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{ Guildford Philharmonic Choir und Freiburger Bachchor mit dem ,,War Requiem
klingeénder Pazifismus -—~
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y Dieses Requiem. ist anders. Gemein- hung der wiedererrichteten: Kathe- sen, Derging gekonnt und subtil zu
yt | hin wird
- otfensichtlich .-bestens a one nthe
die Textstelle ,quam olim drale von Coventry, die ein-Opfer: Werke,
|. Abrahae promisisti" fugiert vertont. deutscher Bomben
geworden war. prépatierte groBe Chorgemeinschaft
. Auch Benjamin Britten scheint an Die Urauffiinrung im
Mai 1962 wurde wurde unter Creeds Hiinden. zu ei} dieser Tradition festzuhalten. Den- zur Verséhnungsfeler: Der englische nem im Ausdruck und Dynamik dunoch klingt'im ,War Requiem" der Tenor Peter Pears und der deutsche Gerst flexiblen vokalen Klangktrper
i
Riickgriff auf die an Abraham und Bariton Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau mit geradezu instrumentalen Mdz‘seine Nachkommen ergangene VerheiBung seltsain unernst: Die Fuge
hat Scherzo-Charakter.
sangen die Owens-Texte.
lichkeiten. Zuverlassig fiigten sich
erinnerte jetzt auch die Auffiihrung
der Empore aus ings muskalische Ge” Jes
Buch Genesis verschont er Isaak.
Diesmal aber schiachtete er seinen
zellente englische Tenor Ian Bostridge und der (unter anderem bei Inge-
sinfonisch besetzte Bachorchester.
—
Differenziert durchschritt der Diri-
_ An diese solistische Konstellation Raimund Hugs Domsingknaben von
Nochmals Abrahain. Im biblischen “in der Freiburger Stadthalle: Der ex- schehen ein. Ganz ausgezeichnet das
ent die Regionen des Leisen. Herrborg Most in Freiburg ausgebildete)
souverane Bariton Klaus Hager har- ich ausgekostet beispielsweise die
Owen sieht es so, der englische Lyri- monierten sufs schénste. Beide er-. dem dissonanten Umfeld wie singuker, von dem Britten im ,War Re- wiesen sich als kluge, feinfiihlige und lare Offenbarungen entspringenden
quiem" neun Gedichte mit dem ibli- intensive Gestalter. Die tschechische Dur-Momente. Creed war auch auf .
Sohn, und die halbe Saat Europas, einen nach dem anderen", Wilfred
Sopranistin Zora Jehli¢kové stand dem Posten, wo Forte-Werte ermesse verband, Owen hatte sich frei- t{hnen kaum nach.
wiinscht sind: Die beachtliche Wucht
willig zum Militar gemeldet. Die gna-Der Oratorienchor hatte das ,War des ,,Dies irae" wurde vom infernalidenlose Realitiét des Krieges und das Requiem" vor vier Jahren erstmals schen Getése des ,,Libera me“ noch
soldatische Sterben wurden zum nach Freiburg gebracht. Jetzt enga-. Ubertroffen, Creed formte die — auch
Thema seiner Dichtung. Kurz vor gierte'sich der Bachchor zusammen disparaten ~ Stringe des Werks zur
dem Waffenstillstand 1918 fiel er mit dem Philharmonic Choir aus Einheit: die sakrosankte Welt der To23jaihrig:
:
Freiburgs englischer Partnerstadt tenmesse, die entriickte Knabenritten verstand sein Requiem Guildford fiir Brittens klingenden chor-Sphiire, die zeitlos aktuellen
chen lateinischen Text der Toten-
eher als ,Wiedergutmachung" fiir die Pazifismus, Hans Michael Beuerle Owen-Zutaten. Das Wiegenlied der
Toten denn als Trost der Lebenden. hatte seinem englis:hen Kollegen toten Soldaten geriet nicht zur Ge-_ .
JOHANNES ADAM °
Er schrieb das Werk fiir die Einwei- Neville Creed den Taktstock tiberlas- fiihIsduselei.
Vi
_ From the "Badische Zeitung" - Tuesday 16Bevenber 2903.
BRITTEN'S RESOUNDING PACIFISN
.e “quam olim Abrabee nn he yes
passag
se
The
is something el
min oeee |
of a fugue. Benja
set . the form
ie aunt tradi
aij etl”
in the
ence
refer
the
er,
tion. Howev
cling to this
|
seems to
ndants eee S
Requiem" to the promise made to Abraham and his desce
of a
Ee
hae
strangely lacking in solemnity. The fugue
}
echerzo.
To return to Abraham. In the Book of Genesis he spares Iwaac. But
this time he slaughtered "his son, and half the seed of Surape one by
ope”. That ie the view of the English poet Wilfred Owen, nine of whose
poems are linked by Britten with the traditional Latin text of the
Requiem Mass. Owen had volunteered for the army, The pitiless reality of
the war and the death of soldiers became the theme of his poetry. He
fell at the age of 25, shortly before the armistice.
- Britten regarded his Requiem more as an “atonement® for the dead
than a6 a consolation for the living. He wrote the work for thg.
7” “7
consecration of the reconstructed Coventry Cathedral, which had been a
victim of German bombe. The firet performance
in May 1962 became a
ceremony of reconciliation: the englieh tenor Peter Pears and the German
au Owen's texts.
sang
baritone Dietrich Fischer-Diesk
The present performance in the Civic Hall in Freiburg was also a
reminder of that constellation of soloists.
