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FRANCHETTI, A.: Germania (Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2006) (NTSC)
Phoenix Edition Aug 2008
DVD
$32.99

Mozart/Grieg: Sonatas For Piano Duet / Dena Piano Duo

SACD

$24.99 Jul 24, 2007

MOZART (Arr. Grieg) Piano Sonatas: in C, K 545; in F, K 533; in G, K 283; in c, K 457 • Dena Pn Duo • 2-L 40 (Hybrid multichannel SACD: 73:10)

Why would anyone, even Edvard Grieg—not the greatest composer by a long shot, but a great musical figure and one who revered Mozart—arrange any Mozart piano sonatas—even the powerful K 457 and the forward-looking K 533—for two pianos? My wariness of arrangements other than those by the composer leads me to ask again, why? Well, if you’ve never tried it (or never heard it), don’t knock it. Keep an open mind! But before I listened, I read. The notes in the accompanying booklet describe what Grieg did. (In English, the small, red font against a purple background is an abominable choice for reading; in German, the white font against the same background is eminently readable, but my German is now a distant memory.) Grieg’s “arrangements” are actually adaptations, or more precisely, augmentations. In each sonata, Grieg retained Mozart’s score as the primo and composed a secundo to add a more contemporary style to the music. Now this is certainly a novel approach to “arranging,” and it may be the first example of crossover. It is akin to the current theatrical practice of presenting Shakespeare in contemporary guise, such as Julius Caesar in Fascist uniforms or The Taming of the Shrew on motorcycles (both courtesy of noted stage director Michael Kahn or those directors he fosters), a practice that I deplore. Then I listened. What I heard were four Mozart sonatas that were as fully recognizable as their originals, but with fuller bass lines, with extra and more complex harmonization, and with significantly non-Mozartian embellishments.

In the early K 283, much more Grieg is discernable in the latter two movements than in the first movement. K 545, Mozart’s easy-to-play and most popular sonata, can be described as complexified simplicity. The power of the first movement of K 457 is greatly weakened by Grieg’s defocusing secundo augmentation. The second movement of K 457 fares even worse, sounding like a mixture of ballroom dance-music with piano noodling by a “stylist.” Grieg’s defocusing secundo augmentation relaxes the tension in the final movement, eventually enervating the normally powerful coda. Most interesting is the first movement of K 533, which is stylistically very open to Grieg’s secundo augmentation. In the K 533 second movement, in a-b-a form, Mozart already achieves Grieg’s contemporary style in part b without Grieg’s intervention. By contemporizing part a, Grieg distracts from the listener’s amazement at the shocking progressions and harmonies that Mozart introduces in part b. But this provides the opportunity in part b for Grieg to really let loose, building interestingly on Mozart’s already impressionistic base. The final movement of K 533 shows the strongest Grieg influence on this disc, masking the movement’s Mozartian delicacy—one could call it, with successive puns, the “MoztGrieg” and the least “Griegzart.”

The Dena Piano Duo (Tina Margareta Nilssen, piano 1, and Heide Görtz, piano 2) are excellent pianists, and the sound quality is also excellent. Nilssen plays the primo (Mozart) part, and Görtz plays the secundo (Grieg) part. I recommend this CD to Grieg scholars and, strictly as a curiosity, to anyone else, but not as an addition to anyone’s Mozart collection.

FANFARE: Burton Rothleder

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

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Mozart/Grieg: Sonatas For Piano Duet / Dena Piano Duo
2L Jul 2007
SACD
$24.99

The Dance
Vox Jan 1994
CD
$29.99

Music in Germany from Schutz to Bach / Lejeune

Ricercar

$71.99 Nov 17, 2017

After exploring the evolution of Italian and French music in the seventeenth century, Jerôme Lejeune devotes a new volume in his History of Early Music to Germany. During this century in which the Lutheran musical tradition developed further, Germany lived through a particularly enthralling period, bringing the musical world a highly original language, but also assimilating Italian and French models with talent and imagination; all of this unquestionably prepared the way that leads to Johann Sebastian Bach. As in the other volumes of this collection, the recorded examples are selections taken from the works that are the most representative of their period. The Ricercar catalogue is particularly well-provided with examples of German music of the seventeenth century.

