On 20.02.2022 at 20.02 hours Concertgebouw Brugge celebrated her 20th anniversary. This festive occasion was celebrated with a festive programme of three concerts and an online, interactive story through some highlights of two decades of culture. A dive into the past but with their eyes on the future...
The festive programme actually began on 13 February with walks through the city of Brugge to discover 21st-century architecture. The interactive story also went online. Using visual material and sound fragments, you as a visitor are guided through the dream that became reality. Highlights from the past with a nod to the future play the leading role in this online exhibition. They leave the programming highlights to the public themselves. Here you can vote on your favorite moment from 2 decades of culture and help determine which points these will be.
On 16 February, the first event took place as part of 20 years Concertgebouw with the world premiere Mystery Sonatas/For Rosa. After the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, Rosas now dances to the music of another baroque composer: Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704). Attracted by the clarity of Biber's musical structure, choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker immerses herself in the mystical and geometric richness of this Austrian baroque composer. Despite the festive atmosphere, this premiere was only lukewarmly received. Ewoud Ceulemans wrote the following: "Now and then the choreography shines nonetheless, often when it is seemingly the simplest. [...] Twice applause broke out, when the music briefly quieted and the lights went out. Twice the performance resumed, causing Mystery Sonatas to seem to drag towards the end." Elsewhere this production can still be seen on 5 March at C-Mine, Gent and from 23 to 26 June at the Royal Circus, Brussels.
The concert by Anima Eterna Brugge and Vox Luminis on 19 February was unfortunately cancelled, but on 20 February a second event of their festive programme followed. This too was a world premiere. The Close, a video and sound art work by David Claerbout — based on Da pacem Domine by Arvo Pärt performed live by the Vlaams Radiokoor — and installation art Surfaces by Christoph De Boeck were on the programme of this sold-out concert.
A statement to program sound and audio art as a highlight. Concertgebouw Brugge plays an active role in the upgrading of this art discipline. In 2011 they introduced Sound Factory, an (educational) laboratory for sound art, and in 2021 they took another step forward. "Sound art has played an important role at Concertgebouw for more than ten years. [...] It's high time to take the next step and make sound art a main discipline with permanent and temporary installations and a diverse participation programme. The creativity of sound artists is inspiring and encourages you to a deeper perception of the world around you," said Jeroen Vanacker, artistic director. Below you can watch the aftermovie of this festive occasion.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI2ZccFhcyA[/embed]
After a panel debate on culture in Brugge on 22 February, the third and final concert followed on 23 February. Baritone Matthias Goerne appeared together with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen conducted by Andris Poga. Works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Johannes Brahms and Franz Schubert resounded in the Concert Hall. The interplay between text and music was central here. You should certainly take this literally, as the music was interspersed with spoken intermezzos. Seasonal thinker David Van Reybrouck was the keynote speaker of the evening, and general director Katrien Van Eeckhoutte and artistic director Jeroen Vanacker also looked back on 20 iconic moments in two decades of Concertgebouw. This concert was recorded and will be heard on 20 April 2022 at 20.00 during Klara Live.