Gronau: Chorale Variations for Organ, Composer Daniel Magnus Gronau, Artist Matteo Venturini organ, Format 1 CD, "The finest musical soul ever to have graced the city of Danzig": these are the words of Friedrich Gottlieb Gleimann, written in regard to his predecessor Daniel Magnus Gronau. Little is known about Gronau's life, other than he was titular organist at St John's Church in Danzig - where he earned an exceptionally high salary: 100 florins per quarter. His music was highly acclaimed in it's day; after his death, the Chapter of St John's bought the manuscript of a cycle of chorale variations for organ from his sister, paying a third as much again to have it handsomely bound in two volumes. Gronau left a small treatise on transposition and four books of keyboard music, the Chorale Variations of which form the subject of this engaging release. Similarly structured and containing between two and five variations (the first of which normally utilizes the chorale as a fugue subject), the works reveal the far more 'modern' approach adopted by Gronau in relation to the rest of his northern contemporaries - Es wird schier der letzte Tag, for example, requires the right hand to play on two keyboards against a continuo-like accompaniment in the left hand and pedals. The Variations certainly represent one of the most extensive compendiums of organ registrations to survive from the late Baroque period of organ music in Germany, and on hand to perform is Matteo Venturini, winner of no less than eight competitions and a regular at prestigious international music festivals across Europe and America. Venturini, with his thesis on Gronau's organ music, is clearly an expert in this field of repertoire; here, on his 13th recording, he reveals the sheer quality of this composer's music, making a strong case for why the Danzig genius is worthy of rediscovery and re-evaluation. First recordings, Recorded on 19, 20 & 22 May 2013, Church of San Rocco, Larciano (Pistoia), Italy. This CD contains the first recording of the complete Chorale Variations by Daniel Magnus Gronau, a master from 17th century Danzig. He wrote a treatise on transposition, and the Chorale Variations form one of the most extensive compendiums of organ registrations of late Baroque organ music in Germany. Organist Matteo Venturini is a winner of no less than 8 prestigious organ competitions. He wrote a thesis on the organ music of Gronau. He plays on a magnificent Ghilardi Organ in the Church of San Rocco, Larciano.
Bach: Tenor Arias Johann Sebastian Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas. This recording explores a selection of 12 tenor arias from his cantatas, ranging in instrumentation from rich tutti orchestra to intimate obbligato instruments. Leif Aruhn-Solén has been in demand internationally as a tenor in the field of early music for over 20 years. He is an acclaimed Evangelist and tenor soloist in Bach's oratorios and cantatas with both modern symphony orchestras as well as some of the world's foremost baroque orchestras: the Camerata of St. John, Brisbane; the Netherland Bach Society; the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Concerto Copenhagen; the Oslo Philharmonic; New Trinity Baroque, Atlanta. Göteborg Baroque has established itself as one of the leading Scandinavian baroque ensembles. Founded in 2003 by it's artistic director Magnus Kjellson, who conducts the ensemble from the keyboard of an organ or a harpsichord in a historically informed way, the ensemble regularly performs important and well-known works as well as re-premiering works that have been ignored or forgotten for hundreds of years. The recording was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Alfred Hagen and through the joint generosity of more than 160 individuals in an unprecedented Swedish crowdfunding campaign for a classical music recording.