The excellent english tenor
Ian Bostridge and the supreme baritone Klaus Hager (whose training:
~-ineluded classes with Ingeborg Most in Freiburg) harmonised in the most
beautiful way. Both proved themselves intelligent, sensitive, and
powerful
creative artists.
The Czech soprano,
Zora
short of them by the narrowest of margins.
Four years ago,
Jehlickova,
only fell
the Oratorio Choir had brought the "War Requien" to
Freiburg for the first time.
invoived,
On this occasion the Bach Choir became
together with the Philharmonic Choir from Freiburg's partner
town of Guildford, in Britten's resounding pacifism
. Hans Michael
Beverie had entrusted the conductor's baton to
his English colleague,
Neville Creed. He set about his task in a masterl
y and subtle way. The
large choral group, which had clearly been very well
prepared, were
united under Creed's craftsmanship to become an extreme
ly flexible body
of vocal sound which almost had the potential of musical
instruments.
Raimund Hug's cathedral choirboys fitted reliably
into the misical
event.
The
Bach Orchestra
was quite outstanding
wai
in ite eymphonic role.
.
itech
paenter
tet | Tat WE cee
The conductor made his way with distinction through the soft
passages.
In
a
glorious
moments in the major key
discordant surroundings.
were
desired.
The
way,
he
which
made
the
flow forth
most,
like
for
example,
of
the
unique peeelntinne
=
Creed was algo on the mark when loud climaxes
remarkable
force of the
by the infernal roaring of the
“Dies
“Libera me”.
Irae” was even surpassed
Creed wove the trace
threads or the work into a single unit; the sacred world of the Requi
Maes, the of
rapturous
worldry.of The
thelull
boys’
choir, and the tineless se toal
Owen's poet
aby of the dead
relevance
lapse into Mawkish sentimentality,
<¥
soldiers
ad n : :
4
stn
-
A
ie
ee
=~
2
my
—
Review
of
the
Ferformance
of
Britten's
Freiburg 14th Nov.93 Stadthalle
War
( Translation gor private use only )
Badische Zeitung Tuesday 16th Nov. 93
Cee ta fet d
Puy 6
3°
eee
Britten's
This
promisisti"
the
to
Once
is
is
this
promise
serious
3a
6
Resounding
Requiem
cling
gs
Fei
in a
this
one
by
9 peems
626-1
to
as
a
Singing
he
in
way:The
the
the
is
the
War
is
biblical
his
view
the
Dead
in
the
War
of
"Quam
the
similar
of
son and
of
the
of war
poems.
Shortly
age
25.
of
and
Britten meant
than a
tion
the
before
his
of
the
the
half
a
the
German
be
The
constellation
of
in
of
he
seems
to
to
sound
spares
seed
poet
Isaac,
of Europe
Wilfred
usual text
1918
more
Owen,
of the
Latin
a
he
subject
the
work
for
the
dead
consecrabeen
in May
1962 became
solo-tenor
Peter Pears
Fischer-Dieskau
sang
Owen's parts.
Freiburg Civic Hall reminded
soloists:The
the
for the
of Coventry,which had
British
of his
was killed at
"reparation"
wrote
Dietrich
the
the merciless
the
first performance
of reconciliation:The
This year's performance
this
to
living.He
solo-baritone
olim Abrahae
scherzo.
the
soldiers became
reconstructed Cathedral
celebration
and
of
armistice
requiem
a victim of German bombs,
a
em
Reguiem.
death
the
consolation of
wi
flashback
Genesis
British
the
to
Owen had volunteered for.the military service.
. reality
& ¢€q
Britten also
Requiem
Book
of whom Britten combined with
Mass for
War
and
his descendants does not
fugue
"slaughtered
This
text
fugue.Benjamin
Abraham and
strange
""
2
Oh 6 is
Pacifism
tradition.But
time
one
bee won fe
no
composed
mor, Abraham:In
But
Reviewer: Johannes Adam
different.Generally the
given
Requiem
outstanding British
of
tenor
Ian Bostridge and the brilliant German baritone Klaus Hager ( who
was partly the
student of Ingeborg Most
once
,Freiburg), harmonized
beautifully with each other.
Both
proved
to
be
intelligent, sensitive
and
intense
interpreters.
The Czech soprano soloist Zora Jehliékov& was hardly inferior to them.
The
"Oratorienchor" had
four years ago.Now the
from Freiburg's British
Britten's
baton
to
intmduced the
Bachchor together with
competent and
subtle
the
Philharmonic Choir
twin-town Guildford committed themselves to
resounding pacifism.
his. British
War Requiem to Freiburg
colleague
way.
Hans Michael
Beuerle
Neville Creed,who
had
left
worked
ina
the
=
oem
en=
The large choir-ensemble
,which was obviously
very well prepared,
4
became a vocal instrument of utmost flexibility in dynamics and”
expression with almost
the
possibilities
of a musical
instrument
under Creed's hands,from the galery Kaimund Hug's Boys'
i
Choir were
reliable partners of the musical event.#xcellent the Big Bach Orchestra?
The
conductor distinguished very
well
within the
scale
of the
3
low voice:wonderfully tasted to the full e.g. the Major(chord) moments
springing from the dissonant surroundings like
Creed was also on the
alert where
the considerable impact of the
the pandemonium of the
"Dies
{
singular revelations.
forte-values are desirable:
Irae" was even surpassed by
"Libera Me",
Creed formed a unity of the -sometimes even disparate - cords
of the work:The sacrosanct world of the Mass for the Dead,the
remote sphere of the Boys' Choir, the timeless-topical additions
|
by ‘owen. The lullaby of the dead soldiers was free of sentimentalism..
oe