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The semblance of a world premiere: The SWR Symphonieorchester under the baton of Emilio Pomàrico together with pianist Florian Hölscher launches the new piano concerto by Alberto Posadas – you can hear this work in Hamburg shortly after its premiere in Madrid. The Spanish composer draws his musical material from the physical and sensory capabilities of the instruments themselves – as does Johannes Maria Staud, whose percussion concerto can be experienced as a rhythmical counterpoint in the second half of the programme. It is a special concern of the Austrian composer to establish the drum as the equivalent tool of the sound paintbox: »It is my objective to give real meaning to this toolkit in the 21st century and to complete a lot of works for it.« No sooner said than done! Sometimes, you hear it with saxophone and wind ensemble, sometimes with choir and string quartet – with orchestra for the first time in »Whereas the Reality Trembles«, which was premiered in 2023 by Luxemburg percussionist Christoph Sietzen. For the title, Staud was inspired by a line by the American poet William Carlos Williams, which hits precisely what he expects from a percussion concerto: »Williams often speaks about reality being a little dazzling; his work is very obsessed with the space between the sensations.«
Man's relationship with nature is complex: a place of longing, a role model, and a victim. Nørgård uses Rilke's texts to find this connection in sound. Mason composes based on swarm intelligence, mirroring fish and birds' survival strategies. Staud's choir remembers death marches witnessed by willows. Pagh-Paan tells of Korea's exploitation and societal upheaval leading to a "loss of soul".
Man's relationship with nature is complex: a place of longing, a role model, and a victim. Nørgård uses Rilke's texts to find this connection in sound. Mason composes based on swarm intelligence, mirroring fish and birds' survival strategies. Staud's choir remembers death marches witnessed by willows. Pagh-Paan tells of Korea's exploitation and societal upheaval leading to a "loss of soul".