Stenz to perform Stravinsky's Funeral Song for Asia premiere
Markus Stenz, conductor-in-residence for SPO / Courtesy of SPO
By Yun Suh-young
The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s (SPO) newly appointed conductor-in-residence Markus Stenz will be showcasing Stravinsky's "Funeral Song" in Seoul, for the first time in Asia, this weekend.
The score's Asian premiere on Jan. 20 and 21 will be held at the Lotte Concert Hall as part of the "Markus Stenz Cycle 1: Romantic Revolutionaries," his debut performance as conductor-in-residence for the SPO. Hungarian pianist Dezso Ranki will play the piano 30 years since his last performance on the Korean stage in 1986.
The "Funeral Song Op. 5" had been lost for over a century, since 1917, after it was performed just once in 1909. It was miraculously found last year at the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory's library in Russia and was finally put together as a score and will be performed across the globe. Following Seoul, 14 performances are scheduled this year including Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Spain.
"I'm really thrilled to open our concert as the Asian premiere of the Funeral Song," said Stenz, during a press conference Tuesday, an event inviting him to speak as the conductor-in-residence, a newly created position.
"It's a small piece but has an incredible amount of substance -- harmony and theater is there, all the colors are there. For an orchestra to notice an international development and be able to react quickly, that is extraordinary. It was amazing how quickly we were able to say 'let's put it into this program' for the Asian premiere."
Stenz will be serving as the SPO's conductor-in-residence along with principal guest conductor Thierry Fischer from January this year through December 2019. The two conductors will help the orchestra stabilize from the internal struggle it went through and advise it on its direction forward.
"Everyone in the music world is aware of the tours the Seoul Philharmonic has made. The rise of the SPO is not thinkable without the intense work maestro Chung (Myung-whun) put into the orchestra. Everyone knows this orchestra has incredible energy and commitment to the performance," said Stenz, when asked of his role as conductor-in-residence.
"I think it has done something extremely valuable in building an international reputation.
I feel honored to take my share of the next three years ahead and I very much look forward to it and am grateful to be here.
"I was aware that the idea of stabilizing the orchestra was on everyone's mind. In order for the international future of the orchestra, Thierry Fischer and I were approached to embark on regular collaborations with the orchestra which is an excellent way forward."
Stenz identified his style as being "concrete."
"I'm a concrete worker. I need a specific repertoire to start my work with an orchestra and Schumman with all his freedom of thought and ideas, shapes and shades, is a wonderful starting point," he said.
Schumann's Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61 is part of the program this weekend along with the Stravinsky piece, as well as Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, S. 124.
"I love building bridges. I love that we have a wealth of masterpieces. My ambition is to build programs that span over periods of time. I love to hear new music but it's not possible without listening to the past."