#royalconcertgebouworchestra — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #royalconcertgebouworchestra, aggregated by home.social.
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#AlexanderBorodin 1833 - 1887
#Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1869/1876)
#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Borodin
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#AlexanderBorodin 1833 - 1887
#Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1869/1876)
#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Borodin
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#AlexanderBorodin 1833 - 1887
#Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1869/1876)
#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Borodin
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#AlexanderBorodin 1833 - 1887
#Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1869/1876)
#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Borodin
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#AlexanderBorodin 1833 - 1887
#Symphony No. 2 in B minor (1869/1876)
#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Borodin
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Frischer Wind in altehrwürdiger Concertgebouw-Tradition: Die Matthäus-Passion bei den Osterfestspielen Baden-Baden
Phillip RichterDie Osterfestspiele Baden-Baden haben sich für das diesjährige Festival neu aufgestellt. Denn im Jahr 2026 kehren die Berliner Philharmoniker mit ihrem Chefdirigenten Kirill Petrenko nach 13 glanzvollen Jahren in Baden-Baden an ihre ursprüngliche Wirkungsstätte an der Salzach, nach Salzburg, zurück. In Baden-Baden füllen dafür gleich zwei aufregende Klangkörper den Spielplan der Osterfestspiele: Das Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra aus Amsterdam für mehrere Konzertaufführungen und das Mahler Chamber Orchestra für die Neuinszenierungspremiere von Richard Wagners Lohengrin. (Rezension der Aufführung v. 30. März 2026) […]
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Frischer Wind in altehrwürdiger Concertgebouw-Tradition: Die Matthäus-Passion bei den Osterfestspielen Baden-Baden
Phillip RichterDie Osterfestspiele Baden-Baden haben sich für das diesjährige Festival neu aufgestellt. Denn im Jahr 2026 kehren die Berliner Philharmoniker mit ihrem Chefdirigenten Kirill Petrenko nach 13 glanzvollen Jahren in Baden-Baden an ihre ursprüngliche Wirkungsstätte an der Salzach, nach Salzburg, zurück. In Baden-Baden füllen dafür gleich zwei aufregende Klangkörper den Spielplan der Osterfestspiele: Das Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra aus Amsterdam für mehrere Konzertaufführungen und das Mahler Chamber Orchestra für die Neuinszenierungspremiere von Richard Wagners Lohengrin. (Rezension der Aufführung v. 30. März 2026) […]
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Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xD5yC-jY_w -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xD5yC-jY_w -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xD5yC-jY_w -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xD5yC-jY_w -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xD5yC-jY_w -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261 🎻
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASzIjY7-538 -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261 🎻
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASzIjY7-538 -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261 🎻
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASzIjY7-538 -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261 🎻
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASzIjY7-538 -
Adagio in E Major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 261 🎻
#EmmyVerhey #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #EduardoMarturet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASzIjY7-538 -
Warum spielen die Franzosen kaum Französisches?
Der Schlamassel begann schon vor 175 Jahren. Aus Wut über die Programmpolitik der Pariser Konzertveranstalter gründete Camille Saint-Saëns…
#Berlin #Deutschland #Deutsch #DE #Schlagzeilen #Headlines #Nachrichten #News #Europe #Europa #EU #BerlinerPhilharmoniker #Frankreich #Germany #Klassik #Mitte #MusikfestBerlin #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
https://www.europesays.com/de/381801/ -
Calliope Tsoupaki: ‘Amsterdam breathes hope’
Born in Greece, Calliope Tsoupaki made it to Composer Laureate of the Netherlands, (2018-2021) in which capacity she wrote consolatory compositions during the covid-pandemic.* On the occasion of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, she composed Another Day for the Concertgebouw Orchestra, that will be premiered on 6 March. Anneke Brassinga wrote an accompanying poem.
