Mendelssohn - Sacred Choral Works | Brilliant Classics 94263

Mendelssohn - Sacred Choral Works

Label: Brilliant Classics

Cat No: 94263

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 8

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 31st October 2011

Contents

About

One of an extensive series of box sets presenting the greatest, most famous and best-loved choral masterworks of western music, encompassing more than 700 years of musical history, from the Flemish masters Josquin and Ockeghem, through the mastery of Bach, the grace of Mozart, the romantics Brahms and Mendelssohn to 20th century masters Britten and Rutter.

Beautifully repackaged with fresh and inspirational artwork, this is a highly attractive series.

Mendelssohn’s reputation has suffered over the past century, from the madness of the Nazis who banned his music and destroyed statues of him, to the rantings of Richard Wagner in his horrible little tract ‘Judaism in Music’. The fact that he was probably one of the most gifted child prodigies of all time has also tended to obscure the fact that his later works are just as remarkable as those of his youth.

A Jew who converted to Protestantism, Mendelssohn was a prolific composer of sacred music and he made important studies of J S Bach – in fact he was instrumental in the resurgence of interest in Bach’s great oratorios in the 1820s and 30s. Bach’s influence upon Mendelssohn’s own sacred music is unmistakable, but composers such as Handel, Haydn and Mozart all played a part in creating his choral style.

Schumann commented on one of the works on this collection (Prayer – Verlieh uns Frieden): ‘This little piece deserves to be world famous, and will indeed be so in the future. Madonnas by Raphael and Murillo cannot remain hidden for long’.

This 8 CD collection contains many more such gems, and offers the listener an opportunity to discover more about the composer of Fingals Cave, the Violin Concerto and the Italian Symphony. Mendelssohn’s genius is apparent in every one of the works to be found in this set.

Contents:
CD 1
The 5 Psalm Cantatas
- Psalm 42 ‘Wie der Hirsch schreit’ Op.42
- Psalm 95 ‘Kommt, laßt uns anbeten’ Op.46
- Psalm 98 ‘Singet dem Herrn’ Op.91
- Psalm 114 ‘Da Israel aus Ägypten zog’ Op.51
- Psalm 115 ‘Non nobis Domine’ Op.31

Total time: 80’38
Isabell Müller-Cant (soprano), Petra Labitzke (soprano), Daniel Sans (tenor), Gerhard Nennemann (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass), Christof Fischesser (bass)
Chamber Choir of Europe • Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen / Nicol Matt

CD 2
The 8 Chorale Cantatas
- Chorale Cantata No.1: ‘Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein’
- Cantata No.2: ‘Christe, du Lamm Gottes’
- Cantata No.3: ‘Jesu, meine Freude’
- Cantata No.4: ‘O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden’
- Cantata No.5: ‘Verleih uns Frieden’
- Cantata No.6: ‘Vom Himmel hoch’
- Cantata No.7: ‘Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten’
- Cantata No.8: ‘Wir glauben all an einen Gott’

Total time: 78’53
Lydia Allert (soprano), Annemarie Kremer (soprano), Petra Labitzke (soprano), Gabriele Wunderer (alto), Daniel Sans (tenor), Raimund Spogis (baritone), Manfred Bittner (bass)
Chamber Choir of Europe • Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen / Nicol Matt

CD 3
- Hymn, 3 Sacred Songs and Fugue Op.96
- Kyrie in D minor
- Lauda Sion Op.73
- Tu es Petrus Op.111 6’27

Total time: 67’37
Eibe Möhlmann (alto), Lydia Allert (soprano), Isabell Müller-Cant (soprano), Eibe Möhlmann (alto), Daniel Sans (tenor), Philip Niederberger (bass)
Chamber Choir of Europe • Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen / Nicol Matt


CD 4
- Magnificat
- Gloria (1822)
- 6 Anthems Op.79 for 8-part choir

Total time: 72’41
Amadeus-Chor, Nathalie Karl (soprano), Barbara Werner (alto), Róbert Morvai (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass)
Alice Duskova (organ), Chamber Choir of Europe / Nicol Matt

CD 5
- Hora est, for four 4-part mixed choirs and organ (1828)
- Te Deum à 4, for 4-part mixed choir, soloists and organ
- Ave Maria Op.23, for 8-part mixed choir and 8 soloists
- Te Deum à 8 for soloists, two 4-part mixed choirs and organ
- The German Liturgy for soloists and two 4-part choirs

Total time: 67’15
Birgit Wegemann (soprano), Birgit Meyer (alto), Gerhard Nennemann (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass)
Chamber Choir of Europe / Nicol Matt

CD 6
- 3 Kirchenmusiken Op.23
- 3 Motets Op.69
- 3 Psalms Op.78

Total time: 72’14
Róbert Morvai (tenor), Anja Bittner (soprano), Alena Leja (soprano), Birgit Meyer (alto), Daniel Sans (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass),  Heike Heilmann (soprano), Birgit Wegemann (soprano), Birgit Meyer (alto), Gabriele Wunderer (alto), Gerhard Hölzle (tenor), Gerhard Nennemann (tenor), Manfred Bittner (bass), Wilhelm Schwinghammer (bass), Alice Duskova (organ)
Chamber Choir of Europe / Nicol Matt

CD 7
- Choralharmonisierungen for 4-part mixed choir
- Kyrie in C (1823) for soloists and two four-part mixed choirs
- Jube Domine (1822), for soloists and two 4-part mixed choirs
- Cantique pour l’Église Wallone, for 4-part mixed choir
- 2 English Psalms (Tate) for 4-part mixed choir: Psalm 5 / Psalm 31
- 7 Psalms (Lobwasser) for 4-part mixed choir: Psalm 2 / Psalm 24 / Psalm 31 / Psalm 91 / Psalm 93 / Psalm 98 / Psalm 100
- 13 Psalm Motets

Total time: 78’18
Chamber Choir of Europe / Nicol Matt

CD 8
- 3 Motets Op.39 for women’s choir and organ
- Hebe deine Augen auf (from Elias) for 3-part women’s choir
- O beata et benedicta, for 3-part women’s choir and organ
- Vespergesang ‘Adspice domine/ Schaue herab’ Op.121 for soloists, men’s choir, cello and double bass
- Zwei geistliche Männerchöre Op.115, for 4 voices
- Trauergesang Op.116, for 4-part choir (autograph version)
- Jauchzet dem Herrn alle Welt, for 8-part choir
- Denn er hat seinen Engeln, for 8-part choir
- Zum Abendsegen ‘Herr, sei gnädig’, for 4-part choir

Total time: 53’13
Chamber Choir of Europe / Nicol Matt

8 CDs + CD ROM

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