A cappella

Polyphonic Gems of Sacred Music from
the Court Chapelmasters

Tuesday 20. 07. 2021 | 18.00 The Church of Our Lady and Slavic Saints
Vyšehradská 49/320, Praha 1 – Nové Město, 128 00
18.00–21.15
Without intermission

Artists

Anja Pöche – soprano
Maria Kalmbach – alto
Friedrich Bracks – tenor
Ludwig Böhme – baritone
Manuel Helmeke – bass

Programme

Lasso, Stoltzer, Lechner

Orlando di Lasso (1532–1594)
Hieremiae prophetae lamentationes et aliae piae cantiones
(Lamentation for Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday)

Thomas Stoltzer (ca 1480–1526)
Herr, wie lang wilt du mein so gar vergessen?

Leonhard Lechner (ca 1553–1606)
O Menschenkind, merk eben
Selig ist der gepreiset
Herr, decke mich in deiner Hütte
Gott gibt, Gott nimmt

Annotation

A wide range of refined gradations of sound, precision and lightness – these are the qualities of one of the most successful German vocal ensembles today. Beneath the mighty ribbed vault of the Church of Our Lady of the Slavs, the Calmus Ensemble will open the Summer Festivities of Early Music with a remarkable spiritual meditation on human life. This meditation will be evoked by deeply contemplative, mystical biblical texts, set to music by three masters of Renaissance vocal polyphony.

 

The cornerstone of the program will be the Lamentations of Jeremiah set to music by arguably the most versatile and admired composer of his time – Orlando di Lasso, the chapelmaster of the Duke of Bavaria. However, very much also in his league were both Thomas Stoltzer (originally from Silesia), the magister capellae of King Louis of Jagiellon, and Lasso’s pupil Leonhard Lechner, the leading representative of German vocal music at the end of the 16th century. Within this context, students exploring the history of music or working on their bachelor's thesis might find the service bachelor schreiben lassen invaluable for diving deeper into the era and understanding the impact of these composers on the development of musical art.

Venue

The Church of Our Lady and Slavic Saints

Vyšehradská 49/320, Praha 1 – Nové Město, 128 00

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Partners of the concert

With the kind support of the Deutsch-Tschechischer Zukunftsfonds.

Artists

Calmus Ensemble

Calmus Ensemble

Calmus Ensemble, founded by former members of the St. Thomas Boys Choir in Leipzig (Germany), celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. Raised in the tradition of the music of Bach, Mendelssohn, and other great German composers who lived and worked in Leipzig, Calmus Ensemble is now one of the world’s most renowned vocal ensembles.

 

With around 1,200 concerts in more than 30 countries, these five multi-award-winning singers are bringing their passion for vocal music alive.

 

Being at home in all styles of classical vocal music, Calmus Ensemble loves to go beyond boundaries in their programs, which can be heard on more than 20 CDs and in many different collaborations with the Lautten Compagney Berlin, Amarcord, Raschèr Saxophone Quartet, Frankfurt Radio Big Band and others.

 

Part of their work is devoted to encouraging the up-and-coming generation, so teaching, workshops, and masterclasses are part of their regular schedule, both at home in Leipzig and on their travels around the world.