Calliope Tsoupaki (c) Koos Breukel‘I am so happy that I was commissioned to write a piece for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary,’ says Calliope Tsoupaki (Piraeus, 1963). In an unstoppable cascade of words, she sings the praise of the city where she settled in 1988. ‘I have lived here for more than half of my life and have become completely entwined with it, I am an Amsterdammer at heart!’
Polyphony of people
The strong appeal of the Dutch capital lies in its vibrancy and rich cultural life: ‘Everything is brewing here, there is constant movement. This has always been the case. Amsterdam was a port city from the start: the IJ was still in open connection with the North Sea, the Afsluitdijk that closed this was only completed in 1932. Wherever there is a lot of water, movement comes naturally. Trade arises, people with different backgrounds from all over the world meet. Thus new connections, different perspectives and ways of looking at things spring up. In this open and welcoming climate, you feel free to form your thoughts as you see fit.
Traditionally, this liberal atmosphere attracted philosophers, artists, musicians, writers and scientists, she continues. ‘It was a polyphony of people, who found space here to learn about and develop new ideas. That created a huge dynamic. It is important to be taken out of your comfort zone as a human being, to meet people with a different worldview than you. People who introduce you to things and thoughts you don’t know or don’t like. This is challenging and inspiring, and allows you to develop yourself further. All this has made Amsterdam the cultural city it is, it is multicultural to the core.’
Greece: no future for woman composer
It was exactly this open atmosphere that made her decide to move from Piraeus to Amsterdam in 1988. ‘Piraeus is also a port city, lively and multicultural, but the music climate in Greece was very conservative and, as a woman, I didn’t get the chance to develop as a composer. My teachers had absolutely no interest in the pieces I composed early on; the highest I could achieve was to become a music teacher somewhere in the province. That insight was a shock; I realised that I had no future as a composer in my homeland.’
Through colleagues, she heard about Louis Andriessen and the vibrant modern music scene in the Netherlands. After seeing a documentary about him during a summer course in 1986 in Darmstadt, she decided to go and study with Andriessen. ‘In Germany I also met Morton Feldman, who invited me to enrol at the Universitiy at Buffalo where he lectured, but I chose Louis anyway. As the only composer, he had strong views on harmony, sound, technique. I admired him for his modal harmonies and his use of chromatic modulation. He had a genius and unique musical language, in which I heard both Greece and the rest of the world. I wanted to know what his secret was.’
Leap into the unknown
It was not an easy decision to exchange her homeland for our country, she admits: ‘After all, you leave your parents, friends and acquaintances behind and cannot simply visit them. When my father fell ill and was dying, I was only able to sit next to his bed just in time. That’s tough and causes a lot of stress. My mother is 95 now – she is doing well at the moment, but one never knows for how long. I would like to be with her more often, but can only fly to Greece every other month. I have to live with this on a daily basis; it has become a part of my existence. Yet I have no feelings of guilt, because my parents have supported me from the very beginning in my efforts to develop as a composer.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSYTV23WVmU
About her departure from Greece in 2018, she wrote the moving Salto di Saffo (Sappho’s Leap), a double concerto for recorder and pan flute, which was premiered in the radio series NTRZaterdagMatinee. Her own leap of faith turned out to be a golden one: ‘Louis was very generous and taught me above all to listen keenly, without prejudice and non-hierarchically: one music is not better than another. He taught me a lot about voice leading as well, but above all he helped me discover and develop my own strengths. Thanks to him, I also learned to appreciate my Greek roots more. Those constitute a great cultural baggage, I listen to music with a different ear anyway.’
Gentrification
Had she stayed in Greece, she would probably have become a very different composer: ‘Perhaps I would have remained stuck in a certain aesthetic, from an abstract way of thinking about music, where you discriminate against certain genres and styles. With his radical, free spirit and powerful personality, Louis forced me to think clearly about what exactly I wanted to say. The climate here allowed me to find my own voice. Incidentally, Louis taught in The Hague, but I deliberately settled in Amsterdam because of its liberal cultural climate. This city gave me the opportunity to become the artist I had dreamed of becoming.’
