Rudolf Mauersberger, a German composer and music director of Dresden's Kreuzkirche, wrote his motet Wie liegt die Stadt so wüst in response to the Allied fire-bombing of Dresden in World War II.
Performer Biography
Robert Vanryne, the trumpeter on this album, was a finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition at age fifteen and specializes in reproducing 17th and 18th-century trumpets.
Recording & Production
Sospiri, the choir on this album, traveled to Roujan in the south of France in 2011 to record these choral settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah.
Historical Context
The Book of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the sixth century BC.
Compositional Technique
From the 16th century, composers setting Lamentations often included an opening announcement, a Hebrew letter for each verse, and a concluding refrain from Hosea 14:1.
Cultural Impact
The story of Jeremiah lamenting Jerusalem's loss is depicted in famous artworks like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel fresco and Rembrandt's painting.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The album features a mix of ancient and modern settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah to showcase various compositional approaches to the text over centuries.
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