The concert in the Bremen Glocke once again marked the traditional end of the summer semester. The University of Bremen's orchestra and choir embarked on a musical journey through Felix Mendelsohn-Bartoldy's repertoire. His close friend Robert Schumann liked to call him the "Mozart of the 19th century."

The concert began with the celebrated arrangement for large orchestra by Leopold Stokowski of Johann Sebastian Bach's Fugue in G minor, one of Mendelssohn's greatest inspirations. The choir made its a cappella entrance with the most beautiful bucolic songs, such as "Im Walde," "Jagdlied," and "Abschied vom Walde," before the choir and orchestra join forces for Mendelssohn's masterpiece.

The 2nd Symphony "Lobgesang" for soloists, choir, and orchestra was certainly the highlight of the evening. Around two hundred musicians from both university ensembles performed with internationally renowned artists: sopranos Mercedes Arcuri and Coco Joura, as well as tenor Philip Farmand.

The symphonic cantata "Lobgesang" was commissioned in spring 1840 to mark the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press. Professor Michal Kucera, Vice President for Research and Transfer at the University of Bremen, also referred to this in his welcoming address. He traced the arc from the spreading of the Word of God through the printing press to the academic Enlightenment, thus reflecting the concert's motto "From darkness to light."

Further Information:

https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/orchester-chor