Daniel Hope & Zurich Chamber Orchestra Celebrate Seven Centuries of DANCE! with New DG Double Album (Feb 2) & 12-City German Tour (Feb 8–23)

(December 2023) — For violinist Daniel Hope, February 2 brings the physical and digital release of DANCE! by Deutsche Grammophon. Tracing the history of Western dance from medieval times to the 20th century, this imaginatively programmed new double album offers almost two hours of music by Purcell, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Offenbach, Price, Bartók, Piazzolla and others, in styles that range from Baroque opera and Russian ballet to klezmer, tango and swing. As on five of the violinist’s previous titles, he is partnered on the recording by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZCO), of which he is now in his eighth season as Music Director. He and the ensemble celebrate the new release with live accounts of the dance-themed program on their upcoming twelve-city German tour (Feb 8–23). Highlights include dates in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Munich and Hamburg, where they give two sold-out performances at the city’s already iconic Elbphilharmonie. Meanwhile listeners can sample two advance tracks from DANCE!: the Second Waltz from Shostakovich’s Suite for Variety Orchestra is available here, and Florence Price’s “Ticklin’ Toes” will be released on January 19.

Hope explains:

“The great thing about dance, whoever you are, wherever you come from, is that if you get together with others in one room, you’ll most likely feel the rhythm at the same time and, eventually, even move together. There’s a lot to be said for that in today’s world.”

In an illuminating liner note that accompanies the recording, British journalist Andrew Stewart writes: “Daniel Hope’s DANCE! is a magical history tour, revealing the ways in which western musicians have taken dance to heart across seven centuries.” This owes much to the violinist’s in-depth research and creative curation, which see early European works like the Lamento di Tristano, preserved in a 14th-century Tuscan manuscript, rub shoulders with Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” performed as a homage to the jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli, whom Hope met at the home of his childhood mentor, Yehudi Menuhin. Other works range from Offenbach’s instantly recognizable “Galop infernal (Can-can)” to Mozart’s lesser-known Rondo for Violin and Orchestra, heard with a cadenza by Hope himself. The wide-ranging program also features several of the violinist’s personal favorites, including Saint-Saëns’s Danse macabre and Erwin Schulhoff’s “Alla Tarantella.”

The traditional Ukrainian klezmer tune Odessa Bulgar is heard alongside compositions inspired by the folk dances of Hungary and Romania by Brahms, Leó Weiner and Bartók. Similar folk echoes resound in the late Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa, which draws on Polish dance rhythms; the syncopations of “Ticklin’ Toes,” the last of Florence Price’s Three Little Negro Dances; Bizet’s “Farandole,” which takes inspiration from a Provençal jig; the tavern sounds of Schubert’s Deutsche Tänze; Ravel’s Habanera, which offers a Cuban blend of Europe and Africa; and the “Rigaudon” from Handel’s Water Music, a French folkdance repurposed for a British king. Lully captures the spirit of 17th-century Parisian street dance in his “Marche pour la cérémonie des turcs,” while the Italian Renaissance and Baroque are represented by Tarquinio Merula and Evaristo Felice Dall’abaco; the Spanish fandango craze by Nicola Conforto; a range of English dance styles by Matthew Locke, Purcell, Elgar and Britten; Russian ballet by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Prokofiev, alongside the waltz by their compatriot Shostakovich; and Argentine tangos by Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel. Many of the works are heard in original arrangements by Paul Bateman, with whom Hope has collaborated regularly since 2013.

In live performance, a closely related dance program takes Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra to Stuttgart (Feb 8), Freiburg (Feb 9), Frankfurt (Feb 11), Hanover (Feb 12), Berlin (Feb 13), Düsseldorf (Feb 15), Cologne (Feb 16), Munich (Feb 17), Nuremberg (Feb 19), Hamburg (Feb 20 & 21), Wiesbaden (Feb 22) and Friedrichshafen (Feb 23). See full details of the tour program below.

As Gramophone writes: “There are few figures in today’s classical music who so perfectly embody the role of ambassador for music as Daniel Hope.” Recognized with five Grammy nominations, a Classical Brit Award and the European Culture Prize for Music, the violinist has enjoyed a thriving international solo career for more than 30 years. His relationship with the ZCO dates back to his childhood, when the Swiss orchestra served under Menuhin as ensemble-in-residence at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy. DANCE! marks Hope’s sixth recording with the ZCO; since 2016, when he succeeded Roger Norrington as Music Director of the conductor-less ensemble, they have already released Journey to Mozart (2018), Belle Époque (2020), Serenades (2020), Hope (2021) and, most recently, America (2022).

