Hamburg Music Festival revolves around war and peace
Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie will once again host its International Music Festival in the famous concert hall and Laeiszhalle in 2024. The classical music stars of the five-week festival include Sir Antonio Pappano, Christian Thielemann, Sir Simon Rattle, Janine Jansen, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Daniil Trifonov, Lang Lang and the Kronos Quartet, as the Elbphilharmonie announced in Hamburg on Tuesday. From April 26 to June 2, Hamburg's major orchestras and top-class guests will dedicate themselves to the theme of "War and Peace".
For the opening concert on April 26 and 27, chief conductor Alan Gilbert has chosen the late romantic choral work "Peace on Earth" by Arnold Schönberg. In addition to the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, star baritone Thomas Hampson will also be on stage to perform Kurt Weill's "Walt Whitman Songs".
The melodrama "A Survivor from Warsaw", Shostakovich's 8th Symphony and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem" will also be performed during the rest of the classical music festival. The Naghash Ensemble Armenia is coming to Hamburg with its "Songs of Exile" program and the Dakh Daughters from Ukraine are reportedly protesting against Russia's invasion of their home country with a performance.
Other highlights include an original sound "Walküre" by Richard Wagner realized by Kent Nagano in the Elbphilharmonie and a lavish new production of Olivier Messiaen's only opera "Saint François d'Assise" with more than 250 performers.
The International Music Festival in Hamburg will showcase artists from various nations, making it a truly international event. The theme of "War and Peace" will be explored through music performances such as Shostakovich's 8th Symphony, which is a powerful representation of conflict and resolution.
Source: www.dpa.com
