Begin: 11:00 am
Break: 11:25 am
End: 12:30 pm
Max Reger
Four tone poems after Arnold Böcklin op. 128
I. The hermit playing violin. Molto sostenuto
II. Playing in the waves. Vivace
III. Isle of the Dead. Molto sostenuto
IV. Bacchanale. Vivace
GIUSEPPE VERDI
Quattro pezzi sacri
Orchester und Chor der Tiroler Festspiele Erl
Conducting Renato Balsadonna
Soprano Monika Buczkowska
Mezzo-soprano Zanda Švēde
Tenor Gerard Schneider
Bass Anthony Robin Schneider
As at the beginning of the festival, this programme contains rarely heard works. Max Reger’s tone poems based on Arnold Böcklin marks the start of a musical tour through scenes painted by the Swiss artist. The reverent setting of The Hermit playing the Violin, featuring a solo violin, is followed by the agitated Playing of the Waves.
If one listens carefully, one can hear the activities of the mythological beings depicted in Böcklin’s painting. After an excursion to the gloomy Isle of the Dead, the ecstatic rhythms of the Bacchanale bring the short tetralogy to an end.Giuseppe Verdi also discovered the idea of the Four Sacred Pieces for himself. A tranquil a cappella setting of the prayer to Mary opens the sacred collection. In the Stabat Mater, the description of Mary’s grief, the choir is accompanied by the orchestra. The onomatopoeic gesture and the melodic arcs produce a dramatic impact so that one could imagine one is listening to one of Verdi’s operas.
The Laudine also signify his operatic creativity, especially the prayers to Mary from Don Carlos and Otello. Sung by soprano and contralto without accompaniment, Verdi here evokes a transcendental atmosphere. The Te Deum again demonstrates his knowledge of Italian sacred music. The final chord in Verdi’s œuvre brings the Tyrol Festival 2023 to a dignified close.