Concentus Musicus Wien
Encyclopedia
Concentus Musicus Wien is a baroque
music ensemble founded by Nikolaus
and Alice Harnoncourt
in 1953. It generated the now well-established movement in performance and recordings to play early music
on period instruments.
The original instrumentalists in the group came from the ranks of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra
. They gave their first public concert in 1957 in Vienna
. Concentus Musicus Wien records for BMG
.
In the years since then, they have collaborated with numerous rising and established musicians, including international soloist singers. The Ensemble made its Boston debut in 1966 for the Peabody Mason Concert series, and returned in 1971. From 1970–1989, they recorded a complete cycle of the J. S. Bach cantatas on period instruments for Teldec
.
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
music ensemble founded by Nikolaus
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Nikolaus Harnoncourt is an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music from the Classical era and earlier. Starting out as a classical cellist, he founded his own period instrument ensemble in the 1950s, and became a pioneer of the Early Music movement...
and Alice Harnoncourt
Alice Harnoncourt
Alice Harnoncourt is a violinist. She is noted for her playing of the Baroque violin, viol, and other stringed instruments...
in 1953. It generated the now well-established movement in performance and recordings to play early music
Early music
Early music is generally understood as comprising all music from the earliest times up to the Renaissance. However, today this term has come to include "any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises,...
on period instruments.
The original instrumentalists in the group came from the ranks of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
-History:In 1900, Ferdinand Löwe founded the orchestra as the Wiener Concertverein . In 1913 it moved into the Konzerthaus, Vienna. In 1919 it merged with the Tonkünstler Orchestra. In 1933 it acquired its current name...
. They gave their first public concert in 1957 in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. Concentus Musicus Wien records for BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
.
In the years since then, they have collaborated with numerous rising and established musicians, including international soloist singers. The Ensemble made its Boston debut in 1966 for the Peabody Mason Concert series, and returned in 1971. From 1970–1989, they recorded a complete cycle of the J. S. Bach cantatas on period instruments for Teldec
Teldec
The Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
.
Honors and awards
- 1990 and 1991, German Record Critics' Prize – Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Lucio SillaLucio SillaLucio Silla, K. 135, is an Italian opera in three acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was written by Giovanni de Gamerra.It was first performed on 26 December 1772 at the Regio Ducal Teatro in Milan....
and George Frederick Handel's oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
TheodoraTheodoraTheodora is a name of Greek origin, meaning "God's gift". It is the feminine form of the Greek name, Θεόδωρος meaning "God's gift" , neuter gender...
, respectively - 1990, Gramophone Award for Special Achievement – Recording of the complete Bach cantatas
- 1995, Cannes Classical Award – J.S. Bach's St John Passion (BWV 245)
- 1996–1997, top awards from three different French music publications – recordings of Mozart's Il re PastoreIl re pastoreIl re pastore is an opera, K. 208, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Metastasio, edited by Gianbattista Varesco. It is an opera seria...
, Antonio VivaldiAntonio VivaldiAntonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
concertos, and J.S. Bach motets.