Brussels Philharmonic, Ilan Volkov & Ilya Gringolts

Welcome to the 19th edition of Klarafestival! The theme Crossroads - Come Together keenly evokes the convergence of the audience, the artists and their inspiring concerts. A meeting place where the leading lights of international classical music enter into dialogue with challenging creations and young talent. 

The inspiration for this edition comes from festival artist Claron McFadden. As she told us in an interview, “I stand at a crossroads where styles and generations cross, meet, and collide”. This notion forms the core of the programme. We hope you will enjoy Klarafestival as a sanctuary of hope, polyphony and beauty in all its forms. As a place where the familiar takes on new meaning and where new experiences take you by surprise. 

Jan Raes, chairman

Joost Fonteyne, intendant

Chantal Pattyn, manager Klara

Another Mélisande

‘A musical omnivore’ or ‘guardian of contemporary music’, is how conductor Ilan Volkov is sometimes described. Internationally, he is regarded as a perceptive conductor who renders a clear and enthusiastic interpretation of the most complicated scores, from romantic repertoire to new compositions. So the complex score of Schönberg’s Pelleas und Melisande is right up his alley. In this extensive symphonic poem, Schönberg (1874-1951) shaped the inner conflicts of the characters from Maeterlinck’s eponymous play in a tone language that falls just within the boundaries of tonality and romance.

Volkov also found an excellent partner-in-crime for exploring new horizons in the all-rounder Brussels Philharmonic. This time they will perform the world premiere of the brand new violin concerto Überlala / Song of Million Paths by Croatian composer Mirela Ivičević (1980), with Ilya Gringolts as the soloist.

Expressing the unspeakable

It was none other than Richard Strauss (1864-1949) who gave Schönberg the idea for Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5. He was convinced that Schönberg was the ideal composer to turn the eponymous theatre play by symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck into an opera. In July 1902, Schönberg began composing, and although he had been won over to the idea of an opera, he eventually changed his mind: ‘I had originally thought of setting Pelleas et Mélisande as an opera, but gave up on this plan later, although I did not know that Debussy was working on his opera at the same time. I still regret not having realised my original intention. The wonderful aura of that drama might not have been caught to quite the same extent, but I would certainly have brought the characters to life more lyrically. On the other hand, the symphonic poem helped me to translate the different moods and characters into precisely formulated units, a technique that might not have worked so well in an opera.’

Schönberg did not just give in to the form of a symphonic poem; that choice stemmed from his admiration at the time for Strauss’s Tone Poems and the great movements from the early symphonies of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): ‘When Mahler and Strauss appeared on the musical stage, they were so fascinating that every musician was immediately forced to take a stand, either for or against. As a 23-year-old, my enthusiasm was quickly aroused, and so I began composing one-part, uninterrupted symphonic poems, following the example of Mahler and Strauss.’

Un rêve qui ne s'arrête pas

Like his earlier symphonic poem Verklärte Nacht from 1899, Schönberg’s Pelleas und Melisande is a long, compelling metamorphosis of themes and motifs. Nevertheless, there is some structure to be found in the work. According to Alban Berg, one of Schönberg's students, there are four movements that follow the story closely. From the meeting between Golaud and the beautiful, mysterious Mélisande in the dense forest, to the fatal relationship between her, Golaud (whom she marries) and Pelléas (with whom Mélisande develops a spiritual affinity). The intrigues lead to a gruesome end: Golaud murders his brother, Mélisande dies in childbirth and finally Golaud succumbs to madness.

During a radio interview in 1949, Schönberg indicated that, apart from a few omissions and small changes in the order of the scenes, he had tried to represent every detail. And that, ‘as often happens in music’, he had given the love scenes a little more space. That said, it is mainly the destructive and dark passion that prevails in his translation of Maeterlinck's story.

After the premiere at the Vienna Musikverein in 1905, the audience was harsh in its criticism: ‘The premiere, which I conducted myself, caused a riot among the audience and even among the critics. The reviews were unusually mean – one even suggested putting me away in an insane asylum and keeping all music paper out of my reach!’ Fortunately, a few years later, the harsh opinions had already softened to statements such as ‘comfortable to listen to ’.

