Classical Music

Friedemann Wuttke, the internationally recognised guitarist, joins forces here with his musical friends and companions. The result is an entertaining programme which not only shows the musical association of these friends, but also demonstrates how eras and nations are connected through music. A colourful collection of interesting, popular pieces has come into being. This ranges from the Renaissance to the 20th century; from Argentina to Spain. We thus arrive at a very exciting interplay between widely diverging styles and a great variety of musicians, in musical encounters that arose from two decades of international concert appearances. The guitar is joined by various contributors who are carried away by the lightness and charm that Friedemann Wuttke allows to prevail through his choice of pieces. In everything, the will of the guitarist to do justice to his instrument, to the composers, and also to the listener, is displayed in ways that are both entertaining and demanding.

Includes work(s) by various composers.

The early 1780s saw the passion for Haydn across Europe reach it's first peak. Ten years later, the composer was considered the most important of his day. In places noted for their music, his latest works sold like hot cakes. And even out in the country, far from fashionable towns and cities, there was an insatiable demand for whatever he had just written. The small North Swabian principality of Oettingen-Wallerstein was no exception. Prince Kraft Ernst, who extravagantly maintained a court ensemble then regarded as one of the best in the German nation, was unstinting in his admiration of the composer and compiled an extensive collection of his works. At the beginning of 1788, Kraft Ernst commissioned his agent in Vienna, von M�ller, to ascertain from Haydn himself his price for three new symphonies of which the Prince was to be the sole owner: "as Joseph Haydn is demonstrably the greatest of Symphonists and I am thoroughly well disposed towards his Music, I should like to obtain three new Symphonies from him, which however nobody save myself should possess. My Court Agent shall tender this my Request to Joseph Haydn and advise me concerning what he will charge and when I shall receive these Symphonies." The composer accepted the commission but explained that he could not deliver at once on account of other obligations. More than a year and a half were to pass before Haydn delivered the commissioned symphonies. The Bavarian Chamber Orchestra (BKO) based in the idyllic spa resort of Bad Br�ckenau has made a name for itself with innovative projects since it's foundation in 1979. The orchestra consists of first-rate professional musicians from the nations of central Europe, who regularly come together as chamber orchestras or in various chamber ensembles.

Classical Music

Gerd Schaller writes of this new release: “Although extremely numerous and insightful, the surviving fragments of this movement, which were left at various stages of development, present a very incomplete picture of Bruckner’s Ninth. Nevertheless, throughout the decades in which I have theoretically and practically (as a conductor) studied Bruckner’s works, I have always found it regrettable that these fascinating sketches and ideas might never be played at all simply because they were not left in a playable form. Before I embarked on the task of filling in and completing the final movement, I did of course have to consider whether aspiring to finish such a masterpiece as Bruckner’s Ninth might be seen as somewhat presumptuous. A further exploration of the Ninth Symphony in the run-up to a performance is what eventually prompted me to assemble the final movement. Whilst it might be seen as presumption, I believed it to be altogether possible and even desirable to incorporate Bruckner’s incredibly daring and fascinating sketches and drafts into a playable and, most importantly, musically convincing form.“

Immediately after completing the Second Symphony, Anton Bruckner (1824 -1896) continued a fruitful compositional spree by starting the draft of his Third. He had no way of knowing then that this work would continue to occupy him for the rest of his life. Dedicated to Richard Wagner, the work was written in 1873, revised in 1877, and again in 1890. It is regarded by many as Bruckner's artistic breakthrough. According to Rudolf Kloiber, the third symphony "opens the sequence of Bruckner's masterpieces, in which his creativity meets monumental ability of symphonic construction." On this release, Gerd Schaller leads the Philharmonie Festiva in the performance of the Third Symphony in it's 1890 revised version. German conductor Gerd Schaller is best known for his performance and recording of rare works. He conducted the first full recordings of Bruckner's output.

