Despite the digital upheaval in music media and e-books, there has also been great stability in private music listening and book reading, writes the Federal Office. In contrast, the number of festival visits increased by almost 10 percentage points in 2019 compared to 2014.

In the area of music, concerts with pop or rock music were the most popular in 2019 (29%), followed by classical concerts and opera (25%) and concerts with Swiss folk music or brass band music (21%).

As in 2014, around 96% of the population listened to music privately. In terms of sound storage media, the decline in the use of CDs/DVDs is striking: it fell from 74% in 2014 to 53% in 2019. The trend for MP3 devices is also in sharp decline, falling from 41% to 23%. Most people still listened to music on the radio or TV in 2019 (89%), while 64% listened to music on their cell phone (2014: 45%, +19 percentage points) and 54% on a computer.

More info:
https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/aktuell/neue-veroeffentlichungen.assetdetail.15044378.html

Finale. Strangely enough, after only 26 bars of piano improvisation to the Allegro of the Choral Fantasy. Furthermore, the orchestra should only enter at a signal from the pianist (Qui si dà un segno all' orchestra o al direttore di musica). An astonishing 586 bars follow. The strings enter with a march-like line as if from afar and approach in a crescendo, horns and oboes exchange brief call motifs with an echo effect, before the piano introduces a melody that Beethoven borrowed from himself - from the song composed in 1794/95 Love in return (WoO 118). It is the theme of the subsequent variations, in which the individual wind instruments are gradually introduced in an almost chamber-music style: Flute, oboes, the clarinets with bassoon, then the string section leaders as a quartet, finally the tutti, and later soloists and choir.

This peculiar work, which still occasionally divides opinion today, was the last piece on the program of Beethoven's great academy at the Theater an der Wien on 22 December 1808 - the crowning finale of a long evening that had already included the 5th and 6th symphonies, parts of the Mass in C major, the aria Ah perfido, the Piano Concerto No. 4 and an unscripted Piano Fantasy had been performed. Beethoven's idea that all the performers should join forces here is also evident from the program note, which announces the work as "Fantasy on the piano, which gradually develops with the entry of the orchestra, and finally with the entry of choirs as a finale ! ends". Johann Friedrich Reichardt spent the evening at the invitation of Prince Lobkowitz and recorded his impressions in the Familiar letters written on a trip to Vienna (1810). He too was surprised by the composition, but the performance had to be interrupted and rescheduled after an imprecise entry. The underlying structure, which reflected the entire evening, was thus lost from view: "Eleventh piece: a long fantasia in which Beethoven showed his complete mastery, and finally, at the end, another fantasia, which was soon joined by the orchestra and finally even the choir. This strange idea failed in its execution due to such complete confusion in the orchestra that Beethoven, in his holy artistic zeal, no longer thought of an audience or locale, but called out to stop and start again from the beginning. You can imagine how I suffered with all his friends."

However, the composition, which had been written down in a hurry, had not only been insufficiently rehearsed. Rather, the entire concert, which lasted four hours, exhausted both the musicians and the listeners, as Reichardt reports: "We held out in the bitter cold from half past six to half past ten, and found that you can easily have too much of a good thing - and even more so, too much of a strong thing." And so, in the end, those programmatic verses with which the Choral Fantasy brightly shining and emphatic in C major: "Accept then, you beautiful souls, / gladly the gifts of beautiful art, / when love and strength unite, / worth the favor of the gods to man."

Link to the project homepage "52 x Beethoven"

L'evento è nato da una collaborazione tra la Hochschule der Künste di Berna e il Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana di Lugano, con il supporto scientifico della Beethoven-Haus di Bonn e della Società Italiana di Musicologia. Circa 170 i partecipanti che si sono riuniti online per seguire le relazioni dei 18 studiosi (ed esecutori) tra i maggiori esperti del pianismo beethoveniano nel panorama internazionale.

Filologia, contesto e prassi esecutiva: queste tre discipline hanno prodotto innumerevoli studi sulle opere pianistiche di Beethoven, a partire dal periodo immediatamente successivo alla morte del compositore fino ai giorni nostri. Nonostante la qualità e quantità dei contributi, questa letteratura presenta ancora numerose zone d'ombra, la cui comprensione ad oggi risulta limitata.

