Hugo Distler: Die Weihnachtgeschichte Opus X

Adam Riis, Carsten Seyer-Hansen, Concert Clemens

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Original Recording Format: DXD
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Superbly crafted choral music and a rare recording of a neglected masterwork.

The inspiration for Hugo Distler’s Die Weihnachtgeschichte Opus X, a gem of a Christmas narrative can be found in the German-language protestant sacred music of the early baroque era, especially the music of Heinrich Schütz.

Drawing on Schütz’s example, Distler composed his Christmas story exclusively for vocalists – soloists and a 4-8-voiced ensemble – in what is, in Distler’s own words, described as an “Oratorium mit kammermusikalische Charakter [Oratorio with a chamber music character]”. We also hear parts of the beautiful choral Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, which appears seven times during the course of the narrative – every time in a new harmonic colour.

The story of Hugo Distler’s life is a tragic one. Born in Nuremburg in 1908, he would go on to teach at the School for Church Music in Spandau before being appointed professor of church music in Stuttgart in 1940. Distler, who was a deeply religious man, has been recognized as a forerunner of the New German Church Music, an important musical movement which developed in the 1930s. The Nazis stigmatized Distler’s compositions as “degenerate art”, and when he received his conscription papers, he took his life. Sadly, Distler’s music is seldom performed outside of Germany even to this day.

Hailed by Gramophone as “a choir worth listening to for their beautiful singing, which can deliver performances of pure, natural eloquence,” the 16 voices of the award-winning vocal ensemble Concert Clemens, founded by conductor Carsten Seyer-Hansen in 1997, has established itself as one of the leading vocal ensembles in Scandinavia. Their stylistic versatility has been seen in numerous collaborations exploring the connections between jazz and classical music as well as note-perfect interpretations of standard repertoire. The evangelist, tenor Adam Riis, is one of Denmark’s leading voices.

Recorded in the DXD format by the Danish “Wizard of Sound”, Preben Iwan, in the in the resonant sonics of Skt. Markus Kirken, Århus.


Concert Clemens – vocal group
Adam Riis – vocals
Carsten Seyer-Hanses – conductor

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Einleitung: Das Volk, so im Finstern wandelt
04:10
2.
Choral: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
01:24
3.
Erzähler: Es ward gesandt der Engel Gabriel
02:47
4.
Choral: Das Röslein, das ich meine
01:22
5.
Erzähler: Maria aber stand auf in den Tagen
01:07
6.
Choral: Wir bitten dich von Herzen
01:51
7.
Erzähler: Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit
01:41
8.
Choral: Das Blümelein so kleine
01:28
9.
Erzähler: Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
01:58
10.
Chor der Engel: Ehre sei Gott in der höhe
01:34
11.
Chor der Hirten: Lasset uns nun gehen
02:21
12.
Choral: Die Hirten zu der Stunde
01:21
13.
Erzähler: Da Jesus geboren war zu Bethlehem
00:23
14.
Chor der Weisen: Wo ist der neugeborne König
02:08
15.
Chor der Hohenpriester und Schriftgelehrten: Zu Bethlehem
01:06
16.
Erzähler: Denn also stehet geschrieben
02:02
17.
Choral: Lob, Ehr sei Gott, dem Vater
02:17
18.
Erzähler: Und siehe, ein Mensch war zu Jerusalem
02:13
19.
Choral: So singen wir all Amen
01:22
20.
Beschluß: Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet
04:30

Total time: 00:39:05

Additional information

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SKU

6220684

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Original Recording Format

Release DateNovember 3, 2023

Press reviews

MusicWeb International

The choir of Concert Clemens sing with rarefied beauty and narrative engagement throughout. The whole work is a capella, and the tuning never slips once. The evangelist of tenor Adam Riis is never less than completely engaging, which is remarkable considering how much he is given to do, and the other brief solos (Mary, Herod etc) are sung with character and clarity. The church acoustic is beautifully atmospheric, too.

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