Work of the Week - Jörg Widmann: Con brio

Jörg Widmann's striking concert overture has played its way through concert halls around the globe, celebrating one success after another. In the three years since it’s acclaimed world premiere, the work has received interpretations by many of the world’s leading conductors, and its remarkable run of performances continues this week with seven performances in Tel Aviv. Christoph von Dohnányi and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra present the Israeli premiere on October 13 in the Smolarz Auditorium of the Tel Aviv University with follow-up performances on October 14 through 17, 19 and 20.

The most important thing in my career as an artist is to combine tradition with innovation.

Perhaps this guiding principle is upheld no more so than in Con brio, which plays off of musical characteristics of Beethoven’s 7th and 8th symphonies while the composer incorporates a swirl of accents and contrasting coloristic effects. Widmann has chosen the same instrumentation as the Beethoven symphonies and takes on the task of causing a similar "stir and rhythmic pressure," as he puts it, within these economical means, as evidenced by the tempo marking con brio—"with fire".

March 3, 2012 sees the Canadian premiere of Con brio at the New Creation Festival with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Peter Eötvös.

• Jörg Widmann - Profile
• More details on Con brio and full digital score
• Website of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra