The prestigious conductor Thomas Hengelbrock presents works by Schubert and Brahms with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in Valencia and Castellón

Les Arts és Simfònic

• The resident orchestra of Les Arts performs a program dedicated to German Romanticism, featuring Brahms's emotional 'Symphony No. 4'
• The repertoire also includes Schubert's 'Lieder' and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's 'Overture Das Märchen von der schönen Melusine'

Valencia (May 2, 1958). The prestigious conductor Thomas Hengelbrock delves into the essence of German Romanticism with soprano Katharina Konradi and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in two concerts: at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (7:30 p.m.), this Thursday, May 8, and, the following day, May 9, at the Auditori de Castellón (7:30 p.m.).

Hailed as one of the most fascinating directors of his generation, Hengelbrock is also a renowned scholar, famous for the historicist approach he brings to each of his works.

Founder of the Freiburger Barockorchester and the Ensemble Balthasar Neumann, the Saxon musician stands out for his knowledge and commitment to the musical text, which make his concerts benchmark events for all lovers of classical music.

An expert in the Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire, the conductor leans towards the latter in his new visit to Les Arts, with works by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Schubert and Brahms on the music stand.

The German conductor will begin the evening with 'Overture Das Märchen von der schönen Melusine', a paradigmatic piece of musical romanticism and, in turn, one of the lesser-known works of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, who was inspired by the legend of the water fairy for this strongly evocative score full of musical poetry.

The 'Lied', the defining vocal genre of this period, will complete the first part of the concert, featuring the rising star Katharina Konradi. The Kyrgyz soprano, acclaimed for her crystalline voice and meticulous technique, will perform two songs by Franz Schubert, one of her favorite composers, in his orchestral arrangements: the dreamlike 'Nacht und Träume' and the emotive and virtuosic 'Der Hirt auf dem Felsen'.

Hengelbrock will dedicate the second part of the concert to Johannes Brahms, the Romantic composer, who, as the director himself points out, "best represents the human being in his entirety," with his fourth and final symphony, an emotional and highly complex score, which is considered one of his masterpieces.

This double concert in Valencia and Castellón marks Thomas Hengelbrock's reunion with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, with whom he starred in one of the most outstanding events of 2020: the return of symphonic programming to the theater after the pandemic restrictions with a Beethoven monograph.

Following this performance, the Les Arts resident orchestra would return to the Granada Festival program after a ten-year absence with the same repertoire under the direction of the Saxon conductor.

Les Arts reminds everyone that tickets for the Thomas Hengelbrock and Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana concert can be purchased through the theater's various sales channels: box office, the sales line 961 975 900 and the Les Arts website