Hildegard von Bingen 1098–1179
Antiphon O virtus sapientiae
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685–1750
Ricercar a 6 from: Musical Offering BWV 1079
(orchestrated by Anton Webern)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756–1791
Ch’io mi scordi di te? – Non temer, amato bene
aria for soprano, piano & orchestra KV 505
interlude with Thomas Guggeis
Franz Schubert 1797–1828
On the River for soprano, horn & orchestra D 943
(orchestrated by Hermann Scherchen)
Anton Bruckner 1824–1896
Symphony Nr. 4 in E flat Major »Romantic«
pre-concert talk by Ulrike Kienzle at 10am in the main auditorium
Mystically, as if “from heaven above,” Hildegard von Bingen’s antiphon when sung a cappella by Anna Prohaska, takes us back to the Middle Ages, when the composer wrote it. This remarkable woman still moves and enriches us with her music, writings, and recipes!
Bach's music is almost other wordly too. Webern orchestrated his Ricercar a 6, imbuing it with unusual colours and revealing new structures.
Mozart's concert arias are ethereally beautiful yet deeply human. He often composed them for singers, especially female ones who “looked attractive on stage”. One of his favourites was Anna Storace. Before she left Vienna, he bid her farewell with this concert aria. Hermann Scherchen, who was chief conductor of the Museumconcerts in the 1920s, orchestrated Schubert's On the River.
Echoes of medieval religious mysticism, Bach’s counterpoint, and Schubert’s harmony can be heard in Anton Bruckner's music. His 4th Symphony, the Romantic, is very popular
