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Alongside his celebrated concerts in other cultural temples worldwide, Christian Schmitt has been our trusted »Principal Organist« for many years now. He is not the only one on the podium this afternoon, but together with musicians from the ranks of our orchestra, he creates magnificent sound effects – such as a work composed in 1976 referring to Marc Chagall: This painter-poet designed famous glass windows in iridescent colours in many places. The fascinating composition »Okna« by the Czech Petr Eben reflects his experiencing of Chagall‘s vitrage for the synagogue in Jerusalem. The piece is congenially encompassed by Bach's virtuoso music: the E-flat major prelude functions as an atmospheric overture, and the corresponding fugue follows as a masterful Baroque piece with three tightly interlocked themes. Trombone and organ then unite for the romantically-influenced »Morceau symphonique« by Alexandre Guilmant. The sparkling piece from 1902 captivates with its lyrical opening and its vibrant development with energetic, rocketing scales. Sofia Gubaidulina's 1978 sonata »Detto 1« is more spiritual – but the meditative lines also repeatedly produce heated cascades. Finally, the god of the seas symbolically makes his grand appearance: the impressive piece »Poseidon« was composed by the Swede Andrea Tarrodi in 2021. Everything here is in a state of flux with rising and falling sound masses.
»Adorn yourself, O beloved soul, forsake this dark den of sin, enter into the bright light, and begin to gleam gloriously!« Thus goes a favorite hymn for the Lord’s Supper centuries ago, from which Bach created a wonderfully tranquil organ work – about which Mendelssohn commented, »If life had taken everything from me, this piece would bring me comfort again.« After this, our opening concert is all about the city of Brno, the home of our Principal Conductor. Also Petr Fiala, founder of the famous Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno and composer himself, was born here in 1943. It was his heart’s desire for Jakub Hrůša to conduct his »Stabat Mater« one day: A colourful setting of the medieval poem, focusing on the mother of Jesus in her mourning for her crucified son. We will also perform Janáček's highly original »Glagolitic Mass«, premiered in Brno in 1927: when the composer, aged 72, wrote the piece shortly before his death, he deliberately wanted to distinguish himself from Western practices and therefore spoke of a »joyful mass« – inspired by the nature spectacle of a thunderstorm and spreading an utterly secular atmosphere. And while the traditional ordinarium from Kyrie to Agnus Dei is adhered to here, the text is not in Latin but in the old Church Slavonic from the 9th century – for Janáček loved to occupy himself with different types of human tonality, which he described as his »little windows to the soul«. Musically, the agitated events are sometimes contrasted with tender passages – and just before the finale there is a brilliant organ solo, which brings this unique mass to an end like a joyful celebration.
The concert hall of Bamberg, situated on the picturesque banks of the river Regnitz, has been the centre of the region of Upper Franconia for events, trade fairs, congresses – and has been the home of the Bamberg Symphony for 30 years now. In the Joseph Keilberth Hall, with an audience of more than 1,400, the orchestra plays major symphonic concerts, but also chamber music, concerts for students, educational programmes and organ concerts are presented here. Furthermore, many award-winning CD recordings by the Bamberg Symphony have been made on this stage with its much-praised acoustics. On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the concert hall opens its doors and offers a colourful and varied concert programme for all ages. On this day, the Bamberg Symphony will perform Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 under the baton of Gemma New in a very special concert in honour of »their own« home venue. The afternoon will already see a revisit to »Ruby Red« as well as the popular Seat Cushion Concerts for the little ones. Christian Schmitt will also be performing on the Jann-organ. More opportunities to discover the concert hall as well as various activities in the halls and foyers top off this special event. Come and celebrate with us!
CHANGE OF CAST AND PROGRAMME
Change of cast and programme on 4th and 5th of March
On 26 February 2023, a special programme on the season's theme of "Creation" will be presented at the Bamberg Concert Hall. The well-known Swiss actor Stefan Kurt will be a guest in the organ series of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. In keeping with Bamberg, he will read "The Story of the Lost Mirror Image" by the well-known Romantic writer E.T.A Hoffmann. With his novellistic works, Hoffmann is considered the most influential German storyteller after Goethe and until the breakthrough of Kafka's works after 1945.For this purpose, the Principal Organist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra has selected early and late masterpieces by composers such as Bach, Mendelssohn, Widor, Brandmüller and Reger, including the well-known Passacaglia by Johann Sebastian Bach and the monumental Fantasy and Fugue in D minor op. 135b by Max Reger.With his leading role in the successful TV multi-part "Der Schattenmann" directed by Dieter Wedel, Stefan Kurt became known to a wide audience and received the Adolf Grimme Award and the Telestar for his acting performance in 1997. This is followed by extensive film and television work. 2020 sees his first collaboration with Barrie Kosky at the Komische Oper Berlin with the operetta "Frühlingsstürme".Christian Schmitt has now been curating the organ series for seven years, with highlights this season including his debut at Carnegie Hall New York under Dennis Russell Davies, with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Christoph Eschenbach, and in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's organ series.