World-renowned mezzo-soprano Nina Stemme joins the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, now led by Ryan Bancroft, to perform Mahler's poignant "Kindertotenlieder." Preceding this, the orchestra presents a contemporary homage to Liguria by Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi. The concert concludes with Tchaikovsky's intensely passionate Symphony No. 5.
The British Telegraph described Nina Stemme as undoubtedly »the greatest dramatic soprano of our time«, while German daily Die Welt recently paid tribute to her voice as »a soprano with a dark chestnut shimmer whose soft power is a true event«.The Swedish soprano can now be heard in Gustav Mahler’s highly emotional »Kindertotenlieder« at the Elbphilharmonie, accompanied by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of its new chief conductor, young high-flyer Ryan Bancroft. The poet Friedrich Rückert dealt with the death of two of his children in over 400 poems, five of which Mahler set to music. And they have it all: in highly expressive, almost operatic style, Mahler uses all the timbres of the orchestra to illustrate the texts. Tragic, dark and beautiful at the same time – as if made for Nina Stemme. Ryan Bancroft is one of the most exciting young conductors of our time: orchestras and audiences alike are thrilled by his presence: »Even the little finger of his right hand is expressive,« the Times wrote about him. For the first time, he is a guest on the Elbe with »his« Stockholm orchestra, and dedicates the second half of the concert to Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, which deals in powerful music with the unpredictability of fate.
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