The familiar Christmas music is a prelude to Handel’s main concern, the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. It is an Easter piece, then, and so too are Bach’s two Passions and his Easter Oratorio.

Handel is always played in December, but liturgically this is quite wrong. The familiar Christmas music is a prelude to Handel’s main concern, the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. It is an Easter piece, then, and so too are Bach’s two Passions and his Easter Oratorio.

Sofi Jeannin, the new Chief Conductor of the prestigious BBC Singers, has devised an imaginative programme telling the Easter story using all four of these towering pieces, including the ever-popular Hallelujah Chorus. With an exceptional cast of singers and Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir it promises to be profoundly moving on a spiritual level and sublime on a musical one, just in time for Easter.

Conductor Sofi Jeannin
Singers include: Sally-Anne Russell, Henry Choo, James Ioelu
Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir
Director Karen Grylls

Arias and choruses from:

Handel Messiah
J.S. Bach Easter Oratorio
J.S. Bach St John Passion
J.S. Bach St Matthew Passion

 

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This is one of Mahler’s most popular works. Using massive forces – vocal soloists, a choir, extra wind and percussion and offstage brass and percussion – to create high drama, there are also many quieter, intimate moments.

Mahler wrote various programs for this work highlighting the struggles of a hero who finally succumbs to death. The first movement represents a funeral. The second remembers happy times. The third “when you awaken from a blissful dream and are forced to return to this tangled life of ours”. The fourth is a wish for release from a life without meaning. In the final movement “the end of every living thing has come; the Last Judgment is at hand … the trumpets of the Apocalypse ring out.”

Mahler later withdrew the program, telling his wife that “it gives only a superficial indication, all that any program can do for a musical work.”

Swedish mezzo-soprano Anna Larsson is renowned for her Mahler interpretations, which she has sung with the world’s greatest orchestras.

Graduating from The Juilliard School in 2011, American soprano Lauren Snouffer is one of the most versatile young sopranos on the international stage.

Edo de Waart Conductor
Lauren Snouffer Soprano
Anna Larsson
 Mezzo-soprano
Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir
Orpheus Choir of Wellington (Wellington only)
Auckland Choral (Auckland only)

Mahler Symphony No. 2 in C minor Resurrection

 

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Composer Anna Clyne has collaborated with choreographers, artists, orchestras and musicians worldwide. One such collaboration, Abstractions II (Auguries), III (Seascape) and IV (River) was inspired by several artworks from the Baltimore Museum of Art.

La Mort de Cléopâtre (The Death of Cleopatra) by Hector Berlioz is a dramatic cantata, with text by French poet and playwright Pierre-Ange Vieillard. It was composed when Berlioz was just 25 years old. Featuring leading American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, whose operatic appearances include the Paris Opera, The Met, Milan’s La Scala and Covent Garden Royal Opera House.

English composer Gustav Holst’s most famous work, The Planets, finds inspiration not only in the planets of our solar system, but their astrological character. Written in seven movements (one for each of the known planets at the time) The first, Mars, inspired the composers of both the Star Wars and Gladiator movies. The last, Neptune, deploys an off-stage female choir, which is where Voices New Zealand join this dramatic work.

The approximate runtime for this concert is 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Edo de Waart Conductor
Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano
Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir

Anna Clyne Abstractions: II, III, IV
Berlioz La Mort de Cléopâtre (The Death of Cleopatra)
Holst The Planets

 

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Music Director Edo de Waart, is joined by a stellar group of soloists and Voices New Zealand to end the Beethoven Festival in style.

Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony is light-hearted and cheerful. It is one of Beethoven’s shortest symphonies, with a second movement much faster than most symphonic second movements. It is said to imitate the newly invented metronome. Beethoven met the metronome’s inventor, Johann Mälzel, at a dinner party while writing this work.

The Ninth Symphony is regarded as one of Beethoven’s finest works. It has the largest orchestra of his symphonies and was the first symphony by a major composer to use voices. In the final movement, the voices sing the triumphant Ode to Joy, a poem by Friedrich Schiller.

