SKU: BR.CHB-5380-00

ISBN 9790004413814. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. German / Latin.

As director of the Bavarian Radio Choir, Howard Arman has been actively engaged with international Christmas carols through various Christmas-related CD productions in the past years. This has resulted in a number of original arrangements for four- to eight-part mixed choir a cappella, shedding new light on well-known classics such as O du frohliche [O, you joyful], Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and Lasst uns froh und munter sein [Let us be happy and cheerful]. The first volume includes five Christmas carols from the German-speaking regions. They range from simple but harmonically intriguing settings such as Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf [Dear nightingale, wake up] to eight-part sound paintings with bell-like chimes as in O du frohliche and classical double choir settings such as Resonet in laudibus. The second volume includes five Christmas spirituals with English texts, forming a contrast to the solemn and festive character of the first. The choir can prove its swing and jazz qualities here; the stirring arrangements are a gain for classical Christmas concerts, too. Following the tradition of the spiritual, some settings also require soloists, which can, however, also be recruited from the choir if adequate singers are available. The first piece combines the spirituals It's a Birthday and Wasn't That a Mighty Day to form a medley, Ain't That a Rockin' gives a moment of tranquility before the likewise rousing spirituals Mary Had a Baby and Little David conclude the volume. In both volumes, Howard Arman provides a short preface in German and English, explaining the background of each piece and giving advice on performance.

SKU: BR.PB-5603-07

Mozart wrote the Vesperae solennes de Dominica in Salzburg in 1779, the same year as the Coronation Mass - a work, which the composer himself held in high esteem.

ISBN 9790004215005. 6.5 x 9 inches.

It was no doubt this work that Mozart presented to Baron van Swieten when he later sought to introduce himself to the Viennese musical world as a composer of church music in the serious stile antico. This new edition by the Mozart expert Ulrich Konrad is based on the autograph and on authentic part material from the estate of Leopold Mozart.

Mozart wrote the Vesperae solennes de Dominica in Salzburg in 1779, the same year as the Coronation Mass - a work, which the composer himself held in high esteem.

SKU: BR.SON-339

ISBN 9790004802854. 10.5 x 13.5 inches. Latin.

The present volume contains the Psalmi Davidis Poenitentiales, seven penitential psalms that had already been supplemented with the motet Laudate Dominum de coelis in the first edition (1584). In the Complete Edition, however, the compilation is preceded by the vocal piece S u Su p e r per Super (1567), which experiments with syllables. Though reprinted many times, it was assigned to various genres according to its place of publication: while the piece was considered as a motet in Germany, in France it was classified as a chanson and in Italy as a madrigal a unique case in the reception history of vocal music in the 16th century. To this day we still do not know the significance of the vocal text Super flumina Babylonis, which gradually evolves out of syllables. Perhaps Lasso wanted to depict a biblical scene that evokes the gradual learning of a language.

SKU: BR.EOS-8047-15

ISBN 9790004789735. 8.5 x 11.5 inches.

Among Campra's Latin works, the ,Messe de mort' is perhaps one of the more successful and today it is one of the more frequently performed. It is also the most enigmatic score of his entire output. Despite extensive researches, no evidence of any sort has yet been brought to light to document its origin, purpose, date of composition, first performance or reception. A stylistic analysis indubitably supports the contention that the ,Messe de mort' is a late work, composed perhaps between 1722 and 1729.
The present edition is based on the manuscript from the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (Paris). It it the oldest known source of the work. The very few errors have been corrected.
(Jean-Paul Montagnier) Vokalensemble Stuttgart und den Kammerchor des Kopernikus-Gymnasiums Wasseralfingen. Fur diese beiden ganz unterschiedlichen Chorformationen hat Martin Smolka 2012 auch gezielt seine Partitur angelegt. Biografisch ist das Agnus Dei eine Art kleines Requiem fur seinen kurz zuvor verstorbenen Vater. Das liturgische Agnus Dei rahmt den deutschen Text Eh das Madchen entschlief ... der bei Auffuhrungen in anderen Landern durch eine Ubersetzung ersetzt werden soll.

Der SWR-Redakteur Hans-Peter Jahn schreibt dazu im Programmheft: Die fur Smolka typischen minimalistischen Taktzellen schaffen eine archaische Sinnlichkeit. Eine einfache und zugleich streng gebaute Vokalmusik mit Tiefenwirkung.

Nach der Urauffuhrung war die Esslinger Zeitung hellauf begeistert: Smolka ist ein Meister der Stimmbehandlung und der chorischen Klanggestaltung. Im Zentrum des Stucks gerat die Musik zum Stillstand: im leisen gleichmassigen Summen uber dem plotzlich fortissimo ein tschechisches Kinderlied erklingt eines das der Vater seinen Kindern haufig vorgesungen hat. Das alles war sehr beruhrend. Und eigentlich noch mehr als das. My father PhDr. Jaroslav Smolka (1933-2011) was a leading Czech musicologist author of books Czech Cantata and Oratorium Fuga in Czech Music Smetana's Orchestra Music Smetana's Vocal Music monography of Jan Dismas Zelenka and many others. He was a legendary teacher of Music History at Prague Music Academy critic recording producer composer; for almost 50 years he was an important and highly respected personality of Prague musical life.
My father devoted a lot of time and energy to musical education and activities of my sister and me using often quite original methods such as teaching of intervals and counterpoint through Bartok's Microcosmos ear training filling all imaginable moments of everyday life or lessons of harmony analysis starting with Overture to Tristan and Musorgsky's Catacombs. The Martinu song Wondering Maiden was his solo number in our home vocal productions which he used to sing with amazing devotion while his huge voice was audible in several neighboring streets.
My Agnus Dei is closely bound to all this history e.g. by using canon and preferring beauty of dissonant seconds like Bartok or quoting Martinu and his refined neoclassical harmony. Father would be probably a bit critical about the minimalistic monotony of the main body of the piece. Nevertheless firstly he would improvise a short lecture of history of Agnus Dei in Requiem in Czech Music naming by heart many dates and all examples of changes of order of the traditional text by composers. Examples would be sung probably.
(Martin Smolka).