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Music in Germany from Schutz to Bach / Lejeune
Ricercar Nov 2017
CD
$71.99

d'Albert: Cinderella Suite, Little Mermaid, Overtures / Markl, Leipzig Radio

Naxos

$9.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 50% Apr 29, 2014

D’ALBERT Aschenputtel Suite. Overtures: Esther; Der Rubin; Die Abreise. Preludes: Die toten Augen; Gernot. Das Seejungfräulein 1 • Jun Märkl, cond; 1 Viktorija Kaminskaite (sop); MDR Leipzig RSO • NAXOS 8.573110 (75:11)

The extravagantly gifted pianist and composer Eugen d’Albert had one of those improbably full, cosmopolitan lives spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. Born to a family of French and Italian origin in 1864, the same year as Richard Strauss, he grew up in Scotland. Taking on German nationality as a young adult, d’Albert studied with Liszt, who called him “Albertus Magnus,” and had a significant association with Brahms. A leading pianist of his time, he later turned to composition and was a prominent figure in Berlin’s extraordinary musical flowering in the 1920s.

D’Albert’s style isn’t easily pinned down, since he adopted differing stylistic approaches in different works. All of his music that I have heard is very well crafted, and some of it is inspired. It tends to be lively, affirmative, and light, at times, more like Humperdinck (traditional) than Busoni (progressive), to mention two of his contemporaries. Harmonically, it’s usually less adventurous than that of Liszt or Strauss. One of d’Albert’s teaches was Arthur Sullivan, for whom he composed the Overture to Patience . The writing for female chorus in Tiefland reveals this unusual influence.

D’Albert composed 19 operas in all manner of genres, changing his style from work to work, as Mascagni also did, in the quest for popular success. He found it with Tiefland , which is sometimes called a German verismo work, and is still occasionally performed. (Recordings of the Jewish-themed Der Golem , and the brief domestic comedy Die Abreise , have been issued in recent years.) Musically, Tiefland is compelling, and in it, one hears that d’Albert’s text setting and writing for the voice are as confident as his orchestration. It’s a very satisfying work to listen to, and I can recommend the Janowski recording with Marton, Kollo, Weikl, and Moll.

There’s a lot of music in this collection, all of it unfamiliar, and some of it very impressive. D’Albert’s colorful, sumptuously orchestrated preludes and overtures aren’t brief, and not all of them make a strong individual impression, but two stand out. The overture to Grillparzer’s play Esther from 1888 resembles a fully developed symphonic movement, majestic, with contrastingly playful sections, and perhaps modeled on Brahms. The prelude and introduction to Die toten Augen (1916), a biblical tale, sounds completely different, an atmospheric combination of a Korngold movie score mixed together with La mer.

Das Seejungfräulein (The Mermaid), an extended scene for soprano and orchestra, after Hans Christian Andersen, was composed in 1897 for one of d’Albert’s six wives, the soprano Hermine Finck. (Another was the pianist Teresa Carreño.) This intensely chromatic, surging music certainly shows the influence of Wagner, but manages not to sound derivative. Though it maintains more traditional harmony, it reminds me a little of the soprano “songs” in Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder, and it’s the most impressive composition on the CD. In the strenuous vocal part that requires the power and range of an Isolde or Brünnhilde, the Lithuanian soprano Viktorija Kaminskaite has a warm, attractive voice, and a committed delivery, but she strains and loses tonal support on some sustained high notes.

Finally, the disc’s featured work, the 1924 Aschenputtel (Cinderella) Suite , after the Brothers Grimm, is a deftly scored set of five brief, programmatic dances. Keith Anderson’s notes don’t identify the suite as a ballet, but it would certainly lend itself to choreography. This tuneful, entrancing score is a masterpiece of its kind, and like Ravel in Ma mère l’oye —there’s a French feel to Aschenputtel —d’Albert had the gift of creating captivating, childlike music.

Jun Märkl leads lively, flexible performances, and the Leipzig Radio Symphony plays well, particularly in the Aschenputtel Suite , with its many solos. I highly recommend this disc for the chance to make the acquaintance of Die Seejungfräulein , although I hope that there will be future recordings of it with more technically assured singing, and especially Aschenputtel , a delightful find.

FANFARE: Paul Orgel

-----

Eugen D’Albert was a tremendously gifted musician, and even had he not been we would owe him respect for being married six times and inspiring his second wife, the also multiply married Venezuelan pianist Teresa Careño, to utter that immortal line, “Darling, your children and my children are quarreling with our children again!” Aside from multiple marriages, D’Albert composed multiple operas, nineteen at least, and the overtures and preludes contained on this disc are very enjoyable. They range from the moody prelude to Die toten Augen, to the the luscious The Ruby (his first opera), to the jolly comedy The Departure.

