Audite Musikproduktion

This new audite release marks the beginning of a planned three- disc series with Jimin Oh-Havenith. Here, the pianist will present her personal perspective on Robert Schumann, whose contribu- tion to romantic piano music is unparalleled, particularly so his series of masterpieces composed between 1830 and 1839. The first Sonata in F sharp minor, Op. 11, and the Fantasie Op. 17 form part of Schumann’s exploration of the classical sonata form, es- pecially that of Beethoven and Schubert. Due to their poetic and autobiographical-programmatic charge in combination with a novel, decidedly contrapuntal pianistic virtuosity, they remain among the most demanding piano works of the romantic period, and are also unreservedly loved by performers and listeners. Jimin Oh-Have- nith’s playing, both powerful and nuanced, beautifully realises the unique richness of this music.

"Whenever it rains, it rains star money from the sky. Don't you know that every cloud contains star money? You'll see your luck fall from the sky all over town. "Be careful that your umbrella is upside down, and exchange it for sunshine and flowers…" (from: Lyrics Pennies from Heaven by Johnny Burke) The current CD of the Mandelring Quartet brings together small treasures, as promised by the song Pennies from Heaven from the 1936 film of the same name starring Bing Crosby: favourite pieces, single movements, encores, which the Mandelring Quartet regularly plays in concerts, but also works which stylistically do not fit into or follow a usual programme and which now find their place here. Whether classical or non-classical, original literature or successful arrangements for string quartet: all works are highly appreciated by the ensemble! For weeks, the members of the Mandelring Quartet have been searching through their music archives, which have been accumulated over more than 30 years, and have sifted out the best from the huge fund of works.

Once again la festa musicale focuses on the music of Gregor Joseph Werner, Kapellmeister and Joseph Haydn's immediate predecessor at the Esterházy court. This album illustrates Werner's creative and artistic treatment of the themes of mourning and penance. In three introductions to Holy Week oratorios, he displays astonishing fugal sophistication, and in the two Holy Week motets he opts for an exciting combination of sixteenth century compositional techniques with bold, progressive harmony. Contrapuntal finesse is also revealed in the dramatic Requiem with soloists, choir and trombones. Finally, the polyphonic Sonatina leads to what is probably his last work, the a cappella setting of the penitential psalm Miserere mei Deus, written by Gregor Joseph Werner in the style of the famous Miserere by Gregorio Allegri.With his second album, Lajos Rovatkay continues the highly acclaimed series featuring the music of Gregor Joseph Werner.

An impressive continuation of the documentation of Gregor Joseph Werner's oeuvre, showing Haydn's predecessor at the Esterhazy court as a pioneer in musical development.Gregor Joseph Werner was by no means a mere minor master preceding Haydn - this was already impressively shown by the previous recordings in this series. Now the newly acquired picture of him is put into even sharper focus: Werner's symphonies and instrumental concertos composed for the princely table have been lost, but the composer comes to the fore as a grand master of Latin sacred music. With his strength of character and contrapuntal perfection, he proves to be not only a prerequisite and teacher for Joseph Haydn, th efather of Viennese classicism, but himself a gateway to this stylistic epoch. Werner appears to us today as the spiritual support of the rather mundane Viennese classicism.

On its debut recording, the ARUNDOSquintett demonstrates its joy of playing, virtuosity and chamber music strength - with wind quintets by four composers who, like the ensemble, found "home" in North Rhine-Westphalia in very different ways. Influences and inspirations ranging from the folk music of the Balkans in Ligeti's early Six Bagatelles to African trance music in Guth's composition NGOMA to the esprit of French modernism in Trojahn's and Blomenkamp's music awaken the classical wind ensemble for the 21st century classical wind formation to new, inspired life for the 21st century as well.

On its debut recording, the ARUNDOSquintett demonstrates its joy of playing, virtuosity and chamber music strength - with wind quintets by four composers who, like the ensemble, found "home" in North Rhine-Westphalia in very different ways. Influences and inspirations ranging from the folk music of the Balkans in Ligeti's early Six Bagatelles to African trance music in Guth's composition NGOMA to the esprit of French modernism in Trojahn's and Blomenkamp's music awaken the classical wind ensemble for the 21st century classical wind formation to new, inspired life for the 21st century as well.

An impressive continuation of the documentation of Gregor Joseph Werner's oeuvre, showing Haydn's predecessor at the Esterhazy court as a pioneer in musical development.Gregor Joseph Werner was by no means a mere minor master preceding Haydn - this was already impressively shown by the previous recordings in this series. Now the newly acquired picture of him is put into even sharper focus: Werner's symphonies and instrumental concertos composed for the princely table have been lost, but the composer comes to the fore as a grand master of Latin sacred music. With his strength of character and contrapuntal perfection, he proves to be not only a prerequisite and teacher for Joseph Haydn, th efather of Viennese classicism, but himself a gateway to this stylistic epoch. Werner appears to us today as the spiritual support of the rather mundane Viennese classicism.

The common question as to who was the most important Hungarian composer of the twentieth century – Béla Bartók or Zoltán Kodály – would have been vehemently rejected by the two like-minded friends. On the one hand, they shared many ideas and goals, such as researching Hungarian folk music, which they recorded in the countryside before and after the First World War using a wax cylinder phonograph. Bartók and Kodály made the original music of the peasant societies, which has nothing to do with the idea of Csárdás fire and Puszta romanticism, the basis of their own idioms, which they further developed in very personal ways. On the other hand, the careers of the two composers progressed in entirely different ways. While Bartók embraced international modernism and went into American exile at the height of fascist rule in Hungary, Kodály remained in his home country even under politically difficult circumstances, devoting himself unswervingly to his great task: integrating music into the school curriculum in order to make it the basis of national consciousness and social behaviour.

The common question as to who was the most important Hungarian composer of the twentieth century – Béla Bartók or Zoltán Kodály – would have been vehemently rejected by the two like-minded friends. On the one hand, they shared many ideas and goals, such as researching Hungarian folk music, which they recorded in the countryside before and after the First World War using a wax cylinder phonograph. Bartók and Kodály made the original music of the peasant societies, which has nothing to do with the idea of Csárdás fire and Puszta romanticism, the basis of their own idioms, which they further developed in very personal ways. On the other hand, the careers of the two composers progressed in entirely different ways. While Bartók embraced international modernism and went into American exile at the height of fascist rule in Hungary, Kodály remained in his home country even under politically difficult circumstances, devoting himself unswervingly to his great task: integrating music into the school curriculum in order to make it the basis of national consciousness and social behaviour.

The heyday of English consort music coincided with the exciting shift in musical style between 1580 and 1630 from the renaissance to the early baroque period. William Byrd and his successors made their mark with sacred and secu- lar songs, fantasies and dances. Honouring the 400th anni- versary of William Byrd's death, this album displays the diversity and richness in colour of consort music. On the one hand, English composers employed a strikingly sophisticated writing style, whilst on the other hand taking up popular music of their time. The results were atmos- pheric musical pictures reflecting the deep melancholy, pious confidence and full-bodied joie de vivre of Shakespeare's era…