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World premiere

Chronicle of Current Events

Mieczysław Weinberg, Kirill Serebrennikov, Gidon Kremer, Kremerata Baltica

Mieczysław Weinberg and the impact of ideology

The Russian composer Mieczysław Weinberg (1919-1996) was a contemporary and a friend of Shostakovich. One hundred years after his birth, Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and his chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica are inspired by his powerful, emotion-filled music to make a performance that looks at the parallels we can draw between today and last century. The Chronicle of Current Events was the hand typed independent magazine in the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 70s that reflected the reality of Soviet life. Consisting of music, performance and visuals by a group of Russian artists collaborating with Kirill Serebrennikov, Chronicle of Current Events is about the artist’s fate, life choices and about the casualties of communism and the Holocaust. It shows how artist’s lives are impacted by the limitations and dominant ideology of their country.

 

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Part 1 / Spring

There are four sorrows in our world:

The first springtime woe,

But the sun shines brighter then

Helping flowers grow. 

 

1. Prelude No.13 from 24 Preludes op.100 for violin solo

2. Symphony No.21 “Kaddish”, op.152 - fragment 1

3. Piano piece from Children’s album, op.16

4. Sonata for double bass solo, op.108 - fragment 

 

Part 2 / Summer

The second sorrow summer brings:

We worry, feel less merry,

But in forests, dark and strange,

You’ll find tasty berries. 

 

 

1. Chamber symphony No.3, op.151 - movement 2

2. "Grief" from Song cycle Jewish Songs op.13

3. Piano Trio, op.24 - Aria

4. Music from the cartoon "Bonifacyj’s holidays"

 

Part 3 / Autumn

The third sorrow comes in fall,

Or autumn it is said,

But late summer, we all know,

Apples turn sweet red.

 

1. Chamber symphony No.2, op. 147 - Movement 2

2. Sinfonietta No.2, op.74 - Movement 2

3. Notturno from incidental music

 

Part 4 / Winter

The fourth sorrow: wind and chill,

Hard to breathe until

Springtime comes so very close

Bringing — springtime woes.

 

1. Piano Quintet op.18 - Movement 2

2. Symphony No.21 “Kaddish” - Fragment 2

3. Nocturne from Three early pieces

4. Prelude No.24 from 24 Preludes op.100 for violin solo

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dates

Fri June 7 2019 8:30 PM

information

  • Duration of performance unknown (geen pauze)

Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica present Chronicle of Current Events: a tribute to the Russian-Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg, born a hundred years ago. Weinberg was a contemporary of Dmitri Shostakovich. On the basis of Weinberg’s music the performers draw parallels between the last century and our time.

Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and chamber orchestra Kremerata Baltica present Chronicle of Current Events: a tribute to the Russian-Polish composer Mieczysław Weinberg, born a hundred years ago. Weinberg was a contemporary of Dmitri Shostakovich. On the basis of Weinberg’s music the performers draw parallels between the last century and our time.

Chronicle of Current Events was also the name of the main independent, hand typed magazine in the Soviet Union during the 1960s and 70s, reflecting the reality of Soviet life. In their performance, which has its world premiere at the Holland Festival, Kremer and his partners unite music and video images.

 

‘The idiom of Mieczysław Weinberg is highly emotional and honest. First I got to know his music, later I discovered a personal connection as well; his tragic fate in many ways was similar to the one of my father, who as well suffered a lot from the Holocaust.

With Chronicle of Current Events I intended to tell the life story of Weinberg through his music, and imagined it to be a semi theatrical production. In my youth, being passionate about theatre, I dreamt about becoming a director. Nevertheless I realized, that for the serious intentions I had regarding this homage, my skills and enthusiasm would not be sufficient. So I looked for help and approached the outstanding director Kirill Serebrennikov with my ‘self-made’ script. It was Kirill who suggested to tell the story in a different way by building a bridge to our time, and I immediately saw the potential of his approach in a much stronger and different light.

Kirill suggested me a cooperation with his assistants and students, something I immediately endorsed, having met them in Moscow. This way Valery Pecheykin, Artyom Firsanov and Daniil Orlov became our associates.

In Chronicle of Current Events music and video will feed each other, but not in the usual way in which the music becomes an accompaniment to the screen, like in the famous art works and classics Battleship Potemkin, directed by Sergey Eisenstein or Dr. Mabuse, directed by Fritz Lang. In our project Weinberg’s music comes first and becomes an inspiration for the video makers, allowing them to reflect on our time.

The ‘soundtrack’ created by me will be performed live, and will consist of movements of some symphonies written for chamber orchestra, some film music of the composer along with solo works and chamber music opuses.

My personal wish is to speak to an openminded audience and to reach out for its imagination and the heart of each member of it. I wish to remind people, through music and images, that there is plenty of injustice in our world, and I aim to awaken some empathy.’

 

- Gidon Kremer

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credits

music Mieczysław Weinberg video Artem Firsanov, Aleksey Venzos, Valeriy Pecheykin curator Kirill Serebrennikov performance Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra, Gidon Kremer produced by Holland Festival, Berlin Konzerthaus, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Kremerata Baltica

This performance is made possible by

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