On June 17, 2023 at the invitation of Norberto Gomes, Artistic Director of the Madeira Classical Orchestra, Christoph Poppen conducted the Madeira Classical Orchestra through a program consisting of works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Maria von Weber and Johannes Brahms. The conductor told me that what holds the program together is the fact that both Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont (op. 84) and von Weber’s Clarinet concerto no. 1 in F minor (op. 73) were written in F minor, and both von Weber and Brahms were influenced by Beethoven.
The evening started with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont, published in 1810 and based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1788 tragedy about the downfall of a 16th century man who trusts in the goodness of the people surrounding him. He stood up against oppression, championing tolerance, freedom and independence. He ended up beheaded.
Christoph Poppen had explained to me that Beethoven’s music is a about the liberation from the darkness of loneliness and the move towards the light of freedom, a theme currently of foremost importance in Eastern Europe.
Beethoven Overture exposes already all the themes subsequently treated in Egmont. Christoph Poppen told me that the composition is rhythmically very strict, like a metronome. Under his direction, especially the strings of the Madeira Classical Orchestra showed gravitas, classical austerity, the wind instruments brought in some brightness. The performance was indeed a move towards the light, with a glorious finish promising hope. The round of applause was fully deserved.
Carl Maria von Weber composed his Clarinet concerto no. 1 in 1811, just one year after Beethoven’s Egmont. But his work is already one of Romanticism, translating a feeling of longing into music and showing agogic freedom (agogische Freiheiten), as Christoph Poppen had explained to me the day before the concert.
The clarinetist Horácio Ferreira (*1988 in Santa Comba Dão, Portugal) had told me that the compositions by Mozart and Brahms are essential for the clarinet and that this composition by Carl Maria von Weber is one of the master pieces for the clarinet. It is special to him because it was the first piece he has played publicly as a soloist — with Lisbon’s Gulbenkian Orchestra, as a reward for winning the 2007 Prémio Jovens Músicos, a respectable Portuguese Classical Radio Music Prize Competition.
Clarinetist Horácio Ferreira at Funchal’s Centro Congressos da Madeira on June 17, 2023. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira. Beethoven sheet music at Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Deutschland.
The Madeira Classical Orchestra began their interpretation of Carl Maria von Weber’s Clarinet concerto no. 1 with dramatic strings. As Horácio Ferreira had explained to me, in the first movement, Allegro Moderato, you don’t know where you are going to. The sound of the solo clarinet was subdued, searching for something. The soloist does not have to repeat what the orchestra has already played. The composition is full of surprises. Christoph Poppen described it to me as an “opera crime story”.
In the second movement, Adagio ma non troppo, after a calm start, the clarinet has plenty of time to shine. Horácio Ferreira had told me that, in this movement, he feels like an opera singer. This part is intense. Christoph Poppen told me that the Portuguese clarinetist has a great sound range and is able to change the color of the sound. One could discover it in this “love aria”, as the conductor described the Adagio ma non troppo to me.
In the final third movement, Rondo. Allegretto, as throughout the entire composition, Carl Maria von Weber offers the contrast of a highly virtuous instrumental concert and opera-like arias for the solo clarinet. The Funchal rendition was gay, cheerful and boisterous. It was an energetic, virtuoso dance. The solo clarinetist had described it to me as “a party after a journey”. The public responded with bravos and a long, standing ovation. Unfortunately, Horácio Ferreira did not offer an encore.
After the intermission, the Madeira Classical Orchestra played the Symphony no. 2 in D major (op. 73) by Johannes Brahms, composed in 1877. Christoph Poppen had told me that it is the brightest, most joyful symphony by the German. The romantic composer was influenced by Beethoven. Despite typical dark longings, Johannes Brahms, untypically for him, finds here a way to the light in all four mouvements.
In the first movement, Allegro non troppo, the strings and wind instruments of the Madeira Classical Orchestra offered strong emotions, warmth and passion as well as tender themes and a calm finish.
The second mouvement, Adagio non troppo, began with the orchestra translating the composer’s romantic longing, later offering again passion and strong emotions, before leading us towards the light with a peaceful end.
The third mouvement, Allegretto grazioso (Quasi Andantino) — Presto ma non assai — Tempo primo, started with the orchestra “dancing”, playing with finesse, grazioso indeed, the highlight of the evening. The interplay between wind and string instruments was convincing. The end of the joyful scherzo, once again, was calm.
