Daniel Raiskin and Andreas Ottensamer Join Forces to Present Clarinet Concerto at InClassica

InClassica 2021 is the biggest and most ambitious music festival to ever take place in the Middle East, welcoming a staggering 37 world-renowned soloists, 7 celebrated orchestras and 12 leading conductors to Dubai for a 30-day celebration of sublime musicianship, world-class performance and international collaboration. InClassica is pleased to present the biggest names in classical music today, featuring performers from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas, for an unrivalled programme of phenomenal concerts taking place at the Dubai Opera and Coca-Cola Arena. The festival features a range of music from distinguished historical European composers, as well as works from the event’s Composer-in-Residence, Alexey Shor. 

Last night at InClassica

The Divine Clarinet  
Dubai Opera

Alexey Shor's Clarinet Concerto is a beautiful example of the contemporary composer's neoclassical style. With a deep knowledge of Shor's work, the exceptional Austrian clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer was the soloist in this concerto. As a composer, Antonín Dvořák fought for the cultural revival of his homeland. One of the two main motifs presented in the overture is none other than Where Is My Home, today's Czech national anthem. When Beethoven began to work on his Symphony No. 7, Napoleon was preparing for the invasion of Russia. It was inaugurated after the allied victory over Napoleon, during a charity concert for the wounded of the conflict. Daniel Raiskin was the conductor of the Slovak State Philharmonic, an orchestra that is equally familiar with the music of Antonín Dvořák and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Andreas Ottensamer (clarinet)
 - Did you enjoy working with the orchestra? “It was my first time working with the orchestra and with Maestro Raiskin so it’s always nice to get some new input, experience and inspiration from that.” 
 - I understand this was your second time performing the concerto by Alexey Shor — how did it feel to revisit the work? “Yes, good! I played it first at the Malta International Music Festival in 2018 so it was really nice to come back to the work for a second time, and, as noted before, it’s always great to explore a work with new musicians.”
 - How was your experience with the organisers? “We’re now in times when we can never be sure what’s going to happen, but it went smoothly and I think everything possible was done to facilitate the travel and the organisational side of things.” 

Daniel Raiskin
How did you enjoy the performance? “Very much so. As I said to the audience, very sincerely, we’re very happy to be here, and — as any festival — it’s full of highlights and also challenges. The most important thing is that there is a spark, and energy, and everyone is trying to do their best and enjoying what they’re playing. I thought the orchestra played with heart and were very engaged, and it was great to meet Alexey Shor in person and work for the first time with Andreas Ottensamer.” 
The programme featured a work by the event’s Composer-in-Residence, how would you characterise the work? “The language of Alexey Shor is very accessible, it’s actually neoclassical. It’s very well into this idiom of romantic and late romantic, and even classical music. I think he enjoys it and he loves this music dearly — he’s not trying to invent things, he’s just enjoying things and writing very well-sounding music, and it feels very natural.”
What is your overall impression of the festival? “I enjoy working with great professionals, both on and off the stage, and I must say that the management of the festival, the way it’s organised, the way the artists are taken care of — small unspoken details, you know...we don’t need to be adored or even necessarily appreciated, just taken care of — this is done to a very high level. Everyone notices that, including the musicians of the orchestra. It’s an incredible event with so many people involved in a place that is not accustomed to running events like this, and the only way to make it work in the future is with a bang. I remarked to Konstantin Ishkhanov [President of the European Foundation for Support of Culture] that it’s a wry strategy: with an idea like this you can’t start carefully and let it grow, you have to start over-sized and keep it this way, and hope that the audience will grow, because I think there’s a great potential.”

Quotes From Those in Attendance: 

“Brilliant performances! And I’m also happy because I got to hear a new composer today, I had never heard anything by Shor before but I liked the concerto they performed this evening” — audience member
“Ottensamer is always so wonderful to listen to. And the second part with Beethoven’s 7th was just amazing. I really like Beethoven, he’s my favourite composer so it was very nice to hear that” — audience member
“It was my first time at the Dubai Opera and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It’s a very nice venue and the performances this evening were excellent” — audience member 

Tonight at InClassica*

Refined Violin Virtuoso
Dubai Opera

Johannes Brahms's Violin Concerto in D Major is Brahms's sole contribution to the genre. The internationally renowned violinist Gil Shaham is the soloist in Brahms's concerto as well as in Alexey Shor's Seascapes. The cycle for violin and orchestra allows Shaham to present his virtuosity and refinement of sound, particularly in the second movement Lonely Sail. Conducted by Sergey Smbatyan, the Slovak State Philharmonic renders both pieces together with Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Overture-Fantasy Romeo and Juliet that introduces the audience to the most important characters and situations of Shakespeare's play, with longing romanticism and beautiful melodies.

• Gil Shaham (violin)
• Sergey Smbatyan
• Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

*Full details (including quotes from performers and attendees) will be available tomorrow. For any enquiries regarding tonight’s performance, please contact us.

Organised by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group, the 2021 Edition of the InClassica International Music Festival is currently underway, with daily concerts taking place until the 26th of September. For more information or to book tickets, please visit the official website at inclassica.com.