About
The Staats-und Domchor Berlin is a Berlin-based Boy Choir.
History
Prehistory
The Staats-und Domchor Berlin is the oldest musical institution in Berlin. As early as 1465, elector Friedrich II of Brandenburg was for the music in the "Dhumkerke" five "singing boys". A hundred years later, the foundation of a court chapel, also under the direction of Johannes Eccard, led to the first heyday of the choir, which has since expanded to twelve singers.
Reorganization
In 1843, the Domchor was reorganized after a long period of decline and received the title "Royal". King Friedrich Wilhelm IV took the example of the Petersburger Hofkapelle. The Royal Domchor is regarded as the first professional choir with fixed remuneration of the individual singers. The Ensemble was internationally renowned under the direction of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Otto Nicolai and August Neithardt.
In 1889, the composer Albert Becker was appointed director of the Domchor. Three years later, a call to the Thomaskantor was made from Leipzig, to which he initially thought to follow. In order to keep him in Berlin, at the insistence of Emperor Wilhelm II, he was finally promised a higher salary.
20. Century and the present
From 1903, the Royal Domchor was completely financed by the Kronfideikommiss, and since then it has been known as the Royal Court and Domchor.
After the end of the First world war, the very successful king lost business Hof - und Domchor with the monarchy, its political and financial Foundation. After several temporary years as Berlin Domchor E.V., he was affiliated in 1923 to the Hochschule für Musik Berlin and renamed State and Domchor Berlin.
Since the beginning of the 1930s, the National Socialist influence has increasingly influenced this Ensemble. In 1935, under the direction of Alfred Sittard, he set himself aside for political reasons, since he refused to join the Hitler Youth in contrast to other important boys ' choirs in Germany (Thomanerchor, Kreuzchor, Regensburg Cathedral Spatzen, Wiener Sängerknaben, etc.).
After the Second World War, the cathedral was in ruins and the choir moved to the Church of St. Mary. After the construction of the wall, the choir followed the bishop to the new emperor Wilhelm Memorial Church in West Berlin. In the eastern part, the Berlin Domkantorei was founded in 1961.
Today, the Staats-und Domchor is part of the University of the Arts Berlin. Since 1990 he has been singing again in the Berlin Cathedral.
Today's Repertoire includes the great works of Western choral culture but also those of immediate modernism. In addition to numerous prizes, including the German choir competition, the choir was awarded the European Youth Choir Culture Prize in 2002. Berliner Musikleben is enriched by performances in productions of opera houses and performances at concerts in the Berliner Philharmonie.