Beyond Beethoven – concerts by Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin: Andrew Manze Conducts the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin

Andrew Manze continues his collaboration with Martin Helmchen as part of the Beethoven Anniversary celebrations. The conductor has brought along a British orchestral work from his home country for the second part. The Seventh by Vaughan Williams', a "pastorale" of a very different kind, marks the completion of the perennial cycle of the composer’s symphonies by Sir Roger Norrington and the DSO.

The concert opens in the classical way: Jörg Widmann pays homage to Beethoven with his “Con brio” concert overture. The piece is a contemporary reflection on his juggling with the conventions – a modern perspective on the modern Beethoven. The title reveals the gesture of the fast, formally experimental piece, with which Widmann kindles "fury and rhythmic urgency". New sounds are also struck in the resolute "con brio" of the following piece. Only this time, Beethoven chose a minor key for a piano concerto, probably a reference to Mozart, whom he left behind with this composition. Because the third unmistakably bears Beethoven's very own stamp. The romantic piano concerto announces itself in the tense dialogue between soloist and symphonic orchestra.

 

Sunday 2 February | 8:00 pm | 7:10 pm Introduction

ANDREW MANZE

Martin Helmchen – Piano

Yeree Suh – Soprano

Ladies of the Rundfunkchor Berlin

WIDMANN “Con brio” for orchestra

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No. 7 “Sinfonia antarctica” for soprano, women's choir and orchestra