13.09.2024

"Gurre-Lieder" for Arnold Schönberg's 150th anniversary

On 13 September 1874, one of the most influential and revolutionary composers in musical history was born in Vienna: Arnold Schönberg. Exactly 150 years later, the Wiener Symphoniker under their new chief conductor Petr Popelka congratulate with the oratorio Gurre-Lieder at the Wiener Musikverein, the place where this piece has been performed for the first time. At the same time the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under principal conductor Alan Gilbert and several hundred choristers along with top-class soloists congratulate him with a veritable mammoth serenade!

Thomas Quasthoff, who has been highly acclaimed in the role of the narrator in concerts with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, will once again take part in the Elbphilharmonie and the Lucerne Festival as the narrator, as will Michael Schade, who will sing the Fool (Narr) in these concerts.

Florian Boesch, on the other hand, will sing the Farmer (Bauer) at the concerts in Vienna in this gigantic work, which is regarded as the last highlight of late Romanticism and is rarely performed due to the immense effort involved with around 350 performers on stage. This major musical event will literally ring in the new 2024/25 season with timpani and trumpets. Accordingly, the concerts will also be accompanied by media coverage:

Kulturradio Ö1 will broadcast the concert live from the Musikverein on 13 September 2024. ORF III will broadcast the Gurre-Lieder from the Musikverein on 15 September 2024 at 8.15 pm in the TV programme ‘Erlebnis Bühne’.

NDR will broadcast the concert live from the Elbphilharmonie on NDR Kultur; a live stream will be available via the Elbphilharmonie media centre.