More than a hundred years after Dvořák, Naji Hakim (*1955 in Beirut) wrote his "Messe solennelle", or "solemn mass", in 1999. It combines the traditional liturgical form with a rhythmically lively tonal language that is characterised by Hakim's origins in Lebanon and French organ music. Choir and organ are extraordinarily intertwined The close interweaving of choir and … [Read more...] about „Music is the word of the inexpressible“
Articles
Dreary themes, musically packaged in a cheerful way
in 1859, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) founded the "Hamburg Women's Choir" in Hamburg at the age of 26. He had met the singers at a wedding when he accompanied them on the organ. He suggested that the ladies rehearse their own compositions with him. They agreed enthusiastically. According to Brahms, this was the beginning of the best time of his life. Brahms: "The best time of … [Read more...] about Dreary themes, musically packaged in a cheerful way
Jin Jiyan Azadi – Zan Zendegi Azadi
Created as musical miniatures in 2023 and 2024, five different individual movements are summarised as a collection under the title Geminids 23. What unites these small, independent movements is their reference to events in the year 2022/23. However, the instrumentation and occasion of each composition is different, and there is not necessarily a musical bracket - as in a … [Read more...] about Jin Jiyan Azadi – Zan Zendegi Azadi
„An artist who does not believe does not achieve something like this.“
"Don't be surprised that I am such a believer," wrote the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) to his patron in 1887 after he had completed the "Mass in D major". "But an artist who does not believe does not accomplish such a thing." Between personal devotion and artistic maturity The words show that the "Mass in D major" is more than a commissioned work. It combines … [Read more...] about „An artist who does not believe does not achieve something like this.“
„Worked with great love“
A mass by the Romantic composer Robert Schumann is worthy of attention in several respects. In Lutheran Zwickau in Saxony - the composer's birthplace - one could hardly encounter the Catholic liturgy. Moreover, Robert Schumann was not a churchgoer in the true sense of the word. At best, he developed religious ideas in general terms from the perspective of a Romantic artist. It … [Read more...] about „Worked with great love“
‘Now give thanks to God’
On 5 December 1757, the Prussian army under Frederick II defeated the Austrian troops in the Battle of Leuthen during the Seven Years' War. The Lower Silesian and now Polish town became the scene of a legend when, on the evening after the battle, over 20,000 soldiers are said to have spontaneously sung the hymn 'Nun danket alle Gott'. The 'Choral of Leuthen' (a German film was … [Read more...] about ‘Now give thanks to God’
