Christoph Graupner und die Reformation in Darmstadt

Christoph Graupner and the Reformation in Darmstadt

For fifty years, Christoph Graupner (1683–1760) served as court Kapellmeister to the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt and had a lasting impact on the musical life of the royal capital. Yet this important composer is hardly known today—despite an impressive body of work comprising over 1,400 cantatas, numerous orchestral works, and operas.

The lecture focuses on cantatas that Graupner composed for the bicentennial celebrations of Martin Luther’s Reformation. These works offer a vivid insight not only into Graupner’s music but also into the festive culture and intellectual life of Baroque-era Darmstadt. At the same time, it becomes clear how closely Graupner was connected to Ober-Ramstadt through his brother-in-law and principal librettist, Pastor Johann Conrad Lichtenberg.

In her lecture, musicologist Dr. Beate Sorg examines the role of the Kapellmeister in courtly musical life, Graupner’s relationships with contemporaries such as Georg Philipp Telemann and Johann Sebastian Bach, and the cultural and political context of the era. Visual material from Darmstadt archives brings Graupner’s work to life and makes it accessible.

As part of the event, Beate Sorg will also present her new book,*Christoph Graupner – Biography of a Court Kapellmeister*, which provides the first comprehensive account of the composer’s life and work and paints a multifaceted picture of his activities at the Darmstadt court.

The Colorito Ensemble, along with Christian and Katharina Roß, will perform selections from Graupner’s works:

• Duet aria for alto and tenor “Gehet ein zu seinen Toren” from the Reformation cantata GWV 1173/17
• Overture Suite in A Major, GWV 474

The event is open to anyone interested in music history, Baroque music, and the cultural history of Darmstadt.

Tickets: 10 EUR + advance booking fee. High school and college students: 5 EUR + advance booking fee; B.O.: 12/7.50 EUR

An event as part of “500 Years of the Reformation in Darmstadt”