Negli ultimi anni, un approccio particolare ha contribuito a portare alla luce importanti dettagli sull'interpretazione del repertorio Classico. Si tratta della ricerca artistica, come spiegano Thomas Gartmann, direttore del dipartimento di ricerca della HKB, e Christoph Brenner (diretto del CSI); l'unione della prospettiva scientifica e di quella artistica può giocare infatti un ruolo fondamentale nell'interpretazione di un testo musicale, aprendo un ventaglio di nuove ed interessanti prospettive esecutive.

Gli interventi del convegno hanno indagato: i cambiamenti socio-culturali che hanno segnato la diffusione e circolazione delle edizioni musicali di Beethoven; l'evoluzione della notazione musicale, che da quella "essenziale" del periodo Classico muoveva verso un maggior grado di specificità; la rapida e diversificata evoluzione organologica del pianoforte, che ha offerto al compositore nuove possibilità espressive. Due concerti nell'Aula Magna del CSI - trasmessi in diretta streaming - have inoltre rappresentato la dimostrazione sonora della fusione tra ricerca scientifica e pratica musicale. Nel primo, la fortepianista Olga Pashchenko ha proposto un'esecuzione di un programma interamente dedicato a Beethoven ed eseguito su due diversi pianoforti storici. A seguire, lo Zefiro Ensemble e il pianoforte storico di Leonardo Miucci (anche referente della conferenza), hanno invece accostato il Quintetto op. 16 di Beethoven a quello KV 452 di Mozart, invitandoci a cogliere le longues durées mozartiane nelle opere giovanili beethoveniane.
 

One of the topics most discussed during the four days of the conference was the close relationship between musical notation and performance. Lo studio di tutto ciò che il compositore si aspettava fosse implicitamente comunicato all'esecutore nella tradizione del testo musicale, è il punto focale dell'intervento di Clive Brown (Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst di Vienna). "Leggere attraverso le righe", spiega, significa non solo ricostruire le indicazioni implicite nei testi musicali, ma anche comprendere la casistica in cui fosse legittima, e anche prevista, una "deviazione" dal testo stesso. Le ornamentazioni improvvisate, l'arpeggio di accordi, l'uso della flessibilità ritmica e del tempo rubato: questi alcuni tra i mezzi espressivi che il pianista, una volta acquisita una "corretta" interpretazione della notazione, potrà sfruttare al fine di produrre una "bella" esecuzione.

Anche Sandra Rosenblum, autrice di Prassi esecutive nella musica pianistica dell'epoca Classica (1991), si sofferma sul significato del testo musicale. Prendendo in esame differenti edizioni del Quintetto op. 16 per pianoforte e strumenti a fiato di Beethoven, la ricercatrice ci mostra come, nei primi anni dell'Ottocento, esse presentassero talvolta contenuti variabili: dalla collocazione delle indicazioni di pedale fino ad un uso indifferenziato dei segni di articolazione e dinamica. Al fine di comprendere se queste differenze fossero dovute a precise intenzioni esecutive oppure a semplici ragioni commerciali, le singole varianti necessitano di essere analizzate alla luce delle singole pratiche di commercio editoriale.

È ancora la contestualizzazione delle prassi esecutive, compositive e notazionali a dare spazio ai successivi tre interventi: Neal Peres da Costa (Sydney University) si occupa della pratica non scritta di "arpeggiare" gli accordi nella musica pianistica di Beethoven; Dorian Komanoff Bandy (McGill University di Montreal) si sofferma sulla trasformazione nell'uso degli abbellimenti melodici; Marten Noorduin (Oxford University) mostra l'evoluzione di segni di espressione come dolce o calando durante il corso della vita del compositore. Claudio Bacciagaluppi (HKB) inoltre consegna un'interessante prospettiva sulla storia della ricezione beethoveniana attraverso il contributo dell'editore svizzero Hans Georg Nägeli.

