The former Cistercian monastery of Eberbach is the perfect location for the performance of Carl Orff’s musical firework “Carmina Burana”. It was also chosen for the film adaptation of Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose” from 300 monasteries when looking for a suitable medieval venue. It is not surprising that Carmina Burana has been fully booked three times at this year’s Rheingau Music Festival. This was also emphasised by Michael Herrmann, artistic director and managing director of the festival, in his welcoming speech in the basilica. The Rheingau landscape in which the monastery is nestled and the simple, three-aisled Romanesque basilica, built between 1136 and 1186, have a magical attraction.Continue reading “Carmina Burana – A musical firework”
Bruce Liu, Piano, accompanied by the hr-Sinfonieorchester conducted by Alain Altinoglu, in the Kurhaus of Wiesbaden, Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal/Foto: Ansgar Klostermann, RMF
The magnificent Friedrich-von-Thiersch-Saal in the Kurhaus of the Hessian capital Wiesbaden was the place where Bruce Liu, the 27-year-old Canadian pianist of Chinese origin, accompanied by the hr-sinfony Orchestra, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, showed off his skills on June 23, 2024, the second day of the opening concert of the Rheingau Music Festival 2024.
July 7th 2023: Wiesbaden Kurpark becomes Opera stage/Foto: Ansgar Klostermann
Bellini, Donizetti, Puccini and of course Verdi! The Orchestra e Coro Sinfonica di Milano under the direction of Claus Peter Flor, the Coro Sinfonica di Milano under the musical direction of Romano Gandolfi, the soprano Carmela Remigio and the tenor Davide Giusti made the evening an enjoyable experience. It was an atmospheric evening at the opera in a perfect setting, in the Kurpark in Wiesbaden.
With Hector Berlioz’s Ouverture ‘ Le Carnaval romain’, Edouard Lalo’s `Symphonie espagnole` and Francis Poulenc’s `Stabat Mater’, the Rheingau Music Festival started its 2023 season in the basilica of Eberbach Monastery in the Rheingau.
The hr-Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, the MDR Rundfunkchor under the direction of Philipp Ahmann, the brilliant debut of the only 17-year-old Brazilian violin soloist Guido Sant’Anna and the powerful-voiced soprano Vannina Santoni delivered a true pleasure package for all senses.
The opening concert began with Hector Berlioz’s popular overture “Le carnaval romain.” In this lively concert piece, which lasted about ten minutes, Berlioz used themes from his opéra-comique “Benvenuto Cellini.” Fancy rhythms correspond here with motifs of the carnival and cheerfully dancing people. Different tempi and dynamics convey many moods.
Virtuoso energetic playing in a red silk shirt
Édouard Lalo’s “Symphonie espagnole (op. 21, D minor),” which lasted about half an hour, conveyed special intensity. The 17-year-old Brazilian Guido Sant’Anna, who won the renowned International Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition in Vienna in September 2022, was engaged as solo violinist. This year he received a scholarship to study at the Kronberg Academy. With his virtuosic and energetic playing, wearing a striking red silk shirt, he immediately captured the audience completely. The climax was the fourth movement: the initial brass notes were followed by an almost intimate playing of the solo violin.
Chief conductor Alain Altinoglu ensured a successful dialogue between the hr-Sinfonieorchester and Guido Sant’Anna during the “Symphonie espagnole”. The audience, extremly clapped for a solo encore: the second movement “Dance roustique” from the Sonata No. 5 in G major (“The Dawn”) by the Belgian violinist, composer and conductor Eugène Ysaÿe.
Intensity and power of a beautiful voice
After the intermission, Francis Poulenc’s “Stabat Mater” was played, a religious work that fits perfectly into the basilica of Eberbach Monastery. The intercessory prayer is about the mother of Jesus in her pain for the crucified Jesus. There are numerous settings of the medieval poem, for example by Charpentier, Haydn, Rossini, Schubert, Verdi or Vivaldi. In the work, which is divided into twelve sequences, the choir takes center stage. The MDR Rundfunkchor, conducted by Philipp Ahmann, conveyed the prayer with high intensity.
The French soprano Vannina Santoni convinced with her special charisma and the intensity and power of her beautiful voice.
