Fasch festival in Zerbst: Höfische sounds and street music up close!

Fasch festival in Zerbst: Höfische sounds and street music up close!

On June 15, 2025, a special chapter of the Baroque is celebrated in Zerbst: The international Fasch festival days are again guests and promise a sounding panorama of court music. Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688–1758), the court bandmaster there and an important composer of his time, will be the focus. This festival has been taking place every two years since 1991 and attracts baroque artists from rank and names. With Isabel Schicketanz, Anke Dennert and the loud Compagney Berlin, the list of invited musicians is impressive. This year the Hamburg council music is expected as an artist in Residence, which examines the connections between Fasch, Georg Philipp Telemann and Johann Krieger. concerti.de reports that the street music festival, inspired by the French "Fête de la Musique", is the highlight.

The artists will present their own view of the direction of travel Johann Friedrich Fasch and build on his tradition. The evening promises to become a great degree with the performance of Fasch's "Feuerwerkmusik" in front of the Zerbst Castle.

who was Johann Friedrich Fasch?

Fasch was not only a composer, but also a music teacher and court bandmaster who spent his life in Zerbst. His musical journey took him to Dresden in October 1726, where he lingered until Easter 1727 and composed Latin figurative music for the Catholic Hofkirche. During this stay, he let his work through his childhood friend Johann David Heinichen, who at that time worked as a court chapel in Dresden. Fasch was known for his regular correspondence with pietistic circles, which gave him conflicts with the Lutheran Orthodox clergy. His marriage certificate with Johanna Helena Simers, whom he married in Großkmehlen on July 22, 1728, is another historical document from his life. Fasch.net provides interesting insights into his biography, which is shaped by numerous musical works.

Fasch's music includes a wide range, including operas, holy cantatas, trade fairs and numerous instrumental works. His extensive work is currently being documented in a new online directory, the "Fasch Repertory". You can learn more about the progress of this project, since Dr. Gottfried Gille, as the main contribution and speaker, already gave exciting insights during the international Fasch conference 2013. wikipedia summarizes the most important aspects of his life and work and shows how Fasch as a composer is still relevant today.

the festival as a stage for Fasch

The international fashion days are more than just a festival; They are a tribute to one of the largest composers in the Baroque and serve to rediscover his work. The annual festivities enable musicians and visitors to experience and enjoy FASCHS works, while at the same time promoting the exchange and understanding of baroque music. This year it becomes clear that the slow return to normality will give the participants particularly warm after the challenges of recent years. The perfect backdrop closed in the evening light, paired with the warm atmosphere of the event, makes the FASCHT festival an unforgettable experience.