Although there has been no shortage of attempts, love has never been sung more beautifully than in the Song of Songs, the Old Testament book that unites earthly fulfilment with a deep yearning for the divine. Composer Matthias Pintscher, too, finds these songs “the most beautiful love poems ever written”. The Song of Songs has left traces in his music that run all the deeper for being set the original Hebrew. “Everything in Hebrew seems so compressed”, he explains. “Each and every word is so rich in meaning, so full of radiance.” His cycle Shirim thus attempts to develop a sonic universe from this language, a universe that seeks to be much more than an accompaniment. Under his baton, this triptych for baritone, chorus and orchestra will be heard complete for the first time at musica viva. Joining it is a newly commissioned piece by the Slovenian composer Nina Šenk, who completed her studies with Pintscher. Over the last two decades Šenk has produced a host of orchestral works that combine her vivid imagination with a special love for the symphony orchestra.

impressions from the concert and the rehearsals

Composer and conductor Matthias Pintscher.

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at musica viva.

Nina Šenk after the world première of her Concerto for orchestra.

Nina Šenk with her teacher Matthias Pintscher.

Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra

Baritone Georg Nigl at the first complete performance of Matthias Pintscher's SHIRIM cycle.

Composer Nina Šenk and conductor Matthias Pintscher

Matthias Pintscher

Matthias Pintscher and Georg Nigl (Baritone)

Georg Nigl (Baritone)

Matthias Pintscher and Georg Nigl (Baritone)

Bavarian Radio Chorus

The BRSO at Herkulessaal

Jonathan Gross and Christopher Corbett

Ivanna Ternay

Stefan Tischler

Playing the harp with a double bass bow: Magdalena Hoffmann

Cymbal with modification

Matthias Pintscher