From the simple act of biting into a juicy apple to the complexity of an orgasm: the pursuit of pleasure is something that concerns us all. The concept has various dimensions, including from a woman’s perspective. Traditionally, the female body was often an object for the pleasure of another. Fortunately, women today can express their own desires. How do contemporary women deal with the complexity of this experience?

Bittersweet fruit is a performance by the duo Sine Sole Sileo, formed by the Spanish recorder player and vocalist Irene Sorozábal Moreno and the Cretan harpsichordist Katerina Orfanoudaki, featuring musicians from the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Together, they explore the concept of pleasure through early Baroque music as well as their own compositions and improvisations.

Miroslav Petkov is the principal trumpeter of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. In addition to classical music, this versatile musician is also at home in other musical styles, ranging from folk music to free improvisation and jazz. In this concert, Petkov challenges his potential successors—the best young brass players in the Netherlands, who together form the National Youth Brass Band.

‘I’m looking forward to meeting these eager young musicians. We already know they play well, but how will they handle the irregular rhythms of the Balkans? I’m very curious,’ said Petkov. This concert is sure to be the most cheerful and boisterous program in this series!

Metamorphoses is not only the title of one of the most important poetry collections from Roman times, but also of one of Richard Strauss’s final works. Cellist and philosopher Izak Hudnik places metamorphoses at the center of his dialogue between music and philosophy. He says: ‘Music is a kind of aesthetic catalyst. It reflects our way of life and evokes shared emotions.’

In his music, György Kurtág creates small bubbles of emotion and then quickly transforms them into something else. The late Strauss reflects on the traumatic metamorphosis of humanity during World War II. Philosopher Timotej Prosen helps us interpret these themes and better understand ourselves and the world around us.

Olivier Messiaen wrote his Quartet for the End of Time during World War II in a prisoner-of-war camp. The work was also premiered there, immediately making a deep impression on those in attendance. This poignant work has since become one of the most iconic compositions of the 20th century.

Messiaen sought to express the end of time through music. The effect on both the performers and the audience is a sense of inevitability, which at the same time offers comfort. You don’t simply listen to this work—you experience it. This performance is made even more powerful by the participation of Daniel Montero Real, a dancer with the Dutch National Ballet.

‘A musician joins a cheerful gathering and plays what he has brought back from distant lands.’ This is how Paul Hindemith describes his concerto The Swan Turner for viola and small orchestra. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful description of what musicians do, whether we’re talking about the Middle Ages or today.

As a prelude to the IJ-Salon’s anniversary season, we will hear Michael Gieler, principal violist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, perform one of the most important works for viola alongside his colleagues. The musicians will then split into smaller groups to perform both well-known and lesser-known works by the great composers of the 20th century.