Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, premiered in Frankfurt in 1937, is a work that still works. It is music for mundane medieval texts, quite juicy in places: the carnal relationships are not hidden. Translations of the songs, which are mostly in Latin, were handed out before the premiere, and the young people must have been somewhat embarrassed. Orff's music is effective because he has both a sense of melody and rhythm with the use of percussion, which Orff often used. It was during the Nazi rule that Carmina Burana was premiered, and the critics did not quite agree: the focus on rhythm was considered "primitive", the lyrics were daring, but the work was also popular and accepted in its time. Orff's own relationship with the regime has since been discussed. He himself was most interested in getting his music out. Carmina Burana is an effective example of that.

EPSG:4326

Janz conducts Carmina Burana

Deutsches Haus venues GmbH

Alsion

In his collection of essays, Stefan Zweig describes the effects of fateful decisions that influence the whole of history. One of these great moments for him is the creation of Georg Friedrich Handel's "Messiah". Not only because the premiere in Dublin in April 1742 was a tremendous success, but because Handel experienced "his own resurrection" through working on this work. Illness and failure determined his life, but then he found his way back to music by adapting the Bible words of Charles Jennens. He composed "Messiah" in just three weeks - it was to be Handel's greatest success and is still one of the most frequently performed works at Christmas time, even though it was intended for Holy Week. But in "Messiah", all Christian festivals coincide due to the selection of texts from the Old and New Testaments, and so a performance in February is a welcome opportunity to hear this "great moment" of music.

Skyscrapers

Museum Ludwig

The annual Passion Concert is a cherished tradition. Bach, like no other, expresses the essence of the Passion story through his music. The St John Passion is often referred to as his only opera, showcasing his unparalleled sense of theatricality in dramatic scenes, evident from the captivating opening chorus, Herr, unser Herrscher. This year, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra collaborates with conductor Daniel Reuss and Cappella Amsterdam, European leaders in their genre. Together, they present the powerful and inspiring Messiah story from John, featuring two of the world's finest vocalists: German tenor Werner Güra as the evangelist and Peter Harvey in the role of Christ.

Matthias Winckhler

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 16, 2025

Skyscrapers · Kölner Philharmonie

21 - 22 Mar, 2025

St John Passion by Bach · Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Past events

9 - 10 Nov, 2024

Janz conducts Carmina Burana · Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester

Future and recently performed repertoire

Singer in St John Passion by Bach

Antwerp Symphony Orchestra

Singer in The Messiah by Handel

Kölner Philharmonie

About

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