This CD box set features interpretations of Johann Sebastian Bach's cantatas by three outstanding choirs and orchestras. In collaboration with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, one of the world's leading orchestras specializing in historical performance practice, Michael Volle presents a recording of Bach's cantatas for solo bass. Hans-Christoph Rademann and the Gaechinger Cantorey contrast the dramatic works BWV 19 & 149 with the peaceful and intimate cantatas BWV 169 & 158 in their Naumburg recording. In a third recording, the Saxon Baroque Orchestra and the St. Thomas Choir Leipzig, conducted by 17th Thomaskantor Gotthold Schwarz, interpret the well-known choral cantatas BWV 33, 17 & 99 from Bach's time in Leipzig.

This box set documents Andris Nelson's work with two world-class orchestras. After Claudio Abbado's death, he led the Lucerne Festival Orchestra in 2014-15, the "greatest challenge" - as he himself called it - of his career until then. In the recording of his first concert with the orchestra, Nelsons explores the musical landscape of the German Romantic composer Johannes Brahms through his Second Symphony and Second Serenade. A year later, he impresses with a fiery and powerful interpretation of Mahler's Fifth Symphony and excerpts from "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" with Matthias Goerne. For his inaugural concert as the new Gewandhauskapellmeister, Andris Nelsons chose three pieces with great symbolic power: the "Scottish" Symphony by his probably most important predecessor in office, Felix Mendelssohn, Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, played by Baiba Skride, and a commissioned work by the Leipzig-based composer Steffen Schleiermacher. A recording of Dvorák's Ninth Symphony "From the New World" and arias with Kristine Opolais demonstrates the instantly close relationship between the Gewandhaus Orchestra and their chief conductor.

For Riccardo Chailly, celebrating Rachmaninoff in Lucerne is something dear to his heart. In 2022, the the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and their music director devoted themselves to the Second Symphony and the Piano Concerto No. 2, the most famous of all four Rachmaninoff concertos. "The harmonic ideas are his special hallmark. One need only hear three chords to recognize his creative genius immediately," Chailly once said of Rachmaninoff's timbres. Japanese pianist Mao Fujita took on this grandiose work's emotional power and virtuosity. Since winning the silver medal in the XVI Chopin Competition in 2019, this exceptional artist has been playing in the world's most renowned concert halls.

For Riccardo Chailly, celebrating Rachmaninoff in Lucerne is something dear to his heart. In 2022, the the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and their music director devoted themselves to the Second Symphony and the Piano Concerto No. 2, the most famous of all four Rachmaninoff concertos. "The harmonic ideas are his special hallmark. One need only hear three chords to recognize his creative genius immediately," Chailly once said of Rachmaninoff's timbres. Japanese pianist Mao Fujita took on this grandiose work's emotional power and virtuosity. Since winning the silver medal in the XVI Chopin Competition in 2019, this exceptional artist has been playing in the world's most renowned concert halls.

From powerful and impressive but also minimalist contours to soulful and native harmonies further on towards fiery and flying rhythms - on this very personal album entitled "Autograph" Martynas Levickis, as soloist, arranger and composer, presents all the colors and sounds of the instrument he adores and of which he is the master: the accordion. In 2010, at the age of 20, he made the jump to the big stages of the music world when he won both the World Accordion Championship and a major Lithuanian talent show. Since then, Martynas Levickis has seen himself as an ambassador for his instrument, whose versatility and beauty he brings into focus with sophisticated arrangements and programs that span eras and genres. “Autograph” spans an arc from the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to the present with works by Philip Glass and Franck Angelis. It impressively proves that the accordion has also found its place in classical music.

The Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi, or Resurrection Story, is the first oratorio work by Heinrich Schütz and was first performed in 1623 during the vespers of the third day of Easter in the Chapel of Dresden’s Royal Palace. Although the original title speaks of the "joyous and victorious resurrection," it is, at its core, a quiet and concentrated work with a refined dramaturgy in which the Easter jubilation only slowly breaks through. Schütz's work impressively captures the unspeakable and mysterious nature of the idea of resurrection in music. Ensemble Polyharmonique is a renowned collective of vocal soloists that specializes in the music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods with historical performance practice. In a larger cast and together with an outstanding instrumental ensemble, they present a high-quality, lively and stirring interpretation of the Resurrection History to which they add two wonderful Easter concertos by Heinrich Schütz and Michael Praetorius.

