Chamber Concert: Instantanés — Poetic Moments

The Goethe-Institut Freiburg is very pleased to welcome the Baroque ensemble “L’Éphémère” and pianist Rudolf Ramming in December. The ensemble and the pianist come together here for a series of snapshots—poetic moments in which emotions flare up, transform, contradict one another, or fade away.

As central figures of the program, Nicola Matteis (1650–1713?) and Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924) share a common intuition: to make the inexpressible audible, to let sensitivity determine form, and to bestow upon the present moment its full expressive power.

Matteis’s works—free fantasias, hypnotic grounds, sensual arias—open up spaces where contrast and tenderness intertwine. Their rhythmic freedom and abundance of “affetti musicale” find a natural echo in Fauré’s sonic poetry.

His Nocturnes, Barcarolles, and Impromptus reveal another side of emotion: more introspective, nuanced, at times tinged with the hues of night, and always profoundly human.

In rapid succession, the Baroque and the modern respond to one another, mirroring and complementing each other. From this exchange emerges a music of the moment—fleeting yet intense—in which every moment captures a light, a shadow, a vibration.

These “Instantanés” do not seek to tell a story, but to move the listener.

They appear, they fade—and leave a tangible trace.

Following the concert, we cordially invite you to join the musicians for a glass of wine and conversation.

We look forward to seeing many of you there!