
The Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Stanislav Kochanovsky, will present the world premiere of the Piano Concerto by Daniel Wohl, composer in residence for the NTR Saturday Matinee. Stravinsky's Petrushka will also be performed at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
You could say that the tension between humanity and technology plays a significant role in this concert featuring works by Lera Auerbach, Igor Stravinsky, and Daniel Wohl. Icarus , Petrushka , and Wohl's new piano concerto each demonstrate in their own way how technological or mechanical concepts can be charged with emotion and humanity. Auerbach's Icarus centers on the myth of humanity's desire to transcend nature, often with tragic consequences. Auerbach's music gives this struggle an intimate, human voice. Stravinsky's Petrushka goes a step further by bringing a puppet to life. Petrushka is a puppet, but Stravinsky's innovative use of bitonality and rhythm imbues it with emotion and soul.
Daniel Wohl brings this idea to the present day with his piano concerto, in which electronics and acoustic instruments seamlessly blend. Wohl uses technology not merely as a means, but as an integral part of his musical expression. He gives abstract electronic sounds a warm, human layering. A concert in which machines transform into vehicles of human experience, in a world where technology is becoming increasingly dominant.