J.S. Bach, a renowned composer, made a trip to Lübeck without permission from his employers to hear Dietrich Buxtehude, an organist and composer whose music was formative for Bach.
Composition History
Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir, though popular today, was composed over four years but not premiered for four decades, as Martin saw it as a personal communication with God rather than for performance.
Compositional Technique
Orlande de Lassus, a polyglot composer, wrote the religious setting Timor et tremor in a madrigalian style, using incredible chord progressions and chromaticism for word painting.
Recording & Production
The version of Brahms's German Requiem on this album uses the unusual scoring for piano duet, originally produced by Brahms to promote the work in England, with an 1872 Bösendorfer piano providing an authentic sound.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Gabriel Fauré, whose Requiem is featured, regarded death as a 'joyful deliverance' and his musical style reflects an 'aspiration to a happiness beyond the grave'.
Performer Biography
The Sixteen, led by founder and conductor Harry Christophers, has been at the forefront of choral music-making for over thirty years.
Album & Artwork
This album, "Great European Choral Works," is a compilation of music from continental Europe, drawn from The Sixteen's CORO catalogue.
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