Holland Festival 2022 - Circulus / Coro

Especially for pianist Ralph van Raat, Robin de Raaff wrote his Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 2 'Circulus' . In 2001, Ralph premiered the first Piano Concerto by De Raaff. Now follows the premiere of the second Concerto.

A piano concerto like clockwork
The round shape of the Gashouder, where the performance of De Raaff's Concerto for piano and orchestra no. 2 takes place, is an important source of inspiration. The pianist sits in the middle, the audience is around the soloist and is surrounded by the orchestra. The space and the arrangement of the orchestra are reminiscent of a clock, a powerful metaphor for time. With direct and indirect references to clocks, Circulus refers to the transience of human life and our place in the universe.

Coro
Besides the new composition Circulus, the work Coro by Italian composer Luciano Berio will be performed. Berio wrote this famous work as an indictment of right-wing extremist influences in Italy during the 'leaden years'. The composer himself conducted it at the Holland Festival in 1977. It was written for forty duos, each consisting of a singer and an instrumentalist. The exceptional spatial arrangement ensures an intense sound experience.