FOCUS 26/27 – an attempt at orientation

Dear Friends of SWISS CHAMBER CONCERTS

No era has ever been as polystylistic as our own – insofar as one can still speak of ‘polystylism’ today, that overarching cultural-historical term with which attempts have been made to characterise the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Attempts to categorise the current diversity stylistically either fail, are fragmented to the point of insignificance, or are so broadly defined that vague terms such as ‘sonic’ or ‘soundscapes’ scarcely denote anything other than the mere fact that sound is involved at all. No wonder: they no longer exist in the same capacity – the great role models, the influential teachers, the leading figures around whom a shared pulse of the times might be oriented. Not because there are no longer any outstanding artistic personalities, but because their influence scarcely extends beyond their own circles. Today, such a pulse is quite simply missing, as if our times had come to a standstill in their own gentle rippling. Everyone is simmering away on their own: cultural practitioners as well as universities, concert series and radio stations. Each on their own, each in their own pot – if anything is still simmering at all.

We’re not just simmering; we’ve been cooking up a storm for you, undeterred, for 27 years now! ‘Focus’ – derived from the Latin ‘focus’, meaning ‘hearth’ or ‘fireplace’ – is our approach for the coming season: We create musical programmes that focus on specific themes. The main focus – or, more accurately, the auditory focus – is on individual composers or a specific theme. Ideally, our concert experiences are not merely emotional highlights, but also intellectual enrichment capable of stimulating the synapses of our valued audience members, even in the most hidden corners of their minds. We achieve this through diverse perspectives and reflections, through combinations of works chosen with careful dramaturgical consideration, or – as in the ‘Rising Stars’ programme – by focusing on our up-and-coming musical talent.

For us, of course, focus is more than just a dramaturgical principle. It is an attitude: the conscious decision to devote time and attention to one thing, rather than allowing oneself to be constantly swept away by the sheer abundance of possibilities. Those who focus make choices – and it is precisely through this that they gain the ability to see more deeply and hear more clearly. Perhaps this even constitutes a special form of resistance today: for a moment, not switching on to the next thing, not scrolling on, not trying to take in everything at once, but lingering on a piece of music, a thought, a composer. Only when attention is no longer scattered does listening become perception, experience and insight.

We therefore hope for unforgettable concert experiences – and that some of them will linger beyond the moment itself. To mark the end of the season, we are finally returning to the Tonhalle Zürich after more than 25 years. The programme will include a work by Rolf Urs Ringger, which was premiered there exactly 50 years ago by the Zürich Kammermusiker, the founding ensemble of SWISS CHAMBER CONCERTS.

I look forward to a variety of memorable encounters and warmly welcome you to the new SCC season!

Yours sincerely,

Jürg Dähler, Artistic Director, SCC Zurich