Bartók's Miraculous Mandarin

Composer and conductor Matthias Pintscher connects the heavenly ecstasy of the Song of Songs with the hellish nightmare of Bartók's Miraculous Mandarin. Bartók's thrilling music still sounds modern, inviting a new interpretation with Thomas Oliemans and lifelike dancing puppets by the Duda Paiva Company.

Matthias Pintscher
Composer and conductor Matthias Pintscher drew inspiration for Shirim from "the most beautiful love poems ever written": the Song of Songs. To the cycle for baritone and orchestra, Pintscher added a new movement with chorus, which will have its Dutch premiere after all (it was originally scheduled for January 2021), with Dutch baritone Thomas Oliemans as soloist. Parts from the impressive Concert for Orchestra by the Slovenian Nina Šenk provide a fitting opening work.

Bartók's Miraculous Tangerine
Pintscher's ecstatic timbres contrast sharply with the earthy music Bartók wrote for the pantomime The Miraculous Mandarin. The story full of sex and violence did not pass Hungarian censorship, but the exciting music became a success. It still sounds modern, inviting a new visual interpretation with puppets and dance by the Duda Paiva Company.