Confessions of Faith: Choral Concertos by Bortniansky & Schnittke MDR Rundfunkchor & Risto Joost

• Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky (1751-1825):
• 1 Sacred Concerto No. 9 06:07
• 2 Cherubic Hymn No. 7 04:14
• 3 Sacred Concerto No. 24 07:02
• Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998): Choir Concerto:
• 4 I. O Master of All Living 15:07
• 5 II. I, an Expert in Human Passions 06:56
• 6 III. God, Grant Deliverance from Sin 10:24
• 7 IV. Complete This Work Which I Began 05:01
• Total Runtime 54:51

Info for Confessions of Faith: Choral Concertos by Bortniansky & Schnittke

The first release by the MDR Radio Chorus under its new director Risto Joost is not just a confession of faith, but truly a confession of sound as well: the ensemble’s second GENUIN release presents Russian sacred music. What impressive musical contrasts we hear in the remarkable acoustics of Leipzig’s Paul Gerhardt Church: distinctive contours from the too-little-known classicist Dmitry Bortniansky (1751–1825) feature alongside the monumental blocks of sound and etheric soundscapes of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Choir. Both works bear witness not only to the power of faith, but also of music, interpreted by the MDR Radio Chorus with eloquence, sparkling precision, and total commitment – absolutely recommended!

MDR Rundfunkchor
Risto Joost, conductor

MDR Rundfunkchor
Whenever major orchestras in Germany or abroad plan to perform a choral work it is invariably the MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR, regarded as one of the best in the world, that comes at the top of their wish list. The ensemble lives up to this reputation not only as an excellent partner for major orchestras in choral symphonic works, but also with its highly acclaimed and unusual a cappella performances. A wide-ranging repertoire encompasses practically a thousand years of musical history and has included numerous world premieres. Whether via the European Broadcasting Union, through touring, in guest performances worldwide or with its nearly 200 LPs and CDs – many of them award-winning – , the MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR, which received the European Cultural Prize in 2013, acts as a supreme musical ambassador for central Germany. From the season 2015/2016 Risto Joost succeeds Howard Arman as artistic director of the MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR, while Philipp Ahmann remains principal guest conductor.

Risto Joost
born in Estonia in 1980, is ranked among the most promising conductors of his generation – in the opera pit as well as on the concert stage. Initially chief conductor and artistic director of the Tallinn Sinfonietta (2008–2011), Risto Joost has since 2009 held a post as conductor with the Estonian National Opera und was appointed chief conductor of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra in 2013. At the beginning of the 2015/16 season Risto Joost assumed the position of Artistic Director of the MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR. He has worked with renowned orchestras and vocal ensembles such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Danish National Symphony, Netherlands Philharmonic, RIAS Kammerchor, Rundfunkchor Berlin, SWR Vokalensemble, Netherlands Chamber Choir and Swedish Radio Choir. His operatic repertoire extends from Donizetti and Verdi to Tüür and MacMillan. He has premiered more than 50 works by Estonian composers and his discography includes recordings from Palestrina to Pärt.

Risto Joost studied singing, orchestral and choral conducting at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn as well as at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In 2008 he completed his studies with Jorma Panula at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

Booklet for Confessions of Faith: Choral Concertos by Bortniansky & Schnittke