• Karl-Heinz Steffens conducts the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz in the complete symphonies of Robert Schumann. Mr. Steffens, until 2007 Principal Clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic, has been Music Director of the Rheinland-Pfalz Staatsphilharmonie since the 2009/10 concert season. Complete on 2 SACD's.

The music of the American composer David Felder (*1953) is often related to esoteric, mystical, spiritual or philosophical themes. These are particularly evident in his more recent works. The Arditti Quartet enjoys a world-wide reputation for their spirited and technically refined interpretations of contemporary and earlier 20th century music. Many hundreds of string quartets and other chamber works have been written for the ensemble since it's foundation by first violinist Irvine Arditti in 1974. Many of these works have left a permanent mark on 20th century repertoire and have given the Arditti Quartet a firm place in music history. World premieres of quartets by composers such as Abrahamsen, Ades, Andriessen, Aperghis, Birtwistle, Britten, Cage, Stockhausen, Xenakis and hundreds more show the wide range of music in the Arditti Quartet's repertoire.

Johann Sebastian Bach wrote works in a wide variety of genres, more than can readily be categorized; within that vast oeuvre, the flute often plays a leading part. At the beginning of the 18th century, the transverse flute was a fashionable instrument among music lovers and Bach took due account of prevailing trends. One of the best known of his compositions featuring the flute in a solo role is the B minor Orchestral Suite BWV 1067. Krzysztof Penderecki‘s Concerto per flauto ed orchestra da camera picks up the virtuoso tone. Tatjana Ruhland and the RSO Stuttgart under Roger Norrington and Alexander Liebreich present an intense musical old-new conflict.

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Hanno Donneweg writes of his new release: “For many years, one of my heartfelt desires has been to expand the bassoon repertoire. I think this wonderful instrument deserves to draw on a more extensive body of works. […] The bassoon was very frequently favoured by composers of the Baroque period, but this interest significantly waned during the Romantic era. […] Two years ago, Andreas N. Tarkmann and I teamed up with Coviello to make a recording of solo works for bassoon and orchestra from the German-speaking world. We have now turned our attention to French compositions from the last 150 years.” Hanno Donneweg, born in 1977, took his first bassoon lessons at age nine with Horst Wartha, along with chamber music instruction from Bernd Rimbrecht at the Jugendmusikschule in St. Georgen im Schwarzwald, Germany. Between 1995 and 1998, Donneweg was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Germany and Jeunesse Musicale International. Since 1999 he has been a scholarship recipient of the Deutschen Musikwettbewerb and a member of the Bundesauswahl Konzerte junger Kunstler. Since August 2002, Donneweg has been solo bassoonist with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart.

London born soprano Nancy Storace was a good friend of both W.A. Mozart and J. Haydn. During her stay in Vienna she performed in about 20 operas, including the world premiere of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro (with Benucci in the title role), among other things. The role was particularly written for her. But also Salieri, Paisiello and Martin y Soler wrote works, which were literally made for her as well. On the basis of some of these arias, Marie-Sophie Pollack and the Accademia di Monaco draw a portrait of the singer, which gives information on the operatic and vocal aesthetics of the late 18th century. Marie-Sophie Pollak studied at the Academy of Music and Theatre in Munich where she worked with Professor Gabriele Fuchs and graduated with honors. While completing her studies, she made her debut at the Innsbrucker Festival of Early Music. Since then she has been involved in several more productions. She is an award winner of the competition Jugend Musiziert 2006 of the Federal Republic of Germany and reached the final at the International Voice Competition for Baroque Opera Pietro Antonio Cesti.

Here you have Mozart's aesthetics in a nutshell. Of course, music must not break a sweat," and must be natural to be of the highest order." Alfred Einstein wrote this in 1945 about Mozart's later works, and the Trio Lézard has discovered a new look at a group of works that exemplifies this idea of compressed aesthetics: the trios KV 439b, previously known as "five divertimenti", are not really divertimenti, at least Mozart does not call them that. In a long unknown transcript from Mozart's time, the 25 individual movements are arranged differently and supplemented by five arrangements of opera arias, resulting in 30 "Terzetti", as Mozart himself called it. Originally set for three basset horns, there are already alternative voices from the early days - the starting point for the Trio Lézard. Their convincing and brilliantly presented new version of the Terzetti for oboe, clarinet and bassoon shows the fascinating color and transparency of this music with voice alterations in the upper parts.

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Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

At the time of Emperor Charles V, music was heard around the clock, and was a vital part of day-to-day life. This album’s focus is on ceremonial wind music, performed at both secular and religious occasions in Spain. Ensemble Capella de la Torre performs these historical works with vitality and color.