The Overture to Grillparzer’s Esther is actually a robust, early concert work, while the delightful Cinderella Suite has plenty of the requisite fairytale atmosphere. The Little Mermaid is a brilliant, post-Wagnerian scena for soprano and orchestra, and it’s quite beautifully sung by soprano Viktorija Kaminskaite. Her voice rides the orchestra effortlessly, while her tone remains consistently smooth and lovely throughout its range. Jun Märkl leads the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony with plenty of verve and a conviction often missing from his prior recordings of Debussy.

D’Albert’s style lacks the ultimate in individuality, but it’s unflaggingly attractive, and he clearly evolved from his Wagner/Liszt origins to something more contemporary, if not more personal. Anyway, the only way to find out is to listen, so let’s get to it.

– David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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d'Albert: Cinderella Suite, Little Mermaid, Overtures / Markl, Leipzig Radio
Naxos Apr 2014
CD
~~$19.99~~ $9.99

Scarlatti: Sonaten pour le clavecin Vol 1 / Andreas Staier

Deutsche Harmonia Mundi

$17.99 Jun 05, 2008

Musical scholars like Ralph Kirkpatrick, whose classic book on Scarlatti is here quoted at length (though without acknowledging the source), are understandably fascinated by the inexhaustible diversity brought to basically binary-form movements by this Sicilian-descended, Neapolitan-born genius, who spent exactly half his life in the Iberian peninsula. For music lovers in general, however, the fascination lies in his enormous vitality, his demands for unprecedented keyboard virtuosity and his highly individual use of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and instrumental Hispanicisms that demonstrate how far he had fallen under the spell of Spanish folk-music and folk life.

All these facets are zestfully displayed on this stimulating disc. Apart from genuine Spanish dances—the bulerias of Kk492, the peteneras of 502 and the Andalusian 519 which bubbles from minor to major—there are impressions of street processions (490, 491 with unmistakable sounds of trumpets, horns and drums, and a marching element in 518) and the exciting rattle of castanets or tambourines in the rapid note-reiterations of 141, 119 and 455, and Scarlatti's unique telescoped chords (490 and the even more dissonant 119). His unexpected modulations and side-stepping key-changes are to be heard in several sonatas, and his stamping basses in 502 and 517. And besides the hurtling arpeggios or broken-chord patterns (141, 454) and chains of trills (118, 501) there are the Scarlattian quirks such as the out-of-step octave unisons in 203 or the surprise changes of metre in 502. It is a pity we can't see Staier performing the vertiginous cross-hand leaps in the remarkable 108, as well as in 118 and the exuberant 119, but the sheer breakneck speed at which he plays 517, shooting off like an arrow from a bow, will leave listeners breathless.

He uses a harpsichord of German type with the G in alt called for in 454, 455 and 502, makes a few logically defensible registration changes in some sonatas, and adds occasional discreet ornamentation on repeats (which are fully observed except in five cases). This is a most enjoyable disc, which I would recommend very highly: there are many recordings of Scarlatti, but this is among the best.

-- Lionel Salter, Gramophone [2/1992]

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Scarlatti: Sonaten pour le clavecin Vol 1 / Andreas Staier
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi Jun 2008
CD
$17.99

Jensen: Piano Music, Vol. 1

Toccata

$20.99 May 12, 2015

Now almost entirely forgotten, Adolf Jensen (1837-79), one of the major figures of German Romanticism, composed a large corpus of songs and piano music in a language fusing the heritage of Schumann, Chopin and Liszt into an individual style distinguished by it's melodic and lyrical appeal. This first in an important, new series of recordings of Jensen's music features Erling R. Eriksen, Prof. Of piano in the Dept. Of Music and Dance at the Univ. Of Stavanger (Norway). The extensive booklet notes are by one of the experts on 19th c. piano music, Rohan Stewart-McDonald.

