The singer Christoph Prégardien has documented an important part of his repertoire on more than 130 discs released on labels. His numerous recordings of German romantic lieder have been awarded prizes such as the Orphée d’Or of the Académie du Disque Lyrique, Prize of the German Record Critics, Edison Award, Cannes Classical Award, and Diapason d’Or. Prégardien’s clear and precise vocal style as well as his intelligent interpretative method and diction, combined with a special talent for capturing the psychological core of a role, have made him one of the leading lyric tenors of our times. On this cpo release he interprets better-known songs by Gustav Mahler as well as Wolfgang Rihm’s Rilke-Lieder, pieces that he is closely associated. He performed these songs for piano and voice in Stuttgart on February 2, 2002, with the pianist Siegfried Mauser as his accompanist and recorded them in this version dedicated to him. On the present CD, however, the songs are presented in the orchestral version from 2004, which was premiered in Basel on 10 December 2004 with Prégardien and the Basel Sinfonietta under Emilio Pomarico. As might be expected, the orchestral sound offers expanded opportunities for the realization of emotions and moods. This endows Rihm’s music with added feeling.

On its latest CD the Consortium Classicum presents entertaining Italian serenades by Rossini, Righini, Paisiello, and others. The term “serenade” derives from the Italian word serenata, which designates a musical genre of light, serene and tranquil character but with the potential for brilliance and sparkling wit. They are works of fresh and mirthful character, and Righini’s Serenade for Wind Sextet, here in a world-premier recording, stands out in this department. In contrast to the other sextets on this CD, this work contains demanding passages for the horns, which engage in virtuoso dialogue with the clarinet.

Matthias Mutzenbecher was born in Kiel in 1653 and began his training as a merchant in Hamburg in 1669. He established his own business in 1678 and soon became a renowned member of the Hamburg populace: senator, colonel in the civic regiment, and even a magistrate. He was an important man and a patron of the city’s music director Georg Philipp Telemann. Only the best would suffice for the festive music on the occasion of the golden wedding anniversary of this highly esteemed and influential man in 1732. Since the life expectancy then was only about forty years, a golden wedding anniversary was a rare event. The festive day began with a sacred oratorio, and while it was being performed, the senator proceeded to the altar with his “dearest wedded wife” for the anniversary blessing. “The entire highly noble council was in attendance in their state regalia.” The ensuing festive banquet was held at the home of the couple’s eldest son. Here the serenata, the secular part of the wedding anniversary music, was performed. As the printed text states, it featured a »contention of the worldly blessings of the state of marriage heard to a table composition. If the oratorio may be said to convey a venerable sound picture with its trumpets and timpani, then the serenata unfolds its mirthful animation with a highly varied instrumentation. With this recording cpo adds yet another gem to its Telemann discovery trove.

cpo continues their exploration with Ries’ Notturni for Winds, works exemplifying his great compositional talent. Although set for the same instruments, the works are very different in ambition and dimension. The recording also includes Mozart’s Partita in B flat–better known as the Gran Partita–in the version for wind octet. This release is most highly recommended to all fans of good chamber music!

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner’s birth. This CD clearly shows Wagner’s ambition to vie with Beethoven, manifesting the inclination towards big and boundless writing. Tobias Koch, one of the most versatile keyboard instrumentalists of his generation, reproduces Wagner’s original sound in brilliant fashion.

Hermann Max and the Rheinische Kantorei set out on new paths toward the interpretation of Bach’s motet cosmos. The present CD also includes the Motets BWV Anh. 159 because Bach scholarship has come to regard these works, long ascribed to Johann Christian Bach, as compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach as they clearly bear his musical signature.

This successful Roentgen edition would not be complete without his cello concertos-interpreted by Gregor Horsch, principle cellist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Roentgen has a special preference for the instrument, as evidenced by these pieces inspired, in part, by famous cellist Julius Klengel.

Franz von Suppe was an operetta master who studied with the same teacher–Simon Sechter–as Anton Bruckner. He is also known for his religious works. This piece is a wonderfully dramatic work, saturated with melodies, that has been featured prominently in a few new recordings.

You know him from cpo’s recordings of his chamber music (the piano trios) and his Prize Symphony. With this release cpo chose a selection from Schumann’s more than 60 arias and lieder with selected piano compositions. Many of his piano works are considered "songs without words" and serve as excellent compliments to this song edition.

Das Fuerstenkind (The Prince’s Child) has always been an “insider’s tip” in Lehár’s oeuvre, and the composer himself regarded this robbers’ tale from Greece premiered in 1909 as one of his best works. It was also his problem child because it never became a sensational success. The reason may have been due to the works blurring of boundaries between opera and operetta.

The countless compositions in Dowland’s style demonstrate the great importance attached by his pupil William Brade, and other composers of the time, to authentic sound in the redesign of the English pavan on the continent. Your ticket to exciting musical time-travel!

Berger composed his Viola Concerto in 1959: a lyrical work entirely removed from the trends of the time, standing singularly and uniquely in the viola literature. The Echo Klassik prizewinner Nils Moenkemeyer enthusiastically lends his support to this first recording of a forgotten gem.