The musicAeterna choir was founded by Teodor Currentzis in 2004 in Novosibirsk. From 2011 to 2019, the collective was part of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre troupe. In 2018, the choir became a laureate of the Opera Awards.
The singers’ repertoire includes musical works by European and Russian composers of the 11th – 21st centuries. In Perm, the musicAeterna choir took part in premieres of operas by Mozart, Purcell, Offenbach, Borodin, Verdi and Puccini, as well as world premieres of specifically commissioned scores: Kourliandski’s “Nosferatu”, Hersant’s “Tristia” and Syumak’s “Cantos”. In Saint Petersburg, the choir collaborates with musicAeterna resident composers: Alexey Retinsky and Andreas Moustoukis.
The choir has had an exclusive contract with Sony Classical since 2012. Releases include the Mozart–Da Ponte trilogy, Stravinsky’s “Les Noces”, and a video recording of Purcell’s “Indian Queen” directed by Peter Sellars. The recordings have won numerous awards, including Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, ECHO Klassik’s “Recording of the Year” and Opernwelt.
The musicAeterna choir collaborates with guest conductors such as Vincent Dumestre, Andres Mustonen, Paul Hillier and others. The ensemble has performed at the world’s leading stages all the way from Lisbon to Moscow and from Athens to Hamburg. The singers make frequent appearances at festivals in Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence. In 2019, the musicAeterna choir made its US debut with a performance of Verdi’s “Requiem” at The Shed (New York).
Sopranos
Altos
Tenors
Basses
musicAeterna choir events
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)
Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)
- Allegro non molto
- Adagio
- Allegro ma non molto
The soloist Rabbani Aldangor
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin
George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)
Duration: 60 minutes
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)
Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)
- Allegro non molto
- Adagio
- Allegro ma non molto
The soloist Rabbani Aldangor
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin
George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)
Duration: 60 minutes
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
The St Matthew Passion
a sacred oratorio for solo voices, double choir and double orchestra with libretto by Picander (Christian Friedrich Henrici), BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
MusicAeterna Choir and Orchestra
Guest soloists
Conductor Teodor Currentzis