Krzysztof Urbański & Sol Gabetta

This concert puts the spotlight on some thrilling music from neighbouring Poland. First, we will recall the composer Wojciech Kilar, who at the time of his death in 2013 was best known for his film scores. However, he also composed equally hypnotic works for the concert hall, including the atmospheric »Orawa«. This piece is a musical painting of the Orawa region in the Carpathian Mountains, conjuring up mountains with grazing herds of sheep and evoking the cheerful dances of the country folk. The accomplished cellist Sol Gabetta, who is always on the lookout for new and unusual repertoire, will then explore the virtuosic beauty of a highly emotional work by Mieczysław Weinberg. After witnessing the horrific persecution of the Jews, Weinberg found an artistic friend and mentor in Shostakovich. His Cello Concerto was written in 1948 for Mstislav Rostropovich and captivates through a lyricism that is both exciting and reflective. Finally, we will present Mussorgsky’s famous musical picture gallery, which Debussy once described enthusiastically: »It's like watching the dance of a curious savage who, at every step he feels compelled to take, discovers music.« Inspired by the memorial exhibition for his painter friend Viktor Hartmann, Mussorgsky’s mind immediately began to bubble with ideas. The music promenades from one magnificent painting to the next: there are absurd images such as the unhatched chicks dancing in their eggshells, scenes of gossiping market women and the demonic witch Baba Yaga – and spine-tingling pieces such as the musical evocation of the catacombs and the terrific ringing of bells as a procession moves through the city gates of Kiev.