Ninth Symphony Anniversary – an ornate concert at Lilienfeld Abbey

A major and outstanding event in the history of music under the slogan “Concert for Peace” will take place in the dormitory of Lilienfeld Abbey on Sunday 5 May at 7pm as part of the Abbey Music Festival, organized by director and organist Karin de Bastille.

A special year is being celebrated: the 200th anniversary of the premiere of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The three important works of Ludwig van Beethoven, on the occasion of the premiere of the Ninth Symphony in the concert given by Beethoven at the Kärntentortheater in Vienna on 7 May 1824, will be repeated by 130 musicians in the monastery: Overture “Music” Dedication of the House, Op. 124, furthermore Kerry from the Missa Solemnis, Op. 123 and Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125. Performers are the “Village Voices” Project Choir, the Lower Austria State Choir (leader: Andrea Weisinger), and the Camerata Carnuntum Orchestra – conductor: Leo Wittner, instrumentalists. Soloists: Judith Sawyer (soprano), Dagmar Dekanovsky (alto), Maximilian Lütgendorf (tenor) and Florian Pegrymovski (bass).

The Overture to “For the Dedication of the House” was considered by critics to be one of his “finished works” during Beethoven's lifetime. “The Missa Solemnis is one of the most famous masses in Western art music,” explains Karen de Bastille.

Beethoven's idea comes to life in the pen

In his Symphony No. 9, Ludwig van Beethoven implemented an idea he had carried with him almost his entire life: a setting of Friedrich Schiller's “Ode to Joy.”

The first inclusion of the choir in the final movement of the symphony marks a turning point in the history of music and the birth of a new type of artist Camerata Carnuntum Orchestra From Lower Austria, Römerland Karnuntum, it was founded in 2014 by conductor Leo Wittner and violinist Maria Patera. Within a few years it was possible to form a healthy body that meets the highest requirements. The orchestra features a diverse repertoire. They range from symphonies of the great masters to operas and oratorios to contemporary works.

the Village Voices Choir Association It was founded in 2004 by Andrea Fessinger, who has directed the choir ever since. Andrea Weisinger has been the State Choir Director of the Lower Austria Choral Society since 2023. At the anniversary concert held on 5 May in the monastery residence, the Lower Austria Choral Society called for a project choir, and so singers from a wide range of choirs in Lower Austria came together To form a big band.

Conductor Leo Wittner He was born in Vienna and lives in Gramthneusdel. In addition to his artistic career as a conductor and clarinetist, Leo Wittner organizes cultural events on his farm and at the private music school he founded. In 2014, he took over the musical direction of the “Camerata Carnuntum” symphony orchestra, which he founded. Three tours in China took him through the largest cities and most beautiful concert halls in China.

Tickets for the anniversary concert are available at Stiftspforte (tel.: 02762/52420) and from Raiffeisenbank Lilienfeld (02762/52390). Tickets cost 30 or 26 euros in advance and 36 or 32 euros at the box office, depending on the category. Entry is from 6pm. Lilienfelder Stüberl also serves food and drinks from 6pm.