Concerts 2023

As soon as the concert dates for 2023 are finalised, we will publish them here on this page as well as via social media. For that follow us on Instagram or Facebook. We are also happy to inform you by email if you wished. To do so, contact our office: sarah.hodgson@hansemuseum.eu

Past concert programmes:

Concerts 2022

WEDDING MUSIC OF THE HANSEATIC CITIES

Historical sounds from Hamburg, Lüneburg, Gdansk, Königsberg and Riga

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

Celebrating like the old moneybags

In the late Hanseatic period, the pompousness of the citizens was denounced in numerous municipal ordinances and decrees as well as in surviving sermon texts. Wedding festivities in particular were the playground of a growing need for representation among the rich merchants of the trading cities. What is expended in clothing, restaurant and hotel visits, gifts and the destinations of the honeymoon today, was reflected 400 years ago in the number of guests to be entertained, the order of meals, the table decorations, the dress code and the specially ordered music.

For the composers of the time, it was a lucrative sideline to write works for the wedding festivities, some of which were elaborately scored. These numerous surviving so-called occasional compositions show the high level of compositional technique and the stylistic diversity at the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period.

Programme (German only)

Programme (for concert in Hamburg, German only)

NDR Kultur has recorded the concert in Hamburg and has made the broadcast available online.

Wednesday, 7 September 2022, 8 p.m.

Stade, St. Cosmae et St. Damiani

Promoter: Kirchengemeinde St. Cosmae-Nicolai
Part of Holk Kulturfestival. Supported by the Landschaftsverband Stade with funds from the State of Lower Saxony, by the Hanseatic City of Stade and by the EWE Foundation.

Thursday, 8 September 2022, 8 p.m.

Buxtehude, St. Petri-Kirche

Promoter: Evangelisch-Lutherische St. Petri-Kirchengemeinde Buxtehude
Supported by the Landschaftsverband Stade with funds from the State of Lower Saxony and by the EWE Foundation.

Friday, 9 September 2022, 8 p.m.

Hamburg, Hauptkirche St. Katharinen

Promoter: Hauptkirche St. Katharinen
Part of the Open Monument Day in Hamburg and in cooperation with NDR Kultur.

Sunday, 11 September 2022, 5 p.m.

Marstrand (Sweden), Marstrands kyrka

Promoter: Göteborg International Organ Academy
Part of West Sweden Organ Vision.

Monday, 12 September 2022, 7.30 p.m.

Gothenborg (Sweden), Örgryte nya kyrka

Promoter: Göteborg International Organ Academy
Part of West Sweden Organ Vision.

HANSE VOKAL

Polyphony along the Baltic coast

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

For the first time the European Hanseatic Ensemble is performing in a new format and with a more intimate cast of only eight singers, a programme specifically dedicated to the vocal polyphony of the time around 1600. The composers who worked in the Hanseatic cities of Rostock, Szczecin, Gdansk or Königsberg also drew inspiration from the vocal music of Italy and the Netherlands. The works have lost none of their special atmosphere and intensity.

Moderation: Manfred Cordes

Programme (German only)

Wednesday, 22 June 2022, 7 p.m.

Lübeck, European Hansemuseum, Beichthaus

Promoter: European Hansemuseum Lübeck

Thursday, 23 June 2022, 7 p.m.: “Die Motette”

Bremen, Dom St. Petri

Promoter: Dom St. Petri

“… EIN KÖSTLICH DING”

Compositions from old Hanseatic cities

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

With the musical portrait of the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, the European Hanseatic Ensemble for the first time focuses specifically on works from a single Hanseatic city. With works by Johann Vierdanck, Caspar Movius and Eucharius Hoffmann, the programme spans music from the last third of the 16th century to the late phase of the Hanseatic era.

Vocal soloists and instrumentalists with historical instruments such as cornetto, baroque trombone, viola da gamba, baroque violin, chitarrone and organ will perform.

Programme (German only)

The final rehearsal was open to the public and took place on 3 June 2022 at 8 p.m. at the Stiftskirche in Bassum.

Deutschlandfunk Kultur has recorded the concert in Stralsund and broadcast it on 6 June 2022 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, 4 June 2022, 6 p.m.: Bremer Welterbetage 2022

Bremen, Unser Lieben Frauen Kirche

Promoter: Orlando e. V. with Senatskanzlei der Freien Hansestadt Bremen
Kindly supported by Senatskanzlei der Freien Hansestadt Bremen – Bremer Welterbetage 2022 and Ev. Gemeinde von Unser Lieben Frauen

Whit Sunday, 5 June 2022, 6 p.m.

Wismar, Heiligen-Geist-Kirche

Promoter: Orlando e. V.
Kindly supported by Hansestadt Wismar and Heiligen-Geist-Kirche Wismar

Whit Monday, 6 June 2022, 5 p.m.:
20 Jahre Welterbe Stralsund und Wismar

Stralsund, St. Nikolai

Promoter: Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St. Nikolai Stralsund
Kindly supported by Hansestadt Stralsund – 20 Jahre Welterbe Stralsund und Wismar and in cooperation with Deutschlandfunk Kultur

SURREXIT CHRISTUS

Festive music from the old Hanseatic cities

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

For Easter – after a seven-week period of asceticism, including musical asceticism – splendidly scored works were allowed to be heard again, and the number of compositions written for the occasion is correspondingly large.

