Hamburg Ratsmusik · Awake, my Spirit

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EUR 22,00
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Hamburg Ratsmusik:
Wach auf mein Geist

The Hamburg Ratsmusik Ensemble
performs works from the Appendix to the "Dresden Gesangbuch"
of 1649 and Johann Rist's "Himlische Lieder",
printed in Lüneburg 1641/1642.

Klaus Mertens (Bass Baritone),
Simone Eckert (Descant- and bass viola da gamba),
Ulrich Wedemeier (Theorbo).

A concert recording from the church of the German
UNESCO World Heritage Site Maulbronn Monastery

HD Recording · DDD · c. 55 Minutes

Previews

Art Movie(s)

Work(s) & Performance

W

ho would ever have thought it... in a highly appealing, even noble way, this Hamburg Ratsmusik performance encourages us to take a look at certain values that appear to be losing their merit more and more today due to the wide influence of our environment. Listening to this concert, it is touching and, indeed, perhaps even comforting for us to discover values like grace, humility and noble-mindedness, which in those days were as important as efficiency, effectiveness and achievement are today. For me personally, this is one of the most beautiful and appealing chamber music concerts in the entire Maulbronn Monastery series.

Josef-Stefan Kindler

T

he “Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien” (One hundred charming and especially religious airs), printed in Dresden in 1694, tell of the breath of God as symbolised by the winds Africus and Caurus and of “the silken soft West that leaves its kisses on the roses”. This collection is an appendix to the Dresden Gesangbuch and appeared 18 years after the latter; its editor, the composer Christoph Bernhard, did not live to see it in print.
The songs were not meant to be sung by the parish congregation – a delicate subject anyway during the tense times of Augustus the Strong’s conversion to Catholicism. They were for the private Protestant religious services of the other members of the Royal Family. The melodies are more elaborate than those usual in other ecclesiastical music of the time, the bass parts are highly imaginative and the individual ritornellos are remarkable.
There is another collection of 17th century songs that is dedicated to the same theme – Johann Rist’s “Himlische Lieder” printed in Lüneburg in 1641/2 and set to music by Johann Schop, the Hamburg City “Rath” (or Council) musician. Both men were friends of Christoph Bernhard, who used his connections as a favourite pupil of Heinrich Schützen to arrange for them to meet the famous Kapellmeister on his journey up to Copenhagen.

Performer(s)

K

laus Mertens works with many important names in “Early Music”, as it is generally known – specialists like Ton Koopman, Frans Brüggen, Nicholas McGegan, Philippe Herreweghe, René Jacobs, Sigiswald Kuijken, Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. He also works with many well-known classical conductors - Gary Bertini, Herbert Blomstedt and Sir Roger Norrington, for example. This has resulted in some very successful work with famous orchestras, including the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, the Concertgebouw Orchester Amsterdam, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, all the big Berlin orchestras, as well as Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic, Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
Klaus Mertens is very well known and greatly in demand, particularly as an interpreter of the Baroque oratorio. He has repeatedly made recordings of Bach’s main vocal works with different conductors. In October 2003, he completed a recording of Bach’s entire cantatas. This was a ten-year project connected with extensive concert tours in Europe, America and Japan and marked a high point in his singing career. This was the first time ever that a singer had recorded the entire vocal works of Johann Sebastian Bach and also performed them in concert.

U

lrich Wedemeier first studied classical guitar under Klaus Hempel at the University of Music and Theatre in Hanover. This was followed by the study of lute instruments under Stephen Stubbs. Besides performing as a soloist and a member of early music ensembles in international concerts, he also makes CD and radio recordings a regular focus of his work. Ulrich Wedemeier is much in demand as a guest at many opera houses. He is a specialist in historical guitars, playing rare 18th and 19th century original instruments.

