Classical Music

A program of Serenades and Symphonies from Mozart's Salzburg period has been chosen for this latest henssler CLASSIC'S release. His Salzburg years being centered on orchestral music, this is, altogether, a delightful sampling of some of Mozart's most extrovert and joyous music!

March 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Xavier Montsalvatge, one of the most important Spanish composers of the 20th century. Included on this anniversary CD are some of his finest pieces: the famous “Cinco canciones negras,” a poignant song cycle featuring infectious Latin American rhythms; the “Poem Concertante,” first championed by the internationally acclaimed violinist Henryk Szeryng, and the “Concierto breve” for piano and orchestra. This recording has assembled three world-class soloists: American pianist Jenny Lin, mezzo-soprano Lucia Duchonova, and American violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

Classical Music

The present recording is taken from a live transmission of the Academy concert of May 8, 1972, from the Nationaltheater in Munich. The early death of Karl Richter in February 1981 frustrated the intention of releasing one of the great oratorios from his performing repertoire, Joseph Haydn’s “Creation”, in a studio recording. Happily it has proved possible to obtain the present sound recording from the archives of the Bayerische Staatsoper and, with the kind consent of the participants, to prepare a technically enhanced release. Despite a number of remaining technical inadequacies, such as may be considered characteristic for historic recordings of this nature, this audio document gives a particularly fine impression of the ambience and the authenticity of a live performance with conductor Karl Richter – complementing, as it were, the many available studio recordings of his wide-ranging musical repertoire. Special thanks are due to the musicians and all involved at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. For his help in advance preparation of this project, we wish to thank by name the opera house’s former Chief Executive of Administration Dr. Roland Felber!

In this compilation are some of the best-known works of Chopin, including "Revolutionary Etude", the Barcarolle op. 60, the Second Sonata and the Fantaisie-Impromptu. These works offer a good overview of the genius of Chopin.

The Te Deum is a Latin Christian hymn that dates to the third centuries A.D. Its name is derived from its incipit, Te Deum laudamus, Latin for “Thee, O God, we praise.” Originally ascribed to Saint Ambrose or Saint Augustine, the hymn has been transcribed hundreds of times over by composers throughout history. The present release is a collection of some of the most popular Te Deum compositions from the last several hundred years, from Baroque to Contemporary, with works by Braunfels, Berlioz, Dvorák, Bruckner, Naumann, Händel and Bizet in reference recordings of leading orchestras and soloists, including the Staatskapelle Dresden, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, and Gächinger Kantorei.

Several of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach´s, (called the “Bückeburg Bach”) liturgical works benefited from choral writing in cantatas, passions and oratorios by his father Johann Sebastian; at times, these even appear in prominent positions, as in the motet on the familiar hymn by Otto Nicolai (1566–1608) “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (BR-JCFB H 101) with its elaborate counterpoint. The four-part chorale “Gloria sei dir gesungen” at the end of the work is taken from his father’s cantata of the same name (BWV 140). No specific occasion for the motet’s composition is known, and the work can be only approximately dated to the mid-1780s. Many passages written to show off the singer’s virtuosity are in the direct tradition of his father, who often gave his vocal writing an instrumental treatment – in accordance with his conviction that “everything must be possible”. The singers often found that this approach to composition tested them to the limit of their powers. We do not know the extent of Altnickol’s musical output. Very few of his compositions have survived. Apart from some keyboard works, a ricercare and the G minor harpsichord concerto, there are two Sanctus settings, two festival cantatas and the two chorale motets selected for the present recording, “Befiehl du deine Wege” and “Nun danket alle Gott”. Bach had testified to his pupil’s “quite special facility in Composition”. 1749 Altnickol married Bach´s daughter Elisabeth Juliane Friederica.

Classical Music

“Schumann soaked into my life not too fast. It might have been the over intertwining of inner voices…it might have been the broad spectrum of his emotions that needed time to mature and grow within myself….. I did not fall in love with him at first sight as I did with Chopin. Processing his music at times felt heavy. It was like a map in which I had to discover the evolvement of my own searching. The inner struggles, the layers of his wandering spirit embedded in his music either subtle or obvious way (with his own marking) brought me deeper into the cave of my own inner world. To understand him and to ultimately empathize with him required integrity and effort. Nevertheless, contrary to this weight, the duality of Florestan and Eusebius and many between them lift off the certain seriousness in my approach to his music. His music evokes the lightness of the existence. Perhaps the distance which enabled him to observe the alter egos within himself is the humor to his music. I learned to love him in time more than any other composers, most firmly, closely and freely to my heart.“ (Klara Min)

Commanding a vast repertoire of more than 100 concertos for piano and orchestra by Spanish composers (Granados, Malats, Albeniz, Blancafort, Falla, Cassado, J. Gomez, E. Serrano, Molleda, etc), and others (including Astor Piazzolla, Xaver Scharwenka, Nikolai Medtner and Ignaz Paderewsky), Melani tenaciously champions the little known and often neglected hidden treasures of Spanish and International Classical Music repertoire, showcasing them in his performances as a solo pianist, in Chamber Music, and as an orchestral conductor. Now he releases unknown Spanish Piano Concertos. Recognized as one of the worlds elite virtuous musicians by international critics (The Daily Telegraph 1997, London), Melani Mestre studied music at the Superior Municipal Conservatory of Music of Barcelona, They give London the renowned Russian pedagogue Sulamita Aronovsky (piano) and Sir Colin Davis (orchestra conductor). Since his debut with the Dortmund Festival Orchestra in 1998, many have collaborated with some of the best orchestras in the world, both in his role as solo pianist and conductor director.