It saddens her to see this changing of late: ‘The city centre is being taken over by a bourgeoisie of super-rich people who are flattening out everything. The sultriness, the versatility, the merging of rich and poor and of different cultures are falling prey to gentrification. But a country or city is only attractive because of a rich spiritual life.’ Nobody comes here to see that the people of the canal belt have four cars.’
‘Regrettably, this is happening in Athens as well. But ancient Greece, too, is remembered for its architecture, thinkers and poets. Art has a lot of impact on people, and politicians dread that force. That’s why the first thing potentates always do is to curb the art world, for fear of losing their power.’
Amsterdam breathes hope
About the collaboration with Anneke Brassinga, she is almost short of words: ‘I think she is the Sappho of the Netherlands, not so much in terms of style, but in terms of importance for Dutch poetry. Anneke and I consulted a few times, but independently created our work. Only when we had finished did we meet again. I was a bit uncertain about my title Another Day, but guess what: her poem is called Every Day Started New. Great, right?’
In Another Day, Tsoupaki has tried to express what Amsterdam means to her. ‘Its agility translates into great contrasts and variety in dynamics: ‘I used the wealth of timbres of the Concertgebouw Orchestra to capture the multicoloured nature of the city. Icy, heaven-reaching sounds are linked to my moving and taking root here, where I also learned to appreciate the mud.’
‘There is something hopeful about Amsterdam: even in these dark times, there is always hope for the next day. That gives buoyancy to get through the current one. Facilitating art is the greatest value of a country or city. I am very happy to be on the programme with Louis: everything you hear is a product of Amsterdam.’
This article was written for the March issue of Preludium, the magazine of Concertgebouw and Concertgebouw Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wawdHi5UxOM
* As Composer Laureate Tsoupaki composed Thin Air for a freely chosen instrument, for the project Festivals for Compassion. It was passed from festival to festival in relay and was performed by over 50 different musicians and ensembles at as many festivals in the Netherlands and Europe.
#CalliopeTsoupaki #LouisAndriessen #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SaltoDiSaffo #ThinAir
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Kovacs – Shades of Black (2015, Netherlands)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 799 on The List, submitted by @raisedfist.
I started this draft over a week ago, wondering if I could write it without comparing this singer to another singer. But, on this side of the pond, I can barely find any info on Kovacs, i.e., Sharon Kovacs, or any reaction on this, her debut album. And so, let me just say it, knowing I mean it only as a point of reference and not to diminish the ginormous talent that is Kovacs in any way.
Imagine Amy Winehouse’s spirit, resurrected and mixed with the presence and gumption of Asajj Ventress (i.e., one of my most favorite characters in the Star Wars universe). Can you dig it? Kovacs’ soulful voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful, sexy, cheeky, just on the edge of dangerous. In other words, I’m quite happy to have learned about this artist, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to check out the rest of her work.
And, since we’re in the middle of our month-long run of #BowieADay, I think it’s worth mentioning that Kovacs is a David Bowie fan – indeed, one of the only things I could find on Kovacs is that she joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2023 for a special cover of Bowie’s take on Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” (aka “Port of Amsterdam”). For those following our BowieADay listening schedule, today we listened to his covers album, Pin Ups (1973); his cover of “Amsterdam” wasn’t included on the album proper, but was included as the B-side for the album’s “Sorrow” single. Whether before or after checking out Shades of Black, I highly recommend watching the Kovacs/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performance of the tune, at the end of this video (starting at 1:07:50).
Happy listening!
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “When the weather gets rough”, “And it’s whiskey in the shade”, “It’s best to wrap your savior”, and “Up in cellophane”, following the earlier surveys that had “Well, I don’t want no Abba Zabba”/“Don’t want no Almond Joy”/“There ain’t nothing better”/“Suitable for this boy” and “Well, it’s the only thing that can pick me up”/“Better than a cup of gold”/“See only a chocolate Jesus”/“Can satisfy my soul”. The second option was the winning selection, and the survey result was translated as picking an album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “shade”. ↩︎
#1001OtherAlbums #2010s #jazz #Kovacs #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #Netherlands #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SharonKovacs #soul
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Kovacs – Shades of Black (2015, Netherlands)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 799 on The List, submitted by @raisedfist.
