Programme:
Heinrich Ignaz Biber: Requiem in F minor C 8
Johann Joseph Fux: Omnis terra adoret K. 183
as well as music by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer
»Access to the light through the voice« is the motto of Lionel Meunier and Vox Luminis. The Belgian ensemble fulfils this ambition like a dream, with the soft, smooth, homogeneous sound of their crystal-clear, perfectly transparent voices. They join forces with the Freiburger BarockConsort, made up of members of the Freiburger Barockorchester, to put the spotlight on two grand masters of the Austrian Baroque: Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and his presumed disciple Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. The latter’s requiem in F minor forms the central work of the evening and is characterised by its remarkably diverse score, which dives deep into themes of faith, transience, and departure. The Bohemian-born composer, who was Kapellmeister in the service of the Archbishop of Salzburg from 1670, was also famous for being a violin virtuoso. This is reflected in the requiem, with the first violin standing out from the other string instruments and acting as an expressive upper voice above the choir – perhaps a symbol of the hope for an eternal light after death?
Freiburger BarockConsort
Vox Luminis vocal ensemble
Lionel Meunier bass and director
supported by the Wolfgang und Ursula Braun Stiftung
