Brahms’ Requiem

Yuri Klaz, conductor
Lara Ciekiewicz, soprano
Gregory Dahl, baritone
Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir

Antonin Dvořák (1841 – 1904): Te Deum, Op. 103
  Te Deum laudamus (choir) – Sanctus (soprano) – Te Deum laudamus (choir)
  Tu Rex gloriae (baritone & choir)
  Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis (choir)
  Dignare Domine (soprano & choir) – Benedicamus Patrem (soprano, baritone & choir)

– Intermission –

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 – A German Requiem
  Selig sind, die da Leid tragen – Blessed are they who mourn (choir)
  Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras – For all flesh is as grass (choir)
  Herr, lehre doch mich – Lord, teach me (baritone solo & choir)
  Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen – How lovely are your dwellings (choir)
  Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit –You now have sorrow (soprano & choir)
  Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt – For we have here no continuing home (baritone & choir)
  Selig sind die Toten – Blessed are the dead (choir)

Media Partner:

Te Deum laudamus

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee:
the Father of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable, true and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Tu Rex gloriae

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Aeterna fac

Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
and we worship thy name, ever world without end.

Dignare Domine

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us,
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit.
Alleluia! Let us praise and exalt him for ever.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

I. Chorus
Blessed are they that mourn:
for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5

They that sow in tears
shall reap in joy.
They go forth and weep,
and bear precious seed,
and shall come again with rejoicing
bringing their sheaves with them. – Psalm 126

II. Chorus
For all flesh is as grass,
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls… – I Peter

Be patient, therefore, beloved
until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits
for the precious crop from the earth
being patient with it
until it receives
the early and the late rains.
You also must be patient. – James 5

For all flesh is as grass…

But the word of the Lord endureth forever. –  I Peter

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with songs
and everlasting joy upon their heads:
They shall obtain joy and gladness,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. – Isaiah 35

III. Baritone & Chorus
Lord, let me know my end,
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting my life is.
You have made my days a few hand-breaths,
and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight.
Surely everyone stands as a mere breath.
Surely everyone goes about like a shadow.
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
they heap up, and do not know
who will gather them.
And now, 0 Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in Thee. – Psalm 39

The souls of the righteous
are in God’s hand,
and there shall no torment
touch them. – Wisdom of Solomon 3

IV. Chorus
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Happy are those who live in your house.
ever singing your praise. – Psalm 84

V. Soprano & Chorus
Ye now are sorrowful;
but I will see you again,
and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy from you. – John 16

As a mother comforts her child
so will I comfort you.
Behold with your eyes: but for a little
have I known sorrow and labor
and found much rest. – Ecclesiasticus 51

VI. Baritone & Chorus
For here have we no continuing place,
but we seek one that is to come. – Hebrews 13

Behold, I show you a mystery:
we shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed;
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
at the hour of the last trumpet.
For the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed.
Then shall be brought to pass
the saying that is written:
Death is swallowed up in victory.
0 death, where is thy sting?
0 grave, where is thy victory? – I Corinthians 15

You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed
and were created. – Revelation 4

VII. Chorus
Blessed are the dead
who from now on die in the Lord.
“Yes,” says the Spirit,
“they will rest from their labors.
for their deeds follow them.” – Revelation 14

Yuri Klaz, conductor

Born in Petrozavodsk, Russia, Yuri Klaz graduated from his hometown’s Music College and Conservatory before finishing his Master’s in conducting at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory. In 1982, he was appointed an Associate Professor of choral and orchestral conducting at the Petrozavodsk Conservatory. In 1987, he became the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Chamber Choir of Petrozavodsk’s Karelian Art Centre. Under his guidance, the choir earned numerous awards performing in concert tours and music festivals in Russia, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Ireland and Norway.

In 1995, by decree of President Boris Yeltsin, Klaz was awarded the prestigious title “Honoured Artist of Russia,” investing him with a silver medal for exceptional success in the development of art in Russia. In 2000, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir recruited Yuri Klaz as its Artistic Director and Conductor. Quickly becoming a leader in Winnipeg’s choral community, in 2003, he was appointed Artistic Director and Conductor of The Winnipeg Singers and now directs the First Mennonite Church Choir. In 2005, Mr. Klaz made a critically acclaimed debut as a conductor with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in a choral series that included Fauré’s Requiem, Verdi’s Stabat Mater and J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 4.

