The 15th Orff Days of the Bavarian Philharmonic, which were guests at the Neuschwanstein Festival Hall, promised the finest music. In Füssen – „Munich shines, but Bavaria sounds“, with these words conductor Mark Mast greeted the audience at the Neuschwanstein Festival Hall in Füssen last Friday. Visitors were offered a special sound experience that evening. At the 15th Orff Days of the Bavarian Philharmonic, Carl Orff’s famous piece „Carmina Burana“ interpreted by the Bavarian Philharmonic met Spark. Conductor Mark Mast, the „Maestro of Orff“ at the Füssen Festival Hall, and the Bavarian Philharmonic took the audience into the world of „Carmina Burana“. The piece, created during a creative period of composer Carl Orff in 1934/35, has lost none of its power to this day. Last week at the Festival Hall, the piece captivated the audience. The 62-member choir of the Bavarian Philharmonic, the children’s choir, the percussion ensemble, the piano duo consisting of Yudum Çetiner and Selin Sekeranber, as well as the singing of the soprano, tenor, and baritone led the audience through various emotional worlds. From moved glances to resounding laughter, everything was there. During the break, voices could be heard saying „Great“ or „Wow, they are amazing“. A couple on vacation in Füssen was of the opinion, „This is the ultimate. This new interpretation is very good, I know Carmina Burana with a bit more enthusiasm, today it is a bit more restrained, but that also has its justification“. Musical Crossover with SparkThe crossover with the quintet Spark was particularly well received by the audience. Spark – the classical band, as the quintet calls itself, consists of (block) flutes, strings, and a piano. The music group has been playing a mix of classical music like Bach and Vivaldi paired with popular music like hits from the Beatles for 17 years. This evening, they presented their own interpretation of the hit „Norwegian Wood“ by the British rock band from 1965, among other pieces. The connection to Orff is given through the block flute in addition to the reference to Bavaria. The block flute is central to Spark’s music, and in Orff’s work, the instrument plays an important role. Because of Orff’s revolutionary educational work, the block flute gained a new significance. Block Flute as a Concert InstrumentIf one knows the block flute today more as a kindergarten or elementary school instrument, one is surprised by the rhythm and the melodic and expressive way of playing that the two flutists master. The block flute harmonizes consistently with the other instruments and has certainly gained some fans that evening. The decision to connect Spark and the Bavarian Philharmonic was the right one, as was evident not only at the end of the concert. During the individual pieces, the audience was already enthusiastic. Their interpretations of classical and popular music thrilled the listeners so much that they did not want to let Spark leave the stage. After the successful presentation of their pieces, all musicians were finally bid farewell with thunderous applause and standing ovations.
