Regula Mühlemann / Tatiana Korsunskaya LIEDER DER HEIMAT

With her first two albums, Ms. Mühlemann established her reputation as a rising opera star and concert singer. In 2016, the young Swiss soprano impressed with Mozart Arias (she won the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik with her debut album). In her following album, Cleopatra, Ms. Mühlemann performed arias by Handel and Vivaldi brilliantly and was awarded an Opus Klassik for it. On her third album she presents herself as an artistically expressive Lieder singer with a rich repertoire. Born and residing in Switzerland, the musician has dedicated a large part of her new album, Lieder der Heimat, to unknown Swiss composers, along with well-known works by Franz Schubert.

As the album title suggests, the themes of home, nature, hiking, farewell and longing form the leitmotif of the programme, which Mühlemann recorded with her long-standing accompanist Tatiana Korsunskaya. It was clear to the interpreter from the start that Franz Schubert would play an essential role in this: “Schubert’s settings show that home and nature are inseparably linked. That the image of nature evokes a strong sense of homeland in people, no matter where they come from”. For the clarinet part in the famous “Der Hirt auf dem Felsen”, Daniel Ottensamer, solo clarinettist of the Vienna Philharmonic joined her, and Konstantin Timokhine, solo hornist with the Basel Chamber Orchestra, plays in “Auf dem Strom”.

The romantic and late romantic works in all four Swiss national languages have largely been recorded for the first time. Some of these songs were probably only now sung again since their creation. They are penned by the following Swiss composers: Wagner friend Wilhelm Baumgartner, Othmar Schoeck, Richard Flury, Emil Frey, Richard Langer, Friedrich Niggli, Marguerite Roesgen-Champion and Walther Geiser. The “Old Guggisberger song” is one of the most famous Swiss folk songs.

Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Yannick Nézet-Séguin MOZART Die Zauberflöte

“So many people”, notes Yannick Nézet-Séguin, “when they think ‘Mozart opera’, think of The Magic Flute. Since the beginning, since its creation, this work has always reached different kinds of audiences. It’s just one greatest hit after another”. Each of his cast’s singers owns the rare blend of vocal shading, dramatic presence and psychological insight needed to bring Mozart’s magical characters to life.

The conductor himself was praised by mundoclasico.com for conducting an “excellent” concert production of The Magic Flute at Baden-Baden with his “characteristic precision, musicality, expressive power and energy”, and for treating every nuance and every tiny but meaningful and performance-enhancing detail with “attention, love and dedication”. The same review also hailed Rolando Villazon’s first foray into the baritone repertoire, noting that “his vocal and dramatic gifts lent themselves perfectly to the comic role of Pagageno”. 

Villazón conceived the idea for Deutsche Grammophon’s Mozart cycle in 2011 while performing Don Giovanni at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden with the COE and Maestro Nézet-Séguin. He developed the project in partnership with the conductor and DG, brought ROLEX on board as generous supporters, and has served as its joint artistic consultant from its inception. Four of the five recordings released so far have received Grammy nominations, with Le nozze di Figaro winning a prestigious Echo Klassik Award in 2017.

“This is my most ambitious artistic project to date”, recalls Villazón. “I’ve never fallen in love with any composer like this before!” Since launching the enterprise eight years ago with Don Giovanni, he has performed in each release, embracing everything from Ferrando in Così fan tutte to the title-role in La clemenza di Tito.

The Magic Flute was first performed at the Theater auf der Wieden, outside the ancient city walls of Vienna, in September 1791, barely two months before Mozart’s premature death. The show ran for over 100 performances within its first season and soon became a hit throughout Europe and beyond. It mixes music and spoken dialogue, humour and pathos, mystery and mankind’s search for wisdom. The opera balances earthy comedy with an exploration of the nature of individual freedom, fraternity, enlightened leadership and unconditional love, all expressed in music of simplicity and beauty. “I very much like the perspective of doing The Magic Flute now,” Nézet-Séguin reflects, “because it throws light on all the operas we’ve already recorded.”

Chamber Orchestra of Europe / Yannick Nézet-Séguin MOZART La Clemenza di Tito

This is the fifth instalment of DG’s series of seven Mozart operas conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and initiated by Rolando Villazón, in collaboration with Festspielhaus Baden Baden and with the generous support of ROLEX For La Clemenza di Tito, Mozart’s last opera about the benevolent Emperor Titus who pardons an attempt on his own life, Rolando and Yannick – new music director of the MET – are joined by outstanding partners: A stellar cast in every role and specialist handpicked orchestra playing at their best in the stunning venue of Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Rolando adds yet another intriguing Mozart role to his already large discography. This time it is his role debut as Tito, reinforcing again his love for Mozart: “No composer has spoken to as directly as Mozart. I feel like I have a soul mate in him.”

