Anthony Joseph
Date & Time
Sat, May 17, 2025, 20:00Keywords: Early Music
Musicians
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Program
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Keywords: Early Music
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These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
William Christie directs two titans of sacred music: Mozart’s Litaniae Lauretanae, described by Albert Einstein as ‘a marvel of art and youth’, followed by Harmoniemesse, one of Haydn’s most imposing compositions.
Musical works of Joseph Haydn , Johann Baptist Vanhal
In 2016, the composer Robert Fürstenthal died in San Diego, California, at the age of almost 100. After fleeing the Nazis and settling in the United States in 1939, he had a successful career as an accountant before returning to composition in the 1970s, writing music that evokes his hometown of Vienna. Rafael Fingerlos, who collaborated with the composer on the premiere recording of his songs shortly before Fürstenthal’s death, is joined by Joseph Middleton to present a selection of these works, juxtaposed with compositions by Max Bruch, Johannes Brahms, and Franz Schubert.
Haydn had been deeply impressed by the spectacular performances of Handel oratorios when he travelled to England in 1791. Such choirs did not exist in the Italian tradition, to which the Viennese oratorios were also rooted. Why shouldn’t he try something of this kind himself? So he brought back a libretto from England, which had probably first been presented to George Frideric Handel: John Milton’s (1608-1674) epic poem »Paradise Lost«.
On the operatic stage, Austrian mezzosoprano Sophie Rennert is acclaimed for her portrayals of Baroque heroines—including her celebrated debut as Galatea in the staged production of Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo in November 2023 at the Pierre Boulez Saal. Together with pianist Joseph Middleton, she now gives voice to her other great passion: the lied repertoire. In addition to a selection of works by Franz Schubert, the duo performs Mahler’s moving Rückert Songs.
"O tell me, who invented this miraculous construction, full of the voices of everything that lives?" Herder asked in his poem "The Organ" – the instrument that "unites the breath of all creation". This concert will see two fascinating performers immerse themselves in the multifaceted universe of organ music: Tobias Lindner, winner of numerous international competitions and professor at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, will open the concert with a work by an unknown master from his Bavarian homeland. The mid-19th century piece "Elevazione" by Padre Davide da Bergamo is a fresh and tuneful celebration of the liturgical elevation of the host. Bach's trio sonata, composed around 1730, features both intricate fugue techniques and sensuous passages. Opera aficionado Giovanni Morandi created his Campanelli Rondo in 1883, an organ piece that contains not a few surprises. The Hungarian composer Dezsö Antalffy-Zsiross thrilled early 20th-century audiences with his spectacular works, and his "Chanson dans la nuit” contains echoes of early jazz. The programme’s second half will be performed by Jeremy Joseph, a South African organist who has won several prestigious awards. He is currently the chapel organist of the Hofburg in Vienna and also teaches as a professor at the University of Vienna. He will start with a highly virtuosic and sonorous Prelude and Fugue by Bach. Mozart wrote the rondo-like Andante for barrel organ, an enchanting music-box piece full of dainty passages in a high treble register, in 1791, the year of his death. Messiaen’s jubilant final movement of his major 1986 composition "Le Livre du Saint-Sacrement" undoubtedly succeeded in achieving this composer’s goal to create a universal dimension of "music that touches all things and God at the same time".
When the young fellows of our Joseph Keilberth Orchestra Academy play chamber music together with musicians from our orchestra on this afternoon, it will be the best example of how we prepare the young orchestra musicians of tomorrow for the job: Listening to each other in a small ensemble is essential for the large community of the symphony orchestra. And what could be a better way to learn than performing? In other words, we can look forward to a colourful programme of great works from the chamber music literature. A surprise concert, so to speak, as some of the scholarship recipients have only just been appointed to our orchestra, meaning that an exact programme can only be announced a few weeks before the concert. We are looking forward to a »carte blanche« that will certainly not disappoint.
For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!