Classical and spacy

The month of December will be a true delight for lovers of classical music as well as for those who prefer slightly more futuristic sounds. Come and visit the “Salon de Helen Buchholtz” or experience a truly unique musical experience at the closing event of the “The Sound of Data” project in Esch-Belval.

In line with the European spirit of Esch2022, the project  “Le Salon de Helen Buchholtz” sheds light on the life and work of Helen Buchholtz and contextualises this reality in relation to other countries, eras or social environments.

In this context, “Le Salon de Helen Buchholtz” revives and reinterprets the idea of the “salon”, focusing on the person of Helen Buchholtz, her family and activities, her environment, her era, her hometown of Esch-Alzette and, above all, her music and the music of her time.

Helen Buchholtz (1877 – 1953) was born into a family from Esch-Alzette. Throughout her entire life, she composed music and left behind a collection of 138 works. Today she occupies a special place in the history of the Luxembourgish and especially the Esch-Alzette musical world.

The “Salon de Helen Buchholtz” includes a variety of events such as concerts, readings, conferences, film screenings, educational workshops, masterclasses, participatory activities and artist residencies in an exceptional setting designed by Christian Aschman in the style of the “salon” at the Bidderhaus.

This December, the Salon will once again host musical evenings and thematic lectures on the life and era of the remarkable Helen Buchholtz. We hope to see you at one of these events!

 

However, if you are looking for something a little less classical and a little more contemporary, you have the opportunity to attend the final event of the  “The Sound of Data” project at the Rockhal in Esch-Belval on 3 December, with Max Cooper as the headliner.

This Esch2022 project is the result of a collaboration between the Fonds national de la recherche du Luxembourg (FNR), the University of Luxembourg, the Institut luxembourgeois des sciences et de la technologie (LIST) and the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées; Rockhal & Rocklab. The goal of the project is to bring together the worlds of science and music in the Belval district of Esch-Alzette. In this context, the musicians who participated in the artist residency in the summer of 2022 are transforming scientific data into music by using the innovative and experimental method of data sonification.

The results of this creative process, led by Valery Vermeulen, will be presented at the final event of the project “The Sound of Data – Science meets Music”.

Discover the December programme of “Le Salon de Helen Buchholtz” below:

Clairières dans le ciel
La mélodie française par les compositrices
02.12.22 – 8pm
Bridderhaus, 1 Rue Léon Metz, 4238 Esch-sur-Alzette

Join Cyrille Dubois (tenor) and Tristan Raës (piano), an award-winning duo (Diapason d’Or, Choc Classica de l’Année), and discover a magnificent and little-known repertoire, which often reveals a striking modernity. Lili Boulanger’s luminous cycle “Clairières dans le ciel” is imbued with nostalgia and is full of evocative natural symbols such as flowers and birds.

Enjoy the compositions of Lili Boulanger, Jeanne Danglas, Rita Strohl, Hedwige Chrétien, Helen Buchholtz, Madeleine Jaeger, Nadia Boulanger, Madeleine Lemariey and Augusta Holmès.

Cyrille Dubois, tenor
Tristan Raës, piano

 

Biergerlech Wunnkultur zu Esch
08.12.22 – 8pm
Bridderhaus, 1 Rue Léon Metz, 4238 Esch-sur-Alzette

Based on the newly built residence of the Buchholtz family, this lecture addresses the development of the middle-class housing culture in Esch-Alzette from the beginning of the 20th century to the 1930s. On the one hand, the steel industry attracted many workers, employees of industrial companies and businessmen. On the other hand, the economic upturn created an attractive environment for all types of professions. As a result, the city created new residential areas with architecturally interesting townhouses and villas, which reveal quite a lot about the people who commissioned them.

The conference will be held in Luxembourgish and led by art historian Antoinette Lorang.

 

Euterpes Töchter
Songs and art songs by women composers
10.12.22 – 8pm
Bridderhaus, 1 Rue Léon Metz, 4238 Esch-sur-Alzette

Unfortunately, Helen Buchholtz and her work fell into oblivion after her death. And she is not the only one… In this recital, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a selection of outstanding works by Buchholtz and her female colleagues, all of which deserve a prominent place in our repertoire. This concert takes place on the 145th birthday of composer Helen Buchholtz and features pieces by Maria Bach, Amy Beach, Helen Buchholtz, Rebecca Clarke and Catherine Kontz.

Gerlinde Sämann, soprano
Claude Weber, piano

 

Kindertotenlieder
Czech and Austrian music of the 19th and 20th centuries
15.12.22 – 8pm
Bridderhaus, 1 Rue Léon Metz, 4238 Esch-sur-Alzette

It is almost impossible to imagine the music of numerous Czech composers without the traditional song as their source of inspiration. Baritone Tomáš Král has already proven himself in this repertoire with two acclaimed recordings released on the Czech Supraphon label. On this musical evening, he performs together with pianist Matan Porat and you will be able to enjoy some of the highly praised songs of Vítězslava Kaprálová, a student of Martinů who died at the young age of 25. The link with Gustav Mahler is interesting for two reasons, as the composer was born in Bohemia, grew up in Moravia and later became one of the most important international musicians of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Come and experience pieces by Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Gustav Mahler and Helen Buchholtz.

Tomáš Král, baryton
Matan Porat, piano

 

Just fir iwwert de Canapé?
Une conférence sur l’art du temps d’Helen Buchholtz avec des œuvres de la collection de la Ville d’Esch
22.12.22 – 8pm
Bridderhaus, 1 Rue Léon Metz, 4238 Esch-sur-Alzette

In this conference, which will be held in Luxembourgish, the director of the Bridderhaus and the Konschthal Esch, Christian Mosar, will present the art of the era of Helen Buchholtz through selected works from the collection of the city of Esch-Alzette.

 

Have a look below at the agenda of “The Sound of Data”. The evening’s programme is divided into two parts:

Part 1: The Sound of Data – Official Closing Conference
Registration required due to limited capacity!
Inscription gratuite

Saturday 3 December 2022 – 5.45 pm – 7.30 pm
Rockhal – 5 avenue du Rock’n’Roll, Esch-sur-Alzette

Program of the evening:
5.45 pm – Welcome by the four project partners
6.05 pm – Fireside Chat with Max Cooper, followed by a Q/A
6.40 pm – Roundtable Discussion with Valery Vermeulen, Pol Belardi, Catherine Elsen, Djamila Aouada and Oliver Glassl
7.25 pm – Final words by Nancy Braun, General Director of Esch2022, and by the project leader
7.30 pm – Networking drinks 

Part 2: The Sound of Data – Final Show
Réservez votre billet (à partir de 12€)
Saturday 3 December 2022 – Doors: 7.30 pm
Rockhal – 5 avenue du Rock’n’Roll, Esch-Alzette 

Ticketing: rockhal.lu/agenda 

Line up
“The Sound of Data” artists
Showcase of the 11 compositions of the artists in residence
All Reitz Reserved, Catherine Elsen, Hester-1, Mike von der Nahmer, Pol Belardi, Slumbergaze, SpudBencer, Tessy Troes, Theerens Cousins, Timelord, Virgilio Fernandez
Valery Vermeulen:
Performance of his original commissioned piece for the “The Sound of Data” project
Max Cooper: Immersive live show from his latest album “Unspoken words”