»Music of human breath, it creates a world of its own, conjured up by the sorcerous forces of sounds which, summoned by an imagination rich in visions, enter and pass through our earthly bodies all the way to the soul.« (Henri Sauguet) Our chamber concert offers delightful pieces for flute and bassoon: Vivaldi‘s trio sonata in A minor is a magnificent composition full of intricate sound cascades, but also of introspective moments with expansive cantilenas. The chamber trio in F major, also baroque, was composed by Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, who lived from 1663 to 1712 and came from a Leipzig family of town pipers: the melodic roles of flute and bassoon interact intensively on the harmonic foundation of the continuo – with expressive upswings and dynamic outbursts of virtuosity. Beethoven‘s trio is a precious early work from his Bonn days – where he confided to the Kurfürst about his early preoccupation with composing, that his muse whispered: »Just try it and jot down some of your soul‘s harmonies!« The piece was probably written around 1786 as chamber music for private use – and the passionate love for the daughter of a count‘s family might have been the impetus for the lush sounds that are interspersed throughout the otherwise very concerto-like progress of the work. Finally, Weber‘s enchanting G minor trio from 1819, when the composer was ill and obviously dealt with his mental suffering with music: the highly romantic composition is thus characterised in parts by deep melancholy, in particular in the pivotal Andante, which bears the title »Shepherd's Lament« – yet it captivates the listener with a very playful character in the framing movements.

Chamber Concert: Baroque music

Bamberg Concert Hall

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.

Ulrich Biersack

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 19, 2025

Chamber concert: strings flute baroque lute · Bamberger Symphoniker

Past events

Jun 18, 2024

Chamber Concert: Baroque music · Bamberger Symphoniker

Future and recently performed repertoire

Flute in Trio for Piano, Flute and Bassoon by Beethoven

Bamberger Symphoniker

Flute in Twelve Trio Sonatas by Vivaldi

Bamberger Symphoniker

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