Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Fazil Say - Requiem; Mozart & Mevlana (Michael Sanderling)

Information

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Fazil Say

• Mozart - Requiem in D Minor, K. 626
• Say - Mozart & Mevlana, Op. 110

Fatma Said; Marianne Crebassa

Pene Pati; Alexandros Stavrakakis

Burcu Karadağ; Aykut Köselerli

Rundfunkchor Berlin

Lucerne Symphony Orchestra

Michael Sanderling, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: Warner Classics

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This album pairs Mozart’s timeless Requiem—one of his final and most profound works—with Mozart ve Mevlana, a new composition by Turkish pianist-composer Fazıl Say. Written for the same forces as the Requiem, Say’s 25-minute work sets two poems by the 13th-century Sufi poet Rumi, celebrating themes of love, tolerance, and spiritual unity. Premiered in November 2024 by soprano Fatma Said, mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa, tenor Pene Pati, bass Alexandros Stavrakakis, the Rundfunkchor Berlin, and the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester under Michael Sanderling, this recording bridges Western sacred tradition and Eastern mysticism in a dialogue of universal humanity.

Born in East Berlin in 1967, Michael Sanderling is a distinguished German conductor and former cellist, the son of conductor Kurt Sanderling and contrabassist Barbara Wagner. After early studies in Berlin and prizes including the 1987 Maria Canals Competition, he served as solo cellist with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and later the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra. Transitioning to conducting in 2000, he led ensembles such as the Deutsche Streicherphilharmonie and Kammerakademie Potsdam. From 2011 to 2019, he was chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic, known for his principled leadership and acclaimed recordings. Since 2021, he has been chief conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.