Cappella Coloniensis

Emma Kirkby, who is about to celebrate her 60th birthday in 2009, is one of the world’s most renowned early music specialists. She has been voted artist of the year by Classic FM Radio listeners and in 2007 was ranked number 10 in a survey done by BBC Music Magazine to find the 20 Greatest Sopranos. With her intelligence, her uniquely beautiful voice and her brilliant performing technique her concerts always become an unforgettable experience. She feels the most at home with Renaissance and Baroque repertoire so Phoenix Edition is privileged to have her perform on this disc of baroque gems.

In Handel’s Latin motet “Silete, venti” she gives a virtuoso example of her art. Since the work cannot have been written for the Anglican Church service, the supposition remains that Handel wrote it especially for one of his much-loved female vocal virtuosi from the opera company.

Emma Kirkby’s colleague Sophie Boulin is no less a virtuoso, as is proved by the cantatas by Bach and Hasse. The occasion and the exact circumstances for the creation of Bach’s cantatas “Non sa che sia dolore” BWV 209 are not known; possibly the piece was even written by another composer.

“La Gelosia” (“Jealousy”), the solo cantata written in 1762 by Johann Adolf Hasse and based on a text by his preferred librettist Pietro Metastasio, conveys in exemplary fashion an impression of the style of the courtly aristocratic Italian opera.

This CD brings together repertoire that is not often performed. The Cappella Coloniensis made this recording in the 80s staying true to historical performance practice, defining the large symphonic sound by the seek, clear sound from original instruments.

At least in the case of Joseph Martin Kraus there has been a reappraisal: this Mozart contemporary is regarded today as a significant composer with his own, idiosyncratic musical language. Nevertheless the Cappella Coloniensis aimed to fill a gap with this disc, taking the listener on a journey to discover the symphonies that were composed and played during the time of Haydn and Mozart.

The flute was an extremely popular solo instrument throughout the 18th century – both in its older form, the recorder, and its more modern variation, the transverse flute. All the pieces on this disc were written for the transverse flute mixed with a variety of other instruments. Telemann’s Concerto in E minor juxtaposes the transverse flute with the recorder, as a farewell to the old and a welcome to the new, and Fasch’s Concerto in G major is for the somewhat unusual combination for transverse flute and oboe.

The soloists and the conductor on this recording have all contributed to the history of German flute performances. Hans-Martin Linde has been a pioneer of recorder music since the 1950s as well as a successful conductor and Günther Höller and Konrad Hünteler are both virtuosos on their respective instruments.

The Cappella Coloniensis are always on the lookout for forgotten, pushed aside music and a challenge. For this new disc of overtures they perform works by four composers of the same era as Bach, Handel, Telemann and Vivaldi. Whilst these four are well known names, Heinichen, Graupner, Fasch and Graun are often overshadowed by their more well known baroque contemporaries, despite sharing a similar success.

The colourfully orchestrated overtures and orchestral suites give the soloists in the Cappella ample opportunity to present their virtuosity.

In 1804 it was announced in the press that Joseph Haydn had died. Luigi Cherubini, who felt a particular connection with Haydn after he was welcomed by him in Vienna, decided that he would write a dirge in honour of the deceased master. It later transpired to be a newspaper hoax and Haydn went on to live for five more years. Coupled with this memorial cantata is Cherubini‘s Symphony in D major.

This new disc on Phoenix Edition is a compilation of one of the most famous symphonies by Joseph Haydn, the “Oxford Symphony” No. 92 and other less popular works.

By recording of one of Haydn’s late Symphonies, which is usually performed by large symphony orchestras, the audience is directly presented with the differences and benefits of historical performance practice. By recording less known works such as the two solo cantatas, the traditional assignment of the Cappella was fulfilled, which was to uncover neglected treasures of music history and bring them out into the open.

This disc features two important Clarinet Concertos by father and son Johann and Carl Stamitz. The works on this exemplary recording are performed by the Cappella Coloniensis with Hans Deinzer and Jann Engel. Hans Deinzer is one of the most influential soloists and teachers of the 20th century.

Carl Stamitz wrote 11 Clarinet Concertos but the Concerto for 2 solo Clarinets recorded on this CD takes prime position. It was originally published for clarinet and violin but it was not until the 20th century that this opus returned to its original form, the sound Stamitz had intended. The music of Johann Stamitz marks the transition from Baroque to the Classical era, and his Clarinet Concerto is renowned for being one of the first ‘real’ concertos written for the instrument.

In the 80’s, the Cappella Coloniensis succeeded in attracting renowned conductor and Baroque opera specialist William Christie to collaborate on a studio recording of Johann Adolf Hasse’s opera Cleofide. Christie readily accepted the invitation by the WDR [the West German Broadcasting Corporation] to work with the Cappella Coloniensis and the result was a highly praised, award-winning recording that set high standards for the interpretation of Baroque opera literature.

The recording features a stunning cast hand picked from the ‘crème de la crème’ of virtuoso Baroque opera singers. Emma Kirkby, Agnès Mellon, Randall K. Wong, Derek Lee Ragin, Dominique Visse and David Cordier lead the ensemble to convey the game of love, power, jealously, and morale to the listener in such a breath-taking manner.

For the first time, highlights from Cleofide have been put together for Phoenix Edition.