8th symphony concert

Camille Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major op. 103 EGYPTIAN CONCERTO Olivier Messiaen ÉCLAIRS SUR L'AU-DELÀ A special premiere was to take place for the 150th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Olivier Messiaen was commissioned to write a work for large orchestra, and it seems as if he had been told to draw from the full. The result is an unusually large orchestral work for 128 musicians, inspired by Christian themes and Australian birdsong. It was to be Messiaen's last completed composition and although it has become an absolute masterpiece, it is rarely performed due to the large orchestration. Camille Saint-Saëns loved to travel and was on the road a lot into old age. During a stay in Luxor, Egypt, he gathered musical impressions that inspired him to write his 5th Piano Concerto. According to his own statement, he incorporated Nubian songs that he heard from a passing ship on the Nile, as well as oriental influences, and described his work as a musical journey from Egypt via the Orient to the Far East. A number of superlatives come together in this symphony concert: the huge orchestra in a cooperation between the Freiburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the College of Music Freiburg, the world star Kit Armstrong and musical inspiration from four continents. A veritable musical firework display, the echoes of which will hopefully accompany you through the symphonic summer break.