Wanneer? Donderdag 09.10.202520:00 - 22:00

Sinfonietta-Orchester École Régionale de Musique de la Ville d’Echternach, Ambitus Echternach, Basilikachouer Echternach

Waar? 2, Porte St. Willlibrord, L-6486 Echternach Muziekfestivals

Echter'Classic Festival

Deze inhoud is helaas niet in het Nederlands beschikbaar.

Storms, passions and reveries

The concert “Storms, passions and reveries” explores a familiar theme in our region: Rain and storms. A work from the famous “Sturm und Drang” movement is not to be missed, and with the “Linz” Symphony by W. A. Mozart, one of the great masterpieces of this era will be interpreted. Compositions such as “La Tempesta di Mare” by A. Vivaldi, with Sonja Dörner (flute) as soloist, and “The Tempest” by J. Haydn, the concert theme, take on an intense and dramatic role, only to calm down again in excerpts from another work by Haydn, “The Creation”.

A few other little surprises await the audience on this evening. An exceptional concert performed by the well-known choirs of the region, the choir “Ambitus”, conducted by Roby Schiltz, and the “Basilikachouer”, conducted by Marc Juncker, as well as the Sinfonietta Orchestra of the Music School of the City of Echternach, conducted by Jean Thill.

AMBITUS

The musical adventure of the vocal ensemble began with the founding of the Double Quatuor Mixte Berdorf in 1969 by Roby Schiltz, who has always been the artistic director. Due to the lively growth of singers, the name was soon changed to Ensemble Vocal Berdorf. Around 45 years after its foundation, the ensemble changed its name to AMBITUS in 2011 and relocated to Echternach. With this name change, the chamber choir wants to create a new framework for further development; the name is also the program! In musical language, “ambitus” means the range of tension from the lowest to the highest note in a piece of music. If one interprets the term “ambitus” beyond the specifically musical, it becomes more complex: In terms of time, it encompasses all eras of music history; in terms of space, all continents are included; stylistically, all doors are open, from Gregorian chant to jazz, pop, improvisation, ... With the move to Echternach, capital of the highly esteemed Müllerthal, spiritual and cultural center in the east of Luxembourg, Ambitus is looking for the central point from which the ensemble of 35 choir members can best realize its diverse, ambitious activities.

Roby Schiltz has been the founder and choirmaster of the ensemble since 1969. A primary school teacher by profession, he completed a solid musical education at the conservatory in Luxembourg and at the Musikhochschule in Cologne. He was fascinated by the human voice from an early age. He studied choral conducting with Pierre Cao. He also worked on his voice with Carmen Welter-Jander, Ionel Pantea, ... He completed his musical training in numerous master classes at home and abroad.

Today he lives in professional retirement and has also given up his career as a singer (baritone). He now concentrates entirely on conducting choirs. In his work, he tries to combine diversity and quality. The ensemble's repertoire is accordingly very varied: the “Messe de Nostre Dame” by Guillaume de Machaut and the “Misa Criolla” by Ramirez stand alongside works by Mozart, Schubert and Haydn. Haydn's “The Creation” and Handel's “Messiah” are the absolute highlights for the time being. Although the ensemble's program initially consisted mainly of works from the Renaissance and folk songs, composers such as Brahms, Poulenc, Fauré, Hindemith, Arvo Pärt, Benjamin Britten and contemporary Luxembourg composers such as Jean-Pierre Kemmer, Camille Kerger, Jean-Marie Kieffer, Paul Kayser, Georges Urwald, Luc Grethen, ... have since found their way into the repertoire.

Echternach Basilica Choir

Since 1854, the Basilica Choir and its predecessor, the Chorale Ste-Cécile, have been at the service of the parish and the town of Echternach.

During the war years of 1940-45, the choir was condemned to silence in public, and at the end of 1944 the basilica was largely destroyed. However, after returning from evacuation in the spring of 1945, the choir sang again immediately - in the intact crypt.

The rebuilt basilica was consecrated in 1953, and a mighty Klais organ accompanied the choir in the spacious gallery. In that year, women were admitted to the choir for the first time and, as a “mixed choir”, the choir was now also able to tackle larger classical works. Marcel Weber, titular organist since 1959, unexpectedly slipped into the dual role of “organist and choirmaster” when notary Joseph Hoffmann, an enthusiastic and talented amateur organist, willingly played the organ at high masses. This very happy symbiosis ended with the death of Joseph Hoffmann at the end of 1983 and Marcel Weber at the beginning of 1986. From 1986, Jean-Marie Kieffer, music and religion teacher at the Lycée Classique d'Echternach, who died in March 2023, filled the organist position. He was succeeded by Paul Kayser in 2014 and Jos Majerus has been the new titular organist since September 2018. Marc Juncker, now Honorary Director of the Regional Music School of the City of Echternach, has been the conductor of the basilica choir since 1986.

Under his impetus and in collaboration with the chamber orchestra “Estro Armonico”, concerts with important sacred choral works from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods now follow almost every year. Various concerts are performed together with choir friends from the region or the Echternach Harmonie Municipale. In addition to polyphonic choral singing, the choir also cultivates Gregorian chant and liturgical singing as well as Echternach and Luxembourg songs.

PROGRAM:

Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler: Stormy Weather (5’)

Antonio Vivaldi: La tempesta di mare, für Flöte und Streicher, RV253 (RV 433) (9’)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Linzer Sinfonie, KV 425 (32’)

break

Joseph Haydn: Der Sturm, Hob. XXIV.a:8 (Text: Peter Pindar, Pseudonym für John Walcot) für gemischten Chor mit Orchesterbegleitung (10’)

Joseph Haydn: Die Schöpfung, Hob.XXI:2, Auszug

Der dritte Tag: „Rollend in schäumenden Wellen“ (Arie Bariton und Orchester) (5’)

Der sechste Tag: „Vollendet ist das große Werk“ (gemischter Chor und Orchester) (3’30’’)

Prince: Purple Rain (9’)

Credits:

Sinfonietta Orchestra: Sonja Dörner - flute