Tornando al significato del testo musicale, Yew Choong Cheong (UCSI University Institute of Music di Kuala Lumpur) e Leonardo Miucci (HKB) propongono due interventi interconnessi. Il primo introduce la complessa casistica in cui una certa flessibilità di tempo e ritmo fossero implicite nei segni di dinamica e di accentuazione, il secondo, si concentra sulle istanze particolari in cui Beethoven sembrerebbe comunicare intenzioni agogiche attraverso indicazioni di crescendo e diminuendo. Un altro brillante contributo sulla relazione tra notazione e prassi esecutiva è quello di Siân Derry (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), che ci consegna una nuova e convincente prospettiva su di un dibattito di lunga data. La ricercatrice affronta la figurazione con note unite da legature di valore e diteggiatura differenziata (si vedano gli esempi dell'op. 106 e il recitativo dell'op. 110). Prendendo ad esame uno schizzo di Beethoven datato ca. 1790, la studiosa e pianista ricostruisce l'influsso di una particolare tecnica esecutiva per strumenti ad arco, il cosiddetto "tremolo ondulé", sull'immaginario pianistico del compositore. Egli ne avrebbe infatti ripreso il significato espressivo, dispiegandolo nel linguaggio pianistico tramite l'aggiunta di diteggiature peculiari. Gli schizzi sono nuovamente una tematica cruciale nella presentazione di Susanne Cox (Beethoven-Haus Bonn), che concentra la sua attenzione sul concetto beethoveniano di "opera" attraverso le fonti manoscritte. Christine Siegert (currently director of the Beethoven Archive and the Beethoven-Haus publishing house) invece tratta l'evoluzione dello stile compositivo dell'autore che, animato dalla ricerca di un linguaggio pianistico individuale, andava lentamente discostandosi dai canoni estetici del pianismo brillante viennese, e quindi dalla tradizione mozartiana.
 

L'indagine di Michael Ladenburger (ex direttore del museo e custode della collezione della Beethoven-Haus di Bonn) ci catapulta in una dimensione differente, e cioè nelle botteghe dei costruttori di strumenti nella Bonn degli anni 1770, le quali tastiere hanno influenzato e ispirato l'attività del giovane Beethoven. In those years i pianoforti stavano evolvendosi con estrema rapidità; i loro costruttori non solo producevano un numero sempre maggiore di strumenti, ma sperimentavano anche costantemente con questi, creando, anche in una stessa città, esemplari completamente diversi tra loro sia per costruzione che per possibilità espressive. La comprensione dell'influsso di queste caratteristiche sonore e costruttive sulle prassi esecutive e compositive di Beethoven è quindi stata una tematica molto presente nel convegno. Della risposta compositiva alla graduale estensione della tastiera (che partiva dalle cinque ottave), parla Martin Skamletz, direttore dell'Institute Interpretationn della HKB. Una riflessione necessaria per i musicisti specializzati su strumenti storici ma ancora importante per i pianisti di oggi che, nonostante la relativa standardizzazione dello strumento moderno, ancora affrontano la necessità di adattarsi ad un tasto leggermente più pesante o, nel caso di alcuni nuovi modelli della Bösendorfer, la possibilità di sfruttare o meno un'estensione maggiore della tastiera.

Passando al periodo viennese, Robert Adelson mette fine alle controversie sul presunto acquisto da parte di Beethoven del pianoforte francese Érard. Portando all'attenzione nuovi e inconfutabili documenti, Adelson conferma la teoria del regalo da parte del costruttore e specula che, piuttosto che un riconoscimento della sua fama, esso potesse far parte di un più vasto accordo editoriale con la ditta. Il fortepianista Tom Beghin continua il discorso sulle caratteristiche costruttive e sulle qualità sonore dello strumento francese, facendone un uso immaginativo al fine di sviluppare nuove idee nella sua pratica allo strumento.

