Die große Reihe – Staunen

Symphony concert of the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra in the Liederhalle

MOZART | Overture to "The Magic Flute"
JENKINS | Saxophone Concerto "Stravaganza"
DUKAS | The Sorcerer's Apprentice
STRAWINSKY | The Firebird (Suite 1945)

Christian Segmehl, saxophone
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Samuel Lee

FAIRYTALE MAGIC

In Goethe's ballad "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", magic is an apprenticeship - it demonstrates that the negligent behavior of untrained apprentices can lead to serious harm. In contrast, the fairytale-like Russian firebird has a natural mastery of the art of magic. He overcomes the powerful and evil sorcerer Kashtschej through dance and song alone. But even a seemingly simple musical instrument like the "magic flute" can reliably protect its owner from all kinds of dangers.

From the very beginning, Mozart's Magic Flute Overture (1791) draws us into a magical fairytale world with its warm tones. In 1897, the French composer Paul Dukas traces the course of Goethe's ballad with the means of the orchestra in bold harmonies. Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" music (premiered in 1910) also brings the ballet plot to the stage in such luminous tonal colors that the music can easily do without dancers. And although it is not specifically mentioned in the title, "Stravaganza", the new saxophone concerto (2019) by the British composer Karl Jenkins, enchants us with musical images of carnival parades, dreams and journeys on land and in the air.