L’Orfeo Barockorchester
Since its foundation at Bruckner University Linz in 1996 the L’Orfeo Barockorchester has evolved as one of the leading international ensembles for historically informed performance practice. L’Orfeo’s concert programmes and CD recordings are characterized by a synthesis of well-known repertoire and pioneer work. Its repertoire reaches from French Baroque suites (a special favourite of L’Orfeo’s) and symphonies from the Sturm and Drang to music from the Classical period and early Romantics.
Ever so often L’Orfeo can be heard and seen as an opera orchestra, most recently with Betulia liberata, Azione sacra by W.A. Mozart, two settings of the Orpheus myth by Christoph Willibald Gluck and Georg Philipp Telemann, the latter’s Miriways, Joseph Haydn’s Die wüste Insel (The desert Island), Zaide by Mozart, Georg Anton Benda’s Romeo und Julie or a trilogy of early operas by Gioachino Rossini (Il signor Bruschino, La scala di seta and La cambiale di matrimonio).
L’Orfeo has presented some world premieres and has been awarded international prizes for its recordings by Diapason, Gramophone, Pizzicato (”Supersonic Award”), Le Monde de la Musique, Fono Forum, Radio Österreich 1 (”Pasticcio Prize”) as well as the German Music Award “Echo Klassik 2009″.
A high artistic level, colourful playing and animmense sensitivity for sound are aspects confirmed by critics and audiences time and again. Team spirit and a close identification with founder and leader Michi Gaigg form the basis for its artistic success.
The most important festivals and venues in recent times have been Lucerne Festival, Salzburger Festival, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Festspiele Europäische Wochen Passau, International Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, Stuttgart Barock, Theater an der Wien, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Philharmonie Cologne, Théâtre de Poissy, Theater an der Rott (Bavaria), Palau de la Música Catalana, Auditorio Baluarte Pamplona, Gala Concert Vatican City (Sixtine Chapel) et al.
Opera 2013-2015:
Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orpheus & Eurydike, “The art of Monsieur de Jélyotte” - Suites and Arias for Pierre Jélyotte (1713-1797) by Jean-Philippe Rameau, in addition two Actes de ballet by the latter, Pigmalion & Anacréon, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Die verstellte Gärtnerin” (Singspiel version of La Finta Giardniera KV 196).
CD Releases 2013:
- W. A. Mozart, Betulia liberata, Azione sacra in due parti, KV 118 (Challenge Classics), to be released 14.06.2013 (Europe) / September 2013 (Overseas)
- G. Ph. Telemann: Miriways, Singspiel in drei Akten, TVWV: 21:24 (cpo), to be released in the autumn of 2013
Discography 1997-2012:
- Georg Christoph Wagenseil, Symphonies (cpo)
- Benedict Anton Aufschnaiter: Serenades from Concors discordia op. 2 (cpo)
- Ignaz Holzbauer, Symphonies (cpo)
- J.Chr. Bach: Sacred Works with Emma Kirkby (Soprano) und Markus Schäfer (Tenor), cpo
- Anton Fils, Symphonies (cpo)
- W.A. Mozart: The Concert Arias for Tenor with Christoph Prégardien (cpo)
- Leopold Mozart, Symphonies (cpo)
- G.Ph. Telemann: Complete Violin Concertos Vol. 1, 2 & 4 with Elizabeth Wallfisch (cpo)
- Josef Myslivecek: Symphonies & Overtures (cpo)
- Ludwig van Beethoven: “Mödlinger Tänze” - Country Dances - German Dances - Minuets (cpo)
- Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer: Le journal de printemps op. 1 (cpo)
- Jean-Féry Rebel, Les Élémens - Jean-Philippe Rameau: Suite from Castor et Pollux (Phoenix Edition)
- G.Ph. Telemann, 3 Orchestra Suites, with Carin van Heerden (recorder & direction), cpo
- J. Haydn: Arie per un’amante with Nuria Rial & Margot Oitzinger (deutsche harmonia mundi)
- J. Myslivecek: Complete wind octets & quintets, performed by L’Orfeo Wind Ensemble (cpo)
- J. Haydn, Die wüste Insel (The desert island): later version of the azione teatrale L’isola disabitata Hob. XXVIII:9 (deutsche harmonia mundi)
- G.Ph. Telemann: Orpheus oder “Die wunderbare Beständigkeit der Liebe” TWV: 21:18 (deutsche harmonia mundi
- Christoph Willibald Gluck: Symphonies (cpo)
- Jean-Philippe Rameau: Suites from Zais & Hippolyte et Aricie (Crystal Classics / Delta Music)
- Franz Schubert, Concert Overtures D 470, 556, 590 & 591 (”Im italienischen Stile”), 648, Symphony No. 5 B major D 485 (dhm / Sony Music Entertainmeint)
- “Hoffnung des Wiedersehens”: opera insertions, secular cantatas & selected arias by Telemann, with Dorothee Mields, Soprano (dhm / Sony Music Entertainment)
