Körnerscher Sing-Verein, Dresdner Instrumental-Concert, Peter Kopp

Music by Josef Seger, Johann Georg Schürer, Johann David Heinichen, Giovanni Alberto Ristori (world premiere recordings)

The music of the present CD convey to the listener a musical picture of the celebration of Christmas Eve which took place in the Church of the Court of Dresden in around 1750. The works recorded here all belong to the first flowering of Catholic church music at the Court of Dresden, which began in the 1720s and ended with the Seven Years War (1756–1763), which proved disastrous for Saxony. The demands of August the Strong and his son August III to display prestige led composers such as Johann David Heinichen or Giovanni Alberto Ristori to compose in a separate style for the Catholic Court Church in Dresden a wide-ranging repertoire of Catholic church music for the entire church year. In the holdings of the Sächsischen Landesbibliothek – Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek there are numerous of these works which have survived as handwritten autographs. The music from the present CD is also drawn from the rich storehouse of music in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek. They lay undiscovered, hidden away in cabinets for over two centuries and with this world premiere recording they are now being present to the public for the first time.

The orchestra of the Court of Dresden was considered to be one of the most established orchestras in Europe. The Körnersche Sing-Verein Dresden and the Dresdner Instrumental-Concert, who are dedicated to presenting compositions of the 18th-century in historically accurate performances, allow the excellent quality of the music of the Court Church of this time to live again. In addition, the internationally renowned soloists draw on their wealth of experience in the performance of baroque music.

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Today, it is a beacon in the world of music: a cappella choir culture at the highest technical and musical level. Clytus Gottwald had a decisive influence on this choir culture with his work, arranging solo songs for polyphonic choirs and thus enabling new, breathtaking sound experiences. In 2025, Gottwald would have turned 100 years old. The Stuttgart Chamber Choir, conducted by Frieder Bernius, has taken this anniversary as an opportunity to honor Gottwald's art with a special program. From Franz Schubert's Nacht und Tr�ume (Night and Dreams) to Die K�nige (The Kings) by Peter Cornelius to Solveig's Song by Edvard Grieg, the range of songs that Gottwald transformed into a cappella choral sound experiences through his transcriptions is vast. A vocal delight, not only in the anniversary year!

For most listeners, including choral music enthusiasts, this disc's subtitle, "Contemporary choral music from Lithuania", isn't likely to spark the recall of a list of familiar works or even composer names. Here is territory that to say the least is unfamiliar--and yet, as proved by this long-overdue program devoted to works by Vytautas Miškinis (b. 1954), is well-worth getting to know. Works by Miškinis occasionally turn up on a compilation program--for instance, a recent release (Baltic Exchange) on Hyperion with the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge (type Q12694 in Search Reviews)--and each time the one Miškinis piece among many others distinguishes itself. It invariably makes you want to hear more. And so, now we can.

All the works on this program, sung with expert technique and impeccable ensemble by the 25-voice Kammerchor consonare, are squarely in the tonal world, yet the "quartal/quintal" basis for much of the harmony--enlivened by added seconds and occasional clusters--ensures just enough ambiguity to keep us listening expectantly and openly. Your first reaction on hearing the opening Gloria is likely to be--wow, a 21st-century composer who writes in a modern idiom, with a true understanding and mastery of the special character and capability of voices in ensemble, but who remains firmly committed to the oft-disdained key to all the best, most memorable, longest-surviving choral music: singability.

Although the 18 works on the program would not fall into the "easy" category, neither are they treacherously difficult (as some composers seem to delight in writing), and many are absolutely accessible to the better amateur choirs, likely a reflection of Miškinis' training and long involvement in the "real world" of conducting his own groups. Indeed, it's really remarkable to find a program of works by a modern choral composer whose every selection is clearly written with both singer and listener in mind.

Although we may have heard this kind of harmony before, it's Miškinis' reverence for text--and his uncommon affinity for word-setting--that makes these works, well, sing the way they do. He has an impressive facility for melody--listen to the gorgeous Ave Maria and to the chant-like (impressions of Duruflé) Tu es. And then there's the uplifting Cantate Domino (one of several settings Miškinis has made of this text), an almost too-catchy, pop-influenced motet that you'll not stop singing for days.

