(SW1063)

Instrumentation: 5 female choruses of 3 parts (SSC)

This compilation contains a series of five compositions of sacred texts for a three-part women's chorus, which were created between 1983 and 1987, with the Zwei Davids-Gesänge, which are placed 4th and 5th here, forming a quasi-autonomous cycle.

The texts are of different provenance: in the 1st, 4th and 5th choruses they come directly from the Bible, while in chorus no. 2 a text by Friedrich Adolf Krummacher and in choir no. 3 one by Friedrich Hebbel was set to music, i.e. in in both cases literary texts have been used.

In the 1st chorus, Behold, I send my angels before you (according to Matthew 10, verse 11), a reference to archaic forms in music history, in this case to a Gregorian antiphon, is recognizable. A soloist as lead singer anticipates the cantus firmus, which is then answered by the chorus, first in a homophonic setting, and then gradually moving into polyphony.

The 2nd chorus, May Love Weep, goes back on a text by the theologian and religious writer Friedrich Adolf Krummacher, who came from the era of Humanism, and is designed as a homophonic strophic song, which is particularly impressive due to its ingenious distribution of text.

Chorus No. 3 uses a text by Friedrich Hebbel entitled Requiem. Despite its modernity, the structure and style of its setting is somewhat reminiscent of the motet style of the 19th century, although here too the extraordinarily skillful development of the text, which is characteristic of Ridil’s choral music, deserves special mention.

As already mentioned, choruses 4 and 5 form a small cycle that was created in 1983 under the title Zwei Davids-Gesänge. The texts come directly from the Bible. Both Davids-Gesänge are characterized by occasional oscillating between homophonic and polyphonic setting structures, as we constantly watch in the classical motet style with all the imitative entrances, strettos and augmentations, etc., which is transferred to the modern age according to all the rules of the art.

All of the chorus settings contained here are important and significant contributions to the relatively small repertoire of original literature for female chorus.

Martin Schmeck

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