There are no original works for women's or girls' choir and no octet in the so-called 'Schubert line-up'. The well thought-out arrangements of romantic Christmas music by master arranger Andreas N. Tarkmann presented here are so appealing that one can only wonder why the composers have not come up with the idea of writing for this line-up... A group of musicians doesn't yet constitute an orchestra. On the other hand, if eight extraordinary artists, who love music and love even more playing music together form an ensemble, the result is spectacular. The uniqueness of the ensemble Oktoplus, founded in 2006 in Hannover, is reflected in it's name. Every chamber music lover knows Schubert's famous octet. Oktoplus takes over this work of Romanticism as well as many unknown works of the classical and modern octet. Depending on the piece or project, the "plus" stands for expansion of the ensemble to enrich the program.

Although songs accompanied by a chamber ensemble are an effective combination that has repeatedly inspired composers to create masterpieces, they are heard far too rarely in concert. The Riot Ensemble presents here a series of contemporary contributions that impressively demonstrate how grateful composers are for the possibilities and different forms of this genre. The Riot Ensemble connects people to great contemporary music in concerts and events that are just as innovative, vibrant and rewarding as the music itself. Their twenty Artistic Board members are some of the top European soloists in new music, and with Riot they work as performers, curators, commissioners, and collaborators, creating and producing a diverse array of projects. Based in London, they are particularly active in bringing emerging international voices to the British new-music scene and since 2012 have given over 200 World and UK premieres by composers from more than thirty countries.

Born in Rosenthal, Gottfried August Homilius (1714-1785) was organist at Dresden's Frauenkirche from 1742 onwards, and since 1755 he had been “Kreuzkantor” and music director at the three main churches in Dresden. Among the composer's most fascinating works are certainly his chorale preludes for organ with an obbligato melody instrument, primarily the oboe. This extraordinary practice allowed Homilius to perform the chorale theme more full-voiced and to process the musical material as artistically as he wished, without endangering the clear presence of the chorale melody, which is absolutely necessary for liturgical use, and which here is effectively taken over by the oboe.

Like Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770-1846) also celebrated his 250th birthday in 2020. As a composer, organ virtuoso, author of an organ school and expert in the service of Grand Duke Ludwig I of Hesse-Darmstadt, he was one of the outstanding figures in the history of church music in the 19th century. Professor Gerhard Gnann and his students play selected works by the composer on the Dreymann organ in St. Ignaz Church in Mainz, built in 1837. At the transition from late classical to romanticism, they bring out the fine nuances of the timbres of the organ, which was restored from the ground up in 2015-2018.

A compilation of the most beautiful winter - and Christmas poems by Eduard Mörike, Joseph von Eichendorff, Theodor Fontane, Wilhelm Busch and others. This release with the wonderful texts and atmospheric zither music for Christmas, is certainly suitable to meet our hectic and often stressful Christmas season with a moment of peace and contemplation. As much as one perceives the zither mainly in folk music, one is even more surprised by the manifold possibilities of this instrument, which can be heard on the present recording. In its fine and atmospheric sound, the zither interweaves with the lyrics in an almost ideal way.

In contrast to the St. Matthew Passion, Bach repeatedly changed and supplemented parts of the St. John Passion, but apparently never found a final version. The earlier parts in particular have their charm: less sublime in tone, but more spontaneous, angular and intimate. "In its more intimate tone, the second version of the St. John Passion of 1725 seemed to us to be ideal for a recording which, without a conductor, is controlled entirely from the inner life of the musical lines, from listening to one another, in the giving and taking of spontaneous ideas". So much for the Ensemble Wunderkammer, which certainly lives up to its name and even with Bach still finds something unheard-of.

The eighty young musicians of the renowned Mannheim Bläserphilharmonie, conducted by Miguel Ercolino, present a very personal Christmas album containing the favorite pieces of the orchestra members from the traditional St. Nicholas concerts. Christmas classics from Bach to Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer conjure up a festive brass Christmas. The Mannheim Bläserphilharmonie is a symphonic wind orchestra whose dedicated musicians have set themselves the task of primarily interpreting contemporary wind music at a high artistic level. With their concerts they are an integral part of the regional cultural scene; on concert tours and at international competitions they appear as culture ambassadors of the music city of Mannheim. In addition, the group awards commissions to selected composers; primarily to those from Mannheim and the region.

Even more than Antonio Bertali (1605-1669), Samuel Capricornus (1628-1665) belongs to composers of the 17th century, whose oeuvre is barely or only little discographically accessible. The Capricornus Ensemble Stuttgart takes care of his works and shows that the music of the Stuttgarter Hofkapellmeister (Capricornus) can easily cope with that of the Viennese Hofkapellmeister (Bertali). The Capricornus Ensemble Stuttgart is named after the Stuttgart chamber music director Samuel Capricornus. It is an international ensemble founded by the Stuttgart trumpet professor Henning Wiegrabe. The focus of the ensemble is to present treasures of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.

