Switzerland Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich Announce Details of New Season 2014/2015
“It is my wish to make the work of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich as accessible to as many people as possible….and give them pleasure.” With these worthy words of welcome the new Principal Conductor of the Tonhalle Orchestra (as from September), Lionel Bringuier, introduced details of the forthcoming season, his first at the orchestra’s helm. A new Intendant Ilona Schmiel takes over simultaneously from the outgoing Elmar Weingarten, who was David Zinman’s right-hand man.
Bringuier himself will, not unnaturally, concentrate initially on what he knows best namely French music, virtually neglected in the Zinman era. He will start with the works of Ravel. He will also however seek to broaden his repertoire, starting, it appears, with Sibelius; he will not however ignore standard German composers and will conduct a Schumann symphony and Beethoven’s Violin concerto.
The orchestra has created a new post of “Creative Chair” awarded to an individual who combines composing with conducting: first off is Esa-Pekka Salonen – Bringuier was Salonen’s assistant in Los Angeles for some time. Zurich will host the world première of Salonen’s new work for choir and orchestra, at the opening concert of the season.
The “Artist in residence” will be the young Chinese pianist Yuja Wang.
Highlights of the concerts are as follows:
2014
10/11 Sept. Bringuier conducts Salonen (a world première work), Prokofiev and Sinfonie Fantastique
17/18/19 Sept. Charles Dutoit with Poulenc Stabat Mater and Berlioz Te Deum
25/26 Sept. Michael Sanderling with Haydn, Hartmann, Shostakovich 5
15/16/17 Oct. Alain Altinoglu conducts Shéhérazade
25/26 Oct. Bringuier conducts Brahms, Salonen and Schumann 3
31 Oct. Caracas Youth Orchestra, Shostakovich 7, cond. Paredes
5/6/7 Nov. Donald Runnicles conducts Elgar and Brahms 1st Piano Concerto (Emanuel Ax)
20/21 Nov. Bringuier conducts Ravel, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto (Renaud Capuçon) Tanguy and Ravel
26/27 Nov. Bringuier conducts Ravel, Strauss Four Last Songs (Anja Harteros) Schubert and Stravinsky Firebird
3/4/5 Dec. Herbert Blomstedt conducts Nielsen Clarinet Concert and Bruckner 9
13/14 Dec. Krzystof Urbanski conducts Cerha Concerto for Percussion and orchestra (Martin Grubinger) and Shostakovich 10
2015
7/8/9 Jan. Bringuier conducts Ravel, Chopin and Ravel Daphnis & Chloë
14/15/16 Jan. John Storgards conducts Stravinsky, Martinsson (a world première work) and Schubert 5
31 Jan./1 Feb. Salonen conducts Sibelius (Pohjola’s Daughter and Symphony 5) and his own Violin Concerto (Leila Josefowicz)
25/26 Feb. Bringuier conducts Salonen, Rachmaninov’s 3rd piano concerto (Wang) and Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition
14/15 March Krzysztof Penderecki conducts his own Concerto Grosso for 3 celli and his 8th Symphony
25/26 March Bringuier conducts Debussy, Mozart and Sibelius 2
2/3 April Messiah with the Gemischter Choir Zurich cond. Krause
4 April St. John Passion cond. Philippe Herreweghe, Collegium Vocale Gent
22/23/24 April Kent Nagano conducts Haas (Concerto for 4 alphorns and orchestra) and Bruckner 6
9/10 May Klaus von Dohnanyi conducts Bruckner 7
20/21 May Bernard Haitink conducts Mahler 7
3/4/5 June David Zinman conducts an all Richard Strauss programme
12 June Bringuier conducts Sibelius Tchaikovsky and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (Julia Fischer)
24/25/26 June Gustavo Dudamel conducts Wagner, Richard Strauss Tod und Verklärung and Tchaikovsky’s 1st Piano Concerto (Wang)
2/3 July Manfred Honeck conducts Salonen, Szymanowski’s 1st Violin concerto (Tetzlaff) and R. Strauss Ein Heldenleben
The orchestra undertakes a major European tour with Lionel Bringuier in 2015.
Readers in France, Germany and Austria should try to get to one of these concert locations:
28 Feb. Lyon
2 March Toulouse
3 March Frankfurt
4 March Hamburg
5 March Bremen
7 March Vienna
8 March Munich
The tour programme will include Rachmaninov’s 3rd piano concerto with Yuja Wang, Firebird and Pictures at an Exhibition.
Full details can be found on the orchestra’s website www.tonhalle-orchester.ch
John Rhodes