Fraternity, peaceful community and the power of humanist ideals - it was not for nothing that the finale of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, in which he set Schiller's Ode to Joy to music, was chosen as the anthem of Europe in 1972 and of the European Community in 1985.
In Chemnitz's year as Capital of Culture 2025, the Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Benjamin Reiners, together with soloists and the Chemnitz Theatre Opera Chorus and other choirs, will be performing this work on Theaterplatz in the spirit of European values.
The joint appeal for peace in the world is lent powerful weight by four other works: Da pacem Domine (Give peace, Lord), a composition for choir by Arvo Pärt based on a Latin prayer, the touching Evening Serenade by Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov, the tender impressionistic piece Venus, the Messenger of Peace from the suite The Planets by Gustav Holst and the musical prayer Verleih' uns Frieden gnädiglich by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy based on words by Martin Luther.
June 5, 2025
