By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Thursday, May 9th, Rio’s historic Theatro Municipal (Municipal Theater) will host the world-famous Münchener Kammerorchester (Munich Chamber Orchestra) for an evening dedicated to strings.
Starting at 8 PM, the orchestra will begin the evening with a recitation of British composer Edward Elgar’s “Serenade for Strings”. This will then be followed by Felix Mendelssohn’s “String Symphony No. 8 in D major”. Finally, the group will end the night with a rendition of Antonín Dvořák’s “Serenade for Strings in E major”.
Led by violinist Daniel Giglberger, the Munich Chamber Orchestra is a last-minute addition to the current program of the Theatro Municipal’s Dell’Arte International Concert Series, which has previously included German participants such as the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie and the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.
They are replacing the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, who have had to postpone their performance due to logistical difficulties.
However, the Munich Chamber Orchestra is no second-rank substitute. With new conductor Clemens Schuldt, the group is continuing to cement its world-renowned reputation for powerful performances, a love of experimentation, and its globe-trotting outreach projects.
Often collaborating with the Goethe-Institut, the chamber orchestra annually plays around sixty different concert venues in South America, Asia, and Europe.
Highlights have included a concert tour in Moscow and, in 2012, a ground-breaking visit to North Korea. The group gave workshops and performed alongside North Korean music students in a historic concert.
Founded in 1950 by Christoph Stepp, in the devastating aftermath of the Second World War, the orchestra has always had a modern approach, combining works from the past and present for maximum emotional impact. They have also premiered over eighty new works by composers since 1995.
What: Orquestra de Câmara de Munique
When: Thursday, May 9th, 8 PM
Where: Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Praça Floriano, Centro, Rio de Janeiro
Entrance: R$50 – R$300; available here