Der Zaubergarten – Concertino for violin and chamber orchestra
VISION OF THE WORK
Sorcery, magic, myths, legends – these are the major themes of Baroque opera, expressing the longing of that era to indulge in the fantastical through the illusion of opera. This unmistakable parallel to our present day forms the basis for a profound compositional and thematic exploration of the themes and gestures of early music, which has inspired me to write a series of works. It begins, as it were, with Zaubergarten (Magic Garden) – a concertino for violin and chamber orchestra.
The four movements, “awakened – enchanted – threatened – vanished”, each of whose atmospheric structure is characterised by the solo violin (similar to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons), pass through different stages of the idioms of “early music” in order to make them appear fresh and “magical” through the prism of our time. In this way, the concertmaster or a guest soloist can embark on the paths of the ‘enchanted garden’, guiding them or drifting along and becoming part of the action.