Charlotte Schmitt

We congratulate Ludger Brümmer on winning the Honorary Award of the German Record Critics' Award.

Orbe Rotundo – From Life, Magic and Death - for vocal solos, choir and orchestra is a scenic picture book on the liturgical year based on Latin and medieval texts. The 50-minute work has the same instrumentation as Orff's "Carmina Burana" and is conceived as its sister work and modern update. We spoke with the composer Enjott Schneider about his work.

The percussionist Leonie Klein has dedicated herself to contemporary music and is active both as a soloist and in the ensemble. With her interpretations, she creates completely new worlds of sound. We talked to Leonie Klein about her musical world.

 

It is impossible to imagine the music scene of the past 40 years without the presence of the cellist Julius Berger. Born in Augsburg, he has enriched the music world in myriad ways as a performer, a teacher, and a thinker who explores ideas beyond the “beaten path”. Among other things, he made a significant contribution to the literature of his instrument with his discovery and first recording of Luigi Boccherini's concertos, as well as through his commitment to new music through numerous world premieres.

The Polar Music Prize 2022 is awarded to the Ensemble intercontemporain. The Paris-based Ensemble, founded by Pierre Boulez in 1976, is specialized in the performance of contemporary music. Ensemble intercontemporain is the “Stradivarius of modern music”, according to the jury.

The Polar Music Prize is one of the most important music prizes in the world. It is awarded by the Swedish king and is therefore considered the unofficial "Nobel Prize for Music".

The ceremony will take place in Stockholm on May 24, 2022.

Ondřej Adámek: Nôise for large ensemble
Anthony Cheung: Dystemporal for twenty-three musicians
Johannes Boris Borowski: Fagottkonzert

crossroads
Works for cello solo by Sándor Veress, Ursula Mamlok, Marcel Mihalovici, A. Adnan Saygun and Alberto Ginastera

During the past centuries, the violoncello as a solo instrument has increasingly been entrusted with virtuoso works of strong character. This instrument, like no other, can sing of the different emotional states, describe landscapes, lament hardships, and extend an invitation to dance. The works brought together on this CD bear witness to this.

crossroads – Works for cello solo
Adele Bitter: cello

On the death of the composer Mikis Theodorakis – "I composed knowing that one can overcome the limits of human existence only through imagination, inspiration and intuition." Diversely inspired and inspiring, composer Mikis Theodorakis became an artistic and political folk hero, the sonic synonym of Greece. From his political songs, his megahit, the film music for "Alexis Zorba", but also the countless operas, symphonies, choral works, etc., it is clear how diverse forms his artistic ideas could take. For more than three decades we have had a close collaboration with the composer, which has resulted in countless recordings. At the age of 96, Mikis Theodorakis died yesterday, September 2, 2021 in Athens. His music remains and there are still many surprises to discover in it.

Mikis Theodorakis: An obituary

The WERGO CD "Filz" with compositions by Enno Poppe has been awarded the Quarterly German Record Critics’ Award, List of Best Recordings 3/2021, category "Contemporary Classical Music".

Complex glissando structures, microtonal friction, highly differentiated vibrato: the viola concerto “Filz“ by Enno Poppe, composed in 2013/14 for Tabea Zimmermann and the Hamburg Ensemble Resonanz, places the highest of demands on the performers. In this premiere recording, a web of tonal sensuality is woven. The great soloist, Siemens Music Prize winner 2020, designs a dramaturgically concise sequence. With “Stoff” and “Wald” too, composed for Ensemble Resonanz, Poppe presents himself as a true string expert. Along the way, it becomes clear how much this arrangement enriches musical life. (for the jury: Marco Frei)

Enno Poppe: Filz
Interpreters: Tabea Zimmermann / Ensemble Resonanz
WER 73992

Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012) is certainly one of the most versatile and important composers of the 20th century. Throughout all creative phases, many of his works have become an integral part of the repertoire on opera and orchestra stages. The WERGO label accompanied Henze for decades with excellent reference recordings, making his music accessible to many people worldwide. Today would have been Henze's 95th birthday. We send joyful greeting to this free spirit!

La Cubana oder Ein Leben für die Kunst
The English Cat
Une petite phrase / Lucy Escott Variations / Cherubino/ 6 Stücke für junge Pianisten / Variationen op. 13 / Sonata
Drei sinfonische Etüden / Quattro Poemi / Nachtstücke und Arien / La selva incantata
Scorribanda sinfonica / Antifone / 1. Klavierkonzert
Boulevard Solitude Zwischenspiele / Ballett-Variationen / Kammerkonzert / Concertino / Rosa Silber
Pollicino
Ein Landarzt / Das Ende einer Welt
Aristaeus / Orpheus behind the Wire
El Cimarrón
Symphonies 7 & 8
Sinfonia N. 9
Symphonies 3-5
Symphonies 2 & 10
Hommages
Being Beauteous / Kammermusik 1958
Heliogabalus Imperator
Unanswered Love
Works for Double Bass

Three WERGO CDs have been nominated for the OPUS Klassik 2021:

Giacinto Scelsi: Suite 8 & 11 per pianoforte
Sabine Liebner: piano
WER 73282

Enno Poppe: Stoff
Hannah Weirich: violin / Dirk Rothbrust: drumset / Ensemble Musikfabrik / Enno Poppe: conductor
WER 73952

Younghi Pagh-Paan: Seidener Faden – Silken Thread
E-MEX Ensemble / Christoph Maria Wagner: conductor
WER 73972

The OPUS KLASSIK 2021 will be awarded on October 10, 2021 in the Konzerthaus Berlin.
www.opusklassik.de