Irish Chamber Orchestra
Jörg Widmann Principal Conductor/Artistic Partner
Claron McFaddon Soprano

US TOUR

Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 8
Widmann Attempt at a Fuge for Soprano & Orchestra
Mozart Adagio and Fuge in C Minor, K.546
Widmann 180 Beats per Minute
Weber Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, Op. 34

Mendelssohn’s early Sinfonias ooze brilliance and No. 8, a tiny gem, splendidly captures the teenage spirit.  Mendelssohn loved this work so much that he fleshed it out to become his first actual symphony scored for full orchestra.   The ICO and Stuttgarter Kammerorchester jointly commissioned the re-writing of Widmann’s Attempt at a Fugue.   Soprano Claron McFaddon is at the heart of this work as her incredible vocal acrobatics demonstrate the power of the human voice.  Mozart’s C Fugue was first composed for two pianos but re-arranged for strings, with an introductory Adagio reminiscent of a French overture.   Widmann‘s prodigious and highly original String Sextet, 180 Beats Per Minute, was inspired by the Techno music of his college days. He demonstrates his own versatility performing Weber’s dramatic Clarinet Quintet, written for the celebrated clarinettist, Heinrich Bärmann.

“Widmann’s energy doesn’t seem to have any boundaries, he simply motivates everyone around him, be it the hard working shining brass, the zippy violins or the juicy explosions in sound.”  Rhein-Neckar Zeitung

This tour is generously supported by Culture Ireland.

Saturday, 7.30pm, November 16, 2019
Edman Chapel, Wheaton College, Illinois

Tuesday, 7.30pm, November 19, 2019
Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York

Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Library of Congress, Washington DC