Awarded to FRIEDER BERNIUS in 2009, the Bach Medal of the City of Leipzig acknowledges a life’s engagement with the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, his pupils and his family. That quest began in the family home, a pastor’s residence that gave him early access to Bach’s organ music, violin compositions and choral works. As a student at the Stuttgart College of Music, he initially responded to the city’s “Romantic” Bach tradition, but the ideas of Hans Grischkat and encounters with artists outside Germany soon committed him to an engagement with the historical approach to performance that he has maintained to this day. The formation of a Baroque orchestra of his own in 1985 and the establishment of the International Festival of Early Music (1987, “Stuttgart Barock” since 2004) prove him to be a pioneer of historical performance practice. He has since been the guest of many renowned European festivals and has performed some 80 of Bach’s cantatas and most notably his Motets, the B minor Mass and the St Matthew Passion (Salzburg, Vienna, Bruges, Madrid, Paris, Barcelona and Munich).

Includes work(s) by various composers.

Missa Solemnis, Beethoven's sacred masterpiece, has thrilled audiences since its premiere with its monumental splendor and grandeur of vision. Even the master himself described it as "the greatest work that I have written so far." Helmuth Rilling, the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart and a quartet of vocal soloists have achieved worldwide acclaim in producing a reference recording of this great masterpiece, now available once again in a new edition as part of the “Great Choral Works” series. “A production of the highest professionalism.” - FONO FORUM

Classical Music

Unlike Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the supreme composers of the high Baroque, Handel was not by profession a church composer. He did write a number of anthems and smaller sacred works and invented the English oratorio, a hybrid of sacred and secular elements that assures his renown in sacred music, particularly through a single work of that genre, Messiah. Messiah bookends this ten-album set, with a which begins with the original, and ends with Mozart's arrangement of the work. Also included are Saul, Alexander's Feast, Belshazzar, and Dettinger te Deum. These reference recordings are presented by the biggest names of baroque music scene: Karl Richter, Helmuth Rilling, Ulrich St�tzel.

Classical Music

The history of the organ stretches back to the ancient world. Until medieval times organ instruments have been considered as secular and were used to accompany songs and dances. Around 600-700 years ago the first organs appeared in churches, probably used for supporting and accompanying liturgical chants. In the 16th and 17th century organ building started a sudden high-speed development. New materials, many stops, smooth-running tracker actions and a capable and stable wind supply opened new horizons. For the first time organs could tonally fill large church rooms, accompany the congregational singing and made virtuoso artistic playing possible. Many famous composers started writing sophisticated works of music for organ. This box is dedicated to this great time.

“After several decades of debate, it is now firmly established that the Art of Fugue was composed for harpsichord. The notation on four staves could lead to confusion and wrongly suggest that the work was intended for an ensemble of four instruments. But this scheme of notation for a keyboard instrument was not uncommon in the past (e.g. it was used by the Italian Girolamo Frescobaldi in his Fiori Musicali), as it facilitates the visualization and grasp of each individual voice's progression and beauty. I am convinced that played appropriately and with artistic integrity, the piano can serve Bach's music superbly. In this recording I have played entirely without pedal so that the splendour of the contrapuntal lines is fully rendered. In some cases, for instance an appoggiatura, the piano allows for perfect imitation of a form of vocality, like a singer following the tonic accents of a language and pronouncing one syllable more quietly than another. The harpsichord can only imitate this by agogic inflections, by playing in an irregular rhythm. Some vocally inspired passages can therefore sound magnificent on the piano.“ (Eloïse Bella Kohn)

During Paganini´s lifetime (1782–1840), there were rumors that Paganini had sold his soul to the Devil. His violin technique was so astonishing, his performance style so exuberant and his appearance so, well, demonic that there could be no other explanation. With modern medical knowledge, it now seems more likely that he had Marfans and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, allowing him to stretch his hands in ways no one else could. Whether or not he had natural advantages, Paganini changed the course of violin playing, as Pavel Šporcl explains: “He was the best – a magician of the violin. He became a global star – the tabloid newspapers gossiped about him and told readers to sell everything to buy a ticket to see him. He also did so much to advance violin playing and repertoire. Violin technique and the way we play today are largely due to Paganini.” Pavel Šporcl and his famous blue violin are celebrated around the world. He is considered in the ‘royal line’ of Czech violinists, having been taught by the legendary teacher Vaclav Snitl (himself taught by Jaroslav Kocian) as well as by Itzhak Perlman, Eduard Schmieder and Dorothy DeLay. Šporcl whose iconic blue violin was created by leading contemporary instrument maker Jan Spidlen, has done a great deal to popularise classical music in his country – having sold more than 230,000 albums and frequently appeared on television, including his recent documentary series on the great Czech violinists of yesteryear, and his regular top-rated program introducing children to music.

