Lavinia Meijer FANTASIES & IMPROMPTUS

FANTASIES & IMPROMPTUS

 

Sonja Leutwyler / Astrid Leutwyler / Benjamin Engeli HYMNE À LA BEAUTÈ

Hymne à la beauté' brings together rarely heard gems of chamber music in delightful arrangements for voice, violin and piano, passionately performed by the aspiring and outstanding Swiss artists Sonja Leutwyler (mezzo soprano), Astrid Leutwyler (violin) and Benjamin Engeli (piano). This programme of discoveries features captivating works by Louis Spohr, Johannes Brahms, Charles Ives, Camille Saint-Saëns, Felix Petyrek, Czesaw Marek and Ottorino Respighi. On a special commission for this CD, the Swiss composer Martin Wettstein has composed the piece 'Hymne à la beauté (hymn to beauty)' for mezzo soprano, violin and piano after a poem by Charles Baudelaire.

Eldering Ensemble REISELUST

We are greeted by a slender and lively sound of the piano trio when we listen to the debut GENUIN release of the Eldering Ensemble. In addition to Beethoven's "Ghost Trio" and Mendelssohn's dark Trio in C minor, two of the major works in the repertoire, there is a Duetto by Louis Spohr, of which a recording is not yet available. This album features the world premiere recording of the new Urtext edition, insightfully played by the young, highly acclaimed musicians with verve. It is a debut album that will make any listener want to hear more! "Chamber music with joy" (General Anzeiger Bonn) is how performances by the Eldering Ensemble have been described by audiences and critics alike. Named after Bram Eldering, the celebrated violinist, chamber musician and pedagogue of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the ensemble's repertoire unites three equally demanding chamber music genres: the piano trio, string trio and piano quartet. The Eldering ensemble's unique and varied programs strike a balance between excitement, contrast and wit while it's interpretations captivate through their musical spontaneity, clarity and elegance of sound.

Andreas Ottensamer PORTRAITS The Clarinet Album

In February 2013 Andreas Ottensamer entered an exclusive recording partnership with Deutsche Grammophon/Mercury Classics, making him the first ever solo clarinettist to sign an exclusive agreement with the Yellow Label. His first album, Portraits – The Clarinet Album, has been released in June 2013 and features concertos by Copland, Spohr and Cimarosa, plus arrangements of short pieces. His partners are the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

He said of the recording: “This album poses the challenge of jumping between different styles and ways of playing, but at the same time I set a high priority on maintaining my personal interpretation and sound.”

For a man who is so dedicated to music, Andreas Ottensamer is also passionate about sport. For many years he was a tennis tournament player, and together with his brother he founded his own football club, the Wiener Virtuosen, in 2007. The team plays successfully in the Wiener DSG league and Ottensamer still travels to Vienna for matches whenever his schedule permits.

Apart from his extensive activities within the world of classical music, Andreas Ottensamer has widened his horizon to other musical fields, resulting in a collaboration and recording with Tori Amos on her album Night of Hunters.

Andreas Ottensamer is very passionate about chamber music. He is artistic director of the "Buergenstock Momente" - Festival in Switzerland together with pianist José Gallardo. Artists such as Nils Mönkemeyer, Clemens & Veronika Hagen, Albrecht Mayer, Linus Roth, Danjulo Ishizaka, Benjamin Schmid and the Szymanovksi Quartet have been part of the festival.

The beauty of tone and distinct musicality over a wide range of styles have won extensive critical plaudits for Andreas Ottensamer. Sybill Mahlke wrote in Der Tagesspiegel of his “limitless dynamic range . . . he plays with a vitality that pushes boundaries.” NRC Handelsblad said: “Andreas Ottensamer melts with his clarinet . . . he is an ‘übersolist’ and a phenomenon.” Rebecca Schmid wrote for MusicalAmerica.com: “Solo clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer played with particular finesse . . . and a touch of melancholy.”