Many questions persist surrounding J. S. Bach’s Mass in B minor, one of the master’s most frequently performed vocal works, enigmas and problems that musicologists and performers continue to research or grapple with, including early performance, textual and revision issues. The present new live 2015 recording by the combined forces of the Gächinger Kantorei, Freiburger Barockorchester, conductor Hans-Christoph Rademann and vocal soloists rigorously follows – in the Kyrie and Gloria – Bach’s own meticulously configured “Dresdner Stimmen” [Dresden parts] and is therefore based, for the first time, exclusively on the musical text that emanated from Bach’s pen. Additional movements with marked deviations from the familiar version are accessible as variants as bonus material on Disc Two. Renowned Bach and Mozart scholar Ulrich Leisinger, upon whose new edition of the work this recording is based, also prepared the notes in the accompanying booklet. The Deluxe version also contains a bonus DVD with additional material: Film: Bach’s Secret Legacy – Hans-Christoph Rademann in search of the true B-minor Mass. Also: Bach’s Manuscript: The “Dresden Parts“ of 1733 in PDF format.

Classical Music

Louis Spohr’s only mass is one of the most important works of post-classical church music. In this unaccompanied mass, Spohr combines in a harmonious way the contemporary interest in Baroque compositional techniques and his own search for an individual, modern compositional style. The Kammerchor Stuttgart under its conductor Frieder Bernius succeeds in bringing to life the numerous facets of the work in a particularly impressive way. As well as the mass, this release also includes the Three Psalms op. 85. These two works by Spohr have been interleaved for the first time in a recording: the three Psalms have been inserted in the relevant places, representing the positions of the Introit, Gradual and Offertory, resulting in a truly impressive experience for listeners.

MAHLER (transcr. Gottwald) Erinnerung. Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen. Um Mitternacht. Die zwei blauen Augen. Urlicht. Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen. Scheiden und Meiden. Es sungen drei Engel. Im Abendrot. A. MAHLER (transcr. Gottwald) Drei frühe Lieder • Marcus Creed, cond; SWR Vocal Ens Stuttgart • CARUS 83.370 (63:41 Text and Translation)


Once upon a time (1960, to be exact), choral conductor Clytus Gottwald created the Schola Cantorum Stuttgart, a chamber choir whose specialty was music by that era’s most avant-garde composers . . . Ligeti, Ferneyhough, Penderecki, and so on. This ensemble attracted the attention of Pierre Boulez, and it was Boulez who inspired Gottwald to transcribe Ravel’s song Soupir for the ensemble. The results were so effective that Gottwald continued transcribing other works for his ensemble, including music—some of it not even vocal—by Gustav Mahler and his wife Alma. Those transcriptions have outlasted Schola Cantorum Stuttgart. The ensemble disbanded in 1990, but within the past few years, several of Gottwald’s transcriptions have been recorded by the French ensemble Accentus (for the Naïve label), and English conductor Marcus Creed has taken them up for Carus with one of his ensembles, the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart. (It doesn’t hurt that the printing arm of Carus publishes three of these selections.) Almost none of them have been recorded before, the exceptions being Die zwei blauen Augen, Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen , and Scheiden und Meiden. Im Abendrot is a transcription of the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Accentus has recorded a different transcription, believe it or not, of that same music, prepared by Gérard Pesson. Gottwald’s transcription uses the same Eichendorff text that Strauss used in his Four Last Songs.


This disc reveals the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart to be spiritual descendents of Gottwald’s ensemble. In the 1970s, there was no practical reason why Mahler’s music needed to be treated this way. It is my impression that Gottwald did it because it presented him with an interesting intellectual puzzle, and as a challenge for Schola Cantorum Stuttgart. These “auxiliary” transcriptions (to use Gottwald’s word, from the interview printed in Carus’s booklet) present the music in a striking and different light, and help to make Mahler’s music a little strange again, which is not a bad thing in a world in which we risk being overexposed to Mahler. (Imagine saying that 60 years ago!) These transcriptions are not likely to appear on the next program of your local amateur choir. They are, in fact, intimidatingly complex and difficult. For example, the transcriptions of Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen and Im Abendrot require a 16-part ensemble. Overall, these transcriptions are punishing exercises in breath and pitch control, in the modulation and matching of vocal colors, and in the precise blending of sound. What is needed, really, is a team of vocal gymnasts who can approach the music as if with one mind.


