Since the Reformation, All Saints' Day in Denmark has been a day of remembrance for the "ordinary deceased," that is, for those who have passed away without sainthood. For several years, this day of remembrance has also been marked with a concert by the Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir—this year as well, with the choir's former and current Composer in Residence at the center. In 2017, Sven-David Sandström composed three choral songs with texts by Rainer Maria Rilke, which will be performed at this concert, along with "A Seventeenth Century Nun’s Prayer" by the same composer, one of the last works Sandström wrote before his death in 2019. Rilke’s heartfelt and powerful texts describe the fragile human being in the face of nature, which is at once merciless and infinitely beautiful—especially in autumn, often used as a metaphor for the twilight phase of life, when the contours of a completed life begin to take shape. The current Composer in Residence, Per Gunnar Petersson, composed a beautiful, resonant setting of the same text that Sven-David Sandström used two years later, the humble prayer by an unknown author, now most commonly known as "A Seventeenth Century Nun’s Prayer." In the prayer, the unknown author expresses hope to endure adversity and loss in life’s autumn with a bright and positive spirit. Alongside these beautiful and intense modern choral works, pieces by a unique figure in Danish church music, the recently deceased Bernhard Lewkovitch, will also be performed. Throughout most of his long life as a composer, Lewkovitch wrote from a Catholic conviction. The relatively short "Requiem – In memoriam defunctorum" (Mass for the Dead) for choir and organ from 2012 is among the composer’s latest works and consists of texts selected from the traditional Latin texts, set to timeless, almost ascetic music. The work was composed for and premiered by the Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir. The concert begins with a true vocal heavyweight, namely the motet by J.S. Bach, "Komm, Jesu, komm." The motet, written for double choir, is the only one of Bach’s motets that does not have a biblical text as its basis. PROGRAM: J. S. Bach (1685–1750):Komm, Jesu, Komm (1732) Per Gunnar Petersson (b. 1954):An Anonymous Nun’s Prayer (2017) Sven-David Sandström (1942–2019):Drei Rilke Gesänge (2017) J.S. Bach: Passacaglia for organ in C minor BW 582 Bernhard Lewkovitch (1927–2024):Requiem – In memoriam defunctorum, for choir and organ (2012) Sven David Sandström:Seventeenth Century Nun’s Prayer (2019) Performers:Mogens Dahl Chamber ChoirOrgan: Jacob LorentzenConductor: Mogens Dahl

The meeting between the piano and string instruments is a venerable constellation, one that many composers from Mozart onwards have explored. In this concert, the experienced English string quartet, Doric String Quartet, has joined forces with the dynamic American pianist Jonathan Biss to perform a couple of the major works from the Romantic repertoire within this genre. Robert Schumann’s Piano Quintet from 1842 is among his most popular and enduring works, which is all the more impressive given that it was only in this very year, 1842, that he ventured into chamber music. Moreover, the Piano Quintet set a precedent for many of the great composers that followed. Just as Schumann in his early years as a composer focused on his primary instrument, the piano, Johannes Brahms also gradually ventured beyond the familiar in his compositions. His first two piano quartets (for piano, violin, viola, and cello) marked a significant breakthrough for him in chamber music, especially with the monumental, almost symphonic Piano Quartet No. 2, a true masterpiece. These two works for strings and piano are framed by one of Beethoven’s early string quartets, the G major quartet from his first collection of quartets, Opus 18, published in 1800-1801. This charming youthful quartet, which clearly bears the inspiration of Joseph Haydn while also showcasing the young composer’s personal approach to the material, serves as a beautiful and fitting reminder that it was precisely these two already well-established forms of expression (the string quartet and solo piano) that came together in works such as the two mentioned above, which the Doric String Quartet and Jonathan Biss will perform this evening. PROGRAM: Robert Schumann (1810 – 1856): Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827): String Quartet Op. 18 No. 2 in G major Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897): Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26Før hver koncert åbner cafeen kl. 19.00 hvor der kan købes forfriskninger og meget passende forudbestilles til pausen. Dørene til koncertsalen åbnes kl. 19.15.Læs mere på  Mogensdahl.dkArrangør: Mogens Dahl Koncertsal, Snorresgade 22, 2300 København S

