The new musical creation of Teodor Currentzis is called Utopia Orchestra, the Greek conductor who has stood out since his debut for his interpretative audacity, artistic tension, unconventional approach and magnetic charisma. For the first Italian appearance, the European tour which starts from the Berlin Philharmonie stops in Brescia, Monday 20 November at 8.00 pm at the Teatro Grande, and in Rome, Wednesday 22 November at 8.30 pm guest of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium Parco della Musica .
The program
The program appears as a tribute to the great tradition with two monumental works: the Brahms Violin Concerto – with the Hungarian Barnabás Kelemen as soloist, founder of the famous string quartet of the same name – and the Symphony no. 5 by Tchaikovsky. But Currentzis has always sought new perspectives within established traditions in the world of classical music. Revolutionary since his first experience in Perm, he changed the audience’s listening expectations with his Mozart trilogy, as well as in his interpretations of the symphonies of Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky and the music of Stravinsky and Mahler.
His innovative vision continues to inspire young musicians and enthusiasts from all over the world: up to 160 people from over 32 countries gathered around the new Utopia project, wanting to testify that art can overcome traditional boundaries and transform every time our musical experience into something unique and extraordinary.
AN INTERNATIONAL ORCHESTRA
For this occasion there are 107 orchestras from Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Brazil, South Korea, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Norway, Holland, Portugal, Russia , Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary, Romania, United Kingdom, USA, Venezuela. “These musicians, in addition to being highly trained, also have spiritual motivations,” Currentzis said. “This dream is not mine alone. It is an idea long cultivated by a large number of musicians from every corner of the world: to unite people with a shared musical ideology to create without compromise what our musical imagination offers us. It is an attempt to abandon the framework of respectable institutions which, while blessed, may also be condemned to create what could be described as a certain standardized international sound. We are entering a more experimental field, in search of the perfect sound, with musicians of great talent who desire it. The first thing that suffers from globalization is intimacy. The emotion, unity and dedication I speak of are most likely found in the work of a single musician or a small collective. We want to bring this chamber identity and intimacy in the full instrumentation of a great symphony concert. So we will give up what we knew and take a leap. Of course this is a utopian idea. Utopia is something impossible, and this is what attracts us: realizing the impossible. Dreams only come true when we lift the ban on the impossible.”
BARNABÁS KELEMEN: “AN HONOR TO WORK WITH UTOPIA”
“This summer I heard Mahler’s Third Symphony at the Funkhaus in Berlin performed by Teodor and his incredible orchestra, and it was my greatest experience of a live concert played by an orchestra – says Barnabás Kelemen, Gramophone Award Winning – so it is a huge honor and privilege to work with Utopia both on the Brahms Concerto as a soloist and on Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony as a supporter of the orchestra. It is truly something unique. I admire Teodor’s ability to inspire all members of the orchestra, in so that all musicians dedicate themselves to him. The mutual desire to produce something unique together was truly out of this world. As for Brahms, Hungarians love to find a Hungarian connection with anything in the world. The Violin Concerto finds inspiration in violinists gypsies who performed in Budapest’s luxury restaurants and hotels.My grandfather Pali Pertis was one of the most famous gypsy first violinists in the 1930s… and perhaps his great-grandfather played for Brahms himself. The composer came to Hungary many times incognito. He rented a secret apartment and went to local restaurants to listen to the best gypsy orchestras and violinists. Thus, the last movement is full of inspiration brought from the Hungarian gypsy tradition, which I am very proud of. Performing this piece with Teodor and Utopia is an opportunity to find new aspects, new questions and new answers in this masterpiece.”
ON TOUR FROM 2022
Utopia is an international orchestra that is structurally, financially and organizationally independent from other collectives and institutions. The first concerts of Utopia were held in October 2022. The orchestra has performed works by Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel in some of the most important European venues supporting the project, including Philharmonie Luxembourg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Wiener Konzerthaus, Berliner Philharmonie . In June 2023 he toured with Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler and guest at the Salzburg Festival with the concert performance of Purcell’s The Indian Queen and Mozart’s Mass in C minor. The orchestra is financed from concert proceeds and supported by the Kunst und Kultur DM Privatstiftung and various European patrons.
DATES
November 17: Budapest (The Béla Bartók National Concert Hall) – Tickets
18 November: Antwerpen (De Singel) – Soldout
20 November: Brescia (Brescia’s Teatro Grande) – Tickets
22 November Rome (Accademia di Santa Cecilia Hall) – Tickets
Source-tg24.sky.it