Klangforum Wien
(Friday the 3rd of October, 6.00 p.m., Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, tickets: PLN 25-40)
There are at least two reasons to go to this concert. The first one is the band, and the second one is one of the works. The band is the legendary Klangforum Wien, which specialises in performing contemporary music with masterly precision and commitment and in a manner that moves listeners’ hearts. One of the works is obviously the performance of "Not I" by Agata Zubel (who is also one of the performers) – a composition distinguished by the Polonica Nova award during the first edition of that competition. “An outstanding work, whose success comes from the fact that means of expression used for performing it match the huge capabilities of the author,” stressed Marek Zwyrzykowski from Polish Radio 2, one of the jurors of the Polonica Nova competition. We encourage you to hear it by yourself.
"Angels in America" – an opera by Peter Eötvös
(Friday the 3rd of October and Saturday the 4th of October, 8.00 p.m., Wroclaw Opera, tickets: PLN 20-200)
An opera with a libretto based on a controversial play by the American playwright Tony Kushner. Fans remember “Angels from America” from a HBO series with a stellar cast (Al Pacino, Meryl Streep), and the lucky ones who bought a ticket can also recall a play by Krzysztof Warlikowski (with great actors, too). This time, however, excellent music by the Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös will play the main role. The stage design was prepared by Andràs Almàsi-Tóth – a director chosen by the master, who assures that his aim will not be to shock the audience (protagonists of the play are gays, and one of the primary motifs is the AIDS epidemic that shook America in the 1980s). We encourage you to see it with your own eyes.
Siren Chants – a concert for two ships and one hundred ship sirens
(Saturday the 4th of October, 9.00 p.m., Włostowic Boulevard, free entrance)
Singing sirens – in mythology they seduced sailors, today they seduce Wroclaw inhabitants. On each ship there will be 50 sirens (however, they will be mechanical devices), and their creators – Christoph Schlaeger and Mirjam Smit – made use of the advantages of the location of Wroclaw (Venice of the North) on water. The Oder will play one of the leading role that evening, and the audience will listen to a call of sirens from the bank – the Włostowic Boulevard. Entrance is free, so we encourage you to spend that evening there.
Peaches
(Friday the 10th of October, 10.00 p.m., Eter club, tickets: PLN 60, PLN 80)
Here only one word is enough: Peaches. Fans will know everything, and the uninitiated need to be informed that it is a Canadian vocalist who loves to arouse scandals by making use of the gender sphere. She does not mince her words, which is reflected by explicit or ambiguous titles of her albums and songs and shouted truths about the world of men and women. Her performance in Wroclaw should rather be peaceful - the vocalist has already been here and is returning once more. We already know that she will perform songs from her new record, which has not been released yet.
A symphony by Sławomir Kupczak for 100 motorcycles
(Saturday the 11th of October, Pl. Zielińskiego – the premises of the former marketplace, 4.00 p.m., free entrance)
A work arranged for electric guitar, percussion, electronics and 100 motorcycles (one of the motorcyclists will even have a solo with elements of acrobatics!). Fans of single-track vehicles gathered for rehearsals and then for the concert from a number of clubs, mainly from Apanonar – Academic Motorcycle Club, which is a co-ordinator of the initiative. Apart from motorcyclists, the work will include sounds of electric guitar (played by Andrzej Nowak, the leader of the Złe Psy band and a guitarist and co-founder of the TSA band), percussion and electronics. This line-up is completely different from the orchestra for which Sławomir Kupczak composed his Symphony No. 1. "Now the challenge is even bigger", asserts the composer. On Pl. Zielińskiego square, Wroclaw inhabitants will see for themselves that it is worth taking up the challenge and listening to motorcycles – particularly because the event is free.
Magdalena Talik
