Tabea Zimmermann & Ensemble Resonanz

Celebrating the diversity and brilliance of compositions from the first half of the 20th century, this program features works by three remarkable composers: George Enescu, Lili Boulanger, and Béla Bartók. Each piece on the program offers a unique perspective, showcasing the richness of musical expression in this time - between Impressionism and folkloristic inspiration.

George Enescu’s Octet for Strings, composed when he was just a teenager, is a stunning example of his early genius. Written in a single movement, the octet displays Enescu's mastery of form and his ability to weave together textures and melodies. On the top of the score, Enescu himself offers the invitation to adapt the milestone piece for orchestra, leaving the arrangement to the mastery of the musical director. Tabea Zimmermann accepted this invitation – the recording of her orchestra version of the Octet with the Ensemble Resonanz will be released by Harmonia Mundi in September 2025.

Lili Boulanger, first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize, left behind a small but significant body of work despite her tragically short life. Her poignant and evocative compositions reveal a deep emotional resonance and a distinctive voice. »D'un soir triste« is her last work, hauntingly beautiful, and edited by herself in different versions, from orchestra to piano trio. For Tabea Zimmermann, Johannes Schöllhorn reworked her score for viola and strings.»

I feel like a musician from an old world invited as a guest by his patron«, Béla Bartók wrote to one of his sons, when he composed his Divertimento for string orchestra. It seemed remarkable to write a divertimento in this threatening time shortly before the Second World War, especially as this genre stands for light-heartedness and simplicity in the post-baroque period. Bartók spiced up his work with stylistic devices from the classical period and echoes of the baroque formal patterns of the concerto grosso with light and dance-like elements of Hungarian folk music.