Otto M. Schwarz

St. Stephen's Chorale

As a source of inspiration, the composer used the dazzling, impressive and beautiful world-famous St. Stephen's Cathedral-the Stephansdom-in Vienna. Often seen as a national symbol of Austria, it stands in the heart of Vienna and has 14 bells, each with its own name. At the beginning of the work, you can hear the ringing of the bells. The main melody softly emerges from this soundscape and returns repeatedly in various instrumentations and different harmonisations. Following a fortissimo section, the hymnal melody ebbs and fades away, the same way it appeared at the beginning. St. Stephen's Chorale is a solemn moment of contemplation in your concert.