WDR Happy Hour - Strawinsky
Date & Time
Thu, Jun 12, 2025, 19:00Musicians
WDR Sinfonieorchester | Orchestra |
Marie Jacquot | Conductor |
Jan-Malte Andresen | Moderator |
Program
Der verzauberte See op. 62 | Anatolij Ljadow |
Petruschka | Igor Stravinsky |
WDR Sinfonieorchester | Orchestra |
Marie Jacquot | Conductor |
Jan-Malte Andresen | Moderator |
Der verzauberte See op. 62 | Anatolij Ljadow |
Petruschka | Igor Stravinsky |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
Der Durchbruch kam für den Dirigenten Roderick Cox 2018 mit dem »Sir Georg Solti Award«. Die Aufmerksamkeit nutzte er aber nicht nur als Sprungbrett für weltweite Gastdirigate, sondern auch, um ein Förderprojekt für junge farbige Musikerinnen und Musiker ins Leben zu rufen. In Köln baut der Maestro-Shootingstar eine musikalische Brücke zwischen seiner amerikanischen Heimat und Europa. Sein Landsmann Samuel Barber schrieb seine erste Sinfonie voller Begeisterung über seinen Rom-Aufenthalt in den 1930er-Jahren, die der junge Komponist als ungetrübte Schaffensphase erlebte. Sie steht als sinfonische Entdeckung neben Jean Sibelius‘ populärer »Fünfter«.
Conductor Roderick Cox achieved his breakthrough in 2018 with the "Sir Georg Solti Award." He used this recognition not only for international guest conducting but also to establish a support project for young musicians of color. In Cologne, the maestro builds a musical bridge between his American homeland and Europe, presenting Samuel Barber's first symphony, inspired by the composer's time in Rome, alongside Sibelius's popular Fifth Symphony.
In 1995, 24-year-old Thomas Adès premiered his opera 'Powder her Face,' satirizing the extravagant life of an upper-class lady. His music blends avant-garde and ironic quotes. Rachmaninoff's 'Symphonic Dances,' a farewell piece, is a symphony reflecting moments of his rich life as a composer and virtuoso.
The WDR Symphony Orchestra's "Happy Hour - Classical at Seven" series offers sixty minutes of top-class classical music. This concert, conducted by Roderick Cox, features Samuel Barber's first symphony, a dark, "Nordic" work compared to Sibelius. Sibelius's fifth symphony, inspired by the Finnish landscape and circling swans, will also be performed.
The WDR Symphony Orchestra's "Happy Hour" presents Russian contrasts: Anatoly Lyadov's refined soundscape "The Enchanted Lake," depicting cold, fantastical nature, followed by Igor Stravinsky's "Petrushka," a burlesque plunging into the vibrant life of a Russian fair, featuring mysteriously awakened puppets. Marie Jacquot, recently elected chief conductor from 2026/2027, leads the orchestra.
This "Happy Hour" concert by the WDR Symphony Orchestra, led by Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck, offers a lively mix of polkas and Viennese waltzes for those who missed the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. Soprano Magdalena Lucjan adds to the festivities, portraying Adele from Johann Strauss's "Die Fledermaus".