Tribute to Paul Sacher
Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 7:00 pm
Starting from CHF 15.-
Tickets available online or on site on the day of the concert
Between the dreamlike Spain evoked in his Trois Danses and the refined rigor of his Petite Symphonie concertante, Frank Martin reveals his taste for sonic invention and rare instrumental colors. In counterpoint, Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta—an unclassifiable masterpiece—resonates with echoes of folk music through its richly layered polyphonic writing. A programme shaped by the innovative spirit of the renowned patron and conductor Paul Sacher.
CLARISSE MOREAU, oboe
LOUIS SCHWIZGEBEL, piano
CONSTANCE TAILLARD, harpsichord
PROGRAM
FRANK MARTIN - Trois danses
BÉLA BARTÓK - Musique pour cordes, percussions et celesta
FRANK MARTIN - Petite symphonie concertante
Performance running time : 1h30 without intermission
Doors open at 4:30 PM
Frank Martin composed the Trois Danses for oboe, harp, and strings in 1970 at the request of Ursula and Heinz Holliger, who premiered the work on October 9 of the same year in Zurich under the direction of Paul Sacher. The three movements evoke Spain: the first, Seguiriya, references the vocal style and rhythmic patterns of flamenco; the second, Soledad (“solitude”), has the character of a written improvisation; the third, Rumba, draws on the rhythms of the Cuban dance. Martin’s youngest daughter, Teresa, had discovered a true talent for flamenco dancing, which likely explains the Spanish inspiration behind this quasi-concerto for oboe, harp, and strings.
Béla Bartók composed his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta in 1936; it was premiered in Basel on January 21, 1937, under the direction of Paul Sacher, to whom the work is dedicated. It stands as one of the composer’s masterpieces, escaping the dominant neoclassical aesthetic of the time while pursuing formal rigor shaped by folk-inspired material.
Frank Martin’s Petite Symphonie concertante dates from 1944–1945; it was commissioned by Paul Sacher, who premiered it in Zurich in 1946. The work follows in Bartók’s footsteps, with its original choice of solo instruments and the division of the string ensemble into two groups that respond to one another. Martin also explores rare sonorities, with textures that range from delicate to incisive. The use of Baroque continuo instruments as soloists was a suggestion by Sacher himself.
Starting from CHF 15.-
Tickets available online or on site on the day of the concert
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