Albert Schweitzer Jugendorchester / Mädchenchor Hamburg

The Hamburg Girls’ Choir, which has been an integral part of Hamburg’s musical life for decades, will open the evening with works for female voices a cappella. Jean Sibelius’s first work unfolds a Nordic soundscape of simple beauty, in which clear lines and floating harmonies immediately appeal to the listener. Claude Debussy’s rarely performed cantata adds a different aesthetic to the soundscape: impressionistic and full of color nuances .

Following this opening, the Albert Schweitzer Youth Orchestra takes to the stage. The overture to Carl Maria von Weber’s Freischütz is an important work of German Romanticism. Dramatic contrasts merge with folk melodies in this opera overture. This is followed by Richard Wagner’s monumental music, which challenges the orchestra across its entire tonal range.

This evening’s program combines Nordic restraint, French tonal poetry, and the drama of German Romanticism. It shows how young musicians are reviving the great works of music history with energy and sincerity. The result is a concert in the Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie that unfolds an impressive musical panorama ranging from the intimacy of chamber music to the sonority of the orchestra.