Beethoven+

2024 - 2027

Riccardo Minasi, conductor
Ensemble Resonanz

Three symphonies, three programs – performing Beethoven and recontextualizing his themes for the present. World premieres at Beethovenfest Bonn.

  • Symphony No. 3 & Sea-Watch 3 – A reflection on migration, European borders, and the humanitarian crisis at sea.

  • Symphony No. 6 & miniature plastic forest – Contextualizing Beethoven’s Pastorale within current sustainability and environmental perspectives.

  • Symphony No. 5 & young fellows of Beethovenfest Bonn – exploring bold and innovative perspectives on Beethoven’s 5th Symphony

Symphony No. 3 »Eroica«

The program places Beethoven’s symphony alongside a gripping account of real events. »21 Days at Sea – Report from the Borders of Europe« by Clemens K. Thomas and Jochen Voit recounts the odyssey of the Sea-Watch 3, which, in June 2019, spent three weeks at sea with 53 rescued people on board, denied entry to any European port—an event that dominated headlines for weeks. Actress Jasmin Tabatabai brings this powerful text to life with intensity and empathy, interwoven between the movements and fragments of the symphony. The result is an artistic confrontation that deeply moves the audience.

Jasmin Tabatabai, Speaker
Riccardo Minasi, Conductor
Ensemble Resonanz
Idea & dramaturgy: Clemens K. Thomas & Ensemble Resonanz

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 »Eroica«

Clemens K. Thomas & Jochen Voit
Text »21 Tage auf See - An Europas Grenzen«

Symphony No. 6 »Pastorale«

In the concert hall, nature becomes a paradox—a recreated fantasy. Beethoven’s Pastorale evokes a serene, romanticized world of brooks, country life, and storms, a vision that now feels almost otherworldly. Kristine Tjøgersen, however, brings us closer to nature’s hidden sounds: insects, birds, rustling leaves, and water, all transcribed into music. Her composition, using tiny plastic trees as decoration inside the grand piano, offers a plea for our ecosystems, moving beyond mere nostalgia to confront the fragility of nature. How intact is this idyllic world, and what responsibility do we have to preserve it?

Ellen Ugelvik, Piano
Riccardo Minasi, Conductor
Ensemble Resonanz
Idea & dramaturgy: Clemens K. Thomas & Ensemble Resonanz

Program

Kristine Tjøgersen
Piano Concerto (2019)

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony Nr. 6 F-Major Op. 68 »Pastorale«

Symphony No. 5 »Fate«

Beethoven's Fifth – In the Making: Exploring themes such as midwifery, fashion, and other everyday realities in the context of Beethoven’s timeless struggle. (collaboration with Beethovenfest Bonn)