NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra: Adams & Salonen
Leila Josefowicz / Alan Gilbert – Elbphilharmonie Visions
»Scheherazade reloaded« – that is how one would have to understand the title of John Adams’s work »Scheherazade.2« at first glance. The American composer chose this title for his »dramatic symphony for violin and orchestra«, which was given its premiere in 2015 by Leila Josefowicz and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Alan Gilbert. Of course, the story of Scheherazade has already been memorably set to music before in the shape of Rimsky-Korsakov’s popular orchestral piece of 1888. But whereas the Russian fairy-tale lover was fascinated by the Oriental atmosphere, John Adams had in mind a reinterpretation of the stories contained in the »One Thousand and One Nights« from a contemporary standpoint.
Visions as a package: If you buy three or more concerts of the »Elbphilharmonie Visions« festival at the same time, you will receive a 30% discount on the ticket price. To do so, select »Visions Trio Bonus 30%« in the shopping basket.
Shocked by the amount of repression that women in many societies still suffer to this day, Adams wrote a violin concerto where the female soloist takes the role of a modern, self-confident Scheherazade. She leads the listener through four »provocative pictures« of a patriarchal society, and dreams at the end of »escape and asylum«.
If Alan Gilbert sees the biennale »Elbphilharmonie Visions« as »a picture of the world of contemporary music«, there is one name that cannot be left out: Esa-Pekka Salonen. The Finnish artist is the embodiment of a 21st century musician – versatile, innovative and open to all media. His music is currently in the spotlight at the Elbphilharmonie for two consecutive seasons. So it is only logical that the musicians of the Elphier Quartet are contributing one of his works to bring the festival to a close. The miniature string quartet »Homunculus« of 2007 presents in the space of just 12 minutes everything that is normally spread out over four movements in this time-honoured genre - »a little piece that behaves like a big piece,« as the composer himself puts it.
Performers
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
Elphier-Quartett
Leila Josefowicz violin
conductor Alan Gilbert
Programme
Talk with Leila Josefowicz and Alan Gilbert
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Homunculus
John Adams
Scheherazade.2 für Violine und Orchester
Festival
Elbphilharmonie Visions
Spotlight
Multiverse Esa-Pekka Salonen