ChristmasStille ChoirNacht... Music

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recording location: Funkhaus am Hans-Rosenthal-Platz, Studio 10, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem (H. v. Herzogenberg + J. N. David) recording producer: Klaus Bischke | Wolfgang Gottschalk | Helge Jörns | Walter Schales recording engineer: Klaus Krüger | Geert Puhlmann | Hansjörg Saladin | Alfred Steinke Stille Nacht... Choir Music Eine Aufnahme von RIAS Berlin (lizenziert durch ) recording: P 1972-1986 Deutschlandradio research: Rüdiger Albrecht remastering: P 2014 Ludger Böckenhoff rights: audite claims all rights arising from copyright law and competition law in relation to research, compilation and re-mastering of the original audio tapes, as well as the publication of these tracks. Violations will be prosecuted. The historical publications at audite are based, without exception, on the origi- nal tapes from broadcasting archives. In general these are the original analogue RIAS Kammerchor masterst release tapes, which attain an astonishingly high quality, even measured by today’s stand- Uwe Gronostay, Dirigent ards, with their tape speed of up to 76 cm/sec. The remastering – professionally competent and sensitively applied – also uncovers previously hidden details of the interpretations. Thus, a sound of superior quality results. Publications based 1 on private recordings from broadcasts cannot be compared with these. Regina Jacobi, Mezzosopran cover photo: stained glass window, © Agnes Böckenhoff Klaus Stoll, Kontrabass photo: Uwe Gronostay: Deutschlandradio-Archiv art direction and design: AB•Design

e-mail: [email protected] • http: //www.audite.de © 2014 Ludger Böckenhoff Adrian Willaert (ca. 1490-1562) Leonhart Schröter Mirabile mysterium declaratur hodie (Anonymus) 3:45 Freut euch, ihr lieben Christen 1:24 recording: 22-10-1981 Newe Weihnacht Liedlein (1586/87) recording: 21-06-1974 Thomas Stoltzer (ca. 1475-1526) Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis (Anonymus) 2:05 Sethus Calvisius (1556-1615) Grates nunc omnes reddamus Domino Deo Freut euch und jubiliert (Anonymus) 1:28 (Anonymus) 1:52 Florilegium Portense (1618) recording: 22-10-1981 Gloria in excelsis Deo (Bibel, Lukas 2:14) 1:20 Joseph, lieber Joseph mein (Anonymus) 1:38 Ludwig Senfl (ca. 1490-1543) Florilegium Portense (1618) Et filius datus est nobis (Anonymus) 1:55 recording: 17-12-1980 recording: 22-10-1981 Johann Crüger (1598-1662) (1571-1621) Wie soll ich dich empfangen () 2:19 Enatus est Emanuel / recording: 27-11-1984 Geborn ist uns Immanuel (Anonymus) 1:29 Musae Sioniae, Teil VI (1609) (1553-1611) recording: 20-06-1974 Übers Gebirg Maria geht () 2:43 Preussische Festlieder, 1. Teil (1642) (16. Jhdt.), auch Michael Praetorius zugeschrieben Anonymus recording: 27-11-1984 Psallite unigenito / Singt und klingt (Thomas Popel) 1:40 recording: 20-06-1974 Martin Grabert (1868-1951) Das Reis (Trotz Schnee und Eis blüht wo ein Reis) (1532-1601) Leonhart Schröter (Käthe Kamossa) 3:18 Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich (Nikolaus Hermann) 1:46 recording: 24-11-1977 recording: 21-06-1974 Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843-1900) Johann Nepomuk David (1895-1977) Meine Seele erhebt den Herrn 3:12 O oriens splendor lucis aeternae (Bibel, Lukas 1:46-47 u. 49) Zur Adentszeit op. 81,1 (Ambrosius / ) 8:04 recording: 30-11-1978 recording: 10-03-1986

Carl Loewe (1796-1869) Heinz Werner Zimmermann (*1930) In dulci jubilo (Anonymus) 2:56 Lobet, ihr Knechte des Herrn (Bibel, Psalm 113) 1:56 recording: 14-10-1975 Uns ist ein Kind geboren (Bibel, Jesaja 9:6) 2:16 recording: 27-01-1977 Anonymus / Wolfgang Jehn (*1937) Er ist da, Hallelujah (Frankreich, Margarete Rollny) 1:59 Anonymus / Helmut Barbe (*1927) Hier liegt das Kindlein auf Heu und auf Stroh O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum (Holland, M. Rollny) 1:42 (Anonymus, aus dem Westfälischen) 1:24 Auf dem Heu das Kindlein (Polen, M. Rollny) 1:11 Maria durch ein Dornwald ging recording: 17-12-1980 (Anonymus, aus dem Eichsfeld) 2:15 Nacht überm Judaland (Schweden, M. Rollny) 1:38 recording: 15-02-1977 Mit lieblichen Flöten (Jugoslawien, M. Rollny) 1:36 Johannes Petzold (1912-1985) / Kommt, ihr Brüder (Spanien, M. Rollny) 1:21 Uwe Gronostay (1939-2008) Geboren im Stalle (Schweiz, M. Rollny) 1:18 Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen (Jochen Klepper) 2.51 Macht euch auf, ihr Hirten alle (Jugoslawien, M. Rollny) 1:40 recording: 18-12-1972 recording: 30-11-1972 Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) Hans Friedrich Micheelsen (1902-1973) Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Eusebius Mandyczewski) 3:36 Der du die Welt geschaffen hast (Rudolf Alexander Schröder) 1:23 recording: 07-12-1976 Trittst du wieder vor die Nacht (R. A. Schröder) 1:24 Steht auf und wacht, der Morgen lacht(R. A. Schröder) 1:50 recording: 20-06-1974 All lyrics available on www.audite.de RIAS Kammerchor and Uwe Gronostay / Deutschlandradio-Archiv