S

imone Eckert studied music under Professor Ingrid Stampa at the Hamburg University of Music, then at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis under Hannelore Mueller and Jordi Savall. After being awarded her Diploma in Early Music, she founded the Hamburg Ratsmusik Ensemble in 1991. She has been lecturing in music at the Hamburg Conservatory since 1992 and also holds various seminars in viola da gamba in Germany and England. She is an editor of Early Music for publishing houses such as Dovehouse Editions, New York, the Merseburger Verlag, Kassel etc. Her regular engagements include performances with the Staatsoper Hamburg as well as performances as a soloist and head of ensemble all over Germany, in Japan and in many European countries.

Series & Edition

P

ublishing Authentic Classical Concerts entails for us capturing and recording outstanding performances and concerts for posterity. The performers, audience, opus and room enter into an intimate dialogue that in its form and expression, its atmosphere, is unique and unrepeatable. It is our aim, the philosophy of our house, to enable the listener to acutely experience every facet of this symbiosis, the intensity of the performance, so we record the concerts in direct 2-Track Stereo digital HD. The results are unparalleled interpretations of musical and literary works, simply - audiophile snapshots of permanent value. Flourishing culture, enthralling the audience and last but not least also you the listener, are the values we endeavor to document in our editions and series.

The concerts at the UNESCO World Heritage Maulbronn Monastery supply the ideal conditions for our aspirations. It is, above all, the atmosphere of the romantic, candle-lit arches, the magic of the monastery in its unadulterated sublime presence and tranquillity that impresses itself upon the performers and audience of these concerts. Renowned soloists and ensembles from the international arena repeatedly welcome the opportunity to appear here - enjoying the unparalleled acoustic and architectural beauty of this World Heritage Site, providing exquisite performances of secular and sacred music, documented by us in our Maulbronn Monastery Edition.

Andreas Otto Grimminger & Josef-Stefan Kindler, K&K Verlagsanstalt

Works, Movements & Tracklist

1. Konzertbeginn

2. Wach auf, mein Geist, erhebe dich
from: Himlische Lieder, Lüneburg 1641
Johann Schop (c.1590-1667)

3. Gott, der du mit großer Macht
from: Himlische Lieder, Lüneburg 1641
Johann Schop (c.1590-1667)

4. Merk auf, o sündig's Menschenkind
from: Himlische Lieder, Lüneburg 1641
Johann Schop (c.1590-1667)

5. O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid
from: Himlische Lieder, Lüneburg 1641
Johann Schop (c.1590-1667)

6. Suite in G-Moll
for viola da gamba and basso continuo
Aria - Sarabande - Aria Allegro
Gottfried Tielke (1668-c.1700)

7. Da du wolltest von mir ziehen
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

8. Die sterbenden Lilien
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

9. Prelude - Allemande - Courante
for Theorbo solo, from: Goess Ms, 1668
Christian Herwich (1609-1663)

10. Gleich wie ein junger Hirsch
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien" , Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

11. Allein nach dir, mein Herr und Gott
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

12. Gute Nacht! Du eitles Leben!
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

13. "Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut"
Variations for viola da gamba and basso continuo
August Kühnel (1645-c.1700)

14. Leb ich oder leb ich nicht
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

15. Ach, wie entgeistert sich mein Geist
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

16. Ballet
for discant viola da gamba and basso continuo
from: „’T Uitnement Kabinet“, Amsterdam ca. 1655
Johann Schop (ca.1590-1667)

17. Der Tag ist hin
from: "Hundert ahnmutig und sonderbar Geistliche Arien", Dresden 1694
Christoph Bernhard (1627-1692)

18. Alles vergehet, Musica bleibet bestehn
Alles, was irdisch ist, muß endlich vergehn
Musica bleibet in Ewigkeit bestehn.

Johann Rudolf Ahle (1625-1673)


Concert Date: June 15, 2006
A production by Andreas Otto Grimminger & Josef-Stefan Kindler in in cooperation with Jürgen Budday.
Sound Engineer: Andreas Otto Grimminger
Mastering: Andreas Otto Grimminger & Josef-Stefan Kindler
Design, Art & Images: Josef-Stefan Kindler

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