The title character in Lord Byron's dramatic poem Manfred is quite astonished: one morning he wakes up completely unexpectedly on the summit of the Jungfrau in the Bernese Oberland!
Quite a few composers, including Robert Schumann, were so inspired by Byron's ghostly, wildly romantic work in an Alpine setting that they ventured to set the poem to music. The composer Othmar Schoeck, who was born in Brunnen SZ, was also well acquainted with alpine scenery. His only violin concerto was written as a result of his (unrequited) love for the Hungarian star violinist Stefi Geyer. The work is aptly entitled "Quasi una fantasia", as it does not conform to the formal conventions of the time. The alpinist Felix Mendelssohn also climbed many a peak during his numerous hikes in Switzerland. In 1829, however, he chose the other direction: during a visit to a lead mine in Wales, he had the inspiration for musical material 150 meters below ground, which he was to use in his "Reformation Symphony".
With this work, Mendelssohn, who had converted from Judaism to Protestantism, wanted to compose a kind of symphonic confession of faith and quoted the chorale Ein feste Burg, among others. However, Mendelssohn was not entirely satisfied with the finished work, even calling the first movement "a fat beast with bristles". On the podium: the pinnacle conductor Mario Venzago, former chief conductor of the Bern Symphony Orchestra for many years. As soloist, we welcome the young Swiss talent Anna Naomi Schultsz on the violin.
June 13, 2024
