Albrecht Mayer On May 17, 2019, Albrecht Mayer released his new album, "Longing for Paradise," featuring him performing with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jakub Hrůša. Following the success of his Baroque album, "Tesori d'Italia," Mayer now turns to works that explore the longing for a better world and the desire for peace amidst chaos. At its heart is Richard Strauss's Oboe Concerto, composed shortly after the end of World War II and considered one of the most challenging works for the oboe. With this piece, Strauss seems to leave behind the turmoil of the times and glimpse a touch of paradise.
The album also includes Edward Elgar's "Soliloquy," a fragment of an unfinished suite for oboe and orchestra, as well as a new arrangement of Maurice Ravel's famous "Le Tombeau de Couperin" for oboe and orchestra. The program is rounded off by a lesser-known but outstanding work by Eugène Goossens. The program will be presented on May 28, 2019, at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, followed by another concert on May 29, 2019, as part of the Yellow Lounge series with the Bamberg Symphony. With this selection, Mayer once again demonstrates his flair for profoundly conceived programs that showcase composers who dream of a more beautiful world and seek paradise in their music.
The program will be presented on Mayer's Mayer website.