The Night of Light and „Figuralchöre“ (choirs specialising practice. In 1973, it through exchanging experiences. The The Christmas carols on this CD were in the polyphonic music of the 14th to realised his first production of Handel‘s recordings on this CD give an idea of the recorded by the RIAS (Radio in the Amer- 16th centuries) were established during Messiah with Gronostay’s North German development that the RIAS Kammerchor ican Sector) Berlin1 between 1972 and the 1960s. It was often church musicians Figuralchor. underwent during the brief decade and a 1986. The recordings are distributed over who provided the impetus for them; they half under Gronostay’s direction. This the entire era during which Uwe Gronos- directed good choirs, but they wanted remained a subordinate aspect, however, tay was artistic director of the RIAS Kam- to develop their work artistically, going in the selection and arrangement of the merchor. Gronostay, born in Hildesheim beyond the technical limitations of the pieces on this Christmas CD. In terms of in 1939 and trained as a church musician, community. They brought together the content, the compilation by Rüdiger was active in this capacity already during best singers from their churches to form Albrecht ranges from the mysterious night his school years on a part-time basis in achievement-orientated choirs engaged in which God’s light falls, to songs of Braunschweig, and on a full-time basis in in projects. Concurrently with the stu- praise, narrative and contemplative songs Bremen following his studies. He proved dent movement, the amateur choir scene about the birth of Christ and then back to his suitability for the position at the West underwent a forward thrust towards the night – which, in the religious-sym- Berlin station through his work with the almost professional quality. The sound bolic sense, also contains daybreak within North German „Figuralchor“2. With the was orientated towards pure intonation, it. In terms of the history of their compo- founding and direction of this ensemble, clear articulation, unified character and The pioneers in high achievement amongst sition, the works extend from the Renais- he emerged as an exponent of a new cho- flexibility; the highest art and touchstone amateur choirs transferred new challenges sance to the 1960s; mainstays of the ral culture. A number of madrigal choirs was considered to be a-capella singing. to professional choirs, especially through Christmas-carol literature alternate with After the singing movement of the 1920s, the a-capella ideal. With the takeover of rarely performed songs. 1 Founded in February 1946 by the American which had been partially discredited for the RIAS Kammerchor, Uwe Gronostay Armed Forces, initially as wired radio in the American Sector of Berlin (DIAS), it was having adapted to Nazi doctrines, this involved himself in both areas. Under his 1. From the Renaissance and absorbed into Deutschlandradio in 1994. was the most important renewal in the direction, the West Berlin Radio Ensemble Early Baroque 2 Not to be confused with the ensemble of the culture of choral singing; historically, it regained the sound character that fit its The 34 pieces are arranged in three same name founded in 1981 by Jörg Straube in took place concurrently with the spread name and a strong personnel that could groups corresponding to the various Hannover. of historically informed performance bear international comparison, perfecting epochs. The large first section consist- ing of music of the Renaissance and a flourishing musical life there by order mas Midnight Mass), and others are free in Berlin, like Eccard; he was known early Baroque periods (tracks 1-13) of Queen Maria until the invasion of verses. Enatus est and Psallite – both con- for his to poems of Paul Ger- is followed by a Romantic intermezzo the Turks. Like the Swiss Ludwig Senfl tained in the sixth volume of Michael Pra- hardt (1607–1676). The selections heard (tracks 14-16); the substantial final group (approx. 1490-1543), he sympathised with etorius’s (1571-1621) Musae Sioniae (Zion’s on this CD include examples of the most sketches a spectrum of Christmas cho- the but avoided any public Muses) – were disseminated in Latin and important genres in which composers ral music from the mid-twentieth cen- commitment to Luther’s teachings. Senfl German versions, and Psallite is even writ- wrote sacred music during this period – tury. The first part begins and closes corresponded with the reformer, aban- ten bilingually, modelled on the Quempas. small vocal forms ranging from simple with a homage to the city that, in its doned the priesthood in favour of mar- Both pieces use traditional popular forms – four-part writing to highly ornate textures day, set the standards for Western musi- riage but remained open to all options for the round and the refrain song – thus cre- of melodically independent voices. cal culture: Venice. Under Adrian Wil- the sake of his art. ating a link between the loftiness of the laert (approx. 