Coriolan, Overture to H. J. v. Collin’s Tragedy, Op. 62
Symphony No. 3 in E flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica"

Arthur Schoonderwoerd‘s Interpretations’s concept - Interviewed by Stefan Siegert

Tempo, accentuation, phrasing, or structural architecture are not the first thing that strikes us when we listen to Arthur Schoonderwoerd’s performances of Classical orchestra music for the first time. Instead, the first thing we notice is that the music sounds different. The orchestra is unusually small.

We might want to judge whether this is good or not, but that will not truly help us deal with the phenomenon in itself. Apart from the winds – in the usual line-up as called for in the score – the string section is barely larger than a string quartet, and it is pointless to dispute whether this is preferable to a large orchestra.

More significant than our “thumbs-up” or “thumbs-down” attitude is the striking effect this has on the senses. If we want to do justice to Schoonderwoerd’s interpretation concept, it is best to start by focusing on what we are hearing.

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Live Recording: IX 2019, Kleine Beethovenhalle Muffendorf at the Beethovenfest Bonn 2019 (Germany).