen a work that was originally conceived as incidental music for a play: Gabriel Fauré’s »Pelléas et Mélisande«. Shortly after composing it, Fauré revised his opulent music for Maeterlinck’s Symbolist fairy-tale to create an independent orchestral work. The suite featuring the famous »Sicilienne« is followed by Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, which »was written in the spirit of Mozart’s and Saint-Saënsʼs concertos,« as the composer himself emphasised. That, however, does not mean that Ravel neglected his own tonal language – he opens the concerto with a spirited lash of the whip and Spanish sounds. Jazz harmonies and rhythms then increasingly come to the foreground. The soloist tasked with performing this virtuosic score is the American pianist Kirill Gerstein – a popular guest with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra for many years now. The concert comes to a close with Franz Schubert’s Third Symphony. Schubert composed the masterpiece in just a few days when he was only 18 years old. With that level of productivity, it is no surprise that the composer, despite his early death at the age of 31, still managed to leave behind an impressive oeuvre. The theatre critic Eduard Hanslick described Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 as »a work of youth and of youth’s gleefully raucous zeal «.
When Igor Levit takes his seat at the keyboard, one thing is for sure: you’ll hear the pieces on the programme as never before. The German-Russian pianist makes his very own mark, often as unexpected as it is brilliant, on every work he plays, whisking even veteran repertoire warhorses into the here and now. In this concert Levit is accompanied by the Berliner Barock Solisten in music by two composers who can be described without exaggeration as pinnacles of music history: Johann Sebastian Bach and his son Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. The most famous of the Bach sons made a no less illustrious career for himself than his father, and was admired by fellow composers like Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn. In this cleverly thought-out programme, Levit and the Berlin ensemble create a father-son dialogue along entirely modern lines.
ConcertPulse