The Danish String Quartet returns to Mogens Dahl Concert Hall with their sublime ensemble playing to close the autumn 2024 season. They will do so with a beautifully curated program that traces the line from Haydn's pioneering work for the string quartet, through Shostakovich, to the very young American composer Caroline Shaw, who opens the concert. Caroline Shaw, who is also a singer and violinist, is a very interesting figure in contemporary music. As a composer, she already has an extensive list of works for various ensembles. The piece "Entr’acte" for string quartet (originally for string orchestra) is an almost playful exploration of variations and playing techniques based on a relatively simple and sonorous opening theme. Out of Joseph Haydn's nearly 70 string quartets, The Danish String Quartet has chosen to play a single movement from one of the last two completed quartets: the beautiful Andante movement from Quartet Opus 77, No. 2. The Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich often had to navigate the opaque demands for "authentic Soviet" music, particularly during Stalin's era. Quartet No. 4 is a prime example of this. In the final movement, there is a clear inspiration from Jewish music, which led Shostakovich’s friends to advise him to postpone the premiere until after Stalin’s death. After the intermission, the concert takes on a different character, and The Danish String Quartet demonstrates their great versatility by playing a delightful mix of folk music and their own compositions. Program: Caroline Shaw (b. 1982):Entr’acte for string quartet (2011) Joseph Haydn (1732–1809):String Quartet in F major, Opus 77, No. 2, 3rd movement, Andante Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975):String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Opus 83 Folk music and original compositions The café opens at 7:00 PM before each concert, where refreshments can be purchased and conveniently pre-ordered for the intermission. The concert hall doors open at 7:15 PM. Read more at Mogensdahl.dk Organizer: Mogens Dahl Concert Hall, Snorresgade 22, 2300 Copenhagen S

Igen i år byder  Mogens Dahl Kammerkor igen på  Händels vidunderlige og  uopslidelige klassiker ”Messias” i samarbejde med det fremragende engelske Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment og 4 fremragende internationale solister. For Mogens Dahl, Kammerkoret og det engelske eliteorkester har det gennem en årrække været en proces, hvor de involverede gradvist har nærmet sig hinanden og måske også værkets kerne,- så godt som dette nu kan lade sig gøre. Valget af toporkestret Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment har været oplagt, da dette engelske orkester siden starten i 1986 har haft en særlig nysgerrighed på at tilgå musikken på andre og mere åbne måder. Deraf navnet, som orkestret har taget fordi de deler Oplysningstidens vedvarende trang til at undersøge og opdage. Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment spiller på instrumenter, der matcher den periode, som de spillede værker er skrevet i, hvilket er en væsentlig måde at nærme sig et mere autentisk udtryk. Dette matches af Kammerkoret, der synger med en langt mindre besætning end man ofte ser det – ifølge kilderne var der blot 32 sangere i koret til første opførelsen i Dublin i april 1742. Allerede i Händels levetid blev værket opført i forskellige versioner, der var betinget af omstændighederne og erfaringer med de første opførelser. Det er derfor næsten umuligt at vide hvad den ”autentiske” opførelse af ”Messias” har været. Man må lade musikken tale – og det gør Mogens Dahl og Kammerkoret og Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Her opleves forhåbentligt et udtryk tæt på en autentisk ”Messias”.Medvirkende:Mogens Dahl KammerkorOrchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentDirigent: Mogens Dahl Solister:Sopran: Julia DoyleAlt: Keyleigh DeckerTenor: Robin TritschlerBas: Morgan PearseFor køb af billetter til koncert i Viborg Domkirke d. 8. december benyt venligst dette link

Once again this year, Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir presents Handel's wonderful and timeless classic "Messiah" in collaboration with the outstanding English ensemble, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and four exceptional international soloists. For Mogens Dahl, the Chamber Choir, and the English elite orchestra, this has been a process over several years, where the participants have gradually drawn closer to each other and perhaps also to the essence of the work—as much as this is possible. The choice of the top-tier ensemble, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, was obvious, as this English orchestra has, since its inception in 1986, maintained a particular curiosity about approaching music in different and more open ways. Hence the name, which the orchestra adopted because they share the Enlightenment's persistent drive to explore and discover. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment performs on period instruments that match the era in which the works were composed, which is a significant way of striving for a more authentic expression. This is complemented by the Chamber Choir, which sings with a much smaller ensemble than is often seen—according to sources, there were only 32 singers in the choir at the first performance in Dublin in April 1742. Already during Handel's lifetime, the work was performed in different versions, depending on the circumstances and experiences with the initial performances. It is therefore almost impossible to know what the "authentic" performance of "Messiah" might have been. One must let the music speak—and that is exactly what Mogens Dahl, the Chamber Choir, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment do. Here, hopefully, one experiences an expression close to an authentic "Messiah." Performers: Mogens Dahl Chamber ChoirOrchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentConductor: Mogens Dahl Soloists: Soprano: Julia DoyleAlto: Keyleigh DeckerTenor: Robin TritschlerBass: Morgan Pearse