Music of E.T.A. Hoffmann, Knut Nystedt, & Max Reger

This week Going Beyond Words returns to present on ACDA Radio and ChoralNet three composers whose styles will take you through the post JS Bach era to the end of the 20^th century.    The first composer lived a long fruitful life of 99 years and Stan Schmidt your host was very fortunate to have Norwegian born Knut Nystedt write two of his finest motets for his ensembles.  “Psalm 77” for his High School Choir back in the 1970’s and “Be Not Afraid” for the Clarion Chamber Chorale who sang it at The ACDA North Central Convention in Lincoln, Nebraska about 1996.   Thanks to our esteemed friend Weston Noble whose Nordic Choir took both pieces on Tour……  On this broadcast you will hear an “Ave Maria” for Choir and Violin,  an eleven – minute work very worth the effort.    Next you will recall of the Choral Classic “O Tod, wie bitter bist du” by Max Reger from the magnificent recording by the Stockholm Radio Choir guided by Eric Ericson…..   The concluding work on this program will be by Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffman (1776-1822) known as E.T. A. Hoffmann a Prussian Romantic author of Fantasy and Gothic Horror, a Jurist, Composer, Music Critic, Draftsman and Caricaturist.  His Stories form the basis of Offenbach’s famous Opera The Tales of Hoffman and he is also the author of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King on which Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker is based.  His “Mass in D minor” demands a quartet of qualified Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra.  This performance is accomplished by the West German Radio Choir and Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rupert Huber.   Hope you enjoy the music

For a look at the CD’s used and a complete list of the music heard go to the blog of WWW.GOINGBEYONDWORDS.COM website and click on show 2416