Oratorio de Noël
To equate the concept of the “Christmas oratorio” with the work of J. S. Bach distorts our view of the great variety to be found within this genre. Thus, the Oratorio de Noël of Camille Saint-Saëns is an important and enriching part of the repertoire. This ten-movement work is presented by an unusual ensemble: The vocal part, with string quintet and organ accompaniment, is augmented by the special sonorous effect of a harp, which lends a special atmosphere to the piece. This atmosphere – evoked through gentle harmonies, straightforward choral settings and the almost chamber music-like use of the orchestra – is interrupted by only a few dramatic passages. The resulting tensions lead to the engaging charm of this work, which also explains the worldwide success of the oratorio.
The Vocalensemble Rastatt, Les Favorites and the organist Romano Giefer under the baton of Holger Speck show, with their distinct interpretation, that the concept of the “Christmas oratorio” encompasses many more impressive facets than is often assumed.
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Composer
Camille Saint-Saëns
| 1835-1921Camille Saint-Saëns war ein wahres Multitalent. Er war Pianist, Dirigent, Organist, Musikwissenschaftler, Musikpädagoge und Komponist und erlangte vor allem durch den Karneval der Tiere und die Oper Samson et Dalila Bekanntheit.
Seine Sinfonie A-Dur komponierte er mit 15 und wurde bereits mit 16 an der Universität in Paris aufgenommen. Klavier, Orgel und Komposition studierte Saint-Saëns am Pariser Konservatorium und wurde 1852 Organist von Saint-Séverin in Paris. Im selben Jahr lernte er auch Franz Liszt kennen, welcher folgend einen Einfluss auf Saint-Saëns kompositorisches Schaffen ausübte. Ein Jahr später feierte er dann als Komponist sein musikalisches Debüt. Die Oper Samson et Dalila, die 1877 in Weimar uraufgeführt wurde, brachte ihm einen bis heute anhaltenden Erfolg an den Opernhäusern. Sein Weihnachtsoratorium Oratorio de Noël, das beim Carus-Verlag erhältlich ist, ist wohl das bekannteste seiner geistlichen Werke. Personal details
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Preface writer
Herbert Lölkes
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Choir
Vocalensemble Rastatt
Alongside its dedication to a core repertoire of composers such as Monteverdi, Schütz, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, and Brahms, the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites frequently explore new terrain with premiere performances. On the heels of its successes in national and international choir competitions, the ensemble has taken part in numerous internationally acclaimed CD recordings as well as radio, and television productions for SWR, Radio France, Deutschlandradio Kultur, and Deutschlandfunk. The Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites have performed in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Musikfest Bremen, the Kölner Philharmonie, the SWR RheinVokal Festival, the Europäisches Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Deutschlandradio Kultur Wartburgkonzerte, the Internationale Musiktage im Dom zu Speyer, the Philharmonie in Mulhouse, and the Centre de Musique “Les Dominicains” in Guebwiller, France, among other venues. The flexible choir does not shy away from excursions into the world of opera, having performed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s Norma with Edita Gruberova, and Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte with Rolando Villazón. Together with Klaus Maria Brandauer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the choir also performed Mendelssohn’s Sommernachtstraum at the Musikfest Bremen. The ensemble is sponsored by the German state of Baden-Württemberg in co-operation with its “Kunst 2020” program, as well as by its home city of Rastatt. Personal details
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Ensemble
Les Favorites
Alongside its dedication to a core repertoire of composers such as Monteverdi, Schütz, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, and Brahms, the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites frequently explore new terrain with premiere performances. On the heels of its successes in national and international choir competitions, the ensemble has taken part in numerous internationally acclaimed CD recordings as well as radio, and television productions for SWR, Radio France, Deutschlandradio Kultur, and Deutschlandfunk. The Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites have performed in the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Musikfest Bremen, the Kölner Philharmonie, the SWR RheinVokal Festival, the Europäisches Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Deutschlandradio Kultur Wartburgkonzerte, the Internationale Musiktage im Dom zu Speyer, the Philharmonie in Mulhouse, and the Centre de Musique “Les Dominicains” in Guebwiller, France, among other venues. The flexible choir does not shy away from excursions into the world of opera, having performed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini’s Norma with Edita Gruberova, and Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte with Rolando Villazón. Together with Klaus Maria Brandauer and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the choir also performed Mendelssohn’s Sommernachtstraum at the Musikfest Bremen. The ensemble is sponsored by the German state of Baden-Württemberg in co-operation with its “Kunst 2020” program, as well as by its home city of Rastatt. Personal details
