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She is currently celebrating one important international debut after another: German conductor and current head of the Residentie Orkest den Haag, Anja Bihlmaier. Now, the Schwabian, who is equally experienced in opera performances and orchestral concerts, is also conducting the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra for the first time.
Francis Poulenc, the true joker of the French artistic association »Groupe des Six«, created a precious treasure of five works for the woodwinds – the sextet, a trio and a sonata each for flute, clarinet and bassoon. With the sparkling Sextuor for piano and winds, a showpiece for the »musical prose« sought by the »Six«, he thrusts the audience right into the pulsating life of his home city of Paris. The three-movement piece was completed in 1932, but thoroughly revised in 1939 for the performance with Poulenc himself at the piano. At the beginning, it sounds like the Grands Boulevards, everything is noisy, running, honking, shouting and whirling, and the woodwinds are immediately allowed to bring their entire arsenal of modern acrobatics into play. The middle movement is more idyllic, before the fast section suddenly seems to be a fairground hustle and bustle. The work concludes with a hymn-like declaration of love to the metropolis on the Seine.
A fun opportunity for families to learn more about music and the instruments of the orchestra, with music based on a theme and free workshops before the concert.
Experience divine certainty! We can safely assume angels are musical. Earthly conceptions of their music have evolved—sometimes soft with harp, sometimes sung, sometimes festive with winds. Heavenly hosts significantly influenced secular music's development. Had angelic music become human, earthly music would be impoverished. B'Rock Orchestra, Vocal Consort, Andreas Küppers, and Lucile Richardot explore these angelic secrets from late Renaissance to present.
When Ronald Brautigam plays the fortepiano, even familiar pieces sound excitingly new. His uncompromising playing has led to the re-evaluation of prominent composers. He performs classics like Mozart with passion, sometimes thundering the keys, sometimes coaxing a wealth of colors from the instrument. Since 2009, he's collaborated with the Kölner Akademie and Michael Alexander Willens, recording acclaimed complete sets of Mozart and Beethoven piano concertos. The Cologne-based orchestra also performs Louise Farrenc's 1st Symphony, a rare successful female composer of the 19th century.