Claves Record

Schoeck : Choral Music

This year marks the 50th anniversary of othmar Schoeck’s death. While the flame of his memory continues to burn brightly, there are also still a number of areas, particularly with regard to a discography of his works, that still remain in shadows. Conscious of these lacunae, Claves records (with seven Schoeck recordings in its catalogue) and the othmar Schoeck Society in Zurich (from whom this recording originated) actively have promoted interest in Schoeck’s unique and colorful music. His choral music has never been the subject of a recording anthology; what better “anniversary” present than to offer these 14 choral works to a larger audience in the form of this CD, recorded testimony to the talents to the Swiss composer in compositions for both smaller and larger formations. The performance was entrusted to one of the most prestigious German houses, the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk from Leipzig, which enjoys a distinguished reputation not only for its choral ensemble but also for its symphonic orchestra. Direction was shared by Mario Venzago, one of Switzerland’s most brilliant conductors, and Howard Arman, the titular director of the MDR Rundfunkchor.