I started this draft over a week ago, wondering if I could write it without comparing this singer to another singer. But, on this side of the pond, I can barely find any info on Kovacs, i.e., Sharon Kovacs, or any reaction on this, her debut album. And so, let me just say it, knowing I mean it only as a point of reference and not to diminish the ginormous talent that is Kovacs in any way.
Imagine Amy Winehouse’s spirit, resurrected and mixed with the presence and gumption of Asajj Ventress (i.e., one of my most favorite characters in the Star Wars universe). Can you dig it? Kovacs’ soulful voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful, sexy, cheeky, just on the edge of dangerous. In other words, I’m quite happy to have learned about this artist, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to check out the rest of her work.
And, since we’re in the middle of our month-long run of #BowieADay, I think it’s worth mentioning that Kovacs is a David Bowie fan – indeed, one of the only things I could find on Kovacs is that she joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2023 for a special cover of Bowie’s take on Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” (aka “Port of Amsterdam”). For those following our BowieADay listening schedule, today we listened to his covers album, Pin Ups (1973); his cover of “Amsterdam” wasn’t included on the album proper, but was included as the B-side for the album’s “Sorrow” single. Whether before or after checking out Shades of Black, I highly recommend watching the Kovacs/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performance of the tune, at the end of this video (starting at 1:07:50).
Happy listening!
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “When the weather gets rough”, “And it’s whiskey in the shade”, “It’s best to wrap your savior”, and “Up in cellophane”, following the earlier surveys that had “Well, I don’t want no Abba Zabba”/“Don’t want no Almond Joy”/“There ain’t nothing better”/“Suitable for this boy” and “Well, it’s the only thing that can pick me up”/“Better than a cup of gold”/“See only a chocolate Jesus”/“Can satisfy my soul”. The second option was the winning selection, and the survey result was translated as picking an album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “shade”. ↩︎
#1001OtherAlbums #2010s #jazz #Kovacs #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #Netherlands #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SharonKovacs #soul
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Kovacs – Shades of Black (2015, Netherlands)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 799 on The List, submitted by @raisedfist.
I started this draft over a week ago, wondering if I could write it without comparing this singer to another singer. But, on this side of the pond, I can barely find any info on Kovacs, i.e., Sharon Kovacs, or any reaction on this, her debut album. And so, let me just say it, knowing I mean it only as a point of reference and not to diminish the ginormous talent that is Kovacs in any way.
Imagine Amy Winehouse’s spirit, resurrected and mixed with the presence and gumption of Asajj Ventress (i.e., one of my most favorite characters in the Star Wars universe). Can you dig it? Kovacs’ soulful voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful, sexy, cheeky, just on the edge of dangerous. In other words, I’m quite happy to have learned about this artist, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to check out the rest of her work.
And, since we’re in the middle of our month-long run of #BowieADay, I think it’s worth mentioning that Kovacs is a David Bowie fan – indeed, one of the only things I could find on Kovacs is that she joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2023 for a special cover of Bowie’s take on Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” (aka “Port of Amsterdam”). For those following our BowieADay listening schedule, today we listened to his covers album, Pin Ups (1973); his cover of “Amsterdam” wasn’t included on the album proper, but was included as the B-side for the album’s “Sorrow” single. Whether before or after checking out Shades of Black, I highly recommend watching the Kovacs/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performance of the tune, at the end of this video (starting at 1:07:50).
Happy listening!
