Opera Tickets Italy

The renowned German conductor Markus Stenz makes a return to Venice's La Fenice Opera House to wield the baton for renditions of works by Jean-Féry Rebel, Franz Joseph Haydn and Robert Schumann. Stenz actually made his debut – as an opera conductor – at this very venue in 1988 but this time he takes charge of the highly accomplished La Fenice Orchestra for a programme consisting of three carefully curated orchestral works.

The concert begins with Les Élémens, Simphonie nouvelle: Le Cahos, written by Rebel, the French Baroque-era composer and violinist. Le Cahos is the first of ten movements that make up the ballet music Les Élémens, Simphonie nouvelle, which was first performed at the Palais des Tuileries in Paris on 27 September 1737. With some avant-garde touches, Le Cahos is a late Baroque composition referring to the Creation, that uses instrumentation to voice different elements. As the composer himself noted, for example, the bass represents the earth while flutes emulate the sensation of running water. Rebel also wrote that air is depicted by long-held notes followed by trills on woodwinds and fire, the final element, is represented by violins, featuring lively and brilliant musical motifs.

Haydn's Symphony No. 102 in B-flat Major Hob. I:102 is the next piece on the programme, the tenth of his so-called London symphonies. The work premiered at the King's Theatre, Haymarket in London on 2 February 1795. There are four movements in the symphony, including a rhapsodic Adagio which reflects another of his compositions, Haydn's Piano Trio in F sharp minor. After a minuet, the final movement is full of inventiveness, not least in the coda which appears to have later influenced none other than Beethoven, notably in the finale of his Fourth Symphony.

The concert concludes with Schumann's Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38, 'Spring', which is among the most popular of his symphonies in the modern repertoire. Felix Mendelssohn famously conducted it at its premiere which took place in Leipzig, Germany on 31 March 1841. The first movement is notable for a brass fanfare which sets the tone, one that is uplifting and optimistic throughout the work. The second movement is gentler, while the third, a scherzo, suggests energetic dances. Schumann made a number of edits to the symphony following its debut and the definitive version of the score was eventually published in 1853.

As a professional conductor, Stenz has enjoyed many prestigious posts, not least serving as the Principal Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra for a time. He has also produced an extensive discography with several award-winning recordings to his name. This concert, with three exquisite pieces and a superb maestro in charge, offers a varied yet fascinating programme.