Heinrich Schütz: Psalmen und Motetten MDR Rundfunkchor, Frank Pschichholz, Mechthild Winter, Katharina Holzhey

• Heinrich Schütz (1585 - 1672): Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts):
• 1Schütz: Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts): No. 14, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, SWV 3505:19
• Geistliche Chor-Music, Op. 11 (Excerpts):
• 2Schütz: Geistliche Chor-Music, Op. 11 (Excerpts): No. 12, Die mit Tränen säen werden mit Freuden ernten, SWV 37803:35
• 3Schütz: Geistliche Chor-Music, Op. 11 (Excerpts): No. 4, Verleih uns Frieden genädiglich, SWV 37202:07
• 4Schütz: Geistliche Chor-Music, Op. 11 (Excerpts): No. 5, Gib unserm Fürsten und aller Obrigkeit, SWV 37302:02
• Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts):
• 5Schütz: Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts): No. 4, Aus der Tiefe, SWV 2504:06
• 6Schütz: Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts): No. 10, Ich hebe meine Augen auf, SWV 3108:26
• 7Schütz: Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts): No. 3, Ach, Herr, straf mich nicht, SWV 2404:40
• 8Schütz: Psalmen Davids sampt etlichen Moteten und Concerten, Op. 2 (Excerpts): No. 16, An den Wassern zu Babel, SWV 3705:04
• Total Runtime35:19

Info for Heinrich Schütz: Psalmen und Motetten

Heinrich Schütz was already honoured by his contemporaries as the "father of our modern music". His sacred works in particular were modern, stirring, exemplary and remain so to this day - 350 years after his death in 1672. In them, he combined the latest compositional achievements - such as the double-choir music-making "born" in San Marco Venice - with biblical interpretation in a hitherto unknown way. Although he never served as a church musician, the well-travelled Dresden court conductor Schütz had a lasting influence on Lutheran church music.

Schütz published the "Psalms of David", written for the Dresden court service, in 1619, and the "Sacred Choral Music 1648" at the end of the Thirty Years' War. The motets of both collections reveal an enormous range of expression, encompassing restrained mourning ("Ach Herr, strafe mich nicht", "An den Wassern zu Babel") and deeply felt prayers ("Aus der Tiefe ruf ich, Herr, zu dir", "Ich hebe meine Augen auf") as well as radiant praise to God ("Singet dem Herrn").

The prayers for wisdom and skill of the authorities for "a good' regiment" and peace have lost none of their topicality. Traces of the 30 Years' War in Central Germany - such as the axe marks on the gate to Nimritz Castle - still remind us today...

MDR Rundfunkchor
Philipp Ahmann, conductor

The MDR radio choir
is not only the largest and most traditional choir in public broadcasting, but is also considered one of the most sought-after ensembles of its kind worldwide. Conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Kurt Masur, Colin Davis, Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, Neville Marriner , Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, Bernard Haitink and Riccardo Muti have paid tribute to the choir. The singers perform regularly with the MDR Symphony Orchestra and Dennis Russell Davies. Other artistic partners include the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Andris Nelsons, the Dresden Philharmonic and the Basel Symphony Orchestra under Marek Janowski, the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Alain Altinoglu.

The fact that the ensemble is not only an excellent partner for the most important orchestras is proven with much acclaimed a cappella interpretations, with the repertoire spanning almost a millennium of music history. As a special ensemble for contemporary music, the 73 choristers have also made a name for themselves through numerous premieres and first performances. In the summer of 2020, the choir attracted particular attention with the virtual premiere of the MDR commissioned work Islands by Michael Langemann. From 2015 to 2019, the Estonian conductor Risto Joost was the artistic director of the MDR radio choir. He was succeeded in January 2020 by Philipp Ahmann, who was already associated with the choir as a guest conductor and who has shaped the choir's musical profile in recent years with a cappella programs and CD recordings, among other things. Among his predecessors are names such as Herbert Kegel, Gert Frischmuth and Howard Arman, who also developed the extremely successful format of the night songs. The ensemble has recorded almost 200 records and CDs, many of which have won awards. The singers received the International Classical Music Award 2017 for the recording of Max Reger's motets op. 110 and the Diapason d'Or for the recording of Rachmaninoff's Vespers conducted by Risto Joost in March 2018. Most recently, a recording with motets by Anton Bruckner and Michael Haydn, conducted by Philipp Ahmann, was released on the Pentatone label in March 2021. Hear it through the European Broadcasting Union, as well as on tours and guest performances around the world ...

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