The four stylistically contrasting concertos of this recording represent the technical and expressive range achieved by Johann Joachim Quantz during his long career in the service of the King. Although the music of the Baroque period was becoming less fashionable and being favoured by the gallant style of composers like Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Quantz continued to write in a more conservative style, which pleased the Kings tastes. Flutist Eric Lamb is in demand internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist, concert curator and chamber musician. In 2013, Eric left his post as a core member of the International Contemporary Ensemble - ICE to pursue a career as soloist and chamber musician. Eric is principal flutist of the Chineke! Orchestra London (Associate Orchestra of the Southbank Centre) and co-artistic director of ensemble paladino. Eric is on faculty of the University of Auckland School of Music as Lecturer in Flute and is coordinator of the student contemporary music ensemble.

Works for violin and piano occupy a special place in the compositional output of Nikolay Medtner (1880-1951). He wrote a large number of pieces for piano and voice. Where his chamber music is concerned, however, his emphasis was on the genre of the violin sonata. Medtner wrote three sonatas for violin and piano. They are written, like his one great piano quintet, on an almost symphonic scale. There are also the pieces for violin and piano that Medtner produced while he was working on a violin sonata. Presenting these works is Russian violinist Nikita Boriso-Glebsky. A soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and winner of international music contests, he represented Russia at the Eurovision Young Musicians 2002, which made him a household name in his home country. He is joined by esteemed pianist Ekaterina Derzhavina.

According to Alessandro Scarlatti's own work catalogue, he wrote 117 dramme per musica. Even if some of them may have been only improvements or modifications, the number remains impressive. Il Trionfo Dell'Onore represents several of Scarlatti's works in a masterful program on this release.

Gerd Schaller writes: “Bruckner conceived and composed his String Quintet in F major as a work of chamber music. It is accordingly different from his symphonies in its layout and its realization; one substantial difference, for instance, is in the lack of mysticism in the string quintet: on the contrary, there is a sense of radiant blossoming. The underlying atmosphere is brighter, more optimistic, clear, even a little livelier; there is a constant flow and current running through the work. The slow movement is so full of inner meaning and in my view is certainly one of the most beautiful pieces of music that Bruckner ever wrote. The heaven-storming events, the concentrations of sound and erratic blocks of the symphonies, will be sought in vain.“ The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra is one of the oldest and most important Czech orchestras and is a welcome guest throughout the Czech Republic and on concert platforms abroad. The orchestra was established in 1926, three years after the foundation of Czechoslovak Radio. Gerd Schaller studied conducting and held positions at various German state theatres until 2006, and since then has been a freelance artist in constant demand as a guest conductor with well-known orchestras and at concert halls and opera houses at home and abroad.

What makes Bruckner's eighth symphony so special to Jukka-Pekka Saraste is the richness of it's atmosphere. He is always excited by the dramatic first subject of the first movement, which is based on the same rhythmical motive as appears in the beginning of Beethoven's Ninth symphony. Saraste chooses to perform the Haas edition because it contains some fascinating sections taken from Bruckner's first version. In his version, Bruckner, advised by his well-meaning supporters, appears to have tried to create a greater symphonic unity and line.

In the post-war gramophone record era, the great conductor Arturo Toscanini was the first to record the work on February 19, 1950. Carlo Maria Giulini followed him only two years later and conducted Cherubini's Requiem in C Minor in his first studio recording. It is that which is presented on CD here for the first time.

On 22nd September 2018 the Staatskapelle Dresden celebrated its 470th jubilee. The orchestra was directed by Bernard Haitink from 2002 to 2004. (Haitink turns 90 in 2019.) Principal Conductor since the 2012/13 season has been Christian Thielemann. Founded by Prince Elector Moritz von Sachsen in 1548, it is one of the oldest orchestras in the world and steeped in tradition. Over its long history, many distinguished conductors and internationally celebrated instrumentalists have left their mark on this one-time court orchestra. Previous directors include Heinrich Schütz, Johann Adolf Hasse, Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner, who called the ensemble his “miraculous harp”. The list of prominent conductors of the last 100 years includes Ernst von Schuch, Fritz Reiner, Fritz Busch, Karl Böhm, Joseph Keilberth, Rudolf Kempe, Otmar Suitner, Kurt Sanderling, Herbert Blomstedt and Giuseppe Sinopoli.

