Philzuid

During Halloween, a good scare keeps you sharp. There’s nothing wrong with that. All emotional antennas are on high alert, and unknown worlds open up. Composers from both the present and the past are constantly intoxicated by fantastical tales and gruesome scenes. Fueled by a dose of opium, Hector Berlioz wrote his wonderfully delirious Symphonie fantastique. This hallucinatory orchestral work is an obsessive love letter from Berlioz to actress Harriet Smithson. In his five-movement orchestral piece, Berlioz depicts the turbulent life of an artist who falls hopelessly in love and succumbs to stimulants. The artist is immediately tormented by visions. In the final movement, Berlioz even sings about the intoxicating wonders of a witches’ sabbath. In the end, Berlioz managed to win over his beloved Smithson, but it was not a happy marriage. His romantic troubles, however, produced one of Berlioz’s great masterpieces. Symphonie fantastique is a true orchestral trip that continues to amaze contemporary listeners time and time again.

The soul-refreshing music of Polish-Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg is experiencing a well-deserved renaissance. He was a close friend of his contemporary Dmitri Shostakovich. Gradually, Weinberg’s vast oeuvre is being discovered. He wrote expressive, personal music with intense melancholy as well as powerful fortissimos. In his tense Trumpet Concerto from 1967, Weinberg plays with dark timbres and wild rhythms. Acclaimed German trumpet virtuoso Simon Höfele is a passionate advocate for this rarely performed trumpet concerto. Höfele honors classical trumpet works but also strongly supports brand-new repertoire. Philzuid opens the Halloween ball with the magical atmosphere of Paul Dukas’ symphonic poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Once, Walt Disney even had Mickey Mouse appear as the runaway sorcerer’s apprentice in the animated classic Fantasia. But as a standalone orchestral piece, the enchantment remains magically intact.

Programma

Dukas – De Tovenaarsleerling
Weinberg – Trompetconcert
Berlioz – Symphonie fantastique