BSO Germany Tour
Location: Wilhelmshaven
Date: 07-11-2012
Time: 20:00
Venue Details: Stadthalle
Works Performed
- Dorman : Frozen in Time (Percussion Concerto)
- Tchaikovsky : Symphony No.5
Performers
- Conductor : Kirill Karabits
- Soloist: Martin Grubinger
The title of Frozen in Time, a concerto for percussion and orchestra, refers to imaginary snapshots of the Earth’s geological development from prehistoric times to the present day. Each of the three movements represents one of the three land masses that emerged from the primordial continent Pangaea - “Indoafrica”, “Eurasia” and “The Americas”. The musical journey features the rhythms and sounds of India and south-east Asia (with cow bells and gamelan) as well as ecstatic African drumming. There is a more mysterious and chilly psychological depiction of Europe and a fi nal exploration of jazzy grooves and grunge rock of modern America. Dorman’s piece is a playful, acrobatic concert showpiece, not a place to find grit.
To find out more about Frozen in Time, you can Meet the Music
Over ten years passed between the time Tchaikovsky completed his Fourth Symphony and he wrote his Fifth - a decade of deep self-doubt and insecurity for the composer. Again Fate takes a central role in the work but whereas the Fourth had been the symphony of triumph over Fate, this time it is treated with a more philosophical outlook - a complete resignation that Fate is a less hostile governor of life. Gradually the music builds in confidence and a clear sense of this cautious self-assurance comes through in the symphony’s triumphant finale.
