With *Ein deutsches Requiem*, Johannes Brahms did not compose a traditional requiem mass, but a comforting work for the living. Instead of the customary Latin mass text, he selected passages from the Luther Bible himself, in which the focus is not on fear or judgement, but on hope, encouragement and human solidarity. In doing so, Brahms gave a very personal interpretation to the concept of the requiem. The work was composed in the years following the death of Brahms’ mother and clearly carries a deeply human emotional weight. Yet the music is never heavy or sombre. It is precisely the warm choral sounds, the lyrical melodies and the rich orchestration that make the requiem accessible and moving. From the subdued opening chorus ‘Selig sind, die da Leid tragen’ to the grandeur of the fugal sections and the tranquil closing music, Brahms guides the listener through grief, consolation and, ultimately, resignation.
In Saint George Mass, Herman Finkers reveals a side of himself that is very different from the one many are familiar with from his theatre work. In this contemporary mass, he blends humour, contemplation and spirituality with the musical traditions of Twente and the Roman Catholic liturgy. The texts are partly in Dutch, partly in Latin and sometimes in the Twente dialect, giving the work a distinctive, recognisable atmosphere.
The Mass arose from Finkers’ desire to create an accessible and sincere liturgical composition, rooted in regional traditions yet universal in character. The music is melodious and direct, with moments of understated simplicity alongside festive and moving passages. It is precisely this combination of warmth, gentleness and relatability that makes the Saint George Mass particularly popular with choirs and audiences alike.
Whereas many classical masses are grand and monumental, Finkers often opts for intimacy and a human scale. The lyrics invite both a smile and reflection. In doing so, the work touches on themes that are recognisable to everyone: togetherness, hope, gratitude and vulnerability.
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Margreet Rietveld Soprano |
Soprano Margreet Rietveld (1988) obtained her bachelor’s degree in classical singing from the ArtEZ Conservatoire in Zwolle in July 2011, having studied under Lodewijk Meeuwsen and Riekje Bakker. After graduating from the conservatoire, she studied with Harry van Berne, Heleen Koele and Frans Fiselier. She is currently being coached by Pieter van Breugel. As a soloist, Margreet has already performed in virtually all the major oratorios by Bach (St Matthew and St John Passions, Christmas Oratorio and Mass in C), Handel (Messiah, Dixit Dominus), Haydn (The Creation, The Seasons), Brahms (Requiem), Mendelssohn, Schubert, Bruckner, Vivaldi, Mozart (Requiem, Mass in C minor) and so on. In recent years, Margreet has performed with various professional ensembles such as the Ars Musica Chamber Choir, Cappella Amsterdam, Collegium Vocale Gent, Le Nuove Musiche and the Margaretha Consort. As a soloist, Margreet has taken part in masterclasses with Barbara Hannigan, Meribeth Dayme and Barbara Schlick. www.margreetrietveld.com |
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Martijn Sanders Baritone |
Martijn Sanders is a Dutch baritone who studied at the Utrecht Conservatory, followed by opera specialisation in Vienna and at the Amsterdam Opera Studio. After winning the Nico Dostal Singing Competition in Austria, he made his debut as Papageno during Vienna Mozart Week and as Dandini at the Rheinsberg Festival. He went on to perform a wide range of baritone roles across Europe in Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Britten and contemporary repertoire, appearing in Vienna, Rheinsberg, Rotterdam (Nederlandse Reisopera), Belgrade, Bangkok, Hanoi and Istanbul. He was a member of Opera Zuid and Theater Aachen, singing roles including Figaro, Papageno, Escamillo, Germont, Falke, Tonio, Alfio and Nabucco, and also appeared at Dutch National Opera in works by Schreker and Tan Dun. As a concert singer he appears regularly at the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and with orchestras such as the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Brabant Orchestra, performing major oratorio and concert works including Handel’s Messiah, Dvoák’s Stabat Mater, Brahms’ Requiem, Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Rachmaninov’s The Bells. He has collaborated with conductors and festivals, including a performance in the presence of Queen Beatrix at the Prince Claus Concert. Recent highlights include Schreker and Delius at the Concertgebouw, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and concert performances of Figaro. https://martijnsanders.com/ |
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Dirk Luijmes Orchestra |
Following his conservatoire training (organ, harpsichord, church music) and a degree in musicology, Dirk Luijmes has been active in various fields within the music world. He has won prizes at several national and international organ competitions, including the European Organ Improvisation Competition. More than twenty-five composers (including Willem Breuker, Daan Manneke and Guus Janssen) have written works for him. As a performer, he has appeared from New York to Vilnius (Lithuania) and from Santiago de Chile to Bergen (Norway). He has performed with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the RIAS Kammerchor, the Netherlands Chamber Choir, the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and ensembles such as Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the ASKO-Schönberg Ensemble and Oxalys. In 2010, he gave the American premiere of Martijn Padding’s First Harmonium Concerto, written for him, at Carnegie Hall (New York). This year he toured Washington with the ASKO-Schönberg Ensemble. Dirk is artistic director of the Longen & Tongen Foundation, works as a librettist (for the Concertgebouw) and was a radio producer for many years (at the NCRV and IKON). He has also recorded several CDs, including a suite by Froberger that he discovered himself. His recording of Padding’s Harmonium Concerto won an Edison Award in 2011. In spring 2019, Quintone released his 4-CD box set Harmonium Atlas, which received a 10 in Luister magazine and was awarded 5 stars by de Volkskrant. www.dirkluijmes.nl |
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Holland Symfonie Orkest Orchestra |
The Holland Symphony Orchestra consists of a flexible group of freelance musicians who play together seamlessly. These freelance musicians are keen to share their love of making music with as wide an audience as possible. The orchestra always strives to bring together the finest musicians, tailored to the works to be performed. This enables the orchestra to perform a wide-ranging repertoire. Combined with the wealth of experience possessed by these musicians, this results in magnificent concerts of the highest standard. The orchestra has now established itself as a leading ensemble when it comes to accompanying choirs and performing summer concerts. Without any subsidies, the orchestra gives around 50 concerts a year. www.hollandsymfonieorkest.nl |
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Geert Broeksteeg Musical direction |
Geert Broeksteeg is the conductor and artistic director of the Eindhoven Oratorio Association. He has been associated with this association as a conductor since 1990. Under his leadership, the choir has built up a broad repertoire. This has led to a large number of concerts in which works such as the St. John Passion, Messiah, Die Schöpfung, Paulus and various requiems were performed. But composers such as John Rutter, Poulenc and Benjamin Britten were also on the programme. Geert studied school music and choir conducting at the Arnhem Conservatory from 1980 to 1988. As a choir conductor, he studied with Joop Schets and Hans van den Hombergh. After obtaining his diploma Performing Musician Choir Conducting in 1988, he gained a lot of experience with various choirs and ensembles. As a school musician, he has been working at the Sint-Joriscollege in Eindhoven since 1985. At this school, he is co-founder of the Art and Culture Project. This is a project in which talented children in the field of music, dance, drama and visual arts are given extra opportunities to develop their talents. Since 2009, he has been working in the school management as team leader of the upper grades of havo. |