Grandiose and world-renowned composers have created their works in Thuringia. From Johann Sebastian Bach to Heinrich Schütz and on to Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner – the list of eminent musicians is a long one. The original venues of their works can be found throughout the state and have become true places of pilgrimage for fans of classical music from all around the world. Those travelling to Thuringia in search of this legacy can also enjoy numerous concerts and festivals.

Held each year in spring, the Thuringian Bach Weeks Festival delights audiences with a range of musical performances, delivered in the authentic locations of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2016 they take place from 18 March to 10 April. Ensembles from Denmark, Norway and Sweden will be included in the programme this year. In addition to the first-class performance of passions the focus is upon new ways of approaching Bach’s music. The Thuringian Bach Weeks begin in 2016 with a premiere and end with two further new works at an unusual venue – the Zughafen in Erfurt. In between there are Bach reflections from three centuries as well as highly-contemporary interpretations. One particular listening experience comes courtesy of Gli Angeli Genève, the Swiss ensemble in residence, which dedicates itself to the Thuringian Cantatas throughout a whole weekend, presenting these in three concerts. For a short break to the Thuringian Bach Weeks there are attractive travel packages on offer – including an overnight stay in a 3, 4 or 5-star hotel, breakfast and a ticket for the first price category: https://buchen.thueringentourismus.de/ttgpbach/package?box=1

In Arnstadt the J. S. Bach Church draws in numerous visitors each year, as the place in which Bach first embarked on his musical career. A visit to the Bach exhibition in the Castle Museum is also a must-do for lovers of Baroque music. Who knows, perhaps Bach's genetic fingerprint may still be found on the organ console dating from 1703? In neighbouring Dornheim is the romantic village church of St. Bartholomäus, in which Bach married his first wife, Maria Barbara. The marriage produced seven children, including the best-known Bach sons, Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel. A cycle trail links the key places and landscapes in the childhood and youth of one of the greatest musicians of all time. The UNESCO World Heritage town of Weimar sparkles musically with one of its greatest personalities: the gifted piano virtuoso and composer Franz Liszt. The Liszt House in Weimar is essential viewing. The "Lion at the Keyboard" - as he was known – lived here from 1869 to 1886, receiving international pupils for piano lessons. The central salon in which he lived and worked is preserved with its original furnishings, the piano nobile still houses both the Bechstein grand piano and the Ibach upright on which he taught his pupils. Music was not only played here during Liszt's time, and there is still music in the air today – especially between April and July. In these months several concerts are held on the original Bechstein grand, presented by students from the Franz Liszt Music School. Guided tours of the Liszt House are offered each Saturday from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm.

Who would have thought it! The most extensive Wagner collection after that of Bayreuth is located in the Thuringian town of Eisenach. The presence of this treasure is largely thanks to two individuals: the Austrian collector Nikolaus Oesterlein, who began collecting pictures, busts, letters, documents and an extensive library of some 5,000 volumes whilst Wagner was still alive; and the Eisenach resident Prof. Josef Kürschner, who persuaded the town of Eisenach to acquire the collection. The Richard Wagner Collection in the Reuter-Wagner Villa can be viewed every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 am to 5.00 pm.

In Bad Köstritz the Heinrich Schütz House is dedicated to the composer, who was born here. He is regarded as one of the most significant German composers of the Early Baroque period. His life and works are documented in a permanent exhibition in six rooms, covering a floor area of around 180 square metres. Schütz is primarily known for composing religious choral music.

The roll call of Thuringian composers continues with Richard Strauss, who came to the Meininger Hof as director of music. A while later he moved to the “Hoftheater” in Weimar, where he focused on producing the works of Wagner, including Tannhäuser, Lohengrin and Tristan and Isolde. By the way: the opera Lohengrin received its premiere in 1850 in Weimar – in the absence of Wagner, but under the direction of his father-in-law, Franz Liszt.

But what could be finer after meandering through the tracks and traces of these musical geniuses than to listen to their famous melodies... – The range of options is extensive: you can enjoy the popular classical concerts of the MDR Music Summer, staged throughout Thuringia in churches, castles, stately homes or in the open air. Alternatively, the Altenburg Music Festival, offering opera and chamber concerts from organ to a cappella, the “Güldener Herbst” Festival, the “Weimarer Meisterkurse”, the Thuringian Organ Summer and the Cathedral Steps Festival all deliver the highest musical enjoyment. Naturally, the grandiose operas of the master composers can also be seen regularly at the major Thuringian venues. Further information and relevant travel offers are available from Tourist Information Thüringen on the hotline +49 (0)361-37420 or on the internet at www.visit-thuringia.com.

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