In September 2024, the Warsaw Autumn festival presents two highly anticipated orchestral world premieres: Sergej Newski’s Göttin der Geschichte for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, commissioned by Basel Sinfonietta, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, as well as the second part of Moritz Eggert’s percussion concerto Master and Servant, a commission by the Dutch Golden Collection Foundation and the Warsaw Autumn festival.

Titus Engel leads Basel Sinfonietta, narrator Raphael Clamer and singer Christina Daletska in Newski’s new work, which is based on a poem by Lithuanian poet Thomas Venclova. Percussionist Konstantyn Napolov, for whom Master and Servant is written, will perform with the Orkest De Ereprijs under the baton of Gregory Charette.

Sergej Newski: Göttin der Geschichte

“The poem ‘The Azov Campaign’ by the great Lithuanian poet Thomas Venclova, on which this work is based, was written under the impression of the brutal siege of Mariupol by the Russian army in spring 2022. For all the detail and ruthlessness of Venclova's poetic gaze, this poem is less a direct reaction to the events than an epic statement rooted in the ancient tradition. The ten verses of the poem are divided into three unequal sections in the piece, alternating with an introduction and instrumental intermezzos. The human voice mutates from quasi-folkloric singing to rap and extended techniques, culminating in a long improvisation-like solo accompanied by a rhythmic ostinato in the bass. The simultaneity of different tempos, of static and expression is intended to convey the multidimensionality of the poetic source.”

Moritz Eggert: Master and Servant

After the celebrated world-premiere of part one at the novembermusic festival in s’Hertogenbosch in 2022, the full two-part version of Master and Servant will now receive it’s much anticipated first performance. Concerned with power imbalances in the structures of ensembles, Eggert writes about his piece:

"Music has come a long way of establishing a structure of 'masters' (maestros or musical directors) and 'servants' (the tutti musicians). Even though in the best moments these hierarchies are transcended by the mutual will to create an extraordinary musical experience, the many #metoo-and abuse of power scandals of the classical music world show that these structures also create a lot of problems. In the modern performance practice, there are in effect often two masters, one who 'dominates' the soloist (the conductor) and the soloist who 'dominates' the ensemble. 'Who is winning?' is a question many listeners ask themselves sometimes, and musical history is full of droll anecdotes of soloists competing with the conductors in one way or another. My piece therefore has two parts - one exploring the 'master' side of the soloist, but another one making him the 'servant' as well. Of course, none of these roles must be set in stone and for me they only exist in a virtual "wild space" of music creation, in the real world they would have to be negotiated again and again in a hopefully free world."

Score of Master and Servant: I. Master