Under the baton of conductor Vladimir Kulenović, the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra will follow the path of the tone A, which links pieces by Gustav Mahler, Benjamin Britten and Arvo Pärt. The concert from the series For Adventurers, scheduled on Friday, 4 March (Kolarac, 8pm), will also feature the BPO percussion duo, performing an attractive piece for two marimbas and orchestra, by Japanese composer Keiko Abe.
 
From the perspective of the ubiquitous tone A, the Belgrade Philharmonic adventurers will explore pieces of the composers who built on and completed the works of their predecessor. Commemorating 40 years since Britten’s death, homage to the English composer opens with Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, in which Pärt admired the simplicity and purity of Britten’s style, and ends with the solemn Sinfonia da Requiem, Britten’s most significant orchestral work. The music of this composer ‘echoes’ with Mahler’s distinctive style, which the audience will be able to discern in the Adagio from his Symphony No 10.
 
“The tone A represents pure life, orchestral pitch standard, the centre of all octaves. In Mahler, it is symbolically present since his Symphony No 1, while in the Tenth, although on the verge of abyss, his A survives in the end. This tone returns in Britten’s symphony, as well as in Pärt, who was greatly influenced by Britten”, said Vladimir Kulenović, Resident Conductor at the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra.
 
Perpetual energy and movement of percussionists Ivan Marjanović and Aleksandar Radulović will be at the core of Keiko Abe’s piece Prism Rhapsody II. Although is tempo is quick, the dramatic aspect and expressiveness do not become less significant, allowing the duo to demonstrate a wide range of emotions.
 
The fourth concert of the series dedicated to Adventurers, for which the orchestra directed by Daniel Raiskin and featuring clarinettist Martin Fröst are preparing another musical challenge, is scheduled on 15 April.