In 2006, Klaz made his first appearance with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra conducting Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir and The Winnipeg Singers. He has also led The Winnipeg Singers in several WSO’s New Music Festival performances.

Yuri has directed choirs worldwide, including the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Russia, Austria, France, Italy and The Netherlands. He has attended World Choral Symposiums in Vancouver, Minneapolis, Sydney, Kyoto and Copenhagen. In his more than 40-year-career, Klaz has conducted numerous major choral works, including Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Weihnachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio); Handel’s Messiah; Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem; Bruckner’s Requiem; Mozart’s Requiem; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Rutter’s Magnificat; Pärt’s Berliner Messe and, most recently, Rachmaninoff’s Vespers.

In June 2010, Yuri was honoured with the Winnipeg Arts Council’s “Making a Mark” award in recognition of his contribution to choral music performance. In July 2016, Klaz led The Winnipeg Singers’ performance at the 5th International Choral Competition in Florence, bringing home the Best Choir: The Golden David.

Lara Ciekiewicz, soprano

Hailed for her “tour-de-force performance” (Winnipeg Free Press) in the title role of Manitoba Opera’s Susannah, Lara has established herself as a dynamic, intelligent, and moving singing actress. Her facility for fully transforming into a character, regardless of genre, has earned her the reputation of being an artistic chameleon.

Lara’s 2021/22 season included a New Year’s Gala with the Victoria Symphony, the starring role in Manitoba Opera’s La Voix Humaine, Musetta in Edmonton Opera’s La bohème, and Beatrice in Little Opera Company’s Canadian premiere of Heggie’s Three Decembers. Lara also appeared in United for Ukraine in Toronto, curated by Sonia Rodriguez, Heather Ogden, Evelyn Hart, and Attila Glatz, and as a featured soloist in AugustFest (Brandon, Manitoba).

In addition to the title role in Manitoba Opera’s Susannah, the 2019-20 season saw Lara as Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) for Pacific Opera Victoria’s Il Trittico, as a soloist for the Victoria Symphony’s Messiah, and make her Edmonton Opera debut as the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro).

Recent appearances include Open Air: A Summer Festival of Music for Pacific Opera Victoria and the Victoria Symphony; The Sopranos of Winnipeg for Manitoba Opera and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra; Concert in the Cathedral Ruins, Opera in the Garden, and a film version of the Easter Hymn for Manitoba Opera; All Those Arias for the Little Opera Company; and performing for the Mysterious Barricades Concert Society.

Lara is increasingly in demand as an adjudicator and teacher. She holds a Masters in Music (Opera) from McGill University and a Bachelor of Arts – Honours (Voice) from the University of Winnipeg. She is an alumna of l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center, the Banff Centre, Opera NUOVA, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre).

Gregory Dahl, baritone

Gregory Dahl is one of Canada’s most in-demand performers for the works of Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, and Strauss. Dahl has appeared at every Canadian opera company, with highlights including the title role of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Hollander (Opéra de Québec), Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca (Calgary Opera, Opéra de Montréal, & Manitoba Opera), and the title role of Verdi’s Rigoletto (Calgary Opera & Opéra de Québec). Equally, at home on the concert stage, he has performed across Canada, from Symphony Nova Scotia to Vancouver Symphony, as a featured soloist in some of the most renowned works of the canon. Dahl is a consummate musician who has premiered roles with great acclaim, including Rolfe’s Beatrice Chancy and Estacio’s Filumena. This year, Gregory performed and directed a new, filmed production of Filumena with Brott Music Festival. Pursuing his passion for education, Dahl is currently on the voice faculty of the University of Toronto.

Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir

The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, Western Canada’s longest-established adult choral group, has a well-earned reputation for excellence. A choral trademark for the city of Winnipeg, the Phil’s repertoire covers a broad range of music, including oratorios, masses, songs, and choral symphonies focusing on major choral works with orchestral accompaniment. Priding itself on premiering original music, the Phil has commissioned works by composers from Manitoba and across Canada. The choir has also captivated audiences in Toronto, Vancouver and New York’s storied Carnegie Hall.

