King David

Arthur Honegger created a gripping piece of biblical music theatre with “King David”. The psalm setting is a stage drama that Honegger created in 1921 for the reopening of the Théatre de Jorat in Mézières, a popular theatre in which amateurs also performed on stage. This situation suited Honegger, who was artistically in search of a new simplicity. He worked with formal echoes of the Bach tradition and combined them with archaic-sounding polytonality. Honegger himself described the overall effect of the sound as “a little barbaric”. In 1923, the composer reworked “King David” into a symphonic oratorio, but the extremely rarely heard original version with a chamber music instrumental ensemble of ten wind instruments, percussion, harmonium and celesta will be performed at the festival. In addition to the chorus and the soloist duet, Moritz Führmann can be heard as the narrator and Anna Schudt as the witch. The biblical songs by Antonín Dvorák, specially arranged by Wolfgang Abendroth for the King David ensemble, will be performed beforehand.

Programme
Antonin Dvorák, Biblical Songs, op. 99 in an arrangement for chamber ensemble by Wolfgang Abendroth
Artur Honegger, Le Roi David

Moritz Führmann, Narrator
Anna Schudt, Witch of Endor
Theresa Nelles, soprano
Renée Morloc, alto
Patricio Arroyo-Lesuisse, tenor
Düsseldorf Chamber Choir
Düsseldorf Festival Orchestra
Wolfgang Abendroth, conductor