Michael Schade, tenor
Max Volbers, recorder
Sebastian Wienand, harpsichord

In contrast to her famous husband, we know next to nothing about Johann Sebastian Bach's first wife Maria Barbara Bach apart from the stages of her life. Max Volbers now wants to change that. For the Baroque Days, he is designing a programme based around the family connections of Maria Barbara and the rest of the Bach family, drawing threads from events to compositions and thus creating the appearance of a woman who possibly comes very close to the actual Maria Barbara. Together with Michael Schade and his musical partner Sebastian Wienand, he will fill the sacred space with music in the atmospheric ambience of the collegiate church at night. The ‘Melker Marienlied’, one of the treasures of the abbey library from the 12th century, is sure to be a special highlight, newly set to music by Johannes Schachtner and premiered by Michael Schade.

Robert Schumann: Violin sonata Nr. 1 a-minor op. 105
Robert Schumann: Gesänge der Frühe op. 133
Morton Feldman: Voice, Violin and Piano
Alban Berg: Adagio for violin, clarinet and piano
Joseph Haydn: Scottish Songs for voice, violin, cello and piano

Christoph Berner, piano
Florent Boffard, piano
Isabelle Faust, violin
Werner Güra, tenor
Christina Landshamer, soprano
Sebastian Manz, clarinet
Alexander Melnikov, piano
Ema Nikolovska, mezzosoprano
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

Robert Schumann: Drei zweistimmige Lieder op. 43
Robert Schumann: Fünf Lieder und Gesänge op. 127
Elliott Carter: Epigrams for piano, violin and cello
Alban Berg: Piano Sonata op. 1
Johannes Brahms: Trio in Es-Major for violin, horn and piano op. 40

Christoph Berner, piano
Florent Boffard, piano
Isabelle Faust, violin
Werner Güra, tenor
Christina Landshamer, soprano
Sebastian Manz, clarinet
Alexander Melnikov, piano
Ema Nikolovska, mezzosoprano
Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello

Patricia Petibon, Soprano
Ensemble Amarillis

Robert Schumann: Der Rose Pilgerfahrt

Christina Landshamer, soprano
Ema Nikolovska, mezzosoprano
Werner Güra, tenor
Krešimir Stražanac, bass
Christoph Berner, piano
Zürcher Sing-Akademie
Florian Helgath, musical direction

Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier

Lise Davidsen, Feldmarschallin
Günther Groissböck, Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau
Emily D'Angelo, Octavian
Adrian Eröd, Herr von Faninal
Sabine Devieilhe, Sophie

Adam Fischer, musical direction
Otto Schenk, staging
Rudolf Heinrich, stage
Erni Kniepert, costumes

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Elijah, op. 70

Christian Gerhaher, Elijah
Julia Kleiter, The Widow
Mauro Peter, Obadiah/Ahab
Wiebke Lehmkuhl, The Queen
Philharmonia Zurich
Zurich Opera Chorus

Gianandrea Noseda, musical director
Andreas Homoki, director
Hartmut Meyer, stage design
Mechthild Seipel, costumes
Franck Evin, lighting design
Ernst Raffelsberger, choral rehearsals
Claus Spahn, dramaturgy

Giovanni Battista Ferrandini: Cavatina "Se d’un Dio fui fatta madre"
Claudio Monteverdi: "Il pianto della Madonna"
Antonio Vivaldi: "Al Santo Sepolcro", RV169
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Rosenkranz Sonata No. 11 "The Resurrection"
Domenico Scarlatti: Salve Regina
Georg Friedrich Händel: Concerto grosso Op. 6, No. 1 "Salve Regina"

It goes back to the great Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso (ca. 1532-1594), has a rich tradition and is now known beyond the borders of the country: the Hofkapelle München. This ensemble under the direction of Rüdiger Lotter, which is known for the joy of high-quality musicians in historically informed practice, has finally been brought to Melk. They will be joined by Olivia Vermeulen, who has already celebrated several appearances at the Barocktage. Together they will present a programme dedicated to the last third of the life of Saint Mary, ranging from the grieving mother to the resurrection of the Son and the transfiguration of Mary as the bringer of hope to humanity. A moving festival finale!

Rüdiger Lotter, conductor and violin
Olivia Vermeulen, mezzo-soprano
Hofkapelle München

Breakfast matinée with Michael Schade

Karolina Ellinger, moderator
Musical organisation:
Franziska Hoffmann, clarinet & basset horn
Christine Foidl, clarinet & basset horn
Simon Pibal, clarinet & basset horn

It's entertaining, enjoyable and gets Whit Monday off to a good start: the now traditional breakfast with Michael Schade is a convivial way to start the day, with the Melk artistic director chatting away and telling backstage stories and tales.

Joseph Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten, Hob. XXI:3

Gli Angeli Genève - Benjamin Lévy

Judith van Wanroij, Soprano
Julian Prégardien, Tenor
Stephan MacLeod, Bass