During a four-month summer vacation in Tutzing in 1873, Johannes Brahms was inspired by the landscape to create some of his most famous pieces. “Tutzing is far more beautiful than we could have imagined,” wrote the composer, pianist and conductor in a letter about the town on Lake Starnberg. Among other things, the two Opus 51 quartets and his Haydn Variations were created here.
150 years later, the “Freundeskreis Tutzinger Brahmstage” is celebrating the anniversary of Brahms’ stay with what is now the 26th music festival. From October 8th to 26th there will be five multi-faceted concerts as well as a historical-literary walk to the famous summer visitor’s favorite places.
The renowned Mandelring Quartet interprets Brahms’ String Quartet in A minor (Op. 51 No. 2), which he composed in Tutzing 150 years ago.
(Photo: Uwe Arens)
The Mandelring Quartet will kick off on Sunday, October 8th at 6 p.m. in the ballroom of the Evangelical Academy. In addition to Brahms’ String Quartet op. 51, the four chamber musicians play works by Joseph Haydn and Leoš Janáček.
A completely new format awaits the audience on October 15th: At a participatory concert (3 p.m., Roncallihaus of the Catholic Church of St. Joseph) with the violist Pamela Kremer and her ensemble, children can approach classical music in a playful way and immerse themselves in Brahms’ world. Beforehand, you can follow in Brahms’ footsteps on a music-historical-literary walk through the Tutzingen landscape (11 a.m., meeting point at the beer pier of the Evangelical Academy).
In his sound performance “Brahms goes Organ”, church musician Werner Zuber will develop an organ improvisation based on themes from the Brahms symphonies performed last year (October 20, 7 p.m., St. Joseph). At the song evening on October 22nd, actor Udo Wachtveitl tells the story of Brahms’ song cycle “The Beautiful Magelone”, which baritone Christoph Pohl and his piano partner Tobias Krampen interpret in the ballroom of the Evangelical Academy (6 p.m.).
At the end of the festival it is traditionally “Brahms meets Jazz”. The Diogenes String Quartet, together with Andreas Kirpal on the piano and the Max Grosch Quartet, presents a crossover of classical and jazz (October 26th, 7 p.m., Aula Gymnasium Tutzing).
Tutzinger Brahmstage, 8-26. 10th, information and maps at www.tutzinger-brahmstage.de, pre-registration for the free historical walk at kontakt@kunsträume-am-see.de