Close-up: Inferno

In Saint-Saëns’s well-known Danse macabre, Death plays his violin to make all the living dance together. King, servant, peasant – all are equal before Death. Where are they dancing to? The Inferno may be closer than we think. In Crumb’s Black Angels, war is hell on earth. For Thomas Adès, hell is a claustrophobic dinner party; and from Janáček’s ‘Kreutzer’ Quartet, we learn that the devil lives in all of us. It’s an exciting concert full of deceptively familiar music, alluring dances and alienating effects. After all, the darkest themes inspire composers to write the most colourful music.

Musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra perform their own programmes in the Recital Hall as part of the Close-up chamber music series. Each of these concerts is unique and performed only once as part of the series. It’s the very best way to experience the individual qualities of the orchestral musicians! These intimate concerts are organised by the Friends of the Concertgebouw and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.