Una particolare caratteristica di alcuni pianoforti del costruttore Anton Walter, i quali strumenti Beethoven aveva posseduto ed apprezzato a Vienna, è invece spiegata e dimostrata dallo studioso e tastierista Tilman Skowroneck. Il ricercatore si sofferma sul funzionamento del cosiddetto "split damper pedal", un dettaglio costruttivo che aveva già anticipato nel suo volume Beethoven the Pianist (2010). Il meccanismo permette di sollevare solo gli smorzatori delle corde nel registro acuto della tastiera, alternativamente all'intera casa degli smorzi, tramite una separazione (o "split") nel pedale stesso - in questo caso una ginocchiera. Tornando sul piano notazionale, Barry Cooper (University of Manchester) propone un'analisi dei segni di pedale negli autografi, negli schizzi ed edizioni a stampa beethoveniane. Autore di diversi libri monografici sul compositore e curatore di un'edizione pratico-interpretativa delle 35 Sonate, lo studioso si chiede infine quanto siano affidabili le moderne edizioni musicali nel rappresentare con esattezza le posizioni originali dei segni di pedale. Quale sarebbe, oltretutto, il significato di queste indicazioni realizzate su pianoforti moderni e con una tecnica pianistica moderna? Quest'ultima provocazione, posta dallo studioso Mario Aschauer (University of Texas a Huntsville), suona più come una domanda retorica all'interno del suo contributo. The invitation to the modern curators is to present the ambiguities inherent in the musical fonts in an intelligent way, so that they can provide indications of Beethoven's world and pensiero. This ultimate research also animated the round table that concluded the conference, mediated by the curator and manager of the Bärenreiter publishing house, Douglas Woodfull-Harris. Quale dovrebbe essere l'attitudine dei curatori nella preparazione delle moderne edizioni critiche/urtext? In che misura sarebbe egli inoltre responsabile della consegna, unitamente al testo, delle relative chiavi di lettura?

Sono stati inoltre discussi i limiti e vantaggi dei nuovi formati digitali e introdotti nuovi progetti editoriali riguardanti il genio di Bonn. La discussione si è infine spostata sulla responsabilità dei giovani studenti di musica e dei loro insegnanti, come sottolineato dalla Rosenblum. Con gli strumenti storici, le nuove edizioni critiche e gli studi di prassi esecutiva, possediamo potenti mezzi per la comprensione del linguaggio beethoveniano e del periodo Classico.

Il desiderio che ha mosso gli organizatori della conferenza si è infine realizzato. Based on the close contact between students from various areas of expertise and artists, the event has certainly inspired and informed the many young interpreters who took part.

Con questo in mente, il volume di atti di convegno (pubblicato dalla casa editrice Argus) è programmato per il 2021.

The archive of source material on women active in music culture will be supplemented by 34 letters from the singer Jenny Lind from the years 1850 to 1874 and a transcript of the song "Chanson d'autrefois" by the singer, pianist, singing teacher and composer Pauline Viardot from the estate of Maria Callas. The acquisition, with a total value of 18,000 euros, was made possible by the Mariann Steegmann Foundation.

Until now, only a copy of the setting of a text by Victor Hugo, which also appeared in print at the end of the 19th century, had survived in a foreign hand. The fact that an autograph by the composer is now available and could be acquired by the fmg can therefore be described as a particular stroke of luck. Another highlight is the provenance of the copy: It comes from the estate of one of the most important sopranos of the 20th century: Maria Callas.

Original article:
https://www.hmtm-hannover.de/de/aktuelles/meldungen/archiv/2020/dezember/artikel/wertvolle-neuzugaenge-im-archiv-des-forschungszentrums-musik-und-gender-verloren-geglaubte-briefe-d/

Since the end of October, the Federal Council has ordered a gradual tightening of the Covid-19 Ordinance due to the unfavorable epidemiological development, which has had a serious impact on the cultural sector. Cultural professionals, cultural enterprises and cultural associations in the amateur sector are once again confronted with a situation that threatens their very existence.

Against this backdrop, the Federal Council has decided to support cultural players more than before. In particular, the instrument of loss compensation for cultural professionals will be reintroduced. Furthermore, the income and asset limits up to which cultural professionals are entitled to emergency aid will be increased. In addition, transformation projects of cultural enterprises can now be supported with financial aid of up to 80% (previously a maximum of 60%).

Happy birthday Mr. Beethoven! What would the master say if he found out about all the concerts and festivals, congresses and celebratory lectures planned in his honor for 2020? He would probably be surprised at the matter-of-factness with which posterity is celebrating his 250th birthday - or rather the 250th year of his birth. Because exactly when Little Ludwig saw the light of day remains a mystery. The only certainty is the entry in the baptismal register of St. Remigius in Bonn on December 17, 1770. The birth was most likely on the previous day, December 16; due to the high infant mortality rate at the time, baptisms were usually performed immediately the next day. Beethoven himself probably regarded the 16th as his birthday, and this was also known to his immediate circle. This can be seen from a letter from Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, who expressly wrote on December 15, 1795 to the "tomorrow's name festival" congratulated her - but of course meant her birthday.

