Name: SOUVENIR DE FLORENCE – Ekhof Festival
Start: 2026-05-23T19:00:00
Location: Schloss Friedenstein Gotha

Alexey Stadler

Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha-Eisenach

The subject of "nature" or "landscape" is frequently used in music as a reflection of the external world, but also as an expression of inner feelings. Composers draw on the sounds, rhythms, and moods provided by nature to make images, atmospheres, or specific emotions audible. In his Sixth Symphony, the "Pastoral," Ludwig van Beethoven depicts a rural idyll with unprecedented vividness: the babbling of the brook, the call of the cuckoo, or the thunder of the storm are not ends in themselves, but rather contribute to a higher level of expression that guarantees the formal rigor and meaningfulness of the symphony. In his "Scottish Fantasy" for solo violin, Max Bruch achieves an atmospheric tone painting full of local color through the use of Scottish folk songs, inspired by the novels of Sir Walter Scott, even though he never actually set foot in Scotland. A similar subtle connection between nature and emotion can be found in Frederick Delius's "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring": Here, the call of the cuckoo becomes the initial inspiration, unfolding a delicate, impressionistic soundscape. Delius eschews programmatic effects in the classical sense, allowing the music to grow organically from moods, colors, and melodic suggestions, so that nature is not merely observed but poetically experienced. As with Beethoven and Bruch, nature here becomes a medium that transcends mere imitation and reveals inner resonances. This demonstrates that landscape painting in music is always more than mere tone painting: It connects external impressions with inner feeling and opens a direct path to moods that words often cannot express.

DELIUS, BRUCH & BEETHOVEN – In Nature

Kulturhaus Gotha

Landestheater Eisenach

Ludwig van Beethoven was not a composer content with simply stringing notes together. For him, music was a universal language – a language of nature, of emotions, indeed of life itself. His Sixth Symphony, the famous "Pastoral," is perhaps the most striking example of this: a sonic stroll through meadows and forests, in which every motif and virtually every sound of nature becomes audible. Yet it was by no means Beethoven's intention merely to "reproduce" nature – on the title page of his symphony he wrote: "More an expression of feeling than painting." Thus, he was not concerned with depicting birdsong or babbling brooks, but with experiencing – with the feeling that arises when one stands amidst nature, feels the wind on one's skin, and listens to the sounds of the earth. It is precisely this experience that we bring to our youth concert. Together with presenter Kerstin Klaholz, we embark on a musical journey and listen very closely: Here the brook rushes, there the villagers dance, a thunderstorm bursts with dramatic force through the concert hall, before the sunbeam of reconciliation bathes everything in golden light again.

BEETHOVEN'S "PASTORAL" – When music becomes landscape – Youth concert

ROMEO AND JULIET – Ballet op. 64 by Sergei Prokofiev

Like no other 18th-century composer, Christoph Gluck paved the way for the intellectual world of Romanticism and, consequently, for Richard Wagner's great mythological narratives. The connection between Gluck and Wagner is unique in the world of opera: Wagner revered Gluck and paid him homage with his new orchestration and German translation of "Iphigenia in Aulis." This arrangement forges a musical bridge between the operatic aesthetics of the 18th and 19th centuries and reveals Gluck as a crucial precursor to Wagner's Romantic music drama.

Iphigenia In Aulis

Friedrichsforum, Bayreuth

Who doesn't know the enchanting story of Mowgli, the foundling raised by wild wolves in the Indian jungle? It comes from the famous "Jungle Book," a collection of stories and poems by the British author Rudyard Kipling. The courageous Mowgli, the ever-cheerful bear Baloo, the clever panther Bagheera, and the evil tiger Shere Khan became world-famous in 1967 thanks to Walt Disney's fantastic animated adventure. Disney's "Jungle Book" is one of the most successful films of all time, not least because of its wealth of melodies that have long since become evergreens. And now you can experience these melodies in a completely new guise in concert. Author Patrick Rohbeck and arranger Stefan Goerge have reworked and arranged "The Jungle Book" for the Thuringia Philharmonic Gotha-Eisenach. Join us in the mysterious jungle and experience a captivating story about a friendship that transcends boundaries. Sing along with the wacky orangutan King Louie, laugh at the hilarious elephant parade, and be hypnotized by the cunning snake Kaa. Of course, the Oscar-winning song "The Bare Necessities" is also included. This and all the other fantastic hits make "The Jungle Book" a unique musical treat for the whole family.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – Family Concert

The Thuringia Philharmonic Orchestra Gotha-Eisenach is performing.

