Rundfunkchor Berlin

Contemporaries called Heinrich Schütz the “father of our modern music”– the “father of new music” being Arnold Schönberg. The innovative side of Schütz, who was born in 1585, is often overlooked, however – yet the spatial sound effects of his multi-choir works alone literally opened up new dimensions in German music. What Schütz shares in common with Schönberg, whose oeuvre consists more than 50% of vocal music, is the spiritual level as well as the intensive relationship to the word. The early choral work “Friede auf Erden” (Peace on Earth), which draws on a Christmas poem written by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer, stands in contrast to the two Modern Psalms Op.50a and c that Schönberg used towards the end of his life to reflect on the concept of God from a Jewish perspective. In his inaugural concert Gijs Leenaars, the new chief conductor of the Rundfunkchor Berlin, forges a bridge from Heinrich Schütz to Schönberg.

Heinrich Schütz [1585–1672]
Deutsches Magnificat SWV 494 [before 1665]

Arnold Schönberg [1874–1951]
Dreimal tausend Jahre op. 50a [1949]

Johann Sebastian Bach [1685-1750]
Der Geist hilft unserer Schwachheit auf BWV 226 [1729]

Arnold Schönberg
De profundis (psalm 130) op. 50b [1950]

Heinrich Schütz
Ist nicht Ephraim mein teurer Sohn SWV 40 [1619]

Heinrich Schütz
An den Wassern zu Babel SWV 37 [1619]

Heinrich Schütz
Die mit Tränen säen SWV 378 [1648]

Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229 [1723/32]

Arnold Schönberg
Friede auf Erden op. 13 [1907/11]

Aleke Alpermann cello
Wieland Bachmann double bass
Christine Kessler organ
Arno Schneider organ

Rundfunkchor Berlin
Gijs Leenaars conductor