Ein Stille Nacht in Österreich. Six singers and six instrumentalists take you into the Austrian mountains for an hour. Erik van Nevel tells us a peaceful story with music from 16th to 19th century Austria, together with his Ensemble Currende.
In the series Ars in Cathedrali we listen to the ever more prominent organist Bart Jacobs, on the organ of the Cathedral of St. Gudula’s in the heart of Brussels’ city centre.
About Erik Van Nevel
Erik Van Nevel studied oboe, singing and conducting at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and at the Royal Conservatories in Brussels and Antwerp. Afterwards, he followed specialisation courses in Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. He is the founder-conductor of Currende, which is a regular guest at the major European festivals.
From 1983 to 2000, he was chapel master of the Brussels cathedral where he founded Currende (then called Capella Sancti Michaelis). With both Currende and the Brussels Cathedral Choir, he made several CD recordings that were very positively received by the international music press.
Erik Van Nevel also taught choir conducting and chamber music at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and teaches private lessons to conductors, singers, ensembles and groups.
About Currende
Founded in 1974 by Erik Van Nevel, Currende consists of a carefully selected group of four to eight talented chorists, enriched with specialised instrumentalists when the repertoire requires it. Although the ensemble has adopted different names over the years, such as Capella Currende, Currende Consort and Capella Sancti Michaelis, the simple name ‘Currende’ has been chosen today. The name honors the medieval mendicant students who went from door to door singing during holidays.
Currende has made numerous recordings for VRT, NOS, WDR, France Musique and during concert tours in Italy, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Israel, Spain and Portugal. They also performed with ‘Anima Aeterna’ conducted by Jos Van Immerseel, ‘La Petite Bande’ conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken and others.
The ensemble is a great advocate of Franco-Flemish polyphony and attempts to breathe new life into the Flemish musical heritage. Examples are the masses in the series @Missam, but also music from the centuries that followed, ranging from the early baroque of Schütz and Monteverdi to the high baroque of Handel and Bach is on their repertoire. Another example is the project English Highlights, a programme that combines polyphony with baroque. In addition, new compositions are regularly on the programme, although always in combination with old music.
About Bart Jacobs
Bart Jacobs (born in 1976) studied organ, harpsichord and basso continuo with Reitze Smits and Kris Verhelst at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, graduating summa cum laude in 2000.
He was then appointed organist of the former Brussels cathedral choir; together they recorded a variety of works for organ and choir, including the complete organ works of August De Boeck (1865-1937), played on the Forest organ (1873) in Gent (BE). In 2012 he was appointed titular organist at the Cathedral of St. Gudula’s in Brussels. In addition, he has been organist since 2013 of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-en-Leodegarius church in Bornem (BE).
As soloist and continuo player, he has toured extensively across Europe and collaborated with various renowned ensembles including Vox Luminis, Les Muffatti, Il Gardellino, Currende, Psallentes, Hathor consort and Collegium Ad Mosam. His impressive discography includes solo performances on both harpsichord and organ, as well as accompanying numerous ensembles.
In 2020, he recorded the complete Clavier-Übung III by J. S. Bach for the Organroxx label, played on the monumental Draps/Flentrop organ in Sint-Niklaas (BE), in which the organ works are interspersed with the sung chorales. In 2022, his new album Recommended by Bach has been released for the Ramée label, played on the new Contius organ in Leuven (BE). This recording has been described as one of the few truly original Bach recordings that has been released in recent years.
His Bach interpretations on organ and harpsichord can be seen and heard on www.allofbach.com, a project of the Netherlands Bach Society.
Together with Reitze Smits, he forms the organ duo 422play. This duo discovers new possibilities for the organ in their own original arrangements of music by Debussy, Ravel, Mendelsohn, Bruckner, and others. In July 2020, their debut album ‘422play in Brussels Cathedral’ was released, played on the Grenzing organ of the Cathedral of St. Gudula’s in Brussels.
Playlist
- Ein Stille Nacht in Östertreich, 15 December 2023, Sint-Martinuskerk, Rijmenam (Belgium)
Gottlieb Muffat (1690-1770)
Fugue in G minor
Philippus De Monte (1521-1603)
Stellam quam viderunt magi motet à 7
Jacob Regnart (1540-1599)
Puer natus est, motet à 6
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)
Benedixisti domine, Offertorium für advent iii
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)
Ouverture in G minor
Johann Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
Heiligste Nacht, MH 461
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Menuetto aus ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’
Arr. Erik Van Nevel
Ach mein seel, fang an zu singen, Adventlied aus Vorarlberg
Johann Caspar Kerll (1627-1693)
Gloria in Excelsis, ex Missa Non Sine Quare
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Hör nachbar, ach sag mir, Pastorelle/Cantilena pro adventu
Johann Joseph Fux (1660-1741)
Canon, a 2 viole di gamba e continuo
Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591)
Resonet in laudibus à 5, Weihnachtslied
Georg Muffat (1653-1704)
Dulce Somnium, ex concerto iv
arr. Erik Van Nevel
Der Heiland ist geboren, Volkslied aus Salzkammergut
Franz Gruber, arr. Erik Van Nevel
Stille Nacht, Weihnachtslied aus Salzburgerland
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Misericordias Domini, Lobgesang kv 222 (205*)
Frantiçek Tuma (1704-1744)
O Magnum Mysterium, Motetto per il festo di Natale del Signor Nostro
Antonio Caldara (ca.1670-1736)
Alleluia, ex Motet Lauda anima mea
Performers:
Currende, Emilie De Voght, Renate Weytjens (soprano)
Agnes De Graaff, Kerlijne Van Nevel (mezzo-soprano)
Hans Helsen (tenor) Arnout Malfliet (bass)
Wouter De Koninck (organ), Madoka Nakamaru, Johan Van Aken (baroque violin)
Liam Fennelli, Rebecca Lefevre (viola), Bart Coen (recorders).
Concept programme and director: Erik Van Nevel.
Audio technician: Leo A. De Bock
2. Ars in Cathedrali, 27 March 2024, Cathedral of St. Gudula, Brussels (BE)
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott, BWV 721
Aria: Erbarme dich, mein Gott, BWV 244
Sinfonia in E minor, BWV 76/8
Choral: Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 690
Partita Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, BWV 690, 691 & 642
Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 537
Performers: Bart Jacobs (organ), Jana Pieters (soprano), Joanna Huszcza (violin), Ira Givol (viola)
Audio technician: Leo A. De Bock
Photos: Currende/Bart Jacobs
