Melancholia

On every happiness lies the dew of tears....
… Melancholia

This year's spring concerts of the Chur Orchestra are entitled Melancholia. The cor anglais with its warm timbre is the melancholic voice at its centre. The Swiss composer René Gerber (1908 – 2006) created a rare jewel with his Concerto pour Cor Anglais et Orchestre (1976): his melodies combine French elegance with clear form and melodic warmth. The second movement, un poco nostalgico, unfolds that fine sadness that gives the title of the evening its name: melancholia. The final movement Presto dismisses us with a wink – bright, rhythmic, dance-like. Melancholy can also radiate.
This concert will be framed by the overture to Der arme Heinrich op. 37 by Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger (1839 - 1901) and the Arlesiénne by Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875). Rheinberger was one of the finest sound architects of his time. In Der arme Heinrich he tells of guilt, illness and redemption – not with pathos, but with the subliminal sadness that resonates even in the brightest cheerfulness. Warmly timbred brass, lyrical lines and a balanced classical form combine to create music that oscillates between exuberance and thoughtfulness. At the end of the concert, excerpts from Bizet's Suites Nos. 1 and 2 bring southern light and quiet melancholy to Chur. The music for Alphonse Daudet's play "L'Arlésienne" captures the spirit of Provence: sun, dust, wind – and the tragedy of an unfulfilled love.
The soloist of the evening, Joachim Strösser, began learning the oboe at the age of 9. When he switched to the Munich oboist Michael Kirsch during high school, he was infected by his enthusiasm and passion for the cor anglais. His instrumental skills, both on the oboe and on the cor anglais, were expanded by participating in many master classes. In addition to solo performances in various ensembles, he is also involved in the orchestral sector. Strösser is one of the founding members of the Königsbrunn Chamber Orchestra. He has been a member of the Chur Orchestra since December 2023. "Music was and is my greatest hobby," he says, adding in Mozart's words: "Without music, everything would be nothing."