The Grand Evening Concert Part 2 – Franz Liszt “Coronation Music”

Coronation Music – Franz Liszt (1811–1886): “The Bells of Strasbourg Cathedral” I “Hungarian Coronation Mass”
For the coronation of Franz Joseph I and Elisabeth (Sissi) as King and Queen of Hungary

Guidance
Stefan Mücksch

Cast
Julia Sophie Wagner – Soprano
Britta Schwarz – Old
Daniel Johannsen – Tenor
Henryk Böhm – Bass

Ensembles
Members of the Leipzig Collegium Vocale
Merseburg Cathedral Choir
State Opera Halle

AT THE ORGAN
Denny Wilke

Under the „Coronation Music“ two impressive works by Franz Liszt meet, which combine spiritual solemnity, colourful sonic fantasy and representative grandeur in a special way. With „The Bells of Strasbourg Cathedral“ Liszt unfolds a sonically powerful, pictorial piece full of atmosphere, while the „Hungarian Coronation Mass“ which impressively demonstrates its engagement with liturgical form, national character, and festive splendour. Under the direction of Stefan Mücksch to make music Julia Sophie Wagner, Britta Schwarz, Daniel Johannsen and Henryk Böhm together with members of the Collegium Vocale Leipzig, the Merseburg Cathedral Choir and the State Opera Halle. At the organ, he begins Denny Wilke additional sonic accents and connects the vocal-orchestral richness of the evening with the unique acoustics of Merseburg Cathedral. This concert thus promises a multi-layered encounter with Franz Liszt as a composer bridging spiritual depth, festive gesture, and great musical expressiveness.

The Merseburg Cathedral Choir is one of the core church music ensembles of Merseburg Cathedral and shapes the musical life at this special location in many ways. It combines liturgical experience, choral homogeneity and the lively cultivation of sacred music traditions. Especially in a work like Franz Liszt's „Hungarian Coronation Mass“ This connection of expressiveness, richness of sound, and spiritual depth is particularly effective here. Thus, the Merseburg Cathedral Choir brings not only musical substance to the concert but also that inner familiarity with the sacred space, from which this music can unfold its special effect.

The Collegium Vocale Leipzig was 1993 founded and is primarily dedicated to the performance of Central German Baroque music in chamber music settings. At the heart of its work are, in particular, works by Heinrich Schütz, his contemporaries and Johann Sebastian Bach, which has earned the ensemble a prominent place in the music scene of central Germany. Together with the Merseburg court music and other orchestras, the Collegium Vocale Leipzig has also participated in numerous cantata, oratorio, and recording projects, often under the direction of Michael Beauty. In Merseburg, this creates an ensemble that stands for stylistic clarity, musical precision, and the vibrant cultivation of sacred music tradition.