An evening of spiritual works that are actually not. For in their
works, the composers focus more on the musical content than on religion
– each in their very own way.
Intoxicating...
With the “Chorfantasie,” Beethoven combines piano concerto with choral cantata.
It is considered an ode to art, and many see it as the predecessor of the ninth symphony. No wonder: in the finale, Beethoven presents the theme that he also bases the “Ode to Joy” on.
...pompous...
The “Te Deum” is Bizet’s only sacred choral work. Some hear in it the style of pompous Italian church music, which is known for drawing on elements of operatic music.
… and ecstatic
Schumann’s “Missa sacra” shows a distance from church music, both musically and textually. Contemporaries already saw it less as a mass and more as a romantic ecstasy with a peculiar splendor of colors that even violates liturgical conventions.
Performers include soloists Yvonne
Elisabeth Frey (aka Yvonne Friedli, soprano), Minsub Hong
(tenor), Markus Vollberg (bass), Wataru Hisasue (piano), the Neue Preussische Philharmonie, the Berliner Oratorien-Chor, conducted by Thomas Hennig.
Tickets from 19 Euros to 39 Euros are available at Ticketmaster, at known presale points, or through the BOC ticket hotline
(030) 547 34 943, www.berliner-oratorienchor.de, tickets@berliner-oratorienchor.de.
The Berliner Oratorien-Chor – one of the oldest amateur choirs in the city
Since its founding in 1904, the Berliner Oratorien-Chor – then still called Berliner Volks-Chor – has made it its mission to perform both popular and lesser-known works of choral symphony to bring them closer to a larger audience. This type of repertoire is probably the most elaborate type of choral music, as it requires a large choir as well as an orchestra, which in turn requires a sufficiently large stage and correspondingly many seats for paying audiences. Thus, each performance of the Berliner Oratorien-Chor is associated with great organizational and financial efforts. Regular self-organized performances take place in the Berliner Philharmonie and the Konzerthaus Berlin - alongside numerous collaborations and guest performances. Between 1958 and 2008, the choir established itself in the Berlin music scene under the direction of Gert Sell and was awarded the Zelter Plaque in 2004 for the preservation of choral music. In 2008, Thomas Hennig took over the artistic direction. With innovatively designed programs and high artistic standards, the choir remains a pioneering institution. The choir currently consists of about 80 active members from various backgrounds and generations.