The music of Wagner, Mahler and Strauss is very close to the heart of the Bamberg Symphony and even seems to have ingrained itself in their DNA, to which the award-winning recordings of Mahler 4 with Jakub Hruša and Mahler 9 with Herbert Blomstedt impressively attest. With this concept album, they reflect on the topic of death, which Jakub Hruša does not interpret solely as a moment full of despair and tragedy. Rather, he sees in death an element "that gives our lives meaning." And it is this idea that the orchestra and its principal conductor convey with their interpretation of four key works by Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. The result creates a form of dialog between the composers, who build on each other historically and stylistically. A dialog that, says Hruša, "charms our ears and touches our hearts."

1723 marked the beginning of a new era: Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed Thomaskantor in Leipzig and was about to leave his mark on German music history like hardly any other composer. But first, Georg Philipp Telemann, the actual preferred candidate, needed to withdraw from his appointment in favor of Hamburg. Christoph Graupner, the jury's next choice, was unable to take up the post because he didn't receive approval from his employer in Darmstadt. It's hard to believe that Bach was only the third choice!

Immerse yourself in the fascinating application process and slip into the role of the jury!
The OPUS-KLASSIK award-winning ensemble Ælbgut presents an exciting compilation of the three composers' specially prepared trial cantatas. For this, they are working together for the first time with the young baroque specialists from Capella Jenensis.

Listen to the premiere recording of Graupner's "Lobet den Herrn" as well as Telemann's previously unpublished cantata "Ich muß auf den Bergen weinen und heulen" – a true rediscovery. Which candidate would you have chosen?

Herbert Blomstedt is omnipresent on the concert stages of this world. Where others have been enjoying their retirement for decades, the 95-year-old continues to tour the globe as conductor of numerous top orchestras and, in doing so, seems to defy biological laws. His esprit for conducting even seems to have grown over the years; his art, musical ethics, and empathy in dealing with people in general and with orchestra musicians, in particular, have long since made him a living legend.

The feature-length film portrait When Music Resounds, the Soul Is Spoken To was created between his 90th and 95th birthdays. It accompanies Herbert Blomstedt in his work with selected orchestras, which are representative of the many international ensembles he has either led or with which he still works regularly, and observes the gifted communicator during rehearsals and concerts. Blomstedt vividly conveys his clear interpretive ideas, turning every orchestra rehearsal into an experience. When Music Resounds, the Soul Is Spoken To also illuminates the career of the American-born cosmopolitan, who left his Christian and musically influenced home in Sweden to conquer the international concert halls. The film deliberately avoids statements by third parties; only the exceptional artist himself has his say. He shares personal experiences, gives insight into his musical world of thoughts and life, and conveys deeply human insights from a career spanning over 70 years. As an exciting discourse on life philosophies, musical life and experiences as a musician, the film is a portrait of an unpretentious artist who has decisively shaped the classical music world for decades and continues to do so to this day.

Anton Bruckner 200 (1824-2024)

Bruckner's symphonies are strenuous alpine hikes, and Blomstedt is a mountain guide who not only has the next fork in the road in mind but knows every stone on the path before the group has even started. The listener observes an ongoing creative process as if watching a sculptor at work. Blomstedt's unique Bruckner cycle impressively reflects the extraordinary spirit of the long-standing partnership between the legendary conductor and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. The nine symphonies released in this box were recorded at the Gewandhaus Leipzig between 2005 and 2012.

REVIEW:

Bruckner's symphonies are akin to strenuous mountain hikes, and Herbert Blomstedt is a mountain guide who not only has an eye on the next fork in the road, but also knows every stone on the path before the group has even started. The listener observes an ongoing creative process as if watching a sculptor at work. Blomstedt's unique Bruckner cycle impressively reflects the extraordinary spirit of the longstanding partnership between the legendary conductor and the orchestra.

An exemplary cycle of recordings. Recorded between 2005-12.

