The chaos of the Beginning, the creation of the earth, of light, plants, animals, and finally the first human couple, Adam and Eve: in Joseph Haydn’s oratorio, The Creation, all these images unfold before the eye of the listener. The music is both noble and highly atmospheric; on the cusp of the 19th century, Haydn created a masterpiece of the genre. His festive oratorio will be performed at Zurich Opera House at the end of the Advent period. Riccardo Minasi will conduct the La Cetra Vocal Ensemble and the Orchestra La Scintilla. The series of concerts given by our period instrument ensemble will also offer the opportunity to discover the highly original and unconventional works of Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka, Handel’s Water Music, and a programme of works on the theme of «Echos» dating from the 17th century.
The Philharmonia Zurich will start the new season with the exceptional violinist Leonidas Kavakos and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto as well as an orchestral cross section of Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen, with General Music Director Fabio Luisi at the rostrum. The young Italian pianist Beatrice Rana will continue her Beethoven cycle with the composer’s second and fourth piano concertos, and Gianandrea Noseda, designated General Music Director of the orchestra as of 2021, will conduct a programme featuring works of the Romantic period.
Music by Anton Webern, Luigi Nono and Helmut Lachenmann will be heard at a concert given by the Ensemble Opera Nova; composer Helmut Lachenmann will be in attendance and comment on the works, which mean a great deal to him personally.