1490-1562), a Belgian, Christian Annunciation and the popular 2. Romantic Intermezzo music at St. Mark’s Cathedral achieved The situation of music and musicians aspect of the mid-winter celebration. For Uwe Gronostay, vocal music of this new heights, serving as a model for his after 1520 can be symbolised by an unre- Michael Praetorius, like Schröter, Calvi- kind formed the basis of all choral work. contemporaries and successors. The solved contradiction. Religious denomina- sius, Eccard and Crüger, was a Protestant; Unlike other conductors, he did not Thuringian Johannes Eccard (1553-1611), tion remained of secondary importance they all belonged to a generation that had primarily differentiate between a reper- who was primarily active in Prussia after for them, despite different emphases in the already grown up with the new denomi- toire for amateurs and one for profes- having served in and , veneration of the Virgin Mary and in the nation. Leonhart Schröter (approx. 1532- sional choirs; he was a musician of open received important stimuli in Venice – use of the Latin or . Seven 1601) stands for the heyday of musical boundaries. To be sure, there were dif- “La Serenissima”. He strove towards out of the first thirteen pieces are sung in cultivation at Magdeburg Cathedral; he ferent performance requirements for a simplification of his musical language Latin; some of their texts are taken from primarily dedicated himself to adapta- both groups; there are certainly works without compromising the compositional the Bible (track 10 from the Christmas tions of church in all conceivable that amateurs are incapable of perform- refinements of his time. The Silesian story, track 4 from Isaiah 9:6), some from forms. Sethus Calvisius (1556-1615), as ing. Nonetheless, Gronostay laid the Thomas Stoltzer (ca. 1475-1526) who, the liturgy (tracks 1 to 3; 1 is based on an the Cantor of St. Thomas’s Church in foundation for a clear and flexible choral after a long period in Breslau, was ulti- antiphon that was sung in the liturgy of the Leipzig, had to provide music ranging sound – also with the professional singers mately appointed to serve at the Hun- hours at dawn; 2 and 3 are an Alleluia verse from simple songs to large motets. Johann of the RIAS – by working on the shorter garian court in Ofen (Buda), organised and a sequence belonging to the Christ- Crüger (1598–1662) was principally active forms of unaccompanied singing. He expanded the repertoire from that point verses of the actress and poet Käthe torei and the RIAS Kammerchor as well. ing place in schools at that time – part on; time and again, he used these works Kamossa (1911-1989) makes use of the As extensions of the repertoire, they of an attempt to update school music for the purposes of artistic examination antiphonal form which was very popular accommodated a number of trends and instruction – he attempted to win over and inspection. with Christmas carols. fulfilled certain needs. They expanded the young generation for choral singing His interpretations lent greater plas- the horizon beyond exclusively German with his pieces. ticity and transparency to Romantic 3. Twentieth-Century Tendencies songs, thus following a general tendency Works by Hans Friedrich Micheel­ choral music. This was just as true of The largest group within the compilation towards internationalisation that was sen (1902-1973) and Johann Nepomuk Carl Loewe’s (1796-1869) “Stück im consists of choruses composed during taking place – not only in entertainment David (1895-1977) were mainstays in Volkston” (Piece in Folk-Style) as of the the 20th century. Some of these origi- music and music for practical use. Jehn the music heard at church services and elaborate, eight-part motets composed nated in the legacy of the German “Sing- liked to differentiate his choral move- concerts during the post-war period. by Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843- bewegung” (Singing Movement), which ments into a main vocal part carrying the Micheelsen, who directed the education of 1900) to the Song of Praise of the Virgin strove towards a musical reform out of melody and singing the text, together Protestant church musicians in Hamburg Mary. The way in which this Graz-born the spirit of the old vocal style from the with a texture of accompanying voices from 1938 until 1961, applied the ideal of composer assimilated historical com- Renaissance and early Baroque periods; singing vowels, consonants or syllables. “Gebrauchsmusik” (music for use) of his positional methods was largely thanks others are representative of the experi- He thus distanced himself from the hom- teacher to church practice. to Johannes Brahms – as was true of mental approaches of the 1960s and ophonic regularity of traditional writing Of the melodies that he wrote to poems nearly all the composers who formed, 1970s. Wolfgang Jehn, two years Uwe without creating otherwise difficult vocal of Rudolf Alexander