Zur Musik Als Organist und Chorleiter an Norddeutschlands größter Barockkirche, dem „Hamburger Michel“, hat Manuel Gera (*1963) Musik geschrieben, die durch die Kantorei St. Michaelis, den Posaunenchor St. Michaelis und Solistinnen und Solisten in den Gottesdienste der Hauptkirche aufgeführt wurden. Die großzügige Architektur der Kirche legte in vielen Fällen eine mehrchörige Anlage nahe. Die Musik verleugnet ihre Nähe zur Romantik nicht und versteht sich als Ausdeutung der Texte aus Bibel und Gesangbuch. About the music As organ player and choir leader of northern Germany's largest baroque church, Hamburg's Michel (St. Michaeliskirche), Manuel Gera (*1963) has written music to be performed during services by the choir (Kantorei), brass ensemble and soloists. The expansive architecture of the church often suggested polychoral arrangements. Gera's compositions do not renounce their proximity to romantic music and attempt to interpret texts from the bible and protestant book of hymns. About the recordings Tracks 01-11 & 16 recorded in several sessions by Andrew Levine, Tracks 12-15 recorded live by Jens Schuenemeyer. The session recordings by Andrew were executed with a central Blumlein pair (2 x RoyerLabs SF-1), two M/S setups for the brass (UnitedMinorities Browny + DPA 4060) situated left and right and one AB pair (2 x Earthworks QTC-50) for the central choir and Markussen organ. Andrew also used the central AB-pair suspended before the great Steinmeyer organ and one UM Browny for the soloists. Vocal overdubbing for the spoken text for "Weder Traum noch Geschwaetz" took place in the crypt of St. Michaelis.