Meeting more musicians

I often say that jazz is a great interest to travel with as there are clubs all over that are public and the community is not so large but it's inviting. It's somewhat the same with community orchestras although obviously much less frequent but they hold concerts and you can compare notes with corresponding instrumentalists. We found one in the significant Herderkircke celebrating Reformation Day. The Stadtkirchenorchestrer Weimar was performing an orchesterkonzert zum Reformationstag under Erik Sieglerschmidt with soprano Anna Kellnhoer. The orchestra isn't large (~20) but it contains all the strings and winds and a timpani. They were playing Mendelssohn overture from Paulus, some Haydn arias and recitatives and his Clock symphony Hob.101. In the major church in Weimar, also called St Peter and Paul or the Stadtkirche but popularly Herderkircke after its founder. It's a Lutheran church from 1525 following the Reformation which we were presumably celebrating ... under an artistically significant, large, colourful crucifixion triptych by Lucas Cronach the elder and next to a small, stern triptych of three church elders. Thus is German history. The Mendelssohn was initially mild but later littered with busy fugues which I drool over. The arias and recitatives were fairly short but Anna had a lovely voice expressing well. The Clock was a lovely pleasure ticking along at a gentle pace early on but lifting to vivace in the final movement and challenging the basses. I met one bass, Amelie, younger and an early bass student at the local Hoschschule and a capable English speaker, and greeted the other, incidentally her mother. So a pleasurable outing and a serendipitous find in the presence of some arresting art. Thus is often enough my Germany. PS, I picked up a brochure of the music at Herderkircke and it is impressive: numerous concerts from its Bach choir, Evangelical singing school, Bach cantata ensemble, Stadtkircken orchestra, period (court) ensemble and organ.

The Stadtkirchenorchestrer Weimar performed Mendelssohn and Haydn under Erik Sieglerschmidt (conductor) and soloist Anna Kellnhoer (soprano). Amelie Kirst and Regina Kirst (bass) performed the bottom end.