Dvorák's Ninth Symphony with the nickname “From the New World” is one of the most popular of all time, due to its emotional fore. It is one of the highlights of the complete recording of symphonic works of the Czech by Marcus Bosch and the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg (State Philharmonic Orchestra Nuremberg). The unfortunately little-known symphonic poem, “The Noon Witch”, is added to the musical program and convinces with musical drama.

The idea of making an album featuring music by Krenek and Schumann had been on my mind for a long time. In 2012, I was able to discuss by concept with Gladys Krenek in Palm Springs. We reamined in regular contact over the next few years to develop the concept for this album. Gladys Krenek gave her full support for the project which has always been very close to my heart. (Tatjana Masurenko) On her latest album, Masurenko presents her comparison between Schumann's and Krenek's works. Both composers have had similar interest in music and literature and to both of them, music was a kind of therapy.

Classical Music

Franz Schubert‘s song cycle Winterreise, the undisputed highlight of the Romantic lieder genre, achieves new dimensions: Gregor Meyer sets a stylistically varied and atmospherically dense choral accompaniment alongside the solo baritone voice of Daniel Ochoa and the piano played by Christian Peix. Soloists, choir and conductor have intimately worked together to create a knowledgeable and refreshing reinterpretation of this timeless classic, which, with its new approaches to understanding both text and music, will hopefully soon be heard more often in the concert halls. Baritone Daniel Ochoa, who is praised for his stage presence and expressiveness by audiences and critics alike, recently added many achievements to his portfolio. In 2015–2016 he had his role débuts as Giovanni and Marcello at the Vienna Volksoper, played the role of Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus) in Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan Theatre and gave several concerts in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Furthermore, several recordings featuring Ochoa have been released in the last few years, among them two Bach recordings by Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.

With this release, the Hindemith Quintett searches for a different kind of modernism- one that will be accessible to those outside of self-styled avant-garde circles. In addition to works by Hindemith, the Quintett plays pieces by Blacher, Genzmer, and Eisler. All composers who retained certain structures in their writing, but with their own unique and modernistic styles. The Hindemith Quintett is made up of five professional musicians, each of whom has performed with celebrated ensembles the world over. As a group, they tour frequently in Germany and play a wide variety of repertoire, from Baroque music to twentieth century.

• General Music Director Marcus Bosch leads the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg. • Second release in the complete recording cycle of the Dvořák symphonies. • First release: Dvořák Symphonies No. 3/7 (COV 31212) • Live-recording

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

,,The Stylus Phantasticus is the most free and unrestrained type of playing" said Johann Mattheson in 1739. Around 1700 this style was transfered from the organ to the chamber music where the viol played an important role. Famous viol virtuosos, like August Kühnel, tried to draw attention to the instrument with their compositions. Dieterich Buxtehude also wrote charming trio sonatas in which a viol was required explicitly as second solo voice. Finally the great Johann Sebastian Bach used the gamba in his St Matthew Passion. Frauke Hess and her colleagues develop the blaze of color of Baroque viol music with their new recording.

Daphnis and Chloe was commissioned in 1910 by Sergey Diaghilev, head of the Ballets Russes in Paris, one of the most innovative dance companies. Like Ravel, Diaghilev also strived for new aesthetics, therefore it was no surprise that Ravel promised to compose the music for Diaghilev‘s newest ballet. Unfortunately it took a while before the work was seen on stage because Diaghilev and his choreograhper had a fight. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen under Kazem Abdullah show us that the music can stand for itself and is indeed one of the masterpieces of Ravel. The Sinfonieorchester Aachen is the concert and opera orchestra of the Theater Aachen. It consists of about 70 musicians and performs about 140 concerts annually. The regular symphony concerts take place in the Eurogress Aachen. Kazen Abdullah has led the ensemble since August 2012.

Although Johann Christian Bach and the violin virtuoso Carl Friedrich Abel lived together in a kind of bachelor living community in London until the marriage of Bach, Bach’s Œuvre for the gamba is surprisingly small. Through the discovery of an old manuscript it was confirmed for the quartets op. 8 what Thomas Fritzsch and others had already assumed: in the first version of the quartets the viola voice was played by Abel on the viola da gamba. Together with other excellent musicians, Fritzsch shows us how the charming quartets in their original version must have sounded. Thomas Fritzsch was born in Zwickau and grew up in the midst of a lively tradition of Saxon church and house music. He received his first cello lesson at the conservatory in his hometown. After studying cello and viola da gamba at the Leipziger Musikhochschule, he began a freelance activity as a specialist for the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. Today he is regarded as one of the world’s most sought-after gambists.