Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) is considered as the most important Russian composer of the 19th century. He composed 'Souvenir de Florence' in 1890, thus during his later period, and dedicated the work to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society in response to his appointment as an Honorary Member. Originally scored for string sextet (2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellos), Tchaikovsky arranged the work later also for string orchestra. The title "Memory of Florence" probably originates from the fact that the composer started working on it while visiting Florence in Italy.
The second part of this concert at the minster of Maulbronn monastery starts with the 'Chamber Concerto for Flute, English Horn and String Orchestra' by the Franco-Swiss composer Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), finished in 1948. Honegger, who spent most of his life in Paris, is considered as one the most important representatives of the group 'Les Six', which is a voluntary association of the six French composers Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc and Germaine Tailleferre that formed in 1918 around the writer Jean Cocteau - even if Honeggers music kept a certain distance towards the group's official aesthetics. Arthur Honegger wrote about 200 compositions. His portrait is printed on a series of 20 Swiss Francs banknotes from 1996.

Now, the Impromptus Opus 5, Nos. 5 & 6 by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) lead us to Finland during the transition period from the Later Romantic to the Modern era. Sibelius was trying to break the existing tonal structures, to expand and rearrange them without leaving them entirely, as it has been practiced in the atonal and twelve-tone music. He composed these Impromptus in 1893 for Piano solo and also arranged them for string orchestra. 'I offer the public pure cold water', Sibelius wrote in 1911 to the music journalist Rosa Newmarch, 'I'm a slave of my musical themes...'. And it is the atmosphere of those themes and melodies, which makes his music so unique.

Prooving that contemporary works aren't bound to be dissonant is the 'Concerto for English horn and string orchestra' by the English cellist, conductor and composer Allan Stephenson. Born in 1949 near Liverpool, England, he studied first cello in Manchester, then moved to Cape Town (South Africa) in 1973. Besides his career as musician and conductor (over the years, he conducted all major symphony orchestras of South Africa) he wrote three operas, symphonic music and concertos for almost all orchestral instruments. Stylistically, his compositions are Late English Romantic school, whereat Modern rhythms and harmonies too take place in his music. Stephenson's credo, music to be due to entertain or please the audience, becomes evident at all times. The 'Concert for Engish horn and string orchestra' includes three movements: a slowly introducting first movement, a traditionally sounding, intimate and highly Romantic second movement and a fast finale. The music, being composed in the style of Late English Romantic, allows consistently associations towards film scores. You can hear now the world premiere of this work from July 9th 2010 at the minster of Maulbronn.

Tracklist & Creations

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Souvenir de Florence

for String Orchestra, Opus 70

1. I: Allegro con spirito 10:42 ~ 2. II : Adagio cantabile e con moto 9:42

3. III : Allegretto moderato 6:12 ~ 4. IV : Allegro vivace 7:31

Arthur Honegger

Concerto da camera

for Flute, Cor Anglais & String Orchestra, H 196

5. I: Allegretto amabile 5:44 ~ 6. II : Andante 6:39 ~ 7. III : Finale: Vivace 3:53

Jean Sibelius

Impromptu for String Orchestra

The Impromptus Opus 5, Nos. 5 & 6 for Piano solo,

arranged for string orchestra by the composer

8. Andantino - Meno Andantino 6:23

Allan Stephenson

Concerto for Cor Anglais & String Orchestra

9. I: Lento ma rubato - Allegro 5:49 ~ 10. II : Lento e espressivo 6:06 ~ 11. III : Molto vivace 6:05

South-west German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim
The hallmark of the South-west German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim is its fresh and gripping musical approach and stylistic diversity from early to contemporary music. The ensemble consists of fourteen musicians of seven different nationalities and is one of the few full-time chamber orchestras in Europe. This allows for exceptional richness and flexibility of sound, which is maintained even when the Orchestra is enlarged with further wind or string players. The ensemble was founded in 1950 by Paul Hindemith's former student Friedrich Tilegant. Soon the ensemble won international recognition: One talked of the "Tilegant-sound", which could not only be heard at the festivals in Salzburg, Lucerne and Leipzig as well as on world-wide tours, but which was also documented on numerous recordings. Maurice André, Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, Frans Brüggen and Yehudi Menuhin are only a few of the celebrity names who have worked with the Orchestra. After the Tilegant-era, which ended far too early after the premature death of its founder in 1968, the Orchestra was moulded by the Viennese Paul Angerer (1971-1981) and Vladislav Czarnecki (1986-2002), who came from the Czech music tradition. Since the beginning of the 2002-03 season, the young German conductor Sebastian Tewinkel, winner of several international competitions, has been the new Music Director.

