Irish Chamber Orchestra
Jörg Widmann Principal Conductor
Beethoven Grosse Fuge, Op. 133
Korngold Symphonic Serenade, Op. 39
Widmann Aria for Strings
Mendelssohn String Symphony No. 9 Swiss

Widmann explores music through many voices, spanning centuries. Beethoven’s towering Grosse Fuge is admired for its almost cosmic proportions, its logic and total honesty. Beethoven takes four voices, fully engaged and throbbing at high speeds, and in Widmann’s hands, drives them to the edge of a cliff before stopping them to listen to the vastness of silence. Hollywood composer Korngold’s seldom-heard Symphonic Serenade is extremely virtuosic, alternating between a dissonant, dark world and a soft, melodic mood. In Widmann’s Aria for Strings, the multiple divided strings give the impression of imaginary voices. Fascinated by yodelling and all things Swiss, Mendelssohn sought to convey impressions of his Alpine journey in his Symphony No. 9 (whilst also exhibiting his contrapuntal brilliance) – a masterful achievement for a fourteen-year old!

“At one with Widmann’s direction, ICO’s support is elegant and trenchant”
Irish Independent

20:00, Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

20:00, Thursday, February 14, 2019
St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick