Choral Music for Christmas - CD, Choir Coach, multimedia | Carus-Verlag

Choral Music for Christmas

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“Choral Music for Christmas” presents the very best of Advent and Christmas choral music from the Carus catalog. Contemporary arrangements of popular Christmas carols by composers such as Fredo Jung and Giacomo Mezallira feature alongside works by well-known composers including Handel, Bach, Heinichen, and Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The performers, including the Calmus Ensemble, the Kammerchor Stuttgart conducted by Frieder Bernius, the Dresdner Kammerchor conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann, and the ensemble L’arpa festante, guarantee an absolute choral treat.
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  • Blest Mary wanders through the thorn
  • Und unser lieben Frauen
  • Weihnachten
  • 39. Halleluja
  • 7. And he shall purify
  • Te Deum laudamus
  • Laudate pueri Dominum
  • Quis sicut Dominus
  • Amen
  • Hark! The herald angels sing
  • Sonata tribus Quadrantibus
  • Les anges dans nos campagnes
  • Tu scendi dalle stelle
  • Choral – Strophe 1: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
  • Choral – Strophe 2: Das Röslein, das ich meine
  • Prélude
  • Tecum principium
  • Tollite hostias
  • Magnificat
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Additional material
  • I. Introduction (Choir)

    The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end … from henceforth even for ever.
    Isaiah 9:1,5-6

    II. The Christmas Story

    Choral – Verse 1

    Behold! a Rose is growing,
    of loveliest form and grace,
    as prophets sang, foreknowing;
    it springs from Jesse’s race,
    and comes a perfect flower,
    in midst of coldest winter,
    at deepest midnight hour. Trier 1587/88 Translation: Harriet Reynolds Spaeth (1845–1925)

    Annunciation

    ...
  • I. Einleitungschor

    Das Volk, so im Finstern wandelt, siehet ein groß’ Licht, und über die, die da wohnen im finstern Lande, scheinet es helle. Denn uns ist ein Kind geboren, ein Sohn ist uns gegeben, welches Herrschaft ist auf seiner Schulter; und er heißt Wunderbar, Rat, Held, Kraft, Ewig-Vater, Friede-Fürst; auf dass seine Herrschaft groß werde und des Friedens kein Ende … von nun an bis in Ewigkeit.
    Jesaja 9,1.5–6

    II. Die Weihnachtsgeschichte

    Choral – Strophe 1

    Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
    aus einer Wurzel zart.
    Als uns die Alten sungen,
    von Jesse kam die Art.
    Und hat ein Blümlein bracht
    mitten im kalten Winter,
    wohl zu der halben Nacht. Trier 1587/88

    Verkündigung

    ...
  • 1. Magnificat (Coro SSATB)

    Hoch erhebt meine Seele den Herren.

    2. Et exsultavit (Aria Soprano II)

    In Gott, meinem Heiland, jubelt mein Geist.

    3. Quia respexit (Aria Soprano I) / 4. Omnes generationes (Coro)

    Er hat in Gnaden geschaut auf seine niedrige Magd,
    Siehe, von nun an nennen mich selig alle Geschlechter.

    5. Quia fecit (Aria Basso)

    Großes hat der Gewaltige an mir getan,
    dessen Name heilig ist.

    6. Et misericordia (Aria Alto, Tenore)

    Und sein Erbarmen währt von Geschlecht zu Geschlecht über die,
    welche ihn fürchten.

    7. Fecit potentiam (Coro)

    Macht hat er geübt mit seinem Arm
    und zerstreuet, die stolzen Herzens sind.

    8. Deposuit (Aria Tenore)

    Herrscher hat er vom Thron gestürzt,
    ...
  • 1. Magnificat (Coro SSATB)

    Magnificat anima mea Dominum.

    2. Et exsultavit (Aria Soprano II)

    Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo

    3. Quia respexit (Aria Soprano I) / 4. Omnes generationes (Coro)

    Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae,
    ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.

    5. Quia fecit (Aria Basso)

    Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est,
    et sanctum nomen eius.

    6. Et misericordia (Aria Alto, Tenore)

    Et misericordia a progenie in progenies
    timentibus eum.

    7. Fecit potentiam (Coro)

    Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo,
    dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.

    8. Deposuit (Aria Tenore)

    Deposuit potentes de sede
    et exaltavit humiles.

    ...
  • Texte du livret du CD Carus 83.152

    Katrin Bemmann
    Traduction (abrégée) : Jean Paul Ménière

    Depuis le Vle siècle, le « Magnificat », chant de louange à Marie, qui vient d’apprendre qu’elle va être la mère du Christ, constitue dans la liturgie catholique le point culminant des Vêpres. Avec la Réforme, les Vêpres, et avec elle le Magnificat, ont été reprises dans la liturgie protestante.

    Le Magnificat latin de Johann Sebastian Bach existe en deux versions. La première, en mi bémol majeur, fut écrite en 1723, l’année où Bach entra en fonction à Leipzig, et conçue pour les Vêpres de Noël. Conformément aux circonstances, cette version fut augmentée de quatre séquences de Noël et les flûtes à bec prenaient, en raison de leur caractère pastoral, la place des flûtes traversières. Quelques années plus tard, Bach entreprit une révision de l’œuvre. Il changea la tonalité en ré majeur, supprima les quatre pièces rajoutées et confia

    ...
  • Text from the CD Carus 83.152

    Katrin Bemmann
    Translation (abridged): John Coombs

    The “Magnificat” – the song of praise of the Virgin Mary on hearing that she is to become the mother of Christ – has formed the climactic point of the service of Vespers in the liturgy of the Catholic Church since the 6th century. Following the Reformation Vespers, including the Magnificat, retained a place in the Protestant liturgy.

    Johann Sebastian Bach’s Latin Magnificat exists in two versions. The first, in E flat major, was written in 1723, the year when he took up his position in Leipzig, and was intended for use in the Christmas Vespers. In view of that intention four Christmas pieces were added to this version, and instead of flutes Bach used recorders, with their pastoral character. A few years later Bach revised the work. He transposed it to D major, removed the Christmas pieces, and replaced the recorders by flutes, whose

    ...
  • Booklet-Text der CD Carus 83.152

    Katrin Bemmann

    Das „Magnificat“ – der Lobgesang Marias, nachdem sie erfahren hat, dass sie die Mutter Christi wird – bildet seit dem 6. Jahrhundert in der Liturgie der katholischen Kirche den Höhepunkt der Vesper. Musikalisch entwickelte sich aus der einstimmigen Psalmodie nach und nach eine vielfältige Palette von Formen, sei es als Lied, mehrstimmige Motette oder kantatenähnliche Vertonung mit Instrumentalbegleitung. Mit der Reformation wurde die Vesper und damit auch das Magnificat in die protestantische Liturgie übernommen.

    Von Johann Sebastian Bachs lateinischem Magnificat existieren zwei Fassungen. Die erste in Es-Dur entstand in Bachs Leipziger Antrittsjahr 1723 und war für die Weihnachtsvesper bestimmt. Dem Anlass entsprechend war diese Fassung um vier weihnachtliche Einlagesätze erweitert, und statt Traversflöten fanden Blockflöten mit ihrem pastoralen Charakter Verwendung. Einige Jahre später nahm Bach eine Überarbeitung vor. Er änderte die Tonart in D-Dur, strich die vier zusätzlichen Stücke und übertrug den nunmehr besetzten Traversflöten größere Aufgaben.

    ...
  • 1. Prélude (Archi, Organo)

    2. Récit et chœur

    Et pastores erant in regione eadem vigilantes,
    et custodientes vigilias noctis super gregem suum.
    Et ecce Angelus Domini stetit juxta illos,
    et claritas Dei circumfulsit illos,
    et timuerunt timore magno.
    Et dixit illis Angelus:
    Nolite timere!
    Ecce enim evangelizo vobis gaudium magnum,
    quod erit omni populo:
    quia natus est vobis hodie Christus
    Dominus in civitate David.
    Et hoc vobis signum:
    Invenietis infantem pannis involutum,
    et positum in praesepio.
    Et subito facta est cum Angelo
    multitudo militiae coelestis,
    laudantium Deum, et dicentium:
    Gloria in altissimis Deo,

    ...
  • 1. Prélude (Archi, Organo)

    2. Récit et chœur

    And there were shepherds in the same country
    in the fields with their folds,
    guarding their flocks by night.
    And, lo, the angel of the Lord came to them
    and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
    and they were sore afraid.
    And the angel said to them:
    Do not fear!
    Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy,
    which shall be to all people:
    For unto you this day is born the Saviour
    Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
    And this shall be a sign to you:
    You will find the child wrapped in swaddling clothes,
    lying in a manger.
    And suddenly there was with the angel
    a multitude of the heavenly host
    praising God and saying:

    ...
  • 1. Prélude (Archi, Organo)

    2. Récit et chœur

    Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
    auf dem Felde bei den Hürden,
    die hüteten des Nachts ihre Herde.
    Und siehe, des Herrn Engel trat zu ihnen,
    und die Klarheit des Herren leuchtete um sie;
    und sie fürchteten sich sehr.
    Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen:
    Fürchtet euch nicht!
    Siehe, ich verkündige euch große Freude,
    die allem Volk widerfahren wird;
    denn euch ist heute der Heiland geboren,
    welcher ist Christus, der Herr, in der Stadt Davids.
    Und das habt zum Zeichen:
    Ihr werdet finden das Kind in Windeln gewickelt
    und in einer Krippe liegen.
    Und alsbald war da bei dem Engel
    die Menge der himmlischen Heerscharen,
    die lobten Gott und sprachen:

    ...
  • Texte du livret du CD Carus 83.352

    Herbert Lölkes
    Traduction (abrégé) : Sylvie Coquillat

    « Un classique à une époque moderne »
    Camille Saint-Saëns – Musique religieuse

    Lorsque Camille Saint-Saëns s’éteignit en 1921 à l’âge de 86 ans, il avait traversé plusieurs époques musicales et évolutions stylistiques. Son image tenace de conservateur soucieux de la tradition ne put cependant empêcher, contribua même à ce que la bourgeoisie amatrice d’art le considérât – aux côtés de l’excentrique Berlioz – comme l’un des représentants majeurs de la Musique française du 19ème siècle. Sa signification se fondait ici non seulement sur sa fonction de compositeur, mais aussi de chef d’orchestre et de pianiste de ses propres œuvres ainsi que d’organiste dans des églises de sa ville natale de Paris (Église Saint-Merri 1853–1858, Église de la Madeleine 1858–1877). Saint-Saëns lui-même était tout à fait conscient

    ...
  • Text from the CD Carus 83.352

    Herbert Lölkes
    Translation (abridged): John Coombs

    “A classicist in a modern epoch”
    Camille Saint-Saëns – Musique religieuse

    When Camille Saint-Saëns died in Algiers in 1921 at the age of 86 he had outlived several epochs and stylistic changes in musical history. Despite the image of conservatism and awareness of tradition which remained with him, indeed partly because of it, the music-loving public regarded him – along with themore eccentric Berlioz – as a leading representative of 19th-century Musique française. His importance lay not only in his capacity as a composer, but also as a conductor and performer (as a pianist) of his own works, as well as an organist in churches of his native city Paris (Église Saint-Merri 1853–58, Église de la Madeleine 1858–77). Saint-Saëns was fully aware of the eclectic elements to his music, without this impairing its positive creative force.

    ...
  • Booklet-Text der CD Carus 83.352

    Herbert Lölkes

    „Ein Klassiker in einer modernen Epoche“
    Camille Saint-Saëns – Musique religieuse

    Es gibt keine religiöse Kunst im eigentlichen Sinn, die eindeutig von der weltlichen Kunst unterschieden werden könnte. Es gibt nur gute und schlechte Musik; der Rest ist eine Frage der Mode und Konvention. Camille Saint-Saëns (1916)

    Als Camille Saint-Saëns 1921 im Alter von 86 Jahren in Algier starb (drei Jahre nach dem Tod von Claude Debussy), hatte er gleich mehrere musikgeschichtliche Epochen und Stilwandel überlebt. Das ihm anhaftende Image des Konservativen und Traditionsbewussten konnte jedoch nicht verhindern, sondern trug eher dazu bei, dass ihn das breite kunstgenießende Bürgertum – neben dem exzentrischeren Berlioz – als einen führenden Repräsentanten der Musique française des 19. Jahrhunderts betrachtete. Seine Bedeutung gründete sich dabei nicht allein auf seine Bekanntheit als Komponist,

    ...
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  • The Kammerchor Stuttgart is regarded as one of the best ensembles of its kind. Over its fifty-year existence, Frieder Bernius has developed the choir into an exceptional ensemble acclaimed by audiences and press alike. This has led to invitations for the choir to perform at all the important European festivals. In Germany the chamber choir performs at festivals and in concert halls in repertoire ranging from the 17th to the 21st century. Frieder Bernius and his ensemble have received numerous accolades for their contribution to new music. The Kammerchor Stuttgart has made over 80 CDs and LPs, numerous of which have been awarded international recording prizes (including the Edison award, Diapason d’or, Gramophone Choice, Classical Internet Award, International Classical Music Award, and German Record Critics’ Award prizes). The International Federation for Choral Music has invited the ensemble to sing at the 1st, 4th and 10th World Symposia on Choral Music in Vienna, Sydney and Seoul. Regular tours of North America and Asia since 1988 and a South America tour reflect the Kammerchor Stuttgart’s international reputation. Since 1984 the top ensemble has also been invited to Israel biennially. Personal details
  • DRESDNER KAMMERCHOR Radiant, transparent, homogeneous and flexible: the Dresdner Kammerchor is internationally esteemed for its unique culture of sonority. Its artistic director Hans-Christoph Rademann has shaped this distinctive sound since the choir was founded in 1985, leading it to worldwide renown. The choir’s diverse repertoire has its foundation in Baroque music, with a special focus on Saxon court music. As a cultural ambassador for Dresden and Saxony, the choir keeps the musical heritage of its homeland alive and makes it known to an international audience. A prominent example of this is the world’s first complete Heinrich Schütz recording, which was concluded in 2019, published by Carus-Verlag, and has won several awards: among others, the St. John Passion was awarded the Annual Prize of the German Record Critics in 2016, and the last installment of the edition containing “Psalms and Peace Music” was honored with the Opus Klassik 2020. The choir has also rediscovered, performed anew and recorded on CD numerous works by other Central German masters such as Johann Adolf Hasse, Johann David Heinichen and Jan Dismas Zelenka in collaboration with the Dresden Baroque Orchestra and other musical partners. In addition to symphonic choral works from the Classical and Romantic periods, a further repertoire focus is on challenging a cappella works of the 19th and 20th centuries. This includes music by Johannes Brahms, Max Reger, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Arnold Schoenberg and Herman Berlinski. For years, the Dresdner Kammerchor has been intensively dedicated to modern and contemporary music, with world premieres, first performances and its own commissioned works. This commitment is deepened further by diverse music education and youth projects. In 2009, Hans-Christoph Rademann and the Dresdner Kammerchor initiated the Dresden Choral Workshop for New Music, which took place for the 4th time in 2018. For its services to contemporary choral music, the choir was awarded a Sponsorship Prize by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. The Dresdner Kammerchor gives guest performances in centers of music and at festivals throughout Europe. Tours have taken the singers to Israel, India, Taiwan, China, Mexico, South America, South Africa and the USA. Musical partners to date have included René Jacobs, Sir Roger Norrington, Ádám Fischer, Václav Luks, Stefan Parkman, Trevor Pinnock, Christoph Prégardien, Jos van Immerseel, Herbert Blomstedt, Omer Meir Wellber, Christian Thielemann, Riccardo Chailly and Reinhard Goebel, as well as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Anima Eterna Brugge, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. The choir regularly collaborates with the Wroc"naw Baroque Orchestra. By means of a cooperation with the Dresden University of Music, the Dresdner Kammerchor keeps the connection to its roots alive. Personal details
  • Alongside its dedication to a core repertoire of composers such as Monteverdi, Schütz, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, and Brahms, the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites frequently explore new terrain with premiere performances. On the heels of its successes in national and international choir competitions, the ensemble has taken part in numerous internationally acclaimed CD recordings as well as radio, and television productions for SWR, Radio France, Deutschlandradio Kultur, and Deutschlandfunk. The Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites have performed in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Musikfest Bremen, the Kölner Philharmonie, the SWR RheinVokal Festival, the Europäisches Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Deutschlandradio Kultur Wartburgkonzerte, the Internationale Musiktage im Dom zu Speyer, the Philharmonie in Mulhouse, and the Centre de Musique “Les Dominicains” in Guebwiller, France, among other venues. The flexible choir does not shy away from excursions into the world of opera, having performed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s Norma with Edita Gruberova, and Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte with Rolando Villazón. Together with Klaus Maria Brandauer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the choir also performed Mendelssohn’s Sommernachtstraum at the Musikfest Bremen. The ensemble is sponsored by the German state of Baden-Württemberg in co-operation with its “Kunst 2020” program, as well as by its home city of Rastatt. Personal details
  • The Vocal Concert Dresden, which was founded as “Körnerscher Sing-Verein” by Peter Kopp in 1993, consists largely of graduates of the Dresden Hochschule für Musik and former members of the Dresden Kreuzchor. The chamber choir’s challenging repertoire extends from programs featuring the music of Schütz, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn and Brahms to contemporary compositions, some of which it has premiered. The ensemble’s interpretative insight and, most importantly, the emotional impact of its concerts, have contributed to its reputation for exceptional performances and to its artistic standing. It is constantly credited with stylistic assurance and an elegant, natural approach to music-making. The choir has appeared in a number of concerts staged by the Dresden Staatskapelle and the Dresden Philharmonic. It has made guest appearances at Bachwoche Ansbach, the Göttinger Händel-Festspielen, the Schlossfestspiele Potsdam, the Händel-Festspielen Halle, the Ravello Festival (Italy), in Poland and Holland, and also repeatedly in the USA. A prominent feature of its programs is music of the late 18th century, for which the Vocal Concert Dresden has developed a particular affinity. Personal details
  • Alongside its dedication to a core repertoire of composers such as Monteverdi, Schütz, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, and Brahms, the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites frequently explore new terrain with premiere performances. On the heels of its successes in national and international choir competitions, the ensemble has taken part in numerous internationally acclaimed CD recordings as well as radio, and television productions for SWR, Radio France, Deutschlandradio Kultur, and Deutschlandfunk. The Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites have performed in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Musikfest Bremen, the Kölner Philharmonie, the SWR RheinVokal Festival, the Europäisches Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Deutschlandradio Kultur Wartburgkonzerte, the Internationale Musiktage im Dom zu Speyer, the Philharmonie in Mulhouse, and the Centre de Musique “Les Dominicains” in Guebwiller, France, among other venues. The flexible choir does not shy away from excursions into the world of opera, having performed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s Norma with Edita Gruberova, and Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte with Rolando Villazón. Together with Klaus Maria Brandauer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the choir also performed Mendelssohn’s Sommernachtstraum at the Musikfest Bremen. The ensemble is sponsored by the German state of Baden-Württemberg in co-operation with its “Kunst 2020” program, as well as by its home city of Rastatt. Personal details
  • Since 1995 the Dresdner Instrumental-Concert has brought together artists who perform music true to historical style on period instruments. The name of the group originated from middle class musical life as it existed in Dresden around 1800. Numerous concerts and recordings – especially together with the Vocal Concert Dresden under the direction of Peter Kopp – display an impressive artistic quality. The primary emphasis of its repertoire lies in the treasures of Dresden’s rich musical history. The Dresdner Instrumental-Concert has been acclaimed in the international press and by the public for its sensitive sonority and its tasteful manner of playing. Personal details
  • The Orpheus Vokalensemble was founded in 2005 as the professional chamber choir of the Landesmusikakademie Baden-Württemberg. This is an international ensemble which places the highest vocal demands on its members. Internationally recognized choral conductors are engaged for each assignment, and they exercise lasting influence on the artistic quality of the ensemble. Its model is the legendary Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (New York), whose name it shares. Its artistic aims, in the preparation and performance of works, are to bring the fundamentals of chamber music – personal commitment and mutual respect – to bear on the work of a vocal ensemble. Its members have the right to participate in the choice of repertoire, soloists, conductors and concert programs. Several composers have already written works for the Orpheus Vokalensemble, including Bo Hansson, Knut Nystedt, Gregor Hübner and Jürgen Essl. In 2006 the ensemble was invited to the International Lake Constance Festival. Other invitations to important festivals have followed. Personal details
  • Homogenität, Präzision, Leichtigkeit und Witz – das sind die Markenzeichen von Calmus, heutzutage eine der erfolgreichsten Vokalgruppen Deutschlands. Das Ensemble besitzt eine Klangkultur, wie sie nur von wenigen erreicht wird. Die breite Palette an Klangfarben, die Musizierfreude, die die Musiker auf der Bühne vermitteln, aber auch ihre abwechslungs- und einfallsreichen Programme werden von der Presse immer wieder hervorgehoben. Die fünf Leipziger haben eine ganze Reihe internationaler Preise und Wettbewerbe gewonnen, u.a. den ECHO Klassik und den Supersonic Award, und der Radius ihrer Aktivitäten wird ständig größer und führt sie durch ganz Europa sowie Nord- und Südamerika. 2010 gab das Quintett sein Debüt in der New Yorker Carnegie Hall.

    Unermüdlich sind die Musiker bestrebt, neues Repertoire zu entdecken. Geprägt von der vielhundertjährigen Tradition großer deutscher Knabenchöre sind sie natürlich in der Vokalmusik der Renaissance, des Barock und der Romantik zu Hause. Musik unserer Zeit ist ihnen aber ebenfalls ein echtes Anliegen. In allen Sparten gibt es immer wieder interessante Partnerschaften mit Kollegen wie der Lautten Compagney Berlin, dem Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, der Hamburger Ratsmusik oder der Bigband des Hessischen Rundfunks. Da diese im Bereich der zeitgenössischen Musik häufig völlig neues Repertoire bedeuten, hat Calmus über die Jahre zahlreiche Kompositionsaufträge u. a. an Bernd Franke, Steffen Schleiermacher, Wolfram Buchenberg, Mathew Rosenblum, Bill Dobbins, Michael Denhoff und Harald Banter vergeben und Uraufführungen gesungen. Dass sie gerne Pop, Folk und Jazz sowie Chansons und Evergreens der zwanziger Jahre singen, das versteht sich von selbst!

    Ein Teil ihrer Zeit ist der Nachwuchsförderung gewidmet, denn Unterricht und Workshops gehören zu ihrem Alltag, zu Hause in Leipzig und unterwegs. Kein Wunder, dass Calmus mit der einzigartigen Besetzung aus Sopranistin, Countertenor, Tenor, Bariton und Bass überall auf der Welt immer mehr Fans hat. Personal details
  • The Athesinus Consort Berlin, named after the composer Leonhard Lechner Athesinus (ca. 1553–1606), was founded by Klaus-Martin Bresgott in 1992. He has been the conductor of the ensemble since then. The ensemble, which usually performs as a double quartet and – when enlarged – as a soloistic chamber choir, rehearses and performs both a cappella and continuo literature of the late Renaissance and Baroque as well as modern and contemporary works, which regularly result in world premieres. The ensemble members, all experienced concert singers who are also active in the Collegium Vocale Gent, the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the SWR Vokalensemble and the RIAS-Kammerchor, as well as on the stage of the Deutsches Theater Berlin, with Sasha Waltz & Guests and others, are united in their delight sounding out the verbal images of speech and suggestive arts. All of the ensemble members are active as soloists in addition to their activities in larger ensembles. The spectrum here ranges from Johann Sebastian Bach’s oratorios to experimental music of the 21st century. The latest successes of the ensemble include, among others, the world premiere of the music theatre piece Paulus. Das ängstliche Harren der Kreatur by Thomas Jennefelt in 2011, the world premiere of the tryptich Du bist mein Schlaf by Frank Schwemmer in 2012, the world premiere of Drei Gedichte von Rainer Maria Rilke by Jonathan Brell (*1987) in 2013, as well as the world premiere of Turbulent Days – fünf Spruchmotetten nach Martin Luther King und Martin Luther für 8–12-stimmiges Vokalensemble, Saxophon und Schlagwerk by Frank Schwemmer and Anyone can let you down – no one will let you down by Thomas Jennefelt in 2014. In addition to specific compositional focuses, the Athesinus Consort Berlin has committed itself to selected topics in which the texts are of definitive significance. One emphasis is on the innumerable forgotten strophes of the cornucopia of German folk song. Classical concert principles recede into the background and make way for a more individual form of expression. Exemplary thereof are the collaborations with songwriters, jazz musicians, drummers and percussionists as well as dancers and pantomimes. Since 2010 the Athesinus Consort Berlin has regularly released CDs, including O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf … vergessene Strophen der Weihnacht (2010), Signale ( 2011) w ith w orks by Michael Praetorius and Thomas Jennefelt or Boten ( 2012) w ith w orks b y J ohann A dam Hiller, Max Bruch, Hugo Distler and others. In 2013 Leonhard Lechner: Mein süße Freud auf Erden. Sacred Choral Music was released (Carus 83.384; a tribute from the ensemble to the man who gave it its name – the works on this CD are also available complete as a music edition, Carus 4.022), followed by Frank Schwemmer: Perlmuttfalter. Contemporary Choral Music (Carus 83.464) in 2014. Personal details
  • One of the distinguishing features of the Dresdner Barockorchester, founded in 1991, is the fact that its membership includes both early music specialists and orchestral musicians drawn from the Dresdner Staatskapelle and the Dresdner Philharmonie. Working together with baroque instruments, with their specific clarity of sound and articulation they achieve a variegated, eloquent music-making in which their different areas of musical experience are combined. The musicians are united in their desire to follow the splendid example set by the Dresden Court Orchestra of Augustus the Strong. The heritage of that era is the music of such conductors and instrumentalists of the Court Orchestra as Hasse, Heinichen, Zelenka, Quantz and Pisendel, whose works have a prominent place in the repertoire of the Dresdner Barockorchester. This repertoire extends from the end of the 17th century through Mozart. The Dresdner Barockorchester works closely with the Dresdner Kammerchor and its conductor Hans- Christoph Rademann. Personal details
  • The Barockorchester Stuttgart, which was founded by Bernius in 1985, specializes in 18th century music. The musicians are among the leading representatives of historical performance practice and perform exclusively on original instruments. The ensemble dedicates itself to a large extent to the revival of 18th century operas. It has performed at numerous international festivals, among others in Rome, Dresden and Göttingen. Personal details
