Various Artists - Brandenburg Project - SUPER-AUDIO CD [Super Audio CD (SACD)]

Spiritoso - Italian for spirited, humorous, witty - is the latest title in MDG's Classical References series. Bursting with 25 sonic surprises from theatres, concert halls, cathedrals and salons on high-resolution Super Audio CD, it includes an additional CD as well as an informative booklet. The sheer overwhelming original ambient sound created by MDG's three-dimensional 2+2+2 recording technology is legendary amongst hi-fi enthusiasts, audiophile connoisseurs and music fans.

The work of pianist Jörg Demus was one of the most important musical exports of Austria after the end of the Second World War. In addition to many other musical partners Demus also entertained a very fruitful collaboration with the established Salzburg violinist Thomas Albertus Irnberger, which is documented on the occasion of his death with 90 years in April 2019 with this 3-album collection with mostly unpublished recordings. In addition to Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Sonatas No. 1 in D major Op. 12 No. 1, No. 5 in F major Op. 24 and No. 6 in A major Op. 30 No. 1, there are two Sonatas for violin and piano by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 1016/1017), the Three Romances Op. 94 by Robert Schumann and the famous Sonatina in G major Op. 100 by Antonin Dvorak. The fact that Jörg Demus, in addition to his extensive concert tours and engagements as lecturer, appeared also as a composer in the last decades of his life is only known to proven connoisseurs. On the second album one can hear his Sonatas for Violin and Piano Op. 7 InchGahberg SonataInch, Op. 35 InchIl tramontoInch and Op. 48 InchSonata sylvestre / Forest SonataInch.

In musical notation in Germany, the letter 'h' is used to represent the note b natural. So, the name 'Bach' forms an elegant phrase of two pairs of falling semitones. This proved an inspiration to Johann Sebastian, whose musical 'signature' appears again and again throughout his extensive output. Two shining examples are included on this album - the 'unfinished fugue' Contrapunctus XIV à 4 from Die Kunst der Fuge (as completed by Lionel Rogg) and the exquisite Ricercar à 6 from Musikalisches Opfer. Bach's signature - as well as musical invention - has directly influenced scores of other composers down the years, as evidenced by the works included here, from Mendelssohn to Karg-Elert. The organist and, from 2008 until 2021, Assistant Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, Simon Johnson has used his knowledge and insight to construct this program to demonstrate the extraordinary range and scope of the cathedral's organ. Expertly recorded by the Chandos technical team, this album provides an outstanding testament to this fine instrument and to the unique acoustic of the world-renowned cathedral in which it sits.