Freiburg Chamber Philharmonic

In mid-July 2026, the Freiburg Chamber Philharmonic will perform again in Müllheim. The program is as varied as it is rich in contrasts, bringing together works from the Classical, Modern, and Romantic periods. The concert in Müllheim will take place on Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m. in St. Martin’s Church. Admission is free. This year’s program begins with the overture to “Don Giovanni” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The dark, dramatic chords at the beginning foreshadow the opera’s tragic elements, while the subsequent fast-paced passages, full of energy, wit, and suspense, aptly capture the character of the work. This will be followed by Paul Hindemith’s symphony “Mathis der Maler.” Composed in 1934, the work is based on Hindemith’s opera of the same name about the Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald. At a time of political tensions and increasing restrictions on artistic freedom, the composer thus made a powerful statement in support of the independence of artistic creation. The three movements draw on motifs from the Isenheim Altarpiece, which can be admired in nearby Colmar. The concert concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major. For a long time, this work stood in the shadow of the heroic Third and the fateful Fifth Symphonies. Today, the Fourth is regarded as one of Beethoven’s most balanced and refined works. With its elegance, humor, and tonal diversity, it combines classical formal perfection with great expressiveness and provides a brilliant conclusion to the concert evening.