FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) / Fanny Hensel (1805-1847) Songs
SALOMONE ROSSI (1570-1630) Symphonies and Galliards
MARIO CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO (1895-1968) Three Sephardic Songs
Chen Reiss, soprano Daniel Grossmann, conductor
JEWISH Jewish music in, about, and from Italy: The violinist Salomone Rossi worked at the court of Mantua in the 16th century and quickly rose to Kapellmeister – his great role model was Claudio Monteverdi. The Mendelssohn siblings embarked on a 'Grand Tour' in 1830 and spent half a year in Italy – following Goethe's footsteps. Their journey is audible in their songs from this period. In the 20th century, the Florentine composer and pianist Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was inspired by the music of his Sephardic ancestors.
TODAY When we hear 'Italy,' we immediately conjure up the scent of pizza or lemon and think of 'dolce vita' – the songs of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn reflect precisely these travel memories from 200 years ago. Rossi's music tells of the principalities of the Renaissance, whose art we still treasure today. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in turn, looks back on his family history: to this day, Sephardic Jews preserve their identity through their language and music.
FOR ALL New discoveries all around: unknown Italian composers and a new, old space, a symbol of Jewish life in Munich before and after National Socialism. You are invited to the Reichenbachstrasse Synagogue, reopening in September 2025 – an impressive Bauhaus building from the early 1930s! Even back then, people raved about the light and sensual experience of color, which brings us back to Italy... see for yourself.
