8th symphony concert: Amériques

Sunday April 14, 2024 11:00 am Great Hall

Stadthalle Wuppertal announces the symphony concert as follows:

"Orchestral compositions in cinemascope: the focus of the 8th symphony concert is a "stratospheric colossus of sound", as the writer Henry Miller called Edgar Varèse's orchestral piece 'Amériques', which features a gigantic cast of more than 100 performers. The French composer fled to America to escape the chaos of the First World War and poured his first impressions of pulsating New York into sound, including the omnipresent police sirens. This work of American modernism is pictorial and associative, which found a kind of continuation in the multiple Oscar-winning soundtracks by John Williams. It is through them that many of the iconic scenes from Hollywood blockbusters take on their haunting emotionality. Sergei Rachmaninov also lived not far from the Hollywood dream factory, spending the last years of his life in a house in Beverly Hills. In its emotional density and imagery, his music certainly has parallels to film music - such as the 2nd Symphony, which is overflowing with indulgent, flowing melodies. Great symphonic cinema!"

John Williams

"Adventures on Earth" from "E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial" | Main Theme from "Jurassic Park" | Suite from "Jaws"

Edgard Varèse

Amériques

Sergei Rachmaninov

Symphony No. 2 in E minor op. 27

In a half-hour concert introduction to the symphony concert, Prof. Dr. Lutz-Werner Hesse will provide an insight into the works, the composers' creative output and the historical contexts and backgrounds.

Please refer to the signage in the foyer for the meeting point: Start on Sunday at 10.30 a.m.

You can also register at the International Students Team I.S.T.