Tonight, the eminent organist Mari Fukumoto, together with the musicians of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra conducted by Joseph Swensen, will perform one of the most important works in the oeuvre of Francis Poulenc – Concerto in G minor for organ, strings and timpani. The repertoire also includes compositions by Tōru Takemitsu and Béla Bartók.

Tōru Takemitsu was one of the most respected Japanese composers of the 20th century. In his work, he combined elements of Eastern music and philosophy with Western culture, which was a source of inspiration for him. He referenced the achievements of such artists as Olivier Messiaen, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Iannis Xenakis. At the end of the 1950s, he composed a work that brought him international fame – Requiem for Strings. In 1959, after listening to the piece, Igor Stravinsky himself expressed admiration for Takemitsu, considering it an undisputed masterpiece.

Francis Poulenc’s Concerto in G minor for organ, strings and timpani was written in 1938 at the time of the composer’s profound creative transformation. The political situation in Europe was changing drastically, bringing with it the spectre of another war. Poulenc then turned to religious faith, which was not without significance for his work. The concert, one of his most outstanding works, consists of seven contrasting links, on the basis of which the composer uses Neo-Baroque sounds that immediately bring to mind the works of Johann Sebastian Bach or Dietrich Buxtehude. Poulenc developed the organ part with the help of the great organist Maurice Duruflé, who also performed the work and soon made a recording of it as well.

The Music for string instruments, percussion and celesta was composed by Bela Bartók in 1936, commissioned by the Swiss conductor Paul Sacher for the 10th anniversary of Kammerorchester Basel. This work occupies a special place in the work of one of the most famous composers of the 20th century. At that time, Bartók created works that went far beyond the stylistics of compositions from the late 19th century, combining inspirations from Hungarian folk music with bold sonic und and rhythmic experiments.