Dreams and Utopia
Caroline Widmann leader
Hildegard von Bingen: Antiphon Spiritus sanctus vivificans vita, antiphon
Franz Schreker: Geburtstag der Infantin
Richard Strauss: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, Op. 8
Please note that there will be no intermission during the concert.
Caroline Widmann has become known for her distinctive violin artistry and open-minded concert programming. Hildegard von Bingen’s antiphons, dating back nearly nine hundred years, unfold as unpredictable and ecstatic melodies. Even without words, they exude a feminine theology in which woman stands at the center of creation. Oscar Wilde’s story of a Spanish princess’s birthday is tragic, but Franz Schreker’s 1908 dance pantomime “Der Geburtstag der Infantin” focuses on the beauty of the celebration. The concert program also features a true rarity: Richard Strauss’s Romantic Violin Concerto, Op. 8, which the 17-year-old composer sketched in his math notebook.