Schröder, amongst with him, Professor of Composition at Gronostay’s senior, knew the latter from constellations; all his pieces are conceived others, three were included in the Evan- the Academy in Berlin, the circle of the the Bremen Conservatory. Both studied on the basis of a moderately modern gelisches Kirchengesangbuch (Protestant Berlin Academicians. In their wake was Protestant church music there during the harmonic language. The differentiation Hymnal) of 1953. Schröder was a man also Martin Grabert (1868-1951), a pupil early 1960s. When Gronostay received between sung and hummed parts cor- of the confessing church; this was not at the Berlin Academy during Herzo- his first important position, Jehn sent responded to the relationship between changed by the honours that he accepted genberg’s time. Alongside his appoint- him his choral arrangements of European lead singer and background choir in in 1938 on his 60th birthday from the offi- ments as an organist, he developed a rich Christmas carols, newly composed at that popular music, without Jehn ever stoop- cial functionaries. His poems speak an compositional oeuvre of which nothing time. Gronostay liked them, performing ing down to these styles. In line with the early Christian, confessional language: is known today. His women’s chorus to some of them with the Bremen Kan- pedagogical reform in music teaching tak- God is the highest, no worldly power can claim His omnipotence. His collection Die characterised this Hindemith contempo- tives of church-music life in the political regarded his compositional work in con- Kirche im Lied (The Church in Song) was rary as follows: “Whereas [Hindemith enclave of West Berlin into his choral nection with his position as cantor at the published in 1937. Micheelsen set poems and Stravinsky] renew past stylistic worlds repertoire. Zimmermann directed the Nikolaikirche in Spandau. Thus he wrote from it to melodies and polyphonic move- out of the spirit of our time, David lives Spandau Church Music School on the settings of folksongs and hymns in which ments in 1938. The three Christmas cho- more in the past, in that he brings in the northwest edge of the city from 1963 the melody was left alone but with its ral pieces were composed during this problems of post-romantic means.”3 The until 1976, when West Berlin was acclima- surroundings organised according to his time, as was Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen choral work that he wrote in response tising itself to its insular existence. In jazz experiences with sound composition, (Night has Advanced); the Advent cho- to a commission from the RIAS in 1960 and spirituals, he recognised an opportu- forming a more-or-less sonic sculpture rale by Jochen Klepper, to which Johannes underlines this attitude in all sonic moder- nity to find new forms of musical expres- around the main vocal line. For him, as Petzold contributed a popular melody, is nity. David composed it in potentialization sion through rhythm, without entangling for the old masters, the was an art an absolutely indispensable part of today’s of old procedures, for he interweaves himself in the contradiction between that was always intrinsically capable of inventory of church hymns. Uwe Gronos­ four textual and melodic levels: the comprehensibility and modernism. “Thus renewing itself, time and again. tay wrote a demanding four-part setting early church antiphon for 21 December my motets for mixed choir and pizzicato to it, with the melody in the bass; the (O oriens, splendor), the Ambrosian hymn double bass were written first. As in the Habakuk Traber vocalises of the other parts sharpen the Veni, redemptor gentium (Come Redeemer rhythm section in jazz music, the double Translation: David Babcock diction of the text. of All Peoples / 4th century), its German bass was to provide an unswervingly reg- Johann Nepomuk David’s pre-Christ- version by Martin Luther (Nun komm der ular walking bass as a rhythmic founda- mas motets are the most demanding of Heiden Heiland / 1524) and a setting of the tion. I gained a syncopated, free melodic all the works of this CD. This master of seventh verse of the first chapter of the language [...] from the syllabic setting counterpoint, who grew up in the mon- Revelation of St. John. of Biblical prose”4 and the accentuation asteries of St. Florian and Kremsmünster, With Heinz Werner Zimmermann (born structure of its language. Helmut Barbe, taught in Leipzig (1934–1945) as Profes- 1930) and Helmut Barbe (born 1927), Provincial Director of Church Music in sor and Academy Director (from 1939); Gronostay accepted two representa- West Berlin from 1972 until 1985, also after an intermezzo in Salzburg, he became Professor of Composition in 3 Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Vol. 3, 4 Lecture given on 25 October 2008 at the Stutt­gart (1948–1963). Herbert Hübner Kassel 1954, column 55. Academy of Music in Würzburg. RIAS Kammerchor and Uwe Gronostay, 1972 (photo: D. Schulze)