German choral music of the 19th century

The 19th century is the era of choral music. Obviously, before that time much music was written for groups of voices, even for two or more choirs. However, such groups were usually called a coro, which could mean a group of singers and/or instrumentalists of variable size. A 'choir' could consists of just four singers. Moreover, most music was ensemble music: written for an ensemble which took care of both solo and tutti episodes.

The 19th century saw the foundation of choral societies, mostly consisting of amateurs, singing the large-scale works by composers of the past, such as Bach (Germany) and Handel (England), but also music written specially for them. These choral societies were closely connected to nationalism, according to a book with the telling title Choral Societies and Nationalism in Europe. The discs to be reviewed here focus on Germany, and include music by some of the main composers of choral music: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Joseph Rheinberger and Johannes Brahms. Not represented here is another important composer of choral music: Robert Schumann. On the other hand: Joachim Raff seldom appears in programmes of 19th-century choral music.

Choral societies sang both sacred and secular music. The first two discs which are the subject of this review are entirely devoted to the former category. And this brings us to a particularly noteworthy feature of the 19th century. Whereas the large majority of composers of the renaissance and baroque periods wrote sacred music, many of their colleagues from the time after the French Revolution did not. There are two reasons for this. First, many composers did not occupy a post which required the composition of such music. If they were in the service of some institution, it was mostly not a church or a court, where sacred music was performed on a regular basis. Second, quite a number of composers were no Christian believers or had problems with the Christian faith or at least the church, whether Protestant or Catholic. It did not always prevent them from writing sacred works (Verdi, Berlioz), but such music was not intended for the liturgy. That even goes for Brahms, whose motets are certainly suitable for liturgical use, from the perspective of their format. In that respect and in their content, they are not fundamentally different from the motets by Mendelssohn.

The first disc is entirely devoted to the latter's choral music, which is sizeable and quite popular among choirs of today. In particular the motets are frequently performed and regularly recorded. Most of Mendelssohn's sacred music was intended for liturgical use. Sometimes that is expressed in the titles, such as Die Deutsche Liturgie, from which Philipp Ahmann, directing the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir [1], selected three items. The same goes for the 6 Sprüche, op. 79, which Benjamin Goodson recorded with the Netherlands Radio Choir [2]. The titles of these six pieces explicitly refer to the main stages of the ecclesiastical year, such as Advent and Passiontide.

Writing music for liturgical use was not easy for several reasons. Often the liturgy did not give much space to insert substantial compositions, as Mendelssohn stated in a letter quoted in the booklet to the Pentatone disc. But there was also the problem of finding the right style. Music had become an art form rather than a part of everyday life, and, as Mendelssohn stated in the same letter, "how could it be possible for music to become an integrating part of the service and not merely a concert that more or less stimulates devotion." And then there was the fact that music for the church was rooted in a long tradition, from plainchant, the polyphony of the Renaissance and the large-scale works of the likes of Bach and Handel, to the church music from the classical era. Mendelssohn was clearly inspired by music of the past, and one can find in his works the influence of classical polyphony but also the connection between text and music of the baroque era. His settings of psalms in the motets Op. 78 are impressive examples. Psalm 22, Mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen, is a brilliant combination of drama and text illustration. The latter is also a feature of the 6 Sprüche op. 79, which are very different in character, in accordance with the texts and the respective feasts for which they are intended.

As far as the performances of the pieces that appear in both recordings are concerned, I don't want to choose as I appreciate them both. It is clear that the experience with earlier music has had a strong influence on the way of singing of both choirs. One won't hear an old-fashioned big wobble, and although both choirs are pretty large, they produce a remarkable transparency, which allows for an optimal intelligibility of the text. A significant difference is the first motet from Op. 78, Warum toben die Heiden. Goodson's tempo is faster, and the text is sung in a more declamatory manner than in Ahmann's performance.

Moreover, Goodson's programme is largely different, as he also includes two works by Joseph Rheinberger. Although he was of a different generation than Mendelssohn, it makes much sense to bring them together in one programme. In a way, Rheinberger was the Catholic counterpart of Mendelssohn. He worked in the time that the Cecilian movement wanted to restore Catholic church music to the tradition embodied by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. However, Rheinberger rejected their ideals, even though he himself stayed away from the modern music of his own time, and rather mixed the various traditions, such as those of the Renaissance and Classicism. The Cantus missae op. 109 is one of his best-known works, and partly needs considerable technical skills. The Netherlands Radio Choir's performance is a good and convincing case for Rheinberger, whose vocal music has not such a good reputation. A more extensive exploration of this part of his oeuvre may well change that.

