Albums rarely contain both chamber works and choral music, but in the case of composer Felix Mendelssohn, the juxtaposition is justified. For which is the more Bach-inspired? The a cappella works which breathe Bach into every note, or the Piano Trio no. 2 with the choral Herr Gott dich loben wir, which also motors Bach’s cantata 130? On this new release, an exceptional trio featuring violinist Pekka Kuusisto, cellist Pieter Wispelwey, and pianist Alasdair Beatson, as well as the acclaimed Flemish Radio Choir and conductor Herve Niquet, bring homage to the composer who gave second life to Bach, and grace and poetry to the romantics. The Vlaams Radio Koor (Flemish Radio Choir) was founded in 1937 by the Belgian public broadcaster of the day. Today it has become a choir of exceptionally high quality that counts both domestically and internationally among the top ensembles. The 24 professional singers rehearse under the baton of chief conductor Hervé Niquet in Studio 1 of the well-known Flagey building in Brussels, and perform throughout Flanders and Europe.
