Accompanying words:
Georg Friedrich Händel was appointed kapellmeister of the Hanoverian court orchestra in 1711, succeeding the composer and diplomat Agostino Steffani. During this brief episode at court, it is very possible that there were encounters between the young, rising composer and the philosopher and universal scholar Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who maintained lively scientific exchanges with scholars from all over Europe. Leibniz's statement on divine order and music is noteworthy: "He is the ocean from which we have only received drops; within us dwells some power, some knowledge, some goodness; but in God, they are present in all fullness. Order, proportion, harmony delight us; painting and music are sparks of that; but God is all order, He always maintains the correctness of relationships, and He brings about the universal harmony. All good is an expansion of His rays."

Years later, Händel, now an English citizen, composed his Messiah oratorio in an incredibly short period of 23 days. He wrote the score in an ecstatic creative frenzy, encapsulating all his creative energy in a unique inspiration. Thus, this magnificent work emerged, which has taken its outstanding place not only in his entire oeuvre but also in the history of the sacred oratorio - A shining hour of humanity!
The text basis for the Messiah oratorio was the arrangement of biblical statements regarding the appearance of Jesus Christ compiled by the librettist Charles Jennens: Old Testament prophecies and the birth in the first part, crucifixion and resurrection up to the eschatological fulfillment of the prophecies in the second and third parts. Contemporaries reported that Händel, overwhelmed by the completion of the famous Hallelujah setting, exclaimed in tears of joy: "And I heard a voice as of a great multitude, like a rolling thunder: 'Hallelujah, Hallelujah,' and I believed I had seen heaven opened and the creator of all things himself!"

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was at the height of his powers when he gained access to the great oratorios of the Baroque period through his friend, the Dutch diplomat Gottfried van Swieten. The baron possessed an impressive collection of manuscripts by Bach and Händel, providing Mozart with a welcome stimulus for exploring still unknown compositional laws and means of expression.

It is therefore no wonder that as soon as 'Messiah' fell into his hands, he excitedly began working on the arrangement, adapting the piece to a symphonic orchestration in line with changing tastes. He took over the vocal parts of the choirs and arias, assimilated the English text into meaningfully German linguistic formulations while retaining the expressive content, and developed his own interpretation for differentiated dynamic gradations, color spectrum, and selection of soloists. Our chosen performance venue connects in a special way to the tradition of the Baroque era, as the Neustädter Hof- und 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 epoch in which Händel worked. May our performance of Messiah fill both the audience and participants alike - with wonder, 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 personality, and are active in competition and concert events both domestically and abroad. From this environment, we will engage instrumentalists and vocal soloists once again. The ensemble is complemented by Vox Spiritus (www.voxspiritus.de), whose professional singers significantly enhance the choral sound volume in conjunction with Canto Concertando. This collaboration creates synergies between the young and old voices of remarkable quality, imparting its own success story to our projects.

Work introduction:
In advance of the performance, we cordially invite you to an exciting discovery journey into the composer’s workshop. This is aimed at all people aged 16 and over and offers an excellent opportunity to learn about the formal architecture, historical context, and high art of Händel. Our experts will explain in comprehensible terms the motifs and melodically, harmonically charged relationships between word and tone. Together we will decipher, based on Mozart's arrangement, the choice of orchestral colors adapted to the changing tastes of his era; in short: we offer many people the opportunity to prepare with us for the beauty and spiritual power of the Messiah oratorio, developing a broader understanding of Händel's masterwork, finding access to 'classical' music, experiencing an unforgettable concert, and sustainably enriching the cultural diversity in the region.

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 entry for ticket holders to the performance in the Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche on 13.9.26.
Admission for outsiders: €16.

Conductor:
Christian Gläsker performs as a freelance artist, focusing on works for soloists, choir, and orchestra, and is the current organist at the Michaeliskirche in Hannover. Notable 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 Concert at the Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche Hannover; the Requiem and Symphony in G minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - also there; the Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach at St. Martini Church in Braunschweig and St. Marien Uelzen; and the Oratorio de Noël by Camille Saint-Saëns at the Michaeliskirche Hannover and the Klosterkirche 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 may be regarded as a benchmark within a single concert event.

He made his debut as a conductor during the Expo 2000 at the Trinity Church, performing 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 from the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, in addition to connections with instrumentalists and vocal soloists with concert experience on the international stage. The program includes passion music, Magnificat and mass settings, cantatas, oratorios, and symphonic music. In addition to his conducting activities, Christian Gläsker has been and continues to be 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."
He received his musical training at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover in the fields of school and church 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 'Organ-Plus' event series in the area of the Michaeliskirche. The association is committed to the execution of concert projects at various locations.

Admission: 17:20.

Gesänge gegen die Nacht
Orgel, Stimme & Ensemble

This concert evening leads directly into the boundaries of our existence and resembles an existential journey of the soul through the zones of human pain, resistance, and spiritual transformation. The intimate, simple overture is the baroque gem Bist du bei mir, which faces the relentlessly encroaching night of death with full love. Following is the poignant work Sing against the Breaking Night by Daniel Glaus – a sonic act of indomitable resistance against the horrors of the Russian invasion war. György Kurtág's four-hand Bach transcriptions form the glassy, floating transition, transforming the suffering of finitude into a comforting, contemplative order.

At the center of the evening is the world premiere Meet Me at the Edge for organ and ensemble by Laura Marconi and Gianluca Castelli. The work of Chiharu Shiota served as visual inspiration. The artist explains that clothing represents a "second skin" that preserves the memory of the person, and that the boundaries of our existence – "such as those between the inside and outside of our body, between the visible and the invisible, or between the microscopic and the macroscopic" – are illusory.

This transcendent experience correlates with Robert Wright's book Why Buddhism Is True, in which it is discussed how pain can be perceived through meditation as an event outside of one's own body, "just like the song of a bird or the ringing of a bell in the distance." Starting from the separating note Gis, a dialogue unfolds, "an attempt at belonging, a dance between two souls that, although still clearly separated, strive to unite." Marconi and Castelli ask: "Will a new boundary take shape, only to break apart and then continually re-form, ad infinitum?"

Further information at http://www.ido-festival.de

Admission: 6:30 PM