Joachim Reiber, born in Stuttgart, chief editor of the Musikfreunde magazine of the Vienna Society of Friends of Music (Musikverein), singer in the Wiener Singverein and author of essays, critics and academic articles on music and literature.
Singing is the most humane form of making music. For 150 years now, people gather in the Singverein, the Vienna choral society, to sing together. They contribute their most elementary ability and then experience how this ability changes. This is why the story of Vienna’s biggest concert choir is not only the success story of some world-famous ensemble of singers (including pompous performances and memorable premieres of major works by Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler), but also the story of people and their transformation through making music.
People, Voices, Sparks of Heaven illustrates both of these aspects. It is a book to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Wiener Singverein: Memories of a great past bring one and a half centuries of music history to life, they show a deep love for Brahms (a love at second sight), they speak of Karajan, Furtwängler and Zubin Mehta (who once was a member of the Singverein himself). And, on the other hand, we learn about life inside the choir today – an insight into a fascinating world of people, voices, sparks of heaven...
