Daniel Hope remains “force to be reckoned with” from Carnegie Hall to Albert Hall in 2014-15
Violinist and musical activist Daniel Hope remains “a force to be reckoned with” (Gramophone) on both sides of the Atlantic this season. An exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, on Escape To Paradise: The Hollywood Album he embarks on a nostalgic search for the quintessential “Hollywood sound,” launching a major new programming project crowned by his accounts of Korngold’s cinematic violin concerto with orchestras including the Milwaukee Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and Germany’s NDR Radio Philharmonic. At New York’s Carnegie Hall, he curates and performs the world premiere of music-theater production A Distant Drum, the story of trailblazing black South African writer and journalist Nat Nakasa, while at London’s Royal Albert Hall he reprises his rendition of Max Richter’s original take on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, as heard on Vivaldi Recomposed, named iTunes’ Best U.S. Contemporary Classical Album of 2012. Season highlights also include a BBC Radio 3 live recital broadcast of Brahms, Joachim, Schumann, and Mendelssohn with pianist Sebastian Knauer; a coast-to-coast North American tour with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; Hope’s 12th season as Associate Artistic Director of the Savannah Music Festival; and a wealth of orchestral and chamber engagements in repertoire ranging from the contemporary to the Baroque. As Britain’s Observer recently reflected, “This violinist, now among the best in the world as well as the most thoughtful, is as brilliant at Bach as Birtwistle.”
Capturing the “Hollywood Sound” on DG CD and in live performance
September 2 brought the U.S. release of Escape to Paradise: The Hollywood Album, which draws on Hope’s extensive research into those European composers – Eric Wolfgang Korngold, Miklós Rózsa, Hanns Eisler, and Franz Waxman among them – who, fleeing fascist persecution, relocated to Los Angeles, where they penned some of the 20th century’s most iconic, Academy Award-winning film scores. Recorded with Alexander Shelley leading the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic and guest artists including vocalists Sting and Max Raabe, the violinist’s unprecedented new collection juxtaposes examples of the émigré composers’ film and concert music with selections by those they influenced – like John Williams, Ennio Morricone, and Thomas Newman – in search of the lavish “Hollywood sound.” Neither this spirit of investigation nor the Holocaust theme marks new territory for Hope, a Classical BRIT-Award-winner whose previous projects include Terezín/Theresienstadt, “an album that transcends criticism and must be heard” (Gramophone).
The centerpiece of Escape to Paradise is Korngold’s sumptuous Violin Concerto, in which the UK’s Guardian considers Hope’s “playing as virtuosic as that of Jascha Heifetz, who premiered the work,” while “the depth [Hope] invested in the music…puts him in a league of his own.” The violinist revisits Korngold’s masterpiece in live concerts this season with the Milwaukee Symphony under Edo de Waart (Jan 16 & 17), the San Antonio Symphony (Jan 23 & 24), and Madison Symphony (March 6–8), as well as with Europe’s Nuremberg Symphony (Sep 20), Alte Oper Frankfurt (Sep 22), North Netherlands Orchestra (Nov 13 & 14), and NDR Radio Philharmonic, with which he pairs the concerto with other Hollywood Album selections on a five-city German tour (Nov 20–28).
World premiere of A Distant Drum at Carnegie Hall
Escape to Paradise began as an exploration of “exile.” The violinist explains: “This is perhaps central to my DNA: my grandparents escaped Hitler from Berlin and lived in exile in South Africa; my parents escaped South African apartheid and moved to Great Britain.” Exile is also a principle theme of his second major project of 2014-15, which calls once again on his deep commitment to humanitarian causes. For this Hope turns to the sounds of South Africa, joining forces with his father, writer Christopher Hope, to present the world premiere production of A Distant Drum at Carnegie Hall (Oct 28). Commissioned by the New York venue, the music-theater piece tells the story of South African writer and journalist Nat Nakasa, who was exiled from his country under apartheid after finding professional success at home and in the States. Collaborating with Hope in the production are jazz pianist and composer Ralf Schmid, cellist Vincent Ségal, bassist Michael Olatuja, percussionist Jason Marsalis, actors Nat Ramabulana and Christiaan Schoombie, and South African music authority Andrew Tracey, who serves as musical supervisor.
