Schubert in C major

Best of Classical: Schubert "Great C Major"

In the 19th century, one was considered a "true" composer if they wrote symphonies. Franz Schubert had composed several symphonies before his "Great" one, but they were either short or unfinished. He was known as a composer of songs who occasionally wrote something else. With his Symphony in C major (the "Great" one, as there is also a "Little" one), he wanted to change that perception. And he succeeded, big time! With a length of approximately one hour, it was already something special in his time, and musically it stands out from all the other symphonies of his era. The solemn tone of the horns at the beginning, the grand musical arcs and thrilling melodies, the sophisticated use of instruments, and the sudden dissonances make this work one of the most significant symphonies of the 19th century. Malte Arkona briefly introduces the work at the beginning. Following the concert, you can join him and the conductor Miguel Sepúlveda for an artist talk in the foyer of the 1st floor.

Musical Sunday Schubert: Streichquintett C-Dur

If Schubert had foreseen his imminent death, the string quintet, composed two months before his passing, with its heavenly melodies of "liberated time", would have been his personal farewell work. This event explores the work and the circumstances of its creation. Author Marcus Imbsweiler and composer/violinist Timo Jouko Herrmann will delve into the subject. Schubert's String Quintet in C Major will be performed on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 5 pm by Cuarteto Casals.

Schubert Unfinished

Although violin and cello are essentially siblings, there were no significant double concertos for these two instruments before Brahms. He actually only wrote one because he had two special artist colleagues in mind for whom he wanted to compose something: the famous violinist Joseph Joachim and the cellist Robert Hausmann. However, it was a complete success, and today the concerto is among the most popular and frequently performed of its kind. Completed unfinished - that's how one could also call Franz Schubert's Symphony in B minor, because even without the "missing" movements, it is a masterpiece. Moreover, it is full of secrets. To this day, it is not known why Schubert did not finish it, nor why a friend kept it locked away for 40 years. It is also unknown why Schubert wrote it in the key of B minor, which was unusual in his time. However, all of this does not diminish the work, on the contrary, with each listening one can discover something new and be amazed.

Signum Quartett Schubert in Soweto

Dieter Schnebel's essay "In Search of Liberated Time" explored Schubert's late works and their unique handling of time. South African violist Xandi van Dijk of the Signum Quartet connects this theme to the 30th anniversary of the end of apartheid. The quartet commissioned South African composers and will perform Schubert in Soweto. A pre-concert talk will be held at 4 pm.

Mozart: Great Mass in C minor / Jordi Savall

It is considered one of the great unfinished works in the history of music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s »Great Mass« in C minor. He probably composed it following his wedding to singer Constanze Weber; unlike with his Requiem, at least Mozart’s death did not prevent the completion of the mass. Although remaining fragmentary, this outstanding mass setting is touching to this day due to its direct expressive power. With his Le Concert des Nations established in 1989, Catalan gambist, music researcher and conductor Jordi Savall had already often been a guest in Hamburg. As an expert in early music and historical performance practice, he consistently gives the audience new listening experiences – in particular with frequently played works. Because Savall is not only interested in music from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but he also elicits new aspects from the seemingly well-known classics. The ensemble and its conductor recently demonstrated this in 2021, for instance, with their Beethoven cycle; now, they tackle Mozart’s »Great Mass«.

Chan, Chaieb ・C. Debussy, Ravel, Bonis

Mozart Requiem – Schubert »Unvollendete«

Concertgebouw Orchestra: Bruckner & Schubert

Andrew Manze strikes a passionate blow for Bruckner’s Second Symphony. ‘From the yearning, desolate opening to the self-assured, triumphant ending, the Second Symphony is a gem that has for too long been inexplicably overlooked, even by many Bruckner lovers’, the conductor says. Up to now, only five conductors have led the Concertgebouw Orchestra in this work – its last performance was conducted by Riccardo Chailly in 1992. Now Andrew Manze is taking up the gauntlet.After moving to Vienna, Bruckner set to work on his Second Symphony, a work in which we can hear him finding his own voice. In addition to the long-drawn-out opening theme, folk dances and quotations from his own oeuvre, the influence of the Viennese Classics is clearly audible – that of Beethoven in particular, but Wagner and Schubert as well. Andrew Manze pairs Bruckner’s Second with the most serious of Schubert’s first six symphonies, the Fourth.

Concertgebouw Orchestra: Bruckner & Schubert

Andrew Manze strikes a passionate blow for Bruckner’s Second Symphony. ‘From the yearning, desolate opening to the self-assured, triumphant ending, the Second Symphony is a gem that has for too long been inexplicably overlooked, even by many Bruckner lovers’, the conductor says. Up to now, only five conductors have led the Concertgebouw Orchestra in this work – its last performance was conducted by Riccardo Chailly in 1992. Now Andrew Manze is taking up the gauntlet.After moving to Vienna, Bruckner set to work on his Second Symphony, a work in which we can hear him finding his own voice. In addition to the long-drawn-out opening theme, folk dances and quotations from his own oeuvre, the influence of the Viennese Classics is clearly audible – that of Beethoven in particular, but Wagner and Schubert as well. Andrew Manze pairs Bruckner’s Second with the most serious of Schubert’s first six symphonies, the Fourth.