But then there is the exquisitely wrought O salutaris, a masterpiece of choral color, effervescent rhythm, and vibrant harmonic character, enhanced by what may be some aleatoric effects--also apparent in the astonishing Dum medium silentium, a highlight of the disc whose music and performance embody the words "virtuoso" and "inspired". It would be easy to go on--commenting for instance on the economy and consistently high quality of the writing in the title work, a set of seven pieces, mostly psalms, every one of which is worthy of church or concert performance.

In fact, there's not a weak link on this entire program--and Kammerchor consonare obviously knows and respects this composer just as he clearly knows and respects singers and choral music. The sound, from a Hamburg church, is first rate. My only complaints: precious little information is given in the liner notes about the music (there's nothing at all about the Thoughts of psalms); translations are given only in German; and, if you want to order the few scores available from the sheet music publishing arm of Carus, you have to order a minimum of 20 copies, sight unseen--not a great way to encourage conductors to take a chance on a newly discovered composer. That issue aside, this is one of the best choral recordings of 2010, an essential disc for every true lover of choral music.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

JEPHTHA

SOLOMON

V 9: CHURCH MUSIC - HERR GOTT,

VIA CRUCIS

Familiar Christmas melodies from German-speaking countries as well as a selection of the most beautiful Christmas carols from all over the world have been put together by the renowned Calmus Ensemble from Leipzig on their new Christmas album. The arrangements of Es kommt ein Schiff geladen, Barn Jesus i en krybbe lå, Stille Nacht and, of course, White Christmas for the vocal quintet give the traditional songs a fresh, sonorous and sometimes surprising guise. Always touching, but never kitschy, White Christmas by Calmus is a real "must have" for the Advent and Christmas season!

Joseph Haydn's Stabat Mater, written in 1767, was the first church work the composer wrote after entering the service of Prince Esterhazy in Eisenstadt. Unlike almost all his other sacred works, it soon circulated in numerous copies and established Haydn's reputation as the leading vocal composer of his day. This recording under the direction of Frieder Bernius - joined by a distinguished line-up of soloists, the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Hofkapelle Stuttgart - follows the new critical edition of the work by Carus. The Kammerchor Stuttgart ranks as one of the best ensembles of it's kind. In it's 50 years of existence, Frieder Bernius has formed the choir to an exceptional phenomenon that has been acclaimed by both audiences and the press. The choir's repertoire ranges from the 17th to the 21st century, and the ensemble is regularly invited to all the important European festivals and performs in the most prestigious concert halls. The ensemble is led by Frieder Bernius.

In April 1999 the first concert by Calmus Ensemble took place near Leipzig. Four young singers made their debut as an ensemble after their time in the famous St Thomas's Choir. The beginning of an impressive career: scholarship holders of the Deutscher Musikrat, first prize in competitions in Germany, Spain, Finland, and the USA, workshops and master classes, 22 albums, over 1,200 concerts in twenty countries. Since their concert debut in 1999, the line-up and number of members of the ensemble has changed several times, but one thing has remained constant: blend, precision, lightness, and humor. These four characteristics are the hallmarks of Calmus, making the ensemble one of the most successful vocal groups in Germany. Their wide range of sound colors, joy in performing and kind of sound, but also their varied and imaginative programs delight audiences time and time again - both at home and abroad. And the range of repertoire on this journey has been almost unlimited: shaped by the tradition of St. Thomas's Choir, the singers are naturally at home in the vocal music of the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Romantic, but the music of our own time is also a major focus. Over the years Calmus has commissioned and premiered many compositions, including works by Paul Moravec, Steffen Schleiermacher, and Wolfram Buchenberg. For their 20th anniversary, a compilation with highlights from Calmus' extensive discography is being released. Not only simply a 'best of', but a virtuoso look back at two outstandingly successful decades of Calmus Ensemble!

On the occasion of the 400th birthday of Johann Rosenmüller, the soloist ensemble Gli Scarlattisti under the direction of Jochen Arnold presents a selection from the collection of the so-called "Kernsprüche". These Sacred Concertos, most of which are unknown today, are characterized by a particularly charming versatility in the interplay of the various vocal and instrumental parts. At their time, they were considered to be similarly stylistically influential as the Kleine Geistliche Konzerte by Schütz. The musicians deserve praise for snatching this collection from oblivion with numerous first recordings.

