Charming Serenade

It's not just the screeching high strings in the shower scene. Even the music for the opening credits is nerve-wracking: rushed, nervous, feverish, whipped up. Extremely unsettling, not the beginning of a feel-good movie for the whole family. It is precisely this music that later turns Marion Crane's escape through the rain and darkness into an insanely exciting car journey, a horror trip that, as we know, does not end with her arrival at Norman Bates Motel. Hitchcock himself had to admit that Bernard Herrmann's music contributed significantly to the suspense of his film.

George Antheil loved scandals, especially when they were caused by his own music. His greatest success in this respect was the “Ballet Mécanique” for several pianos, pianolas, xylophones, airplane propellers, sirens and other sound generators. It is annoying in parts, but caused a sensation and made him famous. But the Serenade for Strings shows that he can also do things differently: a whimsical gem, cheerful, light-hearted music, witty, original and surprising. With waltzes and Wild West romance. True to Antheil's motto: whatever is fun is allowed.

There were times when Astor Piazzolla could hardly venture onto the streets of Buenos Aires, so angry and belligerent were the aficionados, the lovers of traditional Argentine tango. It seemed that this crazy Piazzolla had virtually betrayed them with his new-fashioned pieces; his tangos were so unfamiliar and artificial and, above all and worst of all, hardly danceable. Undeterred, Piazzolla pursued his mission: to renew the tango, which to his ears had become antiquated, boring and always the same. The result was the “Tango Nuevo”, Piazzolla's very own creation, an inimitable mixture of elements of classical music, folklore and jazz. And tango, of course, which is always present.

Program:

Conductor: Steffen TastSolist: Michiko Feuerlein, violin

The approximately 25-30 string players of the Brandenburg Chamber Orchestra Berlin are mainly dedicated amateurs who work “on the side” in a wide variety of professions. Founded in 1978 by members of the Collegium musicum of Berlin's universities and led by a large number of different conductors, two to three concert programs are developed each year.

The ensemble is supported by excellent professional artistic partners for the various repertoire areas from baroque literature to 21st century music, who work and perform together with the orchestra. All decisions regarding the artistic work are made jointly by the members.