Baroque sounds in the Philharmonie: Ensemble ad Libitum celebrates 25 year old music

The sounds of the Chalumeau or the travers flute would probably no longer be present in the country without the ensemble ad libitum. Or big talents such as the countertenor Jeff Mack could hardly imagine the audience, because otherwise there are rarely on the historical model of performances by Vivaldi’s vocal music. Especially not from musicians from the Grand Duchy or from the Greater Region.

For some such a recourse to the music of the late Middle Ages to the baroque may be too niche, for others it is the revival of a very special music tradition that offers an extraordinary variety and discoveries. And exactly the second group belongs to Rosch Mirkes.

He is the only really constant thing about the ensemble ad libitum – at least the impression is coming up. 25 years ago, the Luxembourg baroque music fan, musician and organizer put together a vocal ensemble for the first email under the name. That was the starting point of the engagement around ad Libitum. First more one choir, later more and more instrumentalists were added. Today the ensemble is a kind of family collective of professionals and experienced lay people who unites a passion: love for so -called old music. And this is precisely this on Wednesday, May 21, at 7.30 p.m. in the Chamber Music Hall of the Philharmonic.

« It will certainly be a very special moment in the history of the ensemble, » says Mirkes. The Primus Inter Pares, conductor and organizational manager of the ensemble has actually conquered this niche over the years. One that the other in the Grand Duchy cannot or do not want to fill. « There is actually no real scene for the old music, but many trained interpreters who want to devote herself. »

Collection for passionate musicians

Ad libitum became a collection basin: specialists who can play historical instruments such as Viola da Gamba, Baroque trumpet or Chalumeau find opportunities to appear almost exclusively in this collective. « It has gradually grown. The work in the first few years spoke around., How, someone makes old music? Can we play there? ‘

Among them are also discoverers such as the Chalumeau player Jean-Luc Blasius. They often promote long spilled music and thus enrich the repertoire. And the audience grew. « That also spoke around. Because it was something different and still offers music that is rarely heard. » The collective gives around 20 concerts a year.

The scene of the scene also knows that Mirkes is also behind the concert series « Rencontres Musicales de la Vallée de L’Alzette », which is also focused on the old music, for which he brings to Luxembourg. But Ad Libitum offers him very own options: « The most beautiful thing for me is to be able to make very different concert formats flexibly with the ensemble. And on the other hand, I can bring the music to the places for which they were once imagined: to the castles and locks, but also especially in the churches, » said the conductor.

Even if Mirkes and his team are proud to be able to perform at the center of the classic music scene and thus maybe get new attention, this will be a hard piece of work. Because concert dreams such as those of the Philharmonie cannot always be an advantage for the performances of old music. Mirkes prefers to play it safe in the program. For the evening in the chamber music hall, he brings a large team together and relies entirely on Baroque.

Bach, Vivaldi, Telemann and Handel in almost two hours of program

Fireworks of baroque joys become a historically informed performance practice: Bach is of course there – and somehow also inevitable. There are Handel, Telemann, Graupner and Porpora. A special treat for Countertenor fans: Vivaldi’s aria « Vedrò con Mio Diletto »-interpreted by Jeff Mack.

Despite all the anticipation, Mirkes does not see the evening as a real anniversary concert: « The actual day is in September. And then we are preparing another concert, » he says. What he is planning specifically remains his secret for the time being. But surprises from the old music will be expected.

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Tickets for the evening on Wednesday, May 21, at 7.30 p.m. are under the title « Baroque Pure: From Bach to Vivaldi » (32 euros, cultural pass tickets possible) at www.philharmonie.lu available.