TRANSFORMATION in Bamberg: Organ Concert with Wilhelm Schmidts in St. Martin

TRANSFORMATION: Organ Music Between Fantasy, Hymn, and Variation

On Saturday, October 31, 2026, a wide sound space for musical change opens up in the Bamberger parish church of St. Martin. At the free organ concert TRANSFORMATION, UMD Wilhelm Schmidts will play a program that allows motifs to grow, hymn melodies to shine, and historical themes to transition into new sound worlds at the Steinmeyer organ.

When a Motif Changes Its Form

Music thrives on movement. From a single thought emerges a multifaceted musical narrative, from a familiar melody an independent character piece. The concert program follows exactly this principle: free fantasy, hymn arrangements, and variations combine into an exciting dramaturgy, where the organ showcases its enormous tonal adaptability.

Franz Franck and the Freedom of Fantasy

The concert opens with César Franck's Fantaisie en La. The French Romantic period combines expressive harmonics with far-reaching lines, giving the instrument room for a colorful orchestration. In the acoustics of St. Martin, the sound of the organ unfolds with depth, resonance, and a special sacred tension.

Hymns Between Tradition and New Sound Language

Waldemar von Baußnern's arrangements of Sollt ich meinem Gott nicht singen, Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr, and Mit Fried und Freud lead familiar spiritual melodies into an artistic musical transformation. The hymn melody remains audible as an anchor, while registration, dynamics, and voice leading open new perspectives.

Historical Theme, Modern Sound Effect

Hans Peter Türk's In honorem Honteri with variations on a theme by Johannes Honterus bridges music history and contemporary tonal language. Conducting is omitted this evening, but Wilhelm Schmidts shapes the synchronization of voices and the tonal architecture solely at the organ console.

Franz Liszt and the Great Romantic Gesture

To conclude, Franz Liszt's Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, variations on a Basso Continuo by Johann Sebastian Bach, will be performed. Liszt's expressive stage performance at the organ combines dramatic crescendos with concentrated musical work. From the historical material, an intense arc of tension arises, impressively concluding the concert evening.

Admission Free and Music for a Good Cause

Admission is free. Donations are requested for the support association for the university choir and university orchestra e.V. Thus, the concert connects musical discovery with the support of cultural work in Bamberg.

The audience can expect a concentrated concert experience with romantic tonal richness, spiritual depth, and varied art of variation. Anyone who wishes to experience organ music in all its expressive power should listen to this evening live in St. Martin.

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Sources:

• Bamberg Tourism – Organ Concert TRANSFORMATION