When the gramophone is set up at the Berghof sanatorium in Thomas Mann’s »The Magic Mountain«, a new dimension of listening opens up for the protagonist Hans Castorp – and for the readers, a literary ecstasy of sound begins. A »wealth of euphony« breaks through. Text and music, combined by Mann with careful intention, tell a humorous and moving story of love and death. Music here is not merely heard – it is experienced, interpreted, and felt.
To mark the 150th anniversary of Thomas Mann’s birth, this literary-musical moment becomes the starting point for an extraordinary concert evening that weaves together stylistic variety, the spirit of an era, and emotional depth. Actor Hans-Jürgen Schatz guides the audience through the program with excerpts from the famous seventh chapter of The Magic Mountain, where opera and storytelling, irony and passion converge – reflecting the central themes of an entire epoch: the era of upheaval between late Romanticism and Modernism, between world enchantment and world catastrophe.
What crackles and hisses from the gramophone in Mann’s novel now sounds live in the unique atmosphere of the Grand Hall of the Laeiszhalle – in rich orchestral colors and with three exceptional voices from the international opera scene. Leading the cast is American soprano Jacquelyn Wagner, whose radiant and powerful voice sets new standards. Much anticipated are also the debuts of Diana Haller and Michael Spyres with the Symphoniker Hamburg. Haller captivates worldwide with her warm, full mezzo-soprano and commanding stage presence, while Spyres is celebrated for his vocal agility between tenor and baritone, as well as his stylistic versatility from bel canto to French grand opera and German repertoire.
Chief conductor Sylvain Cambreling and the Symphoniker Hamburg face a special challenge on this evening: the musical journey through works by Verdi, Gounod, Bizet, Debussy, Schubert, and others demands the highest level of orchestral style and expressive nuance. This is more than just a concert – it is a tribute to the power of music and to the visionary artistry of Thomas Mann. And it serves as a reminder of what music can do: console us, elevate us – and make us feel fully present in the moment.
PERFORMERS
Symphoniker Hamburg orchestra
Jacquelyn Wagner soprano
Diana Haller mezzo-soprano
Michael Spyres tenor
Sylvain Cambreling conductor
Hans-Jürgen Schatz narrator
PROGRAM
Thomas Mann
Fülle des Wohllauts
eine literarisch-musikalische Operngala