The work premiered in 1824 in Vienna. The audience gave rousing ovations, including waving handkerchiefs and lifting hats so that the deaf composer, who could not hear the applause, could see the ecstatic response.

Beethoven’s Choral Symphony is frequently featured in film, TV and even video games.

As we head towards the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birthday in 2020, his music is as relevant today as it was when it premiered.

Edo de Waart Conductor
Sabina Cvilak Soprano
Kristin Darragh Mezzo-soprano
Kim Begley Tenor
Anthony Robin Schneider Bass
Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir

Beethoven Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Choral

 

AUCKLAND CONCERT SOLD OUT!

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This musical and visual concert features breath-taking footage from Sir David Attenborough’s iconic BBC Earth series, on the big screen. The full force of the APO and VOICES New Zealand performing the remarkable music by the Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe, will accompany the antics of acrobatic primates, fearsome hunting lions, death-defying penguins and dancing grizzly bears.

Celebrate the greatest treasures of our planet in a thrilling, unique way. Planet Earth II Live in Concert is the story of nature on an unprecedented, noble and epic scale.

Conductor David Kay

Planet Earth II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions

 

Join New Zealand’s award-winning chamber choir for a mid-winter Yulefest.
Think cosy ambience under high-vaulted ceilings, candlelight and divine music.

This celebration of choral music brings you a constellation of well-known Christmas carols with music about stars and the mystery of the season. Works will include “Stars” by Esenvalds, Daniel Elder’s “O Magnum Mysterium” and “Birthday Sleep” by John Tavener.

As additional treats there will be newly-commissioned arrangements of familiar Christmas carols from five New Zealand composers, our own musical Southern Cross, one for each star.

Let the ambiance excite your senses and celebrate with Voices New Zealand, with music familiar and new, in our July Yulefest!

 

 

 

With support from:

 

Voices New Zealand
Horomona Horo Traditionelle Instrumente der Māori
Dirigentin Karen Grylls

Der geheimnisvolle Ruf der Pukaea, der Māori-Trompete, eröffnet den ersten Teil des Konzerts „Stimmen der Heiligen und Engel". Hildegard von Bingens Stück „O Viridissimi Virga" aus dem zwölften Jahrhundert ist durchzogen von traditionellem Gesang der Māori, Samoaner, and Taiwanesen. Der Auftakt für ein einzigartiges Konzert welches die Klänge der europäischen Gegenwart aus der Sicht der Antipoden betrachtet. Voices of Aotearoa, Stimmen aus Neuseeland, ist ein außergewöhnliches Programm des preisgekrönten Ensembles Voices New Zealand, in dem der pazifische Ursprung des Ensembles mit dem klassischen, europäischen Chorrepertoire auf wundersame Weise verschmilzt. Das Resultat ist berauschend, exotisch und einfach wunderschön.

Die Musik ist inspiriert durch die neuseeländische Landschaft in Pounamu sodass die geheimnisvollen Klänge der Māori-Flöte die Zuschauer auf eine musikalische Reise entführen. Von Venezuela nach Finnland, Nordamerika nach Belgien, Voices of Aotearoas mitreißendes Finale „Karakia of the Stars" ist ein musikalisches Tribut an den Māori-Kriegstanz, dem Haka.

Ein besonderes Erlebnis im Konzert ist auch der Māori-Solist und Komponist Horomona Horo, der eine Reihe von traditionellen Maori-Instrumenten – Taonga Puoro – spielt, mit denen er die altertümliche Musik der Māori mit der westlichen Musik verbindet.

 

Programme

VOICES OF SAINTS AND ANGELS

Hildegard von Bingen
Improvisation nach „O viridissima virga“

David Childs
Salve Regina“

César Alejandro
Carrillo
Magnificat“

VOICES FROM THE EARTH

Mark Sirett
„Ce beau printemps“

Jean Absil
„Le bestiaire”

David Griffiths
„Lie Deep My Love”

VOICES FROM THE DEEP

Helen Fisher
„Pounamu”

Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
„Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae”

Samuel Barber
„To Be Sung On The Water”

VOICES OF STARS AND LIGHT

David Hamilton
„Ecce beatam lucem”

Eric Whitacre
„Lux aurumque”

David Hamilton
„Karakia of the Stars”

 

 


Mehr über Voices New Zealand:

 

Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir mit Chorleiterin Dr. Karen Grylls ist Neuseelands preisgekrönntes Nationalensemble.