Revisiting Vivaldi Recomposed and The Romantic Violinist in England
Hope revisits two more of his hit recordings in live performance this season. Ever seeking new and enlightening ways to share the music he loves, it was he who premiered and recorded German-British composer Max Richter’s vivid, 21st-century re-imagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; the Wall Street Journal pronounced the work “bewitchingly brilliant,” and the New York Times admired the violinist’s “usual combination of virtuosity and insight.” Now he joins the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra to perform Richter’s work with the composer at a special event at London’s Royal Albert Hall (Oct 4), and in concerts in Amsterdam (Sep 10) and Toronto (Sep 30), besides giving more traditional accounts of The Four Seasons with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (Feb 24 & 25).
The Romantic Violinist, Hope’s Deutsche Grammophon celebration of Joseph Joachim, was named a WQXR “Album of the Week.” For his BBC Radio 3 “Live in Concert” broadcast from Bristol, England, Hope again presents works written for, inspired by, and composed by the legendary 19th-century Austro-Hungarian violin virtuoso, with a program of Brahms, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Joachim himself (Oct 7). As in further upcoming duo recitals in Seoul (Dec 8) and Ahrensburg, Germany (May 31), Hope will be accompanied by his long-time recital partner, pianist Sebastian Knauer, with whom his performances have been praised for “a freshness, enthusiasm, and intelligence that is positively life-enhancing” (Classic FM).
Savannah Music Festival, CMS tour, and more
This spring, Hope returns to the American South for his 12th season as Associate Artistic Director of the Savannah Music Festival (March 19–April 4), which commissions and stages original, one-time only productions, collaborations and premieres over a three-week period each year. The festival prides itself on cultural diversity, and under Hope’s curatorship it has been credited by the Chicago Tribune with “breaking the sound barriers.”
A dedicated chamber musician, the violinist also joins pianist Wu Han, violist Paul Neubauer, and cellist David Finckel for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s coast-to-coast tour of North America, playing piano quartets by Brahms, Schumann, and Mahler at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and in cities including Washington DC, Chicago, Santa Fe, Detroit, Toronto, and Vancouver (Feb 28–April 15), as well as in Seoul (Dec 7). Hope gives additional chamber performances in collaboration with composer/pianist Lera Auerbach and cellist Joshua Roman in the San Francisco Performances series (Jan 20), and with soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, pianist Bengt Forsberg, and guitarist Bebe Risenfors, whom he joins for Songs from Terezín in Augsburg, Germany (Sep 4).
This fall, Hope returns to a new work, 1914, Gabriel Prokofiev’s concerto commemorating the First World War, with the State Symphony of Russia (Sep 13) under Vladimir Jurowski and the Luxembourg Philharmonic (Oct 22) under Sascha Goetzel; when Hope gave its premiere at London’s BBC Proms this past summer, The Times called it “the best thing Gabriel Prokofiev has written,” and proclaimed the violinist “superb.” He rounds out the season with European concerto engagements that take him to the Festival Strings Lucerne (Sep 5) and Zurich Chamber Orchestra under Sir Roger Norrington (Sep 28) for Mozart, the Paris Chamber Orchestra for Bruch (Feb 18), and the Brussels Philharmonic for Britten (Oct 18 & 20).
Further details of Hope’s 2014-15 engagements are provided below. More information is available at the artist’s newly redesigned web site, danielhope.com, and high-resolution photos from Escape to Paradise may be downloaded here.
Daniel Hope: 2014-15 engagements
Sep 4
Augsburg, Germany
Mozart @ Augsburg
Synagoge Augsburg
Songs from Terezín
with Anne Sofie von Otter, soprano; Bengt Forsberg, piano; Bebe Risenfors, guitar, percussion, bass
Sep 5
Augsburg, Germany
Mozart @ Augsburg
Festival Strings Lucerne
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat, K. 364
with Lawrence Power, viola
Sep 10
Amsterdam, Holland
Paradiso
Yellow Lounge concert
Max Richter: Vivaldi Recomposed
with L’Arte del Mondo Orchestra; Max Richter, synthesizer
Sep 13
Moscow, Russia
State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia / Vladimir Jurowski
Gabriel Prokofiev: Violin Concerto (“1914”)
Sep 20
Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg Symphony / Alexander Shelley
Pieces from Escape to Paradise: The Hollywood Album
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Sep 21
Frankfurt, Germany
Alte Oper Frankfurt
Lecture/Recital
with the String Quartet of the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra; Christopher Park, violin
Sep 22
Frankfurt, Germany
Alte Oper Frankfurt / Sebastian Weigle
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Sep 28