In addition Rolando has been named Artistic Director of the Salzburg Mozart Week Previous productions in this series are: Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Grammy Award Nomination) and Le Nozze di Figaro (Grammy Award Nomination & Echo Klassik Award).

Yannick Nézet-Séguin / Chamber Orchestra of Europe / RIAS Kammerchor MENDELSSOHN Symphonies 1 - 5

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the European Reformation, started by Martin Luther in 1517. To honor this occasion, Deutsche Grammophon is releasing a new interpretation of the complete Mendelssohn symphonies, crowned by a recording of the Reformation Symphony No. 5.

The symphonies were recorded in February 2016 during a celebrated Mendelssohn festival over the course of two days at the Philharmonie de Paris - all under the baton of young, exciting conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Designate of the Metropolitan Opera New York.

This release is the first complete symphonic cycle to be recorded at the new Philharmonie de Paris, which opened in January 2015!

For this recording, Christopher Hogwood's editions of the symphonies were chosen because of their particular importance for the Reformation symphony:

Mendelssohn, the often self-critical (and self-revising!) composer, who "in the process of trying to reduce the work to a length suitable for its celebratory function, [he] cut out one entire movement preceding the Finale, a passage that expands on the flute cadenza and prepares the arrival of the chorale theme with more engaging musical drama". (Christopher Hogwood)

The original version of the work may now be listened to in its entirety!

This release underlines a strong ongoing collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe that already culminated in a successful release of the complete Schumann symphonies (March 2014) and the continuing Mozart Opera Cycle. Two instalments of the latter have been nominated for a Grammy: Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Entführung aus dem Serail. (Presto Classical)

Regula Mühlemann / Kammerorchester Basel / Umberto Benedetti Michelangeli MOZART Arias

Regula Mühlemann was born in Lucerne, Switzerland where she currently resides. She completed her studies at the Conservatory of Lucerne in 2010 graduating with distinction. In June 2012 she completed her master studies «Solo Performance» - again with distinction and top marks.

2013 has proved to be a pivotal year for the young artist and Regula is now emerging as a leading soprano of her generation. She began the year with her debut at the Theater an der Wien singing Isolier in Rossini's Le Comte Ory. Regula then returned to the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus in a new production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte for their first Easter Festival, led by Sir Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The 2012/13 season began in Berlin with Regula singing Serpetta in Hans Neuenfels's new production of La finta giardiniera at the Berlin Staatsoper with great success. Further highlights of the 13/14 season were her house debuts with the Grand Théâtre de Genève, singing the role of Waldvogel in Wagner’s Siegfried, under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher, the Opéra de Paris as Papagena, her debut as Elisa in Mozart’s Il Re pastore alongside Rolando Villazón at the Verbier Festival as well as her debut at the Festival Aix-En-Provence (Papagena). She also returned to the Lucerne Festival, singing Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle with the Bayerische Rundfunk.

Regula Mühlemann made her operatic debut at the Theater Luzern. In past seasons, Regula has sung at the Zurich Opera House performing Giannetta in L' Elisir d'Amore, and as Despina in Così fan tutte at the Teatro la Fenice, Venice. In May 2012 she performed L’Elisir d’amore at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, alongside Rolando Villazón who both sang in and directed a highly acclaimed production. This production was broadcast on TV on December 2012. In summer 2012 she also made her debut at the Salzburg Festival, singing the young Papagena in P. v. Winter’s opera Das Labyrinth.
Regula Mühlemann is also a sought-after concert singer. She has already performed in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. She has also completed a successful concert tour of South America and made her concert debut in Berlin singing Mahler’s Fourth Symphony. In September 2013 she gave a recital at the Lucerne Festival’s series “Debut”. The recital was broadcast by the Swiss Radio. She also sang Mozart’s Requiem and Händel's Messiah in Lucerne. Regula Mühlemann works with renowned conductors such as Nello Santi, Simon Rattle, Daniel Harding, Enoch zu Guttenberg, Pablo Heras-Casado, Ivor Bolton, and Howard Arman.
Regula made her movie debut singing Ännchen in the feature film ‘Hunter’s Bride’. The critically acclaimed movie was directed by Jens Neubert and featured Daniel Harding conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. She was hailed by the critics; the Neue Züricher Zeitung called her a “first class discovery”. Regula Mühlemann was also one of the young talents featured on the TV show “Stars von morgen”, broadcast on ZDF and Arte in Germany and France. Regula made her next movie appearance starring alongside Bejun Mehta in an exciting new movie production.