Voices NZ debütierte 1998 beim New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington und gewann im selben Jahr den Titel beim Tolosa International Chorwettbewerb in Spanien.

Der 24-köpfige Kammerchor ist seitdem das renommierteste Ensemble in Neuseeland. Von Galakonzerten mit Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, und speziellen Projekten mit den größten internationalen Festspielen (New Zealand Festival in Wellington, Auckland Arts Festival) und Symphonien, ist Voices NZ der Kammerchor der Wahl im Land.

Großprojekte wie Tippets A Child of our Time, Brittens War Requiem, Faure und Mozart Requiems, Händels Messias, und Mahlers 8. Symphonie sind genauso wichtig im Repertoire von VOICES NZ wie die Arbeit mit zeitgenössischen Komponisten aus Neuseeland. Jack Bodys PASSIO und Ross Harris’ Requiem for the Fallen sind zwei neuere Kollaborationen.

Requiem for the Fallen wurde dieses Jahr als CD veröffentlicht. Weitere veröffentlichte Aufnahmen umfassen eine Zusammenstellung neuseeländischer Stücke, Spirit of the Land, welches den nationalen TUI Preis für das beste klassische Album erhielt, Vanhals Missa Patoralis in Kollaboration mit dem Aradia Ensemble (Kanada), Hummels Missa solemnis mit dem New Zealand Symphony Orchestra und VOICES of the SOUL mit Māorimusiker Horomona Horo.

Filmmusik: VOICES NZ hat in diesem Jahr ebenfalls die Chormusik für Peter Jacksons neuen Film Mortal Engines / Krieg der Städte aufgenommen, welcher Ende dieses Jahres in deutschen Kinos Premiere feiert. [Produziert von Peter Jackson, Regie Christian Rivers mit Musik von Tom Holkenborg].

VOICES ist regelmäßig auf Auslandstournee mit Auftritten in Australien, Argentinien, Neukaledonien, Deutschland, Spanien und Singapur.

 


Über künstlerische Leiterin Dr. Karen Grylls:

 

Im Jahr 1998 gründete Dr. Karen Grylls den Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, der schnell internationale Anerkennung für seine Konzerte und Aufnahmen erzielte. Karen ist Associate Professor in Chorleitung an der University of Auckland und ist ebenfalls Künstlerische Leiterin des Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust, die Organisation welche den Neuseeländischen Jugendchor, New Zealand Youth Choir, und Voices NZ managt. Zuvor war die gebürtige Neuseeländerin die Leiterin und Dirigentin des New Zealand Youth Choir (1989 bis 2011), und später auch Artistische Leiterin des Toronto Exultate Chamber Choir (2011 bis 2013).

Nach Studienaufenthalten in Neuseeland und den USA übernahm Karen die Leitung des Auckland Dorian Choir und des NZ Youth Choir.

Mit dem New Zealand Youth Choir erzielte Karen auch erheblichen internationalen Erfolg: So den Gewinn des Silver Rosebowl im “Let the Peoples Sing” Radio Wettbewerb (1992), “Choir of the World” (1999 International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales), und den “Grand Prix Slovakia” (1999).

Mit Voices New Zealand gewann die renommierte Dirigentin Gold und Silber bei dem Tolosa International Choral Wettbewerb (1998) und weitere Preise in Gorizia (2004), Llangollen, Wales, und Cantonigros, Spanien (2007).

Karen ist eine international gefragte Expertin in der Welt der Chormusik. Einladungen als Jurymitglied und Masterclasses im Chorsingen und –leiten brachten Karen nach Australien, Singapur, Spanien, Hong Kong, Italien, China, Taiwan, Kanada, Indonesien, Japan und Marktoberdorf in Deutschland.

In Anerkennung ihrer Verdienste in der Chormusik erhielt Karen eine ‚ONZM’-Verdienstmedallie (Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit).

