Sankt Stefans-Choral. As a source of inspiration, the composer used the dazzling, impressive and beautiful world-famous St. Stephen?s Cathedral?the Stephansdom?in Vienna. Often seen as a national symbol of Austria, it stands in the heart of Vienna and has 14 bells, each with its own name. At the beginning of the work, you can hear the ringing of the bells. The main melody softly emerges from this soundscape and returns repeatedly in various instrumentations and different harmonisations. Following a fortissimo section, the hymnal melody ebbs and fades away, the same way it appeared at the beginning. St. Stephen?s Chorale is a solemn moment of contemplation in your concert.

Leos Janacek almost seventy years old characterised the wind sextet he had just finished as 'a kind of memory of youth' in a letter to Kamila Stösslová. The suite Youth was written in the summer of 1924 prompted by the composer's need to take stock on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Janacek also heard the Parisian ensemble Societe moderne des instruments a vent several times in Salzburg and Brno. He expanded the classic quintet scoring by the addition of a bass clarinet.Janacek referred to an earlier part of his life in this work not only by quoting a theme from March of the Blue Boys but particularly through his general freshness ofexpression astute humour and use of form which adhered to the classical style.The piece was enthusiastically received by both critics and the public and appeared in print as early as 1925 issued by the Prague publisher Hudebni matice.Wind sextet in the classical styleUrtext based on the Critical Complete Edition of the Works of Leos JanacekNew foreword by Jiri Zahradka (Cz/Eng/Ger)

Chandons Te Deum HWV 281. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. Handel composed the 'Te Deum” in B-flat major HWV 281 in 1718 for the future Duke of Chandos, hence its nickname 'Chandos Te Deum”. Here it is called 'Te Deum for Cannons” after the Duke's stately home named Cannons where the first performance took place. The unusual scoring for flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and basso continuo plus a choir (one soprano, three tenors and a bass) probably reflects the musicians which were available at Cannons, bearing in mind that three tenors were used also in 'Acis and Galatea”, the masque which was composed at almost the same time. Though in many respects this 'Te Deum” is reminiscent of the 'Utrecht Te Deum”, its smaller forces tend to give it more the character of chamber music. This edition is based on the Urtext from the 'Halle Handel Edition” (BA 10708), which offers the first complete scholarly text of the music for the 'Te Deum”./ Répertoire / Orchestre à Vent