  • Frieder Bernius’s work has earned great worldwide recognition. He is in demand internationally as a conductor and as a teacher. His principal artistic collaborators are the ensembles he founded himself, the Kammerchor Stuttgart, the Barockorchester Stuttgart, the Hofkapelle Stuttgart and the Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart. As a guest conductor, he has collaborated repeatedly with, for example, the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and the Streicherakademie Bozen. Great stylistic versatility is Frieder Bernius’s hallmark. Whether he conducts vocal works by Monteverdi, Bach, Händel, Mozart, Beethoven, Fauré and Ligeti, stage music by Mendelssohn or symphonies by Haydn, Burgmüller and Schubert, his work always aims for a sound that is at once unmistakably personal and at the same time oriented towards the original period sound ideal. He devotes himself equally to the rediscovery of 18th century operas and to first performances of contemporary compositions. He is particularly interested in the musical history of southwestern Germany. Carus-Verlag has awarded Frieder Bernius a Golden CD for his complete recording of the sacred music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The award was presented to him during the German Choir Festival in Stuttgart 2016. The sale of over 250,000 recordings, which has been acclaimed with a number of awards, has made a not insignificant contribution to what today is the obvious presence of Mendelssohn's complete œuvre in the concert repertoire. Personal details
  • Conductor Hans-Christoph Rademann is an immensely versatile artist with a broad repertoire who devotes himself with equal passion and expertise both to the performance and rediscovery of early music and to the first performances and cultivation of Contemporary Music. Born in Dresden and raised in the Erzgebirge mountains, he was influenced at an early age by the great Central German kantorial and musical tradition. He was a student at the traditional Kreuzgymnasium, a member of the famous Kreuzchor, and studied choral and orchestral conducting at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden. During his studies, he founded the Dresdner Kammerchor and formed it into a top international choir which is still under his direction today. Since 2013, Hans-Christoph Rademann has been the academy director of the International Bach Academy Stuttgart. He regularly collaborates with leading choirs and ensembles of the international music scene. From 1999 to 2004 he was chief conductor of the NDR Choir and from 2007 to 2015 chief conductor of the RIAS Chamber Choir. Guest conducting engagements have led and continue to lead him to the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, the Collegium Vocale Gent, the Akademie für Alte Musik, the Freiburger Barockorchester, the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, the Sinfonieorchester Basel, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg, among others. Hans-Christoph Rademann has been awarded prizes and honors for his artistic work, including the Johann Walter Plaque of the Saxon Music Council (2014), the Saxon Constitutional Medal (2008), the Sponsorship Prize as well as the Art Prize of the state capital Dresden (1994 and 2014 respectively). He received the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik several times for his numerous CD recordings (most recently in 2016), as well as the Grand Prix du Disque (2002), the Diapason d’Or (2006 & 2011), the CHOC de l’année 2011 and the Best Baroque Vocal Award 2014. In 2016 he was awarded the European Church Music Prize of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd. His exemplary interpretation and recording of the complete works of Heinrich Schütz with the Dresdner Kammerchor in the Stuttgart Carus-Verlag, which was completed in 2019, was awarded the newly endowed Heinrich Schütz Prize as well as the OPUS KLASSIK 2020 in the same year. Hans-Christoph Rademann is professor of choral conducting at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden. He is also artistic director of the Musikfest Erzgebirge, ambassador of the Erzgebirge and patron of the Christian Hospice Service Dresden. Personal details
  • Holger Speck is founder and artistic director of the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites. He has developed a distinguished international reputation as a charismatic musician who is capable of bringing to life the aesthetic details of the sound particular to different periods, while communicating emotive content to the listener. His keen sense of sound assures the unmistakable tonal quality of his ensembles. His compelling, lively, and profound interpretations are regularly praised in specialist publications. He has conducted at famous festivals and concert halls such as the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Philharmonie Mulhouse, the Händelfestspiele Karlsruhe, the Europäische Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik Schwäbisch Gmünd, and the SWR RheinVokal Festival. Holger Speck has won prizes at both national and international competitions with the Vocalensemble Rastatt. His CD recordings have met with international acclaim (Gramophone Magazine, American Record Guide, Fanfare, Fono Forum, L’Orfeo, Pizzicato, Diapason, Classicstoday etc.). He frequently collaborates with artists such as Anne Le Bozec (Piano), Reinhold Friedrich (Trumpet), Wolfgang Meyer (Clarinet), and Veronika Skuplik (Violin). Holger Speck is also in demand as a singer, as a guest conductor, and as a lecturer at seminars for conducting and interpretation. He teaches at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Personal details