What is astonishing, however, is that Beethoven was unclear about his year of birth for a long time, which meant that his age was not exactly certain either: his father had announced him as being two years younger at his first public appearances (1778 as the age of "6 years") - an entry which continued in the following years and was still quite common in the 19th century. After Beethoven had requested a copy of the baptismal register in Bonn in the spring of 1810 (the family register had been lost), he even corrected "1770" to "1772". The error must have been resolved in the following years; in any case, the correct age is given in the obituary.

However, Beethoven is unlikely to have celebrated a real birthday in any year: The day that is so important today only acquired its significance at a later date, when the church name day was replaced by the secular birthday. In this respect, it will come as no surprise to find only one serenade in Beethoven's instrumental music: the Congratulations menu WoO 3. It was first performed on November 3, 1822 at an ambitious open-air serenade on the eve of the name day of Karl Friedrich Hensler (1759-1825), the director of the Josephstadt Theater, which was even performed at the Wiener allgemeine Theaterzeitung was reported - albeit with a misunderstood ennoblement of the minuet: "... As soon as Mr. Hensler had entered his apartment, the entire orchestra personnel began the beautiful overture by Kapellmeister Prof. Drechsler under the windows on the street ..., This was followed by an excellently played flute concerto, followed by a very good overture by Mr. Kapellmeister Gläser, and finally a simphony, magnificently newly composed for this evening by Ludwig van Beethoven sic." The finale was a march and chorus from Mozart's opera Titus with newly underlaid text.

Even if the book, written in a light hand and first published in 1832 under the neutral title Allegretto printed Congratulations menu may be largely unknown today, even among connoisseurs, individual harmonic twists and turns as well as the instrumentation unmistakably reveal the true master.

Baptismal register of St. Remigius
 

Would you like to be reminded whenever a new blog entry is published? Subscribe to our newsletter or the RSS feed!

Link to the project homepage "52 x Beethoven"

The Muscat software was selected by the international RISM community as the standard tool for the worldwide cataloging of historical music sources. Accordingly, the staff of the Swiss office are now also responsible for the installation and administration of Muscat on the servers of the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

Swiss expertise is also evident in the development of other programs, such as the notation tool Verovio. This gives the Swiss office an outstanding position in the RISM community at an international level. The association and the center will therefore be renamed in January 2021 "RISM Digital Center".

The name change is supported by both the international RISM Association and the Swiss National Science Foundation. The latter has already been supporting RISM Switzerland as an infrastructure company for several years. At the interface between the humanities and technological disciplines with a direct link to Swiss music culture, the project is a prime example of a digital humanities enterprise.

It is important for musicians to think about estate planning right at the beginning of their career. Florian Schmidt-Gabian, author of the brochure Estate planning for musiciansconvinced.

The brochure is the first publication in the series Estate planning for ... of the 2019 founded Center for Artistic Legacies (ZKN). It introduces the terminology, explains planning steps, clarifies financial and legal issues and outlines the development and implementation of an estate strategy.

The 20-page brochure can be obtained from the ZKN:

- for 18 francs (incl. postage) as a printed edition via broschuere@zkn.ch 

- or free of charge as a PDF download from the ZKN website - Link to the brochure
 

Born in 1983, David Virelles comes from a family of Cuban musicians and studied piano at Humber College in Toronto. In 2009, he moved to New York to study composition with Henry Threadgill. He has been in demand worldwide as a pianist and composer for many years. In 2014, he released the album "Mbókò - Sacred Music for Piano, Two Basses, Drum Set and Biankoméko Abakuá" on the ECM label.

Jazz is offered at the ZHdK in the Bachelor's program as a specialization with a focus on instrumental/vocal jazz and instrumental/vocal pop. Building on the individual talents and interests of the students, the course imparts knowledge and skills to enable them to operate successfully in the changing scenarios of the international music scenes as independent and creative jazz and pop personalities.

For the 2022 festival, project outlines on the theme of "unmediated" are required. Programme submissions from ensembles, musicians, event organizers and institutions will be jointly refined or integrated into the festival as a collaboration if they seem suitable to the Board of Trustees.

The festival management has set the following conditions:

1. project outline: Project idea, project form and implementation of the festival theme. The different levels of meaning of the theme may be taken into account.

2. reference to Bern: The call is aimed at Bernese musicians, organizers and institutions, or musicians who are developing a project together with Bernese musicians, organizers or institutions.

