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Hallo, ich bin Maya.Wie kann ich helfen?
Five choirs with over 250
singers: For this grand project, the choir cannot be
large enough!
And that's why the KonzertChor Stuttgart, the ensemble stuttgart vokal, the Kölner Männer-Gesang-Verein, the women's choir BonnSonata as well as the Mädchen- und Frauenchor der Schola Cantorum Leipzig will perform together: first in the Köln Philharmonie, then in the Stuttgart Liederhalle under the direction of Sebastian Kunz. The actor Stefan Wilkening will accompany the event as the narrator, with the orchestra playing being the ensemble scatenato. The soloists are: Samantha Gaul as Nausikaa (soprano), Monica Mascus as Penelope (mezzo-soprano) and Martin Berner as Odysseus (baritone).
The Odyssey tells of the long wanderings of the Greek hero Odysseus, who tries to return home to Ithaka after the Trojan War. On his journey, he encounters numerous dangers and mythical beings such as Cyclopes, Sirens, witches, and even gods, while back home in Ithaka, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus are waiting for him.
“Brake the Vehicle's Acceleration!”
Can the speed really be reduced?
The Concert Choir Stuttgart, stuttgart vocal, the Cologne Men's Singing Association (known for its grand Cologne choir musical “Divertissementchen”), the Women’s Choir BonnSonata, and the Girls’ and Women’s Choir of the Schola Cantorum Leipzig can no longer be stopped: Since September 2025, the preparations and rehearsals of the 250 singers for the joint performances of Odysseus by Max Bruch in the Cologne Philharmonic and the Stuttgart Liederhalle have been in full swing.
Max Bruch: Odysseus
Sunday, July 12, 2026, 6 PM, Beethoven Hall of the Liederhalle
Tickets via Easy Ticket, the Stuttgart Liederkranz (Tel. 0711 299 17 86 or info@stuttgarter-liederkranz.de) or at the box office
Conductor: Sebastian Kunz
Odysseus offers you the unique opportunity to hear not only the five choirs but also the orchestra ensemble scatenato, along with enjoying the talents of three soloists: Meet Samantha Gaul as Nausikaa (soprano), Monica Mascus as Penelope (mezzo-soprano), and Martin Berner as Odysseus (baritone). The actor Stefan Wilkening – known among others from the Tatort Schwarzwald and the Rosenheim Cops – will accompany the events as a speaker, wonderfully rounding off the performance. Perhaps you have already seen him this year in the film “Ah, this Gap, this Terrible Gap.”
Odysseus tells of the long voyages of the Greek hero Odysseus, who tries to return to his homeland Ithaca after the Trojan War. On his journey, he encounters numerous dangers and mythical beings like Cyclopes, Sirens, witches, and even gods, while back home in Ithaca, his wife Penelope and his son Telemach wait for him.
Max Bruch, one of the most important composers of the 19th century, composed Odysseus in 1871 as his first oratorio – a monumental work that narrates the return of Odysseus in impressive musical language. Bruch succeeds in merging classical themes with romantic sound language and bridging ancient and modern. The work is rich in emotional depth, dramatic tension, and fine musical characterizations. At the same time, it is a loose sequence of musical scenes that stand out primarily through contrasts: There are spectacular transitions from solos to choirs, from horror and fear in the realm of the dead to almost idyllic sea voyages, and from ethereal siren songs to sea storms.
Or expressed in the words of Max Bruch:
“Brake the Vehicle's Acceleration!” “Hear! From afar it rumbles!” “All the beauty of the world is known to us.” “Come and listen to our song.” “Lightning snakes, lightning snakes…” “Joyfully enjoy life with us!” “Nowhere is it lovelier than at home.”
