| 1 SACD hybrid |
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| Label Challenge Classics |
UPC 0608917264524 |
Catalogue number CC 72645 |
Release date 21 November 2014 |
"Michael Gees is definetely enjoying this as much as the singers. Just as the listeners. A lovely album!"
Basia Con Fuoco, 02-8-2016Julian Prégardien
| In opera, concert and Lied repertoire, Julian Prégardien enjoys widespread success in equal measure on an international scale. |
| He has gained particular acclaim in the tenor part of the Evangelist in the passions and oratorios of J. S. Bach. Prégardien recently sang the Evangelist in the Christmas Oratorio under the baton of Peter Schreier in the Munich Philharmonie, as well as the Evangelist in the St Matthew Passion at the Lincoln Center in New York conducted by Philippe Herreweghe, at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw with the Netherlands Bach Society and at the Munich Herkulessaal with Peter Dijkstra and the Bavarian Radio Choir in a CD/DVD production that has been broadcast several times by different German television stations. Prégardien also recently sang in a television production of the St John Passion in Riga (Latvia) with Concerto Copenhagen conducted by Lars Ulrik Mortensen. He had previously recorded the St John Passion in 2010 on the French ZIG ZAG label in a production that received excellent international reviews. In early 2015 he will once more record the Evangelist in the St John Passion for Bavarian Radio.
During the 2014/15 season, Prégardien will also perform Bach cantatas on tour with René Jacobs, and in Barcelona and Paris he will sing the Christmas Oratorio conducted by Christophe Rousset. Under the baton of Andrea Marcon he will likewise perform the Mass in B Minor with Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, as well as a series of Bach cantatas with Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; he will also go on tour singing the St Matthew Passion with Le Concert Lorrain conducted by Christoph Prégardien.
Further collaborations in the 2014/15 season include Bach cantatas with the Stuttgart International Bach Academy under Hans-Christoph Rademann, Mozart’s Requiem with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Bavarian Radio Chorus under Peter Dijkstra, and Haydn’s Creation with Christoph Poppen conducting the Cologne Chamber Orchestra.
On the opera stage, Prégardien has recently sung the part of Jaquino in Fidelio with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under Paavo Järvi. He also covered the role of Eurimedes in Telemann’s Orpheus at Frankfurt Opera, where he was previously an ensemble member and covered the roles of Tamino in The Magic Flute, Jason in Charpentier’s Medée and The Novice in Billy Budd. At Aix-en-Provence Festival he sang the roles of Nencio in Haydn’s L’infedeltà delusa and Belfiore in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. In June of 2015 he will make a guest appearance as Renaud in Lully’s Armide at the Opéra National de Lorraine (Nancy), with Christophe Rousset conducting and David Hermann as stage director. In the 2013/14 season he sang Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin under René Jacobs (at Bremen Musikfest, Amsterdam Concertgebouw and La Monnaie in Brussels), as well as the title role in Rameau’s Zaïs with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques (Amsterdam, Versailles, Theater an der Wien). Both productions were recorded for CD release.
Julian Prégardien can be heard on the Virgin Classics release of Ezio (Gluck) under Alan Curtis, a production that received an ECHO Classical Award in 2012. He was also among the singers on the roster of Cecilia Bartoli’s second CD release devoted to the works of Agostino Steffani, entitled Stabat Mater (Decca Classics).
With the title An die Geliebte, Julien Prégardien’s first solo recording was released in early 2014 on the Myrios Classics label, featuring Lied repertoire accompanied by Christoph Schnackertz at the piano – a release that reaped high praise from the critics. In late 2014, Challenge Records International will publish a joint vocal collaboration between father and son, featuring Christoph and Julien Prégardien singing Lied repertoire accompanied by pianist Michael Gees.
Julien Prégardien has given Lieder recitals at Davos Festival, at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, at Stuttgart Musikfest, at the Rheingau Music Festival, at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, at the Styriarte Festival in Graz, at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Cologne Philharmonie, Stadtcasino Basel, Innsbruck Festival and the Edinburgh and Schwetzingen festivals. In 2013 he performed for the first time at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg, where he is re-invited to perform in 2015. The 2014/15 season will also see a series of joint Lieder recitals with his father scheduled at the Haydn Festival in Brühl, at Stuttgart Musikfest, at Wigmore Hall and at Salzburg Whitsun Festival.
