little freiburg music festival: music unites

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A new attempt to wander through all the 24 keys is being made by the opening concert of this festival which is held on Friday, 11.06.2021 at 7 p.m.

The novel attempt of a journey through all the keys by corresponding works of totally different composers such as Chopin, Alkan, Moskowsky, Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Saint-Saënsis is reflected by an on purpose erratic programme full of variety: A big "Prelude".

A wonderful expedition of all 24 keys through the genres Prelude, Etude and Esquisses, created by (pianist-)composers who were in active exchange such as Alkan and his best friend Chopin, Saint-Saëns who was an admirer of Alkan. But also the wonderful "Russian perspective" on that genre with the "fellow students" Rachmaninov and Scriabin is presented and finally "the German view" as well by Moskowsky.

Pieces of different genres who can roughly be classified into different branches and which form a bridge towards Bach:

Pieces which...

a) with slightly imagination can be regarded as direct followers of certain pieces by Bach (e.g. Chopin Op. 10 No. 1 cf. Bach Prelude C major, Well-Tempered Piano first book, Rachmaninov Prelude c minor cf. Bach Prelude c minor Well-Tempered Piano first book),

b) full of contrapunctal elements kontrapunktisch (such as Rachmaninov Etude-Tableaux d minor, Scriabin Prelude B flat major),

c) which are characterised by an Etude-like movement and structure as can be perceived in several Bach Preludes such as the Alkan Etude B major, Chopin Etude b minor, Moskowsky Etude A flat major,

d) which are transcendental and open a path towards the future and radically expand the forms of expression such as the Alkan Etude E major, Alkan Etude e minor, Alkan Esquisse g sharp minor, similar to the Bach fugues c sharp minor, b minor, b flat minor and several other fugues.

It is remarkable that in particular the works by Alkan strive towards the break-through and disruption of traditional expectations of the listeners with utmost energy and thoroughgoingness. Therefore Alkan can be regarded as possessing the key role in this opening concert.

e) which are in direct spiritual connection such as the Saint-Saëns Etude a minor cf. Alkan Etude B major,

At the most remarkable breakage point of this concert the with the Alkan E flat major etude ("L'incendie au village voisin" = "The fire in the neighbour village") a monumental work can be experiences which disrupts the traditional convention of the romantic etude and as well the listener's expectation in a radical way. Having been composed in 1847 approximately 41 years before the first motion picture it goes beyond the limits of its time by almost plastic cinematographic effects.

Music which is closer to Bach and contemporary music than to the music of the romantic period. 

With the two works of contemporary music  "Interrompitude" (2018) for left hand only - an overlay of Debussy's Prelude "Sérénade interrompue" and Béla Bartók's "Intermezzo interrotto" from the Concerto for Orchestra - and "Ondinitude" (2008) for right hand only following and overlaying Chopins Etude op. 25 no. 7 und Ravel's „Ondine“ - composed by the Recklinghausen pianist and music researcher Rainer Maria Klaas the festival reflects its interaction with contemporary music as well.

Furthermore the opening concert is "spiced" by the premiere of a work by the contemporary pianist and composer

Juan Jose Chuquisengo whose piece "Le Grand Lando" enriches this festival. A great honour for the House of Culture Freiburg.