Endangered Idyll

November 5, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
November 7, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.
November 8, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
Tonhalle Düsseldorf

Originally conceived for Earth Day in 2020 and postponed due to the pandemic, this concert program now serves as an occasion for the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker to introduce themselves as members of “Orchester des Wandels” in the third symphony concert of the season. In addition to raising funds for the Madagascar project, donations will also benefit regional environmental initiatives.

The first part of the program dedicated to the resource “water”: after Debussy's “Syrinx” for solo flute, the new Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra “Leviathan” by John Psathas focuses on the pollution of the oceans by plastic waste. And this also comes very vividly: Soloist Alexej Gerassimez will play on recycled instruments that were collected as garbage from the world's oceans.

The description of nature as an idyll in Beethoven's “Pastorale”, forms the contrast in the second part of the program.

For guests in the foyer: the Aquazoo Düsseldorf will be present with some endangered amphibians, as well as the cargo cyclists from the “Schokofahrt” initiative. They offer chocolate that has been transported completely emission-free: the cocoa beans are brought from the Caribbean to Amsterdam on the sailing ship "Tres Hombres", where they are processed into high-quality chocolate bars with the help of solar energy. The bars are then picked up by bike and driven to many German cities. In keeping with the famous bird calls of the “Pastorale”, the NABU book “Die Vogelwelt von Düsseldorf und Umgebung” (Schumann / Krause) which aims to arouse interest in the native bird species and their protection will also be available for sale.

Ruth Legelli, flute
Alexej Gerassimez, percussion
Alpesh Chauhan, conductor
Düsseldorfer Symphoniker