THE Irish Chamber Orchestra’s newly appointed principal guest conductor and artistic partner Jörg Widmann has programmed a thrilling season with the orchestra.
The opening concert on Thursday February 9 at University Concert Hall features the world première of John Kinsella’s Tenth Symphony. Kinsella has been described as “the most significant Irish symphonist since Stanford,” by BBC Radio 3.
Kinsella has written more than 21 compositions for orchestra including nine symphonies, works that over the years have been performed by the ICO. These include Triptych, Hommàge a Clarence, Nocturne and Symphony No. 9 among others. 2012 marks a special year for him as he celebrates his 80th birthday with this much anticipated new work.
Gabor Takacs-Nagy, the Hungarian violinist who is now conductor, is music director at Manchester Camerata. As guest conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, he has worked with the ICO over many years and will lead this February performance.
Takacs-Nagy returns to his native Hungary for a Liszt piece on February 9. His Angélus! Prière aux Anges Gardiens is the first movement of the final volume of Années de Pèlerinage, a work that spanned much of Liszt’s life, created in instalments across four decades.
ICO continues to explore the genius of Beethoven this season with his Fourth Symphony, a sunny work and the equivalent of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony.
L’Horloge de Flore is a delightful piece inspired by great Swedish botanist Linnaeus, who named a series of flowers according to the hour at which each one blooms. If arranged in the sequence of flowering over the day they constitute a type of floral clock or horologium florae.
This idea was further developed by the witty French composer Jean Françaix in his composition as he lists the hour of the day, the French, botanical and English names of the plants he chose to represent in this work. The featured soloist for Francaix’ work is Daniel Bates, principal oboe with the Irish Chamber Orchestra.
This Spring-time performance of Kinsella, Liszt, Francaix, Beethoven with the ICO is on Thursday February 9 at 8pm, UCH. Tickets from just €10 on 061-331549 for bookings or www.uch.ie
