Program: #02-49 Air Date: Dec 09, 2002
Our friends at the most recent Bergen festival also presented a sweeping and rare Requiem mass in 2002—the beautiful setting by the Bohemian composer who spent most of his creative life in the court at Dresden, Jan Dismas Zelenka.
Preservation of this program is made possible by a generous grant in honor of Richard Bayer.
These programs are made possible in part by support from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, D.C. For more information about Norwegian cultural events in the United States or for travel and tourist information, you may consult:
All of the music on this program is from the 2002 Bergen International Music Festival, and features the Akademie fur Alte Musik, Berlin and the Dresden Chamber Choir. This recording was made in the Domkirken in Bergen.
JAN DISMA ZELENKA (1679–1745): Requiem fur August der Starken.
This requiem was written for August the Strong, who converted to Catholicism after the death of King John II to become King of Poland in 1696. As Elector, he was also ruler of Saxony; under his reign Dresden reached its zenith of wealth and artistic influence.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750): Trauer Ode: Funeral Cantata for Electoral Princess Christiane Eberhardine, BWV 198.
The Princess (of Brandenburg) was the wife of August the Strong; she pre-deceased him by six years.
The Akademie fur Alte Musik, Berlin records for Harmonia Mundi.
Composer Info
JAN DISMA ZELENKA (1679-1745), JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)