Sonic Fiction

Boundless, energetic and compelling. Those are the adjectives that pop up most often when you google the name Mirela Ivičević. The Croatian composer studied in Zagreb with Zeljko Brkanovic, but soon traded her native country for Vienna to specialise in media composition and electro-acoustics. And also to broaden her view of the world, because that’s what she often does. Ivičević doesn’t think in boxes. For her, new music is not a genre but a way of thinking: ‘Limiting yourself to one genre or idea is not helpful for my thought process. What most interests me is to create spaces in which differences can interact with each other.’

Ivičević says she creates ‘sonic fictions’, surreal worlds in which the most diverse sounds and languages can coexist. Her works take the form of a patchwork quilt, with abruptly changing structures, distorted noises, and fragments of sound. As such Ivičević starts from recognisable sounds that she takes from their everyday reality and transposes to a new acoustic world: ‘I make new connections in order to question the old ones, to perceive and understand them differently. From that point of view, it’s like a movie; you create a dream, an illusion. But the illusion offers the opportunity to express something essential.’

When composing commissioned works, Ivičević keeps the personality and technical ability of the soloist in question in mind: ‘Working closely with a musician, and getting to know their character, preferences or even hidden talents, opens up so many additional possibilities; it makes me more adventurous in trying out new things and usually yields my best works.’ But she is equally surprised by the magic of the moment and the way a musician interprets her score. It will be interesting to see what sparks will fly in the hands of Ilya Gringolts, Ilan Volkov and the Brussels Philharmonic.

Aurélie Walschaert 

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Read the composer's note by Mirela Ivičević

Brussels Philharmonic

The current Brussels Philharmonic was founded in 1935 as the symphony orchestra of the Belgian public broadcast service and has been an independent institution since 1998. The orchestra is in residence at Flagey and has been led since 2022 by music director Kazushi Ono, who, together with the orchestra, is committed to bringing both the symphonic repertoire and contemporary music to a wide audience. In addition, the Brussels Philharmonic has an affinity for film music: it has recorded several soundtracks and even won an Oscar in 2012 with the music for The Artist. Outside of Flanders and Brussels, the orchestra has played on international stages such as Carnegie Hall New York, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Wiener Musikverein and the Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg.

Ilan Volkov

Israeli conductor Ilan Volkov became the youngest ever chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 2003 and has since grown into an internationally acclaimed conductor with a focus on 20th and 21st century music. In 2012, he founded the Tectonics Festival for contemporary music in Glasgow, which has now also taken place in New York, Reykjavik and Adelaide, among other locations. Together with Ilja Gringolts, he founded the I&I Foundation, which supports the creation of new music through composition commissions and structural collaborations with concert organisations. Since 2022, he has been permanent guest conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic, where he oversees and further develops performances of contemporary music.

Ilya Gringolts

Russian violinist Ilya Gringolts is internationally known for his virtuosity and versatile knowledge of the repertoire. In addition to his interpretations of the core repertoire, he focuses on historical performance practice as well as on premieres by contemporary composers such as Peter Maxwell Davies, Beat Furrer and Chaya Czernowin. He is the founder and first violinist of the Gringolts Quartet and has collaborated with, among others, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. His extensive and acclaimed discography includes award-winning recordings of Paganini's Capriccios and the collected violin music of Igor Stravinsky.

Lise Bruyneel

Lise Bruyneel studied cello and art history and started her career as a cellist before becoming an opera and visual dramaturge at Staatsoper Berlin, National Opera Amsterdam and Opéra de Paris. In 2009 she founded La fabrique des regards, with which she investigates the relationship between sound, movement and image for various types of artistic projects. As a visual dramaturge and graphic designer, she has worked for, among others, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Le Phénix Valenciennes, Festival 20-21 Leuven, Silbersee Amsterdam and the Ruhrtriennale. Since 2013, Bruyneel has been developing live videos for classical concerts in a personal and layered style that combines different visual elements.

