To conclude the festival, Musikfest Berlin and the Karajan Academy under Simon Rattle fly through the red gorges of the canyons in Utah and up to the stars: Olivier Messiaen’s “Des Canyons aux étoiles …” is a birthday gift to the USA and also a spiritual hymn to the closely woven links between the divine and nature, between birdsong and the shades of colour in the rainbow.
Simon Rattle fell in love with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks at a young age – and now he makes his debut as its Chief Conductor and successor to Mariss Jansons at Musikfest Berlin. With a programme that treats Bach like jazz with Paul Hindemith, performs the Black poets of the “Harlem Renaissance” along with Alexander von Zemlinsky and ends in a virtuoso march towards tragedy with Gustav Mahler.
Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.
Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.
Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony has long been one of the composer’s underrated works. According to Sir Simon Rattle, this is because it doesn’t offer what people usually expect of a Bruckner symphony. It is shorter, more transparent and less solemn than usual, “a piece full of humour and daring”. Bruckner himself seems to have seen it that way, for he whimsically declared the Sixth to be his “boldest”. To open the programme, Simon Rattle conducts the world premiere of a horn concerto written by Jörg Widmann, this season’s Composer-in-Residence, for our principal horn-player Stefan Dohr.
Mozart’s final three symphonies reveal the composer at the absolute height of his powers, while invoking in listeners the most diverse moods and emotions. Symphony No. 39 encompasses both tension and splendour, No. 40 is full of mystery and drama, while the “Jupiter” echoes with both solemnity and triumph. Simon Rattle and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra share a special affinity for these works, which they approach with verve, transparency and a rich sense of tonal variety.
ConcertPulse