New York Sounds

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Two ensembles, two metropolises, two art forms—a concept for a synesthetic artistic experience: In its four-day festival, "The Met Museum Experience", the Alte Oper combines images from the collections of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with music to create a sensory experience for the ears and eyes. For the musical component, the Ensemble Modern and the New York-based ensemble The Knights have joined forces in a transatlantic collaboration. During the performance of works with ties to New York or Frankfurt, the audience can immerse themselves in projections of significant images from the Met Collection. The second evening centers on a tribute to Gerhard Richter. New York composer Steve Reich drew inspiration from Richter’s visual world to create a fascinating composition for large ensemble. At the Alte Oper, visitors can experience just how closely music and visual art are interwoven as the musicians perform live on stage to the screening of the film “Moving Picture” by Gerhard Richter and Corinna Belz. Another special discovery is the Zodiac Suite by composer Mary Lou Williams, whose jazz music was rediscovered by the New York ensemble The Knights and arranged for chamber orchestra. Max Hollein, once a leading figure in Frankfurt’s museum scene and now director of the Met, will personally guide visitors through this universe of images and sound.