The German Consulate General Co-presents:Since the year 2000, Mannes Sounds Festival has presented annual concerts on a wide range of topics as part of the Mannes Sounds Festival at the German Consulate General.  This time the festival concert presents “A Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall”.

Program

J. S. Bach: Prelude from the Cello Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
J. S. Bach: Sarabande from the Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008
Helmut Lachenmann: Five Variations on a Theme by F. Schubert for piano
Hanns Eisler: Selected Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano
Karl Ronnenberg: ”Bahnhoffnung” for tenor, trumpet and piano
Missy Mazzoli: “The Sound of Light” for flute, violin, trumpet, trombone and piano
Beethoven: Piano Trio, op. 1 no. 1

This extraordinary event in November 1989 changed the world and signaled the new era of democracy for Eastern Europe, the end of the Cold War, and brought the unification of Germany on October 3rd, 1990. Some of the greatest musicians of the world went to Berlin to celebrate with the people of Germany and the rest of the democratic world. The famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovich played at the remains of Wall the Cello Suites by J.S.Bach. Leonard Bernstein conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

The concert on February 28th, which presents the outstanding young artists of Mannes School of Music, opens with the Prelude from of the C Major Suite and the Sarabande from the D Minor Suite by Bach, followed by “ Five Variations on a Theme by Schubert” by the prominent contemporary German composer Helmut Lachenmann. We present also a selection of songs by Hans Eisler who fled Nazi Germany and came to live and establish important career in the USA  as a composer and educator. For several years, between 1938-1942 he taught at The New School in New York. Subsequently he returned to Germany.

A very special work on the program, “Bahnhoffnung” was written specifically for this concert by the young German/American composer, Karl Ronneburg, who studies currently at Mannes. His grandfather escaped East Germany, taking a train from East to West Berlin. The title combines two words, „station“ and “hope”. This piece for tenor, trumpet and piano is a reflection of the grandfather‘s diaries.

You will hear “The Sound of Light” for flute, violin, trombone, trumpet and piano by Missy Mazzoli, one of the most established and performed American composers, who is on the faculty of Mannes.

The closing piece of the event is Beethoven Piano Trio op.1 No.1 in E flat Major.