Gerhart Darmstadt

Course for violin, viola, violoncello and string chamber music

09 – 13 October 2024
Course for violin, viola, violoncello and string chamber music
Prof. Gerhart Darmstadt, Hamburg
Johannes Loescher, Cologne (assistant)

Course works:
Solo works, duets, chamber music with and without basso continuo
from the 17th and 18th centuries
(Two harpsichords, two chest organs with transposing device and two grand pianos are available for the course work)

Start of course: Wednesday, 09 October 2024, arrival, 18.00 hrs start of course
End of course: Sunday, 13 October 2024 after lunch

Target group: advanced string players, music students, teachers.
Participation with a “baroque” or “modern” instrument is equally possible and appropriate.
Individuals and/or chamber music groups can register.
The number of participants is limited, so early registration is recommended.

Course content: questions of interpretation, historical performance practice, technical contexts, source situation, intellectual-historical and period-related backgrounds of the works studied.
There will also be specific individual and group exercises for intonation, sound hierarchies, articulation, special baroque string techniques, posture issues, physical experience and helpful practice strategies.
Johannes Loescher will accompany the course as co-lecturer and violin maker and will provide information on historical violin making as well as individual violin making advice.

Fees:
280,00 Euro course fees
220,00 Euro course fees for students
100,00 Euro Course fees for passive participation
Course fees for ensembles on request
325.00 Euro Costs for accommodation (double room) incl. full board at Forum Artium
Single room supplement: 25.00 Euro per day if available
Temporary energy costs flat rate: 2.00 Euro per day/person
Participation without accommodation/catering: 90.00 Euro surcharge

Gerhart Darmstadt, born in Halle/Saale in 1952, studied cello with Mirko Dorner at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen and historical performing practice with Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozarteum Salzburg; further more, he had baroque cello lessons with Anner Bylsma. His musicological mentor was Walter Blankenburg in Schlüchtern. In 1983 he founded the Barockorchester Hamburg, which he organised and lead until 1991.

Gerhart Darmstadt is one of the leading baroque cellists in Germany. He is well-known as an extraordinary musician and profound expert on the 17th to 19th century, performing widely as soloist, chamber music partner, orchestra- and continuo-player and as conductor. In addition to a flexible instrumental technique and virtuosity he is particularly interested in music as a touching language of the soul and heart and also in the art of the ideal accompaniment. His extensive study of the Arpeggione from Schubert’s time enables him to reach into new sound worlds of deeply personal and intimate character. Communicating with the audience is for him an artistic process of sharing thoughts and feelings.

Gerhart Darmstadt teaches historical performing practice and chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater and the Alfred Schnittke Akademie International in Hamburg, thus fostering contemporary and forward-looking musical interpretation. He is member of the Joseph Martin Kraus-Streichquartett and president of the Internationale Joseph Martin Kraus-Gesellschaft e. V. in Buchen (Odenwald).

Performances and recordings as soloist and with a diverse range of orchestras, numerous courses on historical performing practice, cello, chamber- and orchestral music, lectures on questions of posture, workshops, musicological lectures, concert-introductions, symposia, editions and publications (e. g. on Andante, Arpeggione, Bach, Cantabile, Gabrielli, Kraus, accompaniment of recitatives, Schubert, Schumann, Tempo rubato, Vivaldi) have established his reputation as competent and inspiring interpreter, teacher and scholar, who is continuously re-examining music and its environment.