Join Ciconia on a journey of discovery to unknown masterpieces
Conductor: Dick van Gasteren

Program
Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) – Marche Royal
Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951) – Sinfonietta for string orchestra
Arthur Nikisch (1855-1922) – String sextet, world premiere, reconstruction by Bert Mooiman
Richard Strauss (1864-1949) – Intermezzo from Capriccio
André Previn – (1929 – 2019) – Portrait for string orchestra
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) – from West Side Story: One hand, one heart

The Ciconia Consort and Dick van Gasteren guide you through the mysterious history of conducting on the basis of old film images, anecdotes and unknown masterpieces.

For a long time there was hardly any separation between the conductor and the composer. Composers mainly conducted their own work. When Louis Spohr, Carl Maria von Weber and Felix Mendelssohn also started conducting works by other composers, a conductor was no longer seen only as a beat beater, but as a musician and interpreter. Since then, the profession of conductor has been a fact. Hans von Bülow and Arthur Nikisch were the first ‘non-composer-conductors’ in the second half of the nineteenth century. From that moment on, conductors also ventured to compose. Often with a beautiful result, as you will hear in this concert.

Dutch and world premieres
The composition Portrait by jazz pianist and conductor André Previn will have its Dutch premiere in this concert. Ciconia played the world premiere of Willem Mengelberg’s Sinfonietta in 2019. The world premiere of the string sextet from 1868 by the legendary conductor Arthur Nikisch, which was reconstructed by Bert Mooiman, will be particularly exciting. Richard Strauss occupies a special position. During his lifetime he was as famous a composer as a conductor and orchestra leader. With the beautiful Intermezzo from the opera Capriccio, Ciconia pays tribute to this exceptional category. Join Ciconia on a journey of discovery into these unknown and sometimes never-before-executed masterpieces.

Ciconia Consort
The Ciconia Consort consists of 20 young musicians led by Dick van Gasteren. The orchestra was founded in 2012, performs throughout the Netherlands and can be heard regularly on Dutch radio (e.g. ) and on TV (e.g. at Podium Witteman).

Source: PLT Website