#39 Light and Darkness

Holger Schäfer - harp, flute, narration
Flautando Köln
Susanna Borsch / Susanne Hochscheid / Ursula Thelen / Kerstin de Witt - recorders

In our culture, angels often appear as protective, luminous beings, yet Martin Luther already describes them as powerful fighters against evil. When they become proud, they fall - like Lucifer - as fallen angels into darkness. This programme explores the tension between light and darkness, good and evil, accompanied by works from the Middle Ages to the present day. A fairy tale by Khalil Gibran about Lucifer's encounter with a wise man provides the connecting thread, poetically telling of the world's necessary polarity.

Guest of the evening is Holger Schäfer, who narrates the story and contributes musically to the programme. The first part examines the "Diabolus in Musica" and musical depictions of the struggle against evil. Renaissance polyphony then places angels as messengers and comforters at the centre of attention. The finale features the fiery contemporary work Vuur, inspired by medieval estampies. Four women - forty flutes. FLAUTANDO KÖLN is part of Kultursommer!