European American Music Distributors Company is a member of the Schott Music Group

Music of Heinz Holliger and György Ligeti at the Lucerne Festival

Jul. 01, 2017

Music of Heinz Holliger and György Ligeti at the Lucerne Festival

This year’s Lucerne Festival, which takes place on Switzerland’s idyllic Lake Lucerne, highlights the music of Heinz Holliger and György Ligeti with performances of numerous major works by the composers throughout the season.

Holliger’s vocal works are the focus of an event of August 19 when the sCHpillit ensemble and the Ghost Choir join forces to present the composer’s haunting Alb-Chehr for speakers, small choir and chamber orchestra. The work, composed in 1991, follows the Valais legend about two shepherds and a dairyman who come across a group of musical ghosts. The event also includes performances of Holliger’s Fünf Kinderlieder and Gränzä.


Heinz Holliger Violin Concerto; Thomas Zehetmair, SWR Sinfonieorchester

Additional Holliger performances throughout the festival include his shattering Violin Concerto “Hommage à Louis Soutter” with soloist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Holliger leading the Orchestra of the Lucerene Festival Academy on August 20, as well as his voice and ensemble work Lunea with baritone Ivan Ludlow on August 26 and the world premiere of Partita for solo harp on August 27 with harpist Frédérique Cambreling.

This summer’s Lucerne Festival also features performances of Ligeti’s Concerti for Violin and Piano, with soloists Kopatchinskaja and pianist David Kadouch, conducted by Matthias Pintscher (August 26), as well as a production of his opera Le Grand Macabre, with direction by Herbert Fritsch and Clemens Heil leading the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra (opening September 8).

Further performances throughout the festival include Wolfgang Rihm’s Sine nomine I and Pierre Boulez’s Initiale (August 27), the Swiss premiere of Friedrich Cerha’s Spiegel I-VII (August 28), Pēteris Vasks’s Cantabile for string orchestra (September 3) and Rihm’s IN-SCHRIFT (September 4).

For more information on the composers, click below:

Pierre Boulez | Friedrich Cerha | Heinz Holliger
György Ligeti | Wolfgang Rihm | Pēteris Vasks

Heinz Holliger
Alb-Chehr (1991)
for speakers, small choir (ad lib) and chamber orchestra
2cl-2 Walliser Hackbretter · Fienschger-Lädi · Tenundi Titschini (Holztr.) · Bockhornphon · Waschbrett · Trgl. · Gutternspil · Superball · 2 Handorgeln – vn.db 
26’

Fünf Kinderlieder (2004-2006)
to “Brienzer Tiitsch Väärsa” by Albert Streich
for singer and free ensemble
7’

Gränzä (2007)
for four performers
14’

Violin Concerto “Hommage à Louis Soutter” (1993-1995; rev. 2002)
for violin and orchestra
3(3.pic, afl).3(ca).4(2bcl).2-3.3.3(ttbn, btbn).0-timp.3perc-hp.cimb.cel-str
42’

Lunea (2010-2013)
23 sentences by Nikolaus Lenau (Eng)
for baritone and ensemble
2(2pic, 2.afl, bfl).1(ca).1(in B and A; bcl).bcl.cbcl.0-1.0.1.0-timp.3perc-hp.cel.pno(cel)-str
35’

György Ligeti
Concerto (1990; rev. 1992)
for violin and orchestra
2(1.afl, soprano recorder; 2.pic).1(soprano ocarina).2(1.Ebcl, sopranino ocarina; 2.bcl, alto ocarina).1(soprano ocarina)-2.1.ttbn.0-3timp.2perc-str
28’

Concerto (1985-1988)
for piano and orchestra
1(pic).1.1(alto ocarina).1-1.1.1.0-1/2perc-str
24’

Wolfgang Rihm
Sine nomine I (1985)
for five brass instruments
hn.pic tpt.tpt.ttbn.cbtbn
9’

IN-SCHRIFT (1995)
for orchestra
3.0.3.1-4.3.6.1-timp.5perc-hp-7vc.7db
20’

Pierre Boulez
Initiale (1987)
for 7 brass instruments
2hn.2tpt.2tbn.tba
5’

Friedrich Cerha
Spiegel I-VII (1960/1961)
stage work for movement groups, light and objects
82’ 

Pēteris Vasks
Cantabile (1979)
for strings
8’

News