Art and music combined: Mendelssohn's Paulus” inspires Passau!

Art and music combined: Mendelssohn's Paulus” inspires Passau!

The European Weeks in Passau have once again stood out as a lively festival of art and culture. On this magnificent summer evening, July 16, 2025, Carsten Gerhard opened the passionate discussions around the question “What is art?” as part of a symposium. He admitted that it would be courageous to deal with such a profound topic in a half-day setting. But the echo of these conversations and the subsequent performance of Mendelssohn's oratorio “Paulus” have once again brought the importance of art and culture into perspective. [faz.net] reports that the European Weeks in 1952 with the ambitious motto “We demand the United States of Europe!” were created to promote the power of art.

In the lively discussions moderated by art historian Margarete Pratschke, the connection between the freedom of art and the freedom of society was highlighted. Political scientist Heinrich Oberreuter spoke of the overcoming of dictatorships through the influence of Weimar Classicism, while cultural scientist Wolfgang Ullrich pointed out that art is increasingly turning away from autonomy in order to work with NGOs. Georg W. Bertram from the FU Berlin added that works of art can be viewed as “affordances” that offer new possibilities for action and unforeseen impulses.

The performance of the oratorio “Paulus”

The presentations culminated in the performance of Mendelssohn's “Paulus”, which took place after the intensive discussion. The large number of listeners experienced an emotional evening, during which the choral movement "Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" was performed by the Audi Youth Choir Academy under the direction of Martin Steidler. This performance was described as emotional and dramatic, particularly through the use of woodwinds, which contributed to the powerful soundscape. Visitors left the church with a feeling of lightness and joy, underscoring how art can bring people together even in turbulent times [audi-jugendchorakademie.de].

As part of the European Weeks Festival, the performance took place in the St. Michael Church in Passau and represented a special evening with a wide range of musical and literary highlights. In addition to the performance of Mendelssohn's work, the program also included a reading of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" and musical performances by Viktor Ullmann and Bedřich Smetana. The atmosphere of St. Michael Church encouraged an intensive experience of these cultural performances, which had a deep impact on the soul [termine.de].

A look back at Mendelssohn's masterpiece

The oratorio “Paulus”, one of Mendelssohn's central works, tells the gripping transformation of Saul on his way to Damascus. It was composed under the impression of the revival of the famous St. Matthew Passion from 1829 and was his most popular work during the composer's lifetime. Another highlight of the performance was the participation of top-class soloists, including the soprano Marie-Sophie Pollak and the tenor Magnus Dietrich, who performed together with the Academy for Early Music Berlin and the Audi Youth Choir Academy [audi-jugendchorakademie.de].

The response from visitors and the in-depth conversations surrounding the performance show that the European Weeks in Passau are not just a cultural event, but also create a space for reflection and encounter. An evening to remember and which inspired many visitors to further explore the power of art in their own lives.