Major choral works, performed with either the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra or the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, include Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and his 9th Symphony; Britten’s War Requiem; Bach’s Mass in B Minor; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Requiem; Sir Edward Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius; Mozart’s Mass in C minor; Fauré’s Requiem; Verdi’s Stabat Mater and his Requiem; Bach’s Cantata No. 4 (Christ lag in Todesbanden) Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

Each season, under the direction of Maestro Yuri Klaz, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir provides music lovers of all ages with a subscription series of three concerts that bring to life some of the world’s finest choral works. As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Phil continues its tradition of performing choral music that is dramatic, profoundly moving, and always entertainingly full of heart.

Te Deum

Antonin Dvořák
b. Bohemia / September 8, 1841
d. Prague / May 1, 1904
Composed: 1892
First performance: October 21, 1892 (New York) conducted by the composer
First WSO performance

By 1891 Dvořák’s star had truly risen in all the major musical centres of Europe, including England, where he was especially feted. He was decorated with many honours, his music was enthusiastically received wherever it was played, and he was among the most celebrated musicians in the world. So when Jeannette Thurber, an enterprising American music lover and philanthropist, was tasked with finding an artistic director for her National Conservatory of Music in New York City, with an enticing salary and unique mission, she convinced Dvořák to cross the ocean and take the job.

Dvořák’s mission would be to uncover a musical syntax which would be distinctively American, similar to what he employed in his own music drawn from his Czech heritage but with qualities that would identify whatever he could codify as “American” in sound and style. For Dvořák’s arrival the following year, Thurber commissioned him to write a piece, a grand cantata for chorus, orchestra and soloists. When the promised text failed to arrive, Dvořák became increasingly anxious that there might be insufficient time to write the piece before his departure. He turned instead to the great Latin hymn, Te Deum laudamus, which was suitably festive and appealed to his deeply felt religious convictions. He sketched the work out in less than a week and had completed it by the end of July.

The celebratory concert took place at Carnegie Hall on October 21, 1892. The first part opened with Anton Seidl as conductor, with My Country ’tis of Thee, followed by Liszt’s symphonic poem Tasso. Dvořák took over for the remainder of the concert, which consisted of his three concert overtures, In nature’s realm, Othello and Carnival, and then closed with Te Deum. At the time, religious works were common in a secular setting, like a concert hall rather than a liturgical service. The concert was Dvořák’s first time conducting in the United States; the performance by a 250-voice choir and the piece were a success, and his American career was off to a good start.

The work opens triumphantly with harmonies simple enough to evoke a band of street musicians improvising over a long G major chord. Violins bring Czech folk flavour. Touches of bird-like woodwinds come along before an expressive passage enters as the solo soprano sings of the apostles, prophets and martyrs, all praising the divine. More woodwind echoes follow, after which a hushed chorus sings Holy Lord God of hosts. The festive opening material returns, leading to a solo for the baritone.

Following a brass fanfare, the baritone proclaims, “Thou art the King of glory,” continuing praise for God the Father and Son. Accompanied by gentle violins, the chorus responds by singing, “We therefore pray thee, help thy servants.”

The chorus enters, singing with a new urgency in the brief third movement. The soprano then pleads, “O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.”

The chorus replies with “O Lord, have mercy upon us” in an upper register and delicate in character when sung by the women; darker and mysterious when sung by the men. Finally, both soloists join in for the final blessing, starting with a gradual crescendo that leads to thrilling Alleluias – a joyful last word for this triumphant work, which has now veered back to G major to end harmonically as it had begun.

A German Requiem

Johannes Brahms
b. Hamburg / May 7, 1833
d. Vienna / April 3, 1897
Composed: 1857-1868
First performance: April 10, 1868 (Bremen), conducted by the composer
Last WSO performance: 2015; Yuri Klaz, conductor

One can only imagine the effect on Johannes Brahms when Robert Schumann, in print, hailed him as the “saviour of German music” at the time the young Brahms was starting his life’s work. As Brahms’ mentor, Schumann wanted him to compose something on a grand scale, fearing that the great tradition of Beethoven and Mozart was becoming washed away in mediocrity. When Schumann died in a mental asylum in 1856, Brahms was overcome with grief and vowed to fulfill the wish.

