Liszt Festival: Kicking off with jazz and baroque music

Only the works of Johann Sebastian Bach were played. Also included is “Air”, one of the most popular tunes of Baroque music. The even bass line, which progresses in octave jumps, is particularly striking. “The octave was a symbol of the absolute power of the universe. Bach has an incredible amount of symbolism in his music. This ‘air’ is also a universe in itself,” says Michy Gage, conductor of the L’Orfeo Baroque orchestra.

The acclaimed Baroque Orchestra is considered one of the leading early orchestras and is making a guest appearance at Raiding for the first time. The maestro conducts her nearly 25 musicians with danceable grace. “As far as I know, Michi Gage is the only female conductor who has ever conducted a world-class Baroque orchestra. It is perhaps this female who developed the unmistakable personality,” says Edward Kotrowatz, Artistic Director of the Liszt Festival.

Bach will also be heard at the Liszt Center next year when the Radio.String Quartet unites jazz and classical music. “They take Bach’s famous Solo Violin Sonata and treat it with combinations of light and sound – and pair it with Jo Zawinol,” says Artistic Director Johannes Kotrowatz.