REVIEW:

In its exciting discography, the Ensemble Gli Scarlattisti – selected vocalists in a homogeneous chamber choir – has already dedicated itself exclusively to the œuvre of Johann Rosenmüller. Now conductor Jochen Arnold presents another CD with works by this composer, Kernsprüche – polyphonic German Bible verse settings with instrumental accompaniment. Together with the Capella Principale, the music is played in a highly elegant manner. The selection of works in various solo and tutti formations documents Rosenmüller's multi-faceted art of composition in an exemplary manner, with all voices responding to the strong text orientation of the music. Eight of the 15 pieces are first recordings. The context of the works composed at the end of the Thirty Years' War vividly documents Rosenmüller's idea of a « world with musical proportions », which also corresponds to the balanced audibility. Rosenmüller was the link between Germany and Italy, Schütz and Bach, early and late baroque. You can read about this in the informative booklet as well as about the fact that the composer, who later made his career in Venice, was accused of the sexual abuse of choirboys when he was an assistant teacher at the Thomasschule in Leipzig in 1655. The essay, written by the conductor Jochen Arnold, explains the theological conception of this recording in a plausible way, in which the performance of the interpreters is reflected with perfect intonation, diction, vitality and accentuation.

— Pizzicato

A member of the Mannheim school, Ignaz Holzbauer (1711–1783) was a composer of symphonies, concertos, operas and chamber music who wrote in the style of the Sturm and Drang movement. In his penultimate opera "Tod der Dido" [The Death of Dido] (1779), Ignaz Holzbauer presented himself not only as a master of fine musical word interpretation, but also as an imaginative music dramatist. While the original Italian version underlined his position as one of the leading opera composers of the time, the German version which he wrote a year later additionally emphasizes his position as a pioneer of the German National Opera. Frieder Bernius therefore chose this version for a production performed at the Schwetzingen Festival in 1997, which is now being released here for the first time.

The sublime Calmus Ensemble has recorded a selection of the most beautiful Christmas carols from all over the world exclusively for this CD collection. Containing carols from Denmark, Germany, England, France, Ireland, Croatia, North America, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, Sweden and Spain as well as "Silent Night" in several languages, the holidays just got a bit more cozy with this beautiful collection of songs and the worthy "Liederprojekt" which contributes to children's music education has another valuable addition to it's discography.

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In German-speaking countries, carolers go from door to door every year between Christmas and Epiphany. They collect donations for children in need and, with their songs, carry the blessing of God into every house. Children and young people from choirs belonging to the German Pueri Cantores Choir Association have sung a total of 25 carols for this album, including established classics such as “Stern über Bethlehem”, but also surprises such as the “Sternsinger-Rap”. This release heightens the joyful anticipation of carol singing, making it easier to learn the new songs as well as motivating people to sing.

A must for Schubert fans and lovers of 19th century opera - Sakontala - an operatic fragment from the pen of Franz Schubert. The composer was deeply involved in 1821/ 1822 with the Indian subject about the hermit's daughter Sakontala. Schubert's drafts and sketches survive in autograph for two acts of the opera. Following the rediscovery of the complete libretto in 2001, and the stylistically sensitive and skilled completion of the music by the Danish composer Karl Aage Rasmussen, Frieder Bernius made the first recording of this previously unknown Schubert opera with top soloists, the Kammerchor Stuttgart, and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. This recording was unavailable for long time, but has now been re-issued by Carus.

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KEISER Dialogus von der Geburt Christi. GRAUPNER Magnificat • Jürgen Ochs (ten, cond); Rastatter Hofkapelle (period instruments) • CARUS 83.417 (45:00 Text and Translation)


The appearance of a new recording of the works of Reinhard Keiser is for me a cause of rejoicing. The high quality of the operas that have been recorded gives testimony of a composer near the top rank of Baroque composers. This is my first encounter with one of Keiser’s religious works, and the Dialogus confirms the high opinion I hold of his ability.


