Where does jazz begin and classical music end? With the new “Jazzik” series, the RSB fuses jazz, classical and minimal music.After the concert, the jazz duo of Markus Ehrlich (saxophone) and Attila Muehl (guitar) will bring the evening to an atmospheric close in the foyer.The concert will be broadcast on Deutschlandfunk Kultur on December 4 at 8:03 pm.
Béla Bartók's only opera, "Bluebeard's Castle," is a psychologically intense drama. Dutch singers Deirdre Angenent and Thomas Oliemans shine in the demanding vocal parts, bringing this opera thriller to life. The concert version features a fortunate casting choice: Angenent embodies Judith, transitioning between youthful lyricism and dramatic heights, while Oliemans delivers flawless, emotionally charged vocals. Philzuid and rising star conductor Duncan Ward support the performance.
Collisions: Before “the combustion engine and radio monopolized earth and air” (Ives), one could experience the stillness of night even in New York. In Central Park in the Dark, stillness is interrupted by distant noises – including a passing street band. A second dimension is also present in Sofia Gubaidulina’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra via a solo string quartet tuned a quarter tone lower than the other instruments of the orchestra. Both works provide the framework for this concert with internationally acclaimed guest conductor Duncan Ward. The centerpiece is the world premiere of sparks, waves and horizons by Minas Borboudakis, who describes his music as “a mixture of intensity, impulse and curiosity.” The concert also includes the work Čvor (Knot) by Serbian composer Milica Djordjević – named after the proverbial knot that bursts.
Ancient mythology, spiritually inspired dance, and Shakespearean fantasy worlds inspire this forum and British conductor Duncan Ward. He champions 20th and 21st-century Anglo-American music. Samuel Barber's "Medea's Dance of Vengeance" is a compact concert piece. Geoffrey Gordon's new oboe concerto explores religious associations. Gary Carpenter's "Fred & Ginger" draws inspiration from early American cinema. Michael Tippett's "Ritual Dances" adds further dance facets.
In the figure of Elijah, Mendelssohn sought to portray a prophet who was “strong and zealous, but also evil, irate and sinister”. Elijah was meant to be a flesh-and-blood human being who undergoes a radical conversion and reaches the limits of human existence. He takes the form of a militant fanatic, a resigned sceptic and finally a man of divine inspiration. The oratorio, with its protean hero, is pervaded by an unrelenting arc of tension in which Mendelssohn creates spectacular scenes of almost visceral theatricality. Listeners are virtually thrust into its various episodes – the famine, the miracles of fire and rain, the enraged masses or the prophet’s final ascension to heaven.
In the figure of Elijah, Mendelssohn sought to portray a prophet who was “strong and zealous, but also evil, irate and sinister”. Elijah was meant to be a flesh-and-blood human being who undergoes a radical conversion and reaches the limits of human existence. He takes the form of a militant fanatic, a resigned sceptic and finally a man of divine inspiration. The oratorio, with its protean hero, is pervaded by an unrelenting arc of tension in which Mendelssohn creates spectacular scenes of almost visceral theatricality. Listeners are virtually thrust into its various episodes – the famine, the miracles of fire and rain, the enraged masses or the prophet’s final ascension to heaven.
Concert Pulse