"Longing for Light" - Schubert's last quartet & Bloch's "Notturno" (1925). Myrtha Spahr on the legendary Stradivarius 1715.

LOCARNO SOUNDS FOR PEACE - This is the motto of the trilogy of Peace Concerts 2025, which commemorate the 100th anniversary of the historic Locarno Peace Accords.

Concert: "Longing for light" | 2nd concert of the trilogy of peace concerts

A chamber music evening with Franz Schubert's last string quartet and a poetic work by Ernest Bloch:Franz Schubert's last string quartet, the G major Quartet D 887, is at the center of a concert evening that is deeply moving and resonates for a long time. This late masterpiece - between intoxicating sound and clarity - is considered one of the composer's most personal musical statements.

The program is complemented by a finely chiselled gem of chamber music: the Nocturne by Ernest Bloch, composed in 1925 - the very year in which the historic Locarno Treaties were signed - this lyrical-expressive miniature, interwoven with melancholy and inner luminosity, unfolds a dense, almost dreamlike atmosphere - a musical space between light and shadow. The Swiss-American composer Bloch, known for his spiritual depth and humanistic attitude, gives the concert an additional cultural dimension - entirely in the spirit of the peace initiative.

A special highlight: Myrtha Spahr plays the legendary Schneiderhan Stradivarius - a violin from 1715, created during the famous "golden period" of violin maker Antonio Stradivari. Once played by the great Austrian violinist Wolfgang Schneiderhan, this instrument is now one of the most precious sound jewels in music history - with a timbre of incomparable depth, brilliance and warmth.

Unique: concertgoers have the rare opportunity to experience the sound of this Stradivarius violin - in dialog with the special acoustics of the Madonna del Sasso church. A musical moment of almost supernatural intensity - full of beauty, history and magic.

Franz Schubert's last string quartet is performed by a top-class ensemble, carried by the fine sound culture of the soloists.

The ensemble:
Myrtha Spahr (1st violin, plays on the legendary Stradivarius "Schneiderhan" from 1715)
Cornelia Messerli-Ott (2nd violin)
Marlène Züsli-Spahr (viola)
Orfeo Mandozzi (cello)

A musical journey through inner landscapes - autumnal, mature, full of nuances. After the concert, we cordially invite you to an aperitif - a finale in good company, with space for conversation, encounters and thoughts in the silence after the music.

Program announcement for the third autumn concert under the motto: "LOCARNO SOUNDS FOR PEACE"

Concert "Virtuoso vulnerability" | 3rd concert of the trilogy of peace concerts
Saturday, October 18, 2025 | start of concert: 19:30 | from approx. 20:30 we invite you to an aperitif.
An evening of chamber music between classical and modern: the Associazione Musica al Cuore brings two strong musical voices to life: Ludwig van Beethoven and Erwin Schulhoff. Two composers separated by a century - united by expressive power, inner turmoil and formal boldness.

At the center of the evening is a rarity: Beethoven's famous "Kreutzer Sonata" op. 47, originally for violin and piano, is performed in a fascinating arrangement for string quintet (two violins, viola, violoncello and double bass) by Orfeo Mandozzi. This new version lends the dramatic work a symphonic colorfulness and chamber music transparency at the same time - a bold, modern approach to an iconic work of the violin sonata literature.

The ensemble:
Barbara Ciannamea (1st violin)
Andrea Mescetti (2nd violin)
Andrij Burko (viola)
Alessandra Doninelli (1st cello)
Orfeo Mandozzi (cello)

The second part of the concert features Erwin Schulhoff's "Five Pieces for String Quartet" - a key work of interwar modernism that caused a sensation at the IGNM Festival in Salzburg in 1924. Schulhoff's suite of trenchant miniatures combines baroque dance forms with ironic waltz parody, French esprit and Bohemian folk music.
The works could not be more different - and yet they both tell of departure and rupture, of virtuosity and vulnerability. Schulhoff, once celebrated, later ostracized and who died in the Wülzburg concentration camp in 1942, is today emblematic of the extinct modernism of Central Europe. His music, rediscovered by artists such as Gidon Kremer, speaks more clearly today than ever before. A concert full of contrasts - expressive, touching, relevant.

After the concert, we look forward to welcoming you to an aperitif - an atmospheric finale with space for exchange, encounters and musical reverberations.

Artistic and spiritual framework
Prof. Orfeo Mandozzi, internationally renowned cellist and President of the Musica al Cuore association, is the artistic director of the Peace Concerts, while Sébastien Peter, Director of the Cultural Services of the City of Locarno, inspired the city's peace initiative and, as cultural coordinator, plays a key role in shaping the entire Peace Concerts 2025 project. As spiritual host, Brother Agostino Del Pietro, Rector of the Shrine and honorary member of the Associazione Musica al Cuore, accompanies the project with special affection. Brigitte Naschberger-Kastenhuber is responsible for project management and communication & PR.

Music that unites. Liturgy that carries. And a place that inspires - admission is free. Pilgrims, believers and music lovers are all welcome.
Organizer: Associazione MUSICA al CUORE | www.musica-al-cuore.comIn in collaboration with the Capuchin Friars of the Madonna del Sasso, the municipality of Orselina, the city of Locarno and the Locarno Città della Pace peace initiative.