The key of C-major is considered »cheerful and pure«. All the more remarkable that Franz Schubert chose this harmonic framework for his String Quintet, written when his life circumstances were desperate. Deeply perturbed by Beethoven’s death and severely ill, impoverished and misjudged himself, he concentrated all his profound and desperate feelings in this work. Full of dramatic contrast and with a tragic, otherworldly beauty of sound, the music fills the soul – yet remains beyond our grasp. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Serenade in B-flat-major alternates between fast, playful and slow, sustained passages. In the piece, which became popular under the title »Gran Partita«, Mozart transcends the limitations of traditional wind pieces by employing larger forces and adding more movements than usual. The concert also features texts read by the actor Jens Harzer between movements, expanding the sonic atmosphere of the Rittersaal with completely new associations.

Image © Sepp Dreissinger