Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral

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Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral
Seat: Berlin / Germany
Genus: mixed choir
Head : Harald Schmitt
Website : http://www.hedwigschor-berlin.de

The choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin is the main choir at St. Hedwig's Cathedral , the Roman Catholic cathedral or cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Berlin . In addition to the mixed main choir, the choirs at St. Hedwig's Cathedral include a prechoir, a boys ' and girls' choir, a youth choir, a chamber choir, a schola and a vocal ensemble.

history

St. Hedwig's Church was consecrated on November 1, 1773 in Berlin as the first Catholic church after the Reformation . As evidence from the beginning of the 19th century shows, a choral schola and a choir of boys and men already existed at that time . The emergence of a mixed choir is not documented. Mr. Gerth (before 1830), Karl Adam Bader (1845–1867) and Rudolf Wecker (1867–1914 as royal music director and choir conductor, dates of life: 1833–1914) at St. Hedwig served as choir conductors. In keeping with the rank of the church, the provost's choir was later transformed into a basilica choir, and with the foundation of the diocese in 1930, the St. Hedwig Cathedral Choir.

From 1915 to 1929 Pius Kalt (* 1883) directed the choir. He was followed by Hermann Pabel (1901–1945) from October 1929 to January 1934, according to whose plans the Johannes Klais company (Bonn) installed the large organ in 1930 . From 1934 to 1963 Karl Forster was the cathedral music director at St. Hedwig's Cathedral. Under their leadership, the choir developed a special timbre and purity of sound and became known nationwide. Numerous recordings under Kalt from 1924 on the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (international label Polydor ), from 1931 under Pabel on the labels Christschall (Berlin) and Kalliope (Leipzig) and from 1935 under Forster on the labels Telefunken , Electrola and Decca bear witness to this development .

After the end of the Second World War , thanks to Forster, it was one of the first intact choirs in Berlin, so that it developed into a musical cultural carrier of the city. The choir achieved international renown under his leadership in the post-war period. In recognition of his services to musical life, Forster was appointed honorary professor for musicology at the Technical University of Berlin in 1952 and music director at the Free University of Berlin in 1954 . He was also awarded the Berlin Music Prize in 1953.

The construction of the wall separated the choir into east and west. The Domkapellmeister Forster and a large part of the choir then only worked in the western part of Berlin without its headquarters, the cathedral. In the period that followed, Anton Lippe (1964–1974) and Roland Bader (1974–1991) worked with the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin and, apart from sacred tasks, gave it an essential character as a concert choir. In the eastern part of the city, Michael Witt succeeded from 1975 in building a new cathedral choir of St. Hedwig Berlin from the severely decimated remaining choir , which, according to its purpose, saw itself as a sacred ensemble of church services at the cathedral.

After the political change, the attempt under Alois Koch - director of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral from 1991 to 1998 - failed to bring both choirs together, which from then on went their separate ways. On October 1, 1998, former members of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral founded the Karl Forster Choir . The direction of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral was taken over by Michael Witt, who had been director of St. Hedwig's cathedral singing school since 1993.

The main task of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral today is the musical design of the cathedral liturgy on Sundays and public holidays. The repertoire ranges from the old classical vocal polyphony to the modern. The central focus is on the classical and romantic mass settings.

Regular concerts in the cathedral, the Konzerthaus Berlin , the Berlin Philharmonic and many churches in Germany and other European countries complement the diverse musical activities of the choir.

Since August 1st, 2005, Harald Schmitt has been director of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral.

The choir is a member of the Association of German Concert Choirs , the Berlin Choir Association and the Chöre AG Berlin.

Discography (selection)

