Henze 100

Musiktheater im Revier is taking part in the inter-city festival “Henze 100”, through which cultural institutions from Bottrop, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Münster and Recklinghausen are commemorating the 100th anniversary of Hans Werner Henze’s birth. ‘Henze 100’ views Henze’s music not as a static legacy, but as a living, open network of connections. The programmes trace the footsteps of a composer whose work continually mediates between tradition and innovation, personal experience and social responsibility.

The chamber concert on 14 November featuring the Morgenstern Trio places Henze’s early chamber sonata from 1948 for piano, violin and cello into a musical context alongside Ludwig van Beethoven’s Trio in E flat major, Op. 1 No. 1, and Robert Schumann’s Trio in G minor, Op. 110. The programme is complemented by the world premiere of the Quintet for clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello and piano, Op. 106, by Henze Prize winner Stefan Heucke. This creates links between the classical repertoire, contemporary music and Henze’s work, whose openness to diverse musical traditions and aesthetic perspectives is the focal point of the anniversary festival.

Audiences and the press alike celebrate the Morgenstern Trio for its exceptionally high standards of chamber music and technical mastery: their interpretations, honed over many years, captivate with their elaboration of the finest nuances. Above all, however, it is the group’s unmistakable delight in shared expression, their ever-present curiosity and the immediacy of their joy in playing that captivate the audience. In the piano trio – as in perhaps no other genre – symphonic density and power are combined with the transparency and intimacy of a solo recital. Balancing these captivating contrasts within a homogeneous overall sound is the great challenge of playing in a piano trio. Through a meticulous yet creative engagement with the repertoire over many years, the three musicians of the Morgenstern Trio succeed in embodying this ideal in an impressive manner. Having been honoured with the highest prizes and awards (Vienna, Melbourne, ARD, KLRITA), the Morgenstern Trio is at home on the world’s most prestigious stages. These include: Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, the philharmonic halls in Essen, Cologne and Berlin, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and others. Close friends of the ensemble know, however, that the most memorable moments with the Morgenstern Trio are often to be found in the world’s smallest concert halls: that’s chamber music for you...