Echo

Renewal | Tradition | Award-winning

The Zuger Sinfonietta opens the season with ‘Entr’acte’ by Pulitzer-prize-winner Caroline Shaw, with chief conductor Daniel Huppert at the helm. After hearing a version of Joseph Haydn’s last string quartet, Shaw created a soundscape in its own contemporary tonal language. It throws up surprising fractures and sound-shifts which make the familiar appear in a new light.

Richard Strauss was also noted for his renewal of established themes. His first horn concerto, composed when he was just 18, belongs to the classical period but was already venturing beyond. Virtuoso passages and wide-ranging melodies give the piece a freshness that is full of expression. Pascal Deuber, winner of the highly respected ARD competition and known for his distinctive free interpretations, gives the concerto an extra layer of charisma.

Antonín Dvořák’s sixth symphony emerged from a phase of artistic compaction and a new orientation. Exploring the German tradition, in particular Johannes Brahms, he developed a style of music that combined influences with what is very much his own unmistakeable imprint. Rhythmic vitality, Bohemian tones and a clear formal structure come together to create a work full of determination and energy.