Sir Simon Rattle & BRSO academy

Sir Simon Rattle & BRSO Academy

Since becoming the BRSO’s Chief Conductor, Sir Simon Rattle has also been a mentor of the Orchestra Academy, as the promotion of young talent is particularly close to his heart. He calls it a “no brainer” – such promotion is self-evident. He performed his first project with the BRSO Academy last season, and will continue his work with the scholarship recipients in the new season with this special concert. This concert is exclusively geared towards young people: Sir Simon has carefully selected works for this ensemble and for Tsotne Zedginidze, the incredible young pianist from Georgia that Sir Simon had introduced to Munich audiences last season.

Sir Simon Rattle · BRSO hip

“HIP” is not only the abbreviation for ’Historically Informed Performance,’ but above all denotes Sir Simon Rattle’s initiative to expand the BRSO repertoire with baroque music – played on period instruments. The Chief Conductor commences with three of Bach’s most beautiful cantatas. Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht is full of poignant friction and sigh-laden progressions. Every note of Liebster Gott, wenn werd ich sterben contains a longing for death, but also the assurance of an eternal life. Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan is probably most akin to chamber music: with its sparse instrumentation and the omission of a final chorale, it occupies a unique position among Bach’s cantatas.

BRSO with Sir Simon Rattle

»As artists, we can show our love with music.« These words were spoken by Sir Simon Rattle – and our audience is in for a treat as the collaboration between the top Bavarian orchestras continues. This time the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will be conducted in our concert hall by its new Chief Conductor, whose personal style is characterised by charisma and complete humanity – and who likens a harmonious relationship between conductor and orchestra to a good marriage. With our Munich colleagues, it was certainly love at first sight. In this concert by the Bavarian ensemble, the Bamberg audience is treated to a programme of Sir Simon Rattle’s choice. It bears his typical signature, as it includes a broad spectrum of rarely heard repertoire.For the wide-ranging programme, the likeable star conductor will be joined on the podium by several of his artist friends as soloists – including the famous piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque. We are in for an evening full of excitement with enchanting pieces that will captivate the ears and touch the heart: The list includes an irresistible choice of vivacious works written by Manuel de Falla, Igor Stravinsky, Osvaldo Golijov and Leonard Bernstein. And one thing is clear from this contrasting programme of classical music, jazz, tango, and other tunes from other regions: how valuable the unifying power of music is for life - in the words of Sir Simon Rattle, who, when asked what he wanted to give the audience as a conductor, said: »That music shows us what it means to be human. That we are not alone, that someone feels the same way.«

London Symphony Orchestra/Sir Simon Rattle

A bewitching programme of contrasts: Pierre Boulez’s glittering sound world, late Johannes Brahms, and a lyrical world premiere from George Benjamin – to celebrate Sir Simon Rattle’s 70th birthday.

Sir Simon Rattle

“The Mount Everest of music”: that’s what American stage director Peter Sellar’s once called Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Now Simon Rattle will scale this summit of western music with his future Munich ensembles, the BRSO and the Bavarian Radio Chorus. The choice team of vocal soloists likewise raises expectations. A key role is conferred upon the Evangelist, who not only relates the story of the Passion, but participates in and responds to it inwardly as a witness. With British tenor Mark Padmore this part will be taken by one of the most charismatic Evangelists of our time. For the BRSO it marks a happy reunion with a longstanding artistic friend – and a former artist-in-residence.

Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle

Simon Rattle felt no hesitation in commencing his tenure as Chief Conductor of the Chor and Symphonieorchester des BR with Haydn’s Creation. “It contains everything. The whole world. It looks both towards the past and far into the future of everything music can be. It is balance and revolution at the same time, a true work of the Enlightenment.” Magnificent choruses, graceful melodies, the finest polyphony, all firmly anchored in an optimistic view of humanity: “Anyone who doesn’t automatically feel better after hearing it really needs help,“ Simon Rattle says with a wink.” The Creation is healthy in a very honest way.” But health also includes a good dose of humor, and Haydn provides it, even in a setting as sacred as the Creation story. At the same time, a work radiating light also casts some shadows on our own present. What has remained of the spirit of the Enlightenment? And what have we done with the “world, so great, so wonderful”?