Sven Helbig: Requiem A (LP)

With Requiem A, the German composer Sven Helbig creates a touching, timeless mass for the dead in a reduced, haunting tonal language. He combines choral tradition with a modern expression that also incorporates electronic elements. Requiem A continues Helbig's musical style: interdisciplinary and consciously between the worlds of classical, electronic and avant-garde. 'A' in the title stands for 'beginning' and calls for reconciliation and new beginnings in poetic images. 'Departure', 'ashes' and 'breathing' are key words in Helbig's lyrics, which seek a way out of mourning and into life. On February 9, 2025, "Requiem A" was premiered in Dresden's Kreuzkirche by outstanding artists - the Dresdner Kreuzchor, the Sächsische Staatskapelle and bass-baritone René Pape. Other highlights include concerts with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra in Vienna's Heldenplatz and the London Contemporary Orchestra in London's Westminster Hall. The recording will be released by Deutsche Grammophon on May 9, 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.