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Concerto Köln
Concerto Köln is an ensemble specialising in music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The group formed in 1985, one of many groups associated with the surging interest in period instruments in that decade. Its members consisted mainly of recent graduates of conservatories from across Europe. They began touring the Continent, often making appearances at major festivals. In 1992 they founded the Cologne Festival of Early Music with the aid of Deutschland Radio. They receive no government subsidies, and do not have a permanent conductor, though the group has an artistic director, Martin Sandhoff. Among the concert masters is Evgeny Sviridov. Their repertory stretches from early Baroque on through the Classical Era and as far into the nineteenth century as Wagner. They have also done a number of collaborative works, such as a disc juxtaposing Turkish folk music with pieces in a Turkish style by composers such as Mozart. They have recorded frequently with, among others, R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rheingau Musik Festival
The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, in the wine-growing Rheingau region between Wiesbaden and Lorch. Initiative and realisation The festival was the initiative of Michael Herrmann, who has served as its Artistic Director and chief executive officer. Like the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival founded in 1986, the Rheingau festival was intended to add life to a region rich in musical heritage. The gothic church of Kiedrich houses the oldest playable organ in Germany and has its own "dialect" of Gregorian chant that dates back to 1333. In more recent times, the Rheingau has inspired composers such as Johannes Brahms, who composed his Symphony No. 3 in Wiesbaden and frequently stayed in Rüdesheim, and Richard Wagner, who worked on in Biebrich. To test the festival id ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many imitators and admirers. He pioneered many developments in orchestration, violin technique and Program music, programatic music. He consolidated the emerging concerto form into a widely accepted and followed idiom, which was paramount in the development of Johann Sebastian Bach's instrumental music. Vivaldi composed many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other musical instruments, as well as Sacred Music, sacred choral works and more than List of operas by Antonio Vivaldi, fifty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as ''The Four Seasons (Vivaldi), the Four Seasons''. Many of his compositions were written for the all-female music ensemble of the ''Ospedale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andreas Staier
Andreas Staier (born 13 September 1955 in Göttingen) is a German pianist and harpsichordist. Life Staier studied piano and harpsichord in the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover and Amsterdam. He studied piano with Kurt Bauer and Erika Haase, and harpsichord with Lajos Rovatkay. From 1983 to 1986 he was the harpsichord soloist for the ensemble Musica Antiqua Köln, touring frequently. At the same time he continued his studies in interpretation of classical and post-classical music on the fortepiano. He resigned from the ensemble in 1986 to embark on his solo career on both harpsichord and fortepiano. He became a touring fortepiano soloist, an accompanist for lieder, and a piano soloist for the ensemble Les Adieux. Between 1987 and 1996 he was Dozent for Cembalo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. Staier has gained a reputation as a distinguished harpsichordist, fortepiano soloist, and chamber music performer. His repertoire includes the music of the 17th, 18th and 19th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piano Concerto No
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboard, which is a row of keys (small levers) that the performer presses down or strikes with the fingers and thumbs of both hands to cause the hammers to strike the strings. It was invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori around the year 1700. Description The word "piano" is a shortened form of ''pianoforte'', the Italian term for the early 1700s versions of the instrument, which in turn derives from ''clavicembalo col piano e forte'' (key cimbalom with quiet and loud)Pollens (1995, 238) and ''fortepiano''. The Italian musical terms ''piano'' and ''forte'' indicate "soft" and "loud" respectively, in this context referring to the variations in volume (i.e., loudness) produced in response to a pianist's touch or pressure on the keys: the grea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Field (composer)
John Field (26 July 1782 – 23 January 1837), was an Irish pianist, composer, and teacher. Field is best known as the inventor of the nocturne. He was born in Dublin into a musical family, and received his early education there, in particular with the Italian composer Tommaso Giordani. The Fields soon moved to London, where Field studied under Muzio Clementi. Under his tutelage, Field quickly became a famous and sought-after concert pianist. Together, master and pupil visited Paris, Vienna, and St. Petersburg. Ambiguity surrounds Field's decision to remain in the former Russian capital, but it is likely that Field acted as a sales representative for the Clementi Pianos. Field was very highly regarded by his contemporaries and his playing and compositions influenced many major composers, including Frédéric Chopin, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Franz Liszt. Although little is known of Field in Russia, he undoubtedly contributed substantially to concerts and teaching, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Heinrich Graun
Carl Heinrich Graun (7 May 1704 – 8 August 1759) was a German composer and tenor. Along with Johann Adolph Hasse, he is considered to be the most important German composer of Italian opera of his time. Biography Graun was born in Wahrenbrück in the Electorate of Saxony. In 1714, he followed his brother, Johann Gottlieb Graun, to the school of the Kreuzkirche, Dresden, and sang in the Dresdner Kreuzchor and the chorus of the Dresden Opera. He studied singing with Christian Petzold and composition with Johann Christoph Schmidt. In 1724, Graun moved to Braunschweig, singing at the opera house and writing six operas for the company. In 1735, Graun moved to Rheinsberg in Brandenburg, after he had written the opera ''Lo specchio della fedeltà'' for the marriage of the then crown prince Frederick (the Great) and Elisabeth Christine in Schloss Salzdahlum in 1733. He was ''Kapellmeister'' to Frederick the Great from his ascension to the throne in 1740 until Graun's death nineteen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaetano Brunetti
