Sinfonieorchester Basel
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin
Helena Winkelman, violin
Marc Sprunger, Basler Trommel
Philipp Wingeier, Basler Trommel
Ivor Bolton, conductor
Johannes Brahms:
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68
Helena Winkelman:
Gemini, Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra (World Premiere), Commissioned by the Sinfonieorchester Basel
Rolf Liebermann:
Geigy Festival Concerto. A Fantasy on Basel Themes for Basel Drum and Large Orchestra
Fotos: © Marco Borggreve (Kopatchinskaja), Pilvax & Oberyn (Winkelman)
Fotos: © Maija Tammi (Kuusisto), © Marco Borggreve (Kopatchinskaja)
Johannes Brahms also made frequent stops in Basel on his travels in the Bernese Oberland. His first Symphony was premiered in 1876 in the opening year of the Stadtcasino. Brahms had spent 21 years composing on his symphonic first work. Compared to this, four years of casino reconstruction are no more than a footnote in music history.
In her commissioned work Gemini, the violinist and composer Helena Winkelman, who lives in Basel, literally combines two very different types of violin playing. The solo parts are performed by Patricia Kopatchinskaja, who plays barefoot, and the composer herself.
With a carnival fantasy for Basel drums and large orchestra, we are testing the acoustics of the reopened Stadtcasino at the start of the season. Rolf Liebermann composed his Geigy Festival Concerto in 1958 in memory of Johann Rudolf Geigy-Gemuseus, who first founded a company in Basel in 1758 that began trading in «materials, chemicals, dyes».
After the concert, the First ‹After Concert Lounge› with the soloists, Isa Herzschwester (DJane) and Benjamin Herzog (moderator and DJ) will take place in the foyer of the Stadtcasino.
In plain language:
Helena Winkelman is a violinist and composer and lives in Basel. ‹Gemini› means ‹twins›. This is why her piece features two violins:
- Patricia Kopatchinskaja lives in Switzerland. She prefers to play the violin barefoot.
- Pekka Kuusisto comes from Finland. He plays classical music, but also electronic music and jazz.
Duel
Symphony Concert
Donnerstag, 10 September 2020
19:30
06:30 PM: Introduction to the concert (in German) with Helena Winkelman (Composer in Residence) and Hans-Georg Hofmann.
The concert will be recorded by SWR/Arte and broadcast via live stream.
After the concert: ‹After Concert Lounge› with the soloists, Isa Herzschwester (DJane) and Benjamin Herzog (moderator and DJ) in the foyer of the Stadtcasino