Reverent chorales alongside circus music – a contradiction? Joerg Widmann unites the alleged opposites in his 7 Capricci for saxophone quartet. On 4 March 2022 the Spanish Kebyart Ensemble will present the British premiere in London’s Jarewood Hall at LSO St. Luke’ s.
A nocturnal work through a dark, silent city. The name of Christian Jost’s Nocturnal Movements could assume this impression. Still, the auditory impression is different, showcasing a lively nightlife and a visit to a vibrant jazz club. On 24 February 2022 the composer conducts the world premiere of his work for piano and chamber orchestra at the Berlin Philharmonie. Pianist Michael Wollny, renowned in the international jazz scene, takes the stage, alongside the Kammerakademie Potsdam.
A cinema screen, a live camera and a children's book. Most people probably wouldn't associate these objects with an orchestral work, but they prove an important component to the performance of Ludger Vollmer's Der Tigerprinz (The Tiger Prince). The work for narrator and orchestra sets to music Chen Jianghong’s book of the same name. The music and narration are accompanied by unique images, projected onto a screen, providing an experience which can be appreciated by people of all ages. On 20 February the piece will be performed to a live audience for the first time at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra will perform under the direction of Harish Shankar, Wolfram Boelzle appearing as narrator. The visual realisation is the work of the theater collective compagnie toit végétal.
On hearing the title Love Story, many people probably first think of the 1970s filmic melodrama whose title melody by Francis Lai achieved worldwide fame as the “melody of fate”, and still serves as a memory hook for the minor sixth in aural training. With his 15-minute work for countertenor and orchestra, Gregory Spears now rivals this melody. His own Love Story is a setting of a new poem by Tracy K. Smith. The premiere of the work will take place at New York’s Alice Tully Hall on 3 February 2022. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo sings alongside the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jaap Van Zweden.
A noise-sensitive main character, a spirited opera troupe and a pile of money – there can't be more potential for conflict than that! Richard Strauss probably thought so too, using precisely these three motifs for his only comic opera. Die schweigsame Frau, an opera in three acts, will be revived by the Bavarian State Opera this season. The revival will take place on 29 January 2022 at the Munich National Theatre. Stefan Soltesz will take over the musical direction, Barrie Kosky staging the production.
"If ever there was a musical book of photographs, [Praha Panoramatickà] is it", according to composer Julian Anderson. Inspired by these photographs, he wrote his Symphony No. 2, which will be premiered on 19 January 2022. The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Semyon Bychkov will present Symphony No. 2 for orchestra, subtitled "Prague Panoramas".
You have certainly watched a silent film before. But have you ever seen a film without a picture? This is exactly what Peter Eötvös is trying to achieve in his new work Focus – a piece of music in which the ear is guided as if by a camera. The concerto for saxophone and orchestra will be premiered at the Funkhaus am Wallrafplatz in Cologne on 15 January 2022. Saxophone soloist Marcus Weiss will play alongside the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln conducted by Elena Schwarz.
Do you wish for a new beginning next year? Then we have a piece for you that will make your new year's resolution a success: Der Anfang by Anno Schreier. The 10-minute work for choir and orchestra will be premiered at Theater Aachen's New Year's Concert at the Eurogress on 1 January 2022 as a prologue to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. The Aachen Opera Choir and the Aachen Symphonic Choir will sing alongside the Aachen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christopher Ward.
Paris 1866: The perfect setting for a romantic love story with long walks along the Seine. At least you might think so. But Tobias Picker’s opera Thérèse Raquin is not only about love, but also deals with murder, intrigue and revenge. The libretto, which was written by Gene Scheer, is based on the novel of the same name by Émile Zola. Christian Thausing will stage the European premiere at the Theater an der Wien on 16 December 2021. The premiere will take place in English with German surtitles.
An orchestral work that contains explosives and twelve mechanical car horns… must have been written by Ligeti! Exactly 30 years ago, English conductor and composer Elgar Howarth put together the Macabre Collage, an orchestral suite based on György Ligeti’s only opera Le Grand Macabre. However, the arrangement was withdrawn in 1997 as several sections had become irrelevant after revisions to the opera. In 2021, these revisions were incorporated into the Macabre Collage. The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra will present the first performance of the revised version on 10 December. Brad Lubman will conduct the concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.
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