Free concert by the district administrator in the church in Altenbergen – admission free → donations welcome

Kloster St. Gabriel

THE JUNGLE BOOK – Youth Concert

Opera gala at the Elbphilharmonie

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

"Orpheus! Is it illusion, is it truth?" – Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera opens immediately with Orpheus's heart-rending lament for his deceased wife, Eurydice. The god Cupid, however, enables him to free his beloved Eurydice from the underworld. On his way out of Hades, he refuses, as instructed by the gods, to look at Eurydice – causing her to doubt his love. When Orpheus finally turns to her, Eurydice plunges back into the underworld. With his fatal decision and action, Orpheus unleashes an avalanche of emotions and demonstrates that art, music, and song, in the name of love, can conquer the terrors of death. The various musical settings of the Orpheus myth have repeatedly marked innovations on the operatic stage. Thus, Gluck placed his masterpiece entirely at the service of the reform opera he championed, moving away from the contrived virtuosity of opera seria towards a focused, dramatic narrative with expressively emotional music. Gluck's setting of the story of Orpheus possesses an unprecedented dramatic truthfulness, allowing the audience to deeply empathize with the lovers' emotional world. The internationally acclaimed star countertenor Valer Sabadus, who was Artist in Residence with the Thuringia Philharmonic Gotha-Eisenach during the 2023/24 season, will sing the title role of Orpheus. He is one of the foremost interpreters of the role and will undoubtedly set a high standard for this series of performances. The Thuringia Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra will perform under the musical direction of Baroque specialist Michael Hofstetter, Artistic Director of the International Gluck Festival Nuremberg.

Luck – Orpheus

Friedenskirche

Margravial Opera House Bayreuth

Altes Rathaus Nuremberg

A friendship developed between Joseph Joachim, the celebrated violinist, and Johannes Brahms, the quintessential composer, characterized by both artistic admiration and critical tension. Joachim, immediately captivated by Brahms's music, soon became his most important confidant and interpreter. Their letters reveal a complex interplay of admiration, loyalty, and sometimes wounded pride—a delicate web of mutual respect and high expectations. However, from 1884 onward, the friendship between Johannes Brahms and Joseph Joachim was no longer as untroubled as in its early years, for Brahms had sided with Joachim's wife in their divorce proceedings, and since then, the once warm relationship had cooled—marked by expressions and gestures of reserve, coupled with the quiet pride of two artists. Now, however, Brahms's "Double Concerto" for violin and cello was intended to be a sign of reconciliation—a musical dialogue that sought to bridge the gap between them.

JOACHIM, BRAHMS & HAYDN – Reconciliation and Passion

There are works considered significant in music history, yet rarely heard in concert halls. One such treasure is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's String Sextet "Souvenir de Florence." Composed immediately after his opera "The Queen of Spades," it reflects a composer who, after intensive work in Florence, translated his impressions into the unfamiliar territory of chamber music. At the beginning of 1890, Tchaikovsky spent three months in Florence, where he devoted himself entirely to composing "The Queen of Spades"—the opera was completed in just 44 days. Even during this time, he encountered a melody whose elegiac character captured the essence of the city. This memory of Florence became the "Souvenir," the seed of his later String Sextet. Only back in St. Petersburg did Tchaikovsky transform the ideas from Italy into their final form—especially since he owed a musical expression of gratitude to the St. Petersburg Chamber Music Society, which had made him an honorary member. With "Souvenir de Florence," Tchaikovsky ventured into new compositional territory: a string sextet that is classically structured yet explores all the possibilities of chamber music interaction. The movement follows traditional form: an expressive sonata movement, a lyrical slow movement in ternary form, a lively scherzo with trio, and a sparkling rondo finale culminating in a virtuosic double fugue. The rich palette of tonal colors and expressive possibilities makes the work a true challenge—and at the same time a joy—for the performing musicians.

SOUVENIR DE FLORENCE – Ekhof Festival

Schloss Friedenstein Gotha

For 35 years, Die Prinzen have reigned supreme in the German pop scene – with their unmistakable sound, witty lyrics, and hits that have long since become part of the country's musical DNA. Six million records sold, numerous gold and platinum records, and two Echo Awards impressively demonstrate: This band is not just a cult phenomenon, they are pop royalty.