On its road to success the South-west German Chamber Orchestra has made numerous broadcasts for almost all European radio stations and released nearly 250 records and CDs, many of which were awarded international prizes (Grand Prix du Disque, Monteverdi Prize, Prox Artur Honegger). Several premiere performances (Jean Françaix, Harald Genzmer, Enjott Schneider) prove its competence in contemporary music. Currently the Chamber Orchestra plays together with renowned soloists such as Gidon Kremer, Rudolf Buchbinder, Christian Tetzlaff, Sabine Meyer, Frank Peter Zimmermann, Mischa Maisky and Anatol Ugorski. Together with them - but also with up-and-coming young musicians - the Orchestra has been invited to perform in all European countries as well as in the USA and Japan. Ideas for new programmes beyond the traditional subscription concerts extend the ensemble’s profile. In 2001, the South-west German Chamber Orchestra toured Europe's great concert halls with Giora Feidman and Facundo Ramirez, playing Klezmer and Argentinian folklore (Misa Criolla), and the ensemble continues to tread new paths with American violinist Monique Mead to win young audiences for classical music ("Classic for Kids"). The Orchestra recently recorded a newly composed score which was mixed with original soundtracks of the Comedian Harmonists and performs other projects of chamber opera, dance (Flamenco with Nina Corti) and marionette theatre.

Sebastian Tewinkel - Music Director/Conductor
Born in Unna (Germany) in 1971, Sebastian Tewinkel started his violin and general music studies at the Hannover University of Music and Drama. He then continued at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts with Thomas Ungar, graduating with a mark of distinction and supplementing with master courses given by Gianluigi Gelmetti and Sir Colin Davis. After his studies Sebastian Tewinkel was awarded a scholarship by the Herbert von Karajan Foundation in Berlin and admitted to the patronage programme "Dirigentenforum" of the "Deutscher Musikrat". Shortly after, he succeeded in winning two important competitons: in 2000 he received the first (and only) prize at the International Conducting Competition of the foundation "Fundação Oriente" at Lisbon, and in 2001 he won the Conductors Award in Bad Homburg. Already early in his career, Sebastian Tewinkel conducted numerous well-known orchestras, among them the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the NDR Radio Philharmony Hannover, the Halle Philharmonic State Orchestra, the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. He has toured extensively throughout Europe, as well as Russia and Japan. With the start of the 2002-03 season, he was appointed Music Director and Chief Conductor of the South-west German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim. He broadened the range of stylistic versatility and developed new programmes for this ensemble of long-standing tradition. Besides working with the Pforzheim Chamber Orchestra, Sebastian Tewinkel continues conducting large orchestras. He was invited by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the Hamamatsu Philharmonic in Japan, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the St Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra and the Lisbon Metroplitan Orchestra for concerts, CD and broadcasting productions alike.

Christoph Renz - Flute
Christoph Renz, born in Tübingen 1976 was a student of Professor A.-G. Tatu in Trossingen, Professor R. Dohn in Stuttgart and Professor M. Kofler at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Additionally, he completed studies for a Master's in chamber music at the "Hochschule für Musik und Theater" in Munich. The education was concluded with participation in master seminars held by flutists like Aurèle Nicolet, Jean-Claude Gérard and Emmanuel Pahud. Numerous times he won first prizes as a soloist as well as a chamber musician in the national competition "Jugend musiziert". He also received scholarships from various foundations and in 1995 received a special award from the city of Erlangen for his performance of modern music. In 1998 he received a prize at the international woodwind player competition "Pacem in terris" in Bayreuth. At the "Deutscher Musikwettbewerb" in Berlin in 1999 he was awarded a stipend and elected to play numerous concerts at the "concerts of young artists". He was a jury member at various national and international competitions, one of which was a preliminary competition of the ARD in 2004. After four years as a principal flutist of the national Youth Orchestra and steady employment at the SWR symphony orchestra in Baden-Baden/Freiburg as well as at the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart he became, at the age of 20, co-principal flutist at the Munich Radio Orchestra. Since 2005 Christoph Renz is principal flute of the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra in Hanover. He is also principal flute of the orchestra "Klangverwaltung Munich", a member of the Arte-Ensemble and the ensemble "Oktoplus". There he served as a guest player during many national and international festivals. Moreover, since 2006 he has given flute lessons

at the University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover.

Mirjam Budday - English Horn (Cor Anglais)
Mirjam Budday was the recipient of scholarships from the "Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes", the chamber music foundation "Villa Musica", the "Rotary club" and was also a prize winner of the "Jugend Musiziert" competition. She completed her Undergraduate studies in Stuttgart with Prof. Ingo Goritzki, and from 2002-2003 she spent one year studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Tess Miller, Douglas Boyd and Celia Nicklin. Mirjam has also participated in numerous master classes with teachers such as Albrecht Mayer, Prof. Christian Wetzel, Jonathan Kelly, Alexei Orgrintchouk and Prof. Günther Passin. From January until July of 2004 she played with the Baden State Opera, Karlsruhe. From 2004 through 2005 she was Principal Oboist of the "European Union Youth Orchestra" with whom she toured throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic States under the direction of Paavo Järvi and Yan Pascal Tortelier. She has gone on to work with the "Bamberg Symphony orchestra", the "Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin", the "Hamburg Philharmonic", and plays regularly as Principal Oboist with the "South-west German Chamber Orchestra". In 2004 she founded the Abramski Trio (oboe, bassoon, piano) and with whom she has since performed regularly. From November 2006 until April 2007 Mirjam played with the Stuttgart Opera and since August 2008, she is the Principal Cor Anglais player of the "North German Radio Philharmonic orchestra" (NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover).