Ensemble Hermes: An Eternity of Hope

The concert "An Eternity of Hope" with Ensemble Hermes builds a narrative around conflict, war, and grief - yet keeps its gaze fixed on what is worth fighting for, and on the light that returns even after the darkest times. The music draws parallels to history's tragedies while engaging with a world that in many places is again ablaze.

The programme draws on excerpts from Schubert's String Quintet in C major, Stravinsky's Concerto for Strings, and Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 8, while Richard Strauss' Metamorphosen from 1945 stands at the centre in its entirety. Ensemble Hermes has arranged and woven the music together with audio clips of war's voices and a reading of Paul Celan's poem "Death Fugue" - which can be seen as a poetic counterpart to Strauss' work - into one continuous arc.

The ensemble's seven musicians shift position in the space and use select props to amplify the music's expression and support the narrative.