Thursday, 4/30/2026
at 7:00 PM



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These first words of Duke Orsino from William Shakespeare's (1564-1616) comedy "Twelfth Night" have become the motto of our new program. Can one find more beautiful words about the power and effect of music? Three composers – each as different as they can be – will be heard in our concert. Despite their differences, they were all united by a great love for the theater!

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) became immortal through his fairy-tale opera "Hansel and Gretel." His once-famous incidental music for Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" is now almost unknown. None other than the great theater magician Max Reinhardt (1873-1943) commissioned Humperdinck in 1907 to compose the music for his production of this comedy. In the role of the fool, one could experience the adored Berlin theater star Alexander Moissi, for whom Humperdinck composed some of his most unusual songs. I am very pleased that I can sing some of the fool's songs for you after decades of oblivion.

Today, it’s hardly imaginable: no performance of Henrik Ibsen's (1828-1906) "Peer Gynt" went without the congenial music of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) until a few decades ago. Since its premiere in 1876, "Peer Gynt" has traveled the world with Grieg's incidental music. It was so successful that he decided to compile two separate "Peer Gynt" suites exclusively for the concert hall. Uwe Hilprecht has selected some of the most popular pieces and specifically arranged them for our ensemble.
Each of us knows at least one of the artistic fairy tales by the great Dane Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875). Many works from his pen have been lavishly filmed, and there are operas, ballets, and songs based on his tales—but there is only one Andersen melodrama: "The Nightingale." The Austrian composer Arnold Winternitz (1874-1928) created this literary/musical jewel at the end of World War I. He dedicated it "to Dr. Ludwig Wüllner in grateful admiration." Wüllner (1858-1938) was the most significant German reciter of the 20th century. The successful premiere took place in 1919, and Wüllner brought the work to success throughout the German-speaking world—multiple times even with the Berlin Philharmonic—until it could no longer be performed starting in 1933. I discovered the piano reduction of "The Nightingale" at an antiquarian shop and was instantly fired up. How Andersen metaphorically processes his unrequited love for the "Swedish Nightingale," the singer Jenny Lind (1820-1887), along with the fantastic music of Arnold Winternitz – it strikes right to the heart! This is exactly the piece I had been searching for.
I asked Uwe Hilprecht to create a very personal version for me and the first-class musicians of the Staatskapelle Berlin. After more than 90 years of enforced pause, "The Nightingale" by Arnold Winternitz and Hans Christian Andersen finally resonates again for you – highly esteemed audience!
I hope I have made you a little curious about our program and look forward to our concert and to you!

See you soon at the "Deutsche Haus" in Beelitz!
Your Jochen Kowalski and the entire ensemble

Entrance: 18:00

Event data provided by: Reservix

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