Close-up: Metamorphosen

Metamorphosen

Shocked at the destruction of Germany’s opera houses, Richard Strauss composed his Metamorphosen in the final months of the Second World War. The work is a lament for all that had been destroyed, a requiem for culture and civilisation. It is a hypnotic work for twenty-three strings, taking as its main motif the funeral march from Beethoven’s ‘Eroica’ Symphony. In this version for seven string players, the ingenious structure of the composition can be heard even more clearly.

Verklärte Nacht

Nearly half a century earlier, one of the most beautiful and significant works for string sextet was composed: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) by Arnold Schoenberg, who was born 150 years ago. This late Romantic work is based on a poem by Richard Dehmel about a woman who confesses to her lover that she is carrying another man’s child. The music follows their conversation closely, taking the listener on an intimate emotional journey from fear and guilt to pure happiness.

Close-up

Musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra perform their own programmes in the Recital Hall as part of the Close-up chamber music series. Each of these concerts is unique and performed only once as part of the series. It’s the very best way to experience the individual qualities of the orchestral musicians! These intimate concerts are organised by the Friends of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.