Classical Music

Classical Music

The solo and dialogue cantatas are the exceptions amongst the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach. They do not correspond to the cliche, surely already predominant during Bach's time, of works of greater length or for larger ensembles in the sequence of recitatives and arias with an instrumental or vocal instrumental introduction and concluding with a chorale for the instrumental-choral ensemble. After rave reviews of the solo cantatas in the press, Thomas E. Bauer, Johanna Winkel and Christoph Spering show us on this new production how magnificently the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach can be interpreted.

The composer (Johann Gottfried) Carl Loewe is familiar to music lovers of the 20th and 21st centuries above all as the writer of important ballad scores, of which Edward, Erlkonig, Herr Oluf, and Archibald Douglas are well-known examples. His songs Die Uhr or Heinrich der Vogler were or are popular hits, especially in a bygone heyday of salon music and educated bourgeois culture. Loewe wrote more than 400 songs. But the same Carl Loewe also write six operas, two symphonies and two piano concertos as well as a total of 17 sacred and secular oratorios, all of which have fallen into oblivion. With the present oratorio, the Arcix Vocalisten, led by Thomas Gropper, are vehemently opposed to oblivion.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

With this recording, produced on a single day, Christian von Blohn would like to demonstrate above all the versatility of the instrument in Bouxwiller. He quite deliberately selects music from completely different periods, also performing his own works. The famous organ was built by Johann Andreas Silbermann in 1778 and, following several renovations, is under monumental protection today. Christian von Blohn, born in 1963, graduated from the State University of Music Saarbrucken with a degree in church music and music education. He continued his artistic education in Switzerland at the Conservatoire de Lausanne in the master class of Andre Luy, where he was honored in 1991 with the Premier Prix de Virtuosite. This was followed by further studies with Daniel Chorzempa at the Music Academy in Basel and the Mozarteum Salzburg, as well as with Peter Hurford and Julian Smith at the "Royal School of Church Music" in Great Britain.

Jarkko Riihimäki, the founder of the Trio on this CD, has this to say about it: “I wrote the pieces on Tango Fuego especially for my Berlin Trio CAYAO. + Violinist Iskandar Widjaja and double bassist Ander Perrino are friends and colleagues. + I hold both of them in very high esteem for their virtuosity and joy of playing. + All three of us come from different countries and different musical cultures, but when we play together we develop a common language, not only in my tangos but also in many other pieces: a language that reflects our feelings, our temperament and our joy in living.”

Roman Trekel’s sixth and latest OehmsClassics CD includes many well-known lieder by Richard Strauss as well as the Five Wesendonck Lieder of Richard Wagner. Strauss’ Four Last Songs is heard in the much more intimate version with piano accompaniment. Wagner designated two of the Wesendonck Lieder – Im Treibhaus and Träume – as studies for Tristan and Isolde. Roman Trekel has distinguished himself as one of the most sought-after baritones today. A close collaborator of Staatsoper Berlin and Daniel Barenboim, he has sung to great acclaim on the most important stages of the world.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

The German vocal sextet Singur Pur releases their musical Advent calendar with a song for each day in December through the 24th. With texts provided to the song, this release provides reflection during this auspicious time of year.