Musical Direction

Ilan Volkov

Soloists

Ilya Gringolts, violin solo

Violin 1 (14)

Otto Derolez - Concertmaster

Eric Baeten - Principal

Olivia Bergeot - Tutti

Annelies Broeckhoven - Tutti

Cristina Constantinescu - Tutti

Justine Rigutto - Tutti

Kristina Rimkeviciute - Tutti

Elizaveta Rybentseva - Tutti

Anton Skakun - Tutti

Alissa Vaitsner - Tutti

Gillis Veldeman  - Tutti

Reinout Pauwels - Tutti

Veerle Van Roosbroeck - Tutti

NN - Tutti

Violin 2 (12)

Samuel Nemtanu - Principal

Aline Janeczek - Tutti

Mireille Kovac - Tutti

Eléonore Malaboeuf - Tutti

Sayoko Mundy - Tutti

Eline Pauwels - Tutti

Julien Poli - Tutti

Stefanie Van Backlé - Tutti

Zofia Hutnik - Tutti

Rui Edgar Maia Gomes - Tutti

Pierre Vopat - Tutti

Anna Zaitseva - Tutti

Viola (10)

Mihai Cocea - Principal

Griet François - Solist

Philippe Allard - Tutti

Thi Ngoc Phung Ha - Tutti

Hélène Koerver - Tutti

Agnieszka Kosakowska - Tutti

Stephan Uelpenich - Tutti

Patricia Van Reusel - Tutti

José-Miguel Almeida Freitas - Tutti

Barbara Peynsaert - Tutti

Violoncello (8)

Karel Steylaerts - Principal

Barbara Gerarts - Tutti

Julius Clément - Tutti

Sophie Jomard - Tutti

Emmanuel Tondus - Tutti

Elke Wynants - Tutti

Myriam Baumann - Tutti

Sylvain Ruffier - Tutti

Double Bass (6)

Simon Luce - Principal

Thomas Fiorini - Tutti

Daniele Giampaolo - Tutti

Luzia Correia Rendeiro Vieira - Tutti

Maria Alejandra Rony Rojas - Tutti

Maarten Taelman - Tutti

Flute (4)

Wouter Van den Eynde - Principal

Lieve Schuermans - Principal

Sarah Miller - Tutti

Jill Jeschek - Soloist

Oboe (4)

Joris Van den Hauwe - Principal

Maarten Wijnen - Principal

Emily Ross - Tutti

Lode Cartrysse - Soloist

Clarinet (5)

Anne Boeykens - Principal

Danny Corstjens - Soloist

Hannelore Vermeir - Tutti

Midori Mori - Solist

Elena Herrero Vega - Solist

Bassoon (4)

Karsten Przybyl  - Principal

Kamil Szulc - Tutti

Christine Pieters - Tutti

Jonas Coomans - Soloist

Horn (8)

Hans van der Zanden - Principal

Luc van den Hove - Tutti

Pierre Buizer - Solist

Claudia Rigoni  - Tutti

Joost van der Elst -  Principal

Marta Sofia Freixo Moreira - Tutti

Henk Veldt - Solist

Frans van Gorsel - Tutti

Trumpet (4)

Ward Hoornaert - Principal

Carmen Estibaliz Collado Castillo - Principal

Diego Hernandez Torres - Tutti

Luc Sirjacques  - Tutti

Trombone (5)

Bruno De Busschere - Principal

William Foster - Soloist

João Miguel Mendes Canelas - Tutti

Vanessa Bailén Fuentes - Tutti

Tim Van Medegael - Soloist

Tuba (1)

Jean Xhonneux - Soloist

Timpani (2)

Gert D'haese - Principal

Luk Artois -  Soloist

Percussion (4)

Titus Franken - Soloist

Stijn Schoofs - Soloist

Bart Swimberghe - Tutti

Miguel Sánchez Cobo - Tutti

Gideon Van Canneyt - Tutti

Harp (2)

Eline Groslot - Soloist

Emma Wauters - Tutti

Piano (1)

Anastasia Goldberg - Soloist