In his 1935 autobiography, Igor Stravinsky argues that only in times of real restraint, does man truly find the freedom to express oneself fully. It is a theme he developed just a few years later in a series of lectures given at Harvard University; latterly published in Poetic of Music, where he again argues that ‘the more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self of the chains that shackle the spirit.’
I think of these words often in an era of increasing financial restraint in the arts. A time when barely a day goes by without news of reduced funding for the arts; the closure of music departments as a result of reduced student demand; and perhaps most importantly, reduced access to those all-important first instrumental lessons for the youngest in society. Even reduced train times making travel to and from concerts just that little bit harder, plays its part, leaving many cultural institutions striving to find new and more exciting ways to encourage ever greater numbers to leave the comfort of their home and taste all the wonders the classical music world has on offer.
Increased audience engagement
Engagement with an ever-wider audience has been at the heart of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (and Concertgebouw’s) thinking for many years with a whole host of well-established outreach offerings. Schemes such as their Essentials series – shorter concerts starting at 9pm usually on a Friday or Saturday night introducing musical masterpieces, prefaced by an introductory talk and concluding with free drinks in the Mirror Hall; and the Entrée scheme for those under the age of 35, which for €30 membership gives access to greatly reduced ticket prices, and includes free drinks, two free welcome concerts and the option to bring a friend (aged under 35) for the same reduced price.
This October, the Concertgebouw Orchestra visited Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome for the first time in their long history
This three-night residency takes their mission to a whole new level, reaching total audience figures of 30,000 – numbers rarely seen in the traditional Dutch classical music world. Their two-night tribute dedicated to Japanese film composing legend Joe Hisaishi, and their Classics Live concert featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony complete with a massed audience singalong sets a benchmark, and it will be interesting to see where it leads.
Curious to gauge audience reaction and having never set foot inside the Ziggo Dome (or any similarly sized stadium for that matter!) I attended both events – the first of which was completely sold-out. And instead of thoughts about the many Studio Ghibli soundtracks spanning Hisaishi’s thirty years as a film composer, I found myself overwhelmed by the diversity of the audience, and their reaction to the music and accompanying film extracts.
Studio Ghibli film music fills the dome
Young faces lit up as the fine voices of the Dutch National Mixed Youth Choir filled the stadium singing Ponyo, Ponyo fishy in the sea. Similarly, older teenagers swayed along to Ivan Podyomov’s stunning oboe solo in Howl’s Moving Castle as the castle emerged. And as all those vibrant colours on screen seamlessly moved to Kiki’s Delivery Service, pizzicato violin melodies and catchy tunes abounded. Audience participation increased as parents joined in, humming along to My Neighbour Totoro (saved cruelly until the final encore) – that male lower octave adding depth. My own thoughts turned to the innocence of hours spent in front of the family TV before bedtime with my two girls, singing along to Hisaishi’s wickedly hypnotic tunes. Memories shared and relationships forged. Such is the power of music.
Devoted fans
After the show, I chatted with an Argentinian audience member who had flown in from Berlin because Hisaishi’s November appearance in Berlin instead features new compositions, and not his back catalogue. He shared how in a pre-Netflix and Amazon streaming world, his father had introduced him to the world of Studio Ghibli after coming upon Spirited Away in a supermarket DVD bargain basket. From that moment, he said he was hooked. Not just on the films and their music, but on the huge anime art scene.
Excitement over both nights was not just evident in audience members, but from all the RCO musicians on stage, many of whom had brought young family members along to share in the experience. And interestingly, where other similar ensembles might turn to substitutes for what may be considered ‘less serious’ film repertoire, the Concertgebouw Orchestra A-team were out in force. What an introduction for new Academy members, some joining the stage for the first time.
The highlight was the drums of Princess Monoke. Percussionist Herman Reiken, now with his concert jacket removed, transported us to a dark Asian forest where marauding creatures chasing down all in their sight in a series of primal, and harmonically and texturally compelling samurai drum rhythms was the norm. As the music faded, British soprano Grace Davidson’s angelic strains soared.
A little Beethoven 9
The following night’s Classics Live was simply thrilling. When I arrived 45 minutes early, the dome was already two-thirds full. Audience members were on their feet and in full voice, eagerly following Iván Fischer’s Dutch instructions and singing from a four-part vocal score projected behind the orchestra, rehearsing the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in its entirety. Schiller’s German text echoed all around.
Many came prepared with the score downloaded onto their iPads, having made full use of pre-prepared rehearsal material kindly curated online by the RCO, complete with an accompanying pep talk from the maestro himself. Any worries about filling the dome for a classical concert only two weeks after their free annual open-air concert in Amsterdam’s Oosterpark (also broadcast on Dutch television channel NPO 2), or concerns regarding cancelled tickets when NS cancelled all trains in and out of Amsterdam Central for the day, seemed premature. The Ziggo Dome was packed.
Aurel Dawidiuk makes his return
Three things stood out. Firstly, the decision to invite former associate conductor Aurel Dawidiuk to conduct the first half. Opening with a fiendishly fast Ruslan and Ludmila and concluding with a performance of Rossini’s William Tell Overture to rival possibly the greatest ever performance of this work given by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band in the legendary film Brassed Off, the wide smile on his face could not hide his obvious joy at being back in front of an orchestra who have taught him so much.
Secondly, Dominic Seldis’ lively repartee full of subtle, wry British humour, struck just the right tone.
Finally, the opportunity to sing Beethoven Nine along with such fine orchestral accompaniment and the combined voices of the National Youth Mixed Choir, Laurens Symphonish and four compelling soloists – Maximilian Schmitt, Hanno Müller-Brachman, Eleanor Lyons and Olivia Vermeulen – was a thrilling experience. Singing the ‘Alle menschen’ alto part along with 8,000 others in the cavernous Ziggo Dome is an experience I will not forget. Yes, perhaps the sound crew had taken Seldis’ words about the cello section believing in their own importance rather too literally, but the build up from that first pianissimo cello and double bass melody to a glorious finale kept everyone on their toes.
To conclude
Within times of such financial restraint, has the Concertgebouw fulfilled Stravinsky’s dream of finding the freedom to unshackle themselves from the confines of traditional classical music by developing an idea forged some time ago in collaboration with Amsterdam concert promoter MOJO? It could be argued that this series of concerts speaks to more than just the music. Their carefully curated offering bringing huge numbers of people together has created precious, lasting memories. This surely is the music’s greatest gift.
Clare attended concerts on October 2nd & 3rd, 2026 in Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome
Photos © Vincent van den Boogaard & Eduardus Lee
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