On a recent evening, I opted to go to the Philharmonie. I had tickets to see the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, in particular its series where young performers make their debut. I like this series, as it tends to showcase young talent, as well as modern music. Not to mention that the tickets are also rather cheap in comparison with other concert series. This time, the program was essentially a fantastic survey of different modernisms (e.g. atmospheric, virtuosic, and ironic).
First, they played María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir's Oceans. Sigfúsdóttir is an Icelandic composer who I haven't encountered before. This piece is written for a large orchestra which I felt functioned as a soundscape. It utilized shimmering strings, subtle glissandi, and layered harmonics to create a sense of vast, undulating space. It is more about timbre and "state of being" than traditional melodic development. If I position this work with other pieces I know, I would say it is a bridge between the ecological textures of John Luther Adams and the spectral transparency of Kaija Saariaho.
Then they played John Corigliano's Oboe Concerto. Written in 1975, this is a tour-de-force of theatrical and technical writing. The orchestration is inventive: the oboe often battles or mimics the orchestra. I learned that in the most famous movement, "The Scherzo," it requires the oboist to play multiphonics (multiple notes at once). It begins with a "tuning" sequence where the oboe mimics the standard orchestral 'A' but then spirals into chaos. I thought that was rather creative. This is "contemporary" in the way I like it: edgy, intellectually stimulating, and physically impressive.
After the intermission, they played Kurt Schwertsik's Violin Concerto No. 1. I have to say I am on the fence on this one. I tend to like the "big hitters" of the avant-garde (Xenakis, Stockhausen). However, this piece felt a bit too "polite" or whimsical for me. Nevertheless, the soloist was fantastic, and his encore piece (whose title was later mentioned but I failed to catch) definitely showed that he knew his instrument very well.
Finally, the orchestra played Ottorino Respighi's Feste Romane. This is the third part of Respighi's "Roman Trilogy." It is a massive, loud, and incredibly colorful tone poem. It requires an enormous orchestra including buccine (ancient Roman trumpets), organ, mandolin, and a huge percussion section. It depicts gladiatorial combat, a Christian harvest festival, and a riotous Epiphany celebration. My AI-based concert adviser predicted that I would not like this piece, but actually, I have to say I absolutely enjoyed it. It is loud, and even though it is tonal, it is unashamedly cinematic.This is essentially Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring if it were written by a Hollywood film composer. It also shares the "primitive" rhythmic drive of Silvestre Revueltas’ Sensemayá.
Overall, this was a fantastic concert, and I am glad to have attended it.