Fortunately, it is unlikely that any performers will stumble blindly into this repertoire, and the recorded performances I’ve heard are uniformly excellent, but not identical. One can hear Gottwald’s Schola Cantorum Stuttgart perform Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen in a giant doorstop of a CD set (no longer in print) from Cadenza/Bayer. Gottwald is significantly faster than Creed, to good effect, and solo voices come out of the texture more prominently than they do for Creed. Gottwald’s ensemble is more closely microphoned, and the effect is almost claustrophobic. Creed’s ensemble, while a bit more impersonal, may come a hair closer to technical perfection. Accentus (directed by Laurence Equilbey) adopts almost exactly the same tempo as Gottwald, but the ensemble’s sound is less warm than either Gottwald’s or Creed’s. Given the song’s text, I find Accentus too edgy, but still mightily impressive.


The only caveat I have about the present disc—also about the other two I’ve mentioned—is that these transcriptions are so intense that emotional and intellectual fatigue is a risk for listeners. Several tracks into Creed’s disc I asked myself, “Why are they singing so loudly?,” but then I realized it wasn’t the volume as much it was the laser-like concentration of the transcriptions and the performances. Beautiful stuff, this, but it is far from relaxing!


FANFARE: Raymond Tuttle

Phenomenal... no superlative is wasted in praise of this choir, wrote DIE ZEIT about the Kammerchor Stuttgart and it's director, Frieder Bernius. Now the ensemble presents a new a cappella CD with psalm settings by Otto Nicolai (1810-1849). Some of these settings are conceived for double choir and were composed by Nicolai for the choir of the Berlin Cathedral - where Nicolai had succeeded Felix Mendelssohn.

In the anniversary year of the Leipzig Thomaskantorats Hans Christoph Rademann presented with the Dresden Chamber Choir also recorded all of the collection "Israelsbrünnlein" by Johann Hermann Schein, surely the greatest cantor of St. Thomas before Johann Sebastian Bach. The Israelsbrünnlein is probably the most important collection of motets in German music of the 17th century. The motets in the "Italian-Madrigalische Manir" were composed on Old Testament texts and these are what gave the collection its name. Originally created for ceremonial occasions such as weddings, funerals or graduations, they unite the secular madrigal style with the art of sacred polyphonic motet. - Carus Records

The Dresden Chamber Choir is known for the great intensity and clarity of its performances. It was established in 1985 by Hans-Christoph Rademann and students of the Dresden Carl Maria von Weber Musikhochschule. The repertoire of the choir ranges from music of the Renaissance to the contemporary, with interpretations of romantic choral works awarded special prizes in international competitions, and first performances of contemporary works encouraged by an award from the Ernst-von-Siemens Foundation. In addition to a cappella work the choir works together with the Dresden Baroque Orchestra and the Dresden Early Music Ensemble, and plays an important part in the promotion of early music in Saxony. The versatility of the ensemble is demonstrated in numerous broadcasts and recordings. - Naxos

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Frieder Bernius - these names are often mentioned in one and the same breath. Bernius's complete recording of Mendlssohn's sacred choral music with the Kammerchor Stuttgart, which has won many prizes, is a major feat of both interpretation and editing, and has extensively contributed to Mendelssohn's complete oeuvre becoming part of the concert repertoire, a fact which today is taken for granted. On the occasion of his 70th birthday in June, 2017, Frieder Bernius has now produced a recording of the high quality associated with him of Mendelssohn's most well-known secular choral songs under the title of ''Liedern im Freien zu singen''.