Dialogus , written for performance in a Hamburg concert hall in 1707, survives only in a revised version, including the addition of chorales, and probably dates from Keiser’s period as Cathedral choirmaster. While the work is recognizably in the tradition of the north German cantata, it is leavened with the melodic and dramatic gifts of one of the Baroque era’s best opera composers. An additional feature typical of Keiser’s work is the varied instrumentation; none of the solo movements, whether aria, duet, or trio, have the same instrumentation.


The pairing of Keiser with Graupner on this disc is appropriate; they both wrote for the Hamburg opera in the first decade of the 18th century, and Graupner contributed several arias to one of Keiser’s greatest operatic successes, Der Carneval von Venedig . Graupner’s only Magnificat may have been written in support of an application for the position of Thomaskantor in Leipzig. The work is very appealing, vocally and instrumentally. Although Graupner’s work found favor in Leipzig, his Darmstadt employer refused to release him to accept the Leipzig appointment.


Rastatter Hofkapelle is, at least on this recording, a group of eight vocalists and 13 instrumentalists. Jürgen Ochs, the conductor, also serves as tenor soloist and chorister. The performances are generally accomplished, especially from the instrumentalists and the vocalists singing in concert. In their solo turns, however, they are somewhat disappointing. The solo music obviously taxes their abilities; they are able to get through their solo assignments, but we are aware that more-accomplished singers could have made more of this music. I do not want to put anyone off of purchasing this recording by suggesting that the solo singing is awful; it certainly isn’t that. It simply could have been better with more-accomplished vocalists.


Carus claims that both of these works are recording premieres, and I see no reason to dispute this claim. The short length of the program is a disappointment. There was plenty of room for another Keiser or Graupner work. Both of these works are well worth getting to know, and the recording has provided me with a great deal of pleasure.


FANFARE: Ron Salemi

The oratorio Der Kampf der Buße ind Bekehrung (The Struggle for Penance and Conversion) is among Michael Haydn's lesser-known works. The Purcell Choir together with the Orfeo Orchestra, under the direction of György Vashegyi, now present a recording of the second and only surviving part of this three-part oratorio. It is impressive, especially for its unusual scoring: All of the the five solo roles are allotted to sopranos. The artistic mixture of majestic passages, surprising turns, Baroque rhetorical figures, and virtuoso arias makes clear why later composers such as Mozart, Schubert, and Bruckner repeatedly took Michael Haydn's music as their model.

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 audience of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival experienced a great musical event when the Kammerchor Stuttgart, conducted by its founder Frieder Bernius, performed Luigi Cherubini's Messe Solennelle No. 2 in D minor. The soloists of the evening were Ruth Ziesak, soprano, Christa Mayer, contralto, Christoph Genz, tenor, and Thomas E. Bauer, bass. The recording of this truly extraordinary work is now available on album. After a beginning which seems familiar, unforeseen, imaginative and witty turns lead melodic progressions and harmonic developments into entirely new directions. The harmonic variety is impressive, and chromaticism plays no less important a role. Subtle instrumentation lends many sections an exquisite sonority. And last but not least, the deeply felt interpretation of the text by means of melodic, rhythmic or harmonic figures, as well as by dynamics and tempo is one of the outstanding features of the work, highlighting the performers' brilliance.

Originally written for the three days of Christmastide 1734 and the beginning of 1735, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas Oratorio has since gone on to become an established part of Advent and Christmas – just like turkey and Christmas pudding. With soloists Regula Muhlemann, Anna Lucia Richter, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Sebastian Kohlhepp, and Michael Nagy, the newly-formed ensembles of the Gaechinger Cantorey conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann celebrate their first Christmas Oratorio together with this recording of all six cantatas! The newly-founded baroque orchestra and the newly-constituted choir of the Bachakademie will perform under the joint name GAECHINGER CANTOREY from now onwards. Based on the historic foundations of the Bach era, and with roots in the living performance history of the choir founded by Helmuth Rilling, this name represents an integrated musical approach and the aesthetic sound ideal of the baroque.

Earlier, long before pure technical skill, creativity in improvisation was the most important measure for judging the abilities of an organist. Kay Johannsen, Kantor of the Stiftskirche Stuttgart, has a masterful command of this art, which he demonstrates here by means of international Christmas songs from many lands, including German, Great Britain, the USA, Norway, Poland and Bolivia.