Embraced by Sound
Carl von Ossietzky Chor (Berlin, Germany)
The Carl von Ossietzky Chor (Carl von Ossietzky Choir) has been a key part of Berlin’s choral scene for over 40 years. Contemporary Scandinavian music has become an important component of the ensemble’s programming for its unique spherical sounds that symbolize a mythical landscape and atmosphere of light and color.
With Embraced by Sound, the Carl von Ossietzky Chor transforms the embrace — a hug — into an auditory and spatial experience: ”Social distancing […] is partly so difficult because it deprives us of one of the most fulfilling touches: a hug”—(Gunda Windmüller in ”An Ode to the Embrace,” 04/26/2020 ). For the past two years, we have not only been deprived of hugs, but also of the enjoyment of live concerts. We long to experience a shared space with musicians, and of feeling music’s vibrations. With these needs in mind, the ensemble’s singers envelop the audience in sounds that embrace and comfort from all sides.
The program accounts for the many facets of human emotion. Light and darkness contribute just as much as a juxtaposition of romantic, impressionist, and contemporary timbres. First, Jukka Linkola’s light and lively Mieliteko fuses the Finnish folk song tradition with hints of modern jazz. In contrast, “Agnus Dei” from Frank Martin’s Mass for double choir a cappella is dark and restrained, filling the church’s sanctuary space with dense, pensive sounds. Then, Kurt Bikkemberg’s Wie die Seele, a composition for four to eight mixed parts a cappella, and commissioned for this program, bursts forth to represent the dawn that follows the darkness of night. Classics of German choral literature by Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn are further complemented by the minimal music of Philipp Glass (Three Songs) and the contemporary composition by Jaakko Mäntyjärvi (The Voice of the Child).
Through this characteristically versatile program of both secular and sacred compositions from the 19th to 21st centuries, the Carl von Ossietzky Chor establishes its core aims for cultural exchange, diversity, and acceptance through music.
The visit of choir is supported by Goethe Institut.