Opening Night / NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra

Chief conductor Thomas Hengelbrock and his orchestra, together with the NDR Chor and this year’s Artist in Residence countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, embark on a voyage through various periods of French music history. Starting point are the operas of Baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, who Debussy called the representative of »the pure French tradition«.

Central to the second part of the concert is Marc-André Dalbavie’s »Sonnets de Louise Labé,« a contemporary composition based on the sounds of Debussy and Ravel. The finale of this opening night concert is Jacques Offenbach with his snappy and joyous operettas, replete with social criticism. These provide the perfect example of French lightheartedness »without which life would be unbearable,« as Francis Poulenc once said.