Vocal Concert Dresden - Le Grazie Veneziane - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The psaltery is one of the oldest string instruments in human history. In the German-speaking world, it is described rather coarsely as a Hackbrett. In Farsi, it is known as a santur and in Hungarian a cimbalom (not far from the Italian word for harpsichord - cembalo). But in Italian, it lost it's first letter and was used for a multitude of elegant compositions as an obligato salterio. The fine, delicate sound of the struck strings is the focus of our newest production, with which the ensemble nuovo aspetto lives up to it's name. The musicians, led by virtuoso Inchtop strikerInch Elisabeth Seitz, perform a series of Romanesque rarities from a new perspective. Thanks to the subtle yet prominent solo instrument, they seem to have achieved weightlessness for a time.

A secret society, a clandestine community, mythical rituals indark temples. The image of the Freemasons is surrounded bythe mystic mists of the unknown. When it comes to theirmusic, one should by no means think of Hans Zimmer's epochmaking soundtracks to the Hollywood movies based on Dan Brown's novels! Vocal Concert Dresden has turned to the authentic music of Freemasonry. The exclusivity and selfimposed isolation of the movement fed the legend of theInchRoyal ArtInch that grew up about the fascinating mysteries ofthe Freemasons. What really took place in the inner confinesof their temple remained hidden from view. The development of their mythical, symbolic use of formulae, objects and rituals went hand in hand with a cultivation of specific music. This album offers a whole programme of music that covers both overt and subliminal examples of musical pointers to the lodge brethren's symbols and values threefold repetition for example will symbolise the three ranks of St John Masonry and the three ideals (wisdom, strength and beauty); pounding note repeats represent the masons' hammer blows, while the alternation between soloist and tutti represents the teacher-apprentice relationship between the individual ranks.Schiller's InchOde to JoyInch won favour in more than 100 differentsettings and gained immortal status as the culmination ofLudwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The widespreadview that it was commissioned as an original poem for themasons is simply untrue. Long before Beethoven tookpossession of the poem, a number of composers in Leipzig and Dresden had set the words to music. Four of those firstsettings laid the foundations for it's popularity and they arefeatured here on this album. Accompanied by a comprehensive booklet, this by Vocal Concert Dresden under the direction of Peter Kopp aims to demonstrate the importance of music, not only to thefreemaso

Florilegium Portense - this is the title of a collection of sacred motets from Italy, Germany and the Franco-Flemish region, first printed in Leipzig in 1618. It contains motets by the most famous composers of the time in Europe, such as Hieronymus and Michael Praetorius, Hans Leo Hassler, Orlando di Lasso, and Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. It's dissemination was so successful that almost all church choirs, school choirs and court orchestras between Eisenach and Breslau came into contact with it. The motets were compiled by Sethus Calvisius, the cantor of Schulpforte and later Thomaskantor of Leipzig, and edited by Erhard Bodenschatz, his successor in Schulpforte. Exactly 400 years after going to press, the Vocal Concert Dresden and the Cappella Sagittariana under the direction of Peter Kopp honor this important cultural monument with a recording of selected motets and hymns, including several premiere recordings.