Hans-Joachim Lustig and the chamber choir I Vocalisti present a selection of Franz Liszt’s sacred vocal works that is well aimed to provide a comprehensive view of Liszt’s choral oeuvre. Opulent harmonic sequences countered by sparser passages frequently pervade these compositions, furnishing thee works with captivating sounds and sonorities. The compositions on this recording, all of which date from the second half of Liszt’s life, show the creative power of the religious searching which he experienced in 1853 as “an enduring feeling which controls me”.

In our time, the composer Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654) from Halle is regarded as one of the most significant composers of the 17th century. Nevertheless, many of his works are less well known at present than those of his famous contemporaries Johann Hermann Schein and Heinrich Schütz - quite unjustly so, as is demonstrated by this recording featuring the Athesinus Consort Berlin directed by Klaus-Martin Bresgott. The numerous motets from Scheidt’s collection "Cantiones Sacrae" - many of which are here recorded for the first time - are complemented by the contemporary composition "Die Stimme meines Freundes" [The voice of my friend], a motet on texts from the Song of Songs and the Proverbs of Solomon by Frank Schwemmer (*1961).

On the occasion of it's 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring ten outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. '... exemplary recording.' (New Classics, September 2005)

On the occasion of it's 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring ten outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. '... exemplary recording.' (New Classics, September 2005)

The Carus Classics series feature outstanding CD productions from Carus’ past library of recordings. In the works introduced here, Schubert presents vocal chamber music as an independent genre. The male voice ensemble “Schubert hoch vier” – consisting of four internationally renowned Lied singers – together with Schubert specialist Thomas Seyboldt at the piano offered this unfortunately little regarded group of works with a masterful balance between ensemble spirit and soloistic expressivity.

Volume 11 of the Carus recording project documenting Heinrich Sch�tz's complete works presents the composer's Matth�uspassion SWV 479 (St. Matthew Passion). Sch�tz, who lived well into his eighties, wrote this magnificent edifice in his last decade of life. A compellingly austere work not yet full-throated in it's overt emotionalism, it is supplemented with additional pieces for Passiontide, including the Litania SWV 458. Under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann, the Dresdner Kammerchor performs together with soloists Georg Poplutz (as Evangelist) and Felix Rumpf (as Jesus)

HOMILIUS Habe deine Lust an dem Herrn. Kommt her und sehet an die Wunder Gottes. Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot. Die Elenden sollen essen. Domine ad adiuvandum me. Magnificat in C. Deo dicamus gratias. Ich will den Herrn loben. Mir hast du Arbeit gemacht. Dennoch bleib ich stets an dir. Die richtig für sich gewandelt haben. Lasset euch begnügen. Wo ist ein solcher Gott. Der Herr ist meine Stärke. Siehe, den Herrn Auge sieht • Stefan Schuck, cond; sirventes Berlin • CARUS 83.266(Text and Translation)

HOMILIUS Warum toben die Heiden. Frohlocke, Zion, dein Erlöser. In der Zeit meiner Not. Kommt, frohe Völker. Steig, Allgewaltiger, von deinem festen Sitze • Rainer Johannes Homburg, cond; Marie-Pierre Roy (sop); Henriette Gödde (alt); Knut Schoch (ten); Markus Köhler (bs); Handel’s Company Ch; Handel’s Company • CARUS 83.267 (71:10 Text and Translation)

HOMILIUS MUSIK AN DER DRESDNER FRAUENKIRCHE: Jubiläumsedition • Various performers • CARUS 83.268 (2 CDs: 141:14 Text and Translation)

With three exceptions—a 1980 recording of organ works issued by Arion, a 1985 CD of motets released by MDG (reviewed by J. F. Weber in 8:6), and the 1992 Berlin Classics set of the St. Matthew Passion (see the enthusiastic review in 18:3 by Martin Anderson)—the revival of the music of Gottfried August Homilius (1714–1785) appears to be entirely an endeavor of the Carus label. Like CPO, a label which has also devoted much effort to reviving the work of neglected German composers, Carus—the publishing division of which is producing a complete edition of the works of Homilius—is to be congratulated for both its courage and discernment in selecting this repertoire for revival. Along with Anderson, Weber, Brian Robins (in a review of a disc of cantatas in 29: 6), and Michael Carter (in multiple reviews in 29:2, 29:6, and 30:6), I concur in ranking Homilius as an unjustly overlooked figure who composed works of unfailingly high quality that fully merit renewed attention.