The third disc, with Chorwerk Ruhr [3] directed by Florian Helgath, is devoted to choral music by Johannes Brahms. His motets are among his most often-performed works. They date from different periods in his life, but the very form of the motet indicates that Brahms was strongly influenced by a tradition going back to the Renaissance. In some works he makes use of the typically renaissance technique of the double canon. As Brahms did not consider himself a believer, one wonders why throughout his life he set biblical or Christian texts. The most impressive example is the German Requiem. Neither of these works were commissioned. Unlike Mendelssohn's, Brahms's motets are not intended for the liturgy. In the booklet Tim Koeritz tries to explain how Brahms in Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen distances himself from the idea of Christ as the redeemer. It is not entirely convincing. Be that as it may, Brahms has given us some of the finest choral works of the 19th century. The ensemble Chorwerk Ruhr is another ensemble that often performs early music according to the principles of historical performance practice, and that makes it perfectly suited to perform the two motets Op. 74 included here. They produce a transparent sound, which makes the text clearly intelligible, also because the singers pay much attention to it, and their diction is outstanding.

The disc starts off with secular vocal works, of which Brahms has written many, partly inspired by the fact that he was a choral conductor. They are first and foremost intended to be sung rather than to be listened to. For non-German speakers these texts, often from German tradition, may be difficult to grasp or to appreciate. Most of them are also very romantic, and that is not to anyone's taste. I appreciated these songs more than I expected, especially the Opp. 42 and 62, which sometimes look back to the past; some sound like hymns of a few centuries ago. In contrast, the idiom of the Fünf Gesänge op. 104, which date from the latest years of Brahms's life, is much more modern - too modern for my ears. The excellent singing does not really make up for that, but it is hard to imagine that these pieces could be sung better than here. There is every reason to hope that Brahms's secular choral music may become better-known and more appreciated if it is sung this way.

Of the four composers which are the subject of the discs discussed here, Joachim Raff is the least-known. Over the years I have seldom seen his name appearing in programmes of orchestras, chamber music ensembles and choirs. Two of the pieces that the Basler Madrigalisten [4], directed by Raphael Immoos, have recorded, were especially prepared and published for this project, and a set of secular songs remained in manuscript until around 2000. Recently CPO released a recording of Raff's oratorio Welt-Ende, Gericht, Neue Welt. The Basler Madrigalisten recorded his complete oeuvre for choir a capella.

In the 1850s and 60s Raff was politically liberal, and in favour of German unification. However, the growth of chauvinism, the increasing dominance of Protestant Prussia, and the Kulturkampf, which he saw as a "persecution of Christians", made him return to his Catholic roots. This explains the sacred part of the programme. In his settings of sacred texts, all dating from 1868/69, he shows a strong congeniality with his colleague Rheinberger. Like him, he was influenced by the polyphony of the Renaissance (for instance in the use of canons and his writing for double choir), but - again like Rheinberger - he mixed this with more modern features with regard to harmony and the treatment of the text. The four Marian antiphons are based on the plainchant melodies, which Raff uses as cantus firmus. In the Ave Maria the words "Ora pro nobis" take a central place, and are repeated a number of times in homophony. A Kyrie and an (unfinished) Gloria for six voices may have been intended for a setting of the complete mass. The Pater noster is for eight voices in two choirs in the form of a rondo.

The ten songs for mixed choir Op. 198, dating from the early 1870s, were never published. The texts are typical of the time, about nature, the seasons and moonlight. In this part of his oeuvre Raff can be compared with Brahms. The songs are through-composed, despite the stanza structure, or in several song forms. There is a notable difference with Brahms, though. In some of the latter's secular choral works one notices the influence of sacred hymns, which were very much part of Protestant Germany, where he had been born and grown up. Obviously, they were not part of Raff's heritage, having been born in a Catholic environment.

Not having heard any of Raff's works, except the oratorio mentioned above, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of these works. The sacred items deserve to be better-known; there is no reason why they should not be part of the repertoire of chamber choirs of our time. And if one likes the secular choral music by Brahms, one may enjoy these songs by Raff as well. The performances could not be any better. Again, the Basler Madrigalisten have much experience in early music, and that shows its good effects here. The balance between the voices is as it should be, and the text is given much attention. This disc is a very good case for the little-known music of a more or less forgotten composer.

[1] Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: "Choral Works"
MDR Leipzig Radio Choir/Philipp Ahmann
Pentatone PTC5187064 (© 2023) details
[2] Joseph Rheinberger & Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: "Choral Works"
Netherlands Radio Choir/Benjamin Goodson
Pentatone PTC5187039 (© 2023) details
[3] Johannes Brahms: "Als ob mich Engel riefen - Choral music by Johannes Brahms"
Chorwerk Ruhr/Florian Helgath
Coviello Classics COV92308 (© 2023) details
[4] Joachim Raff: "Choral Works a cappella"
Basler Madrigalisten/Raphael Immoos
Capriccio C5501 (© 2022) details