The French soprano Vannina Santoni convinced in the sequences “Vidit suum dulcem Natum”, “Fac, ut portem Christi mortem” and the final “Quando corpus morietur” with her special charisma and the intensity and power of her beautiful voice.
Former German President Joachim Gauck asked in his ceremonial address. “Are we allowed to rejoice in times like these? His answer: “Of course, what faith enables me to do, music also enables me to do. ” But the power and beauty of music is not an act of escaping the world. Art cannot undo human abysses, but it has the power to transform, to bring about changes and unexpected things.
Johanna Wenninger-Muhr
The hr Symphony Orchestra and the MDR Radio Choir Founded in 1929, the hr-Sinfonieorchester is famous for its dynamic playing culture and musical excellence. Since 2021, it has been led by 48-year-old Paris-born principal conductor Alain Altinoglu. The MDR Rundfunkchor, since January 2020 conducted by Philipp Ahmann, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in the 2023/24 season, is the largest radio choir of the public broadcaster.
The Bamberg Symphony Orchestra has been inspiring audiences around the world with its characteristically dark, round and radiant sound since 1946. With well over 7,300 concerts in more than 500 cities and 63 countries, they have become the cultural ambassador for all of Germany as the Bavarian State Philharmonic./Photo: Ansgar Klostermann
Africa´s islands in the Atlantic/Foto: Doris Minke
By Suse Rabel-Harbering
The discovery of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 is attributed to Henry the Navigator, who was sailing on behalf of the Portuguese crown. Before the discovery, the islands were deserted. Thanks to its favorable location, the archipelago became a center of international trade relations, being situated in the middle of the three continents of Africa, Asia and America. Apart from sugar cane, rum and salt, the main commodities traded were slaves. Since the middle of the 16th century, Portugal had reserved the exclusive right to market slaves on the West African coast.
Pillory, Cidade Velha, Santiago/Photo: Doris Minke
The 35th festival summer from 25.6. to 3.9.2022 will take place under the guiding principle “Cohesion”. It is intended to bring the music back to the audience in full radiance and in the usual atmospheric manner.
Violinist Julia Fischer and pianist Jan Lisiecki will be featured as focus artists in several concerts of the Rheingau Music Festival at once. Whether in large orchestra concerts, or for the first time together on stage as a duo – Julia Fischer and Jan Lisiecki will bring their deep musical devotion and virtuoso joy of playing to the Rheingau. Continue reading ““Cohesion” – The guiding principle of Rheingau Music Festival 2022″
Bomsori Kim, violin, accompanied by the Camerata Salzburg plays Mozart (Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in G major KV 216 Symphony No. 40 in G minor KV 550) in the cloister of Eberbach Monastery/Photo: Ansgar Klostermann
Bomsori Kim is firmly convinced that Mozart himself was an outstanding violin virtuoso. The concerts would tell a lot about the master violinist Mozart, says the Korean, who, like the Viennese classicist himself, began playing the violin in early childhood. She is now one of the most sought-after young stars on the international concert podiums.
The Alehouse Session – the basilica of the Eberbach Monastery an unusual location for the show/Photo: Ansgar Klostermann
The performance of “The Alehouse Session” at Eberbach Monastery should have taken place in the cloister of the monastery, weather permitting. But rain had prevented that and so it took place in the basilica. Somewhat unusual for the place, that percussion and drum perfectionist Helge Andreas Norbakken at first and as a start of the show took a sip from his beer bottle.
2nd opening concert of the Rheingau Music Festival 2021 on June 27, 2021/Photo: Ansgar Klostermann
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s concert overture “The Hebrides”, his Reformation Symphony No. 5, and Jean Sibelius Concerto for Violin and Orchestra were on the program of the two opening concerts of the Rheingau Music Festival 2021. At the first sounds of the concert overture “The Hebrides”, my thoughts wander quite spontaneously to the Scottish, green-brown, romantic, melancholy island landscape of the Hebrides. It is June 27, 2021, but the place of action is the Rheingau, the medieval basilica of Eberbach Abbey near Eltville on the Rhine, which Bernard of Clairvaux founded almost 900 years ago.Continue reading “The Rheingau Music Festival 2021 has started”
