The Choruses

• Another absolutely unique CD with the famous Netherlands Chamber Choir and its equally famous principal conductor Uwe Gronostay: the only recording at present in the international CD catalogues with the complete Choruses by Hugo Wolf.

• Wolf wrote most of these fine works when he was studying at the Conservatory in Vienna, where he was in the same class as Gustav Mahler. They are sometimes 'written off' as juvenile works, but these performances prove otherwise! Also included are of course the Six Songs on Poems by Eichendorff which he wrote some time afterwards and which later were sung at his own funeral service.

• Added to this is the also seldom heard choral song Requiem by Peter Cornelius on a text by Friedrich Hebbel.

The Netherlands Chamber Choir was founded in 1937 by the now legendary conductor and pianist Felix de
Nobel. Such composers as Francis Poulenc, Hendrik Andriessen, Henk Badings and Rudolf Escher wrote works for the Netherlands Chamber Choir. In 1965 the Dutch government decided to undertake bearing the payment of the singers completely. This enabled the Netherlands Chamber Choir to occupy a unique place among the professional choirs in Europe without any firm bond to an opera house or a broadcasting corporation. The Netherlands Chamber Choir applies itself first of all to the repertory for a cappella chorus. It also collaborates regularly with various ensembles like the Schönberg Ensemble, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, The repertory of the Netherlands Chamber Choir spans almost the whole of Western music, ranging from the early Middle Ages to contemporary music. Uwe Gronostay has been the artistic director: and principal conductor since March 1, 1988. He is responsible for the quality and programming, and also undertakes several projects each year. Furthermore such specialists in specific style periods are invited to work with the Choir as for instance Reinbert de Leeuw, John Alldis, René Jacobs and Paul van Nevel.