munich brass connection: MYTHOS - Auf den Spuren von König Ludwig II.

Thomas Berg - Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Konrad Müller - Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Christian Loferer - French horn; Sebastian Sager - Trombone, Euphonium; Fabian Heichele - Tuba, Cimbasso

The king is dead - long live the "Kini"

With MYTHOS, the munich brass connection pays musical tribute to Ludwig II - affectionately called "Kini" by his people. In this production, history, art, culture, and music merge into a small Gesamtkunstwerk in the Wagnerian sense. 125 years ago, on June 13, 1886, King Ludwig II of Bavaria died under mysterious circumstances. "I want to remain an eternal enigma, to myself and to others," Ludwig once wrote to a friend. This enigmatic aspect continues to fascinate people to this day.

Together with composer and arranger Hans Kröll, the five musicians of the munich brass connection have undertaken the task of musically approaching the myth of Ludwig. Having all grown up in close proximity to the sites and residences of the fairy-tale king, such as Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, or Herrenchiemsee, they feel particularly committed to the preservation of Bavarian history and culture. The pieces specially composed for MYTHOS showcase various aspects of King Ludwig's fascinating personality and convey impressions of his longings, emotional worlds, dreams, and important places and stages in his life.

The piece Ludwig II. Romance already sheds light on one of the king's most striking characteristics: his romanticism. This romantic side is also expressed in pieces like The Melancholic - Horn Idyll or Nostalgia March. The solo pieces The Profound - Solo Bavarian for Tuba, The Mad - Jazz Gallop for Trumpet, The Spoiled - Solo for Trombone, as well as The Genius - Concert Polka for Trumpet, explore further attributes of one of the most colorful figures in Bavarian history.

In 1886, Ludwig was declared incompetent and interned at Schloss Berg. There, along with Dr. Bernhard von Gudden, the psychiatrist who wrote the declaration of incompetence, he met his demise. The bodies of the men were found in Lake Starnberg, then called Lake Würm. Thus ended, in a tragic and still unresolved manner, the life of the Bavarian fairy-tale king. The piece Escape into Lake Würm - Episode with Alphorn plays with the legend of Ludwig's death by gunshot.

Founded in 1998 at the Grassau Music School, the munich brass connection won the 1st national prize at the "Jugend musiziert" competition in 1999, laying the foundation for a chamber music ensemble with high musical demands and goals. The award as the best German brass quintet at the International Jan Koetsier Competition in 2006 marked the beginning of a busy concert activity at home and abroad. This was followed by numerous productions with the Bavarian Radio, a tour of Central Asia on behalf of the Goethe-Institut, and performances at various international festivals, such as the Sauerlandherbst Festival or the 29th International Music Festival in Montserrat, Spain. The ensemble's repertoire covers all styles from Baroque to jazz; from Bach to Brubeck. It combines arrangements of classical works and original compositions for brass ensembles with musical evergreens and jazz standards. Some of the members have already established themselves in leading Munich orchestras such as the Bavarian State Orchestra or the Munich Radio Orchestra.

For more information, visit www.munichbrassconnection.de