Fri, December 4th, 2026
Homage to Klaus Huber

Klaus Huber (1924–2017) shaped his era as a composer and teacher with both music and words. His work spans from the Swiss-influenced neoclassicism of the post-war period to the transcultural openness of the 21st century. "Die Seele muss vom Reittier steigen" (The Soul Must Dismount), a kind of chamber cantata from 2002, reveals exemplary facets of Huber's style, not least an effective, sonorous fragility. Huber shares the idea of ​​the power of fragility with the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, whose lines clearly ignited his creative fire. The work, lasting a good half hour, brings together many of Huber's interests: silence and outcry, microtonality and the Arabic tonal system, mysticism and political engagement. For Huber, this also includes "outdated" instruments such as the baryton, which fell out of fashion around 1800, or the high vocal part, which combines Baroque soundscapes with Arabic influences. The up-and-coming Winterthur countertenor Elmar Hauser will sing, whisper, and embody this part.

Roberto González-Monjas, in turn, follows in Huber's footsteps, weaving a meaningful network of lamentation music across the ages. Back to Henry Purcell's final song from "Dido and Aeneas," some of the most beautiful and saddest music ever written, and then forward again to Olivier Messiaen's apocalyptic "Abyss of the Birds" for solo clarinet, culminating in the haunting climax: "The soul must dismount and walk on its silken feet..."

Program:
Henry Purcell - "When I am laid in Earth" Dido's Lament from the opera "Dido and Aeneas"
Klaus Huber - "A Touch of Untimeliness III" for variable ensemble
Antonio Vivaldi - Sinfonia in B minor "Al Santo Sepolcro" RV 169
Olivier Messiaen - "Abîme des oiseaux"
Henry Purcell - Chacony in G minor, Z 730
Klaus Huber - "The soul must dismount and walk on its silken feet..." for cello, baryton, contratenor, and two orchestral groups. Text by Mahmoud Darwisch

Ticket office (Mon–Fri, 9:30–13:30):
Stadthaus Winterthur, Stadthausstrasse 4a, CH-8400 Winterthur, Tel. +41 52 620 20 20, konzertkarten@musikkollegium.ch

Other ticket outlets
- Winterthur Tourism, Main Train Station, CH-8400 Winterthur
- Ticket Corner, all Swiss ticket outlets