Freiburger Barockorchester: Du wunderbares Kind

Freiburger Barockorchester: Madness

This concert explores "mad scenes" and "mad arias" in Baroque opera, featuring works by Purcell, Vivaldi, and Handel, performed by Carolyn Sampson and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. These scenes allowed composers to break conventions with harsh harmonies and broken phrases. The concert also includes instrumental pieces like Vivaldi's "Follia" variations, Zelenka's "Hipocondrie," and Telemann's "La Bizarre" Overture, which exhibit similar unconventionality. A free introductory lecture will take place at 7:15 pm in the Rolf-Böhme-Saal.

Freiburger Barockorchester: Tamerlano

Georg Friedrich Händel's "Tamerlano" is considered an insider tip among connoisseurs. Unlike his other operas, "Tamerlano" focuses on sophisticated recitatives rather than flamboyant arias, making it a psychological study rather than a baroque revue. Unusually, the main role of Bajazit is given to a tenor, not a castrato, and his suicide scene occurs almost entirely on stage. The opera was praised by contemporaries for its melodies and effects. Conductor René Jacobs emphasizes the strength of Nicola Francesco Haym's libretto. A free introductory lecture will take place at 6:15 pm in the Rolf-Böhme-Saal.

Freiburger Barockorchester: Idomeneo

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Idomeneo, commissioned by Elector Karl Theodor, showcases Mozart's joy and access to a superb orchestra and singers. Created with librettist Giambattista Varesco, it blends traditional opera seria with extensive choral numbers. Conductor René Jacobs, known for his meticulous research, leads a top-tier orchestra and soloists, promising an exceptional experience. A free introductory lecture by Mozart specialist Silke Leopold will precede the performance.

Freiburger Barockorchester: Viva Vivaldi!

Antonio Vivaldi's concertos go far beyond the famous "Four Seasons." He composed nearly 500 concertos for a wide variety of instruments, showcasing his virtuosity and diverse instrumentation. His "Concerti per molti strumenti" feature multiple solo instruments, like the F major concerto with oboes, bassoon, horns, violin, and cello. This colorful instrumentation is also present in his chamber music, such as the G minor Concerto da camera, which, despite its smaller ensemble, retains the extroverted nature of his larger concertos, especially with the hypnotic and eccentric Passacaglia in the final movement.

Freiburger Barockorchester: Johannes-Passion

Hans Werner Henze said about Bach's "St. John Passion": "This music expresses things that no one had dared, been able, or even attempted to say with tones before." John Eliot Gardiner attests to the opening chorus of the Passion having "unparalleled imagery." It is this imagery, paired with highly complex compositional artistry, that makes Bach's Passions so unique. Although the "St. John Passion", criticized by Bach's contemporaries as too "operatic", has always been overshadowed by the "St. Matthew Passion", it can withstand a direct comparison. The "St. Matthew Passion" is considered contemplative, while the "St. John Passion" is described as dramatic. This is primarily due to the different Passion accounts of the two evangelists. The text of John's Passion is not only shorter but also more pointed, sometimes even more aggressive. All comparisons become unnecessary when one indulges in the fantastic music, for which the Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis, with whom we already performed Bach's "Mass in B minor" in October, is the ideal musical partner. The clear voices of the ensemble members, the flawless intonation, and the precise pronunciation harmonize ideally with Bach's works. A free introductory lecture will take place at 5:15 p.m. in the Rolf-Böhme-Saal.

Freiburger Barockorchester: Grand Tour

The Freiburg Baroque Orchestra celebrates 25 years of concerts in Stuttgart and Berlin with a program featuring 18th-century composers encountered along the route. From Rastatt (Fischer) to Stuttgart (Pez), Ansbach (Kusser), Meiningen (J.L. Bach), and finally Eisenach/Berlin (J.S. Bach & Telemann), the concert showcases the diverse regional influences, from Lully in the southwest to Italian styles in central Germany, culminating in the individual styles of Bach and Telemann in the northeast. A free introductory lecture takes place at 7:15 pm in the Rolf-Böhme-Saal.

Ausverkauft: Freiburger Barockorchester: Bach + Vivaldi

This program features works by J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, performed by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Vivaldi, known as "The Red Priest", was a famous composer and virtuoso whose works were popular in 18th-century Europe. Bach studied Vivaldi's compositions, drawing inspiration from their youthful energy. The concert contrasts Vivaldi's concertos with Bach's Brandenburg Concertos and Orchestral Suite, highlighting their different approaches to the concerto form while demonstrating their mutual influence.

Biennale »Paradise lost?« “The Four Seasons” with the Freiburger Barockorchester

Bremer Barockorchester

Together with the multi-award-winning soloist Alexis Cárdenas (violin) and the Grammy winners Miguel Siso (cuatro) and Celso Duarte (harp), the Bremen Baroque Orchestra presents the world-famous violin concertos The Four Seasons in the context of Latin American soundscapes.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Johannes-Passion - Freiburger Bachchor und Freiburger Bachorchester

The Freiburg Bach Choir, Freiburg Bach Orchestra, and renowned soloists will perform Bach's St. John Passion on March 29th and 30th, 2025, under Frank Markowitsch. The concerts will take place in Freiburg Minster and Konzerthaus Freiburg. The St. John Passion deals with Judas' betrayal, Jesus' capture, interrogation, and crucifixion, culminating in comforting words of faith.