Figuralchor Frankfurt is a mixed choir in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...

, Germany. It was founded in 1966 as a youth choir for the broadcaster

Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk (HR; "Hesse Broadcasting") is the German state of Hesse's public broadcasting, public broadcasting corporation. Headquartered in Frankfurt, it is a member of the national consortium of German public broadcasting corporations, ...

Alois Ickstadt Alois Ickstadt (born 22 September 1930) is a German pianist, choral conductor, university professor and composer. He was professor at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt. He promoted choral singing from children's choir to adult groups for the state b ...

, who conducted it for 45 years. From 1977 to the 1990s, the choir was known as Figuralchor des Hessischen Rundfunks. It performs in concerts, radio productions and recordings, with a focus on

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

music, but has also participated in joint symphonic productions such as Mahler's ''

Symphony of a Thousand The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. As it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the ...

'' for the opening of the Alte Oper concert hall in 1981. The choir has been conducted by

Paul Leonard Schäffer Paul Leonard Schäffer (born 16 March 1987) is a German composer, conductor and pianist. Life Born in Hannover, Schäffer received his first piano lessons at the age of five and a short time later became a member of the Knabenchor Hannover. At ...

since 2016.

History

The choral conductor and pedagogue

, who had founded the children's choir for the broadcaster

(hr) in 1961, founded a youth choir, which would become the Figuralchor, for the station in 1966, according to his concept to educate choral singers from childhood to adulthood in both vocal training and background information. The name Figuralchor was derived from , mostly polyphonic music of the 17th and 18th century. Ickstadt conducted the Figuralchor in concerts, radio productions and recordings. The first Figuralchor performances, beginning in 1966, were broadcasts. The ensemble sang its first concert for a live audience In 1970, performing

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...

s at

St. Leonhard Leonard of Noblac (also Leonard of Limoges or Leonard of Noblet; also known as Lienard, Linhart, Leonhard, Léonard, Leonardo, Annard; died 559), is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Hau ...

. The choir's repertoire is focused on sacred and secular

motets, but it also performs symphonic works and oratorios, such as Mahler's Eighth Symphony in the opening concert of the Alte Oper on 28 August 1981, conducted by Michael Gielen. In the 1990s, the choir no longer received funding from the broadcaster and changed its name to Figuralchor Frankfurt, but it still has appeared in broadcasts. When Ickstadt retired in 2011,

Martin Lücker Martin Lücker (born 11 October 1953) is a Germans, German classical organist, and professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main. Career Born in Preußisch Oldendorf, Lücker studied organ in Hannover and in Vi ...

succeeded him.

became conductor in 2016, the year of the choir's 50th anniversary, after having assisted Lücker for three years. Schäffer conducted the choir in a festive concert at the Clara Schumann Saal of Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium on 16 September 2016 in a performance of Schubert's Mass in E-flat major. The choir performed Bach's ''

Christmas Oratorio The ''Christmas Oratorio'' (German: ''Weihnachtsoratorium''), , is an oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach intended for performance in church during the Christmas season. It is in six parts, each part a cantata intended for performance on one of t ...

'' at the Alte Oper in 2017.

Recordings

* Mahler: Eighth Symphony, conducted by Michael Gielen, with soloists Faye Robinson,

Margaret Anne Marshall Margaret Anne Marshall OBE (born 4 January 1949) is a Scottish soprano. Marshall was born in Stirling. Her career started in the 1970s and she has sung a wide range of classical and operatic roles up to her retirement in 2004. She received the ...

Hildegard Heichele Hildegard Heichele (; born September 1947) is a German soprano in opera, concert and recital. A member of the Oper Frankfurt from 1974, she has appeared in major European opera houses, concert halls and international festivals. She is known for ...

, Ortrun Wenkel, Hildegard Laurich,

Mallory Walker Mallory Elton Walker (May 22, 1935 — December 7, 2014) was an American operatic tenor and music educator who had an active international singing career in operas and concerts from the late 1950s until his death in 2014. His career was at its hei ...

, Richard Stilwell,

Simon Estes Simon Estes (born March 2, 1938) is an operatic bass-baritone of African-American descent who had a major international opera career beginning in the 1960s. He has sung at most of the world's major opera houses as well as in front of presiden ...

, choirs

Frankfurter Kantorei Frankfurter Kantorei (Frankfurt chorale) is a German mixed concert choir established in July 1945 by Kurt Thomas (composer), Kurt Thomas in Frankfurt. In 1969, Helmuth Rilling assumed leadership, and the choir began recording the complete List of Ba ...

, ,

Limburger Domsingknaben Limburger Domsingknaben (; "Limburg Cathedral singing boys") is the name of the boys' choir at the Limburg Cathedral in Limburg, Hesse, Germany. The choir was founded in 1967 by the then bishop of Limburg, Wilhelm Kempf. Its conductors were Hans ...

, Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, Sony (CD), live performance on 28 August 1981 * Bach: ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'', BWV 62, with Hildegard Heichele,

Ria Bollen Ria Bollen (born 11 February 1942) is a Flemish contralto, who had an international career as a concert singer between 1965 and 1992. Her broad repertoire included Bach's Passions, Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's ''Missa solemnis'', especially work ...

; Tenor, Heiner Hopfner,

Ernst Gerold Schramm Ernst Gerold Schramm (8 July 1938 – 8 June 2004) was a German baritone in opera and concert, and an academic voice teacher. He was a member of the Staatstheater Hannover and Oper Frankfurt ensembles and performed internationally. He taught at ...

, Kammerorchester

Alfred Sous Alfred Sous (24 November 1925 – 6 April 2011) was a German classical oboist, University lecturer and writer. Life Born in Rheydt, at the age of 14 Sous began his music education at the . In 1942 he was drafted. After his training as a soldier ...

, Figuralchor des Hessischen Rundfunks (radio, c. 1981), Melisma 726 * Bach:

Mass in B minor The Mass in B minor (), BWV 232, is an extended setting of the Mass ordinary by Johann Sebastian Bach. The composition was completed in 1749, the year before the composer's death, and was to a large extent based on earlier work, such as a Sanctu ...

Ulrike Sonntag Ulrike Sonntag (born 1959) is a German operatic soprano and academic voice teacher at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart. She was previously a member of the Staatstheater Stuttgart, Vienna State Opera, and other ...

Alison Browner Alison Margaret Browner (born 22 September 1957) is an Irish mezzo-soprano opera singer. Life Born in Dublin, Ireland, Browner graduated in Music at Trinity College (Dublin), Trinity College with Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Arts while she a ...

, Adalbert Kraus,

(live recording at St. Gallus, Flörsheim, May 1987), Melisma * Haydn: '' Die Jahreszeiten''. F 669 500/01.

Frankfurter Museumsgesellschaft The Frankfurter Museums-Gesellschaft is a cultural association in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, which is responsible for the Frankfurt museum concerts. It manages the Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester, which is both the municipal orchestra o ...

. Frankfurt, 1987.Recordings by Alois Ickstadt

German National Library The German National Library (DNB; german: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek) is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. Its task is to colle ...

* Bach: ''

St John Passion The ''Passio secundum Joannem'' or ''St John Passion'' (german: Johannes-Passion, link=no), BWV 245, is a Passion or oratorio by Johann Sebastian Bach, the older of the surviving Passions by Bach. It was written during his first year as direc ...

'', Sonntag, Browner, Kraus, Schramm, Collegium Instrumentale Alois Kottmann (live recording at St. Gallus, Flörsheim), Opus 27042. Cappella Wiesbaden 1989 * ''Gallus-Konzerte in der Barockkirche zu Flörsheim am Main'', works by Mozart, Mendelssohn,

Joseph Rheinberger Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (17 March 1839 – 25 November 1901) was a Liechtensteiner organist and composer, residing in Bavaria for most of his life. Life Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, whose father was the treasurer for Aloys II, Prince of Liecht ...

and others. Opus 27035. Cappella Wiesbaden 1989 * Zemlinsky: ''

Der Traumgörge ''Der Traumgörge'' (''Görge the Dreamer''), Opus number, Op. 11, is an opera in two acts and an epilogue by Austrian composer Alexander Zemlinsky. The libretto was written by Leo Feld based on the fairy tale by Richard von Volkmann and the poem ...

''. Capriccio 10 241/42. Delta Music. Frechen 1989 * ''Gallus-Konzerte Flörsheim am Main'', works by Mozart, Dieterich Buxtehude, Mendelssohn, Bach, Haydn, Rheinberger and others, Sonntag, Browner, Kraus, Schramm (live recording at St. Gallus, Flörsheim, Opus 27042. Cappella Wiesbaden 1990 * Orff: '' Carmina burana'', Frankfurter Museumsgesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main 1992 * Brahms: '' Zigeunerlieder'', Schwann Musica Mundi 3-16 16-2. Koch International. Munich 1992 * Orff: '' Trionfi''. Wergo WER 6275-2. Schott Wergo Music Media. Mainz 1995Trionfi / Carl Orff

Andrei Volkonsky Prince Andrei Mikhaylovich Volkonsky (also ''Andrey, André, Mikhailovich, Michailovich, Volkonski, Volkonskiy'') (russian: Андрей Михайлович Волконский; 14 February 1933 – 16 September 2008) was a Russian composer of cla ...

: ''Der 148. Psalm'' and others. Wergo WER 6601-2. Schott Wergo Music Media. Mainz 1996 * ''Gedenk-Konzert'', works by Brahms, Mendelssohn,

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

. Melisma 7139/40-2. Cappella Wiesbaden 1998 * Brahms: '' Ein deutsches Requiem''. Melisma 7177-2. Cappella Wiesbaden 2001 * Mendelssohn: '' Elias''. Frankfurter Museumsgesellschaft. Frankfurt am Main 2001.

Literature

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ickstadt, Alois German choirs 1966 establishments in West Germany Musical groups established in 1966