'Klausen klingt'

Reading with Musical Accompaniment – Miriam Unterthiner
«Mein Brenner» (in German language)

Venue: Walthersaal, Oberstadt 59 in Klausen
Artists: Miriam Unterthiner (writer), Klaus Haidl (lute)

In Mein Brenner, the text explores who belongs to our society and who does not, who is included and who is excluded. It seeks to give a voice to those who are usually not heard.

Quote: "There is no homing here anymore."

Miriam Unterthiner, born in 1994, lives as an author in Vienna and Latzfons. She studied philosophy, German studies and language arts in Innsbruck and Vienna. Her plays deal, among other things, with the history of South Tyrol. Her play “Va†erzunge” premiered in May 2025 at the Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck. This year, her plays have been awarded the Kleist Förderpreis for New Drama, the Innsbruck Literature Prize, and the Hans Gratzer Prize of the Schauspielhaus Wien.

Klaus Haidl gained extensive experience as a lutenist, guitarist, arranger, composer, and teacher during his studies. He performs with various ensembles and orchestras in the fields of early music, new music, improvised music, and jazz. Collaborating with contemporary composers, researching and transcribing historical manuscripts, and working on interdisciplinary projects (literature/film/performance/theater/music) are all part of his work. Klaus Haidl is a recipient of numerous international awards in the fields of music and film.

Musical Walk at the Sabiona Monastery
WOHIN (WHERE TO)

Location: Church of the Holy Cross, Sabiona Monastery
Artists: Stefanie Sommer (acting), Katharina Adamcyk (soprano), Angelo Testori (tenor), Antonia Kallenbach (viola da gamba), Desiree Wöhrer (recorder/viola da gamba), Jasmin Vorhauser (recorder), Maria Danneberg (viola da gamba), Georg Zopf (lute)

We find ourselves in a small town where everyone believes they know each other – including all quirks and secrets. Into this closed and rigid community moves Pauline, a newcomer and perceived as an outsider. She is mostly avoided by society and remains a quiet observer within the familiar structure.
Pauline is an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but unlike many others, she does not flaunt her beauty. She lives in the moment, open to whatever each new day may bring. Bit by bit, she seeks contact with people, tries to connect, and repeatedly finds herself in difficult and at times unpleasant situations. Thanks to a special gift, she manages to help people answer the question “Where to?”

After this first short concert, the audience will be guided through the monastery grounds to the next church. There, a fine wine tasting by the Eisacktal Winery awaits among the precious vineyards. After a musical and culinary pause, the second short concert follows in the Church of Our Lady.

„Himmel hoch jauchend,
zum Tode betrübt“

Location: Parish Church of St. Andrew, Klausen
Artists: Lea Bodner (soprano), Elias Gabriel Huber (harpsichord, viola), Antonia Neussl (cello), Laura-Maria Waldauf (violin), Magdalena Waldauf (violin) – Cardinal Points Ensemble:
The Cardinal Points Ensemble was founded in 2023. Originally from the four cardinal directions of Tyrol, the five musicians are currently studying in Vienna, Salzburg, Nuremberg, and Berlin. The name *Cardinal Points*, meaning “Himmelsrichtungen” in German, also serves as musical inspiration for the ensemble. With diverse and thoughtfully curated concert programs, they bring the rich sound world of early music to life.
In their new program „Himmelhoch jauchzend, zum Tode betrübt“, the five musicians explore two seemingly opposing emotional states that, in certain moments, appear to intersect. The Cardinal Points Ensemble has already performed at the Schwaz Summer Concerts and will appear at Heinfels Castle in summer 2025.

One of the most poignant depictions of being in love comes from Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s drama *Egmont*. Clärchen, who is supposed to marry a bourgeois man, falls deeply in love with the nobleman Egmont and expresses her despair in a song. The final two lines have become proverbial and symbolize the emotional turmoil of lovers like few others. In love, immense joy and heartbreaking despair often lie close together. Artists in the Baroque era also dealt deeply with human mortality, interpreting death—firmly rooted in Christian belief—as redemption. Many poets of the time lamented the harshness of earthly life and longed for death—and thus for eternal life. In their darkest moments, devout Christians of the era seemed to feel closest to heaven. In this concert program, we wish to explore these two emotions—joy and despair—precisely where they most closely converge: in love and in the hope of life after death.

The Future of the Past

Location: Parish Church of St. Andrew, Klausen
ensemble freymut: Elisabeth Haberl & Ching-Yao Wang (traverso), Maria Danneberg (viola da gamba), Sobin Jo (harpsichord)

The Viennese ensemble ensemble freymut has become a recognized name in the early music scene for its musical brilliance and spirit of innovation. As the artistic leadership behind the festival ViertelBarock, it provides a platform for reimagined Baroque music and participatory concerts. In the 2022|23 season, ensemble freymut was the Featured Ensemble of Jeunesse Österreich and debuted at the Vienna Konzerthaus with the program “Freyen Muthes durch die Welt”. In 2021, it won the WDR Prize at the H.I.F. Biber Competition. In autumn 2023, it celebrated its Asia debut in South Korea. Since 2024, it has been a member of REMA, the largest European early music network. It also launched the concert series HORIZONS – Alte Musik INNOVATIV, with three cross-disciplinary productions each year in Vienna. For the 2024–25 season, ensemble freymut is supported by the S-EEEMERING program.

The mysterious traces of two trio sonatas by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach lead ensemble freymut to the fascinating life story of Berlin-based musician and patron Sara Levy. In her Berlin salon – a gathering place for famous contemporaries such as Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, E. T. A. Hoffmann, and Bettina Brentano – Sara Levy also celebrated her deep love for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Through her significant collection of musical manuscripts, she laid the foundation for the Bach Renaissance in Berlin during the 1820s and 1830s, which ultimately led to Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s revival of the St Matthew Passion. With its program The Future of the Past – Hommage à Sara Levy, ensemble freymut takes a bold artistic step by combining historical compositions of the 18th century with contemporary music. The elegance and expressive urgency of Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach meet the creative voice of Andalusian composer Daniel Serrano (*1991), who completes a musical fragment by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach in his style and draws from Sara Levy’s collection to create a personal musical tribute to the iconic patron. The result is a multifaceted and emotionally resonant musical adventure — music as shaped time and open sound space, made vivid and tangible across the centuries.
Text: Albert Seitlinger | ensemble freymut