Sonus
Agency for Early Music
DECEMBER 2010
The plenty-of-Bach-day
The belgian baroque ensemble La petite bande invites you at december 12 for a special event: A Bach-day for hardliners...
Because it starts already in the morning with a paneldiscussion with Joshua Rifkin, Andrew Parrott and Sigiswald Kuijken, speaking of the one-to-a-part performances of Bach‘s work, they practise.
In the afternoon then, they give practical proof of their theories: Taverner Consort and Players perform Bach‘s Weihnachtsoratorium Cantatas I - III, Joshua Rifkin and his Bach Ensemble (with Margot Oitzinger, alto) cantatas IV - VI, and in the evening you can hear several christmas-cantatas with La petite bande (and Gerlinde Sämann, soprano) and Sigiswald Kuijken.
The fivth window in the advent calendar
Two times there‘s opportunity to see and hear our ensemble L'Art du Bois on TV in december: The first time on 5 december, 4 p.m. as fith window of the musical advent calendar on SWR.
And also on christmas eve you can enjoy them: then they play in the christmas-concert „Musikalische Weihnachtsreise“, also on SWR.
War and peace for decorating the Christmas tree
To recommend to both, friends of Christmas trees and Christmas grinchs: on 23 december at 8:05 p.m. you can hear the concert of our ensembles L'Armonia sonora with Mieneke van der Velden and Concerto Palatino with Bruce Dickey and Charles Toet, which was recorded at the Tage Alter Musik in Herne in november, on WDR 3.
NOVEMBER 2010
Schwanengesänge
Dominik Wörner and Christoph Hammer (fortepiano) just brought out Schubert‘s posthumous compiled Lied-cycle D 957, Schwanengesang, on a wunderful new CD. And not only in their usual expressive, but also very natural manner, but also in consequently historically informed practise.
So of course they used the first print of the music by Tobias Haslinger, 1829, but also thoroughly had care of the transposition of the Lieder, their succession on the CD, and the instrument: Christoph Hammer plays on an original fortepiano of Conrad Graf, Vienna, from 1827. und sein Begleiter Christoph Hammer (Hammerklavier) nun auf einer wunderbaren neuen CD herausgebracht.
Another bonus of this recording is, that they framed the posthumously entitled Schwanengesang with the two Lieder Schwanengesang D 318 und D 744, entitled originally by Schubert.
Beneath that you can hear the Taubenpost D 965 A and Sehnsucht D636 on this CD.
Click here for an example!
Bach on luit, completely and live
The luitenist Jakob Lindberg is playing the integral works for luit of Johann Sebastian Bach in two concerts in Bremen.
They find place on 5 and 6 November, both at 7:30 p.m. In the church Unser Lieben Frauen.
in zwei Konzerten in Bremen.
But also, if you don‘t have the opportunity, to hear him live, you musn‘t forbear from enjoying it: Jakob Lindberg recorded Bach‘s luit-works completely on CD!
Synthesis of sounds: Concerto Palatino and L‘Armonia Sonora
Splendorous sounds exponentiated: L'Armonia sonora with Mieneke van der Velden and Concerto Palatino under the direction of Bruce Dickey and Charles Toet play music of the 30years war in a coproductive concert at the Tage Alter Musik in Herne, the well-known Early-Music-festival of the Westdeutsche Rundfunk. Soprano is Sabine Lutzenberger.
On the programme there‘s music of Schütz, Schein, Scheidt, Kindermann, Steuben, Albert and others.
You can hear this concert live on 12 november, 4 p.m. in the Kreuzkirche in Herne, or - probably more warm and comfortable - at home on 23 november, 8:05 p.m. on radio WDR 3.
Stylish CD-presentation
In April the middle ages ensemble Ordo Virtutum under direction of Stefan Johannes Morent recorded a programme with sequences, tropes and gregorian chant from the monastery St. Gallen of Notker der Dichter for the label Christophorus.
On 28 november this CD will - in authentical style - be presented to the public in St. Gallen: In the exhibition opening in the Stiftsbilbliothek St. Gallen on the theme „music in monastery and town St. Gallen“.
It will be on the market after 1 january 2011.
OCTOBER 2010
B‘Rock is five!
