Singer

Completely removed from the sophisticated hustle and bustle of the spa town of Baden-Baden, nestled in a modest home in the suburb of Lichtental close to the forest as he always did in summer, Johannes Brahms came up with the theme for the first movement of the Horn Trio on one of his beloved morning walks in the forest: a gentle circle first around the note F, then ever more circling in its melody. Later he would even lead a friend to the place where the sound of nature had caught him inside. The instruments that Brahms had learned as a child in Hamburg included the piano and cello as well as the French horn. It is no coincidence that Brahms continued to feature the horn very prominently in his music later on – it is not difficult to find corresponding passages in the symphonies in particular; but the early songs for women's choir, two horns and harp op. 17 should also be mentioned. It was his mother who loved Johannes' horn playing in particular. The question of the extent to which the death of the mother Christiane, who died in February 1865, actually influenced the composition of the Adagio movement for the horn trio a few months later keeps cropping up with strange persistence. However, it seems presumptuous to continue to rack one's brains here in Brahms' name. Mesto (sad) is written in the score, and that is how the movement sounds. And the whole trio is "an incomparable work of this chamber music genre, [that] floats in musical heaven," says György Ligeti.

Brahms

Laeiszhalle Hamburg

Now he's going out into the world: the free hero Siegfried is tasked with rectifying what Wotan, the father of the gods, messed up at the beginning of the story. Part three of Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" can finally be experienced in Kent Nagano's original sound project.

EPSG:4326

The Wagner Cycles mit Dresdner Festspielorchester und Kent Nagano

Palace of Culture

Now he is going out into the world: the free hero Siegfried is supposed to fix what Wotan, the father of the gods, messed up at the beginning of the story. Part three of Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung" can finally be experienced in Kent Nagano's original sound project.

Richard Wagner: Siegfried

Museum Ludwig

What began in 2023 with a concert performance of »Das Rheingold« and continued in 2024 with »Die Walküre« and now with »Siegfried« is no less than a redefinition of standards in Wagner interpretation. The project »The Wagner Cycles« is dedicated to a unique collaboration between academic expertise and practice, tackling Richard Wagner’s monumental opera tetralogy. In Dresden and on tour through Europe’s musical centers, the results of this spectacular sound workshop and the historically informed perspective on Wagner’s epoch-making theatrical oeuvre have been celebrated as revolutionary. In the third part of the »Ring«, »Siegfried», depictions of nature and the visceral portrayals of action reveal Wagner at the height of his expressive musical powers.

The Wagner Cycles on Tour RICHARD WAGNER: »SIEGFRIED«

Philharmonie de Paris

Kölner Philharmonie

Classical music is rarely experienced in such a relaxed, informal setting. The lunch concerts of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra make it possible: On a flying visit to Hamburg? A bit of time during your lunch break? Looking for an idea for a group outing? Every one or two months, you can simply drop by the Brahms Foyer of the Laeiszhalle on a Tuesday afternoon. You don't even need a ticket for these chamber music delicacies. Entry is free, but places are limited (and the seats even more limited!). There is just a donation box at the exit - for anyone who enjoyed it.

Tenor

Christian Elsner

Events

Past events

Jul 3, 2025

Brahms · Symphoniker Hamburg

Jun 14, 2025

The Wagner Cycles mit Dresdner Festspielorchester und Kent Nagano · Concerto Köln

Future and recently performed repertoire

Mime in Siegfried by Wagner

Kölner Philharmonie

Mime in Siegfried by Wagner

Dresdner Musikfestspiele

Mime in The Ring of the Nibelung by Wagner

Concerto Köln

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