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Jensen: Piano Music, Vol. 1
Toccata May 2015
CD
$20.99

Telemann: Darmstadt Overtures (Suites) / Müller-brühl, Köln

Naxos

$19.99 Jan 01, 2000

Although the coming "Bach Year" has many labels and listeners focused on the formidable legacy of Johann Sebastian, perhaps we also should take this time to more actively explore the work of a contemporary who not only was a friend (he was godfather to Bach's son, C.P.E.), but whose music was specifically admired by J.S. and even had some measure of influence in Bach's own work. Georg Philipp Telemann not only was prolific, he wrote for nearly every musical genre, from instrumental concertos and orchestral pieces to solo keyboard and vocal works to cantatas and oratorios to opera. He wrote a really terrific set of 12 solo violin Fantaisies--nowhere near the monumental masterpieces of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, but skillfully written and eminently engaging--that were virtually ignored by major violinists until Andrew Manze's superb recording on Harmonia Mundi a few years ago. And now we have this outstanding recording of Overtures--which essentially are orchestral suites à la Handel or Bach--that immediately will convince any doubters and please those who already know that Telemann was a master composer of the first rank. This is music you can listen to over and over without the slightest shadowy intrusion of boredom. It's almost as if Telemann consciously incorporated the best of French, Italian, and German styles into one, not forgetting to include the stately gait and elegant melodic character of Handelian dance in some of the movements. And as good as the music is, the playing on this CD is as good as it gets. Although the instruments are modern, the playing style is as articulate, clean, and detailed as that of the best period orchestras. The bassoon and oboe soloists deserve special praise. [12/10/1999] --David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

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Telemann: Darmstadt Overtures (Suites) / Müller-brühl, Köln
Naxos Jan 2000
CD
$19.99

DANCES FROM HUNGARY
Apex Oct 2013
CD
$8.99

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg

C Major Entertainment

DVD

$51.99 Sep 25, 2026

Wagner defined Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg as the most complete work that he had ever created. The Bayreuth Festival 2025 presents the comedy in a new production staged by Matthias Davids, whose playful irreverence stands between tradition and renewal. Under the exceptional baton of Daniele Gatti, who debuted in Bayreuth in 2008 with Parsifal, the cast showcases it's brilliance and finesse. Georg Zeppenfeld, at the core of the performance, interprets Hans Sachs with excellent vocal skills and particular sensibility. Equally remarkable performances are given by Michael Spyres and Christina Nilsson, respectively, as Walther and Eva, and by Michael Nagy as a finely drawn Beckmesser. The result is a compelling piece of music theatre: 'A comedy of manners where themes of art, tradition and human love arise naturally.' (Seen and Heard International) Michael Spyres 'has everything a Stolzing needs: he is effortlessly present, sounds light yet embodied in the upper register, a German knight with italianità.' (BR-KLASSIK)

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Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
C Major Entertainment Sep 2026
DVD
$51.99

Liderman: Walking Dances, Swirling Streams & Open Strings
Bridge Records Aug 2004
CD
$18.99

WEBER - SPIRIT OF GERMAN ROMANTICISM

WARNER CLASSICS

$59.99 Jun 05, 2026

Despite a difficult start in life and an early reputation as a "conceited brat" (not helped by a father who tried to market him as a "new Mozart") Carl Maria von Weber developed into a disciplined professional through rigorous training under Abbe Vogler and years of practical experience managing theatres in Breslau, Prague, and Dresden. His breakthrough as a composer was closely tied to his collaboration with clarinettist Heinrich Joseph Baermann - Weber's mastery of the clarinet's technical possibilities leading to the famous concertos that paved the way for his operatic triumphs. His masterpiece, 'Der Freischutz' became a cultural phenomenon, praised for it's "Wolf's Glen" scene and it's balance between romantic nature and demonic forces. After a life of great musical discipline amidst continued adversities, Weber died in London at only 39 years old, shortly after the successful premiere of his final opera 'Oberon'. This box celebrates the range of Weber's genius via the selection of several highly recommended reference recordings.

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WEBER - SPIRIT OF GERMAN ROMANTICISM
WARNER CLASSICS Jun 2026
CD
$59.99

NINTH SYMPHONY BY MAURICE BEJART - ON SCHILLER'S
EUROARTS Dec 2015
Blu-Ray
$27.49

Wayne Mcgregor: Chroma, Infra, Limen / Royal Ballet

Opus Arte

DVD

$34.99 Apr 26, 2011

Also available on Blu-ray

The diversity of Wayne McGregor’s astonishing talent is demonstrated through Chroma, Infra and Limen, each created for The Royal Ballet, for whom he is resident choreographer. Intimate yet universal, light yet dark, frenetic yet lyrical, McGregor pursues his passion for exploring the inner workings of the human body and mind, his many-layered and beautiful dances providing visual, sensual and kinaesthetic stimulus for the viewer.

