On 14th October 2015 at the Southbank Centre in London these compositions will be performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under maestro Penderecki, featuring a solo horn part by Radovan Vlatković. Those who want to know more about this composition for orchestra and horn and the performance are invited to a meeting before the concert. Radovan Vlatković, the first person to perform Winterreise, and Krzysztof Penderecki himself will talk about this composition.
The one-part concerto for horn and orchestra called Winterreise was composed during the winter of 2007/2008, when Penderecki was travelling through China and South America. In the composition he refers to winter hunting, a childhood memory of his, and thus the French horn becomes a hunting horn. This is the first concerto for a brass instrument in Penderecki's oeuvre. A review by Tomasz Cyz says:
It is the first time I've listened to the concerto for horn and orchestra. And I immediately have a feeling that it is a perfect reflection of the composer's language. Classical proportionality joined together with the madness of Romanticism, 20th-century grotesque and absurd (Shostakovich!), dancing ecstasy (Strawiński or Mahler), horror and humour. The soloist gives a lot to the performance. Radovan Vlatković plays these notes with passion, perfection and mastery. Sometimes the horn sounds sweet (as in the opening of Lento assai, passacaglia when the horn interacts with three horns from the orchestra), encouraging, sometimes sharply and ecstatically. For example in Rondo da caccia, immersed in the atmosphere of hunting, ecstasy and fighting. However it (luckily) does not deprive these notes of humour, which makes the composition shines in radiant colours.
The event is supported by Culture.pl and the Polska Music programme.
BBC Total Immersion: Penderecki
14th October 2015
Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road
London