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich Chamber Orchestra / Sir Roger Norrington
Mozart: Concerto in in C Major, K. 190 (186e) for Two Violins and Orchestra
with Willi Zimmermann, violin
Sep 30
Toronto, ON
Koerner Hall
Soundstreams / Joaquin Valdepeñas
Max Richter: Vivaldi Recomposed
Oct 4
London, UK
Royal Albert Hall
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra
Richter: Vivaldi Recomposed
with the Max Richter Ensemble
Oct 7
Bristol, UK
St. George’s Bristol
BBC Radio 3 Live in Concert
Brahms: Scherzo in C Minor from the FAE Sonata
Schumann: Romanze
Brahms: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 108
Mendelssohn: Two Lieder: Auf Flügeln des Gesanges; Hexenlied
Joachim: Romance in C
Brahms: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in G, Op. 78
with Sebastian Knauer, piano
Oct 18, 20
Ghent, Belgium
Brussels Philharmonic / Michel Tabachnik
Britten: Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 15
Oct 22
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Luxembourg Philharmonic / Sascha Goetzel
War and Pieces: A Concert on the Occasion of the World War One Centenary
Gabriel Prokofiev: Violin Concerto (“1914”)
Oct 28
New York, NY
Carnegie Hall
A Distant Drum
With:
Christopher Hope, Libretto
Ralf Schmid, Music Director, Composer, and Keyboards
Vincent Ségal, Cello
Jason Marsalis, Percussion
Michael Olatuja, Bass
Andrew Tracey, Music Supervisor
Nat Ramabulana Actor
Christiaan Schoombie, Actor
Nov 13, 14
Groningen, Netherlands
North Netherlands Orchestra / Yu Lu
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Nov 20–28
German tour with NDR Radio Philharmonic / Andrew Manze
Miklós Rósza: Prelude and Love Theme from the film Spellbound
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35
Kurt Weill: Suite for Violin and Orchestra
Nov 20: Hannover, Germany
Nov 23: Düsseldorf, Germany
Nov 24: Braunschweig, Germany
Nov 25: Osnabrück, Germany
Nov 28: Berlin, Germany
Dec 1
Berlin, Germany
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Axel Kober
National Singing Competition: finals
Dec 7
Seoul, South Korea
Sejong Chamber Music Hall
Mahler: Piano Quartet in A minor
Schumann: Piano Quartet, Op. 47
Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
with Paul Neubauer, viola; David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano
Dec 8
Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Arts Center
Brahms: Scherzo from the F-A-E Sonata
Clara Schumann: Romance Op. 22, No. 1
Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Op. 78
Mendelssohn: Two Lieder: Auf Flügeln des Gesanges, Hexenlied
Joachim: Romance Op. 2, No. 1
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 in C Minor
with Sebastian Knauer, piano
Jan 16, 17
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra / Edo de Waart
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Jan 20
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Performances
Lera Auerbach: Trio No. 3
Lera Auerbach: Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano
with Joshua Roman, cello; Lera Auerbach, piano
Jan 23, 24
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio Symphony / Sebastian Lang-Lessing
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Feb 18
Paris, France
Paris Chamber Orchestra / Thomas Dausgaard
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26
Feb 24
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Bach: Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 for two Violins, Strings, and Continuo
Vivaldi: Concerto in A minor, Op. 3/8 for two Violins, Strings, and Continuo
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8
with Willi Zimmermann, violin
Feb 25
Chur, Switzerland
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Bach: Concerto in D minor, BWV 1043 for two Violins, Strings, and Continuo
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Op. 8
With Willi Zimmermann, violin
Feb 28–April 15
U.S. tour with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Mahler: Piano Quartet in A minor
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47
Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
with Paul Neubauer, viola; David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano
Feb 28: Richmond, VA
March 1: New York, NY (Alice Tully Hall)
March 2: Chicago, IL
March 3: New York, NY (Alice Tully Hall)
April 4: Savannah, GA
April 6: Santa Fe, NM
April 7: Urbana, IL
April 8: Toronto, ON
April 10: Washington, DC
April 11: Detroit, MI
April 13: Princeton, NJ
April 14: Vancouver, BC
April 15: Costa Mesa, CA
March 6, 7, 8
Madison, WI
Madison Symphony Orchestra / John DeMain
Korngold: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
March 19–April 4
Savannah, GA
Savannah Music Festival
May 31
Ahrensburg, Germany
Eduard-Söring-Saal
Recital with Sebastian Knauer
Westhoff: Suite No. 5 in D minor and Imitazione delle Campane
Schulhoff: Sonata
Biber: Passacaglia from the Mystery Sonatas
Penderecki: Cadenza
Schnittke: A Paganini
J.S. Bach: Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004
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