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Before embarking on tour with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Hope completes his 2023 lineup with ARTE TV’s Daniel Hope & Friends in New York. Usually captured at his Berlin home, this year’s edition of his annual holiday concert is broadcast from New York, where the violinist joins American soprano Ailyn Pérez, French pianist Lise de la Salle, Jamaican-American reggae star Shaggy, Sri Lankan pianist Rohan de Silva, Canadian pianist Bryan Wagorn, 16-year-old New York-based violinist Fiona Khuong-Huu and American jazz pianist and composer Marcus Roberts, appearing with his trio, for repertoire ranging from classical works to jazz numbers, traditional pieces and a Christmas classic. Celebrating friendship between nations, their festive program premieres on December 23 at 1pm ET on YouTube, where it will remain for streaming on demand.

Hope says:

“For the third consecutive year, the ARTE television network has asked me to produce a Christmas/Holiday Season special, featuring a wide variety of musical genres performed by some of the world’s finest musicians. This is a continuation of my Hope@Home series, which I launched during the pandemic and which saw the creation of 150 episodes. This time, we will broadcast from the heart of New York City.”

To download high-resolution photos, click here.

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Daniel Hope: DANCE
Artists: Daniel Hope, violin and musical direction; Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Release date: Feb 2, 2024
Format: 2CD set; digital streaming and downloads
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Volume 1
SHOSTAKOVICH (arr. Paul Bateman): Waltz No. 2 from Suite for Variety Orchestra
SAINT-SAËNS (arr. Paul Bateman): Danse macabre
PROKOFIEV (arr. Paul Bateman): “Dance of the Knights” from Romeo and Juliet
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. Paul Bateman): “Pas de deux” from Swan Lake
MOZART: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in B-flat (cadenza: Daniel Hope)
SCHUBERT: Deutsche Tänze Nos. 1–5
BIZET (arr. Paul Bateman): “Farandole” from L’Arlésienne
OFFENBACH (arr. Paul Bateman): “Can-can (Galop infernal)” from Orphée aux enfers
BRAHMS (arr. Paul Bateman): Hungarian Dance No. 5
TRADITIONAL: Odessa Bulgar
GARDEL (arr. Paul Bateman): Por una cabeza
PIAZZOLLA: Escualo
BARTÓK (arr. Arthur Willner): Román népi táncok (“Romanian Folk Dances”)

Volume 2
LULLY: “Marche pour la cérémonie des turcs” from Le bourgeois gentilhomme
HANDEL: “Rigaudon” from Water Music
LOCKE: “Lilk” from The Tempest
PURCELL: “Curtain Tune on a Ground” from Timon of Athens
DALL’ABACO: Three movements from Concerto a più istrumenti in D
MERULA: Ciaccona
ANONYMOUS (16th century): Saltarello
CONFORTO: “Fandango” from L’Endimione
ANONYMOUS (14th century): Lamento di Tristano (e la rotta)
WEINER (arr. Paul Bateman): “Róka-Tánc” (Fox Dance) from Divertimento No. 1 (on Old Hungarian Folk Dances)
KILAR: Orawa
ELGAR (arr. Paul Bateman): Minuet in A minor
PRICE (arr. Olivier Fourés): “Ticklin’ Toes” from Three Little Negro Dances
ELLINGTON: “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”
SCHULHOFF: “Alla Tarantella” from Five Pieces for String Quartet
BRITTEN: “Romance” from Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
STRAVINSKY (arr. Paul Bateman): “Tarantella” from Pulcinella
RAVEL (arr. Georges Catherine): Vocalise-étude en forme de Habanera

Daniel Hope & Zurich Chamber Orchestra: German tour (Feb 8–23)
Feb 8: Stuttgart (Liederhalle)
Feb 9: Freiburg (Konzerthaus)
Feb 11: Frankfurt (Alte Oper)
Feb 12: Hanover (NDR Sendesaal)
Feb 13: Berlin (Konzerthaus)
Feb 15: Düsseldorf (Tonhalle)
Feb 16: Cologne (Philharmonie)
Feb 17: Munich (Prinzregententheater)
Feb 19: Nuremberg (Meistersingerhalle)
Feb 20 & 21: Hamburg (Elbphilharmonie)
Feb 22: Wiesbaden (Kurhaus)
Feb 23: Friedrichshafen (Graf-Zeppelin-Haus)
GLUCK: “Dance of the Furies” from Orfeo ed Euridice
ANONYMOUS (14th century): Lamento di Tristano (e la rotta)
HANDEL: “Rigaudon” from Water Music
DALL’ABACO: Three movements from Concerto a più istrumenti in D
CONFORTO: “Fandango” from L’Endimione
MOZART: Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in B-flat (cadenza: Daniel Hope)
SCHUBERT: Deutsche Tänze Nos. 1–5
BIZET (arr. Paul Bateman): “Farandole” from L’Arlésienne
BARTÓK (arr. Arthur Willner): Román népi táncok (“Romanian Folk Dances”)
SCHULHOFF: “Alla Tarantella” from Five Pieces for String Quartet
TRADITIONAL: Odessa Bulgar
PRICE (arr. Olivier Fourés): “Ticklin’ Toes” from Three Little Negro Dances
KILAR: Orawa
TCHAIKOVSKY (arr. Paul Bateman): “Pas de deux” from Swan Lake
OFFENBACH (arr. Paul Bateman): “Can-can (Galop infernal)” from Orphée aux enfers
SAINT-SAËNS (arr. Paul Bateman): Danse macabre
PROKOFIEV (arr. Paul Bateman): “Dance of the Knights” from Romeo and Juliet
PIAZZOLLA: Escualo