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “When the weather gets rough”, “And it’s whiskey in the shade”, “It’s best to wrap your savior”, and “Up in cellophane”, following the earlier surveys that had “Well, I don’t want no Abba Zabba”/“Don’t want no Almond Joy”/“There ain’t nothing better”/“Suitable for this boy” and “Well, it’s the only thing that can pick me up”/“Better than a cup of gold”/“See only a chocolate Jesus”/“Can satisfy my soul”. The second option was the winning selection, and the survey result was translated as picking an album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “shade”. ↩︎
#1001OtherAlbums #2010s #jazz #Kovacs #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #Netherlands #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SharonKovacs #soul
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Kovacs – Shades of Black (2015, Netherlands)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 799 on The List, submitted by @raisedfist.
I started this draft over a week ago, wondering if I could write it without comparing this singer to another singer. But, on this side of the pond, I can barely find any info on Kovacs, i.e., Sharon Kovacs, or any reaction on this, her debut album. And so, let me just say it, knowing I mean it only as a point of reference and not to diminish the ginormous talent that is Kovacs in any way.
Imagine Amy Winehouse’s spirit, resurrected and mixed with the presence and gumption of Asajj Ventress (i.e., one of my most favorite characters in the Star Wars universe). Can you dig it? Kovacs’ soulful voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful, sexy, cheeky, just on the edge of dangerous. In other words, I’m quite happy to have learned about this artist, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to check out the rest of her work.
And, since we’re in the middle of our month-long run of #BowieADay, I think it’s worth mentioning that Kovacs is a David Bowie fan – indeed, one of the only things I could find on Kovacs is that she joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2023 for a special cover of Bowie’s take on Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” (aka “Port of Amsterdam”). For those following our BowieADay listening schedule, today we listened to his covers album, Pin Ups (1973); his cover of “Amsterdam” wasn’t included on the album proper, but was included as the B-side for the album’s “Sorrow” single. Whether before or after checking out Shades of Black, I highly recommend watching the Kovacs/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performance of the tune, at the end of this video (starting at 1:07:50).
Happy listening!
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “When the weather gets rough”, “And it’s whiskey in the shade”, “It’s best to wrap your savior”, and “Up in cellophane”, following the earlier surveys that had “Well, I don’t want no Abba Zabba”/“Don’t want no Almond Joy”/“There ain’t nothing better”/“Suitable for this boy” and “Well, it’s the only thing that can pick me up”/“Better than a cup of gold”/“See only a chocolate Jesus”/“Can satisfy my soul”. The second option was the winning selection, and the survey result was translated as picking an album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “shade”. ↩︎
#1001OtherAlbums #2010s #jazz #Kovacs #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #Netherlands #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SharonKovacs #soul
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Kovacs – Shades of Black (2015, Netherlands)
As randomly chosen by survey[1] on Mastodon, our next spotlight is on number 799 on The List, submitted by @raisedfist.
I started this draft over a week ago, wondering if I could write it without comparing this singer to another singer. But, on this side of the pond, I can barely find any info on Kovacs, i.e., Sharon Kovacs, or any reaction on this, her debut album. And so, let me just say it, knowing I mean it only as a point of reference and not to diminish the ginormous talent that is Kovacs in any way.
Imagine Amy Winehouse’s spirit, resurrected and mixed with the presence and gumption of Asajj Ventress (i.e., one of my most favorite characters in the Star Wars universe). Can you dig it? Kovacs’ soulful voice and lyrics are beautiful, powerful, sexy, cheeky, just on the edge of dangerous. In other words, I’m quite happy to have learned about this artist, I really enjoyed this album, and I’m excited to check out the rest of her work.
And, since we’re in the middle of our month-long run of #BowieADay, I think it’s worth mentioning that Kovacs is a David Bowie fan – indeed, one of the only things I could find on Kovacs is that she joined the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2023 for a special cover of Bowie’s take on Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam” (aka “Port of Amsterdam”). For those following our BowieADay listening schedule, today we listened to his covers album, Pin Ups (1973); his cover of “Amsterdam” wasn’t included on the album proper, but was included as the B-side for the album’s “Sorrow” single. Whether before or after checking out Shades of Black, I highly recommend watching the Kovacs/Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performance of the tune, at the end of this video (starting at 1:07:50).
