MDR Rundfunkchor

Last updated

MDR Rundfunkchor
Choir
Logo MDR Rundfunkchor.svg
Origin Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
Founded1946 (1946)
Founder Heinrich Werlé
Genre Professional mixed choir
Members73
Chief conductor Philipp Ahmann
Awards Echo Klassik
Website www.mdr.de/konzerte/rundfunkchor/

MDR Rundfunkchor is the radio choir of the German broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR), based in Leipzig, Saxony. Dating back to 1924, the choir became the radio choir of a predecessor of the MDR in 1946, then called Kammerchor des Senders Leipzig, or Rundfunkchor Leipzig. The present name was established in 1992. The choir has appeared internationally, and has made award-winning recordings.

Contents

History

The origin of the later MDR Rundfunkchor was a choir called Leipziger Oratorienvereinigung (Leipzig oratorio association), [1] that appeared first on 14 December 1924 in a broadcast of the Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk AG  [ de ] (MIRAG) of Haydn's Die Schöpfung , [2] conducted by Alfred Szendrei. A 1931 broadcast featured a Leipziger Solistenchor (Leipzig soloists choir). The choir was renamed on 1 July 1934, as Kammerchor des Reichssenders Leipzig, when the broadcaster became Reichssender Leipzig. [3] In 1934, the future choirmaster Heinrich Werlé appeared frequently as guest conductor. From 1935 to 1940, Curt Kretzschmar was choral director. The first surviving recordings date back to 1937: A cappella recording with folk songs and radio recording of the Aria of Marie from Donizetti's La fille du régiment conducted by Curt Kretzschmar. In May 1941, the choir was delegated to the Reichssender München. At the end of 1942, the choir was dissolved. Fourteen former choir members were taken over by the Bruckner Choir St. Florian Monastery of the Großdeutscher Rundfunk from 1943 to 1945. This was taken over by Thomaskantor Günther Ramin and transferred to Linz in 1944.

After World War II, the choir was taken over by the new Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Conducted by Heinrich Werlé, it was formed by 27 singers, women and men. [1] He was supported by Dietrich Knothe from 1952 on (dismissed for political reasons in October 1962), which was intended primarily for a cappella works and rehearsals. The concert tour through Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland and Sweden) in October 1957 marked the choir's international breakthrough. In the same year the choir gave a guest performance in CSSR. In 1964, Horst Neumann was engaged as guest conductor; from 1967 to 1978, and thus as successor to Armin Oeser, he was choir director. From 1969 the choir gave concerts for schoolchildren. From 1978 to 1980 the choir had three interim conductors: Jochen Wehner, Gerhard Richter and Gert Frischmuth. In 1980, Jörg-Peter Weigle took over the direction of the choir and from 1985 onwards the chief conductor. In 1982 the choir and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra gave guest performances in Japan conducted by Wolf-Dieter Hauschild. Gert Frischmuth became chief conductor in 1988 and choir director in 1992. In January 1989 the choir was the first ensemble from the GDR to perform in Israel under Kurt Masur's direction.

In January 1992, the broadcaster was reorganised, [3] and the choir renamed MDR Rundfunkchor. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary the choir gave a jubilee concert in 1996 Howard Arman was choral conductor from 1998. [4] The choir toured to Qatar several times between 2008 and 2014, followed by concerts in France, Italy, Monaco and Switzerland. Risto Joost was artistic director from 2015 to 2020. [4] Philipp Ahmann has been the choir's first guest conductor between 2013 and 2016, and has been appointed as artistic director in 2020. [5] [6]

