Münstermann Festival

Even during the Thirty Years' War – which were also the creative years of the sculptor Ludwig Münstermann – the courts of the Protestant princes of the Holy Roman Empire held magnificent and elaborate festivities, particularly for the weddings of allied houses.

At Hartenfels Castle in Torgau in 1627, the marriage of Hessian Landgrave Georg II to the Saxon Princess Sophie Eleonore was celebrated. The bride's father, Elector Johann Georg I, commissioned his famous Hofkapellmeister Heinrich Schütz for the occasion to compose a new musical-theatrical work, called "opera," which was to unite all performing arts – speech, song, architecture and painting – and was just beginning to develop in Italy. Thus "Dafne" was created as the first German opera. The plot draws on Greek mythology, familiar to most from Ovid's "Metamorphoses." The German libretto was penned by the "first German poet" Martin Opitz and has survived, while the music has been lost.

In recent years, the music for "Dafne" has been reconstructed and performed to great acclaim at various locations. Roland Wilson's version now serves as the basis for a revival at Oldenburg Palace.

The long-awaited 1635 wedding of Count Anton Günther provides the backdrop for the conceit that "Dafne" could also have been performed in Oldenburg. A further occasion is the exhibition at the State Museum on the work of Ludwig Münstermann, who was active in the Oldenburg region during Schütz's lifetime. A performance of the opera in the palace's great hall aims to bring the supra-regionally connected North European Protestant art and cultural landscape before our eyes and ears.

Such a project can only be realised through the collaboration of many partners. The participating producers – including the Münstermann Society, the State Museum and Forum Neue Kunst – have pooled their resources to make this festival a reality. Forum Neue Kunst played a special role, creating essential artistic and organisational structures and enabling the cooperation of all participants.

The musical direction rests with violinist Veronika Skuplik. With her deep musical expressiveness and stylistic expertise, she is one of the outstanding performers and educators on the early music scene. Thanks to her inspiring work, a concert series was also created, performed in selected Münstermann churches.

The artistic direction of the festival lies with Nicholas Tamagna, internationally renowned countertenor and proven Baroque specialist. In his capacity as Chairman of Forum Neue Kunst, he has decisively shaped the festival's concept together with the partner organisations. He brings his extensive experience in historical performance practice not only to the direction but also directly to the stage: as a singer, he looks forward to performing in "Dafne" himself, bridging the gap between artistic leadership and practical realisation.

A third artistic dimension opens through the drawing and painting works of Oldenburg-based artist Katrin Schöß. These are shown in a special exhibition in the pillar rotunda of the former court and residence church of St. Lamberti. Since her works spontaneously evoke musical associations in the viewer, particularly of a dance-like nature, the idea of combining them with one of the most inspiring compositions of the Münstermann era suggested itself: the "Terpsichore" by Michael Praetorius.

UrgentMusic | Veronika Skuplik
Jörg Jacobi – Cembalo

Gefördert durch

Das Münstermann Festival wurde ermöglicht durch die großzügige Unterstützung von NDR Kultur, der Kulturstiftung der Öffentlichen Versicherungen Oldenburg, der LzO-Kulturstiftung, der Stadt Oldenburg und der Oldenburgischen Landschaft.

Künstlerische Leitung: Nicholas Tamagna Musikalische Leitung: Veronika Skuplik Partner: Münstermann-Gesellschaft e.V., Landesmuseum Kunst & Kultur Oldenburg