Orgelkonzert: Nathan Laube by Hollins, Franck, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Duruflé, -tól (2025/2025), Konzerthalle, Bamberg, Germany

Don't miss it – because in this concert in our popular organ series, a phenomenal artist unleashes a musical firework: our guest is the American Nathan Laube, who holds a professorship at the Eastman School of Music in New York and is also a consultant for organ studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. As a famous organist, he performs internationally in renowned concert halls and loves to engage his audiences and inspire them for the organ world. The programme is very romantic with outstanding works: His varied recital begins with a vibrant play of colours – in the concert overture written around 1885 by the blind composer Alfred Hollins. César Franck wrote an epic tone poem with orchestral effect with his Fantasie aus den drei Stücken für große Orgel in 1878 for the official opening of the first concert hall organ in France. Nathan Laube then also demonstrates his outstanding virtuosity with two arrangements of significant piano works. Mendelssohn wrote his glowing »Variations sérieuses« in 1841 with »true passion«: In the course of the work, a highly original theme is increasingly harmonically veiled and the expressive range is constantly widened. Liszt pointed far into the future with his »Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses« – and the piece »Funérailles« from this monumental cycle is also one of his most tragic compositions. The programme concludes with a highlight from the oeuvre of French composer Maurice Duruflé: with his three-movement organ suite, he created a milestone of the 20th century – and the finale toccata is still one of the most technically demanding pieces ever written for this instrument.