Ding, Dong, Merrily On High

Mozart: Salzburger Kirchenmusik 1774

“This recording has such an all around, convincing naturalness that it allows the inherent, high quality of Mozart’s Salzburg church music to come to the fore.”

Brahms: Liebeslieder-Walzer [Carus Classics]

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. "All four parts blend nicely, even at high dynamic level. The chorus sings with good line and the ‘pleading’ phrasing, which communicates these love-songs so well, is beautifully done." American Record Guide, May 1992

Masses, Passions and Oratorios (1 slip case) : Gehört zu Gesamtedition in 23 Bänden

With the Bach vocal project, we are publishing Johann Sebastian Bachs complete sacred vocal music in a high-quality complete edition: This up-to-date Bach Edition over 12,500 pages of score contains all the cantatas, oratorios, passions, motetsand masses.

Vivaldi: Salmi a due cori [Kaljuste]

“The high standard of the Estonian musicians … is demonstrated most impressively with Vivaldi’s Psalms for double choir: a homogeneous sound, surety of intonation, an intense musicmaking which makes listening to these four vesper psalms [in form resembling a cantata] … a musical pleasure of a very special kind.”

Bless the Lord. Psalm 103

The motet Bless the Lord, O My Soul (2013) on verses from Psalm 103 exploits the possibilities of vocal combinations and the resulting sound effects to a high degree: In the opening invocation "O my soul", the soprano 1 ascends to float above the fanned out low chord of the other voices: and beginning from "For as the heavens are high above the earth", an eight-part fugato masses together into an extensive architecture of sound. The harmony of the work is tonal, but many enriched chords create a tension rich in nuances in the setting. The work has been released on the CD "Rejoice. Vocal Music by Kay Johannsen" (Carus 83.496/00).

Missa Nr. 12 : Magnificat Rademann

Heinichen’s last Mass, composed in the style of the high baroque as a ”number mass,“ is imposing as a result of its architectonic force and its inexhaustible originality. The basis for the brilliant, festive character of Bach's Magnificat is the scoring for trompets, timpani and a choir which here is expanded to five voices.

Mozart: Vesperae & Litania [Carus Classics]

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. "... exemplary recording." [New Classics, September 2005]

Heimliche Liebe : Romantische Musik für Chor und Orchester

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. "Performances throughout are first-class. ... Strongly recommended." Fanfare, March 1992

a cappella

For 40 years Frieder Bernius and the Kammerchor Stuttgart have set standards in the historic performance practice of choral works. Many international awards bear witness to the high quality and the worldwide recognition of the choir and itsconductor. This CD presents a selection of their musical achievements, which include the impressive rediscovery of long forgotten works.

Scarlatti: Geistliche Chorwerke [Carus Classics]

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. "The performances by the 50-voice choir are highly competent." American Record Guide, May 1992

Ochsenhauser Orgelbuch. Harmonia Organica

Facsimile edition of the Ochsenhauser Orgelbuch, with critical first edition. Almost 270 years following its completion, for the first time the Ochsenhauser Orgelbuch, a unique collection of organ music from southern Germany, will be published and thus made accessible to the music world. In honor of the completion of the restoration of the Gabler organ in Ochsenhausen this important, with its wonderful color illustrations, has been published in a high-quality limited two-volume edition.

Brockes-Passion : Der für die Sünde der Welt gemarterte und sterbende Jesu

The extraordinarily high reputation among Handel's contemporaries of his Passion Oratorio to words by Brockes is indicated by the fact that no less eminent a musician than Johann Sebastian Bach himself made a copy of this work. Although Bach copied it without making substantial changes in it, our edition of the work brings together two of the greatest baroque composers. The Brockes Passion was not only for the Leipzig Thomaskantor an alternative to the betterknown Bach Passions

Messen für Frauenchor

The Hannover Girl’s Choir under the direction of Gudrun Schroefel presents three masses for high voices. The two masses by Johann Michael Haydn [1737-1806] were written on the occasion of Holy Innocents’ Day and breathe the spirit of an age of hope and social improvement. The CD is rounded out by the world premiere recording of the "Missa in f Minor" for women’s choir by Hans Koessler [1853-1926], a composer who belonged stylistically to the "Rheinberger School".

Quatre Antiennes à la Vierge pour deux dessus : Four Marian antiphons for two high voices - H 16, 21, 22, 32

Luigi Cherubini: Requiem in c : c-Moll

Cherubini’s Requiem in C minor for mixed choir [without vocal soloists] and orchestra, which is presented here in a critical new edition, is among the most significant contributions to this genre in the 19th century. It was composed in Paris in 1816 and within a short time it became well known. Musicians such as Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms held it in high esteem because of the work’s superior compositional construction, orchestration, mastery of form and the balance in proportion between text and music.

