Hamburg Contemporary

The content on this page was translated automatically.

It is considered one of his masterpieces and an important piece of modern music: with Pierrot Lunaire (op. 21), Arnold Schönberg created the new type of melodrama for Sprechgesang and ensemble during a stay in Berlin in 1912. The use of Sprechgesang, whose pitch is difficult or even impossible to grasp, was in some ways an innovation and revolutionization of vocal technique at the time. The instrumentation in the form of a "Pierrot ensemble" also became a fixed concept for the composition of chamber music and demonstrates the importance of the piece in the course of the 20th century. The 21 short numbers in the cycle are based on poems by Albert Giraud. Vocal and instrumental students worked on the piece together with guest musicians in a practical seminar specially organized by Frauke Aulbert. The rehearsals were carried out by Thomas Mittelberger and Frauke Aulberg. The seminar was also accompanied by Mariana Popova and Prof. Burkhard Kehring.

Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)
Pierrot Lunaire
(numbers 2 and 13 omitted)

Performers:
Vocals:
Natsumi Wolf (numbers: 1, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19, 20, 21)
Lilja Peterson (numbers: 16, 17)
Amy Buttschardt (numbers: 8, 9, 10)
Daria Plastinina (numbers: 6, 7, 14)
Frauke Aulbert (numbers: 11, 12, 15)

Flute: Roland Schwarz
Clarinet: Paula Breland
Bass clarinet: Dabin Kang
Violin: Yaodong Zhang
Viola: Gung-Hui Ho
Violoncello: Aleksandr Bukin
Piano:
Julia Seckler (numbers 8, 9, 11, 14)
Sergi Pacheco (numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 20, 21)
Isaac Martinez (numbers: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)

+++

The week of new music is back! From May 13 to 16, 2024, performers dedicated to contemporary music - and the classics of modernism - will once again throw their hats into the ring.

No, and then again: two anniversaries of compositional masterpieces fall on the year 2024, and yet Hamburg Contemporary is not solely focusing on Arnold Schönberg (150th birthday) and Luigi Nono (100th birthday), even if it would have been so obvious and easy. Because the spotlight should be on the truly contemporary, the young musicians who get their stage here! Nevertheless, the music of the jubilarians and their contemporaries will not be completely omitted, and so students and teachers from the various instrumental areas will play several modern classics: Schönberg's "Pierrot Lunaire" and his string music, as well as Nono's "La Fabbrica Illuminata". The piano recital by Jewish composers from the first half of the 20th century will present music that has in part been forgotten.
The class evenings of the composition classes from Rostock and Hamburg as well as the piano concert of the practical seminar on new piano music will be full of sound, rattling and booming! The exchange between the composition classes will be rounded off with a return visit to Rostock in the future. The final day will then feature two highlights: Miniatures for three violins will be performed by members of the Ensemble Resonanz. The small festival will be rounded off with an ensemble concert: students of the HfMT will play selected works by renowned - and attention: still living! - composers!

Eintritt frei

Registration is required and can be done via eventbrite.

Events at a glance:
13.05., 18:00 - Composition class evening Rostock
13.05., 20:00 - Nono: La Fabbrica Illuminata and piano music: ...don't push the sounds... not even a little bit...?
14.05., 19:00 - Composition class evening Hamburg
15.05., 17:30 - Piano recital by Jewish composers of the early 20th century
15.05., 19:00 - Pierrot Lunaire: Milestone of classical modernism
15.05., 20:00 - Schönberg's string music
16.05., 19:00 - Miniature Wonderland - Ensemble Resonanz @ HfMT

The events are sponsored by the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius. They are part of the new series Hamburg Contemporary.