Since the biographical data for Homilius is scattered throughout multiple previous reviews, I will summarize it here in one place for convenience. The son of a Lutheran pastor, Homilius was born in Porschendorf, a village southeast of Dresden. He attended school in Dresden in 1722 after his father’s death, and then came to Leipzig in about 1735, where (according to Johann Nikolaus Forkel) he studied keyboard with Bach and occasionally substituted for him at the Nikolaikirche organ. In 1742 he was appointed organist at the Frauenkirche in Dresden, and in 1755 was appointed Kreuzkantor of the Kreuzkirche, which made him music master for the city’s three main churches (the third one being the Sophienkirche), serving in that position until his death 30 years later. He composed some 180 sacred cantatas and 60 motets, several Passion settings, a Christmas oratorio, and chorale preludes for organ.

While firmly anchored in the late Baroque and showing the influence of Bach (and perhaps, even more, of Telemann), the music of Homilius also clearly evinces the absorption of the Empfindsamkeit aesthetic of the mid-18th century. There is less use of devices such as fugue and counterpoint (though these are far from absent), and correspondingly greater employment of primary melodic lines with chordal accompaniment. This is particularly true of the motets featured on the first CD here, where the settings are highly homophonic, though still quite challenging technically; the cantatas by contrast adhere more closely to the older Baroque stylistic contours. What makes this music so enjoyable is Homilius’s talent for shapely and expressive thematic lines, which unfailingly fall gracefully and gratefully on the ear. Had not his music, like that of Bach’s sons, been so unfairly eclipsed for so long, some of his melodies might be as familiar to us today as those of Bach. What he does lack, of course, is Bach’s stunning originality, daring, and ingenuity; his music is well crafted but comfortable and safe rather than challenging and provocative. But then, it is hardly fair to blame any other composer for not being Bach, Mozart, or Beethoven.

With the first two items listed above, Carus has now issued 10 sets devoted to Homilius, and these uphold the extremely high standards of quality of their predecessors. Both the sirventes Berlin (the lower case letter of the first word being the usual unfortunate and now hopelessly clichéd current naming affectation) and the Handel’s Company Choir are both exceptionally polished vocal ensembles, and the instrumentalists of Handel’s Company are an equally crackerjack company. All four vocal soloists are quite accomplished, and conductors Stefan Schuck and Rainer Johannes Homburg lead energetic, crisply pointed performances that engage one’s attention at every turn. The recorded sound is ideally balanced, clear and yet warm; detailed booklet notes and complete German (or Latin when occasionally required) texts with English translations are provided.

Readers may be puzzled as to why I have said nothing until now about the third set listed above. The reason is that it is not a new release, but rather an anthology drawn from previous releases in the Carus series. More specifically, it features three of the four cantatas (omitting Selig seid ihr, wenn ihr geschmähet werdet ) from Carus 83.183 (reviewed by Michael Carter in 29:2) with soloists, chorus, and instrumentalists conducted by Roderich Kreile; the closing chorale from the St. John Passion on Carus 83.261 (reviewed by Carter in 30:6) featuring the same performers; the Christmas Oratorio from Carus 83.235 (reviewed by J. F. Weber in 32:4) with assembled forces under the leadership of Ludwig Güttler; and two cantatas, four chorales, and an oboe sonata from Carus 83.261 (not reviewed) again with various performers led by Güttler. Once again, Carus is to be praised and congratulated in that, with the exception of the Passion excerpt, instead of offering bleeding chunks it provides the more extended works (the oratorio and five cantatas) complete, so that the release is actually worth acquiring in its own right rather than being a sampler disc to audition once and discard. The same care has been taken as with the original releases to provide detailed booklet notes and full original texts with English translations. This is a veritable model of how such compilations ought to be done, and increases my already high estimation of the quality of this label. In sum, the whole lot is highly enjoyable and heartily recommended.

