Berlioz, H.: Te Deum / Mozart, W.A.: Kyrie, K. 341 (C. Davis) (Staatskapelle Dresden Edition, Vol. 10)
1/1/2006, 7 Tracks, 59:38
Featuring
Sir Colin Davis
Hans-Dieter Schöne
Neill Stuart
Philharmonischer Kinderchor Dresden
Singakademie Dresden
Kinderchor der Semperoper Dresden
Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
Sinfoniechor Dresden
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden
Hector Berlioz
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Did you know?
1/7
Historical Context
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart visited Dresden in 1789 and, despite not particularly liking the performances he heard, reportedly exclaimed: "Sir, if only the dear Lord had put me in the church, in front of such an orchestra!"
Notable Performances
The premiere of Berlioz's Te Deum in 1855 featured over 900 performers in the church of St. Eustache in Paris.
Composer Biography
Hector Berlioz visited Dresden twice, in 1843 and 1854, conducting his own works and praising the local musicians.
Compositional Technique
Berlioz added a children's choir to his Te Deum after being inspired by hearing 6,500 children singing at St Paul's Cathedral in London in 1851.
Compositional Technique
Berlioz's Te Deum employs large forces, multiple choirs, broad tempos, and dramatic contrasts to convey God's majesty and man's transience, inspired by the large-scale works of his teacher Jean François Le Sueur.
Composition History
Berlioz's Te Deum, completed in 1849, was originally conceived as a tribute to Napoleon I but was realized as a "huge religious concerto."
Performer Biography
Sir Colin Davis, the conductor on this album, initiated a "veritable Berlioz revival" in the late 1960s with a series of recordings.
