WIR 4

Is music language without words? In Poulenc's Double Piano Concerto (1932), two pianos, with a total of 176 keys, strike up a conversation. Poulenc, a member of the famous French "Les Six" amasses a wealth of musical references in this work: from French vaudeville, Jazz and music from the Far East to contemporary avant-garde, resulting in a surprising fireworks display of razor-sharp French wit. Arnold Schönberg's orchestral arrangement of Brahms' piano quartet traces the original composer's musical idiom very precisely, setting the chamber music-like dialogue of violin, viola and piano ablaze with magical orchestral colour. Melodious melodrama and dramatic tones intertwine in Richard Strauss's Prelude to "Capriccio", because the age-old battle of music history is on once again: Prima la musica, e poi le parole? What is more important: the music of the text?

German-Turkish piano duo Herbert Schuch and Gülru Ensari have performed on many important international stages and released their debut CD recording (with Stravinski's "Le Sacre du Printempts") in 2017. Conductor Patrick Lange is on the podium for the second time in this symphony season.