On Good Friday, Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. It is a day of deep sorrow and despair, which is also reflected in Richard Strauss's “Metamorphoses,” which the composer completed in the final weeks of World War II. Franz Liszt's “Totentanz” is followed by Arvo Pärt's ‘Cantus’ in memory of Benjamin Britten, which can be interpreted as a meditation on death permeated by silence. The simple tintinnabuli style (“bell style”) of the Estonian composer that comes to the fore in this work is rooted in his deep connection to church music. Benjamin Britten's “Sinfonia da Requiem,” with its movement titles Lacrymosa, Dies irae, and Requiem aeternam taken from the Latin Requiem Mass, should not be confused with his powerful “War Requiem” from 1962. But this serious work, composed on the eve of World War II in 1939 and premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1941, already expresses the composer's concern for peace along with his lifelong pacifist stance.

Young British conductor Stephanie Childress, who so impressed our audience in her debut during the 24/25 season, returns to the podium of the Konzerthausorchester for this concert.