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Music Among the Pines: Rossini and His Contemporaries in the Black Forest Bad Wildbad
Grillplatz Sommerberg
07/23/2026 -
Franciszek Mirecki: Mass in E‑flat (arr. Marek Hampel)
Gioachino Rossini: Andantino et Allegro brillante for harp (arr. Martina Gempler & Daniela Macchione) – Le Rendez‑ ous de chasse (arr. Thierry Caens) – Péchés de vieillesse : Volume I. Album français: 12. “Chœur de chasseurs démocrates” – Armida: Coro di Ninfe – Two Duos for soprano, tenor and harp – Marche - Pas redoublé – Trois chœurs religieux – Inno alla pace – O giorno sereno – La corona d’Italia
Ilaria Monteverdi (soprano), Timoteo Bene Junior (tenor), Lidia Sosnowska (soprano), Dobromita Lebiecka (alto), Bartlomiej Chorązy (tenor), Patryk Wyborski (baritone)
Chorus of the Szymanowski Philharmonic, Kraków, Gianfranco Ferrara (chorus master), Andrés Jesús Gallucci (piano), Agnes Märker (harp), Schömberger Alphornbläser, Stefan Wöhr (director), Stadtkapelle Neuenbürg, Michael Pietsch‑Rether (conductor)
Founded in 1989 under the artistic direction of Jochen Schönleber, the Rossini in Wildbad Festival took as its point of departure the composer’s celebrated sojourn in the spa town in 1856, when Rossini sought relief from his ailments in the healing waters of the Black Forest. Rather than exploiting this historical coincidence as a mere marketing device, Schönleber transformed it into one of Europe’s most adventurous bel canto festivals, devoted not only to Rossini but also to forgotten contemporaries, critical editions and the cultivation of young artists. This season once again demonstrated that spirit of discovery by juxtaposing familiar masterpieces with neglected repertoire and inaugurating a new series devoted to French bel canto.
The festival traditionally opened with its Waldkonzert, a convivial Forest Concert held in a magnificent clearing at the Grillplatz Sommerberg, some 800 metres above sea level. Surrounded by towering pines and attended as much by local families as by travelling opera enthusiasts, the event possessed a rustic charm entirely its own. Far removed from the glamour and exclusivity often associated with Europe’s major summer festivals, it reflected Bad Wildbad’s fundamentally community-oriented ethos. The setting itself became an integral part of the performance, its remarkable natural acoustics ideally suited to the open air repertoire that Rossini himself occasionally composed for outdoor festivities.
The programme juxtaposed a rarely heard Mass by the Polish composer Franciszek Mirecki (1791‑1862) with an assortment of Rossini’s occasional works, many receiving imaginative new arrangements for brass ensemble, alphorns, harp and chorus. On paper, the inclusion of Mirecki’s Mass in E‑flat appeared entirely logical. A contemporary of Rossini, Mirecki belonged to the same cosmopolitan generation of early nineteenth-century composers and enjoyed considerable success during his lifetime. Yet despite the conviction of the Kraków chorus, the Mass itself ultimately proved rather anonymous. Competently crafted though it was, its melodic invention rarely rose above the conventional, making it a somewhat uninspiring centrepiece for such a distinctive occasion. Although one might detect echoes of the Alpine hunting Mass tradition in its ceremonial character, the work never quite established an individual musical personality.
Rossini’s contributions proved considerably more rewarding. While none belonged among his major theatrical achievements, they offered fascinating glimpses into the composer’s extraordinary versatility and his ability to elevate even occasional commissions with elegance and wit. The Coro di Ninfe from Armida and the delicate Trois chœurs religieux emerged as particular highlights. The female voices of the Chorus of the Szymanowski Philharmonic sang with admirable purity, warmth and unanimity, bringing genuine refinement to music whose simplicity concealed considerable sophistication.
TheMarche - Pas redouble, composed in 1852 for Sultan Abdülmecid I of the Ottoman Empire, revealed Rossini’s gift for ceremonial display. Its gently exotic rhythms and colourful orchestration inevitably recalled the orientalist atmosphere of L’italiana in Algeri, reminding listeners how deftly Rossini could evoke distant lands while remaining unmistakably himself.
Among the most enchanting moments were the Andantino et Allegro brillante for harp and the Deux Duos for soprano, tenor and harp. Harpist Agnes Märker’s eloquent playing acquired an almost ethereal quality beneath the forest canopy, the instrument’s shimmering sonorities blending seamlessly with birdsong and the whispering pines. Ilaria Monteverdi and Timóteo Bene Júnior complemented the harp beautifully, their elegant phrasing and unaffected musicianship lending these intimate miniatures an atmosphere of poetic serenity.
Equally appropriate to the woodland setting were the various hunting pieces, from the stirring Le Rendez‑vous de chasse to the robust “Chœur de chasseurs démocrates,” while the Schömberger Alphornbläser contributed an unmistakably Alpine flavour that seemed entirely at home amidst the surrounding mountains. The Stadtkapelle Neuenbürg, under Michael Pietsch‑Rether, brought spirited conviction to Rossini’s ceremonial marches, reminding the audience that these pieces were intended not for the opera house but for public celebration.
This was admittedly not Rossini at his most inspired. These were occasional works rather than enduring masterpieces, many surviving today only through the scholarly efforts of modern editors and arrangers. Yet therein lay much of the evening’s fascination. It is doubtful that many in the audience had previously encountered most of this repertoire, and the festival deserves considerable praise for rescuing these charming miniatures from undeserved obscurity.
Indeed, this commitment to musical archaeology remains one of Bad Wildbad’s greatest strengths. Unlike the more glamorous international festivals, where celebrity culture and lavish productions often dominate the conversation, Rossini in Wildbad retains the character of an authentic musical gathering rooted in its local community. The audience consisted largely of German opera lovers, joined by a substantial French contingent attracted by both geographical proximity and this year’s French themed programming. Although the surtitles—presented only in German and the language of the work—may inadvertently discourage some international visitors, the festival’s artistic standards, imaginative programming and remarkable value more than compensate.
Combined with the charm of the spa town itself and the breathtaking beauty of the surrounding Black Forest, Rossini in Wildbad has quietly established itself as one of Europe’s most rewarding destinations for lovers of bel canto. My advice is simple: visit while it still retains its intimate, unpretentious character. Festivals of this quality rarely remain hidden treasures for long.
Ossama el Naggar
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