Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Ingo Metzmacher

Ingo Metzmacher, the new head conductor of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, opens his first Berlin concert season with an exceptional programme of unprecedented vigour. An orchestra in uproar, an unleashed mass of sound of almost material quality, expansive forms which point to the eminent power of composition – all of these are the characteristics which are shared by the sensually overpowering works of Richard Strauss and Edgard Varèse. Strauss was not only a point of reference for the young Varèse; he was also a practical sponsor who made the first performances of his work possible in Berlin. Whereas Strauss is deeply rooted in the romantic and classical tradition, Varèse’s works combine tradition with the influences of Debussy and Stravinsky to form an energetic thrust into the modern. The title Amériques, the first orchestral movement Varèse composed after relocating to New York, does not only refer to geography. More importantly, the piece stands for the overall human and artistic pioneering spirit which is typical of Varèse’s work.

Concert Programme

Richard Strauss [1864-1949]
Ein Heldenleben – tone poem for large orchestra op. 40 [1886-98]

Edgard Varèse [1883-1965]
Amériques [1918-21]
First version

Cast

Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Ingo Metzmacher conductor