The striking title of this extraordinary evening stems directly from a visionary festival concept devised by the Düsseldorf-based conductor and composer Mark-Andreas Schlingensiepen, who passed away this year; we gratefully pay tribute to his pioneering spirit.
In Lörick Church, a fascinating dialogue unfolds between the organ and the piano, unleashing the primal rhythmic power and tonal diversity of Hungarian modernism. The programme’s central organ piece is Béla Bartók’s monumental Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm, which, in Oskar Gottlieb Blarr’s pioneering arrangement, completely redefine the percussive facets of the organ. The rich instrumental programme ranges from György Kurtág’s intimate arrangements of Bach, through György Ligeti’s extremely complex, sonorous études, to the orchestral power of Franz Liszt’s ‘Ad nos’ Fantasy. A vocal highlight featuring Bartók’s rugged folk songs adds a special touch to this thrilling, energetic journey across musical boundaries, which uncompromisingly opens the ears to new worlds of sound.
Featuring Frederike Möller, Odilo Klasen and Irene Kurka. (Source: IDO Festival)