Praised for their "beauty of sound and striking expression" (Bremen Weser Kurier), the Iris Trio (clarinetist Christine Carter, violist Molly Carr, and pianist Anna Petrova), began working together during their years at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. They performed their debut in 2013 at the German Consulate in New York City to a sold-out audience and were immediately invited to appear at the prestigious Mozartfest in Würzburg, Germany. The Trio subsequently gave the world premiere of Christof Weiß's Conversation Among Friends at the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Residence Palace and were featured in Michael Wende & Andreea Varga's documentary, "MozartLabor." They have since performed extensively across North America and Europe. The Iris Trio's most recent project, Homage and Inspiration, pairs works by Schumann and Mozart with modern tributes to these master-pieces by György Kurtág and Christof Weiß.

The piano played a central role in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - from his first musical experiences to his most important compositions. Mozart's openness to new keyboard technologies, such as instruments with hammer action, justifies the modern interpretation of his works, as presented sensitively and historically informed by Amy Lin in her third recording of the intended complete recording. Born in Taiwan, pianist Amy Lin combines her deep understanding of the German musical tradition with an international concert career and an impressive discography ranging from Mozart to contemporary composers. Her education includes studies with Leon Fleisher and Gerhard Oppitz, where she was awarded the highest honor, the Meisterklassendiplom. The piano sonatas on this recording, such as the melancholy K. 280 or the famous 'Sonata facile' K. 545, combine accessible melodies with technical and aesthetic challenges. Mozart's sonatas will delight beginners and connoisseurs alike.

'A central concern of the ensemble Der Musikalische Garten has always been to bring musical rarities to light and, in particular, to make previously unknown works accessible to a wide audience. With their new album Der letzte Mund voll Süße, the musicians are continuing this endeavour in an impressive way: the album features no fewer than four World Premiere Recordings and provides fascinating insights into the expressive diversity of the 18th century. The album opens with a previously undiscovered overture by Johann Gottlieb Graun, which can be heard here for the first time on disc. At the centre of the recording, however, are three secular cantatas by his brother Carl Heinrich Graun. While some cantatas are reminiscent of the high baroque operatic style of Vivaldi or Handel with their virtuosity and emotionally charged melodies, the cantata 'Hat die Schönheit kein Erbarmen' presents itself as an intimate chamber music reflection on the suffering of love. It's melancholy mood is taken up in the following trio sonata and developed to a dramatic conclusion. Soprano Isabel Schicketanz impresses in the vocal works with her tonal presence, technical brilliance and sensitive text organisation, her interpretation lends depth and vibrancy to the emotionally charged cantatas. Der Musikalische Garten supports this liveliness with it's orchestral sound, which it achieves with enthusiasm and esprit despite it's small instrumentation, in this way, the ensemble achieves a realisation that is both nuanced and energetic - an exciting rediscovery of two important 18th century composers that makes you sit up and take notice.

The programme Schonheit und Staatsversagen (Beauty & State Failure) brings together music and text to explore the contrasts of life in Bavaria around 1800 - between city and countryside, wealth and poverty, education and illiteracy. The vivid reports of civil servant Joseph von Hazzi reveal a little-known, often harsh rural reality, full of struggle but also raw, sometimes comical pleasures. In contrast, songs by Munich composers like Josephine Lang, Franz Lachner and Lindpaintner - alongside Schumann, Leopold Mozart and Haydn - paint an idealised, emotional image of alpine life. Though shaped by different worlds, both perspectives reflect timeless human experience. This album opens up new perspectives on the past - touching, surprising, and full of musical individuality. And always, of course, with Alma!

Emotions are running high in Guiseppe Verdi's eighth opera: two men are battling to win the same woman and the Incas are fighting for their freedom in the face of oppression by the occupying Spanish forces. This cultural conflict provides an exotic backdrop for the unfolding of a captivating love-tragedy, bursting with passion and heroism.

On 10 May 1740, Wilhelmine of Bayreuth's opera Argenore was to premiere at the Margrave's Theatre - a celebration that never happened. The dark dramma per musica, in which only an exile survives and King Argenore rules with brutal force, mirrors Wilhelmine's own life: her isolation at the Prussian court, her father's despotism, and the tense bond with her brother Frederick II are reflected in the opera's characters. Musically, Argenore features emotionally charged keys and a central role for Ormondo, who performs six arias. In 2022, the Gottingen Baroque Orchestra revived the opera in a world marked by crisis, highlighting the dangers of authoritarian rule and misinformation. A newly developed version replaced the Italian recitatives with a German monologue by Marlene Streeruwitz, while preserving all original arias - allowing the full dramatic force of Wilhelmine's music to emerge.

Venice-the 'incomparable city, the most beautiful queen, this paradise'-is how the Englishman Thomas Coryat describes the lagoon city that deeply impressed him on his trip to Europe in 1608. But in addition to the architecture, the canals, and the people from a wide variety of cultures, it was the music in particular that fascinated Coryat: 'It was so beautiful, so delightful, so unique, so admirable, so unsurpassable that it enchanted and amazed all the strangers.'

Georg Philipp Telemann is undoubtedly one of the composers who wrote the most parts for the recorder. No wonder, as he had mastered the instrument since his childhood and provided it with rewarding parts not only in chamber music, but also in orchestral and vocal works. The young Portuguese recorder player Joao Francisco Tavora studied in Porto and Leipzig and presents works for recorder by Telemann in various scorings, which show off his extraordinary playing technique and interpretative skills to their best advantage.