Daniel Hope: other upcoming engagements
Dec 31
Chur, Switzerland
Schloss Elmau
New Year’s Eve concert
With Jacques Ammon, piano; Joscho Stephan, guitar
Works by KREISLER, GERSHWIN, PORTER and others

Jan 16
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich Chamber Orchestra
“Dance!” (see above)

Jan 18
Vienna, Austria
Theater in der Josefstadt
“Paradise”
With Sebastian Koch, actor
Works by BACH, DEBUSSY, SCHULHOFF and others, with texts by Rumi, Jelinek, Dostoyevsky and more (in German)

Jan 27
Detroit, MI
Seligman Performing Arts Center
“La Belle Epoque”
With Maxim Lando, piano
ENESCU: Impromptu Concertant
KREISLER: Liebesleid
RAVEL: Sonata (“Posthume”)
SCHOENBERG: Piece for Violin and Piano in D minor
FAURÉ: Andante
KREISLER-DVOŘÁK: Slavonic Fantasy
FRANCK: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A

Feb 1, 2 & 4
Neubrandenburg, Germany
Neubrandenburg Philharmonic / Daniel Geiss
BRITTEN: Violin Concerto

March 8–10: California concerts with New Century Chamber Orchestra

March 8 & 9: San Francisco, CA (Presidio Theatre)

March 10: Palo Alto, CA (Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University)
New Century Chamber Orchestra
“Playing With Structure”
With Sterling Elliott, cello
GLUCK: “Dance of the Furies” from Orfeo ed Euridice
BLOCH: “Prayer” from Jewish Life, No. 1
HAYDN: Cello Concerto No. 1 in C
STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella Suite

March 17–19: Swiss concerts with Zurich Chamber Orchestra

March 17: Chur

March 18: Bern (Casino)

March 19: Zurich (Tonhalle)
With Oliver Schnyder, piano
BACH: Double Violin Concerto
BRUCH, arr. E. Causa: Double Concerto for Violin and Viola
MOZART: Divertimento in D from Salzburg Symphony No. 1

April 20–28: Transatlantic “Irish Roots” tour with AIR Ensemble (Simos Papanas, violin; Emanuele Forni, lute and Baroque guitar; Nicola Mosca, cello; Michael Metzler, percussion; Markellos Chryssicos, harpsichord)

April 20: Essen, Germany (Philharmonie)

April 23: Montreal, Canada

April 24: Toronto, Canada

April 27 & 28: Minneapolis, MN
Irish folk music and works by VIVALDI, PURCELL, OSWALD and others

April 25 & 26
St. Paul, MN
Ordway Concert Hall
Recital with Simon Crawford-Phillips, piano
“La Belle Époque”
ENESCU: Impromptu Concertant
KREISLER: Liebesleid
RAVEL: Sonata (“Posthume”)
SCHOENBERG: Piece for Violin and Piano in D minor
FAURÉ: Andante
KREISLER-DVOŘÁK: Slavonic Fantasy
FRANCK: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A

April 30
San Francisco, CA
Chamber Music SF
Herbst Theatre
Recital with Simon Crawford-Phillips, piano
ENESCU: Impromptu Concertant
RAVEL: Sonata (“Posthume”)
Jake HEGGIE: Fantasy Suite 1803 (U.S. premiere)
FRANCK: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A

May 2–4: California concerts with New Century Chamber Orchestra

May 2: Berkeley, CA (First Congregational Church)

May 3: Rohnert Park, CA (Green Music Center, Sonoma State University)

May 4: San Francisco, CA (Presidio Theatre)
With Awadagin Pratt, piano
PERKINSON: Grass, Poem for Piano, Strings & Percussion
DIAMOND: Rounds for strings
PRICE (arr. Paul Bateman): “Adoration” for violin and strings
BERNSTEIN: Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium)

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© 21C Media Group, December 2023