3. short description of the ensembles, organizers and artists including links to current recordings.

4. other components are desired and can be part of the project:

• planned collaborations with Bernese ensembles or event organizers
• planned collaborations with international ensembles, composers or event organizers
• scenic or interdisciplinary approach
• unconventional spaces
• unusual timelines
• Mediation aspects

5. cost and financing plan, including details of the share of financing from other funding bodies, foundations and personal contributions as well as the desired financial contribution from the Bern Music Festival (only subsidiary financing possible).

The project outline (PDF, max. 6 pages) can be submitted exclusively digitally by March 14, 2021 at the latest via: info@musikfestivalbern.ch

Further details can be found on the website of the Bern Music Festival:
Link to the invitation to tender
 

He needs no introduction in the Swiss folk music scene: Fritz Dünner. Quite a few consider him to be one of the best clarinettists that Swiss folk music has ever seen. Especially with his main formation, the Dünner-Nauer band, he has published numerous compositions of his own. He has been all the more missed in the local music scene since he ended his musical career in 2010 and emigrated to Mallorca. From afar, however, Dünner is now making a comeback as a composer with the music book Volksmusik für Anfänger, a music book for beginners and school ensembles.

The 23 two-part original compositions were written in 2017, when Dünner's grandson began to play the clarinet. Such simple pieces are extremely rare in the specialist trade. Moreover, despite their simplicity, they are masterfully composed and are ideal for inspiring young clarinettists to play folk music.

At the suggestion of the publisher Peter Gisler, Fritz Dünner has expanded his compositions for music ensemble. The result is two booklets for melody instruments in C and Bb as well as two accompaniment booklets for piano and double bass. There are also MP3 files to play along to, which Fritz Dünner has recorded in playback. These sound files are available for download as playalong files on the Mülirad-Verlag website. The various editions of the booklet allow different instruments such as clarinet, violin, accordion, piano, cello, bass, etc. to play together. This makes Folk Music for Beginners ideal for home music and school formations.

At the same time, Mülirad-Verlag is also publishing literature for advanced clarinettists. Dani Häusler, probably the most sought-after Swiss clarinettist at the moment, brings together in Clarinet quartet - 14 Swiss dances his favorite original compositions, some of which were written while he was still a student. While the leading parts are sometimes very demanding, Häusler has deliberately kept the middle and bass parts simpler. This makes it possible to mix levels, which is particularly beneficial for music school ensembles, for example. Furthermore, Häusler has dispensed with precise articulation instructions in the scores with chord indications in order to give the performers full artistic freedom. The CD Dani Häusler squared on which he has recorded each of the four parts for all the pieces himself. The recordings of the individual parts are also available as playalong files on the publisher's homepage. In this way, the pieces can be practiced together with Dani Häusler, so to speak.
 

Mülirad-Verlag was founded in 1991 and focuses primarily on rarities, the unusual and the forgotten in Swiss folk music. Peter Gisler has been running the publishing house since 2006 and since then it has become a national and international insider tip in the folk music sector.

Dani Häusler: Clarinet Quartet - 14 Swiss Dances, article no. 1119, Fr. 39.00

Fritz Dünner: Folk music for beginners - 23 two-part compositions for two clarinets or other melody instruments

• For Bb instruments: Article no. 1123Bb, Fr. 29.00
• For C instruments: Article no. 1123C, Fr. 29.00
  
• Piano accompaniment booklet: Article no. 1123Kl, Fr. 29.00

Mülirad publishing house, Altdorf

 

According to the canton, a complete renovation was necessary for structural and energy-related reasons. The interior of the entire building was restored to its original state. The interior was then redefined with a reversible exposed timber construction. Two classrooms of 72 square meters each and two group rooms of 18 square meters each as well as several ancillary rooms are spread over two levels.

The total outlay amounted to 1.4 million. According to the press release, the new music building now meets the requirements for modern music and singing lessons. In addition to school lessons, the music building will also be available to cultural associations.

"I think it's absolutely necessary for an artist, a musician, to give free rein to his creativity." A strong sentence that Werner Bärtschi utters on the telephone on the occasion of the anniversary of his concert series "Rezital". And central, as the desire for unconditional artistic freedom was at its cradle. Equipped with sufficient self-confidence thanks to national and international successes, he took the step 40 years ago to create his own platform. A place where he can do whatever he considers artistically right without having to justify it. Not in front of organizers, and not in front of his own past.