Il Carnevale. Chor- und Ensemblemusik : Carus Classics

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. The present recording presents examples of Rossini’s compositional versatility with choral fugues and a cappella works for double choir ranging from religious works via funeral music to drinking songs. “CD with a first-class interpretation.” Fono Forum, June 1993

Raritäten der Romantik, Band II : Weltliche Männerchöre

This multifaceted cross section of the art of men’s choir literature from the romantic era contains some genuine rarities. It includes compositions of high musical and literary quality which are no longer available in other editions. In addition to choral pieces for small ensembles in the style of the Liedertafel [men’s singing societies], which are oriented on classical models [Zelter, Sohr, Schneider], there are compositions for larger ensemble in which soli and tutti alternate [Loewe, Marschner], as well as songs of a traditional folk song character [Fröhlich, Kreutzer, Volkmann].

Mitten wir im Leben sind (Carus Classics) : Romantische Musik für Männerchor

On the occasion of its 40th anniversary Carus has initiated a new series Carus Classics, featuring outstanding CD productions from the past library of recordings. This exclusive collection, designed by Friedrich Forssman and Cornelia Feyll, is presented in high-quality DigiPacs and each CD includes an extensive booklet. In terms of sound, the warm, deep tones of a men’s choir corresponded in a special way to the musical ideals of the Romantic era. The present recording contains a representative cross section of sacred works from the 19th century for men’s choir in most expressive interpretations.

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied : Op. 45,2

The conductor Frieder Bernius regards the motets of Hans Fährmann as an “indispensable and extremely welcome addition to the late Romantic repertoire”. The composer’s output is little known nowadays. Born in 1860, he was considered the “Richard Strauss of the organ” during his lifetime. With their demanding harmonies, Fährmann’s choral motets place high demands on choirs and – like Reger’s works – stretch tonality to its extremes. And not least, their sonorous expressivity is thanks to their chromatic richness. Frieder Bernius has recorded the Motets opp. 34, 45, and 65 with the SWR Vokalensemble for the first time on CD (Carus 83.499).

Ei, du frommer und getreuer Knecht : Op. 45,6

The conductor Frieder Bernius regards the motets of Hans Fährmann as an “indispensable and extremely welcome addition to the late Romantic repertoire”. The composer’s output is little known nowadays. Born in 1860, he was considered the “Richard Strauss of the organ” during his lifetime. With their demanding harmonies, Fährmann’s choral motets place high demands on choirs and – like Reger’s works – stretch tonality to its extremes. And not least, their sonorous expressivity is thanks to their chromatic richness. Frieder Bernius has recorded the Motets opp. 34, 45, and 65 with the SWR Vokalensemble for the first time on CD (Carus 83.499).

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach: Concerti [FBO]

In Wilhelm Friedemann Bach’s opus orchestral music played a significant role. In spite of their difficult technical demands these works cannot be regarded merely as pieces for show. The present CD demonstrates how thoroughly they are worked out and what a high level they attain. A particular highlight of this CD is the world premiere release of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach’s Flute Concerto in D. This concerto was recently discovered in 1999 among the music archives of the Berlin Singakademie in Kiev by Prof. Christoph Wolff [Harvard University]. These archives were previously believed to have been lost. “This one’s a gem!” Classics Today

Siehe, spricht der Herr : Op. 45,5

The conductor Frieder Bernius regards the motets of Hans Fährmann as an “indispensable and extremely welcome addition to the late Romantic repertoire”. The composer’s output is little known nowadays. Born in 1860, he was considered the “Richard Strauss of the organ” during his lifetime. With their demanding harmonies, Fährmann’s choral motets place high demands on choirs and – like Reger’s works – stretch tonality to its extremes. And not least, their sonorous expressivity is thanks to their chromatic richness. Frieder Bernius has recorded the Motets opp. 34, 45, and 65 with the SWR Vokalensemble for the first time on CD (Carus 83.499).

Kommet her zu mir alle : Op. 45,7

The conductor Frieder Bernius regards the motets of Hans Fährmann as an “indispensable and extremely welcome addition to the late Romantic repertoire”. The composer’s output is little known nowadays. Born in 1860, he was considered the “Richard Strauss of the organ” during his lifetime. With their demanding harmonies, Fährmann’s choral motets place high demands on choirs and – like Reger’s works – stretch tonality to its extremes. And not least, their sonorous expressivity is thanks to their chromatic richness. Frieder Bernius has recorded the Motets opp. 34, 45, and 65 with the SWR Vokalensemble for the first time on CD (Carus 83.499).

Christus ist aufgefahren : Op. 45,4

The conductor Frieder Bernius regards the motets of Hans Fährmann as an “indispensable and extremely welcome addition to the late Romantic repertoire”. The composer’s output is little known nowadays. Born in 1860, he was considered the “Richard Strauss of the organ” during his lifetime. With their demanding harmonies, Fährmann’s choral motets place high demands on choirs and – like Reger’s works – stretch tonality to its extremes. And not least, their sonorous expressivity is thanks to their chromatic richness. Frieder Bernius has recorded the Motets opp. 34, 45, and 65 with the SWR Vokalensemble for the first time on CD (Carus 83.499).