Grabbe: Madrigals & Instrumental Works

Cordes, Manfred, Weser-Renaissance Bremen

CPO 777662

The WESER-RENAISSANCE ensemble of Bremen and its director Manfred Cordes are celebrating their twentieth anniversary this year, and we count ourselves lucky to have released more than twenty-five CDs with them on cpo. The result is not only highly interesting historically but also always musically gripping. We offer our congratulations and in keeping with the occasion are releasing a new CD with madrigals and instrumental works by Johann Grabbe, who along with Cornelius Conradi was the musician who had the greatest impact on the musical microcosm at the court of Count Simon VI of Lippe at Brake Castle near Lemgo. Comparable to Heinrich Schütz as a composer but not as well known, Grabbe is regarded as an important mediator of Italian vocal artistry in the northwestern region of Germany. Moreover, since he was influenced by Franco-Flemish polyphony and the English compositional style, he embodied the leading musical trends of his time. Count Simon VI recognized the young Grabbe’s talent and financed a study stay for him in Venice with Giovanni Gabrieli. By the way, this CD is the second in a new series on cpo: »Renaissance in the North.« Two future CD releases will present music by the various composers who were active at the courts of the WESER-RENAISSANCE.

CD x 1

CPO

9.01.2013

761203766222