Anton Reicha: TE DEUM

A hidden treasure of the Classical music - Anton Reicha´s TE DEUM.
Anton Reicha (1770-1836) was Czech composer who lived in Paris and was a teacher of Berlioz, Liszt, Gounod and Franck.
Kühn Mixed choir, Pavel Kühn
Prague Symphony Orchestra, cond. Václav Smetáček

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Reicha
• Te
• Deum

[Servatia]

Oh my .... I've loved this man since I heard of him 18 years ago. But this is beyond what I thought him capable of. My regards to you, Antonín.

[JamesraynorII]

incredible!!

[sstuddert]

someone MUST record Reicha's 36 fugues, they're among his most important works.

[Letmemasee]

By the way: There's another recording by the Knabenkantorei Basel, which it seems can only be ordered directly - so I can't say anything else about it.

[Letmemasee]

Finally this spring I was lucky in Munich. I visited the town's public library looking for some sheet music of an early composer. Seeing how well they were sorted and that they had lots of record, too I had a look into the catalogue and indeed: the record! Those where probably the most joyfull minutes within the last three years, which I spent listening to the recording in the small cabin and reading the score (which they had as well).

[Letmemasee]

But I was close before: a certain motif of the music had reminded me of Camille Saint Saens' 3rd symphony - and after all Reijcha was his teacher in Paris.

Now a new search began: the one for a recording. The one presented here was sold out everywhere. It's the major recording of this work and was republished lateron on CD.

[Letmemasee]

I had heard it in the movie and noticed a noise as if a needle was removed from a record. Thus I concluded that it was probably not a music composed for the film but some recording. I searched for about two years for every more or less kinown Te Deum. then I worte to the successor of the East German broadcasting station. After some delay they told me that the piece was indeed a recording and was the "Te Deum" by Anton Reijcha. I probably never would have found it on my own.

[Letmemasee]

A hidden treasure indeed! It was even used as film music for a Co-production of the former GDR and Western Germany about August III the Duke of Saxony and King of Poland. That's how I learned about the existence of this remarkable piece.