FANFARE: James A. Altena

The Musical Offering BWV 1079, is a collection of contrapuntal pieces by J.S. Bach, based on a single musical theme by Frederick the Great. The particular occasion for this version by Helmut Bornefeld (1906-1990) for organ, violin and flute was the imminent dedication of the Schorndorf choir organ in 1975.

Heinrich Schütz spent his whole life searching for that which is new in music. The Symphoniae Sacrae I, which were presented in 1629, also testify to this. Schütz composed them as a result of the impressions made upon him by his second journey to Venice. In addition to the numerous Italian stylistic traits which can be traced back to Monteverdi, the 20 concertos - all in Latin - particularly impress with their great variety of timbres: solo pieces, duets and trios for all voice type are combined with diverse string and wind instruments are are governed by the emotional and expressive world of the text. The recording impressively continues the award-winning Schütz complete recording with the Dresdner Kammerchor conducted by Hans-Christoph Radermann with the customary top-quality soloists such as Dorothee Mields, Felix Schwandtke and others.

Once again Bernius lives up to his name as the rediscoverer of unknown masterpieces from the Romantic era. Just in time for the Franz Ignaz Danzi's 250th anniversary, he has snatched Danzi's Der Berggeist from an undeserved oblivion. This opera, based on the folkloric tale of Rubezahl, is an especially notable contribution to early Romantic opera in Germany.

This new release is a brilliant conclusion to the first Heinrich Schutz complete recording. With the "Psalms & Peace Music" Hans-Christoph Rademann and the Dresdner Kammerchor set the magnificent climax of this ten-year project. The works, most of which are almost unknown, unite particularly splendid polychoral pieces, which Schutz wrote between 1618 and 1648 for important political occasions or commemorative celebrations. Soloist and choir groups create a colorful sound experience in interplay with strings, trombones, cornets and viols. This is a truly worthy finale to this award-winning series. Hans-Christoph Rademann is one of the most sought after choral conductors and widely acknowledged specialists of choral sound in the world. His concerts and recordings are pioneering, and his interpretations have been highly acclaimed.

There can be no doubt – the Missa in C minor KV 427 by W.A.Mozart is a fascinating work. Simply calling it a “mass” is inaccurate; indeed, there is hardly more than a musical torso full of enigmas and problems – and brimming with magnificent music. What has survived is a fragment, in more ways than one. Mozart left the work unfinished; moreover parts of the autograph have been lost. Carus has now produced a new edition which is not only based upon a profound knowledge of Mozart’s music and the church music practice of that time, but also meets with the current demands of performance practice. Frieder Bernius is the co-editor of the sheet music edition; he and his Stuttgart Chamber Choir recorded this version. The album impresses with its outstanding musical quality, as well as with its quality of its recording. In addition to the new version of the mass, the release also contains a bonus track with the Credo fragment without completed instrumental parts. This album is a true discovery!

A worthy addition to the repertoire for Passiontide.

About ten years ago the German label Carus started a project of recording compositions by Gottfried August Homilius and publishing the scores. This has borne fruit in a series of remarkable productions, with cantatas, motets and passions (see below). No fewer than three of the latter genre have been released so far, the latest being this setting of the St Mark Passion. It is not documented when it was written, but there is evidence that it was performed a couple of years before 1765 in Berlin. Homilius' Passions were quite famous and were performed in the German-speaking world well into the 19th century. That is the more remarkable as they had to compete with the then most celebrated Passion, Der Tod Jesu, by Carl Heinrich Graun, which dates from 1755.
 
The latter is a so-called passion oratorio. This was mostly a combination of a paraphrase of and contemplation on the story of the Passion. Passion oratorios were usually performed outside the church, in the form of a concert, but in the second half of the century they became part of religious services as well. This St Mark Passion belongs to the older type of the oratorio passion like those by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is based on the Biblical account of the suffering and death of Jesus, with additional chorales and arias. Even so, this work is quite different from Bach's Passions in various ways.
 