The year after Schumann’s death, Brahms began a symphony from which material found its way to a choral work that became the germ of the Requiem. Schumann wanted to write a Requiem in German rather than the traditional Latin text from the Roman Catholic Mass for the Dead. Brahms was well versed in scripture but was not religious, so the idea of a universal Requiem in German appealed to him as a monument to Schumann. Composer Antonin Dvořák, a longtime friend of

Brahms and a devout Catholic famously wrote about Brahms’s lack of faith: “Such a man, such a fine soul—and he believes in nothing! He believes in nothing!”

When Brahms’s beloved mother passed away in 1865, he completed six sections of his original conception and by August 1866, he added a seventh – the fifth movement Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit, “I will see you again” – for soprano, in memory of his mother.

Brahms drew his texts from the Lutheran Bible but carefully eschewed anything sectarian. His goal was a universal response to death and suffering – words and music of consolation for the bereaved living rather than the dark menace of the Last Judgement. “I could easily dispense with the word ‘German’ and replace it with ‘Human,’” he told the choirmaster at the Bremen premiere, which was a great success that led to many performances in Europe and established Brahms’ international reputation.

A German Requiem has a telling construction: a symmetrically arched form of heavenly order at its apex in movement 4. Flanking that in movements 3 and 5 are soloists that “counsel,” as it were. Movements 2 and 6 contemplate mortality and the hope of Resurrection. The outer movements are meditative, beginning with ‘selig’ (blessed) and with similar material. Yet, one feels a newly elevated dramatic reach in the finale, a procession from dark to light that had done the work among the most cherished of its kind.

MUSIC

• The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky
• Piano Concerto No. 1, Rachmaninoff

LITERATURE

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
• Lady Windermere’s Fan, Oscar Wilde

HISTORY

• Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States
• Basketball was created by Canadian James Naismith

ART

La Goulue arriving at the Moulin Rouge, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

MUSIC

• The Bartered Bride, Bedřich Smetana
• Night on Bald Mountain, Modest Mussorgsky

LITERATURE

• Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
• Peer Gynt, Henrik Isben

HISTORY

• End of American Civil War (1861-1865) and emancipation of African-American Slaves
• Confederation of Canada on July 1, 1867

ART

A Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie,
Albert Bierstadt

The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir has established the Phil Fund to acknowledge those special individuals whose lives we wish to celebrate, honour and remember.

• In loving memory of Jan Burdon, long-serving Secretary of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
• In memory of departed loved ones by Jessica Kowall
• In celebration and memory of Jim and Maureen Asker by Tom and Judy Asker
• Celebrating Roxanne Klassen (nee Hiebert) by Lori and Phil Klassen
• In memory of Jan Burdon by Glynis Corkal
• In loving memory of Hilda Evans Ginther by Deborah Ginther
• In memory of Carol Wladyka by Betty Loewen
• Celebrating the lives of parents, Ed and Diane Miller, by Judy Asker
• In loving memory of Imelda Oandasan by Paul Wiebe
• In loving memory of Dorris and John Whiting by Wanda Prychitko
• In loving memory of Jan Burdon by Sharon Jones Ryan
• In memory of Denise Curtis by Glynis Corkal
• In loving memory of my brother, Jackie, by Gail Singer
• In honour of our grandsons, Joshua and Toby, by Fred and Beverly Dyck
• In memory of Howard and Blanche Bayley and Pam Robin by Sandi and Ron Mielitz
• In celebration of Bob Spasoff by Nicola Spasoff and Erik Thomson
• In memory of Anita Schmidt by Glynis Corkal
• In memory of Chantal Burt’s dad, Manny Burt, by Glynis Corkal

Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir

Artistic Director: Yuri Klaz                                                    Executive Director: Judy Asker

Alto

Kaylene Blackwood
Vida Chan
Maria Kolarovic
Veronica Larmour
Vivien Laurie
Victoria Lyonin
Brenda Marinelli
Sandi Mielitz
Arlene Petkau
Gail Singer
Nicola Spasoff
Brenna Sorokowski
Allison Thiessen
Deanna Wiens

Associates

Cathleen Enns
Kelley Fry
Lori Klassen
Celoris Miller
Wanda Prychitko
Valerie Regehr
Brenda Tiessen Wiebe

