The Rheinische Kantorei is a German

vocal ensemble A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...

accompanied by an instrumental ensemble called Das Kleine Konzert.

History

The Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert were founded in 1977 by the German conductor

Hermann Max Hermann Max (born 1941 in Goslar) is a German choral conductor. In 1977, he founded the Jugendkantorei Dormagen, which in 1985 became the basis of the Rheinische Kantorei and Das Kleine Konzert. In 1992, he founded the Knechtsteden Early Music ...

. This vocal ensemble has between twelve and thirty-two singers.Official website of the Rheinische Kantorei
/ref> It has worked with soloists such as

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

Barbara Schlick Barbara Schlick (born 21 July 1943, Würzburg) is a German soprano who is particularly admired for interpretations of the concert literature of the baroque era. Career Schlick studied singing under at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg and in E ...

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

s and

Christoph Prégardien Christoph Prégardien (born 18 January 1956) is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music. He is well known for his performances a ...

and

basses Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the b ...

Gotthold Schwarz Gotthold Schwarz (born 2 May 1952) is a German Bass-baritone and conductor. Based in Leipzig, he started as a member of the Thomanerchor and has conducted the Gewandhausorchester. Between 2016 and 2021, he was the 17th Thomaskantor after Johann ...

and Stephen Varcoe. Its repertoire is mainly Renaissance and Baroque but also includes classical and romantic works. The ensemble intensively explores the repertoire of representatives of the different generations of the

Bach family The Bach family is a family of notable composers of the baroque and classical periods of music, the best-known of whom was Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). A family genealogy was drawn up by Johann Sebastian Bach himself in 1735 when he was ...

: *

Johannes Bach Johann or Johannes Bach (26 November 1604 – buried 13 May 1673) was a German composer and musician of the early Baroque period. He was the father of the so-called "Erfurt line" of Bach family musicians. His surviving works—two motets and an a ...

Heinrich Bach Heinrich Bach ( – ) was a German organist, composer, and a member of the Bach family. Heinrich Bach was born at Wechmar, and is the father of the so-called Arnstadt Line. After the early death of his father, his older brother Johannes Bach con ...

Johann Michael Bach Johann Michael Bach (baptised , Arnstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen – , Gehren) was a German composer of the Baroque period. He was the brother of Johann Christoph Bach, as well as first cousin, once removed and father-in-law of Johann Sebast ...

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

, Johann Ernst Bach,

Johann Ludwig Bach Johann Ludwig Bach ( – 1 May 1731) was a German composer and violinist. He was born in Thal (Ruhla) near Eisenach. At the age of 22 he moved to Meiningen eventually being appointed cantor there, and later Kapellmeister. He wrote a large amoun ...

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (22 November 17101 July 1784) was a German composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was the second child and eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. Despite his acknowledged genius as an improviser ...

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788), also formerly spelled Karl Philipp Emmanuel Bach, and commonly abbreviated C. P. E. Bach, was a German composer and musician of the Baroque and Classical period. He was the fifth ch ...

Johann Christian Bach Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a German composer of the Classical era, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his early musical training from his father, and later from his half-brother, Carl ...

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (21 June 1732 – 26 January 1795) was a German composer and harpsichordist, the fifth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, sometimes referred to as the "Bückeburg Bach". Born in Leipzig in the Electorate of Saxony, he w ...

Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Bach, also known as ''William Bach'' (24 May 1759 – 25 December 1845) was the eldest son of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach and the only grandson of Johann Sebastian Bach to gain fame as a composer. He was music direct ...

It also focuses on Johann Sebastian Bach's predecessors ( Franz Tunder, Philipp Heinrich Erlebach,

Christoph Bernhard Christoph Bernhard (1 January 1628 – 14 November 1692) was born in Kolberg, Pomerania, and died in Dresden. He was a German Baroque composer and musician. He studied with former Sweelinck-pupil Paul Siefert in Danzig (now Gdańsk) and in W ...

Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (some authorities use the spelling Johann Kaspar Ferdinand Fischer) (1656 August 27, 1746) was a German Baroque composer. Johann Nikolaus Forkel ranked Fischer as one of the best composers for keyboard of his da ...

), to his contemporaries (

Johann Friedrich Fasch Johann Friedrich Fasch (15 April 1688 – 5 December 1758) was a German violinist and composer. Much of his music is in the Baroque-Classical transitional style known as galant. Life Fasch was born in the town of Buttelstedt, 11 km north of W ...

Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel (13 January 1690 – 27 November 1749) was a German composer of the Baroque music, Baroque era. Biography Early life Stölzel was born in Schwarzenberg, Saxony, Grünstädtel in Saxony on 13 January 1690. His fath ...

Christoph Graupner Christoph Graupner (10 May 1760) was a German composer and harpsichordist of late Baroque music who was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann and George Frideric Handel. Life Born in Hartmannsdorf near Kirchberg i ...

) as well as to later Baroque composers (

Johann Adolf Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

Carl Heinrich Graun Carl Heinrich Graun (7 May 1704 – 8 August 1759) was a German composer and tenor. Along with Johann Adolph Hasse, he is considered to be the most important German composer of Italian opera of his time. Biography Graun was born in Wahrenbrüc ...

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2 November 1739 – 24 October 1799) was an Austrian composer and violinist. He was a friend of both Haydn and Mozart. (webpage has a translation button) His best-known works include the German singspiel '' Doktor un ...

Gottfried August Homilius Gottfried August Homilius (2 February 1714 – 2 June 1785) was a German composer, cantor and organist. He is considered one of the most important church composers of the generation following Bach's, and was the main representative of the '' ...

Recording (selection)

* 1981: Cantata ''Mache dich auf, werde licht'' by Johann Ludwig Bach * 1987: Cantatas Wq239, Wq249, Wq243, Wq217, Wq250, Wq222 and Wq251 by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * 1988: ''Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu Wq 240'' and ''Gott hat den Herrn auferweckt Wq 244'' by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * 1988: Cantatas ''Klopstocks Morgengesang am Schöpfungsfeste'', ''Auf, schicke dich recht feierlich'' ''Anbetung dem Erbarmer'' and ''Heilig'' and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * 1988: Cantatas ''Zur Einführung des H.P.Gasie'', ''Wer ist so würdig als du'' and ''Der Herr lebt'' by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * 1988: ''Geistliche Kantaten'' by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Christoph Altnickol, Georg Benda * 1989: Oratorio ''Die Kindheit Jesu'' by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach * 1990: Cantatas ''Pygmalion'', ''Die Amerikanerin'' and ''Ino'' by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach * 1990: ''Israelsbrünnlein'' by Johann Hermann Schein * 1990: ''Passionsoratorium'' by Johann Ernst Bach * 1990: ''Missa brevis'' and motet ''Deus judicium tuum'' by Georg Philipp Telemann * 1991: Cantatas ''Die Tageszeiten'' and ''Daran ist erschienen die Liebe Gottes'' by Georg Philipp Telemann * 1993: Cantatas ''Lasset uns ablegen die Werke der Finsternis'' and ''Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wüste'' by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach * 1994: Cantatas ''Dies ist der Tag'' and ''Erzittert und fallet'' by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach * 1995: Cantatas ''Der Herr ist König'' and ''Die Donnerode'' by Georg Philipp Telemann * 1998: ''Trauermusik'' by Johann Ludwig Bach * 1998: ''Messe in D'' by Johann Adolf Hasse * 1999: ''Kantata Es begab sich, daß Jesus in eine Stadt mit Namen Nain ging'' by Christoph Graupner * 1999: ''Weihnachtsoratorium'' by Carl Heinrich Graun * 2000: ''Kantate Cassandra'' by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach * 2000: ''Friedens Cantata'' by Johann Michael Bach * 2000: ''Cantates & Symphonies Columbus'' by Johann Michael Bach * 2001: ''Oratorium Gesù al Calvario'' by Jan Dismas Zelenka * 2001: ''Oratorium Giob'' by Karl Ditters Von Dittersdorf * 2002: ''Oratorium Gioas – Rè di Giuda'' by Johann Christian Bach * 2002: ''Serenata eroica'' by Georg Philipp Telemann * 2003: ''Geistliche Konzerte'' by Franz Tunder * 2004: ''Geistliche Harmonien'' by Christoph Bernhard * 2005: ''Die Könige in Israel'' by Ferdinand Ries * 2007: ''Kapitänsmusik von 1738'' by Georg Philipp Telemann * 2008: ''Große Passion Kommt her und schaut'' by Carl Heinrich Graun * 2010: ''Weihnachtskantaten'' by Christoph Graupner

References

External links

* * * {{portal bar, Classical Music, Germany Baroque music groups German choirs Instrumental early music groups German classical music groups