‘Karl Richter Complete Recordings On Archiv & Deutsche Grammophon’ Out Now

Karl Richter Complete Recordings on Archiv Produktion and Deutsche Grammophon, out now, is the first complete edition featuring all of Richter’s recordings on Archiv Produktion, Deutsche Grammophon, and Decca on 97 CDs and 3 Blu-ray Audio discs. This wide-ranging portrait of the all-round musician Karl Richter portrays him as an organist and harpsichordist, chamber musician and continuo player, and in his preeminent role as a conductor of major orchestral and sacred choral works.

Includes rare recordings and many first releases

Karl Richter Complete Recordings on Archiv Produktion and Deutsche Grammophon includes rare recordings of particular interest and many first releases. All of Bach’s cantatas and major sacred works on Blu-ray Audio in audiophile resolution of 24bit / 192kHz are featured. The comprehensive booklet includes new informative liner notes by Karl Richter specialist and discographer Roland Wörner, a reprint of a personal homage by tenor and friend Peter Schreier, and many session and artist photos.

Highlights include the first CD release of two truly programmatic works illustrating Karl Richter’s connection to Bach – Liszt’s Prelude and Fugue on the Name B–A–C–H and Reger’s Fantasia and Fugue on the Name B–A–C–H; the first international CD release of Handel’s Flute Sonatas (BWV 1033-35) with Hans-Martin Linde, Bach’s Flute Sonatas with Aurèle Nicolet, and Bach’s Double Concertos BWV 1043, 1060 (from 1963) and 1064R (from 1980); Richter’s very first recording on Archiv Produktion, as continuo player in Handel’s Concerti Grossi Op. 6 with Bamberg Symphony and Fritz Lehmann; Richter’s first independent recording on Archiv Produktion of Heinrich Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien; Bach’s Violin Sonatas with Wolfgang Schneiderhan; the recording of Bach-Schemelli’s Songbook with Peter Schreier, made in the Freiberg cathedral with the famous Silbermann organ, as well as a special and intimate Christmas Carol Recital with Maria Stader featuring many instrumental soloists close to Richter.

Through his brilliant interpretation of Bach’s music Karl Richter became a respected authority early in his career. He impressed audiences around the world as virtuosic organist, but even more as conductor of the Munich-based Bach Ensemble he formed over the years. Karl Richter touched his listeners through pure emotion and expressivity and was referred to as “Thomaskantor of people’s hearts”.

His recordings remain the definitive choice for many

With Karl Richter’s background, his musical and cultural education, hardly any 20th century musician could come closer to the role model of a Saxon cantor, and so to the ideal of J. S. Bach himself. Although steeped in tradition, Karl Richter’s perspective showed no backward orientation – his merit in contrast was to establish “Bach for contemporaries” by sweeping away the mists of an unfocused, bombastically monumental Romantic sound world. Four decades after his death, his recordings remain the definitive choice for many.

Repertoire

CD 1-64     Johann Sebastian Bach

CD 65        Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Orchestral Sinfonias

CD 66        Ludwig van Beethoven: Mass in C major op. 86

CD 67-68  Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice

CD 69-92  George Frideric Handel

CD 93        Joseph Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 94 “Surprise” & 101 “The Clock”

CD 94        Alessandro Scarlatti, J.S. Bach, George Frideric Handel, Joseph Haydn,
Felix Mendelssohn

CD 95        Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt

BONUS

CD 96        Franz Liszt: Prelude and Fugue on the Name B–A–C–H  260
Max Reger: Fantasia and Fugue on the Name B–A–C–H op. 46

CD 97        In Dulci Jubilo – 18 European Christmas Carols

BLURAY AUDIO DISCS

BRA 1       Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 (Recording 1958),
St. John Passion BWV 245, Christmas Oratorio BWV 248, Mass in B minor BWV 232 (Recording 1961)

BRA 2      Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantatas For all the Sundays and Feast Days in the Church Calendar (Part 1)

BRA 3      Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantatas For all the Sundays and Feastdays in the Church Calendar (Part 2)

Karl Richter Complete Recordings on Archiv Produktion and Deutsche Grammophon can be bought here.

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