|
The Madrigalchor der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln existed until the 1970's, based on an initiative of Professor Hermann Schröder and Professor Dr. med. Rudolf Ewerhart. Following on from this tradition, the choir was rebuilt six decades ago by Prof. Reiner Schuhenn.
The approximately 40-strong ensemble consists mainly of students of study programs Ev. and Catholic church music as well as students of the study program Music Ediucation. The choir's main task is to cover the repertoire of chamber music-occupied sacred choral music of all eras in order to achieve as broad a versatility as possible.
The Madrigalchor performed classical modern period motets (Hohe Domkirche in Essen), choral movements and motets of German Romanticism (St. Maria im Kapitol, Köln), Weihnachtshistorie by Heinrich Schütz (Antoniterkirche Köln), sacred choral music by Michael Praetorius (St. Pantaleon, Köln), new sacred songs as part of the Diözesanjugendchortages des Erzbistums Köln (Musikhochschule), George Frideric Handel's oratorio Alexanderfest, the secular choral music by Johannes Brahms, Requiem by Maurice Duruflé, English cathedral music (within a much respected Concert at the Kölner Dom), Mass by Igor Stravinsky and Laudes Organi by Zoltán Kodály, Deutsche Requiem by Johannes Brahms, King David by Arthur Honegger (Kreuzkirche Bonn), as well as in the context of a large university concert Choral music by Karlheinz Stockhausen on the 75th birthday of the composer.
Twice the Madrigalchor was already invited to live concerts in Deutschlandradio as part of the Chor.Com Dortmund (2013: Verdi-Requiem, 2015: double choir choir music by Johannes Brahms, Josef Rheinberger, Martin and others, together with the Figuralchor Bonn). For the first time in the autumn of 2004, the Madrigalchor der Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, was heard as part of a subscription concert in the Kölner Philharmonie; The highly acclaimed concert included the Requiem Op. 9 by Maurice Duruflé, which was also recorded live by WDR.
In 2010 the Madrigalchor participated in the performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 under the direction of GMD Markus Stenz (Gürzenich-Orchester Köln). In 2011, the Choir (together with the Figuralchor Köln and the Kölner Kammerorchester) performed teice J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) at the Kölner Philharmonie; in 2012 - also at the Kölner Philharmonie and with the same performers - J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248) (with Edda Moser as recitative soloist). A much acclaimed success in the spring of 2019 was the performance of J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) in Köln's Trinitatiskirche in the form of a gestural or semi-staged version.
Apart from numerous concerts in the Köln area, the Madrigalchor can also be heard outside of Köln. So, for example, in 2002 the Madrigalchor made a tour to Rome (Lateran Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls) and to a concert in Hamburg's main church St. Michaelis, or in 2010 with J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) to Dresden. In October 2008, the Madrigalchor appeared in Montepulciano / Tuscany, together with the Corpo di Montepulciano, held a choral festival in collaboration with the Montepulciano European Music Academy. Also in 2019, the Madrigalchor once again attended a choral week at the European Music Academy in Montepulciano. |
