Bach: Magnificat / Handel: Dixit Dominus

In Rome in 1707, the young Georg Friedrich Händel experienced how church music, with its powerful choirs, and the splendor of modern opera fully unfolded the magnificence of the Baroque era. Among his few original church works, the Psalm Dixit Dominus stands out clearly. Given its scale, the work must have been performed in a particularly solemn Vespers service. With its five soloists as well as five choral and string parts, the Psalm almost resembles a monumental concerto grosso, with the vocal parts also being treated for long stretches in much the same way as the violins, posing a particular challenge for the choir. Peter Dijkstra deliberately opened the previous season of the Bavarian Radio Choir with works by the choral giants Georg Friedrich Händel and Johann Sebastian Bach, taking a step back toward the roots of popular choral music—a style that, alongside contemporary works, is particularly suited to the choir’s vocal strengths. The highlights of this concert are now available on CD: With Händel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Magnificat, the choir, under its artistic director Peter Dijkstra, once again presents a festive program on CD for the Christmas season.