Penitential Psalms

A mystical and spiritual work, the dozen Penitential Psalms for mixed a cappella choir were created in 1988. They are beautifully performed here by the choristers of the RIAS Berlin Chamber Choir, conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann. It’s evident that he multifaceted composer Schnittke, who grew up in Orthodox Russia, the son of a Catholic mother and a German-speaking Jewish father, cared little for cultural barriers, styles and genres. This masterpiece, free of any mannerism, is both dense and mysterious. Pure music!