Die Zeit September 2016

Das im Jahr 2010 begonnene Bach-Projekt mit dem Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks unter Leitung von Peter Dijkstra findet seinen Abschluss mit der Gesamtaufnahme der Messe h-moll, die im April 2016 im Herkulessaal der Münchner Residenz aufgenommen wurde. Damit umfasst es nun die vier Gipfelwerke Bachs – die drei »protestantischen Oratorien« sowie die »große katholische Messe« – in einer herausragenden künstlerischen Qualität, mit renommierten Vokalsolisten und begleitet von hochkarätigen Ensembles der historischen Aufführungspraxis: drei Werke entstanden in Zusammenarbeit mit Concerto Köln, ein weiteres mit der Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.

Der Dirigent und Lautenist Konrad Junghändel ist durch seine Zusammenarbeit mit mit Ensembles wie Les Arts Florissants, La Petite Bande, Musica Antiqua Köln bekannt geworden. Die fortgesetzte Beschäftigung mit der vokalen Musik des Barock führte Junghänel 1987 zur Gründung des Vokalensembles Cantus Cölln, das sich innerhalb kürzester Zeit zu einem der führenden Ensembles entwickelte. Diese limitierte Edition umfasst 10 Alben mit herausragenden Aufnahmen Junghänels für das Label DHM, 6 davon als Lautenist, 4 mit Cantus Cölln.

These Bach transcriptions for solo organ by Andre Isoir take us from the church to the Collegium Musicum, from the Sinfonia of the Cantata BWV129 to the Concerto for four harpsichords, shedding new light on some of the Cantor's most famous pieces. The performances by organists Michel Bouvard and Francois Espinasse, professors at the Conservatoires Nationaux Superieurs de Musique of Paris and Lyon, are presented as a musical tribute to their former teacher.

For the 500th anniversary of the Reformation a collection of all 35 hymns by Luther is being released on a double CD for the first time. The Lutheran hymns in choral settings and chorale cantatas from the 16th century to the present day (including works by Praetorius, Scheidt, Bach, Mendelssohn, Jennefelt, and Schwemmer) are performed by the Kammerchor Stuttgart under the direction of Frieder Bernius and the Athesinus Consort Berlin conducted by Klaus-Martin Bresgott. The choral settings are complemented by chorale arrangements for organ. Extensive liner notes with meditations on selected hymns by Margot Käßmann, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Markus Meckel, Judith Zander, Uwe Kolbe, and others complete the recordings.

September 17, 2016 marked 50 years since the death of one of the worlds greatest tenors, Fritz Wunderlich. Blessed with a crystal-clear voice, exquisite diction and a natural lyricism, Wunderlichs DG recordings form a special chapter in the labels history.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt The Complete Sony Recordings brings together for the first time Harnoncourt s complete recordings from 2002-2015 with his Concentus Musicus Wien, the Wiener Philharmonike, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Symphonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks. The Sony Classical edition features his famous symphony recordings of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Bruckner, alongside his celebrated performances of great choral works such as the Verdi, Brahms and Mozart Requiems and Haydn's Die Schöpfung, as well as Mozart's opera Zaide, Haydn's Orlando paladino and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Also included are previously authorized but unreleased recordings of J. S. Bach s Cantatas Nos. 26 & 36, Beethoven's Christus am Ölberge and Dvorák's Stabat Mater.

Fritz Wunderlich's lyricism, boundless musicianship and exquisite diction made him one of the great tenors of the 20th century. In September 2016, DG will commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death with the release of Complete Studio Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, a comprehensive 32CD box set of sacred works, opera and operetta, lieder and popular song. The collection includes Decca, Philips and Polydor recordings as well, several appearing internationally for the first time.

As a composer of instrumental music, Louis Spohr was second only to Beethoven in the category of widespread attention and recognition during the first half of the nineteenth century. After Beethoven's death in 1827 he was regarded by large segments of the music public as the greatest living composer. In 1828 the leading music critic Friedrich Rochlitz asked very rhetorically, 'Who else should now write symphonies?' Spohr was supposed to continue what Beethoven had begun. However, even then Spohr's symphonic music was recognized as the absolute opposite of the type of the Beethovian symphony. If genial musical license holds sway in Beethoven's oeuvre, then in Spohr classical order prevails.