Nurnberger

As a skilled practitioner of his craft, Joseph Labitzky gained global acclaim for his waltz and polka compositions. He was a conductor and orchestra manager who transformed the musical entertainment of the spa in Karlsbad (today: Karlovy Vary) into a spa orchestra, later to evolve into the present-day Karlsbad Symphony Orchestra through his efforts and the contributions of his son, August. His programming expertise engaged audiences with a wide variety of light music, operas, symphonies, choral-orchestral pieces, and chamber music. The inherent invitation to dance within his musical creations is unmistakable!

Conductor Christian Simonis, along with the Nuremberg Symphony, presents popular pieces by Carl Millöcker, who was born in Vienna in 1842. Millöcker certainly numbers amongst one of the most important creative personalities of the Golden Years of the Viennese operetta era.

The internationally sought-after Swedish lutenist Magnus Andersson undertakes a musical journey to 16th century Nuremberg with these world premiere recordings. Songs, dances and chansons, but also intavolations of sacred music by Adolf Blindhamer, Hans Gerle, Michael Eysertt as well as Hans, Conrad and Melchior Newsidler evoke the feeling of strolling through the bustling streets of the Renaissance city; the city where for almost a whole century an impressive amount of books for the lute were published, some with highly virtuosic arrangements from the hands of the most famous composers of the time.

Christian Simonis Austrian conductor, born 1956 in Vienna, Austria.

Eine Oper zu erzählen ist ein ganz besonderes Abenteuer. Das gesprochene Wort soll zum einen Bilder im Kopf erzeugen, die einer Inszenierung in einem echten Opernhaus nicht nachstehen. Zum anderen sollen die Gefühle und die Spannung, die im Gesang (oft noch in einer Fremdsprache) ausgedrückt werden, nochmals in Prosa wiedergegeben werden, ohne allzu viel zu wiederholen. Das Ensemble Neue Nürnberger Ratsmusik hat Glucks Orfeo in dieser Weise bearbeitet: Wenige Sänger haben jeweils mehrere Rollen wahrzunehmen, ein Sprecher ersetzt u. a. die entfallenden Rezitative. Das Ergebnis ist hier auf COVIELLO CLASSICS zu erleben und ein gelungenes Paradebeispiel für eine fokussierte Kammerfassung.