Kusser, J.S.: Composition De Musique - Suites Nos. 1-3

Beethoven, L. Van: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 and 4

Rodrigo, J.: Vocal Music

Chamber Music (German) - Schroeder, H. / Mendelssohn, Felix

Masterworks of Modern Classics

Emil Hartmann (1836-1898) had a heavy family heritage to lift, being the son of one of the true greats in Danish music life, the composer and organist J.P.E. Hartmann. In Denmark, Emil Hartmann had difficulty freeing himself from his father's shadow, but in Germany, things were easier. On this release, Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider and friends delve into his chamber musical key works, providing the perfect showcase for the romantic flair of Emil Hartmann, making his lines sing beautifully and virtuosic passages dance, and finding intimacy and eloquence at telling moments. A musical journey through time: The form of the piano suite has, as a nationally different set of rules, the following succession of dance sentences or character pieces, originating essentially in the Baroque period. Composers like Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Domenico Scarlatti, Fran�ois Couperin and Jean-Philipp Rameau have created something significant here. Especially extensive is the list of French composers who have taken up the form of the suite again and again in the following years and further developed in one or more works, modified or redefined for themselves. Perhaps this reflects a typically French blend of traditionalism and innovative spirit. To name a few would be Camille Saint-Saens, Albert Roussel, Mau-rice Ravel, Jacques Ibert, Claude Debussy, Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc. Wolfgang D�berlein studied at the "Mozarteum" in Salzburg (with Alfons Kontarsky) and at the Musikhochschule in W�rzburg (with Peter Hollfelder and Kirsti Hjort), where he also completed the masterclass with Andr�s Hamary. D�berlein is Professor at the College of Protestant church music Bayreuth.

This is already the third recording of a very unusual ensemble- a duo of guitar and harp. All works on this album have been composed directly for the two. Maximilian Mangold is regarded "... as one of the most interesting current German guitarists" (Fono Forum 10/2003). The German Guitar Magazin "Gitarre Aktuell" calls him an "exceptional guitarist". He has won numerous prizes and awards, amongst other the International Guitar Competition in Mettmann in 1991, the Competition of the Guitar Foundation of America in Quebec (Canada) in 1994 and in Northridge (USA) in 1995. In 1992 he was the prizewinner of the German Music Competition and thus was selected to perform in the 38th German "Young Musicians of the Year Concert Series". For her "harp playing full of grace and feeling" (Lippisches Kultur Journal) Mirjam Schroeder has won numerous competitions, such as the ARD International Music Competition 2004 with the Audience Award and the 3rd Prize, the Concorsi Arpista Ludovico Madrid 2002 and the International Reinl Competition Vienna / Munich with the 1st prize. She made her concert debut at the age of 15 with Mozart's double concerto for harp and flute. Since then she performs as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Germany and Europe.

Spectrum Saxofonis, Vol. 2

Loewe: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 2

Mirjam Schröder has put together magical and dreamy stories for harp for this al-bum. She found what she was looking for primarily in the French region. In a fascinating variety, this selection shows how mystical, sometimes even quirky, romantic and modern harp music found its place in a wide variety of stylistic forms and continues to do so until today. And that’s actually not surprising, because “the harp has always had a magical aura. From Apollon‘s Lyra to the thousand wonderful sounds of the glissando of the modern harp, the magic of the instrument has prevailed in people of all nations and ages” (Marcel Tournier in “La Harpe - Histoire de la harpe à travers le monde”).

Loewe: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1

Having discovered Chopin for yourself - that sounds like nothing unusual. It is more unusual, however, to discover Louis-Moreau Gottschalk, he is unknown to most and has written a very special kind of music. Reading Chopin's biography and Gottschalk's diary, I was surprised at the actual connection between the two, which, if you only know their music, is hard to imagine. Her life stories are at the same time full of contrasts and parallels. That's why I included these composers in one program. Chopin wrote revolutionary music that had it's roots in Polish folk music. And that at a time when Europe was still looking for Beethoven. Gottschalk was also revolutionary, entering a world of music that was spurned, the music of slaves, shaped by Creole and African-Caribbean rhythms. Two brave people in very different ways, and both wrote "Music for Pianists. "The living conditions in Europe at Chopin's time were hard, grim and dangerous. Political unrest, bitter poverty, poor hygiene and poor medical care shaped everyday life. In America, the "bird of paradise" Gottschalk traveled through areas marked by civil war and robbery - not as a "gunslinger" but as a musician. How were they able to reconcile everyday life and their genius? What force did they have in their short lifespan? They did not become old. Chopin left the world at age 39, Gottschalk at age 40, both abroad. Two very contrary composers who have left us this beautiful music." (Oh-Havenith)

After his first encounter with Andrès Segovia (1923), Ponce (1882-1948), undoubtedly the most important Mexican composer of the 20th century, wrote a large number of guitar works. Sonatas, variation works, preludes, character pieces, a sonata for guitar and harpsichord and the “Concierto del Sur” for guitar and orchestra. His first guitar composition is “Allegretto, quasi serenata”, a miniature, which shortly afterwards found its way as the third movement in his first guitar sonata “Sonata Mexicana”. This sonata already has all the characteristics of the later, more mature guitar compositions: impressionistic harmony, polyrhythm, vital dance and virtuoso corner movements, formal unity of the composition despite strong contrasts and, above all, the beautiful slow movements of his sonatas, which are among the most beautiful, what the guitar repertoire of these Has time to offer. He is always rooted in the tradition of his home country. Segovia had a great influence on Ponce’s works not only in terms of playing technique but also aesthetically. This led to Ponce, for example, at the urging of Segovia to write sonatas in the style of Franz Schubert and Fernando Sor. On this album there are, however, those guitar works that most likely come closest to Ponce’s own Impressionist style.

This release features new compositions for guitar solo, all written for Maximilian Mangold by well recommended German composers. Mangold is considered "one of the most artistically interesting German guitarists at the moment." (Fono Forum) The journal "Gitarre Aktuell" calls him "an exceptional guitarist." As a sought-after soloist, he gives numerous concerts in Germany and Europe, and is an equally versatile chamber musician in duets with a harp, flute, piano, harpsichord, fortepiano, transverse flute and narrator, trio with flute and viola as well as with the Vlach quartet (Prague). His extraordinarily extensive repertoire is also documented in 21 albums, which are praised in the press and praised as reference recordings.

D'Anglebert, J.H.: Complete Works for Harpsichord