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“LOVE”
Our new CD called „LOVE“ is available right now!
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About
„The vocal quartet sang with solistic colours and its very unified, balanced ensemble sound.”
Cà4 – consonanz à 4
They come from the rugged Antrim coast, the endless horizons of Eastern Friesland, the picturesque artists village of Worpswede and the barren Swabian Albs. They have appeared in Israel, Spain, Italy, France, England, Russia, Croatia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Namibia, South Africa and throughout Germany. They have performed grand opera, lute songs, contemporary music with extended vocal techniques, romantic lieder recitals, early music and music theatre and have performed high masses in great cathedrals. Somewhere along the way they met.
They sing with passion and as a quartet, enjoy the freedom to sing music that is close to their hearts. With their individual interpretation, refined in intensive rehearsals, they express their dedication and devotion and share it with their audience.
Each member of the quartet brings their own special ingredients, formed by the influence of many great musicians throughout each individual’s professional career.
Combining this with the various interests and studies- oboe, flute, organ, acting and literature — provides a rich palate of experience to draw on whentaking a piece apart, the all important creative process where a fresh approach is sought even for old favourites.
They are as at home in repertoire of the larger choral works of Bruckner Liszt, Verdi or Poulenc as with pieces written for four voices.
Once they are immersed in a piece, the hours fly by – constantly on the lookout for a new, individual approach. The interpretation of a piece is in flux; always changing, growing and staying alive. Dynamics and tempo are varied and adapted to suit the atmosphere and occasion, always in close contact with the audience. Having worked and travelled together for a number of years, they have become well attuned to each other and work well as a team, which isparticularly beneficial when singing oratorios together.
Wiltrud de Vries, Annette Gutjahr, Bernhard Scheffel and Allan Parkes are their own instrument, a unified body of sound made up of four different characters who combined forces with verve and enthusiasm to focus on their common goal of performing quality vocal music with vitality.
They are consonanz à 4.
Programs
Cà4 – „Maria“
The “Maria” programme is one of the the quartet´s most successful projects. It focuses on compositions on the theme of Marian worship and is an integral part of their repertoire. It was originally designed for a concert celebrating the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in 2008 at the Einsiedeln Monastery of Pilgrimage (Switzerland). Encouraged by the overwhelming response, the quartet frequently repeated the programme becoming immersed in the theme and developing their interpretation and performance. The program was given additional refinement during the making of the CD Maria in 2013 in the cathedral of Kevelaer in Germany.
It is particularly fascinating how differently the individual composers treated the subject matter: Stravinsky’s prayer is simple and matter-of-fact, while Poulenc’s setting is intimate and expressive , Liszt’s prayer is a rosary lasting several minutes with recurring motifs, and Verdi’s work is an enigmatic scale harmonised for four mixed voices resulting in a complex and dramatic composition.
Our Father
Following their successful Maria Programme, consonanz à 4 developed “Vater Unser” which is named after the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer. It explores rich and sonorous spiritual compositions that revolve around salvation, peace and intimate prayer. Da pacem by Pärt, Vater Unser and Psalm 139 by Lehnen, Letzte Bitte by Wolf, Abendfriede by Rheinberger, Christus factus est by Bruckner, as well as pieces by Parry and Mendelssohn take the listener on an inward, reflective journey through the warm sounding, sometimes tender, sometimes powerful moments in these sacred compositions.
Florete Flores
“Blossom, you flowers, like the lily, emit fragrance and bring forth leaves with grace. Sing together a hymn of praise and bless the Lord in all his works” (Jesus Sirach, chapter 39, verse 19)
Floret flores” is the name of the colourful and varied a capella programme with which consonanz à 4 presents a rich cross-section of their work. It is named after a composition of the same name which Elmar Lehnen wrote for the quartet in 2013. The programme includes lively and fluently narrated images of nature, calm and deep prayers, catchy melodies as well as complex harmonies. Work by composers like Pärt, Elgar, Finzi, Dyson, Mendelssohn, Lehnen, Parry or Wolf promise a lively and varied concert evening.
“A Cappella singing at such a high level is rarely heard. The dialogue between the singers is captivating in its naturalness. The ensemble shows subtlety and intuition for the smallest changes in dynamics, colour and harmony. The sacred statement of faith beyond the pure musical text is conveyed with intimacy, moving each individual song in its entire depth. This is transmitted directly to the audience, creating an intense bond in the shared experience.
Multifaceted in fullness of tone, warmth and dynamics, ‘consonanz à 4’ shows a filigree sound with a special charm.”
Blechmann, Ahlen — Review of the concert on 7.10.2017
Christmas Carols
christmas carols
christmas carols is consonanz à 4’s successful Christmas program, which is also available on CD. A colourful combination of cheerful and contemplative melodies with traditional old favourites andlesser well known gems, set in English by various composers. Carols by Charles Wood, Walford Davies and Arthur Sullivan among others, have a freshness and clarity when sung by the four unaccompanied voices. Further highlights in the program include: Vaughan Williams’s“The Blessed Son of God”, “The Crown of Roses” by Tschaikowsky, and the atmospheric “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Gustav Holst. Andrew Carter’s lilting arrangement of the Appalachian Folksong “I Wonder as I Wander” and Herbert Howels’s “Here is the little door”, which is both evocative and a strident battle cry are rare gems in the delightful collection.
The programme is also available with a selection of seasonal readings.
You can look forward to a particularly atmospheric musical evening.
Calendar
Upcoming
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Archive
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Press
“Sangesfreude und Disziplin, dazu die akzentfreudige Artikulation,
gepaart mit lyrischer Emotionalität…”– Heidenheimer Zeitung, 02.10.2019
„Höhepunkt des Konzertes waren die A‑cappella-Miniaturen des Solistenquartetts …Liszts „Ave verum“ und erst recht Elmar Lehnens „Stabat Mater“ offenbarten ihren ganz eigenen Harmonienreichtum und das traumhafte Verständnis von „consonanz à 4″. Wie wäre es einmal mit einem ganzen Konzert des Vokalensembles?“
– Norbert Duwe für die Nordsee-Zeitung
“…Ob hingegen Liszt, Elgar, Poulenc, Pärt oder Verdi: Sie alle betonen kompositorisch im Zusammenhang mit Maria vorwiegend das Mystische, das dem Weltentrubel Entrückte, aber gleichermaßen zutiefst Sinnliche, Tröstliche. Dies zu unterstreichen gelang dem Gesangsquartett auf faszinierende Weise. Angenehm moderate Tempi und fein dosierte dynamische Wechsel vermittelten eine stimmungsvolle Atmosphäre.”
– Weser Kurier, Juni 2012
Discography
Maria
Der Wind heult, die Dohlen zwitschern, in der Ferne klingt eine Glocke – alles das ist leise im Hintergrund zu hören, wenn man sich in den Gesang des A‑cappella-Quartetts consonanz à 4 und das Orgelspiel Elmar Lehnens vertieft und gibt der CD den Charakter einer Live-Aufnahme.
Aufgenommen zwischen Oktober 2011 und Januar 2012 in der Päpstlichen Marienbasilika zu Kevelaer
Christmas Carols
Die “Christmas Carols” sind ein formvollendet nuanciertes A‑cappella Erlebnis eines harmonisch polyphonen Klangkörpers klassischer Gesangsstimmen — nicht nur für die dunklen Monate.