"…Wayne McGregor's Infra: sumptuous beauty and shimmering possibility" The Telegraph

Chroma
Federico Bonelli, Ricardo Cervera, Tamara Rojo
Mara GaleazzI, Sarah Lamb, Steven Mcrae, Laura Morera
Ludovic Ondiviela, Eric Underwood, Jonathan Watkins
Edward Watson

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Conductor: Daniel Capps
Music: Joby Talbot , Jack White III

Infra
Leanne Benjamin, Ricardo Cervera, Yuhui Choe
Lauren Cuthbertson, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton
Ryoichi Hirano, Paul Kay, Marianela Nuñez, Eric Underwood
Jonathan Watkins, Edward Watson
The Max Richter Quintet
Director: Jonathan Haswell
Music: Max Richter

Limen
Leanne Benjamin, Yuhui Choe, Mara Galeazzi, Melissa Hamilton, Sarah Lamb, Marianela Nuñez Leticia Stock, Akane Takada, Tristan Dyer, Paul Kay Brian Maloney, Steven Mcrae, Ludovic Ondiviela, Eric Underwood, Edward Watson

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Director: Barry Wordsworth
Music: Kaija Saariaho

Recorded live from the Royal Opera House
Infra: 13th & 14th November 2008
Chroma: 10th & 11th June 2010
Limen: 13th & 17th November 2009

Duration: 01:38:00
Regions: All Regions
Picture Format: 16:9 Anamorphic
Sound Type: 2.0LPCM + 5.1(5.0) DTS
Subtitles: French/German/Spanish

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Wayne Mcgregor: Chroma, Infra, Limen / Royal Ballet
Opus Arte Apr 2011
DVD
$34.99

Dancing Organ

Aeolus

SACD

$23.99 Dec 19, 2025

Under the motto "Dancing Organ," Czech organist Michael Bartek has compiled a varied program of dance pieces from different eras, including original compositions and some virtuoso transcriptions. In addition to popular works, there are also a few surprises to discover. This is performed on "his" Kuhn organ in the Richterswil Church near Zurich. For this SACD, the sound has been optimally captured in stereo and 5.1 surround sound. Unter dem Motto "Dancing Organ" hat der tchechische Organist Michael Bartek ein vielseitiges Programm von Tanzstucken verschiedener Epochen - Originalkompositionen und teils virtuose Transkriptionen - zusammengestellt. Neben popularen Werken gibt es auch so manche uberraschung zu entdecken. Als Instrument dient ihm "seine" Kuhn-Orgel in der Richterswiler Kirche, nahe Zurich. Fur diese SACD wurde der Klang optimal als Stereo- und auch als 5.1 Surround-Aufnahme eingefangen.

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Dancing Organ
Aeolus Dec 2025
SACD
$23.99

Mix & Match

Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra / Appl, Jockel, Munich Radio Orchestra

BR Klassik

$19.99 Oct 06, 2023

Time and again, composers – well-known and lesser-known – have arranged Franz Schubert's piano songs for orchestra. These versions are not in any way intended to cast doubt upon the powerful quality of the originals, they merely place them in a different light, and/or attempt to make them easier to perform on a larger scale – when an art song cannot be performed in an intimate salon or chamber music hall, it can also make an impact in a large concert hall.

Baritone Benjamin Appl has compiled nineteen such arrangements from the 19th and 20th centuries for this new CD from BR-KLASSIK. The Münchner Rundfunkorchester, conducted by Oscar Jockel, provides accompaniment that is subtle and in keeping with the work. The album is ultimately rounded off by the first recording of Johann von Herbeck’s orchestrations of Schubert's dances, thus establishing a connection between folk music and Schubert's art songs.

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Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra / Appl, Jockel, Munich Radio Orchestra
BR Klassik Oct 2023
CD
$19.99

