Carl Loewe: Palestrina – Oratorio
Carl Loewe, widely known as a master of the ballad, created an extraordinary oratorio with Palestrina, which reflects the spiritual world of the 19th century in all its tensions. At a time between religious renewal and artistic recollection, Loewe combined the image of the “savior of church music” with the longing of his era for purity and the originality of faith.
The work, which was premiered in 1851, is at the center of his rarely heard oratorios, in which the examination of history, faith and musical tradition is impressively condensed. Polyphonic compositional art, choral rigor and Romantic expressiveness enter into a dialogue here that is as theologically well thought-out as it is musically captivating. Loewe’s tonal language remains unmistakable – at once directed towards the past and imbued with the emotionality of Romanticism.
Vox Quadrata, the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and Tristan Meister interpret this rarely performed work for the first time on recording with a fine feel for historical sound concepts and structural balance. This premiere recording opens up a fascinating chapter of musical historicism and sheds light on a composer whose sacred music was long overshadowed by his lieder works.
