Ensemble Modern

Despite its timelessness, the music of the great Romantic composer Franz Schubert (1797-1828) can sound completely 'contemporary' when heard through the ears of Hans Zender. In his 'composed interpretation', Zender - for many years a central figure in Frankfurt's musical life as a composer, conductor and university lecturer - has liberated 'Winterreise', composed in 1827, from the dignified atmosphere of the concert hall and restaged it as an existential world theatre for voice and small orchestra with a disconcerting power of sound. The Ensemble Modern was involved in the premiere at the Alte Oper in 1993, but Julian Prégardien is now also an intimate connoisseur of the score. The celebrated tenor has sung the vocal part not only on stage but also in the recording studio, delighting audiences and critics alike. It would be difficult to find a more expert interpretation of Zender's 'Winterreise' than this.