In memoriam Reinbert de Leeuw

An impressive journey through musical emotions in memory of conductor/pianist Reinbert de Leeuw, who died on 14 February 2020. The Netherlands Chamber Choir opens with Liszt’s masterpiece Via Crucis (the Fourteen Stations of the Cross). The 1987 recording of this by the Netherlands Chamber Choir and De Leeuw won an Edison. After Liszt’s intense Stations of the Cross, the choir, together with Asko|Schönberg, performs Jetzt Immer Schnee by Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. 

Written for Reinbert de Leeuw’s Schönberg Ensemble and the Netherlands Chamber Choir, Jetzt Immer Schnee had its world premiere in 1994. The piece immerses the audience in a white hell of snow. The singers are positioned around the audience as witnesses. To hear this work live offers a unique experience, which is also a testament to De Leeuw’s personal connection with Gubaidulina.