O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM – Wunder und Geheimnisse um die Weihnachtsgeschichte

on December 14 from 6 p.m. in the Villa Elisabeth

O MAGNUM MYSTERIUM - Miracles and mysteries surrounding the Christmas story

Miracles and mysteries surround the story of the birth of the Christ child - otherworldly angels as messengers, a virgin birth and God on earth in the form of a tiny baby in humble surroundings. These miraculous events have been retold in countless depictions over the centuries.

Among the most impressive are the works of Renaissance artists and musicians: in his frescoes and paintings of the Annunciation, Fra Angelico's brush captures the essence of both the messengers and the message with careful strokes and vivid but gentle colors, while the calm, canonic opening of Tomás Luis de Victoria's motet "O magnum mysterium" reflects the reverence that the shepherds must have felt for one another at the sight of the Christ child in the manger.

But how best to capture this awe and wonder in sound and bring the magic of the page to performance? Renaissance paintings are full of angels singing, playing lutes and harps. When these voices and instruments are combined with the otherworldly sound of the Renaissance transverse flute, a sonic atmosphere is created that is perhaps as captivating as the Christ story itself.

The musicians of the TITANS RISING Early Music Ensemble and The Attaignant Consort for Renaissance Transverse Flute are inspired by wonder and mystery, exploring all the events surrounding the Christmas story with a rich musical color palette. The compositions range from floral solo diminutions by Giovanni Battista Bovicelli, highlighting the glory of the messenger angels, to a three-part motet by Guillaume Dufay, praising Mary as the "flower of flowers", to the ten-part "Hodie Christus natus est" by Hans Leo Hassler, reflecting the jubilation of those who found hope in the Christmas story.

Three musical portraits of the most frequently depicted figures in the Christmas story are presented musically: the angel, Mary and the Christ child. The combination of singers, lute and harp with the Renaissance transverse flutes of the Attaignant Consort guarantees an atmospheric Advent season. The audience is invited to sing along to well-known Christmas carols.

Cast:

Sarah Fuhs | Cantus
Philipp Cieslewicz | Altus
Stephan Gähler | Tenor
Hans Wijers | Bass
Maximilian Ehrhardt | Harp

Kate Clark, Amanda Markwick, Joao Carlos Santos, Giuditta Isoldi | Renaissance transverse flutes
Nigel North | Lute

Renaissance + 1: TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM CHINA WITH LUCY ZHAO AND TAO YE

Lucy Zhao has been playing the traditional Chinese instrument pipa - a plucked bowl-necked lute that has been around for over 1500 years - since she was 8 years old. She took part in various tours through China, South Korea and the USA, later in Europe she played as a soloist in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovenia, Slovakia, e.g. in the Konzerthaus Berlin, ZKM Karlsruhe, Haus für Mozart in Salzburg and Mozarthaus Vienna.

Tao Ye began studying the bamboo flute at the age of 10 at the Shenzhen Art School. He was taught by Zhan Yongming, a renowned bamboo flute virtuoso, at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. During this time, he also joined the band White Jade, which combined traditional Chinese music with modern electronic music. This was followed by a three-year tour of more than 20 cities in China and Canada.