Genius and faith
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie
Rheinland-Pfalz
Rheinland-Pfalz
Dubai, UAE
Like most composers of the Romantic period, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy stood under the influence of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose music he interpreted on numerous occasions — both as a pianist and conductor — with another important influence on his music, the work of Johann Sebastian Bach. Mendelssohn’s contribution to the rediscovery of Bach’s music, which had been almost forgotten for a century, cannot be estimated highly enough. As a renowned and visionary conductor of his time, he performed Bach’s ‘Matthäuspassion’ (“St Matthew Passion”) in Leipzig, in 1829, this extraordinary performance marking the beginning of the renaissance of Bach’s music. Mendelssohn, baptized in the Lutheran faith, has been considered the most important protestant composer after Bach. With his Symphony No. 5, commonly known as “The Reformation”, Mendelssohn wished to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the ‘Augsburg Confession’, one of the most important documents of Lutheran Christianity. The first and the third movement quote the famous ‘Dresden Amen’ — a six-note sequence of notes used by choirs during church services in the German state of Saxony — that was also used in Richard Wagner’s ‘Parsifal’. The fourth movement is based on Martin Luther’s chorale ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’ (“A mighty fortress is our God”), one of the most iconic protestant hymns in history. Mendelssohn’s symphony is not only a testimony to the German composer’s symphonic genius, but also an expression of his faith.
Alexey Shor’s ‘Crystal Palace’ ballet is based on a true story surrounding the historic figure of Empress Anna Ioannovna who, following her being angered by Prince Mikhail Alekseevich Golitsyn, forced the prince to become her court jester and to marry the maid Advotya in an ice palace she had commanded built to mark the Russian victory in the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Shor’s major score includes a large orchestra and soprano voice, and has been significantly successful since its 2017 première in Valletta. The overture, marked by cheerful light-heartedness and energetic rhythmical patterns, was performed during the 40th Gramophone Classical Music Awards Ceremony in London, marking the first ever time that a contemporary composition was included in the festivities. The acclaimed singer of opera and oratorio, Carmen Giannattasio, is entrusted with the soprano part in Shor’s oeuvre, with Michael Francis conducting the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.
CARMEN GIANNATTASIO
Michael Francis has quickly established himself as one of the leading international conductors of today. With the start of the 2019-20 season, Francis begins his tenure as Chief Conductor of Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz. Appointed Music Director of the Florida Orchestra in the fall of 2014, he is now entering his fifth season with a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. His role in building a wide variety of transformative community engagement initiatives has significantly grown the organization. Since 2014 as Music Director of the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, California with a contract renewal through the summer of 2023, he continues his ambitious multi-year exploration of Mozart’s life. He was Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra from 2012-16.
For the 2019-20 season, upcoming engagements include a debut with the Detroit Symphony for their season opening, as well as return performances with the Indianapolis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic, Philharmonia, MDR Leipzig, RSB Berlin and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Saarbrücken.
Previous and upcoming highlights include North American performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Rochester Philharmonic, the symphony orchestras of Cincinnati, St. Louis, San Diego, Houston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Pacific, Montreal, Toronto and National Arts Centre (Ottawa). In Europe, he has conducted the Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE Madrid, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Scottish Symphony. In Asia, Maestro Francis has worked with the NHK Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Seoul.
Michael Francis has collaborated with notable soloists such as Lang Lang, Arcadi Volodos, Itzhak Perlman, Christian Tetzlaff, Vadim Gluzman, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Nicola Benedetti, Javier Perianes, Jamie Barton, Truls Mørk, Håkan Hardenberger, Maximilian Hornung, Miloš, Benjamin Grosvenor, Emanuel Ax, Ian Bostridge, James Ehnes, Sting, Rufus Wainwright and many others.
