BR Klassik
Pizzicato Supersonic

Liszt: Via Crucis

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Details

Composer
Franz Liszt
Artist
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Herbert Schuch
Format
CD
Discs
1
Label
BR Klassik
Released
Sep 25, 2026
Catalog #
BRK900534
UPC
4035719005349

About

The church music Franz Liszt composed in his later years was always innovative, radical, and thoroughly idiosyncratic, yet was frequently and unjustly overlooked in the repertoire. Now, the Bavarian Radio Chorus, conducted by Peter Dijkstra, has taken on the cycle VIA CRUCIS. It was never performed during Liszt's lifetime; the composer worked on it in the autumn of 1878 as a guest of Cardinal zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst at the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, not far from Rome. The new CD from BR-KLASSIK presents a live recording of an extraordinary concert from April 2025 at Munich's Prinzregententheater. Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, usually comprising fourteen stations of the Passion of Christ-from conviction to death to deposition to burial-has over the centuries been the subject of prayer at the traditional sites in Jerusalem, on pilgrimages, in Catholic churches worldwide, at roadside shrines, in outdoor chapels, and on Calvaries. In composing his version, Franz Liszt mainly had the Good Friday procession in the Roman Colosseum in mind, 'in that place whose ground is steeped in the blood of the martyrs.' He wrote his 14 Stations of the Cross for solo voices, choir, and organ (originally piano), yet was much taken with the idea of carrying a harmonium into the ruins of the Colosseum for his musical devotions to be sung there too: 'I would be happy if those sounds could be heard there that only faintly reflect the inner emotion that overcame me when, on my knees with the devout procession, I more than once repeated the Latin words.' It remained a mere vision, however: his late work VIA CRUCIS was neither rehearsed nor published, and met with firm rejection from the purists of the ultra-conservative Cecilian movement. It was not until fifty years later, on Good Friday 1929, that the work was finally premiered in Budapest.

Critic reviews

  • “With its customary vocal and intonational perfection, the ensemble takes us on a journey inward – to the very depths of our being – thanks to its sensitive yet equally gripping portrayal of the events of Good Friday.”

    Pizzicato, Supersonic, September 2026

Tracklist 18 tracks

  1. 1 Requiem (Seele, vergiss sie nicht) 08:38
    Track
    1
    Title
    Requiem (Seele, vergiss sie nicht)
    Duration
    08:38
    Composer
    Peter Cornelius
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  2. 2 Einleitung: Vexilla regis prodeunt 02:41
    Track
    2
    Title
    Einleitung: Vexilla regis prodeunt
    Duration
    02:41
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  3. 3 O crux ave 01:21
    Track
    3
    Title
    O crux ave
    Duration
    01:21
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Magdalena Dijkstra, Julia Price, Veronika Sammer, Gabriel Sin, Michael Mantaj
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  4. 4 Station I: Jesus wird zum Tode verdammt 01:12
    Track
    4
    Title
    Station I: Jesus wird zum Tode verdammt
    Duration
    01:12
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Michael Mantaj, Herbert Schuch
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  5. 5 Station II: Jesus trägt sein Kreuz 02:07
    Track
    5
    Title
    Station II: Jesus trägt sein Kreuz
    Duration
    02:07
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Christopher Dollins, Herbert Schuch
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  6. 6 Station III: Jesus fällt zum ersten Mal 01:18
    Track
    6
    Title
    Station III: Jesus fällt zum ersten Mal
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Magdalena Dijkstra, Julia Price, Veronika Sammer, Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  7. 7 Station IV: Jesus begegnet seiner heiligen Mutter 02:08
    Track
    7
    Title
    Station IV: Jesus begegnet seiner heiligen Mutter
    Duration
    02:08
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
  8. 8 Station V: Simon von Kyrene hilft Jesus das Kreuz tragen 03:17
    Track
    8
    Title
    Station V: Simon von Kyrene hilft Jesus das Kreuz tragen
    Duration
    03:17
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
  9. 9 Station VI: Sancta Veronica 03:04
    Track
    9
    Title
    Station VI: Sancta Veronica
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  10. 10 Station VII: Jesus fällt zum zweiten Mal 01:15
    Track
    10
    Title
    Station VII: Jesus fällt zum zweiten Mal
    Duration
    01:15
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Magdalena Dijkstra, Julia Price, Veronika Sammer, Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  11. 11 Station VIII: Die Frauen von Jerusalem 02:10
    Track
    11
    Title
    Station VIII: Die Frauen von Jerusalem
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Christopher Dollins, Herbert Schuch
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  12. 12 Station IX: Jesus fällt zum dritten Mal 01:16
    Track
    12
    Title
    Station IX: Jesus fällt zum dritten Mal
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Magdalena Dijkstra, Julia Price, Veronika Sammer, Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  13. 13 Station X: Jesus wird entkleidet 01:47
    Track
    13
    Title
    Station X: Jesus wird entkleidet
    Duration
    01:47
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
  14. 14 Station XI: Jesus wird ans Kreuz geschlagen 00:57
    Track
    14
    Title
    Station XI: Jesus wird ans Kreuz geschlagen
    Duration
    00:57
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  15. 15 Station XII: Jesus stirbt am Kreuze 07:36
    Track
    15
    Title
    Station XII: Jesus stirbt am Kreuze
    Duration
    07:36
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Magdalena Dijkstra, Julia Price, Veronika Sammer, Christopher Dollins, Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  16. 16 Station XIII: Jesus wird vom Kreuz genommen 03:24
    Track
    16
    Title
    Station XIII: Jesus wird vom Kreuz genommen
    Duration
    03:24
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Herbert Schuch
  17. 17 Station XIV: Jesus wird ins Grab gelegt 05:33
    Track
    17
    Title
    Station XIV: Jesus wird ins Grab gelegt
    Duration
    05:33
    Composer
    Franz Liszt
    Performer
    Merit Ostermann, Herbert Schuch
    Ensemble
    Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra
  18. 18 Requiem aeternam 02:39
    Track
    18
    Title
    Requiem aeternam
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    Peter Cornelius
    Ensemble
    male section Bavarian Radio Chorus
    Conductor
    Peter Dijkstra