It is interesting to compare Homilius's Passion with Bach's St Matthew Passion. This will reveal in what way the Passions from the Enlightenment differ from those of the previous era. Bach's Passion is written in the spirit of Luther's theology of the Cross, which emphasized that the suffering and death of Jesus for the sins of mankind are an absolute precondition to receiving the grace of God. In order to imprint this into the minds of the congregation it should 're-experience' as it were Jesus' sufferings and take part in the unfolding of the events as described in the gospels. To that end the references to the happy outcome of Jesus' passion are very limited. It is telling that Bach's St Matthew Passion ends with an expression of grief on Jesus' death. This Passion by Homilius ends on a positive note: "God is reconciled, he layeth down his thunders. (...) The heavens exult, with hallelujahs echoing. Join forces with them in this solemn song!" The scene which describes the Last Supper is followed by an aria of an uplifting character, referring to the Lord's Supper which is celebrated in the Christian church: "If by sin ye are distressed, come and the Lord will refresh you. (...) O taste and see how gracious he is!" It is followed by a chorus which expresses the same thought. This connection is completely absent in Bach's Passion.
 
The purpose of the congregation 're-experiencing' the events also explains the dramatic character of Bach's St Matthew Passion. Homilius's St Mark Passion is considerably less dramatic. A typical example is the scene where the High Priest asks Jesus whether he is the son of God. Jesus answers: "I am, and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." In Bach's Passion the Evangelist immediately mentions the High Priest rending his clothes and saying that Jesus has spoken blasphemy. Homilius inserts a chorale, and only then the Evangelist recounts the response of the High Priest. The same happens in the scene of Peter denying Jesus. After his last denial Bach's Evangelist tells that the cock crew and that Peter wept bitterly. In Homilius's Passion the last denial is followed by an aria: "Do not misconceive the God of gods! His anger flares, go, kiss the Son!" In these passages the inclusion of a chorale and an aria respectively interrupt the dramatic flow of the story.
 
The aria just mentioned reveals a feature of this Passion which clearly reflects the spirit of the Enlightenment. In Bach's Passions the arias express the emotions the congregation is supposed to feel while witnessing the sufferings of Jesus: "May my weeping and my mourning be a welcome sacrifice" (Buss und Reu), "I wish my heart to offer thee" (Ich will dir mein Herze schenken), "Have mercy, Lord, on me" (Erbarme dich). It is the congregation speaking; in Homilius the congregation is addressed. They are warned: "Be merciful, o mortal man, break thou thy bread with the hungry". That is the opening sentence of the first aria which follows the scene when Jesus' disciples complain about the woman pouring ointment on Jesus' head. This shows that the arias often have a strong moral content. In other arias participants in the story are addressed: "Condemn him, if ye must, ye unjust judges", but "when the Son of Man shall return as judge on the clouds of heaven, then flee, evildoers, flee!"
 
The recitatives of the Evangelist bear witness to the less dramatic character of Homilius's St Mark Passion as well. They are more straightforward, and the text is less drastically depicted in the music. The compass of this part is considerably narrower and there are far fewer modulations. The most dramatic parts of this Passion are the arias. The tenor aria mentioned above, 'Verdammt ihn nur, ihr ungerechten Richter' is a kind of operatic rage aria. There’s drama also in the two accompanied recitatives of the soprano in the second part, which strongly contrast with the ensuing arias. Some arias are quite long: several take seven or eight minutes. The most expressive of these is also the longest: 'Ich geh, von Leiden ganz'. The words are put into the mouth of Jesus (another feature of Enlightenment Passions): "I go hence, surrounded by sorrow on all sides, and there is none to ask: Whither goest thou?" Its expressive character is reinforced by the strings playing with mutes.
 
