Festive sounds: Bielefeld celebrates with baroque music and organ art!

Festive sounds: Bielefeld celebrates with baroque music and organ art!

A very special concert opened in Cologne on September 3, 2025, which captivated the listeners with its diverse sounds. It kicked off with a work by the composer Josef Rheinberger, known for his impressive organ compositions. In the first piece, the first two movements from his “Pastoral Solon” ​​were heard, followed by a sound journey with Johann Pachelbel’s “Ciacona in D minor”. This Baroque piece showcased the organ's magnificent timbres and transported the audience to a truly musical high. The crowning conclusion was two movements from Max Drischner's “Nordic Fantasy” in A minor, which touched the listeners with their deep emotionality.

Josef Rheinberger, born on March 17, 1839 in Vaduz, was an important figure in music history. At the age of seven he was already an organist at the Vaduz parish church and showed his talent as a composer early on when his first composition was performed just a year later. Rheinberger studied with Philipp M. Fremder in Feldkirch before moving to the Munich Conservatory in 1851, where he later became a professor. His students included not only American composers such as Horatio Parker and George Whitefield Chadwick, but also important European musicians such as Richard Strauss and Wilhelm Furtwängler. Rheinberger was particularly known for his sophisticated organ works and left behind a rich musical legacy that also includes religious compositions such as masses and a requiem.

Masterful compositions in the Cologne music scene

Johann Pachelbel, who shaped the second stage of the concert, was an organ master at Nuremberg's Sebaldus Church and is considered one of the most outstanding composers of his time. His music, often focused on keyboard instruments, remains very popular and frequently performed. The “Ciacona in D minor”, ​​which was played that evening, is exemplary of his sensitive and at the same time powerful style.

The concert was rounded off with the work “Nordic Fantasy” by the composer Max Drischner, who lived from 1891 to 1971. Born in Prieborn/Silesia, Drischner received great recognition as a choir director and organist and left the music world valuable compositions. His ability to convey emotional depth in his pieces was impressively demonstrated this evening. The different musical styles led the listeners through a captivating soundscape.

Overall, the concert offered a varied program that celebrated not only the works of great composers, but also the talents that flourish in the Cologne music scene. It is such gatherings that give the city a vibrant musical identity and show that interest in classical music remains undiminished. It remains to be hoped that many more such events will follow in the future.

For more information about Josef Rheinberger, his life's work and his significance in music history, you can visit Wikipedia and find out more about the impressive concert on Bielefeld Now.