Weill: Songs

Brilliant Classics

$14.99 May 15, 2026

Kurt Weill (1900-1950) was a German-born composer whose work bridged the worlds of classical music, cabaret, and theater. Renowned for his collaborations with playwright Bertolt Brecht, Weill became a defining voice of the Weimar Republic, crafting a musical language that fused biting social commentary with popular idioms such as jazz, tango, and dance-band rhythms. His songs are remarkable for their wit, directness, and deep humanity - qualities that make them as relevant today as they were in the politically charged 1920s and 1930s. Weill's complete songs for voice and piano reveal the breadth of his artistic vision. Early works show his roots in late-Romanticism and his training under Ferruccio Busoni. However, it was through his partnership with Brecht that Weill found his distinctive style. His Songs blend satirical text with deceptively simple melodies, creating unforgettable portraits of urban life and moral ambiguity. Similarly, Mahagonny-Songspiel (1927), Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1930) and Die Dreigroschenoper offer songs of ironic beauty that expose the corruption and absurdity of modern society. After emigrating to the United States in 1935, Weill reinvented himself once again, writing in English and embracing Broadway while retaining his sharp social awareness. American songs such as "September Song" (Knickerbocker Holiday, 1938), "Speak Low" (One Touch of Venus, 1943), display a haunting lyricism and emotional clarity that transcend genre. Collectively, Weill's songs for voice and piano form a rich and multifaceted body of work -at once sophisticated and accessible, European and American, classical and popular- embodying the restless creativity of one of the twentieth century's most original musical voices. Greek soprano Eleni Lydia Stamellou was Prize Winner at the Ferruccio Tagliavini Competition in Austria, with Dame Joan Sutherland as the president of the jury. She subsequently attended masterclasses given by Teresa Berganza, Edda Moser and Christa Ludwig. She sang in opera productions with MusicAeterna conducted by Teodor Currentzis. Her specialization is Renaissance/Baroque and Contemporary Music. She sang in productions of Berio and Hersant. Her excellent piano partner is Alexandra Listova.

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Weill: Songs
Brilliant Classics May 2026
CD
$14.99

Mix & Match

Elly Ney Plays Brahms & Schubert / M. Fiedler, Melichar, Berlin Philharmonic

APR

$9.49 ~~$18.99~~ Save 50% Feb 16, 2024

German pianist ELLY NEY’s posthumous reputation has, perhaps justifiably, been tarnished by her links to the Nazi regime, but 80 years on it’s easier to focus on her pianism and acknowledge she was one of the finest pianists of her generation. A previous APR release (APR7311) presented her interpreting a wide range of composers, but she came to be regarded as one of the great interpreters of the Austro-German repertoire and here she tackles two of the masterworks, including a monumental performance of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the first version recorded by a woman. Brahms specialist, Max Fiedler, ostensibly conducts, though our booklet note reveals Alois Melichar as the uncredited conductor who completed the project after Fiedler’s sudden death. The suite of Schubert dances which completes the release appears never to have been reissued before.

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Elly Ney Plays Brahms & Schubert / M. Fiedler, Melichar, Berlin Philharmonic
APR Feb 2024
CD
~~$18.99~~ $9.49

Dance
Signum Classics Jan 2011
CD
$19.99

Romantic Choral Music: German Motets

Haenssler Classic

$20.99 Jun 02, 2017

The compilation of works on this release is intended to provide a reasonably comprehensive view of the unaccompanied sacred choral music of the Romantic era while confining itself to German-language composers from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. The chronological order of the composers and the consideration of a number of central works aims to show the interrelationships of the choral music scene over a period lasting more than a century. The young singers of the Jugendkonzertchor (the youth choir of the Dortmund Choral Academy) engage in intensive rehearsal work and supplementary voice training, their principal focus being the unaccompanied choral music of all periods. The ensemble’s broad repertoire also encompasses oratorio and choral symphonic works and popular music for choir. The Ruhrnachrichten newspaper praises the “perfectly homogenous overall sound and the admirably well trained soloists” of the jugendkonzertchor, who “fill the space around them with a power of their fresh young voices” to create a “luxury sound” : this is a choir of which “great things can be expected in the coming years.”

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Romantic Choral Music: German Motets
Haenssler Classic Jun 2017
CD
$20.99

J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-4 / Butt, Dunedin Consort

Linn Records

$29.99 Oct 14, 2022

The magnificent Orchestral Suites, known as Ouvertüren in German, form the final instalment in Dunedin Consort’s long-running Bach Masterworks series for Linn, a series lauded as ‘nothing short of sensational’ by Gramophone. The intricate counterpoint and extraordinary technical demands present an opportunity, throughout these four sets of stately French-style overtures and dances, to demonstrate the virtuosic skill present in an ensemble of Dunedin’s caliber. The first two suites are scored for modest forces, yet the lightness and simplicity of touch conceals a complex musical language built on intimately interweaving parts. The third and fourth suites calls for trumpets, timpani, oboes, and a full complement of strings, thus making for a grand finale to Dunedin’s unrivalled Bach series. An insight into the ambition of this recording is offered in the title of the fourth suite’s final movement: for what better way to end the series than to fill listeners with immense ‘réjouissance’!

