»The world is shocked. Art and music are silenced by grief. All moral values, all the European liberties, our entire cultural heritage and the developments of the past century have been destroyed – a new, terrible war has devoured one of Europe’s states.« The reaction of Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv to the violence of war in her homeland stands for all the rage, grief and fear global society is experiencing. Now more than ever it is important for the arts and cultural scene to raise its voice after the long hiatus forced by the pandemic: »No more war!«

That is the motto of the »Fest Spiel Ouvertüre« opening the anniversary season of the Ludwigsburg Festival: an explicit concert for peace. Together with the Israeli pianist Iddo Bar-Shaï, Oksana Lyniv takes the stage again, leading an emotional programme offering the audience a world of consolation and hope while acknowledging the darker side of our existence, its pain and suffering.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major reminds us that nothing is more valuable than life. Particularly the second movement delves into a profound, yearning melancholy, only to re-emerge with virtuoso joyfulness. Gustav Mahler's Fifth Symphony also follows the direction of movement from melancholy to redemption: In a highly complex polyphonic weave, the plaintive funeral march at the beginning of the symphony finally develops into an uplifting finale, which, full of fervour, is the exclamation mark of this concert for peace.

Image © Oleh Pavliuchenkov