The mixture of 'old' and 'new' elements has resulted in a compelling Passion with music of great beauty and incisive expression. The performance does full justice to its character and quality. Hans Jörg Mammel gives an excellent account of the part of the Evangelist, in a true declamatory manner. The part of Jesus is lighter than in other Passions: Thomas Laske is a baritone rather than a bass, and his agile voice perfectly suits this part. His aria which I already mentioned is one of the most moving parts and is exquisitely sung. His voice is more powerful in the aria 'Mit Preis und Ruhm gekrönt'. Monika Mauch has a beautiful and clear voice; especially moving is the aria in the second part, following the death of Jesus: "Flow, flow, ye tears!" The dramatic accompanied recitatives I referred to are not lost on her either. No less beautiful is the voice of Ruth Sandhoff, whose warm timbre suits the aria 'Wenn euch eure Sünden drücken'.
 
The Basler Madrigalisten are a vocal ensemble of twenty voices and sing the turbae in a fitting dramatic fashion. The chorales are often a weak spot in recordings of works like this, but not here. Words and phrases are effectively singled out, for instance through dynamic accents, such as in the last lines of 'O weh demselben' (CD 1, track 13). The articulation is also immaculate. The orchestra gives full weight to the dramatic aspects, and displays its expressive powers in the arias.
 
This recording shows why Homilius was considered the greatest German composer of sacred music in his time. It is a worthy addition to the repertoire for Passiontide.
 
-- Johan van Veen, MusicWeb International

The twelfth part of the acclaimed complete recording of works by Heinrich Sch�tz contains the Symphoniae sacrae III. With this recording, the Dresdner Kammerchor under Hans-Christoph Rademann, supported by well-known soloists, has devoted itself to one of the pinnacles of German early Baroque music. No lesser person than Johannes Brahms presented "Saul, was verfolgst du mich?" to the discerning 19th century Viennese public, causing an outright musical sensation and impressively substantiating the modernity of Heinrich Sch�tz's oeuvre. Even today the Symphoniae sacrae III continue to remain a legacy whose music, with it's abundance of musical ideas, tonal splendor, intricacy and sensuality, has the power to overwhelm, stir up emotions, cause reflection, astonish and comfort.

Recorded as part of Carus' prizewinning "Liederprojekt" series, a charity project produced by Carus and Southwest German Radio that contributes profits to childrens' music education in Europe, this 3 CD set is an extraordinary collection of lullabies from Europa, America, Asia, Africa and Australia with selections that are at once deeply familiar to those that will delight with discovery for both the young and young at heart. With an impressive breadth of performers including Peter Schreier, Calmus Ensemble, Christian Gerhaher, Jonas Kaufmann and much more; it could be said this is the ultimate collection of lullabies that would complete any music library.

This new release features highlights of Dresden church music from the Carus catalogue. The set with 10 albums brings together several of Dresden's most important church composers such as Heinichen, Hasse, Zelenka and Homilius. The "Kyrie Gloria Mass" from Bach's B minor Mass according to the Dresden parts is also included in the release as a special treat. The performers include the Dresdner Kreuzchor conducted by their artistic director Roderich Kreile, the Dresdner Kammerchor and the Gaechinger Cantorey conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann as well as the Vocal Concert Dresden conducted by Peter Kopp.

The music of the Court of Dresden is of special interest to Hans-Christoph Rademann and his two Dresden ensembles, the Kammerchor and the Barockorchester. Johann David Heinichen's Masses Nos.11&12 are presented in a manner in which the musicians can display the entire majestic sound of this festive court music from the baroque era. Mr. Rademann is one of the most sought-after choral conductors and widely acknowledged specialists in choral sound in the world. His concerts and recordings of music from the 17th-18th c., particularly the musical treasures of Saxony, are pioneering.

In it's touching tenderness, the "Weihnachtsgeschichte" op. 10 by Hugo Distler is one of the most beautiful temptations for any a cappella ensemble at Advent or Christmas time. With it's scoring for four-part choir, from which all the soloists can easily be drawn, it is proof that the Christmas message can be conveyed with the same simple, sublime brilliance as with the old masters. The seven variations on "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" which run through the work are much more than merely a framework for the story - they are also great music within themselves.