  • Holy Night (ecclesiastical Christmas carol ) - Adeste fideles . Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis) Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Gramophone, shellac record 1926
  • Ave Maria in Venice (poem by J. Dosquet) - Ave verum corpus ( WA Mozart ). Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis) with organ and harps (Ave Maria). Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Gramophone (German), Polydor (English) shellac record 1927
  • We go to pray (old Dutch prayer of thanks, E. Kremser ) - The heavens boast of eternal honor ( L. v. Beethoven ). Basilica Choir. Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis with members of the State Opera band, gramophone, shellac record 1927.
  • That is the day that the Lord made (Festgesang F. Büning) - God greet you , (Song, F. Mücke). Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis). Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Grammophon (German), Polydor (English) shellac record 1928
  • Festival song from the opera “ Iphigenie in Aulis ” ( Ch. W. Gluck ). Basilica Choir, Pius Kalt 1928
  • Christmas . Basilica Choir of St. Hedwig (Berlin) with bells and organ, choir director: Pius Kalt. Speaker: Mathilde Sussin . Deutsche Grammophon 1929
  • Archangel Gabriel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds . Basilica choir, organ and bells. Voiced by Eva Mannsfeld . Gramophone, shellac record
  • Silent night, holy night - Oh you happy one . Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis). Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Polydor, shellac record
  • In Bethlehem's corridors - O you believers (Voutz - Vogt). Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis) with organ accompaniment. Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Gramophone, shellac record
  • The bells never ring sweeter - from heaven up there I come . Basilica Choir (Chorus eccl. Stae. Hedwigae Berolinensis). Regens chori: Pius Kalt. Polydor, shellac record
  • Transeamus (Gloria in Excelsis Deo) - Ave verum (WA Mozart). The Basilica-Choir, conductor: Pius Kalt. Polydor, shellac record approx. 1930
  • A rose has sprung up (sentence: Michael Praetorius ) - Born in Bethlehem . Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Regens chori: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. A cappella. Christschall 46. Shellac record around 1931
  • Up from heaven, you angels come - sleep well, you heavenly boy . Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin, conductor: Kaplan Hermann Pabel, Berlin. A cappella. Christschall 48. Shellac record around 1931
  • Silent Night - Holy Night (baritone, choir and organ). Solo: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande, Berlin. Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 49. Shellac record around 1931
  • Christmas song ( Adolphe Adam ) - Infant Jesus tender (baritone, choir and orchestra). Solo: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande, Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 50th shellac record around 1932
  • Joseph, dear Joseph my - Transeamus (baritone, choir and orchestra). Solo: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande, Berlin, Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 51. Shellac record around 1932
  • Tu es Petrus (from the Christ Oratorio by Franz Liszt ) - Qui tollis peccata mundi (from the Gloria of the Nelson Mass in D minor by Joseph Haydn ) (baritone, choir and orchestra). Solo: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande. Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 52. Shellac record around 1932
  • Arioso (Thanks be to you, Sir) ( Georg Friedrich Händel ) - Largo (Georg Friedrich Händel). Solo: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande, Berlin, baritone - Violin: M. van den Berg, Berlin - Cello: E. Stegmann, Berlin - Harp: Professor Max Saal, Berlin - Organ: Chaplain Hermann Pabel - Choir of St. Hedwigs- Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 53. Shellac record around 1932
  • Panis Angelicus ( César Franck ) - O salutaris hostia (Jules Duguet). Baritone: Chamber singer Louis van de Sande - Violin: M. van den Berg - Cello: E. Stegmann - Harp: Professor Max Saal - Organ: Chaplain Hermann Pabel - Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Conductor: Chaplain Hermann Pabel, Berlin. Christschall 54. Shellac record around 1932
  • Ave Maria ( Jakob Arcadelt ) - Meerstern, I greet you (German hymn). Mixed choir a capella. Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Berlin. Cathedral Kapellmeister Kaplan Hermann Pabel. Christschall 71. Shellac record around 1933
  • Transeamus (Gradual for St. Christmas by Jos. Schnabel ) - Adeste fideles (old folk tune). Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral. Head: Chaplain Hermann Pabel. Soloist: Kammersänger L. vd Sande. Kalliope K 1677. Shellac record around 1933

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ hedwigschor-berlin: Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral Berlin, website of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral
  2. ↑ hedwigs-kathedrale.de/: The St. Hedwigs Cathedral, website of the St. Hedwigs Cathedral, St. Hedwig Cathedral parish
  3. ↑ a b Fried Weisbrod (Ed.): Berliner Musik-Almanach. Part 2. Berlin music groups (serious music). Berlin 1992. pp. 42-43
  4. ↑ Postcard “Rudolf Wecker, Kgl. Music director & choir conductor at St. Hedwig, Berlin turned 70 on June 30, 1903 "
  5. ↑ hedwigschor-berlin: Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral Berlin, website of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral
  6. ^ Hermann Pabel: CV from 1935.
  7. ↑ Handel * - Arioso (Thank you be Lord) / Largo. Discogs, accessed April 25, 2020 .
  8. ^ Catalog of the German National Library. German National Library, accessed on April 29, 2020 .
  9. ↑ hedwigschor-berlin: Choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral Berlin, website of the choir of St. Hedwig's Cathedral
  10. ↑ karl-forster-chor.de: Karl-Forster-Chor, website of the Karl-Forster-Chor
  11. ↑ erzbistumberlin.de: Archdiocese of Berlin mourns Michael Witt, ( Memento of the original dated December 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Website of the Archdiocese of Berlin. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.erzbistumberlin.de