Berlin Oratorio Choir
On Sunday, April 30, 2023, the Berlin Oratorio Choir (BOC) will dedicate itself to Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" and juxtapose it with the choral symphonic work "A Fall from Grace" by Thomas Hennig as a contemporary commentary in world premiere. The concert begins at 4 p.m. in the great hall of the Philharmonie Berlin. Performers are the Berlin Oratorio Choir and the New Prussian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Thomas Hennig as well as the soloists Daria Bardash (soprano), Gundula Hintz (alto), Magnus Dietrich (tenor) and Ralf Lukas (bass).
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The oratorio "The Creation" takes as its theme the biblical account of creation, which Joseph Haydn, with the help of his lodge brother Gottfried van Swieten, reworked in a very unique and humorous way. Today, the musical image of a cheerful model landscape, which knows neither dangers nor is exposed to the destructive grasp of man, can seem misleading. For the humanistic ideas in the field of tension between free-spirited religiosity and enlightenment have historical significance in the cultural heritage of our civil societies; however, they understandably lack the current perspective. From today's point of view, man is not the crown of creation, but a part of his natural habitat to be held responsible.
This starting point consequently demands a musical extension, a supplement and a counterpoint to the performance of Haydn's oratorio. Thus, the new composition "A Fall of Man" concentrates on all those aspects that are not at all suitable for singing the joyful creation with praise and praising its creator. It focuses on the dark sides of our world and takes mankind to task for living up to his responsibility. The religiously minded Enlightenment philosopher Haydn wants to and should be contrasted with the skeptical Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire as an interlocutor.
"A Fall from Grace" is a choral symphonic work for alto solo, choir and orchestra, consisting of 6 movements with different thematic emphases, which can be performed cyclically both as a whole, but also "built in" as counterpoint within the creation.
