The idea behind the 19th project of Haydn2032—performed by the orchestra Il Giardino Armonico under the direction of Giovanni Antonini—is to trace a temporal and stylistic arc related to the themes of death and mourning. It uses three dramatic symphonies written in minor keys by Joseph Haydn, a pavane by the composer Samuel Scheidt that is one and a half centuries older, and a prayer for peace written in tones by contemporary composer Arvo Pärt.
Even though Scheidt’s "Paduan a 4" comes from a collection of "musical games" published in 1621, this piece conveys a special kind of sadness and melancholy, one that is associated with events that had a decisive impact on people's lives, and not only in the first half of the 17th century. They include the Thirty Years' War, a time of religiously motivated conflicts that were waged with the utmost brutality—and whose consequences seem to be having an impact to this day, as some modern-day terrorist attacks prove. Pärt wrote his “Da pacem Domine” in memory of the victims of one such attack, which occurred on March 11, 2004, in Madrid.
Like Pärt’s music, Haydn's is never marked by despair, even if it sounds sad. One of the reasons for this is symbolized by the phrase "laus Deo" with which he used to decorate the end of his compositions. This was his positive, healthy, and enlightened attitude towards religious questions. The program includes his Symphonies No. 44, 52, and 108.
Tickets are CHF 30-90 for adults, half price for students.

Website
haydn2032.kulturticket.ch/events

Where
Don Bosco Basel
Waldenburgerstrasse 34
4052 Basel

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