The singer also enjoys presenting distinctive chamber music programmes. At Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Schumann’s birth in 2010, he premièred his own arrangement of Schumann’s Liederkreis cycle for string quartet and improvised piano intermezzos with Michael Gees and the Gémaux Quartet. In 2014, in collaboration with the Ricercar Consort, he devised a “Schubertiad” featuring Lied arrangements, instrumental works and texts by Schubert and his contemporaries, arranged for flute, guitar and barytone viol. That project will be released by Myrios Classics as Prégardien’s second solo CD in 2015.
Born in Frankfurt, Julien Prégardien was trained in the Limburg Cathedral Choir and went on to study voice at Freiburg Musikhochschule. Since the summer semester of 2013 he has been teaching the oratorio class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich. Christoph Prégardien Born 1956 in Limburg, Germany, Christoph Prégardien began his musical education as a choirboy. He then studied singing with Martin Gründler and Karlheinz Jarius in Frankfurt, Carla Castellani in Milan, Alois Treml in Stuttgart and attended Hartmut Höll’s lieder-class. Widely regarded as among the foremost lyric tenors, Christoph Prégardien frequently collaborates with conductors such as Barenboim, Chailly, Gardiner, Harnoncourt, Herreweghe, Luisi, Metzmacher, Nagano, Sawallisch and Thielemann. His repertory spans a wide range from the great Baroque, Classical and Romantic Oratorios to 20th century works by Britten, Killmayer, Rihm, Stravinsky. Recognized as an eminent recitalist, Christoph Prégardien is regularly welcomed at the major recital venues of Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Zurich, Vienna, Barcelona and Geneva, as well as during his concert tours throughout Italy, Japan and North America. A longstanding collaboration unites him with his favourite piano partners Michael Gees and Andreas Staier. Soloist of choice for renowned orchestras, he performed with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, Gewand-hausorchester Leipzig, London Philharmonia, Staatskapelle Dresden, Philharmonie de Radio France, the Montreal, Boston, St. Louis and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras. An important part of his repertory has been recorded by labels such as BMG, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, Sony, Erato, Challenge Classics and Teldec. He is represented on more than a hundred and twenty titles, including nearly all of his active repertoire. His recordings of German Romantic Lied repertory have been highly acclaimed by the public and press and have received international awards including the prestigious Orphée d’Or of the Académie du Disque Lyrique-Prix Georg Solti, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Edison Award, Cannes Classical Award and Diapason d’Or. As an opera singer, Christoph Prégardien has made stage appearences in major European houses, performing leading roles as Tamino (Zauberflöte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Seviglia), Fenton (Falstaff) and Monteverdi’s Ulisse. In Spring 2005, Christoph Prégardien sang the leading part in Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” at the Paris National Opera conducted by Sylvain Cambreling. An important aspect in the musical life of Christoph Prégardien is his intensive and varied educational work. From 2000 to 2005 Christoph Prégardien was in charge of a vocal class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Zurich. Since the autumn of 2004, he is a professor at the Musikhochschule Köln. In a new combination of DVD and book, released in the serie “Schott Master Class”, he presents for the first time questions of singing technique and interpretation in word and picture. Film examples accompagny him during his lessons with masterclass students. Christoph Prégardien now has a long-term cooperation with Challenge Classics. The first production on our label, released in February 2008, was Schubert’s “Die schöne Müllerin” with pianist Michael Gees. In the fall of 2008 “Schwanengesang” with pianist Andreas Staier followed and “Die schöne Müllerin” was awarded the Midem ‘Record of the Year’ 2009 at MIDEM, the world’s largest music industry trade fair. The duo Christoph Prégardien/Michael Gees also received the MIDEM ‘Vocal Recitals’ Award 2009. Throughout 2008 the recording received critical acclaim from many national and international magazines (Gramophone, Editor’s Choice & „Best of 2008“ among others). |
Michael Gees is definetely enjoying this as much as the singers. Just as the listeners. A lovely album!
Basia Con Fuoco, 02-8-2016
"...an entertaining collection of curiosities and rearrangements of what some may consider to be sacred cows. (...) The disc's family chemistry makes for an convivial and highly enjoyable collection of songs."
