Bach Rolf

Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim The South-West German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim was founded in 1950 by Friedrich Tilegant, a student of Paul Hindemith, and is based in the City Stadt Pforzheim, Southwest Germany. The orchestra was directed by Paul Angerer from 1971 to 1981, by Vladislav Czarnecki from 1986 to 2002, by Sebastian Tewinkel from 2002 to 2013, by Timo Handschuh from 2013 to 2019, and since 2019 by Douglas Bostock.

The encounter of two geniuses is the background for this CD. In 1739 chamber lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss visited Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig where they competed in friendly improvisation contests. Even though Bach probably played the harpsichord on this occasion, Johannes Pramsohler and Jadran Duncumb attempt a reconstruction of the encounter; besides the magnificent Suite in A Major, BWV 1025 – a joint work of both composers – the programme includes solo works for lute and the famous Partita in D Minor. Bach's private secretary wrote at the time: “Something extra special is happening here.”

The encounter of two geniuses is the background for this album. In 1739 chamber lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss visited Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig where they competed in friendly improvisation contests.

Johann Sebastian Bach excelled as a player on several instruments, but the lute was not one of them. Even today, this renders his works for solo lute unique in the instruments vast repertoire where playing the lute has otherwise been a prerequistite to composing for it.

Johann Sebastian Bach excelled as a player on several instruments, but the lute was not one of them. Even today, this renders his works for solo lute unique in the instrument’s vast repertoire where playing the lute has otherwise been a prerequistite to composing for it. As such, they pose unique challenges and dilemmas for players who want to present this music in the best light. Inspired by his teacher, Rolf Lislevand, Jadran Duncumb eschews the well-thumbed pages of Bach’s own manuscripts and sets out on a different path. Instead, following manuscripts by lutenists contemporary with Bach that take advantage of the instrument’s inherent strengths, he arrives at startling new conclusions.

"World famous compositions exemplary performed by Karl Richter, Helmuth Rilling, Ulrich Stotzel and Rolf Beck on 10 CDs.

"An experiment … that violinist Niklas Liepe dares to conduct here: to bathe the devil violin cycle of the Paganini Caprices in a new light: 22 contemporary composers have taken part in this experiment. Liepe plays… confidently, without tears… A worthwhile experiment," wrote the press about Niklas Liepe's "Paganini Project", which was published by Sony Classical in 2018. The young German violinist had recorded Paganini's famous caprices in new versions for violin and orchestra in collaboration with the renowned arranger Andreas N. Tarkmann. For his new album "#GoldbergReflections" Liepe has again recorded, in collaboration with Andreas N. Tarkmann, 13 variations from the famous "Goldberg-Variations" by Johann Sebastian Bach in a version for violin and strings. The violinist is accompanied by the NDR Radiophilharmonie under the direction of Jamie Phillips. Liepe has also invited eleven internationally renowned composers such as Moritz Eggert, Sidney Corbett, Wolf Kerschek, Rolf Rudin and Daniel Sundy to compose new variations based on the Bach original. Tarkmann has transposed the variations into a baroque concerto grosso sound. These variations thus create a connection to the original and at the same time frame the new compositions, which bring the "Goldberg Variations", written 280 years ago, into the present