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J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos. 1-4 / Butt, Dunedin Consort
Linn Records Oct 2022
CD
$29.99

DIE WALKURE

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

$36.49 Oct 09, 2020

The full glory of Karajan's "beautiful, dramatic reading" (High Fidelity) of Die Walk�re is revealed by Blu-ray technology. Half a century later, this recording still offers up surprises, especially now when fans can hear it at it's very best. "Listen to Gundula Janowitz and Jon Vickers in Act 1 and be seduced" (Limelight). Blu-ray Audio in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The CDs are produced from Emil Berliner Studios remastering. Clamshell Box; 106pg booklet with libretto in German and English. 4CDS/1BR

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DIE WALKURE
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Oct 2020
CD
$36.49

Henze: Reinventions of Mozart, C.P.E. Bach & Vitali / Padova-Veneto Orchestra

Brilliant Classics

$8.49 ~~$16.99~~ Save 50% Oct 27, 2023

German composer Hans Werner Henze’s (1926–2012) admiration for the great masters of the Baroque and musical Classicism manifested in compositions born from a desire to transcribe, rework and transform 17th- and 18th-century masterpieces into new orchestral textures. The project Travestimenti (Disguises), managed by conductor Marco Angius and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, from which this CD was created, makes reference to Henze’s ‘reinventions’ of masterpieces by Mozart, C.P.E. Bach and Vitali, clothed in new, modern fashion.

For the Drei Mozart’sche Orgelsonaten, Henze takes up three of Mozart’s one-movement Kirchensonaten (church sonatas or trio sonatas). Sonatas 17 and 15 are in an Allegro tempo, whereas the Sonata K.67 is marked Andantino, so Henze, in his transcription, places the latter between the two livelier tempos, thus reconstructing the tripartite structure of a classical three-movement sonata. Scored for an ensemble of 14 players that includes the less common, softer variants oboe d’amore and viola d’amore, it aims to underline the darker instrumental timbres, favouring the sombre sonorities of the alto flute in G, the bass flute in C, the bass clarinet and the bassoon. During the last year of his life, in 1787, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composed a Fantasia libera per tastiera sola (Free Fantasia for keyboard alone) which he expanded into the Clavier-Fantasie mit Begleitung einer Violine (Fantasy for harpsichord with violin accompaniment), one of his most personal and expressive works.

Henze transcribed it for solo flute, harp and strings, aiming to project the extremely interesting and expressive harmonic material of the composition into a larger instrumental apparatus, thus making its future-oriented harmonic structures more manifest and moulded. He proposed two options for division of the: string quartet + string quintet or string quartet + tutti (the latter version is recorded here).

Although it was probably composed in the early 18th century, Vitali’s Ciaccona ‘Il Vitalino’ – whose musical form is inspired by dance and consists of variations on a ground bass – was only rediscovered in 1867, published by the German virtuoso violinist Ferdinand David. Henze’s Il Vitalino raddoppiato – called “raddoppiato” (“doubled”) because of his extension of the composition by means of interpolated variations of each original section in the style of 18th-century doubles – retains Vitali’s bass almost throughout the entire composition. It alternates Vitali’s variations on his chaconne theme with Henze’s variations of Vitali’s variations, in an ever-changing dialogue between the 18th-century past and Henze’s present.

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Henze: Reinventions of Mozart, C.P.E. Bach & Vitali / Padova-Veneto Orchestra
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The Trio Sonata In 17th Century Germany - London Baroque

BIS

$21.99 Mar 01, 2008

On two previous discs, London Baroque has explored the genre of the trio sonatas as it unfolded in 17th Century France and England. Both these issues met with great acclaim. The ensemble has now arrived in Germany, or more correctly: the German-speaking world of the time, as the programme also features works from the Low Countries and Austria. The great masters of the period, Buxtehude and Biber - are both among the ten composers represented here. But included are also other, less well-known names, such as Johann Schmelzer and Johann Rosenmüller. The great variety of styles and forms found on the disc fully reflect the diversity among the composers, while also serving to remind the listener of the fact that the trio sonata genre was just becoming established during the period.

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The Trio Sonata In 17th Century Germany - London Baroque
BIS Mar 2008
CD
$21.99