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Conductor
Holger Speck
Holger Speck is founder and artistic director of the Vocalensemble Rastatt & Les Favorites. He has developed a distinguished international reputation as a charismatic musician who is capable of bringing to life the aesthetic details of the sound particular to different periods, while communicating emotive content to the listener. His keen sense of sound assures the unmistakable tonal quality of his ensembles. His compelling, lively, and profound interpretations are regularly praised in specialist publications. He has conducted at famous festivals and concert halls such as the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, the Philharmonie Mulhouse, the Händelfestspiele Karlsruhe, the Europäische Musikfest Stuttgart, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, the Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik Schwäbisch Gmünd, and the SWR RheinVokal Festival. Holger Speck has won prizes at both national and international competitions with the Vocalensemble Rastatt. His CD recordings have met with international acclaim (Gramophone Magazine, American Record Guide, Fanfare, Fono Forum, L’Orfeo, Pizzicato, Diapason, Classicstoday etc.). He frequently collaborates with artists such as Anne Le Bozec (Piano), Reinhold Friedrich (Trumpet), Wolfgang Meyer (Clarinet), and Veronika Skuplik (Violin). Holger Speck is also in demand as a singer, as a guest conductor, and as a lecturer at seminars for conducting and interpretation. He teaches at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Personal details
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Soloist - soprano
Antonia Bourvé
Antonia Bourvé studied opera and lieder singing with Stephan Kohlenberg and Felicitas Strack at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe. Her studies continued with master classes with Brigitte Fassbaender and Anna Reynolds, and lieder classes with Mitsuko Shirai and Hartmut Höll. She was awarded a scholarship by the Richard Wagner Association and won first prize in the Kulturfonds Baden opera competition. A much sought-after soprano, Antonia Bourvé’s guest appearances include the title role in Mozart’s Zaide at the Staatstheater Nuremberg. She has also sung on CD recordings of Mozart’s Schauspieldirektor and Beethoven’s Scottish Songs. A further recording, which has been praised as a benchmark recording by the press, is Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, conducted by Holger Speck on the Carus label (Carus 83.352) Personal details
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Soloist - alto
Sabine Czinczel
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Soloist - mezzo-soprano
Gundula Schneider
Gundula Schneider, geboren in Dresden, ist Preisträgerin mehrerer internationaler Wettbewerbe, darunter Brahms-Wettbewerb Hamburg, Dvorak-Wettbewerb Karlsbad, 1. Preis bei Pro Musicis in Paris und New York. Die Mezzosopranistin war festes Mitglied am Theater Dortmund und gastierte an den Opernhäusern von Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, an der Komischen Oper Berling, in Innsbruck und Neapel. Als Lied- und Konzertsängerin war Gundula Schneider in Deutschland, dem europäischen Ausland, den USA sowie China und Japan, u.a. an der Pariser Opéra Comique und der Carnegie Hall in New York zu hören. Zudem wirkte sie bei zahlreichen Rundfunkaufnahmen und CD-Einspielungen mit. Personal details
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Soloist - tenor
Marcus Ullmann
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Soloist - baritone
Jens Hamann
Jens Hamann was a member of the Stuttgart Hymnus Boys’ Choir, the Kammerchor Stuttgart and the Gächinger Kantorei. After vocal studies with Rudolf Piernay in Mannheim, the baritone was awarded Saarland Radio’s “Special Early Music Award” in 2006. The world premiere recording of Michael Haydn’s Requiem (Carus 83.353), on which he sang, was honored with the 2007 MIDEM Classical Award. In the oratorio field he works with Helmuth Rilling, Georg Grün and Ralf Otto, and he has appeared as a guest at the Stuttgart European Music Festival and the Opernschlossfestspiele Hallwyl. Personal details
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Soloist - organ
Romano Giefer
Reviews
... Ein hochromantisches, wunderschönes Werk, das durch die Ausführenden eine klanglich nuancenreiche Wiedergabe erfährt! Aber auch den anderen kleineren kirchenmusikalischen Werken wird durch die Ausführenden die notwendige Aufmerksamkeit entgegengebracht, so dass insgesamt eine rundum gelungene Einspielung vorliegt!
Singende Kirche, 4/2006
Es zählt zu den Paradebeispielen für die genuin französische kleine Oratorienform, Camille Saint-Saëns Weihnachtsoratorium. ... Holger Speck und seine Mitstreiter, das Vocalensemble Rastatt und sein Kammerorchester Les Favorites, setzten in ihrer jüngsten Einspielung, was die Interpretation anbelangt, höchste Maßstäbe. ... Bei allem tonangebend ist ein Interpretationsanspruch, der dem Werk jenseits süßlicher Melodienseligkeit eine ungeahnte Dramatik verleiht. Überaus sensibel lotet Holger Speck Tempi, Dynamik und Phrasierungen aus, scheut er auch nicht die Grenze hin zur Überdehnung, um das Ensemble dann weniger fulminant aufwirbelnd als inhaltlich nur logisch steigernd in Richtung gegensätzlicher Extreme zu führen. Auf diese Weise bescheinigt Speck der inhaltlichen Botschaft und musikalischen Sprache eines Saint Saëns in seinem frühen Werk Tiefe und Intensität.
Christiane Franke, Neue Chorzeit, 12/2006
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