This will be an emotionally powerful chamber concert centred around works that are close to the hearts of our four orchestra musicians. One of the composers will be on the podium himself: Gabriele Campagna has been a member of the Bamberg Symphony since 2022, but the violinist is a multi-talented musician who not only plays several instruments, but also passionately composes. His »Three Pieces« for string quartet are brand new and exciting music. Janáček’s magnificent first string quartet is entitled »Kreutzer Sonata« after Tolstoy’s novella, also taking a bow to Beethoven’s work of the same name and, in his words, revolving around »a woman, desperate, grief-stricken, exhausted to death«. He composed it in just one week in 1923 with almost searing vigour, driven by his love for Kamila Stösslová, 38 years younger than him: »note for note« fell »into his pen, glowing«. As a wonderful interlude, there is composing women’s power: the exciting artist Caroline Shaw was explicitly inspired by Haydn’s outstanding last string quartet in 2011, from which she quotes and catapults the whole into the musical world of the 21st century with »ludicrous, delicate, colourful transitions« – until a fading cello solo symbolises only the »memory of fragments of an old melody«. Finally, the dramatic quartet sounds of Schubert’s famous piece from 1824, a year of sorrow for him. It took its thematic material and name from his song of the same name to a poem by Matthias Claudius – and the central variations follow the poetic dialogue between »Death and the Maiden«. A thoroughly harrowing work, but as Schubert once said encouragingly: »Whoever loves music can never be completely unhappy.«

Chamber concert: String quartet

Spiegelsaal Der Harmonie

An exciting journey of discovering the wide-ranging world of the Baroque era: the programme features a hand-picked selection of chamber music from the 17th and 18th centuries, some of which are rarely heard works filled with virtuosity, colours and melodic expression. And there is a marvellous foray into some of the European courts of this era. The influence of the Dresden court lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss, for example, reached far beyond Saxony: Wilhelmine, the music-loving Margravine of Bayreuth, also arranged for his harmonious compositions to be performed in her palace. When Telemann presented his series of quartets at the royal court in Versailles, the musical world there was at his feet – as the elegant and engaging dance movements were his fervent homage to the most elegant court in Europe at the time. It was said of Karl Kohaut that he was a »must-hear« when visiting Vienna. He was regarded as a gifted player of the lute in Haydn’s circle, but also composed himself – often with a preference for folk idioms. Michel Lambert was not only famous as a singer in the Parisian salons in the age of Louis XIV, but was also widely popular for his marvellous melodies, which were published widely as instrumental works. At the end of the Baroque picture book, we hear wonderful variations on the »Follia« tune, a stirring dance in triple metre that was a popular hit in Europe at that time: it was performed constantly in the streets, whether sung, whistled or stomped. Vivaldi’s magnificent version is a true showdown between the instruments.

Chamber concert: strings flute baroque lute

Bamberg Concert Hall

A colourful bouquet of musical pieces that are simply enjoyable, well-known melodies and a few folk tunes to sing along to: That’s the mix for this special »Cantabile« chamber concert. In close cooperation with the Alzheimer Stiftung Bamberg e. V., the programme and concept of the concert have been specially tailored to the needs of people with dementia. However, the concert is open to all people who are unable to visit a regular concert due to a disability or impairment. We welcome you and your accompanying persons to the Hegelsaal of the Bamberg Concert Hall for a diverse musical morning, moderated by Martin Timphus, violist and member of the Bamberg Symphony’s education team.

"CANTABILE" Light classical music for people with disabilities or impairments

This programme is inspired by a world of romantic feelings: Brahms had been tinkering with the composition of a quintet since 1862 – at a time when he was continually fragile due to failures and said despondently: »When you go on 30 and feel weak like I do, you like to lock yourself up and look at the walls in your sadness«. Nevertheless, he became self-confident, exercised, learned Latin and felt, »I'm growing!« Moreover, the Hamburg-born composer moved to his adopted home of Vienna, where he lived near the Prater and could drink his wine »where Beethoven used to drink it«. In 1864, he finally finished the piano quintet, about which his soulmate Clara Schumann raved: »I feel after the work as if I had read a great tragic story.« The remarkable composition captivates with a plethora of original thoughts that are artfully developed – it is also filled with a profound seriousness in long parts. Elgar‘s moving piano quintet also bears witness to a similar state of mind: it was composed in 1918/19 at a time when his life was overshadowed by worries, illnesses, fears and the loss of loved ones in the wake of the horrors of war. Despite his great fame in London, the highly sensitive composer retreated to the countryside to find a break from the world's noise – to which he soon had nothing more to say in music: he wrote only a few works, such as the piano quintet. Even though it sounds at times belligerently agitated, a gloomy mood and a sheer overwhelming nostalgia spreads again and again as a witness to his broken soul – after all, he noted at the time: »Everything comforting and hopeful in my life is irretrievably over«.

Chamber concert: Piano quintet

Our final chamber music open mic night of the season: We are delighted to present a program with an unusual instrumentation and an enchanting world of sound and rhythm. Four string players and the two percussionists from our ranks will perform a concert of fascinating works. This includes a brand-new piece by Gabriele Campagna – a violinist colleague from our orchestra who composes "on the side" and whose string quartet we premiered last season. We are eager to hear which facets of the diverse percussion arsenal he will explore today. A veritable acoustic choreography is the work by the American-born composer Andy Pape, who now lives in Denmark – the title playfully combines the words "cadence" and "dance.

Gabriele Campagna

Events

Upcoming events

May 26, 2026

Chamber concert: String quartet and percussion · Bamberger Symphoniker

Past events

Feb 23, 2025

Chamber concert: String quartet · Bamberger Symphoniker

Jan 19, 2025

Chamber concert: strings flute baroque lute · Bamberger Symphoniker

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in Piano Quintet by Elgar

Bamberger Symphoniker

Violin in String Quartet No. 1 by Janáček

Bamberger Symphoniker

Violin in Twelve Trio Sonatas by Vivaldi

Bamberger Symphoniker

Violin in String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor by Campagna

Bamberger Symphoniker

About

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