More about the evening's music and composers

A solitary violin introduces Albert Schnelzer's "Through the Eye of the Pegasus" – a thrilling orchestral piece composed for the 40th-anniversary celebration of the reopening of Alte Oper Frankfurt. The venue, inaugurated in 1880 but destroyed during World War II, was reopened in 1981. In 2021, "Through the Eye of the Pegasus" had its premiere with hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Alain Altinoglu.

Schnelzer's composition is inspired by the Pegasus statue that has adorned the building's roof since 1880. In Greek mythology, the Pegasus horse is linked to the Muses, symbolizing artistic and divine inspiration. The main theme of the work borrows pitches from Mahler's Eighth Symphony, which was performed at the reopening in 1981 and is commonly referred to as the "Veni Creator" theme. Albert explains that this theme can be interpreted as an expression of divine creative power but, in this case, primarily symbolizes human creative power. The music also contains fragments of other significant pieces in the opera house's history, such as from Franz Schreker's opera "Der Ferne Klang."

"But above all, the work is a tribute to the people who, through their hard work, have contributed to the opera still standing. They help us remember but also instill hope for an uncertain future," says Albert.


Waltzes and Fleeing Birds

Tebogo Monnakgotla's saxophone concerto, "Gaea," also revolves around the concern related to climate that constantly accompanies us. The concerto is composed for saxophonist Johannes Thorell, who is also the soloist in the concert. Gaea, meaning Mother Earth, explores human impact on nature and the escalating climate crisis. Each movement is written from an animal's perspective, with the initial sounds reminiscent of waltz songs. This sound is not dissimilar to the baritone saxophone, which Johannes Thorell describes as "raw":

"The instrument has a rich overtone spectrum that is enjoyable to experiment with. In the piece, there are also some glissandos that can be associated with waltz songs," he explains.

The second movement is titled "Firebird," like Igor Stravinsky's work of the same name, portraying recent years' forest fires. The music is intense and dramatic, evoking the image of a bird trying to escape from a burning forest. "Swan song" is the name of the third movement, where the music relates to the oil spills that, over the years, have taken the lives of countless birds whose wings were glued to their bodies by leaking oil. "Blue bear" depicts the melting ice, rendering the Earth's polar bears homeless, while "Water ascending" reflects the ice melting due to global warming.

Mendelssohn Skips the Choirs

The concert concludes with Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5, "Reformation." The composer chose not to write a piece where a choir performs a biblical text; instead, it became a symphony without words, where traces of Gregorian motifs are woven together with counterpoint and fragments from Lutheran chorales.

Mendelssohn outlined the symphony in 1829, during his first trip to the British Isles. His goal was for the piece to premiere on the tricentennial of the presentation of the Augsburg Confession – a milestone for the Reformation. However, the work was not published until after the composer's death, making it the fifth in order.

Returning as the conductor is our recurring guest, Roland Kluttig from Germany, equally skilled at presenting classical and contemporary works.

Eivind Aadland is back

The concert is conducted by Eivind Aadland, who last visited Sara kulturhus in January 2023 to lead the concert "Bruckner and Schumann."

Eivind Aadland is one of Norway's leading conductors, but is also well-known to audiences throughout Australia and East Asia. In 2020, he assumed his new position as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, based in Hobart, a city quickly becoming a leading cultural destination. He has recently extended his contract until 2026.

The concert is conducted by our recurring guest, Roland Kluttig from Germany, equally skilled in performing classical as well as contemporary works.