Accompanying words:
Georg Friedrich Händel was appointed Kapellmeister of the Hanoverian court chapel in 1711, succeeding the composer and diplomat Agostino Steffani. During this brief episode at court, there may well have been encounters between the young, rising composer and the philosopher and polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who engaged in a lively scientific exchange with scholars from all over Europe. Leibniz's remarks on divine order and music are striking: "HE is the ocean from which we have only received drops; some power, some knowledge, some goodness dwell in us; but in God, they are present in all fullness. Order, symmetry, agreement delight us; painting and music are sparks of it; but God is all order, He always maintains the correctness of relationships and brings about universal harmony. All good is an expansion of His rays."

Years later, Händel, by now a British citizen, composed his Messiah oratorio in an incredibly short period of 23 days. He wrote the score in an ecstatic creative frenzy, consolidating all his creative energy in a unique inspiration. Thus, this magnificent work came into being, which has not only occupied its outstanding place in his entire oeuvre but also in the history of the sacred oratorio - a momentous hour for humanity! The text for the Messiah oratorio was based on the arrangement of biblical statements about the appearance of Jesus Christ compiled by the librettist Charles Jennens: Old Testament prophecies and birth in the first part, crucifixion and resurrection up to the end-time fulfillment of the prophecies in the second and third parts. Contemporaries reported that Händel, after completing the famous Hallelujah setting, overwhelmed by his composition, exclaimed in tears of joy: "And I heard a voice calling, like a great multitude, like rolling thunder: 'Hallelujah, Hallelujah,' and believed I had seen heaven open and the creator of all things himself!"

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was at the height of his powers when he found access to the great oratorios of the Baroque era through his friend, the Dutch diplomat Gottfried van Swieten. The Baron had an impressive collection of manuscripts by Bach and Händel, a welcome source of inspiration for Mozart to uncover still unknown compositional principles and means of expression.

So, it is not surprising that as soon as the 'Messiah' fell into his hands, he began his arrangement with unanimous enthusiasm, adapting the work to the tastes of the time for an orchestration in symphonic form. He took over the vocal parts of the choruses and arias, assimilated the English text into meaningfully German formulations while maintaining the affective content, developed his own interpretation for differentiated dynamic gradations, tone color spectrum, and choice of soloists. Our chosen venue particularly links to the tradition of the Baroque era, as the Neustädter Hof and Stadtkirche is one of the sites of courtly culture of the Welfen dynasty and also serves as a reminder of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: an intellectual center of the era in which Händel worked. May our performance of the Messiah equally fill the audience and participants – with amazement, empathy, joy, and the certainty that music is a spark of the divine.

Participants:
For many years, we have had the privilege of collaborating with graduates and students of the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover to create concerts. The young talents bring refreshing energy to every project, passionately unfolding their artistic personalities and participating in competitions and concert events both domestically and abroad. From this environment, we will once again engage instrumentalists and vocal soloists. The ensemble is complemented by Vox Spiritus (www.voxspiritus.de), whose professional voices significantly enhance the sound volume of the choral pieces in connection with Canto Concertando. This collaboration creates synergies between young and old voices of remarkable quality, contributing to our projects' unique success story.

Work introduction:
In the lead-up to the performance, we warmly invite you to an exciting journey of discovery into the composer's workshop. This is aimed at all people aged 16 and above and offers an excellent opportunity to get to know Händel's formal architecture, historical context, and high art. Our experts will explain in comprehensible terms the motifs and melodically and harmonically charged relationships between word and sound. Together, we will decipher, based on Mozart's arrangement, his choice of orchestral colors, which have been adapted to the changing tastes of his era— in short: we open the opportunity for many people to prepare themselves for the beauty and spiritual power of the Messiah oratorio, develop a broader understanding of Händel's masterpiece, find access to 'classical' music, experience an unforgettable concert, and sustainably enrich the region's cultural diversity.

Time: Tuesday, 8.9.26 from 17:00 - 18:30.
Place: Evangelische Familien-Bildungsstätte Hannover e.V.
Stresemannallee 34, 30173 Hannover-Südstadt

Registration:
http://www.fabi-hannover.de
info@fabi-hannover.de
0511 1241423

Free admission for ticket holders to the performance at the Neustädter Hof and Stadtkirche on 13.9.26.
Admission for outsiders: €16.

Conductor:
Christian Gläsker performs on a freelance basis, focusing on works for soloists, choir, and orchestra and is the current organist at the Michaeliskirche in Hannover. Noteworthy recent performances include Beethoven's III. Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy at the Markus Church in Hannover and Stadtkirche Celle, as well as his Triple Concerto at the Neustädter Hof and Stadtkirche Hannover; the Requiem and the Symphony in G minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - likewise there; Bach's Mass in B minor at St. Martini Church in Braunschweig and St. Marien Uelzen; and Camille Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noël at the Michaeliskirche Hannover and the Monastery Church in Wennigsen. The entire Christmas Oratorio by J.S. Bach was performed in a shortened version based on a self-created arrangement at the Michaeliskirche. This version can be considered a benchmark within a single concert event.

His debut as a conductor was during Expo 2000 at the Dreifaltigkeitskirche, with performances of the fourth and fifth Brandenburg Concertos and the Orchestral Suite No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Thanks to increasing financial support, a productive collaboration developed with graduates and students of the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, as well as through contacts with instrumentalists and vocal soloists with concert experience on international stages. The programs include Passion music, Magnificat and Mass settings, cantatas, oratorios, and symphonic music. In addition to his conducting work, Christian Gläsker has been and still is active as a choir director, pianist, and organist in various formations and genres: including string ensemble; Bach by Bike Ensemble; gospel workshops and concerts; Duo DeArragon trumpet and organ/piano - jazz and classical; performance for soprano and organ/piano "An Evening with Mozart"; jazz choir "Swing&More." His musical training was received at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in the fields of church and school music, previously in jazz-rock and popular music. Further training events and master classes provided him with valuable artistic impulses. In 2015, he founded the Freundeskreis Musik in Michaelis e.V., establishing the successful 'Orgel-Plus' event series in the city area of the Michaeliskirche. The association is committed to the implementation of concert projects at various locations.

Admission: 17:20.

Tickets may still be available at the box office.

Love is, as is well known, a strange game. Much has been written and spoken about it, and the HANNOVER HARMONISTS also have their own opinions on this occasionally complex subject. These will of course be sung and presented. Here, the famous wicked chansons by Georg Kreisler meet a perhaps not entirely innocent Britney Spears. Both may dream together in the harbor café of unfulfilled love or be tormented with jealousy by the question "What does she have that I don't have?" Of course, the Comedian Harmonists, as a famous role model of the ensemble, have also contributed to the theme of togetherness. Surely, Veronika can satisfy some desires and in the end, everything is, of course, just one big Chanson d'amour. As usual, five excellent voices meet a surprising, varied repertoire and humorous presentations. The Harmonists want to sing about young love and its wear and tear. About longing, about budding, about fulfillment, boredom, murderous fantasies - in short: about the highs and lows of the all too human interactions. You will love it.
http://www.hannover-harmonists.de