The MDR Rundfunkchor has an extensive repertoire (a cappella, choral symphonic works, ensemble singing, secular and sacred music). In addition, it has appeared as a special ensemble for Neue Musik with numerous premieres and world premieres [7] and others. Boris Blacher, Thomas Buchholz, Thomas Bürkholz, Alan Bush, Jean-Luc Darbellay, Paul Dessau, Paul-Heinz Dittrich, Hanns Eisler, Fritz Geißler, Sofia Gubaidulina, Hans Werner Henze, Günter Kochan, Marek Kopelent, Wilfried Krätzschmar, Ernst Hermann Meyer, Günter Neubert, Krzysztof Penderecki, Rudolf Wagner-Régeny, Gerhard Rosenfeld, Friedrich Schenker, Kurt Schwaen, Siegfried Thiele, Carlos Veerhoff and Udo Zimmermann. More than 200 sound carriers have been released so far. The choir performed at international festivals such as Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Dresden Music Festival, Salzburg Festival, The Proms in London, and the Wiener Festwochen, among others. [1] In 2019, the choir participated in the opening concert of the Rheingau Musik Festival at Eberbach Abbey, singing Dvořák's Stabat Mater with the hr-Sinfonieorchester, conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada. [8] Conductors like Claudio Abbado, Karl Böhm, Riccardo Chailly, Sir Colin Davis, Bernard Haitink, Herbert von Karajan, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Sir Neville Marriner, Riccardo Muti, Roger Norrington, Seiji Ozawa, Georges Prêtre, Sir Simon Rattle and Wolfgang Sawallisch have already conducted the orchestra. In addition to regular cooperation with the MDR Symphony Orchestra and the Gewandhausorchester, the choir has performed repeatedly with the Dresdner Staatskapelle, the Dresdner Philharmonie and the Staatskapelle Weimar.

Choir director

Recordings

A recording of MDR Rundfunkchor of Carl Heinrich Graun's Der Tod Jesu , with the MDR Sinfonieorchester conducted by Howard Arman, was awarded the Echo Klassik 2005 in the category best recording of the 17th/18th centuries. [9] The choir recorded Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil twice, in 2000 conducted by Arman, and in 2016 conducted by Risto Joost. A reviewer noted: "Extremely well prepared MDR Rundfunkchor communicates an impeccable, focused sound and is unerringly responsive to the sacred text." [10]

Awards

Literature

Related Research Articles

Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, shortened to MDR, is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Established in January 1991, its headquarters are in Leipzig, with regional studios in Dresden, Erfurt and Magdeburg. MDR is a member of the ARD consortium of public broadcasters in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra</span> German symphony orchestra

The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra is a German symphony orchestra based in Berlin. In Berlin, the orchestra gives concerts at the Konzerthaus Berlin and at the Berliner Philharmonie. The orchestra has also given concerts in other German cities such as Aschaffenburg, Essen, Halle, Oldenburg, and Wiesbaden. Its the second oldest radio orchestra with 114 musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marek Janowski</span> Polish-born German conductor (born 1939)

Marek Janowski is a Polish-born German conductor..

The MDR-Sinfonieorchester is a German radio orchestra based in Leipzig. It is the radio orchestra of Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, the public broadcaster for the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It is one of the oldest Radio orchestras in the world and the oldest in Germany. It was founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1923, with 115 musicians. Apart from a short interruption during World War II, it has been the main orchestra of the Central German Broadcasting Company (MDR) since 1924. The orchestra performs concerts in Leipzig at the Gewandhaus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rheingau Musik Festival</span> International music festival in Germany

The Rheingau Musik Festival (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, in the wine-growing Rheingau region between Wiesbaden and Lorch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Arman</span> English choral conductor and opera director

Howard Arman is an English choral conductor and opera director. He won the Handel Prize of the Handel Festival, Halle, in 1996, shaped the festival's orchestra and conducted operas of George Frideric Handel. He is a conductor of the Theater and Philharmonie Thüringen, also the Luzerner Theater. Since 2017 he is the Director of the Bayerische Rundfunk Chor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NDR Chor</span> German choir

The NDR Chor is the choir of the German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), based in Hamburg. It was founded in 1946, with Max Thurn as the first director of then 55 singers. The group has participated in premieres of contemporary music, such as the posthumous concert premiere of Schoenberg's opera Moses und Aron. It is also known for a capella music, introduced by Helmut Franz such as a recording of all such works by Johannes Brahms. The current artistic director is Philipp Ahmann, who has held the position from 2008. NDR Chor, now a group of 28 singers, is one of the leading professional chamber choirs in Germany.

