Fährmann: Motets, Op. 34, 45 & 56 SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart & Frieder Bernius

• Hans Fährmann (1860 - 1940): Die mit Tränen säen, Op. 56:
• 1Die mit Tränen säen, Op. 5611:42
• 7 Sprüche, Op. 45:
• 27 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 1, Christus hat dem Tode die Macht genommen04:12
• 37 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 2, Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied02:51
• 47 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 3, Bittet, so wird euch gegeben04:00
• 57 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 4, Christus ist aufgefahren02:02
• 67 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 5, Siehe, spricht der Herr03:31
• 77 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 6, Ei, du frommer und getreuer Knecht03:53
• 87 Sprüche, Op. 45: No. 7, Kommet her zu mir alle05:12
• 5 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34:
• 95 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34: No. 1, Gott wird abwischen alle Tränen04:34
• 105 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34: No. 2, Die auf den Herrn harren01:36
• 115 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34: No. 3, Dein Leben lang03:03
• 125 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34: No. 4, Herr, höre meine Worte05:21
• 135 Sprüche & Psalmen, Op. 34: No. 5, Was ist der Mensch04:59
• Total Runtime56:56

Info for Fährmann: Motets, Op. 34, 45 & 56

During his lifetime Hans Fährmann was known as “the Richard Strauss of the organ.” Today the compositions of this composer and organist, who was born in 1860 in Beicha, Saxony, are largely unknown. Frieder Bernius has now devoted himself to Fährmann's sacred vocal works and has found the SWR Vokalensemble to be the ideal partner for these late romantic a cappella works. The motets, whose demanding harmonies also demand professional ensembles, are now available for the first time. The SWR vocal ensemble has mastered this challenge brilliantly. For Frieder Bernius, a conductor always on the lookout for exciting choral literature, Fährmann’s compositions represent “an indispensable and very welcome enrichment of the late romantic repertoire.” How true!

SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart
Frieder Bernius, conductor

The SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart
with its 33 singers, is considered one of the leading international ensembles for 20th century and contemporary vocal music. It first appeared at the Donaueschingen Festival in 1947. In 1951, their new chief conductor Hermann Joseph Dahmen began to significantly promote the choir’s specialization in contemporary vocal music. With its subsequent chief conductors Marinus Voorberg (1975–1981), Klaus-Martin Ziegler (1981– 1987) and Rupert Huber (1990–2000), the SWR Vokalensemble attained an international reputation as an ensemble for new music. Marcus Creed has been the chief conductor since 2003. Under his direction, the SWR Vokalensemble founded its first own concert series in Stuttgart. The CD productions recorded under Marcus Creed’s baton have won significant awards. They include practically unknown works by Charles Ives, Elliott Carter and Heitor Villa-Lobos. For its production of Bruckner’s E minor Mass and a selection of motets, the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart was named “Ensemble of the Year” in 2009. In 2011 and 2012 they were awarded the Echo Classic Prize for the “Choral Production of the Year” (2011: Heitor Villa- Lobos, Choral Works; 2012: György Ligeti, Requiem). Furthermore, the ensemble was awarded the “European Choir Prize” by the Pro Europa Foundation for Culture for its pioneering efforts on behalf of contemporary vocal music.

Frieder Bernius
work has earned great worldwide recognition. He is in demand internationally as a conductor and as a teacher. His principal artistic collaborators are the ensembles he founded himself, the Kammerchor Stuttgart, the Barockorchester Stuttgart, the Hofkapelle Stuttgart and the Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart. As a guest conductor, he has collaborated repeatedly with, for example, the SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and the Streicherakademie Bozen. Great stylistic versatility is Frieder Bernius’s hallmark. Whether he conducts vocal works by Monteverdi, Bach, Händel, Mozart, Beethoven, Fauré and Ligeti, stage music by Mendelssohn or symphonies by Haydn, Burgmüller and Schubert, his work always aims for a sound that is at once unmistakably personal and at the same time oriented towards the original period sound ideal. He devotes himself equally to the rediscovery of 18th century operas and to first performances of contemporary compositions. He is particularly interested in the musical history of southwestern Germany. Carus-Verlag has awarded Frieder Bernius a Golden CD for his complete recording of the sacred music of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The award was presented to him during the German Choir Festival in Stuttgart 2016. The sale of over 250,000 recordings, which has been acclaimed with a number of awards, has made a not insignificant contribution to what today is the obvious presence of Mendelssohn's complete œuvre in the concert repertoire.

Booklet for Fährmann: Motets, Op. 34, 45 & 56