Composer Bechara el-Khoury, born in 1957, continues to astonish the Western music world. His creativity, effervescent inspiration and immense talent as an orchestrator have captivated Europe’s leading ensembles. Consequently, the National Orchestra of Lyon commissioned a concerto for horn and orchestra, which premiered at the Lyon Auditorium on December 14, featuring soloist Guillaume Tétu under the direction of Danish conductor and musical director Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider.
The work, titled Grand Alpine Poem for Horn and Orchestra ‘Nach Garmisch,’ lasting 17 minutes, is a tribute to the German composer Richard Strauss (1864-1949), whom Khoury regards as his mentor and who lived in the Bavarian Alps town of Garmisch. He emphasizes "towards Garmisch" rather than "at Garmisch," noting he never had the chance to visit Strauss’s magnificent Art Nouveau-style home where Strauss spent his final years. However, it is not the scenery that captures Khoury’s interest, but rather the solitude of the solo horn echoed by the orchestra. The piece does not depict a landscape but rather conveys a state of mind—a blend of melancholy and serenity characteristic of a certain age, an acceptance of a somewhat disappointing world.
“It was Richard Strauss who made me love the horn,” says Khoury, already the author of a horn concerto titled The Dark Mountain. Strauss also inspired another of his works, Mount Hermont, the Sacred Mountain, the title of his concerto for orchestra, scheduled to premiere on April 18, 2024 at the Radio-France auditorium in Paris by the National Orchestra of France. With Nach Garmisch, he aims to make the instrument sing, exploring its full range, including the high register, and demanding great virtuosity from the soloist—a quality not lacking in Guillaume Tétu, one of the most sought-after horn players of his generation. His performances are universally acclaimed, whether as the principal horn of the orchestra or in his favored chamber music repertoire.
The works in Bechara Khoury’s catalog, performed by the world’s greatest orchestras, often evoke his childhood in war-torn Lebanon. He admits he is uncertain if war is at the center of his work but suggests that his work is at the center of all wars, including the terrorist attacks in New York and Paris, which inspired some of his most poignant works. Soon, a major work inspired by the horror of the Beirut port bombing will come out, but it is still too early to discuss it.
Zeina Saleh Kayali
The work, titled Grand Alpine Poem for Horn and Orchestra ‘Nach Garmisch,’ lasting 17 minutes, is a tribute to the German composer Richard Strauss (1864-1949), whom Khoury regards as his mentor and who lived in the Bavarian Alps town of Garmisch. He emphasizes "towards Garmisch" rather than "at Garmisch," noting he never had the chance to visit Strauss’s magnificent Art Nouveau-style home where Strauss spent his final years. However, it is not the scenery that captures Khoury’s interest, but rather the solitude of the solo horn echoed by the orchestra. The piece does not depict a landscape but rather conveys a state of mind—a blend of melancholy and serenity characteristic of a certain age, an acceptance of a somewhat disappointing world.
“It was Richard Strauss who made me love the horn,” says Khoury, already the author of a horn concerto titled The Dark Mountain. Strauss also inspired another of his works, Mount Hermont, the Sacred Mountain, the title of his concerto for orchestra, scheduled to premiere on April 18, 2024 at the Radio-France auditorium in Paris by the National Orchestra of France. With Nach Garmisch, he aims to make the instrument sing, exploring its full range, including the high register, and demanding great virtuosity from the soloist—a quality not lacking in Guillaume Tétu, one of the most sought-after horn players of his generation. His performances are universally acclaimed, whether as the principal horn of the orchestra or in his favored chamber music repertoire.
The works in Bechara Khoury’s catalog, performed by the world’s greatest orchestras, often evoke his childhood in war-torn Lebanon. He admits he is uncertain if war is at the center of his work but suggests that his work is at the center of all wars, including the terrorist attacks in New York and Paris, which inspired some of his most poignant works. Soon, a major work inspired by the horror of the Beirut port bombing will come out, but it is still too early to discuss it.
Zeina Saleh Kayali
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