»My hope is that moments have been created here that have never been heard before!«
– Stimming, music producer
Electronic samplers meet a classical vocal ensemble. At first glance, this may seem unusual, but musically, the collaboration between Hamburg music producer Stimming and the NDR Vokalensemble turned out to be a real stroke of luck: at the Beethovenfest 2024, they brought a selection of pieces with them that illuminated the theme of »forgiveness« in a melancholy and reflective way across the eras. In a single, continuous set, they performed works from the Renaissance to Ludwig van Beethoven and Leoš Janáček through to Stimming's own compositions. The unifying element in all the arrangements was the blend of deep, housey electro sounds with the classical choral sound of the vocal ensemble.
One of Stimming's well-known early works can be heard in the video: »November Morning«. Back in 2012, he released the piece on Solomun's Diynamic label in both a danceable and a classical version, arranged for the Brandenburg State Orchestra at the time. The Beethovenfest version is now a combination of both worlds: The electronic original is organically integrated into classical choral voices.
Stimming and conductor Klaas Stok talk about the opportunities and risks of the concept of combining choir and electronica in an interview!
»The choir is naturally used to making music with a conductor. Many of our pieces are therefore free in time – but if there is a beat, you have to sing exactly to the timing. That takes practice, but it worked very well in the end!«
– Klaas Stok, conductor NDR Vokalensemble