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One of the best Purcell recitals to have hit the shelves in years
Versatile baritone Maarten Koningsberger and refined lutenist Fred Jacobs here join in the 350th borthdaycelebrations with a beautifull recital of solosongs drawn from across the English Orpheus’all-too-brief career. (…) Koningsberger’s innate musicality and subtle intelligence are evodent in evrery phrase (..) his English pronunciation is crystal-clear and virtually accentless. Add to the aforementioned Jacob’s utterly sympathetic theorbo accompaniments and you have one of the best Purcell recitals to have hit the shelves in years.
(Gramophone Classical Music Magazine, William Yeoma)
'06 I take no pleasure in the sun´s bright beams'
'07 Amidst the shades and cool refreshing streams'
'11 When my Aemelia smiles, she wounds me'
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New CD: Franz Schubert Winterreise
This magnificent recording of Schubert’s Winterreise has a rather long previous history. The first (rather luxious) edition from 2003 for Tatlin Records was sold-out within a year. We can be gratefull to Quintone Records for this third edition, for it was and remains a superb recording of Schubert’s most dramatic song cycle. With his profound understanding of the text, Koningsberger’s warm and souple bariton voice touches upon each tender string. roger Braun proves himself once again to be a dedicated and poetical accompanist. Highly recommended!
H.Posthuma de Boer (“De Liedvriend” 2012)
'Auf dem Flusse'
'Frühlingstraum'
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Koningsberger Trio: Franz Schubert – Die Schöne Müllerin
Renowned Dutch Liedersinger Maarten Koningsberger is joined here by guitarists Olga Franssen and Esther Steenbergen, both former members of the famous Amsterdam Guitar Trio. We know Schubert played the guitar and verly likely had a guitar at his disposal while composing Die Schöne Müllerin, for the songcycle was mostly written in 1823, when Schubert was in hospital, suffering from a disease which would ultimately prove to be fatal. It is sensible to assume that under such cicumstances he would probably have had a guitar rather than a piano at his disposal. The score is idiosyncratic to the guitar: the movement in the right, as well as the left hand of the piano part and the seemingly perfect fit to the six-stringed instrument, cannot be a mere coincidence. The rural, romantic theme and the murmuring comments of the brooklet are uniquely suited to the transparent sound of the guitar.