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REVIEW:

Haitink has previously recorded all of the music on these six discs, but these new releases are still welcome. The Bruckner Eighth and Mahler Resurrection are particularly fine. The Bruckner is mighty indeed, Haitink’s finest available recording of the work. Throughout the engineers have captured a full, rich, well-balanced sound.

– ClassicalCDReview.com

World Premiere Recordings! The Bach family is not the only one to have produced several major composers. The Russian Jewish Krein family is almost unknown outside Russia. Abram Krein, father of the family, had seven sons; all became successful professional musicians. Works of four of his sons are represented on this disc. Pianist and musicologist Jascha Nemtsov started his international career in 1992. He has recorded almost 30 CDs, featuring many world premieres amidst a vast spectrum of works.

Schumann's only piano concerto is romantically poetic and not a work of bravura virtuosity. The piano and the orchestra do not contend for dominance. Their parts are closely interwoven, and one is not imaginable without the other. Mozart composed his last three symphonies within an incredibly short period of less than two months in the summer of 1788.

Wilhelm Backhaus realized the significance of the gramophone record early on, making his first solo recording in 1908 and going on to record many more, each tantamount to a live performance. These recordings, offered up here, represent the earliest ever recordings of works by composers like Mozart, Strauss, Chopin, Brahms, and Liszt.

Classical Music

This recording is based on the edition of Prof. William Carragan (Version 1878), which is oriented towards the Nowak Edition. It is shorter and much catchier than the usually performed version. The strings have the upper hand here instead of the brass, but the four horns do resurface with reminiscences of the first movement. Gerd Schaller leads the Philharmonie Festiva. Live recording.

Sir Colin Davis leads the Staatskapelle Dresden in recordings from the 1988-2003 featuring music of Berlioz, Sibelius, Mendelssohn, and more.

Classical Music

Classical Music

There is a certain tradition of large-scale string chamber music in Russia. However, the diverse cultural history of Russia and Eastern Europe has concealed numerous forgotten and little known treasures, which got buried away in times of competing nationalisms and later of ideological cultural doctrines. The two works on this album, both originating in Russia, had been forgotten by musical history but can now be heard again. Franz Xaver Gebel (1787-1843) wrote his Double Quintet during the last years of his life in Moscow. The String Octet by Carl Schuberth (1811-1863) was written some time later, in the 1840s in St Petersburg, where Schuberth was active as a cello virtuoso and conductor. The works on this album are receiving here their world premiere recordings from the Hoffmeister Quartet and soloists of the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra.

Dorothea Seel brings us on this recording a historically informed performance of Handel’s flute sonatas. Performing on flauto traverso, Ms. Seel is accompanied by Luca Gugliemi on Cembalo. Dorothea Seel is a critically acclaimed performer. “…Dorothea Seel was a graceful and gentle flute soloist” (New York Times) “…with quite breathtaking athletic playing and hauntingly elegiac moments.” (Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2014)

The career of conductor Rafael Kubelik (1914 – 1996) provides an interesting insight into the world of music in the twentieth century. Born the eighth child of the then world-famous violin virtuoso Jan Kubelik and his wife Countess Marianne Csaky-Szell, he was already commanding attention while he was studying piano, violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory between 1929 and 1933. In 1935 he embarked on a tour of the United States as his father's accompanist. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (which Vaclav Talich raised to the status of a top European orchestra) hired him as its conductor in 1936. When, the following year, Talich fell ill during a tour of western Europe, Kubelik filled in for him and began consolidating his international reputation. Despite his tendency towards subversive programming (he often included works by banned composers), he was able to retain the post after taking it over in 1941. In the post-war period Kubelik’s work with the orchestra enriched the cultural life of his country and in 1946 he became one of the founders of the Prague Spring Festival. Kubelik defected in 1948, though, in protest against the communist dictatorship in Czechoslovakia. His three-year term as Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra ended as a result of the ill will born him by the music critic Claudia Cassidy. His time as Music Director of The Royal Opera at Covent Garden was brought to an end because of opposition from Sir Thomas Beecham. Nevertheless, among orchestra musicians he was one of the most well-liked and esteemed conductors. His openness, fair moral principles and the friendly working atmosphere he created brought him a degree of recognition which even produced award-winning results in the recording studio.