Taschenphilharmonie

The ensemble continues a tradition that Arnold Schönberg began in Vienna in 1918: the Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen played chamber versions of orchestral works.[1] The format has been compared to the Taschenbuch (paperback, lit.: pocket book).[2] The ensemble has been called "das kleinste Sinfonieorchester der Welt" (the world's smallest orchestra).[3]

One concert series of the Taschenphilharmonie is called Abenteuer für die Ohren (Adventure for the ears), combining works by two or three composers, usually contrasting classical and contemporary.[4] A concert on 20 November contrasted Beethoven's 2nd symphony with Jan Václav Voříšek's Symphony in D and a work by Graham Waterhouse,[5] whose Concerto da camera they had premiered in 1911.[6] Another premiere was =11= by Alexander Strauch, played at the Black Box of the Gasteig.[7] The ensemble performed works such as Wilhelm Killmayer's Sinfonia 2 on the occasion of the composer's 80th birthday in 2007, Wilfried Hiller's Hamelin in 2008, Stravinsky's Concerto in E-flat "Dumbarton Oaks" in 2009, Kurt Weill's Second Symphony in 2010, and Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw in 2015.[8]

A second series addresses children age four to nine. Große Musik für kleine Hörer (Great music for small listeners) introduces classical music to children focusing on a single composer, with the presentation of the music being embedded in a story with Stangel as the narrator.[9][10] Concerts are also played at kindergartens and schools.[2] The 2016 season began with a concert on Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel.[11] The concerts reach about thousand children per year in live concerts.[9] The series was awarded the Leopold in 2011,[9] Sommernachtstraum was in the "Bestenliste" (List of the best) of the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2013[12]

A third series is called Hörakademie (Listening academy), offering background information for one work with sound examples before intermission, the complete work afterwards.[4] In 2010, the topic were Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, performed with the baritone Wolfgang Wirsching at the Kleiner Konzertsaal of the Gasteig.[3] On 3 March 2016 they analysed and played Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony,[13] on 27 November 2016 Beethoven's 2nd symphony is explored.[14] The series is organized in collaboration with the Munich Volkshochschule[13] and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.[3] It was transferred to the Künstlerhaus in the Lenbachhaus beginning in 2016.[14][15]

• Große Musik für kleine Hörer, an edition of 13 CDs in collaboration with Die Zeit and SONY classical,[9] including
  • Ein Sommernachtstraum, reading with music. ISBN 978-3-8445-1002-7
  • Die vier Jahreszeiten, reading with music. ISBN 978-3-8445-1001-0
  • Peer Gynt, reading with music. ISBN 978-3-8445-1135-2
  • Hänsel und Gretel, reading with music. ISBN 978-3-8445-1134-5
  • Eine musikalische Schlittenfahrt. Vom Englein, das nicht singen konnte, reading with music. ISBN 978-3-86717-987-4.
• Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Susan Maclean, mezzo-soprano) and Symphony No. 4 (Hélène Lindqvist, soprano)
• Mahler: Symphony No. 7, version for chamber ensemble, world premiere recording
• Peter Stangel: Oboe und Co oder Was macht das Horn im Wald: Die Instrumente stellen sich vor. ISBN 978-3938822326

• 2011 Leopold for Große Musik für kleine Hörer[9]
• 2013 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik for Sommernachtstraum[12]

• Official website
• Die Taschenphilharmonie kulturkurier.de
• Die Taschenphilharmonie (in German) Theatergemeinde München
• Die taschenphilharmonie – Freunde der Taschenphilharmonie e.V. (in German) musenkuss-muenchen.de
• Bunt und lehrreich! / Münchens musikalische Kultur- und Veranstaltungsszene für Vorschulkinder (in German) familie-muenchen.de