Music of Hope: Pärt, Bach, and Ullmann at Bergson

The state of global politics is on our minds every day: numerous wars, even in the heart of Europe; diplomatic upheavals; trade conflicts; and a growing climate of brutality and threat. The Bergson Voices reflect this atmosphere musically through a series of performances, presenting music of peace, war, hope, and reconciliation.

This third installment is dedicated to music of hope. All of the works were composed during times of pitch-black darkness, yet they allow a light to shine through, pointing the way out of the deepest despair.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote the poem “Von guten Mächten wunderbar geborgen” at Christmas 1944 in a Gestapo prison, shortly before he was executed at the Flossenbürg concentration camp. Today, it is one of the best-known spiritual texts in the German language. Rudi Spring’s intimate, chamber-music-style arrangement gives the words all the space they need, which is what makes his setting so powerful.

Viktor Ullmann and Gideon Klein, two Jewish musicians, were also murdered in concentration camps. Ullmann composed over twenty works in the Theresienstadt ghetto under conditions in which others could scarcely have survived. For him, art became a form of spiritual resistance, as evidenced by this almost unbelievable quote: “It must be emphasized that my musical work was fostered—and not hindered—by Theresienstadt; that we by no means sat merely lamenting by the rivers of Babylon; and that our will to culture was commensurate with our will to live.” The two choral works performed by the Bergson Voices are titled *Anu olim* (“We Ascend”) and *Elijahu hanawi* (“The Prophet Elijah”). The first is a brief tribute to song and community. The second deals with the hope for the prophet Elijah, who is regarded in Judaism as a harbinger of the Messiah. Thus, in the midst of the concentration camp, Ullmann did not compose laments, but rather music about hope and the future.

Just like Viktor Ullmann, Gideon Klein was also imprisoned in Theresienstadt, and just like him, he was deported to Auschwitz. It is therefore very likely that the two knew each other. At 46, Ullmann was already an established composer, whereas Klein, at 25, was still at the very beginning of his career. Many musicologists are convinced that he could have become one of the most significant composers of his generation. His string trio is therefore often regarded as a harrowing testament to an extraordinary talent whose development was violently cut short. The fact that we can hear it today alongside Ullmann’s choirs is also a sign that their voices have survived the Holocaust.

Arvo Pärt did not write “Da pacem Domine” in the face of such existential distress; he was deeply moved by the 2004 train bombings in Madrid. This attack, carried out by Islamist terrorists, was the deadliest in Spanish history. The urgent plea “Grant us peace, Lord” is performed in four-part a cappella—that is, without accompaniment—and develops an almost hypnotic pull.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Chaconne” undoubtedly possesses this same allure—this invitation to literally immerse oneself in the music. It is believed that Bach wrote it to come to terms with the sudden death of his first wife, Maria Barbara. The emotional depth and intensity of the piece also suggest this. It is arguably the most famous piece in the violin repertoire and has been arranged many times, including, in this case, for string trio.

Additional dates:

June 27, 2027: Music of Reconciliation

Rudi Spring: Of Good Powers (Version for Choir, Viola, and Cello)

Arvo Pärt: Da pacem Domine

Viktor Ullmann: Two Hebrew Choirs

Gideon Klein: String Trio

Johann Sebastian Bach: Chaconne (for string trio)

Bergson Voices

Bergson Artists

Host: Maximilian Maier

Musical Director: Johannes X. Schachtner

Doors open at 6:30 pm
Start: 7:00 pm
End: approx. 8:15 pm

Fair-Price Ticket: 44 EUR

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Social-Price Ticket: 28 EUR

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Support-Price Ticket: 56 EUR

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Combined Ticket for all four events: 140 EUR