Chamber musicians from Wrocław’s Academy of Music introduced our audience at the Lentz Villa into the atmosphere of snowy winter, long evenings, and the glow of the Christmas tree. The performers were: Wiktoria Górecka (soprano), Katarzyna Mandla (mezzo-soprano), Marek Kaczmarczyk (tenor), and Mateusz Słonina (bass). This vocal ensemble was led by Jakub Stefek, organist from the Academy of Art in Szczecin.

The programme of our Wednesday concert from the cycle JUVENUM HORTUS comprised atmospheric pieces by Adolphe Adam, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jeanne Demessieux, Engelbert Humperdinck, Zygmunt Noskowski, and Robert Schumann, as well as the music of Carl Loewe (1796-1869), a composer referred to as ‘the North German Schubert’, who lived in Szczecin for several dozen years, holding the post of, among others, the city’s music director. This composer, highly regarded in the 19th century, was also the organiser of many artistic events in our city, such as Szczecin’s first performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew and St John Passions, a premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and the world premiere of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s concert overture A Midsummer Night’s Dream, inspired by William Shakespeare’s famous play.

Forgotten for many long years, Loewe has recently again become a familiar figure to Szczecin’s inhabitants thanks to long-time research conducted in Poland and Germany by Mikołaj Szczęsny. Loewe’s music is now performed by numerous artists. The Carl Loewe Vocal Competition, propagating the music of this newly rediscovered composer, has been organised for several years by the Academy of Art in Szczecin. With our wintertime concert, the Lentz Villa has thus joined the effort of promoting the artistic legacy of the old master from Szczecin, whose heart was interred (at his request) at the city’s Archcathedral Basilica of St James the Apostle.