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08/09-(6)

Title: Otto Nicolai (1810-1849) Variations brillantes op. 26 on „Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor“ „Die Heimkehr des Verbannten“ „Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott“ „Vom Himmel hoch“

Artists: Johannes Pieper, Philharmonie Südwestfalen David Stern, cond.

1 CD

Order No.: MDG 601 1268-2

UPC-Code:

The More, the Merrier There is more to Otto Nicolai than The Merry Wives of these plans. As the conductor at the Royal Theater in Windsor. When this German composer died at the Berlin, Nicolai was able to implement his ideas and to early age of thirty-nine in the middle years of the celebrate an acclaimed premiere on 9 March 1849. A nineteenth century, he bequeathed a richly varied stroke kept the composer from experiencing the oeuvre to posterity. His music is now being work’s enduring success: he died on 11 May 1849. documented in full by the Southern Westphalian Philharmonic under David Stern in the best MDG Interpretive Triumphs quality. The Variations brillantes op. 26 for clarinet The Southern Westphalian Philharmonic under its and orchestra, the featured work of Vol. 2, is framed former principal conductor David Stern is an by two secular and two sacred overtures. outstanding cultural ambassador of this German region. The Orchestra of the German Land of North Festive Occasion Rhine-Westphalia since 1992, the ensemble regularly Nicolai, a native of Königsberg, felt at home in guests at the German Opera of the Rhine in churches and opera houses throughout his life. He Düsseldorf and in the opera houses in Cologne and first attracted attention at the age of twenty-three in Essen. Berlin in 1833 when he presented the Christmas to the “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm “Stern triumphs in these works with an almost ich her.” Five years later he published his variations Furtwänglerian interpretation style.” (Répertoire). on the concluding aria of a Bellini opera in . He “Uncommonly relaxed, with an operatic attitude” then again produced a festive sacred work, updating (FonoForum). his overture on the chorale “Ein feste Burg ist unser “A recommendation for every fan of romantic Gott” for the three hundredth anniversary of the orchestra music” (Tip). University of Königsberg. In 1844 the maestro scored yet another first when he converted his Italian opera Il Otto Nicolai: Orchestral Works Vol. 1 proscritto into the tragic opera Die Heimkehr der Fantaisie avec Variations brillantes sur Verdammten. Its overture is also heard here. Norma op. 25, Symphony D major Claudius Tanski, piano Better Late than Never Philharmonie Südwestfalen The Merry Wives of Windsor, Nicolai’s last stage work David Stern, cond. and his first comic opera, was supposed to be MDG 601 0832-2 premiered in Vienna. A conflict between the composer and the impresario at the court opera theater dashed

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