In Christus am Ölberge (Christ on the Mount of Olives) we meet an anguished Jesus after the Last Supper, overcoming all fears in his tenor voice during a moment of torment in the Garden of Gethsemane. Prayer, the comfort of angels, the loyalty of friends, the realisation that it his mission to save humanity, the final capture and the hallelujah of angels – all are portrayed with tenderness and great drama. Perhaps the emotional register of the work reflects Beethoven’s own despair and slender hope at a time (1803) when his hearing was deteriorating rapidly.
The concert begins with Brahms’ shimmering Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny). This 17-minute symphonic poem for choir and orchestra hovers between the carefree realm of the gods and the trials and tribulations of mortals.
The concert will be conducted by internationally renowned Beethoven specialist Andreas Spering.
