Melton Tuba Quartet presents commissioned work in Darmstadt
Four tubas, an organ, and the symbolism of the Tarot take center stage at the 81st Dotter Concert in Darmstadt. On Sunday, November 15, 2026, the Melton Tuba Quartet will present the world premiere of "Tarot – Mirror of the Soul," a work composed especially for the ensemble by Enjott Schneider, at the Evangelical Christ Church in Eberstadt. The concert also marks the start of the quartet's anniversary tour, as they celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2027.
The approximately 24-minute composition for four tubas and organ explores selected cards of the Major Arcana of the Tarot in seven movements. The cards musically depicted are "The Fool," "The Magician," "The High Priestess," "The Hermit," "Death," "The Tower," and "The Universe.".
An unusual combination of tuba and organ
The Melton Tuba Quartet commissioned Enjott Schneider to compose the piece. The four tubas and the organ take on different musical roles. In "The Fool," for example, the euphonium is prominent, while in "The High Priestess," the organ takes center stage. In the movement "The Hermit," the low contrabass tuba moves to the forefront.
The movement "Death" takes on a special significance. In Schneider's composition, it represents not destruction, but change, transformation, and new beginnings. At the same time, the movement is dedicated to Gerhard A. Meinl, who died in 2026 and was a friend, patron, and sponsor of the Melton Tuba Quartet, who supported the creation of the work.
In addition to the world premiere, the Dotter concert program includes other works from different musical eras, including compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gioacchino Rossini and Peter I. Tchaikovsky.
Melton Tuba Quartet on stage since 1987
The Melton Tuba Quartet was founded in 1987 and is considered Germany's first professional tuba quartet. The ensemble has an extensive international concert history, having performed at venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie. In 2025, they appeared at the International Tuba Congress in Valencia. The quartet's discography includes six CDs and numerous world premieres.
Ulrich Haas, Jörg Wachsmuth, Heiko Triebener, and Hartmut Müller will perform in Darmstadt. Katharina Königsfeld will be playing the organ. She previously premiered works for the unusual combination of tuba quartet and organ together with the Melton Tuba Quartet in 2024.
The most important data
What: 81st Dotter Concert “Tuba Tubissima and the Queen of Instruments”
When: Sunday, November 15, 2026, 5 p.m.
Where: Evangelical Christ Church, Heidelberger Landstraße 155, Darmstadt-Eberstadt
Performers: Melton Tuba Quartet and Katharina Königsfeld on the organ
World Premiere: “Tarot – Mirror of the Soul” by Enjott Schneider
Admission: 10 euros plus fees
Advance booking: Dotter Foundation, Darmstadt Shop in the Luisencenter and affiliated ztix ticket outlets
Further information and tickets: dotter-stiftung.de/dotter-konzerte
(EBERSTADT – RED/PM)
Featured image: Tuba and organ. Photo: Justine Bittner
