The MDR Radio Choir brings together singers from 13 different countries on four continents. Each country naturally has its own musical Christmas traditions, and so the idea arose to combine selections from this international repertoire in a chamber concert. Look forward to a colorful program, the first part of which opens with a musical setting of the Grimm fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel," which is closely associated with the Christmas season in Germany.

Hänsel & Gretel

Augustusplatz

This chamber concert is entirely dedicated to French music, ranging stylistically from the romantic sound language of Camille Saint-Saëns to the colorful creations of the Impressionists Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to the haunting yet contemplative prayer settings of St. Francis of Assisi by Francis Poulenc. Members of the MDR ensembles showcase their versatility and artistic range in this program – a listening pleasure à la française!

À la française

Playing in a piano trio is one of the most demanding chamber music challenges, because the ability to listen and to rein in one's own ego are, even more so than in larger ensembles, the basic prerequisites for a successful interpretation. TaSte-Re (the name is formed from the initials of the participating musicians) has dedicated itself to this artistic balancing act for many years. And even the most important composers have always been tempted to prove themselves in this difficult genre. Joseph Haydn, with more than 30 works, pioneered the genre. The German and French Romantics added further milestones: Mendelssohn's C minor Trio is among the most popular of all time, and Chausson's composition achieved a beautiful synthesis of Romantic tradition and dazzling Impressionism.

Klassik im Trio

Goldener Löwe

"Reference and contradiction" could be a pair of terms that could be used to describe both works in this program. In Kapustin's work, the tension lies in the fusion of classical form and jazz idiom. "Here, the classical element carries more weight for me. The jazz style is merely color," the composer said of his now famous String Quartet Op. 88. Béla Bartók's Piano Quintet, on the other hand, draws on two traditions: that of Hungarian folk music and the compositional style of Johannes Brahms. In contrast, the Hungarian composer's newly developed harmony already points to the stage work "Bluebeard's Castle," composed seven years later.

MDR-Kammerkonzert

Like the MDR Symphony Orchestra, our chamber music series focuses on Joseph Haydn—particularly on the compositions he composed during his two stays in England in 1791/92 and 1794/95. This includes a selection of folk song arrangements from Scottish and Welsh sources, as well as two of the four so-called London Trios for two flutes and cello. The program is complemented by the incredibly charming Harmoniemusik from Mozart's Don Giovanni, arranged by Joseph Triebensee around 1810. Incidentally, the Bohemian composer and oboist himself participated in the premiere of The Magic Flute under Mozart's direction.

Wiener Klassik

In 2026, the Free State of Saxony will celebrate a statewide "Year of Jewish Culture" – 100 years after the founding of the first Saxon state association of Jewish communities. Under the title "Tacheles," projects, events, and exhibitions will make Saxony's rich Jewish culture and history, past, present, and future, as well as irretrievable losses, visible and audible for a year. Our chamber concert also addresses this theme, featuring well-known and lesser-known compositions from a wide variety of genres spanning approximately one hundred years of Jewish musical creation.

Heiko Reintzsch

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 23, 2026

Wiener Klassik · MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Mar 6, 2026

Tacheles · MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Past events

Nov 28, 2025

Hänsel & Gretel · MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Oct 17, 2025

À la française · MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Future and recently performed repertoire

Piano in Piano Quintet in C major by Bartók

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Piano Trio in C major by Haydn

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Introduction et Allegro by Ravel

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Septet by Saint-Saëns

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Trio in G major by Haydn

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Divertimento in G major by Haydn

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in The Paths of Love by Poulenc

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor by Bartholdy

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Quatre petites prières de saint François d'Assise by Poulenc

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Piano Trio in G minor by Chausson

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Invocation by Debussy

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Don Quixote to Dulcinea by Ravel

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in J'attendrai by Olivieri

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

Piano in Scottish & Welsh Folk Songs by Haydn

MDR-Sinfonieorchester

About

Heiko Reintzsch hasn't added a bio