  • After singing in the Dresden Kreuzchor as a schoolboy, Peter Kopp trained both as a church musician and as a choral and orchestral conductor at the Dresden Hochschule für Musik. While still a student he directed the Dresden Bach Choir. Since 1995 he has been a choral conductor of the Dresden Kreuzchor, which he was engaged to direct when the post of Kreuzkantor was vacant. His diverse musical activities have taken him abroad on a number of occasions. He is particularly interested in rediscovering forgotten gems from Saxony’s musical history. In this respect, performances and CD recordings of works by Johann Gottlieb Naumann have had the same lasting resonance as his most recent releases, “Christmas at the Dresden Court” (Carus 83.169), “Christmas in the Dresden Frauenkirche” (Carus 83.170), and the first recording of the most important Vivaldi discovery for seventy years, the Dixit Dominus. In 2002 Peter Kopp was awarded the Johann Walter Plaquette of the Saxon Music Council, followed by the Sponsor Prize of Dresden, the state capital of Saxony, in the spring of 2003. In addition he regularly appears as a guest conductor with the Bach Society of Houston/Texas and has given courses in choral conducting at two universities there. Personal details
  • Klaus-Martin Bresgott was born 1967 in Greifswald and initially studied Protestant theology, later German language and literature and art history (M. A.), parallel thereto choral conducting. Contracts as an ensemble singer led him to the most notable concert venues in Europe under conductors such as René Jacobs, Marcus Creed, Daniel Reuss, Hans-Christoph Rademann and Fabio Luisi, and directors such as Sasha Waltz, Luc Perceval, Barrie Kosky and others. His main focus is on ensemble work that spans epochs and interdisciplinary contexts. This has led to a regular co-operation with composers and poets of our time such as Thomas Jennefelt and Frank Schwemmer as well as Christa Wolf (†) and Christian Lehnert. As well as works on art history, including Ernst Barlach, he has edited several books of choral music, including Frau Musica spricht. Chorbuch Reformation (2011) and Chorbuch Leonhard Lechner (2014, Carus 4.022), Vier Weihnachtsmotetten (2015, Carus 7.389) and Hugo Distler’s Die Weihnachtsgeschichte op. 10 (2015, Carus 10.011). He was awarded the “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik” in 2008 for the first complete recording of the Geistliche Chormusik op. 12 by Hugo Distler, 2019 the french "Choc de Classica" for Samuel Scheidt: Cantiones Sacrae. Personal details
  • Antonia Bourvé studied opera and lieder singing with Stephan Kohlenberg and Felicitas Strack at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Her studies continued with master classes with Brigitte Fassbaender and Anna Reynolds, and lieder classes with Mitsuko Shirai and Hartmut Höll. She was awarded a scholarship by the Richard Wagner Association and won first prize in the Kulturfonds Baden opera competition. A much sought-after soprano, Antonia Bourvé’s guest appearances include the title role in Mozart’s Zaide at the Staatstheater Nuremberg. She has also sung on CD recordings of Mozart’s Schauspieldirektor and Beethoven’s Scottish Songs. A further recording, which has been praised as a benchmark recording by the press, is Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, conducted by Holger Speck on the Carus label (Carus 83.352) Personal details
  • The alto Britta Schwarz studied singing in Berlin and Dresden and then joined the studio at the Staatsoper Dresden. In the following years she won numerous international prizes. She has performed regularly with renowned orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and sung with leading conductors including Philippe Herreweghe, Helmuth Rilling, Bruno Weil, Reinhard Göbel, Marcus Creed and Hans-Christoph Rademann. Concerts and Lieder recitals in international music centers complement her musical activities. For several years she has specialized in Baroque music, and works with leading ensembles such as the Freiburger Barockorchester, Cantus Cölln, Ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln and the Akademie für Alte Musik, Berlin. Her extensive repertoire has been recorded in numerous radio programs and CDs. Personal details
  • Jens Hamann was a member of the Stuttgart Hymnus Boys’ Choir, the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Gächinger Kantorei. After vocal studies with Rudolf Piernay in Mannheim, the baritone was awarded Saarland Radio’s “Special Early Music Award” in 2006. The world premiere recording of Michael Haydn’s Requiem (Carus 83.353), on which he sang, was honored with the 2007 MIDEM Classical Award. In the oratorio field he works with Helmuth Rilling, Georg Grün and Ralf Otto, and he has appeared as a guest at the Stuttgart European Music Festival and the Opernschlossfestspiele Hallwyl. Personal details

Reviews

Choral Music for Christmas

It was also simply an enjoyable listen.
David Puderbaugh, CHORAL JOURNAL, Dezember 2018

Abwechslungreich auf höchstem Niveau
Astrid Belschner, rbb-kulturradio, 12.12.2017

Traditionelles mit modernen Akzenten für stimmungsvolle Momente im Dezember.
Austria Presse Agentur, 04.12.2017

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