An evening that makes the whole range of the organ audible - from baroque colors to modern sound magic.
Juan de la Rubia, organist of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, brings a program to Bamberg that shows the organ as a narrator, virtuoso and sound explorer. His concert in the Joseph Keilberth Hall combines early Renaissance fantasies, Baroque masterpieces and contemporary minimal music to create an arc full of contrasts and surprising transitions. Handel's overture to Samson opens the evening with a festive gesture, before Eustache du Caurroy's fantasy on "Une jeune fillette" leads us into a world of fine lines and ornamental Renaissance culture.
Bach is also given a strong accent: the D minor Chaconne, in its organ arrangement an interplay between inner collection and eruptive power, forms a dramatic climax. Tournemire's chorale improvisations - rarely heard live - reveal a mystical tonal language that has only survived thanks to historical recordings. Jehan Alain's Variations bring a bright, rhythmic approach, while Philip Glass' Mad Rush creates an almost trance-like contrast with its pulsating breath.
Between the works, de la Rubia repeatedly demonstrates his special talent for improvisation - the art that makes the organ the liveliest instrument in the room. His playing thrives on nuances, colors and a creative freedom that makes the instrument shine with all its possibilities. A concert that not only impresses, but also allows the organ to be experienced anew as a universe of sound.
March 8, 2026
