An introduction to "Concerto Brandenburg"____

Concerto Brandenburg

An introduction to one of Berlin's most important and prolific Baroque Orchestras

Introduction

Concerto Brandenburg was founded in 1998. Its repertoire comprises music from the Baroque to the Romantic Period with emphasis on works by baroque composers of the Berliner School, to whose renaissance the ensemble is especially dedicated. Characteristically, the ensemble varies instrumentation and size according to the needs of the literature. Each work calls for an individual musical interpretation, ranging from a quartet to the most varied chamber music and baroque orchestra to the large romantic orchestra. The interpretations, which pay close attention to historic performance practices, are marked by their special sensitivity to the character of the musical work, as well as by their technical virtuosity, and this commitment to authentic sound experiences is highly appreciated by a wide circle of music-lovers. The choice of the instruments, bows and strings, as well as the use of historic tuning, are as decisive as knowledge gained from studying original sources. The resulting sounds are persuasive - musicians and audiences alike love them! Concerto Brandenburg has worked together with renowned musicians like Christine Schornsheim and Ludger Rémy. Its conductors /artistic directors have included Jörg-Peter Weigle, Christoph Stöcker and Christian-Friedrich Dallmann.

The CD recording of Catalan Baroque compositions under the direction of Gregor DuBuclet, and the CD "Preußischer Barock" with works by Friedrich II, J. J. Quantz, Christoph Schaffrath, C. H. Graun and C.P.E. Bach, were both highly praised by critics. As a baroque sound body in symphonic choral works, Concerto Brandenburg has worked with the Philharmonischer Chor, the Staats- und Domchor Berlin as well as the Berliner Singakademie. J. S. Bach's Passions and Christmas Oratorio, G. F. Händel's Messiah, W. A. Mozart's Requiem, J. Haydn's Creation and Claudio Monteverdi's Marienvesper have all been performed at prominent locations such as the Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmarkt and the Berliner Phiharmonie. In Darmstadt in 1999, Concerto Brandenburg performed the Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber, which was played on early instruments for the first time ever in modern Europe. Concerto Brandenburg also maintains an intense cooperation with the Goethe Theatre in Bad Lauchstädt, whose production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni received great critical acclaim in Bad Kissingen, Bayreuth, Bonn, Schwetzingen and Stuttgart.

Concerto Brandenburg has already been chosen twice by the Federal President as musical ambassadors of Germany. In November 2002 the ensemble accompanied Johannes Rau on his trip to Madrid, and in 2004 the orchestra performed for Elizabeth II, Queen of England during her state visit to Berlin. In 2006 Concerto Brandenburg was invited to the Spanish "Festival de Musica Antigua de Úbeda y Bazea", and in 2007 this was followed by an invitation to Barcelona's Palau de la Musica.

From 2003 to 2007 the orchestra, under the direction of Jörg-Peter Weigle, performed a special concert series together with Neubrandenburg Philharmonic under Stefan Malzew: Historical Performance Practice in Dialogue: Ludwig van Beethoven's symphonies in the Konzertkirche Neubrandenburg. The nine concerts, in which these works were juxtaposed on historical and modern instruments, received enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and critics.

Concerto Brandenburg has established itself as an institution in the rich tradition and vibrant music culture of the capital city of Berlin and of the Brandenburg region. The orchestra successfully maintains its presence and popularity in the demanding regional concert scene and now enjoys a continuously growing reputation nationwide and internationally among early music connoisseurs.

varying in size and instrumentation according to programme