Respighi: Lauda per la Natività del Signore, P. 166 Nicolas Fink

• Michael Praetorius (1571 - 1621):
• 1Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Arr. J. Sandström)04:23
• Heinrich Kaminski (1886 - 1946):
• 2Maria durch ein Dornwald ging (Arr. H. Kaminski)02:34
• Morten Lauridsen (b.1943):
• 3O magnum mysterium05:57
• Günter Raphael (1903 - 1960):
• 4Nun komm der Heiden Heiland02:21
• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963):
• 54 Motets pour le temps de Noël, FP 152: No. 1, O magnum mysterium02:58
• 64 Motets pour le temps de Noël, FP 152: No. 2, Quem vidistis pastores dicite02:06
• 74 Motets pour le temps de Noël, FP 152: No. 3, Videntes stellam02:57
• 84 Motets pour le temps de Noël, FP 152: No. 4, Hodie Christus natus est02:14
• Ottorino Respighi (1879 - 1936):
• 9Lauda per la Natività del Signore, P. 16625:26
• Total Runtime50:56

Info for Respighi: Lauda per la Natività del Signore, P. 166

In 1930 Ottorino Respighi composed “Lauda per la Natività del Signore”, the only sacred choral piece among his works. In this song of praise to the miracle of Christmas, majestic sounding choral passages alternate with the solo vocal roles of Maria, the Angel and the shepherd, accompanied by the sound of pastoral instruments. The music is varied, containing stylistic elements ranging from the late romantic to neo baroque, as well as echoes of Gregorian chant. And towering above all is Respighi's trademark: the art of orchestration. The Rundfunkchor Berlin (Berlin Radio Choir) under Maris Sirmais and Nicolas Fink presents this unusual work along with several a cappella Christmas motets by other renowned 20th c. composers including Morten Lauridsen and Francis Poulenc.

"Both the choral and solo singing on this glowing new recording are of high quality, the wind playing delightfully coloured" (BBC Music Magazine)

Yeree Suh, soprano
Kristine Larissa Funkhauser, mezzo-soprano
Krystian Adam, tenor
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin
Maris Sirmais, conductor
Nicolas Fink, conductor

Nicolas Fink
The Swiss conductor Nicolas Fink has conducted the Rundfunkchor Berlin, the choirs of the MDR and the WDR, the Coro Casa da Musica Porto as well as the Choeur de Radio France, and is also a welcome guest with other radio choirs for the preparation and rehearsal of large-scale works (among others for Sir Simon Rattle, Marek Janowski and Thomas Hengelbrock). In 2014 he was appointed choir director of the newly-founded Schleswig Holstein Festival Choir. He is especially interested in new forms of performance. He conducted the world premiere of Christian Jost’s LOVER in Kraftwerk Berlin with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. In 2015 Nicolas Fink will conduct the same ensemble in the traditional Christmas concert in the Berlin Cathedral, in a scenic realization by the director Jasmina Hadziahmetovic, as well as the highly acclaimed production human requiem in Hong Kong and Brussels. In Bergen he initiated and conducted the Norwegian premiere of Martin’s Le vin herbé with the Edvard Grieg Kor in a visual realization by the photographer Magnus Skrede. His performance of a choreographed version of Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil with the WDR Rundfunkchor was enthusiastically received. Fink completed his studies in choral conducting at the Lucerne School of Music with distinction and also received a performance diploma as a baritone. Further studies led him to master classes around the world, including a conducting fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center in 2006.

Rundfunkchor ­Berlin
With around 60 concerts each year, numerous CD recordings and guest appearances at all of the important festivals, the Rundfunkchor ­Berlin (Berlin Radio Choir) is one of the top choirs internationally. Its wide-ranging repertoire, a flexible, richly-nuanced tonal sound, flawless precision and captivating appeal make the choir a much sought-after partner to leading orchestras and conductors worldwide. Three Grammy Awards and two ECHO-Klassik Awards in the last four years alone are testimony to the outstanding quality of its recordings. The ensemble has attracted international attention for its initiative Broadening the Scope of Choral Music: each year for the last ten years, the choir has successfully promoted new interdisciplinary concert projects in collaboration with artists from different branches of the arts, unlocking new experiences of choral music. With its varied sing along formats for different target groups – a major sing along concert in the Berlin Philharmonie, the LeaderChor for management training, or the Liederbörse for schoolchildren – the Berlin Radio Choir encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to actively engage in the world of choral music. The SING! initiative encourages singing as a natural part of the primary school day. With its Akademie, Schola, and International Masterclasses Berlin, the Berlin Radio Choir is demonstrating its commitment to training up-and-coming singers and conductors. Founded in 1925, the ensemble has been conducted by Simon Halsey since 2001. The Berlin Radio Choir is an ensemble of the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH (roc berlin).

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