Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment presents Der Rosenkavalier
Monday 10 September 7.30pm – Darlington Hippodrome
More than three decades ago, a group of London musicians took a good look at that curious institution we call the Orchestra, and decided to start again from scratch. They began by throwing out the rulebook. Put a single conductor in charge? No way. Specialise in repertoire of a particular era? Too restricting. Perfect a work and then move on? Too lazy. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment was born.
Since then, the OAE has shocked, changed and mesmerised the music world. Residencies at the Southbank Centre and Glyndebourne haven’t numbed its experimentalist bent. Record deals haven’t ironed out its quirks. Period-specific instruments have become just one element of its quest for authenticity.
Today the OAE is cherished more than ever. It still pushes for change, and still stands for excellence, diversity and exploration. There’s still no orchestra in the world quite like it.
On Monday, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment goes to the cinema with a recreation of a remarkable cinema event that first took place in 1926.
Enjoy the big screen adaptation of Richard Strauss’ great comic opera DER ROSENKAVALIER, accompanied by a live orchestra playing the music Strauss himself wrote to accompany the film.
Once thought lost, the silent film captures the subtleties of the opera’s comedy of manners. Playing on instruments from the time the music was written, this is the orchestra’s first visit to Darlington with a production that has toured as far as Shanghai and Vienna.
FREE Curtain Raiser – 6.30pm
At 6.30pm there is a FREE curtain raiser showcasing the results of a creative project with young people.
In July 2018, Darlington’s Wyvern Academy took part in a creative project led by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment with the support of Durham Music Service, in which young musicians composed a live musical soundtrack for a short film, through a series of workshops with renowned music leader James Redwood, several OAE players and a trainee music leader.
The created soundtrack has been orchestrated so that additional members of the OAE can join the young musicians for a pre-concert performance of the new music together with the projected film, prior to the performance and screening of Der Rosenkavalier.
The audience for Der Rosenkavalier is invited to arrive early for this free but ticketed event celebrating the contemporary film music work of local young people.
