Spring Concert of the Stade Chamber Orchestra - "Schubert Staged"

"Schubert Staged" – Invitation to an extraordinary journey of discovery into a great classical work. "Great, a Schubert symphony; last week we had film music, at least something was happening. Let's see what the teacher wants from us now..." – these unusual tones can be heard in this year's spring concerts of the Stade Chamber Orchestra under the motto "Schubert Staged." Together with the theater group of IGS Stade, we present a concert in which a classical work is not only performed but, quite literally, discovered multiple times. The focus is on Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in C major, known as "The Great," which was composed in 1825/1826 but was never performed during Schubert's lifetime. Nevertheless, the performance history is well known, as Robert Schumann discovered the work during a trip to Vienna in 1838 among the composer's estate and was thrilled: "Here is life in every fiber, color to the finest gradation, meaning everywhere, the sharpest expression of the individual, and over the whole a romance poured out, as one only knows from Franz Schubert." Schumann then suggested a performance in Leipzig under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, which became a great success. Through the semi-staged presentation by the theater group of IGS Stade, this story of discovery is made tangible for the audience in the concert. The lasting impact of "The Great" is expressed in the second part of the work introduction. There, the piece is the subject of a very progressive music exam, and a student engages with the symphony. "Fortunately, we have... state-of-the-art playback devices," she thinks, as indeed, in this innovative exam, the entire Stade Chamber Orchestra and even individual sections are available for her to listen to specific passages. It goes without saying that this leads to a flood of insightful thoughts about the work. The audience listens along and can vividly participate in the student's thought processes, thus rediscovering the symphony. In the second part of the concert, the entire symphony will be performed from beginning to end. The concert opens with the Egmont Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven, who was a significant artistic role model and a trailblazer for Franz Schubert. The candidate later aptly describes this fact with the words, "Well, Schubert was also a Beethoven fanboy." The project is supported by the Landscape Association Stade and the Alles-Gute Foundation of the Kreissparkasse Stade. The concerts, conducted by Alexander Mottok, will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 6 PM in the Markus Church Stade-Hahle and on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 5 PM in the St. Petri Church Osten. Admission is €18 for adults and €8 for students and pupils. Tickets are available at the box office.