-- Merker Online (Germany

Gianandrea Noseda chose Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 for his first Philharmonia concert as General Music Director of the Opernhaus Zurich. This performance is now being released as a live recording, together with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, which was recorded at a later date. Slavic repertoire is very close to Noseda’s heart, and in both concerts, he succeeded in conveying this passion to the musicians of the Philharmonia Zurich. The Neue Zurcher Zeitung praised the performance, calling Noseda a “live wire,” whose musical direction “demanded the last reserves from his musicians,” transforming Dvorák’s Eighth Symphony into “a highly dramatic work.” The “somber” Seventh and the “buoyant” Eighth form a study in contrasts in Dvorák’s oeuvre. Along with the Ninth («From the New World»), they are his most popular symphonies.

Along with Handel's Messiah, which was greatly admired by Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), the oratorio The Creation is one of the few works of this genre written before 1800 that from the outset has enjoyed uninterrupted popularity with audiences and choirs alike. In this timeless classic dating from 1798, Haydn creates a musical world with such a variety of different expressive means that its radiant charisma is irresistible. Hans-Christoph Rademann describes it with the words: “If it is possible to convey our gratitude for God's glorious creation through music, then I believe that Josef Haydn has succeeded brilliantly with this oratorio. I see Haydn's Creation as a reminder to preserve our earth. Out of the note C he creates a resonant world for us.”

The work opens with a symphonic “Representation of Chaos”, a setting of “Nichts” (nothingness) verging on the hideous, which is then swept away by the powerful setting of the word “light” sung by the chorus. They then sing “Und eine neue Welt entspringt auf Gottes Wort” (“A new created world springs up at God’s command”), radiating joy, and a vivid musical story begins. In this work Haydn teaches us to “see with the ears”, we hear the emergence of the elements, see the whole range of animals in our mind’s eye, and experience the birth of the first humans: the wonder of creation.

Metanoia – the word itself – means beyond thought; to broaden and change the way of seeing. ‘Metanoia’, which crosses both time and borders with the works of Giacomo Puccini, Arvo Pärt, Alexander Borodin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Ennio Morricone, is steeped in this concept: From Puccini, who only wrote one sacred work on account of the ‘Almighty God’ commanding him to write ‘only for the stage’, to Bach, who possessed an astonishing ability to make us experience transcendence using the simplest of elements, to Pärt, whose ten-year creative crisis birthed a new, highly original musical language. Together with her ensemble, K, the choir Sequenza 9.3, and violinist Manon Galy, Simone Menezes travels across Italy and invites us to experience the thought-transcending aspects of music, and to uncover the personal journeys of Metanoia of some of the greatest figures in music and art.

Golden-globe winning Chinese film director Zhang Yimou has staged his first Peking opera at the NCPA, spectacularly fusing the traditional and modern together for his production of You and Me. This production is an overwhelming feast for the senses. Lavish and colorful costumes, unique music composed and conducted by Zhu Shaoyu, and a world class ensemble that features the greatest stars of the Peking opera, including Meng Guanglu, Shi Yihong, and Li Mingyan, turn You and Me into an unforgettable experience. You and Me is based on the age-old tale from the Zuo legend, “Lord Zheng defeats Duan in Yan,” which is a story about deceit and the power of filial love. Zhang Yimou recounts the story using the stylistic elements of the Peking opera, which in turn he makes accessible for an entirely new audience. This release also includes Tradition versus Modernity, a documentary about Peking opera and the making of You and Me.

Also available on Blu-ray

The Philharmonics:
Tibor Ková? first violin, Shkëlzen Doli second violin, Thilo Fechner viola, Stephan Koncz cello, Ödön Rácz double bass, Daniel Ottensamer clarinet, František Jánoška piano

Guests: Walter Auer flute, Christoph Traxler harmonium

The Philharmonics, the ensemble founded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, fill the Café Sperl with some of the most authentically Viennese sounds imaginable – the Strauss waltzes that Schoenberg, Berg and Webern arranged and performed in May 1921 to raise funds for their pioneering “Society for Private Musical Performances”. This is music the players have in their blood, and they maintain the echt atmosphere with Godowsky’s tribute to the city, “Alt-Wien” and a clutch of Kreisler gems, rounding the programme off with a new piece by the ensemble’s leader Tibor Ková?, based on traditional Jewish melodies and Mahler themes, “Yiddische Mame”.

Recorded live at Café Sperl in Vienna, 9 March 2011

BONUS: How Schoenberg came to arrange waltzes by Strauss

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles (Bonus): English, French
Running time: 64 mins (concert) + 10 mins (bonus)
No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)