bee.listen

What happens when we listen closely together? In bee.listen, Beethovenfest creator Rebekka Salomea talks to artists about the music that inspires them. The starting point is always a specific piece of music that sparks a deep exploration of the musical world. Together, they listen, feel and think, revealing new connections between musical worlds.

In the first episode of bee.listen, Rebekka talks to soul singer and producer Noah Slee. Beethoven’s »Agnus Dei« sparks a discussion about spirituality, community, and Beethoven’s »Missa Solemnis«.

What does faith sound like today, and what happens when Beethoven meets gospel, R&B, and queer perspectives? Noah Slee and his ensemble, A Song for You, answered these questions at the 2024 festival with a new interpretation of the monumental work entitled »A Soulful Missa«.

»The cello is associated with a beautiful, big, lyrical sound. But the opening of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 is almost frightening, with its unusual rhythmic combinations between the cello and the various orchestral instruments!«

– Anastasia Kobekina

In the second episode of bee.listen, artist-in-residence Anastasia Kobekina takes a deep dive into the opening of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1. This intense, rhythmic piece is full of contrasts, and Kobekina will perform it at the festival with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev.