A Christmas Fantasy on Themes by Bach & Handel-Dans cette fantaisie de Noël Robert van Beringen conjugue avec une inégalable facilité des thèmes des maîtres du baroque Jean-Sébastien Bach et Georg Friedrich Haendel. Le choral Brich an o schönes Morgenlicht n° 12 est extrait de la deuxième partie de l?Oratorio de Noëlde Jean-Sébastien Bach tandis que le récitatif « Voici qu?une vierge concevra et enfantera un fils et lui donnera le nom d?Emmanuel Dieu avec nous » et le Chœur de l?Alléluia sont extraits du Messie de Georg Friedrich Haendel.

This musical fantasy depicts the history of the Dutch fortified town of Elburg. The work begins with an atmospheric medieval picture of the Convent of St Agnes the nunnery that was built in the first half of the 15th century. We hear the sound of the convent bells together with an upward motif which will reappear later in the work. Next the rest of Elburg is featured including the fortress - from which the bells of the Sint-Nicolaaskerk (Saint Nicholas Church) are ringing. Then cheerful sounds can be heard at the Vischpoort (Fish Gate) where a dancing group is performing a 16th century French folk dance (a branle des chevaux). We also hear old wagons rumbling over the town’scobble stones. Trade made this Hanseatic town a lively place. The repetitive upward motif first heard in the introduction now develops into a more distinct feature reflecting the mercantile spirit of the town residents.Then follows the slow middle movement in which the clock has been turned back to the time when Elburg was still lying on the Zuiderzee (which was a bay of the North Sea) and was struggling with floods. After the second St. Marcellus Flood (1362) and the water flood of 1367 it was decided that the town would be relocated. We now hear the theme of branle des chevaux in a minor key followed by a death bell sounding in remembrance of the drowned citizens of the former town. Back in our own time a slow expressive theme in Baroque style mirrors Elburg’s tranquil places such as the Feithenhof (Feithen Court) and the Weduwenhofje (Widow Court). Then the bustle returns with motifs from the introduction followed by an attractive theme in which present-day Elburg is portrayed with its many tourists. Now suddenly there is an echo from the past depicting the dramatic floods and wars that once plagued the town. This leads to the grand closing theme: branle des chevaux is heard for a final time from the perspective of the historic town centre.

Selon un sondage effectué par un grand magazine Bamberg en Bavière est la « ville de rêve » des Allemands. Chaque recoin semble respirer la magie qui émane de son passé glorieux. Un cadre urbain somptueux et baroque la rivière Regnitz qui embrasse la cité l?alternance harmonieuse de montagnes et de vallées - Bamberg possède un charme irrésistible. Située non loin de Bayreuth célèbre pour son prestigieux festival Bamberg s?est également fait un nom dans l?univers de la musique grâce à ses Bamberger Symphoniker. A Bamberg Fantasy dresse un fascinant portrait de cette ville millénaire.