Sacred musical splendor and Italian musical tradition are the focus of the 9th symphony concert of the Mainz State Theater. In the atmospheric setting of Mainz Cathedral, the program combines Renaissance and late Romanticism to create an impressive concert experience that ranges from spiritual solemnity to operatic expressiveness.
The 9th symphony concert of the Mainz Philharmonic State Orchestra takes you on a journey into the rich world of Italian church music, spanning the period from the Venetian Renaissance to the late 19th century. The Mainz Cathedral provides a monumental acoustic space that allows architecture and music to merge into a unique whole.
The focus is on works by the Venetian composer Giovanni Gabrieli, whose multi-choir compositions with spatially arranged sound effects made music history. His motets and canzonas mark the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque and established a new understanding of musical dramaturgy, dynamics, and emotional expression.
The program is complemented by Giacomo Puccini's powerful Messa di Gloria, an early work by the later opera composer that already reveals his flair for melodic intensity and dramatic crescendo. Choir, orchestra, and solo voices combine here to create a festive mass full of lyrical beauty and operatic energy.
Under the direction of Karsten Storck, the Mainz Philharmonic State Orchestra, together with the choirs of the High Cathedral and soloists Antonello Palombi and Tim-Lukas Reuter, will present a concert that impressively combines spiritual tradition and musical brilliance.
May 29 and 30, 2026
