Concert by the Cathedral Chapter „The Legend of Saint Elizabeth“

Franz Liszt (1811-1886): „The Legend of Saint Elizabeth“

This concert is made possible by the kind sponsorship of the Cathedral Chapter of the United Cathedral Foundations of Merseburg and Naumburg and the Collegiate Foundation of Zeitz.

Libretto: Otto Roquette (1824-1896)
for soloists, choir, and orchestra – Dedicated to King Ludwig II of Bavaria

Guidance
Michael Beauty

Studying the Gewandhaus Choirs
Frank-Steffen Elster

Cast
Saint Elizabeth: Frieda Jolande Barck – Soprano
Landgravine Sophie: Britta Schwarz – Mezzo-Soprano
Landgrave Ludwig, Landgrave Hermann: Martin Häßler – Bass
Seneschall, a Hungarian magnate, Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen:
Andreas Scheibner – Bass
Landgrave Ludwig as a child N.N. – Boy

Ensembles
Gewandhaus Children's Choir
Gewandhaus Youth Choir
Merseburger Hofmusik (with instruments of historic scale length)
Collegium Vocale Leipzig

AT THE ORGAN
Denny Wilke

With Franz Liszt's oratorio „The Legend of Saint Elizabeth“, the audience can expect a monumental spiritual work full of drama, intimacy, and sonic splendour. Under the direction of Michael Beauty The moving life story of Saint Elizabeth unfolds in an impressive combination of solos, grand choral scenes, and a colourful orchestral setting.

Contributing soloists, the Gewandhaus Children's Choir, the Gewandhaus Youth Choirwhich Merseburg court music on instruments of historical mensuration as well as the Collegium Vocale Leipzig together they create an impressive sonic event. On the organ, Denny Wilke adds further sonic accents and imbues the work with its special spiritual depth.

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We Gewandhaus Children's Choir is the official children's choir of the traditional Gewandhaus in Leipzig and is counted among the most renowned children's choirs in Germany. Founded in 1973, it is an integral part of the house's musical development for young talent and has been led by Frank-Steffen Elster since 2012. Around 90 children and young people receive comprehensive musical training and vocal coaching here.

The choir is closely connected to the Gewandhaus Orchestra and regularly participates in major oratorio and symphony concerts, but also performs its own programmes at home and abroad. Its repertoire extends from Baroque works to contemporary choral music. In doing so, the Gewandhaus Children's Choir makes an important contribution to Leipzig's vibrant choral culture, which dates back to the time of Johann Sebastian Bach.

We Gewandhaus Youth Choir Founded in 2001, it is a renowned youth ensemble of the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. It is aimed at musically talented young people aged approximately 14 to 22 and is led by Frank-Steffen Elster. As a link between the children's choir and the adult ensemble, it offers young singers sophisticated musical development within the environment of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

His repertoire ranges from Renaissance and Baroque works to contemporary choral music, complemented by a cappella programmes and large-scale oratorio projects. The choir is an important part of Leipzig's musical landscape and is considered a breeding ground for talent within the traditional Gewandhaus family.

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In 1998, musicians from the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig and freelance specialists founded the ensemble under the direction of Michael Schönheit. Merseburg court music, [Original German Text] ’, in order to bring Baroque ensemble music from the Central German region to life on historical instruments. With particular interest, they explored the rich musical tradition of the former residence of Merseburg, including the music of Johann Joachim Quantz, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, and related it to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann. Since then, the ensemble has impressed at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, at the Merseburg Organ Days, the Bach Festival Leipzig, the Thuringian Bach Weeks, the MDR Summer of Music, the Köthen Autumn and the Bach Festival Days. The musicians have also been heard at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Heinrich Schütz Music Festival, the Handel Festival in Halle, in other European countries and in the Caribbean. The ensemble honoured Bach's pupil Johann Ludwig Krebs with a concert series and a complete recording of his vocal and orchestral works. In 2016, Merseburger Hofmusik performed at the Oslo International Church Music Festival with the premiere of Steffen Schleiermacher's „Nach Markus.Passion“, using the surviving parts of Johann Sebastian Bach's „St. Mark Passion“ BWV 247. In 2023, the" [English UK Translation] ", in order to bring Baroque ensemble music from the Central German region to life on historical instruments. With particular interest, they explored the rich musical tradition of the former residence of Merseburg, including the music of Johann Joachim Quantz, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Georg Friedrich Kauffmann, and related it to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann. Since then, the ensemble has impressed at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, at the Merseburg Organ Days, the Bach Festival Leipzig, the Thuringian Bach Weeks, the MDR Summer of Music, the Köthen Autumn and the Bach Festival Days. The musicians have also been heard at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Heinrich Schütz Music Festival, the Handel Festival in Halle, in other European countries and in the Caribbean. The ensemble honoured Bach's pupil Johann Ludwig Krebs with a concert series and a complete recording of his vocal and orchestral works. In 2016, Merseburger Hofmusik performed at the Oslo International Church Music Festival with the premiere of Steffen Schleiermacher's "Nach Markus.Passion", using the surviving parts of Johann Sebastian Bach's "St. Mark Passion" BWV 247. In 2023, the Merseburg court music all cantatas by Merseburg Cathedral organist Johann Georg Kauffmann. Works by Max Reger and Franz Liszt were released as world premiere recordings on historical instruments. In 2025, the ensemble, Collegium Vocale Leipzig, and soloists commemorated the 275th anniversary of J.S. Bach's death with a concert series of 7 evenings performing the „B minor Mass“ BWV 232 in churches and halls from Stralsund via Leipzig's Gewandhaus to Sondershausen. Several revivals of the St. Mark Passion by Bach/Schleiermacher also celebrated Bach. For 2026, in addition to concerts featuring Bach's Easter and Ascension Oratorios, performances of Liszt's oratorio „The Legend of Saint Elizabeth“ are planned in Merseburg and Leipzig.