TRANSFIGURED NIGHT

Join UNLTD for the first of two tributes to Arnold Schoenberg’s 150th birthday this summer, where music and poetry harmonize in a moving celebration of artistic expression. Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), based on a poem of the same name by German poet Richard Dehmel, is one of the composer’s earliest works and is a landmark in the development of 20th century music. Follow acclaimed actor James Garnon through Verbier’s old village, as he narrates the Dehmel’s verses before a candlelit performance by Quatuor Agate and friends at the ancienne Chapelle de Verbier Village.

Richard Dehmel’s poem, Transfigured Night, tells the story of a couple walking through a moonlit forest, where the woman reveals that she is pregnant with another man’s child. Rather than expressing judgment or condemnation, the man responds with compassion and acceptance, pledging to love and raise the child as his own. Schoenberg’s musical interpretation of the poem, heard here in its original string sextet scoring, is deeply expressive and emotional, reflecting these themes of love, forgiveness, and redemption. The music is characterized by lush harmonies, rich textures, and evocative melodies.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Meeting point: École de la Comba at 21:00
• There will be a short 15-minute walk and poetry reading by candlelight from the Église de Verbier Village through the village’s old-town to its ancienne chapelle
• Wear comfortable shoes and appropriate apparel for the weather/temperature
• Concert begins at 21:30 and lasts approximately one hour

With the generous support of:

Thomas du Plessis