ConcertPulse
Mandelring Quartett / Roland Glassl
Laeiszhalle, Kleiner Saal (Hamburg)
Mandelring Quartet
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Mandelring Quartet
Mozart premiered his first minor-key piano concerto in Vienna on February 11, 1785. This concerto in D minor marks a departure from his usual pleasing style. Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony's scherzo reflects Stalin's terrifying image, while the Allegretto and finale assert the composer's presence through his musical initials (D-Es-C-H).
Michelangelo String Quartet
Accompanied by delicate harp sounds and soft strings, this evening is a feast for the senses: in an intimate atmosphere, floating light accents conjure up points of inspiration on the stage. The light from the lanterns creates a warmth that creates a connection between the artists and the audience. The music of great composers tells stories that touch the heart and soul. With its lively and clear melodies, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s serenade »Eine kleine Nachtmusik« is one of the most famous compositions in classical music. George Frideric Handel’s Harp Concerto in B flat major enchants with its elegant lightness and subtle nuances that make the harp shine as a solo instrument. Gustav Mahler’s Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony is a deeply emotional piece that is considered a musical love poem and makes time stand still with its tenderness. Finally, Antonín Dvořák’s String Serenade in E major exudes a touch of romanticism, full of Bohemian folk melodies and swinging elegance.
Two highlights of classical music, W.A. Mozart’s Requiem in D minor and the mighty »German Mass« No. 2 by Franz Schubert - two of the most moving masterpieces for orchestra and choir on one concert evening! The Czech Symphony Orchestra Prague takes up the great challenge of presenting these two works in one event.They will be masterfully and vocally supported by four excellent soloists and the Coro di Praga.
Simply Quartet
Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera "Alceste" deeply impressed the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Years later, Mozart completed a symphonic trio. Franz Liszt, inspired by a drawing, revisited his symphonic poem form two decades later. Richard Wagner's "Tristan" prelude encapsulates the struggle of hopeless love.
Mozart's "little" G minor symphony, written at age 17, gained fame through Miloš Forman's 1984 film "Amadeus." Mozart valued it enough to request the score ten years later. Completed on October 5, 1773, after his third Italian trip, it's his first minor key symphony, inspired by Haydn's 39th symphony. Mahler's Fifth Symphony quotes Mozart's "Abduction from the Seraglio." Mahler struggled with the Fifth, revising it multiple times. The famous Adagietto, a love letter to his wife Alma, shouldn't be played too slowly.
Stravinsky's "Jeu de cartes" ballet was inspired by a Parisian taxi ride and his love for card games. The music incorporates various quotes, including Rossini, Strauss, Ravel, and Beethoven. The text also discusses Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major, written for his friend Anton Stadler and his basset clarinet, and Schubert's Symphony No. 4, nicknamed "Tragic," reflecting the composer's personal struggles and triumphs.
Toru Takemitsu's "Signals from Heaven" (1987) for wind ensemble evokes a dialogue reminiscent of Venetian church music, drawing inspiration from nature and Duke Ellington. A Divertimento, attributed to Mozart but actually containing works by Starzer and Gluck, inspired Dvorak's Serenade in D minor after his 1877 Vienna visit. Composed in just two weeks, the Serenade premiered in 1878 to great acclaim. Rodion Shchedrin's popular Carmen Suite (1967), based on Bizet's opera, was written for his wife, Bolshoi ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, after Shostakovich and Khachaturian declined. She performed the role over 350 times, even at age 65.