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As a preview, watch the video for our January release with impressions from the recording session and artist interviews. The production Stravinsky - Violin Concerto & Works for Violin and Piano with Liana Gourdjia, Katia Skanavi, the Deutschen Radiophilharmonie and Zolt Nagy will be released on January 6th 2017.

​Stravinsky's rarely-performed Violin Concerto, coupled with the main works of his repertoire for violin and piano. The composer first hesitated to write a violin concerto, but he went on to compose a masterwork in "Neoclassical" style in close collaboration with violinist Samuel Dushkin. He also made numerous arrangements for violin and piano, joining again with Dushkin to enrich the violin repertoire with his imaginative genius.

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​The quarterly and annual awards of the German Record Critics' Award (PdSK) are sought-after prices in the German music scene. The winners of the quarterly awards are included in the Quarterly Critics' Choice ("Bestenliste") of the German Record Critics' Award. The lists recommend new releases which merit special attention for the quality of interpretation and for their value to the repertoire. These lists provide a candid picture of new releases which, in the jury's opinion, are of outstanding importance when judged on purely artistic and audiophile grounds.

​Also this year audite is honored with an International Classical Music Award (ICMA): The portrait Maureen Forrester wins in the category Historical Recording. After numerous enthusiastic reviews from the international press the edition now receives one of the most important awards of the international music scene. The prodution is one of the 17 winners out of 321 nominations.

The Gala Concert and Award Ceremony will be hosted on April 1st 2017 by the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig.

The 16 members of the ICMA jury from 14 countries are without exception professional music critics of important magazines, online services and radio stations. Thus we are particularly happy about this award since it documents the expertise and the knowledgeable appreciation of the jury members for our production!

The ICMA jury:
Andante (Turkey), Crescendo (Belgium), das Orchester (Germany), Gramofon (Hungary), HRT (Croatia), IMZ (Austria), Kultura (Russia) MDR-Figaro (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Opera (UK), Orpheus Radio (Russia), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg), Resmusica.com (France), Rondo Classic (Finland), and Scherzo (Spain).

In total eight audite productions were nominated for the ICMA 2017.

Maureen Forrester was one of the few genuine alto singers during the period after 1945. Encouraged by Bruno Walter, she was one of the most important Mahler interpreters of her time. The recordings released here, for the first time, document her activities in the area of the Lied accompanied by piano to an extent unknown until now, including her collaboration with the legendary accompanist Michael Raucheisen.

More information about the ICMA can be found here.

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​Ina Siedlaczek and the Lautten Compagney present George Frideric Handel's Nine German Arias alongside arias from his Brockes Passion.

Siedlaczek's pure and flexible voice is ideally suited to these works; her direct and natural style of singing balances the opulence of the baroque texts.

The instrumental sonorities on this recording are characterised by an extraordinarily colourful sound palette both in the melody and the continuo parts: the obbligato instrumental part is taken in turn (even within the same aria) by a flute, oboe and violin and also playing together. In the aria Brich mein Herz, zerfließ in Tränen (track 3), the violin part is played by a viola da gamba, giving this piece an especially personal character. The continuo is shared by organ, harpsichord, harp, lute, theorbo, bassoon and cello, providing a richly sonorous base for the texts and melodies of the solo parts.

The varied colours of the instruments provide a fitting context for Ina Siedlaczek's nuanced interpretations, paving the way to the texts whose language is far removed from today's idiom. Nonetheless, nearly three hundred years later, the spiritual reflections of the poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes, set to music by George Frideric Handel, continue to fascinate us with their timeless musical message. Ina Siedlaczek and the Lautten Compagney perform with great dedication and attention to detail.

​On April 1st, this year's International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) were awarded in Leipzig. The audite production Maureen Forrester won in the category historic recordings. The winners were introduced and honoured with a festive award ceremony and a top-class gala concert with the Gewandhausorchester under Francesco Angelico.
 
The jury consists exclusively of professional critics for classical music from international media. This guarantees the high level and the independency of the ICMA. Both makes the ICMA the most important international music award, a similar concept on international level cannot be found elsewhere. Thus we feel particularly honoured to receive an ICMA!

Maureen Forrester was one of the few genuine alto singers during the period after 1945. Encouraged by Bruno Walter, she was one of the most important Mahler interpreters of her time. The recordings released here, for the first time, document her activities in the area of the Lied accompanied by piano to an extent unknown until now, including her collaboration with the legendary accompanist Michael Raucheisen. The

Statement of the Jury:
"Historic recordings in a varied song program by Canada's legendary alto Maureen Forrester are something truly rare today. The deep, dark-toned voice reveals the richness of a great singer as well as a magnificent artistic personality."

The 17 members of the ICMA jury from 14 countries are all professional music critics of important magazines, online services and radio stations: Andante (Turkey), Crescendo (Belgium), das orchester (Germany), Gramofon (Hungary), HRT (Croatia), IMZ (Austria), MDR-Figaro (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musical Life (Russia), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Opera (UK), Orpheus Radio (Russia), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Radio 100,7 (Luxembourg), Resmusica.com (France), Rondo Classic (Finland), and Scherzo (Spain).
 
pictures:
ICMA winners & jury (photo credit: Gert Mothes)
Bilder:
- Ludger Böckenhoff (Tonmeister and producer audite), Sabine Wiedemann (press officer audite), Dr. Hans Dieter Heimendahl (DLR)
- Sabine Wiedemann (Press Officer audite), Dr. Hans Dieter Heimendahl (DLR), Remy Franck (Präsident ICMA)
- Dr. Hans Dieter Heimendahl (DLR)
 - Matti Salminen (Lifetime Achievement Award)
- Daniel Müller-Schott, Gewandhausorchester, Francesco Angelico
(photo credits: Martin Hoffmeister, Serhan Bali, Remy Franck)