Fils / L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra / Gaigg - Symphonies - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Schubert / Shostakovitch / Salzburg Chamber - Schubert Death and the Maiden / Shostakovich Chamber Symphony [COMPACT DISCS] date 02/17/2017

At a time when the world situation is changing drastically and fear, worry and negativity reign, many people feel tired and overwhelmed. With InchHOPEInch, the of various spiritual and gospel songs, the duo Praxedis would like to set an antipole to let hope and confidence flow into people's hearts. For the first time, they are dedicating themselves to the fascinating world of sacred, heavenly songs from America and have written their own arrangements for the duo genre of the two solo instruments harp and piano, which was popular in the 19th century. The complexity of the poetry in the 23 songs allows for different moods and interpretations. On the one hand, there are allusions to the social situation alongside a belief in the hereafter. The call to protest stands alongside the longing for freedom. The belief in a higher power stands alongside the need for a leader to save us from enslavement by the events of the world. Just as it was today when the songs were written. Living on multiple planes of existence as a citizen of the earth is becoming increasingly oppressive, with well-defined structures as a projection screen for the social cliche that society makes of us all. While songs used to be performed as a vocal construct with accompanying instruments, the interpretation with harp & piano dusts off the religious scheme of the time by omitting the singing voice and emphasizes the topicality of the works, which deal with themes of the human longing for love, light and peace, through spherical harp sounds in dialogue with sparkling piano dynamics.

Franz Xaver Richter, along with Johann Stamitz, is regarded as one of the driving forces of the so-called Mannheim School and the renowned Court Orchestra that was founded thanks to Prince Elector Carl Theodor of the Palatinate. In contrast to his equally influential colleagues, he represented a more reserved type of composer, clearly rooted in Baroque music, which may have hindered his own career, but certainly did not damage the reputation of this epoch-making circle of musicians. Consequently, this portrait presents us with an astonishingly broad spectrum of musical expression. There is no shortage of contrapuntal composition, lively gallantries, or examples of subtle genre pieces, which indulge in capricious playfulness with programmatic indications-ensuring an enjoyable listening experience.