Next Saturday, June 14th, the Metropolitan Theater will be filled with ancestral resonances and exciting landscapes with our concert Viking Roots, an orchestral experience that evokes the power of the North Sea, the poetic introspection of Mahler, and the unfinished nostalgia of Schubert. Our Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by German maestro Henrik Schaefer, with special participation by Austrian baritone Gunter Haumer.

We spoke with Schaefer and Haumer, who shared their artistic vision of a deeply human program, where every note connects with the essence. Their words reveal the soul behind the music and the sensitivity with which they approached this repertoire, which promises to move the audience from the first bar.

HENRIK SCHAEFER

The German teacher talks to us about the emotional construction of the program Viking Roots and his quest to connect the public with the deepest part of human nature.

  1. Why complete a work that has been universally accepted as unfinished? What led you to imagine and write your own proposal for completing Schubert's Symphony No. 8?

There are several versions of Schubert's completed "Unfinished" Symphony, but they're all compositions by other people trying to sound like Schubert. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone has succeeded. That's why I decided to use only Schubert's own material. The first two movements are the usual ones, then we'll play the few bars of the Scherzo that Schubert actually finished and wrote. They'll end very abruptly…

We will then insert his song “An die Musik,” his own hymn to music in general, and we will end with a large movement in B minor, which many scholars believe was his first attempt at a final movement for his B minor symphony.

  1. The work you're completing with your own version will be performed for the first time, and in Medellín. How do you feel about presenting this version to the world, and what do you hope for the audience at this premiere?

I think the audience will understand it immediately. Since all the music is Franz's own, it never feels like a dubious or artificial conclusion to a masterpiece.

  1. The concert is titled Viking Roots, part of a season exploring cultural roots from different perspectives. What does this concept represent for you, and how does it connect with the works you've chosen for this program?

I've been a principal conductor in Sweden since 2007, so I've definitely developed Viking roots over the years.

Scandinavian music is very popular, but we always think of Grieg and Sibelius. There's so much more to discover!

  1. In Helena Munktell's Bränningar, there's a deep connection to the Swedish landscape. What aspects of this piece did you want to highlight in the performance with Filarmed, and why did you choose to open the concert with it?

Music by female composers is very important in Sweden. I chose a piece by Helena Munktell because very few people in Colombia might have heard of her. Her piece describes the waves of the ocean. Sweden is situated between two oceans, as is Colombia. In the west, we have the North Sea, which is the one described in this piece, and in the east, in Stockholm, where I live now, we have the Baltic Sea, which has no waves at all. We even have different climate zones, just like Colombia. In the east, a continental climate like in Russia, with warm summers and very cold winters, and in the west, an oceanic climate with moderate temperatures year-round.

  1. You'll also be conducting Mahler's song cycle based on Rückert's poems. How do you, as a conductor, build an emotional bridge between the baritone, the orchestra, and the audience in such intimate and reflective works?

I have two very strong emotional connections to this work that I hope to bring to the audience. One is my dear friend Günter Haumer, who will be singing the songs for you. He and his wife are the sole reason I came to Colombia in the first place, and I will always be grateful for that. The other was the experience of playing these songs with the Berlin Philharmonic in New York just weeks after the September 11 attacks. We were the first plane to land at JFK again, and I will never forget the atmosphere and emotions of those concerts.

  1. The Raíces Season seeks to honor collective memory and diversity. What do you hope to discover in the musical experience with the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra and the Colombian public when sharing these works?

For me, it's an honor to work in Medellín with musicians from a diverse musical and cultural background, with distinct roots. I've always been deeply moved by their love for their country, their openness to outsiders, and their dedication to making music at the highest possible level. They will play Schubert, Mahler, and Munktell as if it were their own heritage and will take the audience with them on this journey.

  1. If you could describe this concert in one image, word, or feeling, what would it be and why?

The entire palette of Germanic culture, from the Vikings to the refinement of Schubert and the ingenious and untranslatable texts of Mahler's Rückert Lieder. Just sit back and enjoy the music!

GUNTER HAUMER

The Austrian baritone reflects on the power of the voice to convey the universal emotions that inhabit each work in the repertoire.

  1. In this concert you perform the cycle Back Songs, a work of deep introspection and existential contemplation. What place do these songs occupy in your artistic and personal life?

When I began studying singing, I dreamed of singing this song cycle. "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" in particular always fascinated me, and it was the first song I sang. Having the technical elements today, combined with my experiences at my current age, gives me the opportunity to give an honest and real interpretation in my current life.

  1. “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” and “Um Mitternacht” They are deeply intimate pieces. How do you connect with that introspective dimension of music and convey it to the audience from the stage?

Years ago, I sang "I'm Coming to the World" at the funeral of a relative of Gustav Mahler. For me, that situation, and in some ways, the opportunity to sing this incredible work in the "root" of its creator, broadened my understanding and interpretation of this song. Often (for both the performer and the audience), it's not as important to approach the work intellectually as it is to connect with the music and the text. In this way, the work speaks for itself.

  1. The season is called Roots, and this concert in particular Viking RootsWhat meaning do roots have for you in your own life and career as a singer? 

I grew up with both classical and traditional Austrian music. The latter had a great influence on the work of composers like Mahler. So I can say that those roots have been the cradle of my musical development.

  1. In this concert, your voice intertwines with Henrik Schaefer's conducting and the sound of the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra. What was it like to build this artistic dialogue with them for this sensitive repertoire?

A few years ago, I sang Brahms's Requiem with Filarmed under the baton of Andrés Orozco. It was an experience of great beauty and depth. Maestro Orozco immediately managed to make the orchestra sound like the image I have of a clear Brahms sound (that's also my roots). So, that experience gives me the confidence that Filarmed and Maestro Schaefer will give a profound interpretation of Mahler. I worked with the Maestro many years ago, and my memory is of a conductor who sings very well and has immense knowledge of the vocal repertoire, so he understands the needs of a singer, apart from the beauty of the music. With this starting point, I am more than happy and certain that this concert will be unforgettable.

  1. This will be your presentation with Filarmed in front of a Colombian audience. What do you expect from this experience, and what do you think will resonate most with those who listen?

I hope that the audience can simply put aside their everyday thoughts and allow themselves to be carried away by the beauty and depth of the music and text of this cycle.

  1. Among all the songs in the program, there is one very special piece: And the MusicWhat does this declaration of love for music represent to you, and how do you experience it on stage?

As you say, this is a hymn to music, which is the art I live for. I think words are unnecessary.

  1. If you could describe this concert with just one word or image, what would it be?

Depth.