"Spark - Bohemian Spirit"

The ECHO Klassik-awarded ensemble Spark takes its listeners on a journey into the vibrant world of the Bohemian, the home of artists, idealists, individualists, free spirits, and visionaries. Here, one is free to dream big, forge their own paths, express themselves freely, and realize their true selves. Everything is possible; there are no limits to the imagination. At the same time, there is a palpable longing in this place to make one's voice and ideas heard, to be seen, and to leave a mark. The cradle of the Bohemian is the lively Latin Quarter in early 19th-century Paris. This is where Spark's journey begins. The quintet immerses itself in the hustle and bustle of this colorful melting pot and captures the spirit of departure that must have been in the air at that time. Exciting sounds, new forms of expression, a fascination with the supernatural and the fantastic. Devil's dance and waltz euphoria. Grand opera and popular tunes. Military marches and rhapsodies – all captured with Spark's unusual instrumentation of around thirty recorders, melodica, violin, viola, cello, and piano, which, according to the Wiener Zeitung, creates "refreshing sound worlds." Above all, the whole experience thrives on the unbridled joy of playing and breathtaking virtuosity that has defined the unique charm of the group for nearly twenty years. The Bohemian into which Spark transports its audience is intoxicatingly sensual and full of surprises. A stage music piece by Léo Delibes evokes reminiscences of early music. Puccini's opera La Bohème meets the eponymous chanson by Charles Aznavour. Bizet's Carmen, who embodies a true Bohemian in her quest for freedom and unbridled passion, is presented in a completely new Carmen fantasy. Rarely heard pieces by Giacomo Meyerbeer, Ernest Krähmer, or Pauline Viardot can be discovered. Finally, the masterpieces of yesterday are linked with sounds of today as the journey shifts from the Paris of the 1830s to Spark's own Bohemia. Here, traditional Roma melodies can be heard in a fiery suite by Adam Ilyas Kuruc, original compositions by Spark members, as well as new commissioned works by Sebastian Bartmann or Elena Kats-Chernin.