O heilige Nacht: Romantic Choral Music for Christmas Dresdner Kammerchor & Hans-Christoph Rademann

• Franz Wüllner (1832–1902):
• 1 Nachtgruß 03:14
• Johannes Brahms (1833–1897):
• 2 No. 5, Es flog ein Täublein weiße 03:24
• August von Othegraven (1864–1946):
• 3 Vom Himmel hoch, o Engel, kommt 03:42
• Gustav Schreck (1849–1918):
• 4 Wie soll ich dich empfangen (Arr. G. Schreck for Choir) 04:54
• Carl Gottlob Reißiger (1798–1859):
• 5 Es ist ein Reis entsprungen 05:24
• Gustav Schreck:
• 6 Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (Arr. G. Schreck for Choir) 04:23
• Carl Loewe (1796–1869):
• 7 Puer natus in Bethlehem 03:11
• Franz Wüllner:
• 8 Still, ihr Winde, still geschwinde 03:17
• Robert Fuchs (1847–1927):
• 9 Schlaf, mein Kindelein 03:29
• Carl Loewe:
• 10 Quem pastores laudavere 03:48
• Robert Fuchs:
• 11 O freudenreicher Tag 02:08
• Max Bruch (1838–1920):
• 12 Wiegenlied der Hirten Lasst uns das Kindelein wiegen 02:34
• Max Reger (1873–1916):
• 13 No. 3, Lass mich dein sein und bleiben 06:01
• Franz Wüllner:
• 14 Kindelein zart von guter Art 02:30
• Carl Loewe:
• 15 In dulci jubilo 03:09
• Max Reger:
• 16 Jesu, großer Wunderstern 04:41
• Carl Reinthaler (1822–1896):
• 17 No. 17, Weihnachtslied (Arr. K.M. Reinthaler for Choir) 02:15
• 18 Heil'ge Nacht 03:30
• Gustav Schreck:
• 19 Stille Nacht (Arr. G. Schreck for Choir) 03:28
• Max Reger:
• 20 Das alte Jahr vergangen ist (Arr. M. Reger for Choir) 03:20
• Total Runtime 01:12:22

Info for O heilige Nacht: Romantic Choral Music for Christmas

Just in time for the 30th anniversary season of the Dresdner Kammerchor, a new Christmas album with the choir under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann is being released. The recording features romantic arrangements of classical Advent and Christmas carols. The recorded works are characterized by this revival of the traditional, the old melodies and texts from the 14th to 18th centuries; but at the same time by the merging of the past with the (musical) future. The composers, among them Max Reger, Carl Loewe, Max Bruch and Johannes Brahms, point towards the modern era with their musical languages, the timbres, harmonic progressions and chromatic enhancements. In this sense, the present album – over and above the worthwhile discovery of unknown works, the artistic enjoyment of the performance and the musical attunement to Christmastide – is also an invitation to let oneself be drawn into a movement in which Advent is recognized as the simultaneity of the past and the future.

Dresdner Kammerchor

Hans-Christoph Rademann, direction

The Dresdner Kammerchor
chamber choir ranks among the top choirs in Germany and is famous for its unique sound combining clarity with great intensity of tone. A fresh, lively charisma and the much praised complete harmony and transparency are the strengths of the internationally demanded ensemble. Since its foundation in 1985, the choir has been refined by its conductor, Hans-Christoph Rademann - a world renowned choral sound specialist, into a professional ensemble that has received broad acclaim on its numerous concert trips in and outside Europe (i.e. USA, South Africa, India, and China). The choir also receives regular invitations to international music festivals of great reputation like the Rheingau Musik Festival, Oude-Muziek-Festival (Utrecht), Festivales Musicales (Buenos Aires), Bachwoche Ansbach and Händelfestspiele (Halle and Göttingen).

The ensemble has developed a highly diverse repertoire that is almost unparalleled, partially due to the fact that it's membership count varies according to whichever style is performed. The extensive repertoire ranges from Renaissance music to compositions of the 21st Century. The interpretation of Romantic works received great attention, and the choir won several awards for performances at international competitions. Further the granting of the Sponsorship award of the Ernst-von-Siemens Foundation for New Music demonstrates the ensemble's achievements in the field of contemporary music. Apart from a cappella music the Dresdner Kammerchor maintains a close association with the orchestra Dresdner Barockorchester and the Ensemble "Alte Musik Dresden" and gives new impetus to the conservation of early music in Saxony.

A variety of radio and CD productions as well as frequent cooperation with renowned orchestras and conductors, from Germany and abroad, underscore the reputation of the choir. Among the most famous are the conductors René Jacobs, Sir Roger Norrington, Adam Fischer, Riccardo Chailly and the ensembles Sächsische Staatskapelle, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Concerto Köln and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Moreover, the CD production of Der Schwanengesang by Heinrich Schütz was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque and the world premiere recording of Requiem in E flat major by Johann Adolph Hasse received the German disc critics award. Currently there are two new productions available: the complete recording of Geistliche Chormusic, 1648 by Heinrich Schütz and the oratory Saul by Georg Friedrich Händel.

The Dresdner Kammerchor is a member of the associations Verband Deutscher KonzertChöre (VDKC) and Arbeitskreis Musik in der Jugend (AMJ).

Booklet for O heilige Nacht: Romantic Choral Music for Christmas