Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs conducts more premieres from the Bruckner Studybook
====================================================== BENJAMIN-GUNNAR COHRS CONDUCTS BRUCKNER WORLD PREMIERE When Bruckner studied classical forms with Theaterkapellmeister Otto Kitzler in 1862, he composed numerous exercises for various instruments, preserved in the famous ›Kitzler-Studienbuch‹, which was recently acquired by the Austrian National Library and then published in a most welcome facsimile edition. Amongst these exercises four movements for string quartet are to be found – a fantasy-like movement in d-minor, of which the structure is not entirely clear, an unfinished set of Variations on an original theme in E flat major, a Minuet with Trio in B flat major and a remarkable Scherzo with Trio in g minor. The latter – a dark, quick movement with a schumannesque, sunny Trio in G major – has been arranged for String Orchestra by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs in 2015. For his arrangement Cohrs has added a double bass part and all playing indications. For a better effect he also slightly re-arranged the structure of the sketch, eliminated the repeats in the da capo after the trio, and reserved the effective coda (in the sketch originally before the Trio) for the da capo repeat of the main section. The world premiere of this ca. 7 minute long piece can be heard now within a concert project by the Göttinger Barockorchester (Göttingen Baroque Orchestra), conducted by Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs on Saturday, 28 May 2016, 7.30 p.m., at the Sendesaal Bremen, and Sunday, 29 May 2016, 5.00 p.m., at St. Jakobi Church in Peine (near Hannover/Germany). The programme also contains the Premiere of another string orchestra arrangement by the conductor – the Organ Prelude in C Major (›Perger Präludium‹) as well as compositions by Ottorino Respighi (Antiche Danze ed Arie per Liuto, Suite III), Edward Grieg (Songs op. 33/3, 2 & 12), Maurice Ravel (Berceuse sur le nom de Faurè; Menuet sur le nom d' Haydn, both arr. by B.-G. Cohrs), Edward Elgar (Serenade in e minor op. 20), Frederick Delius (To be sung of a summer night on the water, new arr. by Cohrs) and Gustav Holst (St. Paul's Suite op. 29/2). The orchestra of 22 players performs on gut strings in a = 435 in historically informed performance practice. The concerts will also be recorded and are planned to be released on CD subsequently. ===================================================== A section of the score to the Scherzo is available below: |
