Petrenko conducts Diepenbrock, Momotenko-Levitsky, Britten and Mahler

Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky writes an "answer" to Mahler's emotional Lied von der Erde. In addition, Vasily Petrenko conducts Im großen Schweigen by Mahler's Dutch friend Diepenbrock.

The friends Mahler and Diepenbrock

On 5 April 2021 it will be exactly one hundred years since Alphons Diepenbrock died. Because of his friendship with Gustav Mahler, a programme was planned to celebrate the special bond between the two. Because of the size of the orchestra, Mahler's poignant Das Lied von der Erde has been replaced by his Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, which is over twenty years older .

Vasily Petrenko replaces Edo de Waart

And that is not the only change in this programme: due to personal circumstances, Vasily Petrenko replaces former RFO chief conductor Edo de Waart. Petrenko leads the orchestra in a world premiere by Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky. With his Na Strastnoj, this Russian-Dutch composer wrote a "worthy counter-piece" (de Volkskrant) of Rachmaninov's Vespers in 2017. Now, with his disconcerting Earth's Prayers in the wake of Mahler's 'Symphonie für eine Tenor- und eine Altstimme und Orchester', he tells us that if we continue like this, the earth will soon stop singing altogether. A moving statement. Also on the programme, the Serenade for tenor, horn and strings by Benjamin Britten, with Andrew Staples and principal hornist of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Petra Botma-Ziijlstra in the leading roles. Finally, Mahler after all. In his Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, he says goodbye to a childhood sweetheart.