麻豆社

The Romantic German choral repertoire is notable for its glorious and opulent vocal sonorities, luxuriant scoring and ravishing harmonies, and this programme of seldom-heard masterpieces for voices will be enjoyed by anyone who loves the orchestral music of this era. Two sumptuous masterworks by friends and compatriots Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann can be heard alongside more intimate pieces by the great composer-organists Max Reger and Josef Rheinberger, while Hugo Wolf's Sacred Songs are a touching and intimate statement of faith. As bookends to the programme, Arnold Schoenberg's impassioned choral plea for peace on earth, and Richard Strauss's mighty setting of words in praise of Creation: an astonishing, and rarely-heard, work for 16-part choir, and one of the most sublime and unforgettable works in the entire choral repertoire.