Philipp Ahmann is a German conductor, especially known as a choral conductor. He has been the director of the NDR Chor from 2008 to 2018. Since 2020, Ahmann is the MDR Rundfunkchor's artistic director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDR Rundfunkchor Köln</span>

The WDR Rundfunkchor Köln is the choir of the German broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), based in Cologne. It was founded in 1947. The choir premiered works by contemporary composers including Arnold Schoenberg's unfinished opera Moses und Aron in 1954, Karlheinz Stockhausen's Momente, Luigi Nono's Il canto sospeso, Bernd Alois Zimmermann's Requiem für einen jungen Dichter and Penderecki's St Luke Passion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dietrich Knothe</span>

Dietrich Knothe was a German conductor and choral conductor, winner of the 1985 Handel Prize presented by the city of Halle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jörg Breiding</span>

Jörg Breiding is a German choral conductor and academic teacher. He has been the conductor of the Knabenchor Hannover since 2002. He taught at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, and has been professor of choral conducting at the Folkwang Hochschule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Risto Joost</span> Estonian conductor and opera singer

Risto Joost is an Estonian conductor and operatic countertenor.

Heinrich Werlé was a German choir director, organist and music critic.

Wolf-Dieter Hauschild was a German conductor, choirmaster, artistic director, composer, harpsichordist and university lecturer.

Clemens Flämig is a German conductor and Stadtsingechores zu Halle. In 2016, in the course of a selection procedure, he was shortlisted alongside Markus Teutschbein for the 17th Thomanerchor after Johann Sebastian Bach.

Günter Neubert was a German composer and tonmeister.

Peter Dorn is a German composer and classical pianist.

Michael Gläser is a German singer, choral conductor and academic teacher. He was artistic director of broadcasters' choirs including the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the choir of the Bayerischer Rundfunk. He has been professor of choral conducting and Protestant church music at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München from 1994. Two recordings for which he conducted a choir were nominated for the Grammy Awards.

Gert Frischmuth was a German choral conductor and music educator.

Sung Min Song is a South Korean operatic tenor who has performed internationally, based in Germany. He is focused on Italian opera and 19th-century oratorios including Puccini's Messa di Gloria and Verdi's Requiem. A member of the Saarländisches Staatstheater from 2017, he is capable of performing tenor roles with a high tessitura such as Arnold in Rossini's Guillaume Tell.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Geschichte" (in German). Freunde und Förderer des MDR Rundfunkchores Leipzig. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  2. ↑ "Sendungen mit der Leipziger Oratorienvereinigung". Freunde und Förderer des MDR Rundfunkchores Leipzig (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR)" (in German). ARD . Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  4. 1 2 "MDR Rundfunkchor" (in German). Freunde und Förderer des MDR Rundfunkchores Leipzig. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "Antrittskonzert für Philipp Ahmann als neuem Leiter des MDR-Rundfunkchors | nmz – neue musikzeitung". www.nmz.de (in German). 20 January 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Philipp Ahmann übernimmt den Chor, das Orchester bleibt weiter ohne Chefdirigent". LVZ – Leipziger Volkszeitung (in German). 10 April 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  7. ↑ Cf. Jörg Clemen, Steffen Lieberwirth: Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. The History of the Symphony Orchestra. Klaus-Jürgen Kamprad publishing house, Altenburg 1999, ISBN   3-930550-09-1, p. 185 ff.
  8. ↑ Schickhaus, Stefan. "Den Klangraum delikat überlisten". Frankfurter Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Echo Klassik 2005 – Die Sieger". beta.musikwoche.de/details/182142 (in German). Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  10. ↑ Cookson, Michael (May 2018). "Sergei Rachmaninov (1873–1943) / All-Night Vigil". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  11. ↑ Gerhard Walther: Der Rundfunk in der Sowjetischen Besatzungszone Deutschlands. Bundesministerium für Gesamtdeutsche Fragen, Bonn/Berlin 1961, p. 80.
  12. ↑ Jörg Clemen, Steffen Lieberwirth: Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Die Geschichte des Sinfonieorchesters. Klaus-Jürgen Kamprad publishing house, Altenburg 1999, ISBN   3-930550-09-1, p. 129.
  13. ↑ Musik und Gesellschaft 27 (1977), S. 701.
  14. ↑ "International Classical Music Award 2017 "Klassik-Oscar" für den MDR-Rundfunkchor" (in German). MDR. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  15. ↑ "Sendungen mit der Leipziger Oratorienvereinigung" (in German). MDR. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.