Ensemble Resonanz

Four musical worlds which could hardly be more varied are juxtaposed in this concert given by the Ensemble Resonanz featuring works by Benjamin Britten, Milica Djordjević, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Enno Poppe. The string ensemble from Hamburg is however renowned for its stylistic flexibility. Just like Rameau’s dreams of new worlds back in 1735, the chamber orchestra engages with the newest developments in music of our time, simultaneously forging unexpected encounters with the Baroque era and mastering the performance practice of both ages with virtuosity. Enno Poppe expertly steers the varied strands of this concert programme while also premiering his new composition for the soloist Anna Prohaska: his “microtonal continuo” challenges the automatic acceptance of progress. His atmospheres shake the foundations of familiarity while reminiscing about the radiant diversity of the Baroque. In contrast, Djordjević evokes the energy of noise in her early work for string orchestra. Benjamin Britten took a completely different path shortly before the outbreak of World War II, inspired by poems by the Symbolist Arthur Rimbaud. The vocal line, embedded in a finely spun string texture, transports us into curious new spheres almost defying all rational understanding, in which the soloist sings the line loosely based on Rimbaud: “I alone hold the key to this wild parade.”