So it's a concept that can't really be described as such. It could rather be called the decision to trust and follow one's instincts. But one that definitely works, as you can see from the long existence of the series. A non-concept that has allowed Rezital to become a small institution in Zurich. This can be seen from the fact that the city of Zurich provides the series with a small but fixed annual grant. A rare honor that is otherwise only granted to institutions such as the Tonhalle or the Collegium Novum.

And a non-concept that gave Zurich some memorable moments. For me, Karlheinz Stockhausen's visit to the recital and the performance of Moments among the most impressive concert experiences of my life. Werner Bärtschi himself doesn't like to emphasize any highlights, because "what counts in the end is a successful concert", and that could also be a simple piano recital with Schubert. But when asked, he does mention the Cage-Satie Festival or his four years of intensive study of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.

This is certainly a constant in Bärtschi's work as an interpreter. Time and again, he has championed the works of unknown composers. He promoted Erik Satie, for example, even before he mutated into a now popular eccentric. However, it is never about being original. The engagements stem from the conviction that this is good music. And the desire to play this music. However, he does not want to be an "expert on the unknown", as he has played Beethoven and Chopin most often. The classics of piano music par excellence.

All of this was once again impressively demonstrated in the concert on December 1. And even though it was not the anniversary concert that should have taken place on October 30, exactly 40 years and one day after the first recital, the second concert of the season was still a worthy anniversary event. This is because it brought together a number of things that are typical of recitals. It was the prelude to a series of concerts dedicated to the composer César Franck. While it is already unusual to hear a piece by Franck in concert in this country, a whole series of concerts is all the more surprising. But Bärtschi explains the unusual program idea succinctly by stating that he simply considers Franck to be one of the very great composers. He then adds that he admires "how César Franck draws listeners and performers into a stream of passion". All great music captivates you, of course, but "with Franck it comes closer". That was not too much of a promise, because the Piano Quintet in F minor played on this Tuesday evening actually proved to be a work that stands out for its passion. Even the slow movement, which begins in a relaxed manner, spirals upwards to a gripping intensity.

The thoughtful way in which Bärtschi conceives his programs was demonstrated by the way he combined the Franck that concludes the concert. In the first part, Beethoven's String Quartet op. 95, also in F minor, was combined with Anton Webern's Six bagatelles op. 9 for string quartet. And in such a way that the Webern pieces were played twice, before and after Beethoven. In this way, Webern became an ear-opener for Beethoven - and vice versa. The astonishing thing was that Webern's "modern" music seemed more romantic than Beethoven's in this constellation. The interpretation certainly contributed to this impression. The Merel Quartet played Beethoven in a modern way, with accentuated contrasts, which seemed all the more radical because the more delicate, emotional passages were played in a silvery rather than warm manner. The avant-gardist Beethoven was highlighted here, through interpretation and program design.

Arbitrariness should therefore not be confused with incoherence. This is also reflected in the program of the anniversary concert, which has been postponed to 11 June 2021: 40 miniatures from 400 years, one piece from each decade. At first glance, a crazy idea for the moment. But on closer inspection, someone is being serious here with a twinkle in their eye, where other organizers are merely making assertions: The audience is taken on a journey through 400 years of music history.

Chicago-born bass trombonist and tuba player Ed Partyka has lived in Europe for almost 30 years and has won prizes at many international competitions. He studied jazz trombone with Jiggs Whigham and composition under the direction of Bob Brookmeyer at the Cologne University of Music.

Partyka has played with numerous major big bands and has worked as a composer, arranger and bandleader for prominent international jazz orchestras. Today, the 53-year-old lives in Austria, works at the University of Graz and the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and also leads the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra.

According to the ZJO's press release, he is regarded as a first-class bandleader who takes an orchestra forward without neglecting the existing tradition. One of his plans for his work with the ZJO is to give historically relevant big band music a permanent place in the annual program.

The rest of the ZJO's management remains unchanged: Bettina Uhlmann continues to take care of the management, Daniel Schenker remains co-leader at the interface between musical and program management after two years of interim management and Steffen Schorn continues to work as composer in residence.