We have to admit: It isn‘t a very impressing jubilee by years - but in any case by niveau of the achievements. So B'Rock was invited to many of the most important stages and many of the best reknown festivals of the musical world, for instance the Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels, Klarafestival, Antwerp (de Singel, AMUZ), Bruges (Concergebouw, MAfestival), Gent, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, De Doelen Rotterdam, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Innsbrucker Festwochen, Styriarte, or Wigmore Hall London.
Furthermore the orchestra gave prove on meanwhile three fantastic CDs, that the idea of its‘ founding - to play historically informed with young musicians and changing directors and thereby always cultivate expressivity and musical intensity - didn‘t change at all.
Congratulations!
Freshly released: Lorenzo Ghielmi‘s Triosonatas
Bach‘s Trionsonatas BWV 525-530 are recorded on this latest CD of Lorenzo Ghielmi - of course in the already familiar quality of all his former recordings.
With this CD the organist, fortepianist and harpsichordist sets a standard in the Bach-interpretaion for another time - not only with the lucidity and brightness of his playing, his perfect articulation and phrasing, his sung melodies, but also with his colourful and always natural registration.
A really perfect recording - with unforseen consequences on youtube... Take a polyesthetic audio test!
SEPTEMBER 2010
New at SONUS: Passion des Cuivres
Did you ever hear an Ophicleide? No? With this new entrant, we can help you: Passion des Cuivres - this is five brass-players, who have specialised in authentic instruments of - first of all - the 19th century, and who play original compositions of this period, but also arrangements from then and from today.
An ensemble, which fascinates not only with this in today's Europe more or less unique cast and its unusual, but very atmospheric repertoire, but also with its smooth, but brilliant sound. And they're not only nice to hear, but also to see!
Welcome to SONUS!
We suggest: Take a volume of Dickens and here an audio example...
New blood at SONUS: L'Art du Bois
And there's another new ensemble: L'Art du Bois, six young musicians, who founded an ensemble with three recorders, a gamba and several luits and baroque guitars in 2004, and who became already quite reknown this last years.
L'Art du Bois plays music from the middleages till the time of baroque and convinces not only through its superior technic and the impressing virutosity of all his members, but also through its exceptional vivid interpretations. And - last but not least - through his informed, but always creative programmes.
Welcome to SONUS!
By the way: the second CD of L'Art du Bois, "Musical Humors & Lamentations", recently was released by dutch label Et'cetera
Listen a little. But be careful - you may get addicted!
Help with anxiety in performance situations
A new offer of SONUS is, to help musicians to cope with high-pressure situations on stage. Surely, a little stage fright before a concert is normal - and often even useful. But in case this stage fright becomes more intense, even escalates in angst and stress, then one should do something against it.
A lot of musicians know such problems and so SONUS, in cooperation with the psychologist Professor Dr Peter Braun, wants to offer this sort of Coaching to learn to handle anxiety of public performance situations, psychologically caused deficiencies of performance and sensibility for stress syndroms quickly and effectively.
Testament - first part
"My musical testament", so oboist Marcel Ponseele refers to a serial of five CDs of Bach-cantatas, which he will launch over the next two years with his ensemble Il Gardellino. Not that he wants to stop his musical carrier directly after finishing this testament, luckily. But he's of the opinion, that one should compose his testament at lifetime...
The first CD, with the cantatasBWV 32, 49 und 154, dazu J. Chr. Bach's Cantate "Ach, dass ich Wassers gnug hätte" just came out by the belgian label Passacaille and is overtiteled "Desire": a marvellous recording, on which Bach's works are interpreted in a very natural, unpretentious way, but always swinging, breathing - and of course with a lot of oboe-solos.
Here you can listen to an example.
Heinavanker on tour in Germany
Heinavanker in Germany: there are even three opportunities to hear this exquisite ensemble this month live in Germany: on september 10 at 8 p.m. at St. Norbert in Enkenbach-Alsenborn, in the framework of the middleages-festival Vokalmusik an der Romanischen Straße.
Then on september 11, also at 8 p.m. in the church of St. Josef in Waldfischbach Burgalben, and finally on september 12 at 4 p.m.in Nentershausen, Freiherr-von-Stein-Halle.
Have a good time, all listeners!
AUGUST 2010
Linda Nicholson member of the jury in Bruges
Musica Antiqua Bruges is one of the most important competitions in the world of early music, which was founded already in 1964 and since then takes place every year in july/august within the MAfetival Bruges.