Gaetano Brunetti or Cayetano Brunetti (1744 in Fano – 16 December 1798 near Madrid) was a prolific Italian born composer active in Spain under kings Charles III and IV. Though he was musically influential at court and, to a lesser extent, throughout parts of western Europe, very little of his music was published during his lifetime, and not much more has been published since his death. The majority of Brunetti's output (451 pieces) consists of chamber music designed for small ensembles and symphonies for the royal chamber orchestra. His music, with its graceful melodies and periodic phrasing, respects early classical forms and conventions but also incorporates some more progressive and eclectic elements. The dearth of modern editions of Brunetti's compositions has helped limit the number of recordings of his work to a mere handful of releases, including a collection of three symphonies performed by Concerto Köln on the Capriccio record label and a group of string quartet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francesco Durante
Francesco Durante (31 March 1684 – 30 September 1755) was a Neapolitan composer. Biography He was born at Frattamaggiore, in the Kingdom of Naples, and at an early age he entered the '' Conservatorio dei poveri di Gesù Cristo'', in Naples, where he received lessons from Gaetano Greco. Later he became a pupil of Alessandro Scarlatti at the Conservatorio di Sant'Onofrio. He is also supposed to have studied under Bernardo Pasquini and Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni in Rome, but there is no documentary evidence. He is said to have succeeded Scarlatti in 1725 at '' Sant' Onofrio'', and to have remained there until 1742, when he succeeded Porpora as head of the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, also in Naples. This post he held for thirteen years, till his death in Naples. He was married three times. His fame as a teacher was considerable, and Niccolò Jommelli, Giovanni Paisiello, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Niccolò Piccinni and Leonardo Vinci were amongst his pupils. As a tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giulio Cesare
''Giulio Cesare in Egitto'' (; , HWV 17), commonly known as ''Giulio Cesare'', is a dramma per musica ('' opera seria'') in three acts composed by George Frideric Handel for the Royal Academy of Music in 1724. The libretto was written by Nicola Francesco Haym who used an earlier libretto by Giacomo Francesco Bussani, which had been set to music by Antonio Sartorio (1676). The opera was a success at its first performances, was frequently revived by Handel in his subsequent opera seasons and is now one of the most often performed Baroque operas. The opera's plot is loosely based on historic events during the Roman Civil War of 49–45 BC. Composition history ''Giulio Cesare in Egitto'' was first performed at the King's Theatre in the Haymarket, London on 20 February 1724. The opera was an immediate success. A contemporary wrote in a letter on 10 March 1724: ...the opera is in full swing also, since Hendell's new one, called Jules César – in which Cenesino and Cozzun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schleicht, Spielende Wellen, BWV 206
' (Glide, O sparkling waves and murmur softly), BWV 206, is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig and first performed on 7 October 1736. History and text Bach composed this cantata for the birthday of Augustus III of Poland and Elector of Saxony. It was first performed in Leipzig, Saxony, on 7 October 1736. A second performance took place on 3 August 1740. The librettist of the work is unknown, but was likely Picander. The cantata is counted among the works Bach wrote for celebrations of Leipzig University, ''Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern''. Scoring and structure The cantata features four solo vocal parts, representing rivers: (soprano), (alto), (tenor), and ( bass). The cantata is also scored for four-part choir, three flutes, two oboes, two oboes d'amore, three trumpets, timpani, 1st and 2nd violins, violas, and basso continuo. It has eleven movements: #Chorus: ' #Recitative (bass): ' #Aria (bass): ' #Recitative (tenor): ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Auf, Schmetternde Töne Der Muntern Trompeten, BWV 207a
' (Arise, blaring tones of high-spirited trumpets), BWV 207.2 (previously BWV 207a), is a secular cantata composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and likely premiered in 1735. It utilizes the music from the third movement of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major. Composition This cantata was composed for the name day of the Elector of Saxony, King Augustus III of Poland which was celebrated on 3 August. The work was likely premiered in Leipzig in 1735. It is largely based on an earlier secular cantata ''Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten'', BWV 207.1, which was first performed in 1726. It is counted among the works Bach wrote for celebrations of the Leipzig University, ''Festmusiken zu Leipziger Universitätsfeiern''. Scoring and structure The cantata is scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, two flauto traverso, two oboes d'amore, tenor oboe (taille), bassoon, two violins, viola, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harmonia Mundi France
Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''harmonia mundi'' translates as "harmony of the world". History In the 1950s, two music entrepreneurs, Frenchman Bernard Coutaz and German Rudolf Ruby, met by chance on a train journey and started a friendship based on their musical interests. They formed a business relationship and set up two classical music record labels, both named ''Harmonia Mundi ''. Coutaz's Harmonia Mundi (France) was founded in Saint-Michel-de-Provence, France, in 1958, and around the same time, Rudolf Ruby set up Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. The two labels shared similar aims and specialised in recordings of Early and Baroque music, with an emphasis on scholarly, historically informed performance and high-quality sound and production values. They also shared the ''Harmo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