 


Mehr über Solist Horomona Horo:

 

Horomona Horo, ist ein gefragter Musiker für internationale Kollaborationen.

Die Liste seiner umfangreichen internationalen Auftritte umfasst Konzerte mit der Staatskapelle Weimar, Italientournee mit der Oper Canti Māori and Künstler zu Gast bei der 90. Gedenkveranstaltung für die Schlacht bei Passendale in Belgien. Horo verkörpert den einzigartigen Klang, die Techniken und intrinsische Wichtigkeit der traditionellen Praktiken der ‘taonga puoro’. Nicht nur musikalisch wichtig, die Instrumente selbst sind ein Teil der holistischen Kultur von Leben, Tod und Eigenartigkeiten der Māori, eine Kultur in die er geboren wurde. Jedes Instrument spielt eine spezifische Rolle im täglichen Leben der Māori beim Erzählen von Geschichten und Vermitteln von Traditionen. Dieser einzigartige Atem, eingehaucht in jedes der Instrumente, kreiert den markanten Stil seiner Kunst.

www.horomonahoro.com

www.facebook.com/Horomona.Music

The spine-tingling call of a pukaea, or Māori trumpet, announces the opening section, "Voices of Saints and Angels" and the strains of Hildegard von Bingen's 12th-century work O Viridissimi Virga intertwine with traditional Māori, Samoan, and Taiwanese chant.

In this unique concert the sound worlds are contemporaneous, albeit emanating from opposite sides of the globe. This parallel and apparent disparity is the central theme. VOICES OF AOTEAROA is a hallmark programme by the award-winning ensemble VOICES New Zealand as it infuses the qualities of the ensemble’s pacific origins with classic and ‘western’ choral repertoire – the result is an intoxicating, exotic and utterly beautiful concert experience.

Music inspired by New Zealand's geographical landscape includes Helen Fisher's Pounamu with its haunting Māori flute accompaniment taking audiences on a musical journey. Traversing from Venezuela to Finland, North America to Belgium VOICES OF AOTEAROA closes with the rousing Karakia of the Stars by New Zealand composer David Hamilton and a musical reference to a Maori haka (war dance).

The concert also features Māori musician and composer Horomona Horo performing on a range of Taonga Puoro, traditional Māori instruments, weaving the ancient music and sounds of the Māori people through these ‘western’ songs.

 

Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C major, Op. 21
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
with Voices New Zealand

Music Director Edo de Waart’s final Masterworks concerts for 2018 highlight two milestones in not only Beethoven’s career, but the symphonic repertoire. Hear in one concert the composer’s journey from Classical to Romantic and in the process changing music forever.

The First Symphony is from a young Beethoven, already making his name in Vienna as a pianist and composer. While it owes a debt to Haydn, it also shows a composer hungry to explore and experiment.

His gargantuan Symphony No. 9, written when he had become completely deaf, is one of his greatest and most loved works. With four fantastic soloists – soprano Madeleine Pierard, mezzo-soprano Kristin Darragh, tenor Simon O’Neill and bass Anthony Robin Schneider – and premiere choir Voices New Zealand for the fourth movement’s ‘Ode to Joy’, this is an event no one should miss.

 

MULTIPLE CONCERT PACKAGE

Beethoven 9 is also available in the LOVE VOICES 2018 concert package – where you can book more concerts for less! Click here to book for this concert and/or create your own concert package.

INDIVIDUAL CONCERT TICKETS

For tickets to individual concerts only, use the white ticket button under the city of your choice.

 

Conductor Hans Graf

Cello Li-Wei Qin

 

Debussy Images pour orchestre: Gigues and Rondes de printemps
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme
Holst The Planets

Holst was fascinated by astrology, and in 1913 wrote to a friend:' Recently the character of each planet suggested lost to me'. The result is astonishingly vivid music for each of the human traits embodied by each planet's namesake deity - war, peace, jollity, old age - before the ultimate fade-out into the infinite. This piece has justly been a favourite from its first performance. Sopranos and Altos from VOICES NZ join the APO for this work.

Intoxicating from the very first bars...