Music of War: Stravinsky & Beethoven at the 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.
The centerpiece of this second part, “Music of War,” is Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale.” He wrote it under the influence of World War I, a fact evident in the piece’s conception. Few performers, no sets, no costumes—and yet it is theater! Musically enriched with elements of jazz, it is a magnificently varied work that spans ragtime, tango, waltz, and march. At the heart of the plot, however, is not the war itself, but greed and the question: What makes us happy? What do we need to be happy? The soldier buys a book from the devil. It contains tomorrow’s stock market prices and can make him immeasurably rich. The price: his violin. Yet despite his immense wealth, the soldier loses everything—his fiancée, his homeland, his friendship. Because by selling his violin, he has sold his identity. It is merely a symbol of his soul, his creativity, his humanity.
Humanity and freedom were lifelong themes for Ludwig van Beethoven. This is also evident in his Egmont Overture, which opens the evening. Based on Goethe’s drama, the war hero Egmont is executed. In Beethoven’s version, however, the work ends triumphantly, almost as a hymn to what was most important to him throughout his life: freedom.
The situation is quite different with Rudolf Mauersberger and his funeral motet “Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst.” Mauersberger wrote the motet immediately after the devastating bombing of Dresden in February 1945. He was the Kreuzkantor at Dresden’s Kreuzkirche and had witnessed the destruction firsthand. The biblical text comes from the Lamentations of Jeremiah. It actually describes the fall of Jerusalem. Mauersberger transformed it into a piece of mourning music for Dresden. Surprisingly, he refrained from assigning any political blame. The work remains a silent prayer, and it is precisely for this reason that it continues to resonate universally to this day.
“Go forth, my heart, and seek joy” seems almost like a response to this. After war and devastation, Mauersberger turns his gaze once more toward nature, beauty, and hope. The poet Paul Gerhardt wrote the text in the wake of the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War.
Joseph Haydn also directs a hopeful gaze toward the future in the “Agnus Dei” of his “Missa in tempore belli,” which translates as “Mass in Times of War.” This theme is also present in the composition through the distinctive timpani strikes, which—played at a slower tempo—are intended to evoke the drum rolls commonly used by the French army at the time. This is precisely why the “Timpani Mass” bears the nickname commonly used today.
Before this “Agnus Dei” concludes the concert with the prayer for peace “Dona nobis pacem,” we encounter Death personified. The Norwegian composer Knut Nystedt takes Bach’s chorale “Komm, süßer Tod” and transforms it into something entirely new. The choir begins in unison. Then all the voices sing more and more slowly. Each voice follows its own tempo. In the end, the music seems to float in the room. The magic arises from the fact that the notes linger for a long time and new harmonies are constantly forming, almost like reflections of light. Bach’s music is not altered; it is stretched out, as if transcending time. Hence the title: “Immortal Bach.”
Additional dates:
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont Overture
Igor Stravinsky: “L’Histoire du Soldat” (The Soldier’s Tale)
Rudolf Mauersberger: How Desolate Lies the City. Funeral Motet
Rudolf Mauersberger: Go Out, My Heart, and Seek Joy (Excerpts)
Knut Nystedt: Immortal Bach (Reflection on Bach’s “Komm o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder”)
Joseph Haydn: Agnus Dei from the Missa in tempore belli (“Drum Mass”)
Cast
Bergson Voices
Bergson Artists
Narrator: Maximilian Maier
Musical Director: Johannes X. Schachtner
Admission and Tickets
Doors open at 3:30 pm
Start: 4:00 pm
End: approx. 5:15 pm
Fair-Price Ticket: 44 EUR
Ensures fair compensation for everyone involved. If it’s feasible for you, we’d appreciate it if you chose this ticket.
Social-Price Ticket: 28 EUR
This ticket makes it possible for you to participate in cultural events—even if you have limited financial resources.
Support-Price Ticket: 56 EUR
With this ticket, you help make culture accessible to everyone and support our Social-Price model.
Combined Ticket for all four events: 140 EUR