The musical choices for the 40th edition of Cantiere are inspired by meditation on ‘war and peace’. This second symphonic concert presents works by composers from different epochs, who examined the absurdity of war and
need for peace. Their ideas powerfully reach today’s listeners through music, in a modern world where war continues to threaten peace, endangering entire territories. On 10 June 1942, the Nazis razed Lidice, a little village outside Prague. The tragic news was an inspiration for the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, who had moved at that time to the United States to escape from War. In the symphonic poem Memorial to Lidice there are two tonal areas which give the poem a strong sound tension. Some old Bohemian melodies appear here and there - Bohemia was the most western region of the Czech Republic – like the Wenceslaus hymn, martyr patron of the country. Almost at the end of the piece, one can clearly recognize, in all its power, Destiny’s theme, three short notes and a long one, the beginning of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony which ends tonight’s program.

Roland Böer studied piano, composition and orchestra conduction. Since 2009 he has been music director of Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte di Montepulciano, where since 2015 he has also been music and artistic director. He has been a guest conductor of opera and symphonic repertoire at Teatro alla Scala of Milan, Covent Garden Royal Theater and the English National Opera of London, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Bruxelles, Deutsche Oper and Komische Oper of Berlin, the Royal theater of Stolkholm, the Royal Theater of Copenhagen, Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg, Opera of Bern, Wielki theater in Warsaw, and Volksoper of Vienna, Teatro Petruzzelli of Bari, Opéra de Nice, Hungarian State Opera House of Budapest. His new engagements for next year’s season are: at the Opera of Firenze - Maggio Musicale, at the Opéra de Nice, while at the National Theater of Prague, he will direct Elektra.

Markus Bellheim  won the International Messiaen Competition in Paris (2000) which marked the beginning of an extensive concert career in Europe, Asia and America. Born in Hamburg in 1973, he has performed at important festivals (Beethovenfest Bonn, La Roque d’Anthéron, Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival). Leading orchestras such as the Bamberg Symphony, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestre philharmonique de Nice and Malmö Symphony Orchestra regularly invite him to perform. He plays contemporary music with established ensembles as well as playing alongside distinguished artists. His recent recording of Maderna’s Piano Concerto, together with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, received the German Record Critics’ Award among others. He teaches Piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, where he was also elected vice president. He is a freelance editor and author for the Munich publisher G. Henle Verlag.

 



Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959), Memorial to Lidice H 296 (1943)
Béla Bartók (1881-1945), Concerto per pianoforte n.3 (1946), Allegretto, Adagio religioso, Allegro vivace
Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842), Marcia funebre (1820)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), Sinfonia n. 5 in Do minore op.67 (1809), Allegro con brio, Andante con moto, Allegro, Allegro-Presto