Music
Irish Chamber Orchestra and Jörg Widmann launch new album ‘Invitation’
Irish Chamber Orchestra and Jörg Widmann launch new album ‘Invitation’
Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) and Jörg Widmann present Invitation, featuring masterworks by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Schumann
The Irish Chamber Orchestra (ICO) and Jörg Widmann’s album, ‘Invitation’, celebrates a remarkable ten-year creative partnership between the ICO and Jörg Widmann, who, while now pursuing new projects, remains closely connected with the ensemble.
Marking the ICO’s first recording with PENTATONE, Invitation captures the orchestra at its most expressive, from the taut intensity and contrapuntal precision of Mozart’s C minor Serenade for Winds to the buoyant energy and intricate textures of Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 8. Widmann’s direction brings out the rich interplay of voices, the lyrical clarity of the winds and strings, and the dynamic contrasts that give each work its distinctive character.
The album concludes with Schumann’s Overture, Scherzo and Finale, delivered with infectious rhythmic drive and exuberant lyricism. The ICO’s finely tuned ensemble playing highlights the sparkling dialogue between strings and winds, while Widmann shapes the work’s sweeping gestures and playful contrasts with precision and vitality. Across these three composers, Invitation offers listeners an immediate sense of drama, wit, and emotional depth, revealing the subtle humour, harmonic brilliance, and expressive contrasts that define each masterpiece and celebrating a decade of collaboration between conductor and orchestra.
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ICO CEO Gerard Keenan said, “working with Jörg during this highly productive and pivotal time for the ICO was a privilege. His artistry, vision, and international standing opened doors and expanded our horizons. This sixth album together celebrates the extraordinary music-making we achieved and the ambition that defines the orchestra.”
Jörg Widmann added, “having had the great joy and honour of serving as Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra for ten years, it was a heartfelt wish of ours to bring together some of the special musical moments from our collaboration on a CD. As the orchestra can consider itself fortunate to count equally outstanding wind and string players among its ranks, we present here, on the one hand, Mozart’s C minor Serenade for Winds (“Nachtmusique”), in which I play the clarinet, and on the other hand, Mendelssohn’s early yet already masterfully crafted and ‘glowingly’ contrapuntal String Symphony No. 8. Finally, I conduct the entire orchestra in Schumann’s ingeniously whimsical orchestral work Overture, Scherzo and Finale. May the spirit of friendship and the joy of our shared music-making carry over to you, our listeners.”
With the generous support of The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, ICO continues to champion innovation, inspire joy, and deliver unforgettable musical experiences from the University of Limerick.
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