Religious song is an attractive type of music „between
the genres“, as it were. During the course of the 19th
century, the sacred song continued to find entrance
into the repertoire performed in the concert halls,
until Max Reger’s songs for organ brought religious
song back into the church. We know of several sacred
songs with piano score by Mendelssohn which he also
expressly declared suitable for performance with an
organ. Harald Feller arranged songs by other composers
from the Romantic era in a version for voice with
organ and harp, a combination that contributes to
vividly expressing both the orchestral and the chamber
musical element.
Soprano Susanne Bernhard became a member of
the ensemble at the opera hall in Kiel at the age of
23. In 2008, she made her debut in the role of Violeta
at the Oper Frankfurt. In her work, she concentrates
on concert and oratorio song and has already performed
at many internationally renowned concert
halls (Berliner Philharmonie, WDR, Saarländischer
Rundfunk, and Bayerischer Rundfunk).
Maria Graf used to be the solo harpist in the
philharmonic orchestras of Munich and Berlin and
is regarded as one of the most famous soloists on her
instrument.