Tenor

Isaac Anderson
Keith Black
Jeff Carter
Maria Deschauer
John Drewitt
Fred Dyck
Brian Fristensky
Len LaRue
Clement Toner

Associates

Kyle Briscoe
James Magnus-Johnston
George Nyman
Doug Pankratz
Stuart Sladden
Nick Wiebe

Soprano

Alison Bartel
Rachael Buckingham
Glynis Corkal
Betty Loewen
Wendy Gainsborough
Caroline Klassen
Patricia Jordan
Dolores Tjart
Marika Nerbas
Brenda Dyck
Linda Feasby
Debbie Girard
Deborah Ginther
Jessica Kowall
Celia Whiting
Lorilee Woelcke
Grace Suttorp
Christine Sveinson

Associates

Bettina Nyman
Diana Kroeker
Gail Asper
Janet Marchylo
Kadri Irwin

Bass

Tim Smith
Teko Bailey
Peter Loewen
John Murray
Dennis Penner
Paul Wiebe

Associates

Blake Collis
Greg Cooper
David Elias
Brian Marchylo
Harold Neufeld
Howard Rempel
Laurent Waldie
Joel Wiebe
Ted Wiens

MUSICIANS

FIRST VIOLINS

Gwen Hoebig, Concertmaster
The Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté Memorial Chair, endowed by the Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation
Karl Stobbe, Associate Concertmaster
Jeff Dydra
Mona Coarda
Tara Fensom
Hong Tian Jia
Mary Lawton
Sonia Lazar
Julie Savard
Jun Shao
Rebeca Weger**
Jeremy Buzash (guest)
Erica Sloos (guest)

SECOND VIOLINS

Chris Anstey, Principal
Elation Pauls, Assistant Principal
Karen Bauch
Kristina Bauch,
Elizabeth Dyer
Bokyung Hwang*
Rodica Jeffrey
Momoko Matsumura **
Susan McCallum
Takayo Noguchi
Jane Radomski
Liudmyla Prysiazhniuk (guest)

VIOLAS

Elise Lavallée, Acting Principal
Dmytro Kreshchenskyi, Acting Assistant Principal**
Marie-Elyse Badeau
Laszlo Baroczi
Richard Bauch
Greg Hay
Michael Scholz

CELLOS

Yuri Hooker, Principal
Emma Quackenbush, Acting Assistant Principal
Grace An **
Arlene Dahl
Samuel Nadurak **
Alyssa Ramsay
Sean Taubner
Minna Chung (guest)
Bery Filsaime (guest)

BASSES

Meredith Johnson, Principal
James McMillan
Daniel Perry
Eric Timperman
Emily Krajewski**

FLUTES

Jan Kocman, Principal
Supported by Gordon & Audrey Fogg
Alex Conway
Laura MacDougall (guest)

OBOES

Beverly Wang, Principal
Robin MacMillan
Tai Yokomori (guest)
Yevhenii Yeromenko (guest)

CLARINETS

Micah Heilbrunn, Principal
Graham Lord (guest)
Chris Byman (guest)

BASSOONS

Kathryn Brooks, Principal *
Mark Kreshchenskyi, Acting Principal **
Elizabeth Mee **
Kristy Tucker (guest)
Allen Harrington (guest)

HORNS

Patricia Evans, Principal
Ken MacDonald, Associate Principal
The Hilda Schelberger Memorial Chair
Aiden Kleer
Caroline Oberheu
Michiko Singh
Todd Martin (guest)

TRUMPETS

Chris Fensom, Principal
Paul Jeffrey, Associate Principal
Isaac Pulford
The Patty Kirk Memorial Chair

TROMBONES

Steven Dyer, Principal
Keith Dyrda
Isabelle Lavoie**
Francois Godere (guest)

TIMPANI

Andrew Nazer**

TUBA

Justin Gruber, Principal

PERCUSSION

Andrew Johnson, Principal
Brendan Thompson (guest)
Victoria Sparks (guest)

HARP

Richard Turner, Principal
Endowed by W.H. & S.E. Loewen

PERSONNEL MANAGER

Isaac Pulford

MUSIC LIBRARIAN

Michaela Kleer

ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN

Aiden Kleer

* On Leave
** 1 year appointment