«Simple or Double» – Basel Chamber Orchestra

Description

Program: Beat Furrer (*1956): New work for orchestra (world premiere, commissioned composition) Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945): Music for string instruments, percussion, and celesta, Sz 106, BB 114, dedicated to Paul Sacher Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827): Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, op. 73 In 1809, Vienna was occupied by Napoleonic troops, and the supply situation was dramatic. Archduke Rudolf, Beethoven's patron, friend, and piano student, had left the city, so an important source of income was also missing. Beethoven, in anticipation (he will dedicate it to Rudolf upon his return and receive an extra dose of guilders), composes a piano concerto that does not come across as martial or permeated with war worries, but rather sovereign and majestic – as if a crisis has been experienced, overcome, and managed. For the tenth anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra in 1936, Béla Bartók writes music for string instruments, celesta, and percussion for Paul Sacher, who founded the orchestra. The composer himself is rewarded with a huge success at the premiere. From Basel, the work conquers all of Europe. And there is news from Beat Furrer, the Swiss who emigrated to Vienna 50 years ago and has built a world career as a master of suggestive musical stories, exploring unknown lands through his compositions. Participating artists and additional information: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano; Pierre Bleuse, conductor; Basel Chamber Orchestra