Born in Guadeloupe to an aristocratic plantation owner and a black slave, Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-1799) was one of the most enigmatic figures in 18th century Paris: one of the best violinists and one of the most popular composers in France, but also a heartthrob, an excellent fencer and swimmer. In fact, his biography almost resembles that of a character from Bridgerton. Jens Barnieck (fortepiano) and Jeanette Pitkevica present a selection of printed sonatas and manuscript pieces.

His life, shrouded in mystery, offers plenty of room for speculation and fantasy: Large parts of Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli's biography lie in unexplored and now probably also unexplorable darkness; he appears in various places, first secured in Innsbruck in 1660, then in Upper and Central Italy, he is preceded by a legendary reputation as a violin virtuoso, he publishes violin works, apparently without worrying about a stringent opus narrative, and it probably comes to a dramatic climax when he kills a fellow musician in a dispute in Messina in 1675 and then flees to France and finally to Madrid. His sonatas are no less fascinating: To many they did indeed seem 'baroque', i. e. overloaded and bizarre, but today we recognise in them a fascinating link between the virtuoso Italian and the southern German-Austrian baroque instrumental style, with it's typical harsh contrasts and surprise effects. Daniel Sepec and his colleagues present them with their usual precision.

From an artistic point of view, Dvorak reacted with this work to the Stabat Mater by the German church musician and priest Franz Xaver Witt, the founder of the Cecilia Society, which was performed in Prague in 1875. This work, scored for only choir and organ, was a pontifically approved version of contemporary church music. In the nineteenth century, the Vatican generally supported a return to the sober a cappella style of Palestrina while being critical of orchestral sacred works. Dvorak, at the time organist at the Prague church of St. Adalbert, did not agree with this view. He had a different idea of a Catholic choral work, and his Stabat Mater is more in line with Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonic conception of the Missa solemnis

This album reflects the long-standing artistic friendship between Maze and Denis Rouger and showcases the close musical bond between the composer and the chamber choir. The CD presents spiritually rich works like the Trois Choeurs mystiques and expressive psalm settings that blend timelessness with emotional depth. Inspired by liturgical, biblical, and poetic texts, Maze's music ranges from simple to provocative, always marked by inner reflection and power. Highlights include the Messe à double choeur, Psalm 8, and solo performances by tenor Martin Hohler and baritone Georg Benz. Celebrating Maze's 70th birthday, the recording captures the choir's artistic joy and brings his multifaceted choral language vividly to life under Rouger's direction.

Giuseppe Verdi wanted his seventh opera to be passionate, fiery and action-packed, and he wanted a real prima donna to take centre stage. He found the ideal subject in one of the most famous female figures in world history: Joan of Arc. Verdi was highly satisfied with Temistocle Solera's libretto. It was, he wrote in August 1844, 'almost of an unusual beauty'. In fact, the title role brings a special radiance to the opera, which is not necessarily one of the composer's most prominent roles on the repertoire today. However, it was celebrated by the premiere audience, and the day after the premiere Verdi wrote to his friend Francesco Maria Piave: 'Without exception and without doubt, it is the best of my operas'. A few successful performances followed, but then the work faded into the shadows of Verdi's later, even more famous operas. It is high time to bring it back to light!

Of all the great composers of classical modernism, Bartok undoubtedly made the most significant contributions to violin chamber music. The Latvian-Armenian violinist Georg Sargsyan and the Australian pianist James Maddox present two major works from this repertoire. The piano sonata, the only contribution to the genre in the composer's otherwise extensive piano oeuvre, rounds off the program.

Lechner: Of Death and Resurrection

After it's Baroque heyday, the oboe did not have an easy time of it in the 19th century. The Romantic period favoured the warmer, fuller sound of the clarinet, and the former star among the wind instruments was rarely featured in solo works. Reason enough to remedy this situation, thought the famous master arranger Andreas N. Tarkmann and set to work. It was no coincidence that he chose Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, whom he considers to be the consummate composer of the early Romantic period. From seven selected 'Songs without Words' - typically Romantic short piano preciosi - Tarkmann creates a fascinatingly dense suite for oboe and string orchestra. A much larger work inspired him to create a homage to Mozart and his concerto for flute, harp and chamber orchestra. Tarkmann takes up this instrumentation and gives Mendelssohn's concerto, originally scored for violin, piano and chamber orchestra, a completely new tonal guise.

MELODIA MEDITERRANEA is a collection of art songs based on the folk music of the Mediterranean region. It draws upon melodies and traditional texts, many of which are still sung today in Italy, Greece, and Spain. The project was born from a musical encounter between Yannis Tsanakaliotis, Andreas Nebl, and Lee Santana with soprano Maria Palaska. This meeting developed into a long-term collaboration, characterised by a shared longing for the sounds and images of the Mediterranean. In this project, the three instruments - piano, accordion, and vihuela - merge in a unique way with the voice, creating a distinctive musical atmosphere.