Educational outreach with young musicians is of utmost priority for Maestro Francis. He returns to the National Youth Orchestra of Canada during the summer of 2020, having conducted their Spanish tour in 2019. He has also frequently conducted Miami’s New World Symphony and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Francis works on a regular basis with young musicians in Florida as part of the orchestra's community engagement initiative.
Francis’ discography includes the Rachmaninov piano concertos with Valentina Lisitsa and the London Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Rihm’s Lichtes Spiel with Anne-Sophie Mutter and the New York Philharmonic, and the Ravel & Gershwin piano concertos with Ian Parker.
A former double-bass player in the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), Michael Francis came to prominence as a conductor in January of 2007 stepping in for Valery Gergiev and John Adams with the LSO.
Francis makes his home in Tampa, FL with his wife Cindy and four-year-old daughter Annabella.
Carmen Giannattasio has blazed a trail across stages the world over. Her unique talent has been in demand worldwide since her career was launched by taking First Prize and the Audience Award at Placido Domingo’s Operalia, Paris in 2002. Her lustrous soprano voice and her dramatic ability gained her immediate critical attention and a reputation as a chameleon, able to adapt her tune and skin to the different heroines she embodies.
She has become an acclaimed fixture on the most important stages of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, Berlin State Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Bolshoi.
Carmen Giannattasio’s extensive repertoire includes composers like Monteverdi, Mozart, Gluck, Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti,Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Puccini, Mascagni.
Since being chosen to front important new bel canto recordings by Opera Rara, who champion rarely performed operas of the 19th century, she has distinguished herself in Rossini’s LA DONNA DEL LAGO, Donizetti’s PARISINA and in particular Rossini’s ERMIONE – a performance which has earned her plaudits from leading critics worldwide, with the recording winning the 2011 Gramophone Opera Award. Her recordings with the English label also include Bellini’s IL PIRATA (2010) and Donizetti’s CATERINA CORNARO (2011).
Carmen Giannattasio is an ambassador for the Italian jewelers Bulgari. In February 2017 she received the title of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella della Repubblica Italiana.
Future engagements are TOSCA at Royal Opera House and in Vienna, EVEGNIJ ONEGIN at Teatro Massimo of Palermo, NORMA and LA BOHÈME in Hamburg, TOSCA in Sidney, FALSTAFF at Aix en Provence festival and in Lyon.
In the shadow of the First World War, committed citizens in Landau met in September 1919 to decide on the formation of a travelling state symphony orchestra. After the founding concert on 15 February 1920, the orchestra set out on an initial concert tour through the Palatinate and Saarland. This was the start of the history of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, which in the meantime can look back on a more than 100-year tradition.
Even in the initial years the orchestra attracted transregional attention under the conducting of Richard Strauss and Hermann Abendroth. Principal conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach and Leif Segerstam, today honorary conductors, helped the orchestra to achieve international recognition. Michael Francis, who is also principal conductor of the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz this season, will provide considerable fresh impetus and thus continue the orchestra’s tradition.
As an orchestra without a permanent domicile, providing the federal state with symphonic music is the most important task of the State Philharmonic Orchestra. It brings the music to the people with over 100 concerts per season. Guest performances at home and abroad as well as collaboration with internationally renowned conductors and soloists bears witness to the excellent reputation that the orchestra enjoys. Arrangement and family formats enhance the offer for young people. Even the very youngest are introduced to the world of classical music with visits to rehearsals and concerts for children. Regular concert recordings by SWR (“Southwest Broadcasting”) and Deutschlandfunk Kultur (German World Radio Service, Cultural Programming) as well as numerous CD productions round off the State Philharmonic Orchestra’s diverse range of activities.
Not only wanderlust and awakening characterise the orchestra in geographical terms. The State Philharmonic Orchestra also repeatedly hits the road in the figurative sense. As far as the orchestra is concerned, brining music to people not only means being on site, but also reaching people directly. So 101 years after formation the orchestra is also an integral part of cultural life, and more than ever a cultural beacon for the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and beyond.
