The Holst Singers have recently performed two fabulous yet totally different works by Schnittke - the Choir Concerto and Minnesang. The choir has sung the Concerto several times in concert, so we're very familiar with it and it's the kind of music which really gets under your skin.

In many ways the Concerto conjures up the world of the Russian Orthodox Church, particularly the sound of the male voices. The text is taken from the Matyan Vikhperkutyan [Book of Lamentations] by the 10th-century Armenian poet Gregory of Narek and then translated into Russian. You can't really fail to be moved by this piece even if you don't respond to the religious side - the music is so passionate: wonderful outbursts, intense chorales and a descent into the abyss make it a very exciting work to sing. Schnittke felt that singers needed the Russian religious experience to communicate the power of his sacred vocal works, but I'm sure that our performance of the concerto will be a powerful one.

Minnesang is Schnittke’s hommage to the German tradition of the same name, which flourished between the 12th and 14th centuries. Like the trouvères and the troubadours, Minnesinger embraced the idea of courtly love. Schnittke has taken 20 songs from this repertoire. The style of these songs could sometimes be folk-like, which Schnittke pays tribute to in his piece [e.g. "tralera"], but here the similarity ends. Whereas the original Minnesang was the work of one singer-poet who may have accompanied himself on the harp, Schnittke’s extraordinary piece is in essence one vast canon.

The choir is divided into ten groups, plus 2 groups of soloists, each with their own distinct melodic lines. One singer begins and is then imitated by the next in the group and so on. Imagine the effect of an electronic delay ‘pedal’ and you’ll get the idea - the same tune tumbling over itself like a recurring wave to create a great wash of sound.

By David Ogden on Monday, November 11, 2002 - 10:44 am:

Dear Fiona

Good to read your article on the Schnittke Choir Concerto, could you tell me who publishes it and whether you know if anyone has copies for hire as it sounds a good piece to do with my choir Exulatate.
Many Thanks

David Ogden

By Tim on Monday, November 11, 2002 - 11:18 am:

Oxford Pro Musica performed this piece recently. It might be worth asking them where they got copies from.