Indian Temple Sounds around Heinrich Schütz

Vocal soloists Ensemble Gli Scarlattisti
Instrumentalists: Continuo-Gruppe; Violin Sisters (India)
Conductor: Jochen Arnold

Christianity and Hinduism meet on this evening both in content and music: reflections on birth and death, mortality and redemption; tonalities, scales, rhythms - so foreign to each other and yet so close. The programme juxtaposes the Baroque "Musical Exequies" by Heinrich Schütz, an early Protestant requiem in German, with improvisations of Carnatic music. The prayers of South India, over 1000 years old, resound in melodic phrases, modal tonality (ragas) and cyclical rhythms (talas). Both musical traditions are united by the human voice with all its capabilities and refinements between tones, harmonies and articulations - a special encounter of historically inspired Baroque performance practice and authentic Indian temple music, posing the question: what breaks the cycle of death?

Programme:
Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672): Musical Exequies (SWV 279-281) and Carnatic temple music from various centuries (texts in Sanskrit):
Prelude: Cycle of Life (Nada Brahma); Musical Exequies (Part Ia, Kyrie); Interlude (Prayer to God Shiva for redemption); Musical Exequies (Part Ib and II); Interlude (Fulfilment - transformation by Shiva); Musical Exequies (Part III); Postlude