Frieder Bernius on Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”
In the CARUS Highlights, Frieder Bernius writes on Mendelssohn’s “Elijah”, one of the most popular oratorios of all.
Personalities
We take a look at fascinating biographies, or report on particular aspects in the works of Bach, Mozart or Mendelssohn, Matsushita, Miškinis or Močnik. And we present the performers on our CD label, such as Frieder Bernius and the Stuttgart Kammerchor, Hans-Christoph Rademann and the Gaechinger Cantorey, and Calmus Ensemble. As well as this, you will get to meet our editors who report on their editions published by Carus - all true experts of choral music. 
Founding of Carus-Verlag
After discovering there was no satisfactory printed edition of Vivaldi’s Gloria, Günter Graulich decided without further ado to transcribe the music himself from the autograph manuscript for his choir. Demand for the edition grew, and with it the need to have it printed. This marked the birth of Carus-Verlag.
Through the year with Schütz
On November 16, 1672, the electoral conductor Heinrich Schütz died in Dresden at a very old age. The 350th anniversary of his death in 2022 gives us the opportunity to remember one of the most important and groundbreaking composers in our musical history.
J. S. Bach: St. John Passion
Bach pulled out everything in his St. John Passion: the orchestra included almost every conceivable instrument in the original version of the piece. His lyricist used very pictorial language. Bach added a sea of musical affects to the powerful language, which in its diversity and complexity is overwhelming and, in the best sense of the word, “theatrical”.
César Franck: “Les Béatitudes”
César Franck regarded his oratorio “Les béatitudes” as his most important work. The first performance of the version with piano accompaniment was given in Franck’s private apartment. But the “real” premiere of the orchestral version with over 250 performers took place only after the composer’s death in 1891 in Dijon. It was an overwhelming success, as was the Paris premiere in March 1893.
Charpentier’s Compositional Talent
Charpentier’s substantial œuvre is distinguished by its remarkably high level of quality, and furthermore by a special beauty of a very humble and unpretentious kind that certainly could have made some of his contemporaries jealous.
Seeing With Our Ears
Heinrich Schütz is regarded as the first German musician of European stature. Carus has recorded his complete works on CD in 20 parts on 28 discs. The complete recording in one Box was issued this year. The guiding spirit of this project is Hans-Christoph Rademann, founder and conductor of the Dresden Chamber Choir, joined by vocal soloists and instrumentalists.
Verdi: The Requiem – and what else?
The Messa da Requiem is truly Verdi’s most impressice work, but due to the size of the needed ensemble it can hardly be performed. Besides this milestone, Verdi created only a few other sacred works.
Symphonic principles in Bruckner’s unaccompanied works
Bruckner’s symphonic works are sufficiently covered in the literature. On the other hand, his a cappella choral works eke out a shadowy existence and are usually treated only as by-products. Very wrongly, as choral conductor Jan Schumacher finds, who – also in view of the Bruckner anniversary year 2024 – has dealt with this aspect of the Austrian composer’s oeuvre for his contribution.
Hochfürstl. Sächsisch-Weißenfelsischer würklicher Capellmeister
Johann Sebastian Bach’s secular cantatas provide an exciting insight into his activities between city and court, between the beginning of the Enlightenment and absolutism. Activities which probably characterized a successful life back then, but seem slightly strange to us now, perhaps even disconcerting. Uwe Wolf has researched the circumstances surrounding the composition of Bach’s wonderful Hunting Cantata, and went on the trail of Bach in Weissenfels. Come along with us!
