Gürzenich-Chor Köln

Chor des Bach-Vereins Köln

Beide erblickten 1685 das Licht der Welt, schufen bereits mit 22 Jahren packende Vokalwerke von höchster Kunstfertigkeit und gelten heute als die herausragenden Komponisten-Persönlichkeiten des Barocks: Johann Sebastian Bach und Georg Friedrich Händel. Ihre Vertonungen »Christ lag in Todesbanden«, »Gloria« und »Dixit Dominus«, allesamt 1707 entstanden, sind eindrucksvolle Zeugnisse ihrer schon in jungen Jahren ausgeprägten musikalischen Meisterschaft in hochdramatischer, bildhafter Textauslegung.

Concerto Köln

Soprano Jeanine De Bique from Trinidad and Concerto Köln bring heroic female figures to life in arias and orchestral works in the Great Hall. The basis is the singer's debut album 'Mirrors', which “from furor to goosebumps, from breathtaking coloraturas to sensual, beautiful, simple melodies” revels in the entire range of baroque opera emotions.

Carl-Philipp-Emanuel-Bach-Chor Hamburg / Concerto Köln / Hansjörg Albrecht

The opening concert of this year’s International Bach Festival Hamburg will feature Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s Passion cantata »Die letzten Leiden des Erlösers«, written for Hamburg, performed in the Laeiszhalle by the ensemble Concerto Köln, which specialises in historical performance practice, and the Carl-Philipp-Emanuel-Bach-Choir. Together with the final concert on Easter Sunday, it forms the thematic arc of this Bach festival centred on the Passion and Resurrection.

Meister in Köln

KölnChor | Rheinischer Kammerchor Köln

»Musik mit Stachel«, überschrieb Jürgen Leuke in der Stuttgarter Zeitung seine Konzertkritik zur Aufführung von Benjamin Brittens »War Requiem« unter dem Dirigat von Helmut Rilling. Zuhören soll bei diesem Werk trotz des grandiosen Klangs nicht zum Hörgenuss werden, ein beharrlicher Stachel mahnt: Nach elf Stunden Bombardement hatte die deutsche Luftwaffe im Zweiten Weltkrieg den größten Teil der mittelenglischen Stadt Coventry in Schutt und Asche gelegt, die Kathedrale St. Michael völlig zerstört.Zu Wiedereinweihung der Kathedrale schrieb Britten sein Requiem, als Mahnung und Anklage- Er ergänzte den lateinischen Text der Totenmesse mit Gedichten seines wenigen Tage vor dem Ende des Ersten Weltkriegs gefallenen Landsmannes Wilfred Owen, Texte die bis heute ihre beklemmende Aktualität behalten haben.

Polizeichor Köln | Eugen Momot

Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg

A special song recital with the Monteverdi Choir Hamburg, the young star soprano Katharina Ruckgaber and the Salzburg tenor Virgil Hartinger: In Franz Schubert’s incredibly large oeuvre, the choral work is still one of the unpolished jewels of the concert repertoire. The audience can expect heart-rending love songs and contemplations of nature full of longing as well as devotional sacred music. The programme is complemented by humorous piano songs by Joseph Haydn about everyday things, such as unwanted chatter at a wine evening and harmony in marriage.

Chor zur Welt

People from more than 15 countries sing in the Chor zur Welt. They all share a curiosity for the music of other cultures and all enjoy experimenting with their own voices. Under the direction of Jörg Mall, the choir rehearses clearly conceived concert programmes, which are then performed on stage at the Elbphilharmonie and KörberHaus. Together with the singer, songwriter and producer Ramadu from Zimbabwe, the choir is now exploring the traditional a capella music of southern Africa and familiarising itself with the Bantu languages of Ndbele and Xhosa. Choir members and the audience can expect a variety songs that are stylistically very different, all in response to the breathtaking nature and volatile history of the countries of Southern Africa. The stylistic spectrum ranges from the powerful »Mbube« (Zulu for »Lion«), which rose to international fame thanks to Walt Disney’s »The Lion King«, to the militant »Chimurenga«, where the musicians opposed the oppression of the British colonial rulers and campaigned for freedom, independence, social justice and respect for human rights, through to the soft and harmonious »Isicathamiya«. »Ubuntu« – humanity – is the title of the programme, where the desire for freedom comes together in the traditional texts with an appeal for global justice and peaceful coexistence. Ramadu is the stage name of Dumisani Moyo. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, he lived in Vienna for many years, where he founded the record label 10th District Music. With a mix of traditional folk music from southern Africa and modern pop sounds, he brought the music of his homeland to a worldwide audience. His various solo and ensemble projects like the »Insingizi« trio have garnered rapturous receptions. The studio attached to his record label has since relocated to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where he devotes his efforts to promoting the local art scene. With some great triumphs along the way: NOBUNTU, Zimbabwe‘s first female vocal group, is just one success story that owes its genesis to him.

Chor zur Welt

Roughly 75 singers from 23 cultures regularly come together in the Chor zur Welt (English: World Choir) to sing together. The Elbphilharmonie’s ensemble has already achieved a very broad range of projects. This time, the choir makes a journey around the world and pays a musical visit to the native countries of its singers. »I only rarely speak Arabic in everyday life – it is a genuine sense of home when I can sing in my mother tongue here!« a Syrian choir member reveals. Along with this sense of home comes curiosity about other cultures and the social experience – because singing connects us! So, the music likewise serves as the access, platform and nourishment for the intercultural exchange which shaped the profile of the choir from the start. The Chor zur Welt is conducted by Jörg Mall, who has managed the choir since it was founded in 2016 as the Syrian/German project choir. However, the entire choir is involved in suggesting pieces when arranging its programmes – and also the expertise of everyone is sought after for the translation and practice of the correct pronunciation in the many different languages.

Franz-Schubert-Chor Hamburg

The Franz Schubert Choir’s Christmas concert this year combines two masterpieces of choral music: the »Saint Nicolas Cantata« by Benjamin Britten and the »Oratorio de Noël« by Camille Saint-Saëns. Britten’s St Nicholas Cantata is characterised by rich harmonies, lively text painting and dramatic narration. It combines the sacred with the profane and takes the audience on a journey that traces the life and legacy of St Nicholas, the patron saint of children. Saint-Saëns makes the Christmas story resound radiantly and solemnly in his »Oratorio de Noël«. The musical beauty and sonorous interpretation of the text make this Christmas oratorio unmistakable and an important work of Romantic music. Under the direction of Christiane Hrasky, the Franz-Schubert-Chor Hamburg, outstanding soloists and the Hamburg Camerata will present the two pieces to the audience.