Onetz (Oct. 21, 2025): Beer-Walbrunn Days in Kohlberg - A Concert Evening Full of Musical Treasures

Beer-Walbrunn Days in Kohlberg: A Concert Evening Full of Musical Treasures

Harmonist Lars David Kellner and reciter Susanne Sperrhake are providing a musical extravaganza at this year's Beer-Walbrunn Days.

Kohlberg. (swi)

Martin Valeske, chairman of the Anton Beer-Walbrunn Art and Culture Association in Kohlberg, announced an extraordinary concert in his opening remarks—and he kept his promise. What followed was an unforgettable evening centered around a rare keyboard instrument (...). The performers were Lars David Kellner, pianist and harmonist with multiple degrees, and reciter Susanne Sperrhake.

Right at the start of the word-music concert, Sperrhake introduced the instrument they had brought with them: “The art harmonium you see here is 100 years old and an absolute rarity.” Lars David Kellner demonstrated the advantages of this rarely heard instrument over the classical organ through his selection of pieces. The program featured works by the Kohlberg composer Anton Beer-Walbrunn as well as his contemporaries Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Max Reger, Leoš Janáček, and Franz Liszt, whose late works, due to their intimate character, are virtually predestined for the warm sounds of the art harmonium.

In every piece, Kellner impressively demonstrated why he is rightly regarded as a virtuoso of the harmonium: the Weiden native made full use of the instrument’s dynamic range, effortlessly shifting between delicate, rich, and expressive tones. The sound texture typical of the art harmonium—a synthesis of accordion, organ, and orchestra—filled the interior of the well-attended Protestant St. Nicholas Church in Kohlberg.

The fact that the evening became an experience of profound emotional depth was also thanks to Susanne Sperrhake, who captivated the audience with her expressive speaking voice. With depth and wit, she introduced the audience to the emotional world of the composers through excerpts from diaries and letters. Sound and words alternated, forming a harmonious whole.

At the end of the evening, the attentive audience had the opportunity to ask questions. The harmonist’s unusual footwear also caught their attention. “I wear ballet slippers to minimize the soles. It’s the only way I can get my knees under the crossbar of the instrument, which was originally designed for people of smaller stature,” explained Lars David Kellner with a smile.

As is tradition, the Beer-Walbrunn Days concluded this year with a church service featuring sacred music, performed by Lars David Kellner, organist Hanns-Friedrich Kaiser, and members of the Weiden Choir.