The programme includes works by composers who were active in the economic and cultural capitals of the late Hanseatic period: Andreas Hakenberger, Nicolaus Zangius and Johann Wanning (Gdansk), Hieronymus Praetorius, Thomas Selle and Matthias Weckmann (Hamburg), Marcin Mielszewski (Cracow/Breslau), Philipp Dulichius (Szczecin) and Bartholomäus Gesius (Frankfurt/Oder).

Eight vocal soloists and twelve instrumentalists with historical instruments such as cornetto, baroque trombone, viola da gamba, baroque violin, chitarrone and organ will perform.

Programme (German only)

WDR 3 has recorded the concert in Minden and broadcast it on 22 June 2022 at 8 p.m.

Ascension Day, Thursday, 26 May 2022, 6 p.m.

Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck

Promoter: Orlando e. V.
In cooperation with European Hansemuseum Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck and Musikhochschule Lübeck

Friday, 27 May 2022, 6 p.m.

Minden, St. Martini-Kirche

Promoter: Ev.-Luth. St.-Martini-Kirchengemeinde Minden
In cooperation with Ev.-Luth. St.-Martini-Kirchengemeinde Minden and WDR 3

Saturday, 28 May 2022, 5 p.m.:
42nd International Hanseatic Day Neuss 2022

Neuss, Christuskirche

Promoter: Stadt Neuss – 42. Internationaler Hansetag Neuss 2022
In cooperation with Evangelische Christusgemeinde Neuss and kindly supported by Hansestadt Lübeck

Concerts 2021

LAUDATE DOMINUM

Festive music of the Hanseatic cities

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

Towards the end of the Hanseatic period, it was the cities of Hamburg and Gdansk from which a sheer overflowing number of great works have emerged. But musical culture also flourished in cities like Lüneburg, Stettin or Stralsund – to name just a few. The first part of this year’s programme of the European Hanseatic Ensemble includes resounding works for important church festivals. But the composers also delivered imaginative works for the wedding celebrations of the “moneybags”, created for a unique occasion but of no lesser quality and tonal variety.

The programme concludes with jubilant music celebrating the conclusion of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which was extensively celebrated in many cities after the cruel and depriving years of the Thirty Years’ War. Masters such as Hieronymus and Jacob Praetorius, Thomas Selle, Crato Bütner or Philipp Dulichius are largely unknown today, but they created great compositions that have been waiting to be discovered and revived for centuries.

Programme (German only)

NDR Kultur has recorded the concert in Hannover and broadcast it on 18 November 2021 at 8 p.m.

Monday, 27 September 2021, 8 p.m.

Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck

Promoter: Orlando e. V.
In cooperation with European Hansemuseum Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck and Musikhochschule Lübeck and kindly supported by Kulturstiftung des Landes Schleswig-Holstein

Tuesday, 28 September 2021, 8 p.m.

Hannover, Marktkirche St. Georgii et Jacobi

Promoter: Orlando e. V.
In cooperation with Kulturbüro der Stadt Hannover, Marktkirche St. Georgii et Jacobi and NDR Kultur

Thursday, 30 September 2021, 7 p.m.: “+ HANZA”

Gdansk, Franciscan St. Trinity Church

Promoter: ORGANy PLUS+
Kindly supported by Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany – Foreign Office

Saturday, 2 October 2021, 8 p.m.

Bremen, Dom St. Petri

Promoter: Orlando e.V.
In cooperation with Dom St. Petri, University of Arts Bremen and kindly supported by Senatskanzlei Bremen

Sunday, 3 October 2021, 6 p.m.

Hamburg, Hauptkirche St. Katharinen

Promoter: Hauptkirche St. Katharinen

GEISTLICHE ABENDMUSIK

75. Greifswalder Bachwoche – paradiesisch 2.0

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

Music by Andreas Hakenberger, Paul Lütgemann, Hieronymus Praetorius, Annibale Orgas, Tobias Zeutschner, Julius E. Rautenstein, Johann Vierdanck, Thomas Strutz, Caspar Movius et al.

Tuesday, 8 June 2021, 6 p.m.

Greifswald, Dom St. Nikolai

Promoter: Greifswalder Bachwoche

Concerts 2020

Es erhub sich ein Streit im Himmel

Festive music of the Hanseatic cities for Michaelmas

European Hanseatic Ensemble
Manfred Cordes, conductor

Concert programme

During the important church festivals magnificent music was played in all the large churches of the Hanseatic cities. The concert program of this year’s European Hanseatic Ensemble, which will also serve as a first impression of the ensemble on the concert map, includes works from the 17th century from Hamburg and Gdansk for the feast of Michaelmas (29 September).

Although composers such as Hieronymus Praetorius, Thomas Selle, Paul Siefert or Christoph Werner are largely unknown today, they created magnificent compositions that have been waiting to be discovered and revived for centuries.

Programme (German only)

NDR Kultur has recorded the concert in Hamburg, you can listen to the broadcast of 19 October 2020 here.

Opening concert: Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck

Promoter: Orlando e. V.
In cooperation with European Hansemuseum Lübeck, Dom zu Lübeck and Musikhochschule Lübeck

Wednesday, 30 September 2020, 7 p.m.

Hamburg, Hauptkirche St. Nikolai

Promoter: Hauptkirche St. Nikolai
Kindly supported by Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. and NDR Kultur

Thursday, 1 October 2020, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Bremen, Kulturkirche St. Stephani Bremen

Promoter: Kulturkirche St. Stephani Bremen in cooperation with University of the arts Bremen
Kindly supported by Conrad Naber Stiftung