The fi nal concert of the KlaraFestival is reserved for the very best the world has to offer. Maurizio Pollini and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam will be performing Schumann’s one and only piano concerto. Le Monde de la Musique wrote the following about Pollini’s recording of this work: “l’un des plus beaux enregistrements schumanniens jamais réalisés” (“one of the most beautiful Schumann recordings ever realized”). In the second half of the concert the highly acclaimed conductor Mariss Jansons will steer the orchestra through Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony.

Vienna and Paris, the two musical metropolises at the turn of the century, are the point of departure for a recital in the Monnaie Opera House featuring works by several lesser-known composers. It has only been fairly recently that the songs of Alma Mahler were given the attention they deserve and an increasing number of musicians has derived enormous fulfi lment from the seemingly endless melodies and surprising harmonic transitions that are so typical of her work.

Mahler concentrated for many years on the work of poet Friedrich Rückert – a somewhat conservative choice for a composer who fl irted with modernism. Even when he did not mean to do so, Mahler still wrote primarily about himself. Shortly after the Kindertotenlieder were completed Mahler’s daughter died. In the words of the composer: “Writing these songs was painful, and it will also be painful to hear them”. The Kindertotenlieder, laden with emotions prove that music as heavy as lead can contain the lightness of genuine beauty.

The second concert by Concerto Köln in this festival is an ode to the original sound environment of the late Romantic period. The programme will begin with Bizet’s Symphony in C Major, a glorious work written by the composer at the tender age of seventeen, followed by Dvorák’s enchanting Serenade for Strings, for a little variety and lightness. Next on the programme is an overture by Wagner. Bruckner always classified Mahler as one of the modernists, but Mahler himself considered himself to be a follower of Wagner in terms of style.

Mahler considered Beethoven to be one of his greatest sources of inspiration. Beethoven’s famous Triple Concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra stands unique as the only one of its kind. Although the Concerto belongs to his heroic period, the Seventh Symphony is generally categorized under what is called his middle period and arose from of a previous interest taken in chamber music. “This work is a joy to listen to” exclaimed 19th century critics. Wagner even called it an “Apotheosis of dance”.

“Ewig…, Ewig…”. These prophetic words close Mahlers Das Lied von der Erde, one of the last great masterpieces of German Romantic music. Nowhere are life and death as closely intertwined as in this work. Taking Chinese poetry as a point of departure, Mahler says farewell to life in six movements. It is a farewell that lingers: slow and permeated with resignation, knowing that the earth will remain forever. The KlaraFestival has opted for the more intimate chamber music adaptation by Schoenberg for mezzo-soprano, tenor and ensemble.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s polyphony and ingenious use of counterpoint technique has infl uenced Gustav Mahler on more than one occasion when writing his symphonies and songs. The choreographer and dancer Claire Croizé has used this connection as a guideline for a new solo dance performance to the music of Bach. This comes as no surprise given that Claire Croizé has been dreaming of Bach for quite some time now, whereas last year she surprised the contemporary dance world with The Farewell to the music of Mahler.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s polyphony and ingenious use of counterpoint technique has influenced Gustav Mahler on more than one occasion when writing his symphonies and songs. The choreographer and dancer Claire Croizé has used this connection as a guideline for a new solo dance performance to the music of Bach. This comes as no surprise given that Claire Croizé has been dreaming of Bach for quite some time now, whereas last year she surprised the contemporary dance world with The Farewell to the music of Mahler.

This evening will be devoted exclusively to Philippe Boesmans, who will be presenting his most recent compo-sition, Chambres d’à côté, during the KlaraFestival. His work refers to alienation and discovery. Sur Mi, in which Boesmans flouts musical conventions and where any form of repetition is prohibited, found its inspiration in an etude by Debussy and explores the idea of recognition and reference points.

Since winning the fi rst prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Japanese violinist Okiko Suwanai has been making her way to the top in the international musical landscape. “There isn’t a melody, tone or emotion she can’t express”, is Star Online’s praise. “Nobody dares to doubt her expertise”. Together with the National Orchestra of Belgium, she will be playing an integral Belgian programme with Vieuxtemps’s famous violin concerto as its highlight.