How would have Bach composed if he had had access to modern instrumentarium: a violin with Tourte’s bow that produces a higher volume of sound, a trumpet with an entire chromatic scale or a contemporary grand piano? Would he be inspired by the art of virtuosos of today, such as the Leipzig ensemble of Collegium Musicum, as he was known to have composed for distinguished artists? Would he forgive pop or computer game composers for using his music? How would he judge changes in the key of pieces, which played a vital role in the intellectual and emotional rendition of music according to Baroque rules? Or else, would he adjust to the vibe of our epoch and make use of samples instead of real performers? In any case, he would definitely appreciate the interpretations by Jaroslaw Nadrzycki, Krzysztof Kaczka and L’Appasionata, a Verona-based chamber orchestra. The energy that these young musicians display while playing Bach’s pieces would certainly match the composer’s spirit. If we observe Bach’s portraits for which he would pose in a dignified wig as we listen to his grand music, we might think that Bach was a placid and serious man. Yet not once did his contemporaries have to cope with his fits of anger or turbulent character; on the contrary, he must have also been high-spirited and humorous, which we may deduce from his numerous pieces.

The musicians of the Berlin Baroque Soloists, who for the most part are members of the Berlin Philharmonic, are well known to Radek Baborák from his time as solo horn player of the orchestra from 2003 to 2010. “That is why the recording with the Berlin Baroque Soloists was not such an unusual project,” says Radek Baborák, “but it was a dream of mine to play something by Bach with this ensemble, which plays modern instruments. Some eight years ago, we played together in a program of works by Telemann and Zelenka. That was a thrilling time. What particularly appealed to me about my colleagues was that for all their concentration on the work in hand, they still had a relaxed approach. They were orientated towards historical performance practice, but without the dogmatic rigor that one sometimes finds in specialist ensembles.” To make his dream come true, and drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of Bach, Radek Baborák trawled the composer’s works. He comments: “I am not a musicologist, in the first place I am a musician. When I find something I like, I use it for my purposes. If the material is robust – and it always is with Bach – it doesn’t matter what you play it on: the harpsichord, the organ, with strings, with choir, it will always sound good.”

Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s first instrument was the piano, even as a child he revealed himself to be a highly gifted violinist. In this domain too he was encouraged by his father Leopold, well-known violin teacher in his own right and author of a violin method widely respected at the time. Even when Wolfgang was already 21, father Leopold reaffirmed his son’s violinistic talent, on 8 October 1777. ‘You don’t realize how good you are on the violin when you put your mind to it, playing with character, conviction and spirit, just as if you were the best violinist in Europe.’ That letter was written in the period between 1773 and 1779, when Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed numerous works requiring string soloists. From April to December of 1775 alone, the 19-year-old penned 5 violin concertos, in an unbroken process as it were. At that time Mozart was employed as concertmaster by the archbishop’s court in Salzburg, where instrumental music was highly prized. He had, however, previously got to know the Italian tradition and art of the violin in situ, frequenting students of the famous Giuseppe Tartini there, such as Pietro Nardini and Gaetano Pugnani. On several occasions during his three journeys to Italy, he also met the Bohemian composer Josef Myslivecek, who cultivated the violin concerto genre intensively. Synthesizing the influence of Italian masters with that of Joseph Haydn, Johann Christian Bach and French violinists, Mozart composed his own concertos, which sparkle with vitality but are at the same time both intimate and graceful.

Recording an album is always an amazing adventure, this time even more so, and we are very grateful to everyone who made this album possible. But why was it so special? Firstly, because of the choice of program, of little known, exciting works, and secondly due to the fact that this project was overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, there is the special significance that each of these works has attained precisely under the current circumstances. There is no doubt that the chronological sequence of the pieces tells a story documenting the development of musical styles over the course of the century in witness to contemporary events. But today, having experienced this music from the first lockdown through to the present day, the music itself and the sequencing have taken on a very significant relevance for us. From the melancholic, naïve and yet somewhat dreamy sounds of Lili Boulanger through the courage, tenderness and complexity of Grazyna Bacewicz, to Galina Ustvolskaya’s no-man’s land, where the absence of structured time reminds us of aimless days and hours without knowing what might happen the next day. And finally, Jennifer Higdon and her organized chaos that is nevertheless not hopeless, but a little rebellious, emotional, with deep insight into nature that seems to be a light and source of energy for humankind. Louise Chisson and Tamara Atschba.

Recordings from 1932-1948.

Maria Cebotari was working as an actress at the Moscow artist theater before she decided in 1929 study singing in Berlin. In 1931 she got an engagement as an opera singer in Dresden and launched her very successful career. She sang in Dresden till 1943, and made frequent appearances at the Berline State Opera. Her interpretations of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss belonged to her specialties.

She made her film debut in 1929 with "Troika", but only from the middle of the 30's did she focus increasingly in this profession. Her well-known movies are "Mädchen in Weiss" (36), "Starke Herzen" (37) and "Il sogno di Butterfly - Premiere der Butterfly" (39).