Düsseldorfer Symphoniker

Beethoven loved to go for a walk. The streams and valleys, swamps and forests of his surroundings were both pleasure and inspiration for him. Any composer seeking inspiration today can travel the world. The exploration of foreign countries and cultures opens up wonderful views, not least of his own existence. Beethoven left hardly any traces in his landscapes. Only his music – and especially his “Pastorale” – tells of his impressions. The traveller of today is part of the great machinery which, in the course of the supposed availability throughout the whole world, severely affects it: Urban sprawl, littering, poisoning are among his traces.
We confront Beethoven’s “Pastorale” with a new work by New Zealander John Psathas: a percussion concerto for the furious percussionist Alexej Gerassimez. Together with Gerassimez, Psathas develops a piece whose three movements pose three questions: Do we continue like this? Are we looking at what we have swept under the carpet for decades? How do we achieve the great turning point? And the composition also sets an example in terms of sustainability: Gerassimez’s percussion arsenal includes instruments made of recycled material. Garbage never sounded more beautiful!