5. Sinfoniekonzert: Zweisamkeit by Various, Od (2023/2023), Dirigent Stephan Zilias, Opernhaus, Hanover, Germany

Dancing and sounding, together or against each other, in unison or in dialogue: the works of this concert get to the bottom of the charming nuances between harmony and dispute, in which protagonists, sounds, movements and ultimately also the composers programmatically combined here come together for togetherness. The framework of the concert is formed by two large, impressive pieces of ballet music: Dance figures form the preludeby British composer George Benjamin, who won the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2023. The nine short movements are divided into two parts and explore the tonal possibilities of the large orchestra both on a small and large scale. The end of the concert is crowned by excerpts from Maurice Ravel's 1909-1912 work for the famous Ballets Russes, which he himself describes as a “choreographic symphony” Daphnis and Chloé . This ballet music addresses the ancient love story in the popular shepherd subject and celebrated great success, especially in the concert hall, due to its colorful monumentality. Two piano works stand opposite each other at the center of the concert: First, Maurice Ravel's famous concerto for the left hand, which he composed for the pianist Paul Wittgenstein, who was wounded in World War I. The basic mood of this concert, which was unusually somber for Ravel, can be explained by his own personal experiences and losses as a result of the war. As the second piano work, George Benjamin's Duet seeks ways to overcome the personal separation between solo piano and orchestra and to merge the two individual sounds. As an expert in the music of George Benjamin, the French pianist and also Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winner Pierre-Laurent Aimard is a guest for this double appearance as a soloist and duo partner of the Lower Saxony State Orchestra. He has had an artistic exchange with conductor Stephan Zilias for many years, beginning when Aimard taught Zilias, who was 14 at the time.