Happy listening!
- The survey choices that initially led to this spotlight were “When the weather gets rough”, “And it’s whiskey in the shade”, “It’s best to wrap your savior”, and “Up in cellophane”, following the earlier surveys that had “Well, I don’t want no Abba Zabba”/“Don’t want no Almond Joy”/“There ain’t nothing better”/“Suitable for this boy” and “Well, it’s the only thing that can pick me up”/“Better than a cup of gold”/“See only a chocolate Jesus”/“Can satisfy my soul”. The second option was the winning selection, and the survey result was translated as picking an album in The List that contained a word in the phrase – in this case, “shade”. ↩︎
#1001OtherAlbums #2010s #jazz #Kovacs #ListenToThis #music #musicDiscovery #Musodon #Netherlands #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #SharonKovacs #soul
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Jörg Widmann: ‘Schubert sings because he can’t help it’
Clarinettist and composer Jörg Widmann (1973) cherishes tradition. His Octet for clarinet, horn, bassoon and string quintet is a tribute to Schubert’s piece of the same name. It will be performed by musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in the small hall of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw on 10 November 2024.
Although he composed his Octet as a companion piece to Schubert’s work of the same name, it counts one less movement and lasts half as long. ‘This is purely out of respect,’ says Jörg Widmann. ‘I would never dare compare myself to him. Besides, I thought a structure of five movements and twenty-five minutes was just right. And although my piece is quite tonal, I did not aim for a stylistic copy either.’
Jörg Widmann (c) Marco BorggreveIndeed, the spirit of Schubert constantly shines through the notes, which nevertheless bear Widmann’s own unmistakable stamp. Starting with the opening chords. These are borrowed directly from Schubert’s Octet but immediately take a different, more dissonant and expressionistic direction. Widmann’s piece seems like a Schubert in overdrive.
Forever singing
‘I got to know his Octet relatively late, but was immediately impressed by its incessant singing,’ says the composer. ‘Take those endlessly long lines in the second movement, or the clarinet solo in his Eighth Symphony, the Unfinished. To perform those as a clarinettist was an existential experience.’
‘Schubert composed over 600 songs, I have always wondered why he sang all his life. I think this is for the same reason a small child whistles or sings in the forest. It is alone, it is afraid. It sings in order to reassure itself it is still there, it exists. To me, that is the essence of Schubertian singing. Adorno once said: “Before Schubert’s music, the tear falls from the eye without first questioning the soul.” That’s exactly the point. Schubert sings because he can’t help it!’
Compositional crisis
While working on the Octet, Widmann experienced a compositional crisis: ‘That was in 2003-4. I felt I could compose anything and everything, but failed to bring instruments to sing. It was a phase of severe self-criticism. I wanted to write about Schubert’s singing and threw myself maniacally into the Octet, and never stopped singing. Hopefully it sounds joyful indeed.’
Song-like it certainly is, but joyful? Rather, it is desperate and dark. The third movement in particular, ‘Lied ohne Worte’, has an incisive drama. Desolate melodic lines drift from horn to violin, from clarinet to bassoon and to the other strings. Anxiously swelling fortissimi and restrained whispers evoke a deep loneliness. Towards the end, we even seem to hear a plaintive human voice.
Vulnerable beauty
‘Exactly! That’s the double bass playing vertically on the comb, like a saw,’ exclaims Widmann. ‘This is the most important part. It is a sustained weeping, which is why I used so many ‘impure’ microtones. Ever since Monteverdi, a descending minor second has represented sadness, but to make it even sadder I reduced the interval even further. A crying person probably doesn’t sound so pure.’
Yet there are lighter passages too, he stresses. ‘At one point it gets louder and louder, it almost hurts your ears. Suddenly we hear major and minor chords, played in flageolets. These are basically pure and clean, like radiant angel voices, but they are very difficult to intone. I have factored in this impurity; it’s like looking at the world through tear-stained eyes, it’s all about a vulnerable beauty.’
