Brahms Four Serious Songs & Fauré Requiem
31 October 2015, 16:30 - 17:35
Concert
This event will be broadcast from Merton College Chapel
Robert Holl bass
Sholto Kynoch piano
Merton College Choir
Benjamin Nicholas conductor
Johannes Brahms: Vier ernste Gesänge
Gabriel Fauré: Requiem
A stunning pairing of works for All Saints' Eve. Fauré's Requiem is one of the most popular works of the choral repertoire. Having concluded our survey of Fauré's complete songs, we are delighted to include a full performance of the work in the stunning setting of Merton College Chapel, sung by Merton College choir, one of Oxford'd leading choirs. The Requiem is ideally complemented by Brahms's Vier ernste Gesänge, his last songs, performed here by legendary bass Robert Holl.
PROGRAMME:
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Vier ernste Gesänge (‘Four Serious Songs’)
Texts taken from the Bible
- Denn es gehet dem Menschen
- Ich wandte mich und sahe an alle
- O Tod, wie bitter bist du Bass
- Wenn ich mit Menschen und mit Engelszungen redete
Gabriel Fauré (1843-1924)
Requiem, Op. 48
Introït et Kyrie
Offertoire
Sanctus
Pie Jesu
Agnus Dei et Lux Aeterna
Libera Me
In Paradisum
Robert Holl
Robert Holl
Bass
Robert Holl was born in Rotterdam. In 1971 he won the First Prize at the International Vocal Competition in 's-Hertogenbosch, followed by studies with Hans Hotter in Munich. In 1972 he won the First Prize at the International Music Competition of the German Broadcasting Association (ARD) in Munich, which resulted in television and radio engagements and orchestral concerts. Between 1973 and 1975 he was a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich. After numerous years as a sought-after concert singer and Lieder recitalist, in the 1980s... Read Full Biography
Sholto Kynoch
Sholto Kynoch
Pianist
Sholto Kynoch is a sought-after pianist who specialises in song and chamber music. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Oxford Lieder Festival, which won a prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2015, cited for its ‘breadth, depth and audacity’ of programming. Recent recitals have taken him to Wigmore Hall, Heidelberger Frühling in Germany, the Zeist International Lied Festival in Holland, the LIFE Victoria festival and Palau de la Música in Barcelona, the Opéra de Lille, Kings Place in Lo... Read Full Biography
Choir of Merton College, Oxford
Choir of Merton College, Oxford
Ensemble
The Choir of Merton College is known internationally through its tours, recordings and broadcasts. Recent concert tours have included Italy, Sweden, France and the USA, and in December 2018 the choir made its first visit to Singapore and Hong Kong. Performances in 2016 included Mozart’s Requiem in Toulouse, and engagements at Washington National Cathedral and St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York, and in 2017 the choir sang the first ever Anglican Service in St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Recent... Read Full Biography
Benjamin Nicholas
Benjamin Nicholas
Conductor
Benjamin Nicholas is Reed Rubin Organist & Director of Music at Merton College, Oxford and Principal Conductor of The Oxford Bach Choir. As a conductor, he has appeared with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, The BBC Singers and The Holst Singers in works such as Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Holst’s Savitri and Duruflé’s Requiem. During Benjamin’s time at Merton, the annual Pass... Read Full BiographyFestival Passes
This event is part of a series:
2015 Festival: Singing Words: poets and their songs
Singing Words: Poets and their Songs celebrates the glorious and varied poetry of song and emphasises this unique meeting of words and music. Following the triumph of last year’s ‘The Schubert Project’ and our recent Royal Philharmonic Society Award, we are pleased to present another stellar array of world-renowned artists in the heart of Oxford. Many of the programmes are bas...