3,5/5 stars
Limelight, 15-7-2015
Luister 10 van deze maand.
Luister, 01-6-2015
Luister 10!
"The result is, apart from surprising and fresh, also breathtakingly beautiful."
Luister, 01-6-2015
Performance 5*****
Recording 5*****
["].. This latest release from Christoph and Julian Prègardien, father and son, is a real treasure."
BBC Music Magazine, 01-5-2015
'‘Father and Son’ features the great tenor Christoph Prégardien and his son Julian. They perform a generous selection of arrangements for two voices and piano of songs by some of the great lieder composers, and some by less familiar figures.'
Musicweb, 27-4-2015
taking up "CD of the month"
Fono Forum, 27-4-2015
"Michael Gees has, witnessed his game, just as much fun as the singers. The listener enjoys likewise. A wonderful cd!"
Opera Magazine, 21-4-2015
“Charlotte Gainsbourg, Willeke Alberti, Christa Ludwig - in all genres one will find singing parents with children singing as well. Christoph Prégardien also carried the torch to his son Julien (also a tenor) and it's a treat to hear how they handle Schubert's father-son ballad Erlkönig . The normal role sung by one singer is now a real dialogue between the feverish delirious son and the appeasing father - until death follows.
Not coincidentally, the accompanist and arranger here is pianist Michael Gees; one of the few 'free' classical musicians who conceive the Iron Repertoire in a flexible way. Gees deals with composed music as free as the composers themselves did, in a time where creation and performing were one.”
NRC Handelsblad, 20-4-2015
["]..They perform a generous selection of arrangements for two voices and piano of songs by some of the great lieder composers, and some by less familiar figures."
Music Web International, 01-4-2015
Both tenors display family traits of appealing mellifluousness and impeccable musicality. Together they communicate a sense of something homely, of improvisation and of singing for pure enjoyment.
Gramophone, 24-3-2015
With stunning security for intonation and in perfect harmony with pianist Michael Gees. One wishes every father and son so much harmony.
Fono Forum, 23-3-2015
["].. Prégardien père and fils have been performing together for several years and this disc of duets - some original most in arrangements - is often delightful."
Gramophone, 01-3-2015
5 tuning-forks (diapasons)!
"The trio breathes like one. Julian, Christoph and the faithful Michael Gees carve the details without freezing the spontaneity of the gesture."
Diapason, 03-2-2015
"The joy of making music together"
Klassiek Centraal, 25-1-2015
"Father and Son’ is an exciting project that features the great tenor and lieder specialist Christoph Prégardien and his son Julian performing arrangements for two voices and piano of songs by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Friedrich Silcher, and Johannes Brahms"
Presto Classical, 21-1-2015
4 **** stars
"[...] that is sung by father and son in a very intimate and sober way[...]"
"This album is so much more than just pleasentness, more than just the joy of making music together at the homeof the Pregardien family."
Writteninmusic.com, 21-1-2015
Prize Cd on Radio 4 'Licht op Vier'
Prize CD in Licht op Vier Radio 4, 18-1-2015
This CD shows in a moving way how beautiful it can sound when father and son harmonize. Both lyrical tenors sing full of emotions, full of nuances, smooth and savouring the floating beauty, melancholy and dramatic art.
BR.de, 17-1-2015
A boon for the ears!
NDR Kultur, 14-1-2015
The intonation is flawless, they breath jointly and phrase neatly. A benefaction for the ears.
WDR TonArt, 06-1-2015
"It does not really go any further than rustic comfortableness."
oblivionsoave.wordpress.com, 02-1-2015
4**** stars
"Christoph and Julian make sure that sentiment never flows into sentimentality. But they do not hide the fact that they enjoy doing this very much, senior with his refined voice, junior with his very promising glow."
De Volkskrant, 31-12-2014
Performance: 5*****
Sonics: Stereo: 5 ***** en Multi-ch: 5*****
["].. it was inevitable that father and so would make recordings together, and here we have a remarkable programme which explores the possibilities of duets in Lieder."
SA-CD.net, 10-12-2014
"Together all three performers showed the requisite feeling for Schubertian line and dynamics"
http://www.musicomh.com, 27-11-2014
Interview - Striking is not only the same voice type but also the incredible similarity of the two voices
Crescendo, 26-11-2014
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