The MDR Symphony Orchestra has a new chief conductor: the American Dennis Russell Davies, who enjoys an excellent reputation as a Haydn and Bruckner conductor. As an advocate of contemporary music, he has also worked with important composers such as John Cage, Philip Glass and Hans Werner Henze. Modernism is also a focal point of his work in Leipzig. Consequently, the joint debut at the Elbphilharmonie will exclusively feature works from the 20th century programme. The repertoire ranges from the father of American modernism, Charles Ives, to Leonard Bernstein and multiple Grammy winner and Ives fan John Adams.
In John Adams' vocal work "The Wound-Dresser", star baritone Thomas Hampson slips into the role of the poet Walt Whitman, who describes his experiences as a nurse in the military hospitals of the American Civil War. As a representative of minimal music, Adams had a decisive influence on American music in the post-war period and won several Grammys. Charles Ives' orchestral piece "Decoration Day" is also about farewells: on this day, Americans commemorate the fallen and decorate their graves. (Text: Elbphilharmonie)
The concert will also take place at the Philharmonie Berlin:
Sun 15 JAN 2023, 16.00 hrs
