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World Premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's Gruß-Moment 2; UK Premiere of Piano Concerto No. 2

Feb. 01, 2017

World Premiere of Wolfgang Rihm's <em>Gruß-Moment 2</em>; UK Premiere of <em>Piano Concerto No. 2</em>

On February 10, the Berlin Philharmonic performs the world premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s Gruß-Moment 2, led by Sir Simon Rattle.

The 5-minute orchestral work, written in memory of Pierre Boulez, was commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic as part of the Philharmonic “Tapas” series, “in which composers can (and should) draw on a cornucopia of sounds.” The program also includes a performance of György Ligeti’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra with soloist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.  

Also this month, pianist Nicholas Hodges gives the UK premiere of Rihm’s Piano Concerto No. 2, on February 22 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, led by Lothar Koenigs.

Asymmetrically divided into two movements—the second being considerably longer than the first—the work incorporates a distinct vocal character and a unique chamber music quality through a compositional approach that Rihm describes as “finely drawn rather than with a house-painter’s brush.” Specifically, it is the interaction of tradition with artistic intuition that fascinates Wolfgang Rihm in the concerto form:

If we take a closer look at the ‘traditional' piano concertos, we find that each has its own form. And that is precisely what attracts me – to create something taking its own shape while remaining within a formal continuity. 

For more information on Wolfgang Rihm, visit universaledition.com.

Wolfgang Rihm
Gruß-Moment 2 (2016)
for orchestra
4.2.0.1-4.0.1.0-timp-hp-str
5’ 

Piano Concerto No. 2 (2014)
for piano and orchestra
2.1.3.2-2.1.1.0-2perc-hp-str
25’

György Ligeti
Concerto (1990; rev. 1992)
for violin and orchestra
2(1.afl, soprano recorder; 2.pic).1(soprano ocarina).2(1.Ebcl, sopranino ocarina; 2.bcl, alto ocarina).1(soprano ocarina)-2.1.ttbn.0-3timp.2perc-str
28’

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