Inverness and Strathpeffer concerts feature soprano first seen in Salzburg
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The Mahler Players start their 10th anniversary year with two concerts this weekend at two venues they have played regularly over that time – Inverness Cathedral and Strathpeffer Pavilion.
Their guest for the two concerts coming up on Saturday (Inverness) and Sunday (Strathpeffer) will be the soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann, and director Tomas Leakey reveals how that came about.
And he also explains how the Coronation played its part in the music the Mahler Players will perform this weekend, as well as talking a bit more about it.
Q You hinted that there was originally a different piece of music in mind for these first concerts of the year at Inverness Cathedral and Strathpeffer Pavilion this weekend?
A Yes, we had thought about performing Mahler’s Sixth Symphony – when we were making our original plans for these concerts. But it didn’t seem so appropriate when King Charles announced it would be the coronation! The Mahler is a very tragic piece, Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony is more uplifting and is something else we have wanted to do that we haven’t done yet, so we thought for the 10th anniversary, it’s an artistic milestone piece. This is not in any sense a coronation programme, but it feels it would be nice to have the Eroica.
Q Tell people a little bit about the Eroica Symphony? In your notes for the programme, you say it was a work that changed the course of musical history and that even now it is one of the most thrilling pieces ever written. What’s the most important thing you would want people to know about it?
A It is important for us as musicians to remember that when this was first played, it was quite revolutionary and on a completely different scale to what Beethoven or anyone else had done before. And it should be quite overwhelming as an experience to listen to, people should sit back and enjoy it and let it speak to them in whatever way it does! Maybe not to think too much. You don’t have to know about the music to enjoy it, it’s an amazing piece of music that will make an impact on people regardless of what they will or will not already know. The arias Magdalena will sing are melodic and beautiful.
Q In the first half of the concert you have the soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann singing arias by Wagner and Beethoven. Why did you choose Magdalena to join the Players for these concerts?
A I had heard Magdalena singing for the first time in Salzburg last autumn in the role of the Marschallin, Princess Marie Therese von Werdenberg, in Richard Strauss’s opera Der Rosenkavalier and she has a very special voice. It was before we had planned performing this music.
I really connected with her performance, but things are often scheduled a long time in advance. But Magdalena was available this weekend, so could come and do this and she will be making her Scottish debut with us. The first half of the concert will see Beethoven’s Overture to Fidelio, Magdalena also singing the character Leonore from that and her aria Abschäulicher! Wo eilst du hin? And then she will take on the character of Elisabeth in Tannhäuser and sing: Dich, teure Halle and Allmächt’ge Jungfrau.
The Mahler Players concerts are on Saturday, May 6 at 8pm at Inverness Cathedral; and Strathpeffer Pavilion on Sunday, May 7 at 3pm. The programme is Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony and in the first half of the concert, arias from Tannhäuser and Fidelio sung by soprano Magdalena Anna Hofmann. Tickets: £19.50 standard; £17.50 concessions; £10 Under-26s; £5 under-18s with free accompanying adult (limited number available and only in advance). More info: mahlerplayers.co.uk
