After the success of the family show The Four Seasons, concertmaster Lisanne Soeterbroek and narrator Freek De Craecker join forces once again for an unforgettable chamber music concert (in Dutch). Enter the colorful fantasy world of The Wizard of Oz, brought to life by the ensemble with musicians from the orchestra, set to the masterful sounds of Igor Stravinsky. The flamboyant Freek De Craecker gives L. Frank Baum's timeless story a contemporary twist. An essential experience for the whole family, starting from six years old!

Family Concert: The Wizard of Oz (6+)

AMUZ (Festival van Vlaanderen Antwerpen)

Dmitri Shostakovich and Krzysztof Penderecki lived in turbulent times, with one facing censorship in Stalin's Russia and the other experiencing the oppression of his homeland's communist regime. The melancholy in their music reflects their personal struggles, yet hope resonates. Shostakovich's Piano Quintet, revered for its depth, innovation, and contrasting emotions, showcases each instrument uniquely contributing to the texture and narrative. Penderecki, in his melancholic Sextet—a remarkable display of his later style—accentuates the cello and horn, offering a prominent role.

Chamber music: Shostakovich and Penderecki

The string octet offers the best of both worlds, combining the full resonance of a string orchestra with the soloistic virtuosity and clarity of a chamber music ensemble. Max Bruch, an incurable romantic, composed his swansong, the String Octet in B-Flat Major, towards the end of his life. A few years later, Dimitri Shostakovich would embrace modernity in his Prelude and Scherzo, opus 11. Reinhold Glière’s String Octet in D Major strikes a compromise between the two. While the fiery temperament is indisputably Russian, the lyricism harks back to German romanticism. Enjoy three key early 20th-century chamber pieces.

Mona Verhas

Events

Past events

Nov 2, 2024

Family Concert: The Wizard of Oz (6+) · Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Oct 13, 2024

Chamber music: Shostakovich and Penderecki · Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in Piano Quintet by Shostakovich

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Violin in String Octet by Glière

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Violin in Octet by Bruch

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Violin in Sextet by Penderecki

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

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