This is followed by a short but fervent Intermezzo. Widmann: ‘This is for dramaturgical reasons. After the extremely desolate and personal middle section, you quasi light-heartedly say: well, and now on with it!’
Abyssal singing
The finale opens with the same chords as the first movement. From these nebulae of sound warble up themes of horn, bassoon and clarinet. Increasingly agitated, the musicians seem to be at each other’s throats. Just before the end, the horn howls like a dog in agony. After this, the string players furiously lash their instruments, ever wilder and wilder. Then the music stops abruptly.
‘Actually, it’s an anti-finale,’ Widmann says. ‘Like stumbling upon an abyss at full speed. In terror, your breath falters. For me, that is the essential characteristic of Schubert: there’s no more beautiful singing than abyssal singing. I regard my sudden silence as a big question mark: ‘Why, what for?’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblyC5RNyHY
This article first appeared in the June 2017 issue of Preludium, the monthly magazine of Concertgebouw and Concertgebouw Orchestra
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#PaulHindemith 1895 – 1963
Kammermusik No. 3 Op. 36 n.2 (1925)
1 Majestätisch und stark. Mäßig schnelle Achtel
2 Lebhaft und lustig
3 Sehr ruhige und gemessen schreitende Viertel
4 Mäßig bewegte Halbe. Munter, aber immer gemächlich.#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #RiccardoChailly
#musik #music #musique #musica #modernistmusic #neoclassical #Hindemith
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#PaulHindemith 1895 – 1963
Kammermusik No. 3 Op. 36 n.2 (1925)
1 Majestätisch und stark. Mäßig schnelle Achtel
2 Lebhaft und lustig
3 Sehr ruhige und gemessen schreitende Viertel
4 Mäßig bewegte Halbe. Munter, aber immer gemächlich.#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #RiccardoChailly
#musik #music #musique #musica #modernistmusic #neoclassical #Hindemith
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#PaulHindemith 1895 – 1963
Kammermusik No. 3 Op. 36 n.2 (1925)
1 Majestätisch und stark. Mäßig schnelle Achtel
2 Lebhaft und lustig
3 Sehr ruhige und gemessen schreitende Viertel
4 Mäßig bewegte Halbe. Munter, aber immer gemächlich.#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #RiccardoChailly
#musik #music #musique #musica #modernistmusic #neoclassical #Hindemith
-
#PaulHindemith 1895 – 1963
Kammermusik No. 3 Op. 36 n.2 (1925)
1 Majestätisch und stark. Mäßig schnelle Achtel
2 Lebhaft und lustig
3 Sehr ruhige und gemessen schreitende Viertel
4 Mäßig bewegte Halbe. Munter, aber immer gemächlich.#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #RiccardoChailly
#musik #music #musique #musica #modernistmusic #neoclassical #Hindemith
-
#PaulHindemith 1895 – 1963
Kammermusik No. 3 Op. 36 n.2 (1925)
1 Majestätisch und stark. Mäßig schnelle Achtel
2 Lebhaft und lustig
3 Sehr ruhige und gemessen schreitende Viertel
4 Mäßig bewegte Halbe. Munter, aber immer gemächlich.#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra #RiccardoChailly
#musik #music #musique #musica #modernistmusic #neoclassical #Hindemith
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#AntonínDvořákː 1841 ~ 1904
#Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World' Op. 95 (1893) , #B178
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
#KlausMäkelä#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Dvořák
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#AntonínDvořákː 1841 ~ 1904
#Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World' Op. 95 (1893) , #B178
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
#KlausMäkelä#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Dvořák
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#AntonínDvořákː 1841 ~ 1904
#Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World' Op. 95 (1893) , #B178
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
#KlausMäkelä#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Dvořák
-
#AntonínDvořákː 1841 ~ 1904
#Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World' Op. 95 (1893) , #B178
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
#KlausMäkelä#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Dvořák
-
#AntonínDvořákː 1841 ~ 1904
#Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World' Op. 95 (1893) , #B178
I. Adagio – Allegro molto
II. Largo
III. Molto vivace
IV. Allegro con fuoco#RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra
#KlausMäkelä#musik #music #musique #musica #classicalmusic #romanticmusic #Dvořák
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#KlausMäkelä, who will become #music dir designate immediately, said in an interview that he did not think his age was relevant, noting that he had been conducting for >½ his life, beginning at 12.