The fourth mouvement, Allegro con spirito, started with lovely, tender, yet mysterious strings. The rendition of the final part of Brahm’s Second Symphony was marked by stark contrasts, with a bright, friendly climax and finish. The standing ovation was well-deserved.
The Madeira Classical Orchestra under the direction of Christoph Poppen with solo clarinetist Horácio Ferreira at Funchal’s Centro Congressos da Madeira on June 17, 2023. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira. Brahms sheet music at Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Deutschland.
On June 16, 2023 the conductor, violinist and music teacher Christoph Poppen (*1956 in Münster, Germany) told me in an interview in Funchal that he started as a violinist.
As a schoolboy, at the age of 14, Christoph Poppen studied the violin with Kurt Schaeffer at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. Four years later, in Zurich, he attended his first master class with the famous violinist Nathan Milstein who, subsequently, gave him private lessons in London and who remains his role model until today. On his advice, he later traveled to the United States for further studies with Oscar Shumsky and, years later, with Josef Gingold, a famous violin teacher who, incidentally, had played in a string quartet together with Oscar Shumsky.
At the age of 16 already, Christoph Poppen had formed his first quartet, initally known as the Juventus Quartet. In 1978, together with Harald Schoneweg (second violin), Hariolf Schlichtig (viola) and Klaus Kämper (violoncello), he founded the Cherubini Quartet, which lasted some 20 years.
Even today, at 67, Christoph Poppen is still publicly performing as a violinist at a handful of occasions every year.
Over the years, he became a conductor because, at various occasions, he had been asked to take on more responsibility. Therefore, parallel to his career with the Cherubini Quartet, he started conducting.
Christoph Poppen’s first mentor was the British conductor Sir Colin Davis. In addition, for many years, Christoph Poppen has been taking lessons with the Finnish teacher of conducting Jorma Panula (*1930), who has taught legions of famous conductors from around the world. Christoph Poppen told me that the greatest conductor he has seen at work was Claudio Abbado, under whom he had played many years as one of the violinists in the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
In 1986, at the age of around 30, Christoph Poppen rose for the first time to a position to lead an orchestra as chief conductor. For seven years, he led the Detmolder Kammerorchester, an orchestra made up of the music students of the German town, while at the same time taking lessons with the conducting teachers mentioned above.
In 1995, Christoph Poppen was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Munich Chamber Orchestra, where he programmed the classical repertoire alongside contemporary compositions. When the Radio Symphony Orchestra Saarbrücken merged with the Radio Orchestra Kaiserslautern, Christoph Poppen became the Principal Conductor of the newly formed Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern from 2007 until 2011. Here to, he had the orchestra play New Music in contrast with the classical repertoire. From the 2013/14 season until the present, Christoph Poppen has been the Principal Conductor of the Cologne Chamber Orchestra.
Over several decades, as guest conductor, Christoph Poppen has led orchestras around the globe. For six years, he has worked as Principal Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. In 2023, he has taken over the position of Music Director.
In addition, Christoph Poppen told me that, in 2014 already, he had founded the Festival International de Música de Marvão. This Portuguese village, situated at the border with Spain, has only 97 inhabitants. During the 10-day festival with 31 concerts, the village welcomes some 10,000 guests in its churches, in the castle courtyard open-air space and elsewhere.
Last, but not least, the field of classical music needs new compositions. The Festival International de Música de Marvão commissioned Ferran Cruixent (*1976 in Barcelona) to compose a work for clarinet and orchestra, which will premiere at the Portugese festival in 2023, starring Horácio Ferreira playing the part of the solo clarinet.
The Hong Kong Sinfonietta, also under the direction of Christoph Poppen, commissioned the American composer Geoffrey Gordon (*1968), to write a clarinet concerto, which will premiere in 2024, with Horácio Ferreira once again playing the part of the solo clarinet, again under the direction of Christoph Poppen.
Classical music CDs with Christoph Poppen at Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Deutschland.
On June 17, 2023 Christoph Poppen conducted the Madeira Classical Orchestra. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira.
Guest conductor Christoph Poppen with solo clarinetist Horácio Ferreira. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira.
The Madeira Classical Orchestra. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira.
On the left, Norberto Gomes, Concertmaster and Artistic Director of the Madeira Classical Orchestra, together with the Guest Conductor Christoph Poppen. Photo copyright: Mafalda Bompastor/Orquestra Clássica da Madeira.
Classical music review added on June 19, 2023 at 16:31 Funchal time. Update at 20:39.