Another time fortepianist and harpsichordist Linda Nicholson, once herself laureate of this competition, was asked to be a member of the fortepianist's jury. Her impression of this year's standard: "As ever, the week spent in Bruges adjudicating the fortepiano competition was most interesting and stimulating. There were fewer entrants than in recent years, due perhaps to the repertoire, which was more focussed on early classical composers and included several works by CPE Bach and Müthel. This meant in turn that the players, ‘though fewer in number, were really specialised fortepianists, and the standard was very high."
B'Rock XS: also small really great
"Speelstukken" is the title of the works of dutch composer David Petersen (1651-1737), which B'Rock presents on its newest CD-release. But not as an orchestra, but in a chamber-music cast of five musicians, which already acquired a good reputation under the name B'Rock XS, everywhere, they played.
Petersen's quite interesting, diversified and today nearly unknown compositions (Amsterdam 1683) are a wunderful example of the dutch Stylus phantasticus - which B'Rock XS embraces in a very perfect way.
A really great recording - also concerning the repertoire - which came out at dutch label Et'cetera.
Try it here!
JULY 2010
New CD with Jan De Winne and Lorenzo Ghielmi
A very rewarding coproduction: Jan De Winne, traverso, and Lorenzo Ghielmi, harpsichor, recorded together with Marco Testori, violoncello, a new CD with sonatas for the flute of Georg Frederick Handel at the label Evil Penguin Records Classic.
A fantastic recording, which combines an unbelievable expressive flutiste with a wunderful cantable playing harpsichordist and a congenially accompanying cellist. It does justice not only the character of every single movement, but also shows the diversity of Handel's music, from grave to jazzy, from happy to mourning, from enthusiastic to melancolic.
Admirable!
Be convinced by this example!
Recordings with Ordo Virtutum
German ensemble Ordo Virtutum, directed by Stephan Johannes Morent just finished his last recording for the label Christophorus in june: As the first one of a serial with exceptional treasures of the Stiftsbibliothek Sankt Gallen they coped with the work of Notker der Stammler, who made his mark with sequences in the Gallus-monastery in the 9th and 10th century.
The CD "Notker der Dichter" - a coproduction of the Stiftsbibiothek with the SWR - will be released in november in Sankt Gallen.
JUNE 2010
Beethoven - completely uniquely
Now the collection is completed: The fourth and last CD of this wunderful recording of the complete sonatas for violin and piano of Ludwig van Beethoven with Linda Nicholson, fortepiano, and Hiro Kurosaki, baroque violin, just came out at the label Accent.
All four CDs of this integral recording were played on original (!) instruments of Beethoven's time: together five original fortepianos of Linda Nicholson's collection, two original violins and three bows were used on it, according to the respective time and character of the compositions. That is historical informed practice at its' best - which sure enough also fulfills every possible desire in musical respects: every single phrase is played deliberate and fine, but at the same time absolutely stirring and vivid.
A unique production in respects of authenticity!
Enjoy an audio example here.
The happy island
An happy island - especially now. Because ensemble Ordo Virtutum under the direction of Stephan Johannes Morent just released it's new CD "Insula Felix", with music of the middleages of the island Reichenau in the Lake Constance. And this in a very appealing way: Swinging and light, intimate and close. And for the authenticity even the acoustics are perfect: Ordo Virtutum recorded in the church of St. George on the Reichenau itself!
The CD is a coproduction of the SWR together with the label Christophorus.
Listen here!
B'Rock goes Classic
They just left for the future: B'Rock played the first programme of only music of the classic period."On the road to Mozart's harem", a concert with music of Franz Xaver Süßmayr, Gluck and Hasse, directed by Frank Agsteribbe, could be heared on june 19 at the Musikfestspiele Postdam Sanssouci, then for the second time on august 15 at MAfestival in Bruges.
Have a live-impression from Potsdam.
MAY 2010
Bach-cantatas with solo-voices - Volume 11
Freshly launched: the eleventh volume of the Bach-cantatas with La Petite Bande, directed by Sigiswald Kuijken just is publishe at Challenge - in deliberate and rousing interpretaion and with only solistic voices.
Gerlinde Sämann sings another time the soprano-part and fulfills all requests, both in respect of sound, as in respect of musicality.
Here you find an audio example