News
07.05.2019
Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini in Jena
Over several years Andrea Lorenzo Scartazzini has complemented each work in the Jena Philharmonic’s Mahler cycle with his own companion pieces. Following on from “Torso”, the second part – “Epitaph” – receives its premiere on 26 May 2019 in Jena with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 conducted by Simon Gaudenz. Like the first part, “Epitaph” also draws on a lyric text by Rainer Maria Rilke. It is a memento mori, at the end of which the chorus recites the verses: “For we are only the shell and the leaf. / The great death, which everyone has in himself, / that is the fruit around which everything revolves.” »more«
07.05.2019
Handel Festivals in Göttingen and Halle
The Göttingen International Handel Festival opens this year on 17 May 2019 in the Deutsches Theater Göttingen with a new production of Handel’s first opera in and for Italy, the dramma per musica “Rodrigo”, which was first performed in autumn 1707 in Florence. On the podium directing the FestspielOrchester Göttingen is once again chief conductor Laurence Cummings, and the director is his compatriot Walter Sutcliffe. Halle follows suit on 31 May and 1 June 2019 with new productions of “Giulio Cesare in Egitto” and “Il pastor fido”. Both of these are the first performances to use the Halle Handel Edition. »more«
09.05.2019
Charlotte Seither in Zwickau
Charlotte Seither’s orchestral work for Clara Schumann’s 200th anniversary began in response to an initiative by the Schumann city of Zwickau. The composer was commissioned to write an orchestral work for the anniversary of the pianist, composer and professor. “sie, die spricht” (“she who speaks”) for orchestra will be premiered on 6 June in Zwickau by the Orchestra of the Plauen-Zwickau Theater conducted by Leo Siberski. »more«
05.04.2019
Searching for the True Beethoven
What did Beethoven want? Many amateurs find his handwriting difficult to read and even professionals need experience to decipher his autographs. However, a significant composer such as Ludwig van Beethoven, whose 250th birthday will be celebrated all over the world in 2020, deserves that one extracts every last detail from his manuscripts and all other available sources.
08.04.2019
Completely up to date
Beethoven described his grandly conceived “Missa solemnis” as "mein gröstes werk" (my greatest work). To this day, it is considered to be one of the most important sacred works of all time. The new Bärenreiter Urtext edition (BA 9038, Score, Piano Reduction, Choral Score, Parts) has just appeared in good time for the Beethoven Anniversary Year 2020 and takes all available sources into account.
20.03.2019
Caught up in guilt
The Wiener Staatsoper is to stage Manfred Trojahn’s opera “Orest” on 31 March 2019 in a new production. In his music theatre work in six scenes, premiered at the Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam in December 2011, Manfred Trojahn reappraises in his own libretto the myth of the matricide. Orestes is a sufferer who tries to free himself from the power of the gods. He alternates, according to the composer, between heteronomy and the vision of a new life: “He makes only one mistake: he thinks that he can leave the guilt behind him – and only much later does he realise that he has to live with this guilt in order to overcome it.” »more«
14.02.2019
Musical whodunit. Philipp Maintz‘ for Salzburg and Hamburg
Emile Zola’s novel “Thérèse Raquin” is not for the faint hearted. It tells the story of a ruthless crime, of insanity and self-destruction. Philipp Maintz (photo: Paavo Blåfield) has chosen the subject of a young woman who murders her spouse for his chamber opera “Thérèse”, which receives its premiere on 14.4.2019 at the Salzburg Easter Festival in a co-production with the Hamburg Staatsoper. The music theatre work created is an unusual collaboration, for the libretto is the first work by Otto Katzameier, who also sings the baritone role of Laurent, and he has chosen an unusual narrative form for his text. Marisol Montalvo sings the title role and Renate Behle the role of the mother. The production is by Georges Delnon, and the conductor is Nicolas André. The German premiere takes place on 18.5.2019 in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.
