On 12 February, Pascal Rophé will direct the Orchestre National de Radio France and soloist Alban Gerhardt in the world premiere of Julian Anderson’s Litanies for cello and orchestra as part of the annual Festival Présences. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Julian Anderson: Litanies”
On 3 February, the world premiere staging of Gerald Barry’s opera Alice’s Adventures Under Ground opens on the main stage of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden conducted by Thomas Adès and directed by Antony McDonald. Composed between 2013-15 on a joint commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Barbican Centre in London, and Britten Sinfonia.
Continue reading “Work of the Week – Gerald Barry: Alice’s Adventures Under Ground”
On 1 February, in celebration of the Beethoven’s 250 Anniversary in 2020, the Sibelius Academy Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo will perform Rodion Shchedrin’s Beethovens Heiligenstädter Testament. The concert, which will conclude the Sibafest in Helsinki, will also feature music by Kaija Saariaho and Mahler. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Rodion Shchedrin: Beethovens Heiligenstädter Testament”
On 21 January 2020, Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s opera Violanta will be performed for the first time in Italy. The production will take place at the Tearto Regio, Torino conducted by Pinchas Steinberg. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Violanta”
On 22 December, Antwerp Cathedral Choir will perform The Fruit of Silence by composer Pēteris Vasks in the splendid setting of Antwerp’s Cathedral of Our Lady. The work, which exists in multiple versions for different instrumentations, will be performed in its version for choir and string orchestra. Continue reading “Work in Focus – Pēteris Vasks: The Fruit of Silence”
On 13 December, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and conductor Jaap van Zweden will give the first performance in nearly 100 years of Willem Mendelberg’s reconstruction of the Adagio and Purgatorio from Gustav Mahler’s Symphony Nr. 10. Mengelberg, once chief conductor of the Concergebouw Orchestra, devoted himself to the promotion of Mahler’s music following the composer’s death. In 1924 he gave the first performance of his version of Mahler’s unfinished tenth symphony in Amsterdam. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Mahler/Mengelberg: Symphonie Nr. 10”
On 8 December Anno Schreier’s Der Zauberer von Oz will receive its world premiere at the Theater Aachen. Christopher Ward will conduct the cast and orchestra in director Ute M. Engelhardt’s new production. Schreier’s family-orientated ‘magicopera’, liberally sets the famous story initially told in Lyman Frank Baum’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and popularised by the 1939 film adaptation. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Anno Schreier: Der Zauberer von Oz”
On 1 December, Christian Jost’s The Woman in the Gardens of Suzhou will receive its German premiere at the Congresshalle Saarbrücken with the Saarländische Staatsorchester conducted by Jonathon Heyward. The concert forms part of the orchestra’s “Artist in Focus” series which will feature Jost both as composer and conductor throughout the 2019/20 season. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Christian Jost: The Woman in the Gardens of Suzhou”
On 20 November Andrew Norman’s orchestral work, Sustain, will receive its European Premiere at the Barbican, London. The work will be performed by its commissioners, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor, Gustavo Dudamel. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Andrew Norman: Sustain”
The world premiere of Chaya Czernowin’s opera, Heart Chamber, for Deutsche Oper Berlin takes place on 15 November conducted by Johannes Kalitzke. The production, which has been directed by Claus Guth, is realised by a small cast of soloists consisting of Patrizia Ciofi, Noa Frenkel, Dietrich Henschel, and Terry Wey. Continue reading “Work of the Week – Chaya Czernowin: Heart Chamber”
