Collections of Cronach

It was bratwurst and langos and coffee and the museum trail after the dignified baroque harpsichord. Such incongruities are travel made of. First up was an attempt to visit the Goethe museum but we were repelled with a demand that it takes several hours that we didn't have. I thought we could have learned the same on Wikipedia so i was happy to find a brochure for a display of Cronach at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library (Cranachs bilderfluten). The library is a collection dating from 1761 but sadly significantly damaged by fire as recently as 2004. Much was lost and a considerable amount was recovered; a significant Luther bible is highlighted as saved. We saw the Rococo room although could only visit the 1st floor and were limited from free movement and then checked on exit by an imaging machine, presumably for book heists. Fair enough, I guess. But the key exhibit was in the Renaissance room below with a series of major works by Cranach, who worked in Weimar for his later years, and that Luther bible. I love this era and the Cranach works were stunning and close up but the key find, to my mind, was several paintings of Luther including one with his wife. These are the images we all see for Luther, so key documents. Just a huge pleasure.

The Duchess Anna Amalia Library, Weimar, holds a collection of works by Lucas Cronach the elder and a Luther Bible.

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.