“I don’t think about it. Music doesn’t really have any age,” he said.
Mäkelä, who will also take over as chief #conductor of the #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra in #Amsterdam in 2027, said he was joining the #Chicago #Symphony bc it has “that intensity — that same sound from the past.”
-
#KlausMäkelä, who will become #music dir designate immediately, said in an interview that he did not think his age was relevant, noting that he had been conducting for >½ his life, beginning at 12.
“I don’t think about it. Music doesn’t really have any age,” he said.
Mäkelä, who will also take over as chief #conductor of the #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra in #Amsterdam in 2027, said he was joining the #Chicago #Symphony bc it has “that intensity — that same sound from the past.”
-
#KlausMäkelä, who will become #music dir designate immediately, said in an interview that he did not think his age was relevant, noting that he had been conducting for >½ his life, beginning at 12.
“I don’t think about it. Music doesn’t really have any age,” he said.
Mäkelä, who will also take over as chief #conductor of the #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra in #Amsterdam in 2027, said he was joining the #Chicago #Symphony bc it has “that intensity — that same sound from the past.”
-
#KlausMäkelä, who will become #music dir designate immediately, said in an interview that he did not think his age was relevant, noting that he had been conducting for >½ his life, beginning at 12.
“I don’t think about it. Music doesn’t really have any age,” he said.
Mäkelä, who will also take over as chief #conductor of the #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra in #Amsterdam in 2027, said he was joining the #Chicago #Symphony bc it has “that intensity — that same sound from the past.”
-
#KlausMäkelä, who will become #music dir designate immediately, said in an interview that he did not think his age was relevant, noting that he had been conducting for >½ his life, beginning at 12.
“I don’t think about it. Music doesn’t really have any age,” he said.
Mäkelä, who will also take over as chief #conductor of the #RoyalConcertgebouwOrchestra in #Amsterdam in 2027, said he was joining the #Chicago #Symphony bc it has “that intensity — that same sound from the past.”
-
"Shostakovich: The Jazz Album" by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam, Peter Masseurs, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans https://songwhip.com/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra/shostakovichthejazzalbum
#ClassicalMusic
#RiccardoChailly
#RoyalConcertGebouwOrchestra
#DmitriShostakovich -
"Shostakovich: The Jazz Album" by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam, Peter Masseurs, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans https://songwhip.com/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra/shostakovichthejazzalbum
#ClassicalMusic
#RiccardoChailly
#RoyalConcertGebouwOrchestra
#DmitriShostakovich -
"Shostakovich: The Jazz Album" by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam, Peter Masseurs, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans https://songwhip.com/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra/shostakovichthejazzalbum
#ClassicalMusic
#RiccardoChailly
#RoyalConcertGebouwOrchestra
#DmitriShostakovich -
"Shostakovich: The Jazz Album" by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam, Peter Masseurs, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans https://songwhip.com/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra/shostakovichthejazzalbum
#ClassicalMusic
#RiccardoChailly
#RoyalConcertGebouwOrchestra
#DmitriShostakovich -
"Shostakovich: The Jazz Album" by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Ronald Brautigam, Peter Masseurs, Riccardo Chailly, Dmitri Shostakovich, Vincent Youmans https://songwhip.com/royal-concertgebouw-orchestra/shostakovichthejazzalbum
#ClassicalMusic
#RiccardoChailly
#RoyalConcertGebouwOrchestra
#DmitriShostakovich