Copyright 2000 www.cosmopolis.ch Louis Gerber All rights
reserved.
Concerto Köln
- Concerto Koeln
Biography, history and CDs
Mannheim: The Golden Age Teldec, 2000. Get the CD from Amazon.de.
Concerto Köln
Concerto Köln was founded in 1985 by graduates from several European
music conservatories. Its members all specialize in performing on period
instruments and came together with the aim of rediscovering 17th and 18th
century orchestral and operatic music on the basis of historical performing
practice. Concerto Köln helped rediscover forgotten composers like
Joseph Martin Kraus, Antonio Locatelli and Johann Baptist Vanhal.
The ensemble receives no state funding and is a self-governing body.
Depending on the works performed and the forces involved, it also operates
without a conductor in its desire to create a close, chamber-like sense
of ensemble. The group's artistic director is Werner Ehrhardt.
The impressive list of awards won by Concerto Köln
1999 Premio Internazionale del Disco "Antonio
Vivaldi" for Dall'Abaco
Concerti (3984-22166-2); 1998 Jan 10 de Répertoire for Rosetti,
Symphonies II (0630-18301-2); 1997 Dec Diapason d'Or for Rosetti, Symphonies
II (0630-18301-2); 1997 Sep Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik Vierteljahresliste
3 / 97 for Mendelssohn: Complete String Symphonies (0630-17433-2); 1997
May 10 de Répertoire for Mendelssohn: String Symphonies (0630-13138-2);
1996 Cannes Classical Awards - Best 18th Century Recording for Mozart Piano
Concertos Nos. 9 &17 (4509-98412-2); Cannes Classical Awards - Best
17th/18th Century Orchestral Music Recording for Rosetti Symphonies (4509-98420-2);
1996 Dec 10 de Répertoire for Vanhal Symphonies (0630-13141-2);
1996 Dec Diapason d'Or for Vanhal Symphonies (0630-13141-2); 1996 June
10 de Répertoire for Mendelssohn String Symphonies (4509-98435-2);
1996 Feb Diapason d'Or for Mozart Piano Concertos (4509-98412-2); 1996
Jan 10 de Répertoire, for Mozart Piano Concertos (4509-98412-2).
Among the recent valuable CDs by Concerto Köln: Mendelssohn: String Symphonies Nos. 8, 9 & 10.
Wea/Teldec, July
1999. Get it from Amazon.com.
New CD by Concerto Köln: Mannheim. The Golden
Age (Teldec 3984283662)
On the CD Mannheim: The Golden Age the Concerto Köln under
the direction of Werner Ehrhardt have dedicated themselves to the lightweight
and at the same time representative music at the court of Carl Theodor
of the Palatinate (1724-1799). His court orchestra was and is considered
the most famous ensemble of the 18th century. Founded by Johann Wenzel
Stamitz (1717-1757), the Mannheim Orchestra was praised by Friedrich Gottlieb
Klopstock and Christoph Martin Wieland as well as by the English musical
journalist Charles Burney (1773): "I found it to be indeed all that its
fame had made me expect: power will naturally arise from a great number
of hands; but the judicious use of this power, on all occasions, must be
the consequence of good discipline; indeed there are more solo players,
and good composers in this, than perhaps in any other orchestra in Europe..."
The young Mozart himself studied the art of ochestration with concert-master
Christian Cannabich (1731-1798) in Mannheim. On the CD Mannheim: The
Golden Age you can find works by Christian Cannabich, by Johann Stamitz
and his oldest son, Carl (1745-1801), by the pupil of Johann Stamitz and
cellist of the court orchestra, Anton Fils (1733-1760), as well as by Ignaz
Fränzl (1736-1811). Although the style at the court of Mannheim seems
to us at times unsophisticated, awkward and wooden, especially compared
to the works of Mozart, we should not forget that they were the avant garde
of their era and that they laid down the foundation for future developments
such as by Mozart. Once more, Concerto Köln offer as an important
piece of music history.
