Spiritual Opening – Miserere

Kollegienkirche, Salzburg

He is one of the grand seigneurs of the organ world: Bernard Foccroulle. As the long-time artistic director of Brussels' La Monnaie Opera House until 2007, he also worked in the opera world, but his original profession was and remains that of an organist. As such, he has earned an outstanding reputation as an expert in both early and contemporary music.

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Bernard Foccroulle, Orgel

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

"Not a pretty sight. Modernity begins."
Christa Wolf on Kleist's Penthesilea
A woman and a man, united by a politically senseless war, obsessed with defeating the other: the Amazon Penthesilea and the Greek Achilles. When Heinrich von Kleist transformed this ancient myth into a play in 1808, he reversed the story's gruesome ending: It wasn't Achilles who slays Penthesilea and then falls in love with the dead woman's body, but Penthesilea who falls in love with Achilles, kills him, and mauls his corpse.
Kleist's tragedy irritated his contemporaries: eroticism and aggression appear interchangeable, women fight like men, hunters become prey, and Penthesilea becomes an animal. This was not how Kleist's contemporaries imagined either antiquity or the theater. It didn't help that the most gruesome scenes weren't shown on stage, but merely reported: Penthesilea was never performed during the author's lifetime. It wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that this idiosyncratic work garnered interest and understanding.

Penthesilea

Staatstheater Hannover

Portrait Pascal Dusapin

Munich Residence

Join us for an extraordinary evening of contemporary music with Franck Ollu & Krassimir Sterev at the Munich Residence, Herkulessaal, on Friday, 12 May 2023, at 8:00 pm. This concert, part of the Bavarian Radio's esteemed musica viva series, promises to be a night of world and German premieres that push the boundaries of orchestral music.

The evening will feature the world premiere of "Mary/Transcendence after Trauma" by Australian composer Liza Lim. This piece, commissioned by Bavarian Radio’s musica viva series, explores themes of female spirituality and is the second part of the Annunciation triptych focusing on Mary's Visitation by the Angel and the Passion Play. The music is characterized by its incantatory and divinatory qualities, with archaic sound fragments that promise to transport the audience.

Also premiering is Francesca Verunelli's accordion concerto "Accord, Chord and Tune," a remarkable synthesis of orchestral sounds and the unique timbres of the accordion, performed by Krassimir Sterev. This work further exemplifies the innovative spirit of the musica viva series.

The program will also include the German premiere of Pascal Dusapin's "Morning in Long Island for large orchestra," a kaleidoscopic orchestral fantasy inspired by the natural and ambient sounds of Long Island, New York.

Under the baton of conductor Franck Ollu, with Krassimir Sterev on accordion, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks will bring these captivating works to life. This concert is a must-attend for lovers of contemporary music and those looking to experience the cutting edge of orchestral performance.

Tickets are available online via the BRticket-Webshop. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a night where music transcends the ordinary and enters the realm of the extraordinary.

Pascal Dusapin

Events

Past events

Jul 23, 2026

Spiritual Opening – Miserere · Ensemble Modern

Mar 6, 2026

Bernard Foccroulle, Orgel · Elbphilharmonie

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