How do you connect to the here and now in classical concerts? How ‘current’ can symphony orchestras be? In the new seasonal brochures of halls, orchestras and ensembles, which often fall on the mat now, you feel that challenge back in mottos such as “Placing the tradition in perspective” (NTR Saturday Matinee) or “Giving music as a world language for tolerance and connectedness” (Concertgebouw Orchestra).
And sometimes it just goes without saying. This week, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra honors the newly deceased composer Sofia Goebaidelina with three concerts by re -execution of her masterpiece Offertory (1980-1986). That was already on the role before Goebaidelina’s death became known, but coincidence makes the tribute nothing less.
Offertory is vintage gobaidoelina, both in the theme (spirituality) and in the complex design, in which a theme from Bachs Das Musikalisches Opfer is being built and built up. The process goes through quirky orchestral together – sometimes heavenly (celesta, harp), sometimes underwatery, sometimes earthly roaring, and is clearly highlighted in all those extremes by future chef Klaus Mäkelä. In the center of point, violinist Julian Rachlin is the virtuoso and quirky soloist. He completes the party composed for violinist Gidon Kremer at the time with admirable all-or-nothing commitment and flexibility of Toon.
Musical ‘language’
Also typical of Goebaidelina: the urgency of her musical ‘language’. He breathes a sacred must that you jump immediately. How do you relate to such a masterpiece when you as a composer are instructed to make a work as a support act? Composer Seung-Won Oh (1969) let himself be in Spiri III: Sacred Ritual Without loss of individuality literally through Offertory inspiring, but with its grand percussion and copper effects and turbulence, her piece also reminds us of Calliope Tsoupaki’s strong Another Day, Earlier this month brought by the orchestra in world premiere. It is allowed to taste such cross-connections-OH and Tsoupaki are both former student of Louis Andriessen-is fascinating and a gratifying consequence of one of the orchestra’s mecence funds.
After such a sturdy first half, Schumanns tastes good Fourth symphony Almost like a foam dessert. What a party it is in one piece like this to see, hear and feel the amazingly ripe technical allocation of Klaus Mäkelä. Incurrent bass runs will sonorinly jump in, where the orchestra can excrete itself itself, Mäkelä simply stands still – to take the lead again immediately afterwards. What his head wants to hear can express his body. What would he make from Bachs next year Matthäus-Passion? Mäkelä is a future chef who generates baking anticipation.
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Sofia Goebaidelina was one of the most important Russian composers after Shostakovich