Farm I Music I City
From the musical collection of Miss Caroline Auguste von Sternenfels, lady-in-waiting at the court of Karlsruhe
Concerts in Bruchsal, Schwetzingen, and Bretten – The “Court | Music | City” Research Center collaboration project presents an extraordinary collection of chamber music scores by musicians from the 18th-century Karlsruhe court in a series of concerts.
A stack of chamber music scores—both well-known and obscure compositions, quite a few of them by musicians from the Karlsruhe court in the late 18th century—discovered among the archives of the House of Baden at Salem Castle: this raises some questions. Who collected the scores? Who played them? And how did they end up in Salem?
Some copies bear the ownership inscription “de Sternenfels.” There is strong evidence to suggest that the sheet music belonged to Caroline Auguste Friederike von Sternenfels (d. 1805), a lady-in-waiting to Margravine Amalie of Baden. She had compositions copied, purchased sheet music, and, like the Margravine herself, subscribed to a music journal.
The newly discovered sheet music thus sheds light on the musical practices of a court society at the end of the Ancien Régime: people not only listened to concerts performed by the court orchestra, but also played music themselves—sensitive and quite sophisticated compositions.
The Hof I Musik I Stadt Research Center in Schwetzingen is providing musicological support for this extraordinary project; the unique features of the collection and the performed works will be highlighted through concerts and a public symposium. After 200 years, a selection of the most beautiful pieces will once again be heard. The highly diverse program alternates between vocal pieces, sung by the tenor Bernhard Gärtner from Karlsruhe, and instrumental works for violin, cello, and harpsichord by the largely unknown composers Mezger, Lachnith, Bucher, and Kornacher. Kirstin Kares serves as musical director. Prior to the concert in Bruchsal, a public symposium featuring lectures will introduce the significance of the collection. A CD featuring recordings of the works is currently in production and is scheduled for release in early December 2023.
Concerts:
July 7, 2023, at Bruchsal Palace
July 9, 2023, at the Palais Hirsch, Schwetzingen
October 20, 2023, in the Citizens' Hall of the Old Town Hall in Bretten
Links:
https://hofcapelle-carlsruhe.de
Date: July 9 , 2023
Concert
Location:Palais Hirsch, Schlossplatz 2, Schwetzingen
Start: 5 :00 p.m.
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