Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Celebrates the Seasons
Considered one of the most influential conductors of our time, Nikolaus Harnoncourt is set to return with a new recording of Joseph Haydn’s “The Seasons”. To be released on German label Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Harnoncourt’s version of the piece is to be seen as a tribute to a work which has often stood in the shadow of its bigger sister “The Creation”. In fact, “The Seasons” was an immediate response to “The Creation”, whose enormous success inspired Haydn to continue writing in the same vein to meet public demand. Haydn also commissioned the libretto to both compositions from Gottfried van Swieten, an Austrian noble, whose influence furthermore extended to other famous artists of his time, including Mozart. According to the press release, the two works are to be regarded “a complementary pair” in the version of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, “each, strictly speaking, a secular work, but in extolling the wonders of nature, each expressing reverence for the Creator.” Only available in November of 2008, the CD will see Harnoncourt team up with Concentus Musicus Wien in a live recording from Styriarte Festival in Graz.
Even though this means that fans will have to wait quite a while before being able to immerse themselves in the impressive sound of “The Seasons”, conceived “for a fairly large late-Classical orchestra, a chorus singing mostly in four parts, and three vocal soloists, representing archetypal country folk” according to Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, samples from the piece, as well as of other highlight from the Styriarte Festival, can be freely enjoyed on the official homepage of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
As of this year, by the way, it would actually be correct to refer to the Austrian conductor as Dr. Nikolaus Harnoncourt: Nikolaus Harnoncourt, after being awarded with the honorary doctorate by the University Mozarteum Salzburg on January 26th – an honour which he gladly accepted with one of his famously interesting and opiniated speeches.
Homepage: Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Homepage: Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
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