ConcertPulse
Ensemble Resonanz / Jasmin Tabatabai / Riccardo Minasi
Elbphilharmonie, Großer Saal (Hamburg)
Conductor Riccardo Minasi is characterised by a deep interest in researching music history, energetic orchestral conducting and a unique musical vision. As Principal Guest Conductor, he leads the Hamburg-based Ensemble Resonanz through Beethoven’s »Heroic« Symphony – the bold soundtrack of European ideals of democracy and freedom. But what happens when these values are put to the test? Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 with its heroic character and revolutionary energy is heard in the concert hall as a manifesto of the Enlightenment and the democratic values of Europe. It is dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Beethoven regarded at the time as a symbol of hope for individual freedom and democratic progress. But what happens to the evocative power of this music when human rights and humanity are put up for discussion in the face of complex challenges at Europe’s borders, what happens to us when we have to ask ourselves in a reality check whether our values end at these borders? In the concert, Beethoven’s »Sinfonia Eroica« meets the story of flight and migration by interweaving music and text passages: In June 2019, the crew of the Sea-Watch 3 rescued 53 people from distress at sea and set course for Italy. A 21-day odyssey followed – a »modern« odyssey on the Mediterranean that changed our view of Europe’s borders. After listening and feeling comes speaking – this concert with the Eroica will be followed by an interactive forum, an auditorium discussion about Europe, Beethoven and the limits of the concert format: Naika Foroutan (Professor of Integration Research and Social Policy at Humboldt University in Berlin), Jana Puglierin (Political scientist, head of the Berlin office of the think tank European Council on Foreign Relations) and Max Czollek (poet, essayist, curator, political scientist) will discuss on the podium and with the audience. Thilo Braun will moderate the discussion.