Celebrating the music of Carl Theodor’s Mannheim

This concert celebrates the 300th jubilee of the Prince-Elector Carl Theodor (1724-2024), who cultivated a rich musical golden age in Mannheim during the 18th century. It celebrates music for solo fortepiano written by composers associated with Mannheim. It features the fortepianist Anders Muskens, founder & director of the ensemble Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester, performing on an original fortepiano by Longman & Broderip built in London in 1788.

This event is presented as part of REMA Early Music Day 2024. You can view the other participating events here.

Program

[60 min total]

Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart (1739 – 1791)
Sonata No. 1 in D major from “Etwas für Clavier und Gesang.“ (Published Winterthur, 1783)

1. Allegro

2. Andante cantabile

3. Presto

4. Tempo di menuetto

Georg Joseph Vogler (1749–1814)
Variations on the Swedish Song “Höns gummans visa” (Published Stockholm, 1798)

Georg Joseph Vogler (1749–1814)
Polonaise (Published Stockholm, 1798)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Sonata No. 7 in C major, K. 309 (284b)
(Written in Mannheim and dedicated to Rose Cannabich, 1777)

1. Allegro con spirito

2. Andante un poco adagio

3. Rondo (allegretto grazioso)

Georg Joseph Vogler (1749–1814)
Variations on the Finnish AIr “Ak minan rakas linduisen” (Published Stockholm, 1798)

Above: Longman & Broderip square piano, c. 1788

Concept

During the eighteenth century, Mannheim was regarded as a new “Athens on the Rhine;”  a flourishing center for the arts, sciences, and culture. This was due in part to the efforts of its ruler, Prince-Elector Carl Theodor (1724–1799). Taking his cues from the Enlightenment philosophies of his time, Carl Theodor sought to create a harmonious society built on knowledge, reason, and artistic expression. He opened his library and theaters to his subjects, poured money into the construction of astronomical observatories, and attracted all sorts of painters, sculptors, classicists, garden planners, architects, writers, philosophers, scientists, and musicians from all around Europe to his court, where they all intermingled and created a new intellectual boon.

It was under this inspiring climate that the Mannheim court orchestra reached its apogee. Not only were its performances of the music of the finest composers of the day lauded, but also were its own school of composers, virtuoso players, and innovative style. This school had a profound influence on later composers like Mozart, and he notably sought permanent employment in Mannheim, albeit unsuccessfully. Yet, despite its grand and enticing qualities, it remains largely forgotten today, alongside the cultural legacy of Carl Theodor’s court. As the ensemble Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester, we were inspired to revive this music not only for its formidable qualities, but also to refresh the Enlightened-climate from which it was born: a cosmopolitan group of creative intellectuals, all working together and inspiring each other with diverse perspectives, bringing new innovations to the arts and sciences that sought to create an Enlightened, harmonious, society. 

Carl Theodor resided at his court in Mannheim between 1742–78. However, from 1778 onwards, after inheriting the Electorate of Bavaria, he moved his court and many of his musicians to Munich, until his death in 1799. The composers who grew up in the Mannheim and Munich musical life learned a great deal, and the Mannheim School’s influence spread far beyond south Germany and gained international acclaim. 

We felt inspired by the world in which the Mannheim court orchestra was built, on principles from the Age of Enlightenment where arts, sciences, and cultural heritage work together to build a harmonious society. This goal seems equally applicable to today’s society, and it is by telling the story of Carl Theodor’s achievements that we can inspire hope in today’s world. Celebrating his jubilee in 2024 via his cultural legacy is an important way to recognize a great patron for the arts in Baden-Württemberg’s history. 

The composers featured in this concert include: 

• Mozart: who needs no introduction, but spent some time in Mannheim searching for a court position, and was greatly influenced by the Mannheim style

• Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart: an important German literary figure who was also an organist and composer. He spent time in Mannheim, and his compositional style is greatly influenced by the Mannheim style

• Georg Joseph Vogler: second Kapellmeister in Mannheim during 1775-81, and led a diverse international career as a composer, keyboard soloist, director, theorist, and pedagogue

Performers

Anders Muskens is a Canadian early keyboard specialist, music scholar, and ensemble director, active as an international artist in North America and Europe. He began piano studies at the age of 4 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and completed an Associate Diploma (ARCT) in modern piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto under the tutelage of Dr. Irina Konovalov. With support from the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Adriana Jacoba Fonds, he completed a Masters in Fortepiano at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague under Dr. Bart van Oort and Petra Somlai, with Fabio Bonizzoni and Patrick Ayrton for harpsichord. He is currently a doctoral candidate in musicology at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Matthew Gardner, Prof. Dr. Thomas Schipperges, and Dr. Jed Wentz, where he is researching the connection between rhetorical acting and music in the period 1740–1830. He has performed regularly at the Utrecht Early Music Festival, and has given performances at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the National Music Centre, the London International Festival of Early Music, the Salle Bourgie in Montreal, and many more. Muskens is the founder of the ensemble Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester: an international initiative to revive the music of the Mannheim School in the second half of the eighteenth century. He is represented artistically by the SONUS Agency for Early Music.