Church music was particularly dear to the Liechtenstein composer Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. But he was not a follower of the prevalent Cecilianism movement of his time. He strove instead for emotional warmth and sensuality in his musical language, rather than serene austerity. In his works he found his own individual sound, combining traditional structures with tension-laden harmonic writing in equal measure. Read more!
At a time of great changes in which the uncertain, the unpredictable, indeed, even the unsettling can become the new normal, it is the psalms in particular which can offer comfort, confidence, and hope – not only for believers, but also for people who have little or no faith.
Amongst Rheinberger’s 14 mass settings, the Mass in E flat major op. 109 (Cantus Missae) composed in 1878 undoubtedly holds a special position. This mass must, in the opinion of Tristan Meister, count as one of the most important church music compositions of the Romantic period and is worthy of a place in the repertoire of every ambitious choir.
Right from the very first rehearsal Philipp Schlesinger was fascinated by this piece for four-part choir and piano. Previously he was most familiar with Rheinberger’s sacred vocal music, so the secular choral works and the Wasserfee opened the door to a new world…
