Samuel Friedmann was born in Kharkov in 1940. He graduated from the Kharkov Conservatory as a violinist in 1964 and from the Leningrad Conservatory as a conductor in 1966. Until 1973, Friedmann performed throughout the Soviet Union. He then emigrated to Israel and began his international career. His concert activities led him to the US and many European countries. During this time, Friedmann took over the positions of Musical Director or Chief Conductor of the Haifa Symphony in Israel (1973–75), the Württembergische Philharmonie in Germany (1979–83), and the St. Gallen Opera House in Switzerland (1983–89).

Samuel Friedmann graduated from the Kharkov Conservatory as a violinist in 1964 and from the Leningrad Conservatory as a conductor in 1966. Till 1973, Friedmann performed throughout the Soviet Union. In 1973, he immigrated to Israel and began his international career. His concert activities led him to the US and many European countries. During this time, Friedmann took over the positions of the Musical Director or Chief Conductor of the Haifa Symphony in Israel (1973–75), the Württembergische Philharmonie in Germany (1979–83), and the St. Gallen Opera House in Switzerland (1983–89).

BRAHMS: Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 • Cello Sonata No. 2 in F, Op. 99


Arte Nova

Emil Klein studied at the Bucharest Conservatoire and with David Geringas in Hamburg. He achieved an international reputation on his concert tours of Europe, the US, and Africa. He appears as a soloist with orchestras such as the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra and the Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra. Alongside his solo career, he spends time playing chamber music and in 1990 founded the chamber orchestra “Hamburg Soloists.” Wolfgang Manz has proved to be one of Germany’s most distinguished and successful pianists. He has won prestigious prizes in the world’s most important piano competitions and has performed in more than 400 concerts. Since 1994 he has been a professor at the Karlsruhe Conservatory.

In a cultural center like Berlin, establishing a new orchestra and chorus might be considered a risky undertaking. Heribert Breuer successfully passed the test in 1991 with the first Bach festival at St. Matthäus, which critics hailed as “a brilliant debut.” In the following period, the ensemble’s joy in performance and unconventional but musical playing continued to be highly praised. The orchestra is made up of members of the major Berlin orchestras, its personnel varying with the program. For the Art of Fugue project, the Leipzig String Quartet, piano duettists Aglaia Bätzner and Cristina Marton, and vibraphone player Edgar Guggeis joined as guests.

Almost a century after the death of J.S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was the first composer of international renown to return to the organ. As a result of Secularization and Enlightenment, the organ had lost its dominant status, particularly in Germany. Musical developments with their achievements in dynamics were directed for the most part at the orchestra and the pianoforte, so during this period there were little or no new stimuli for the organ with its fixed intonation. In addition to this significance as a composer, Mendelssohn could also be called the first organ virtuoso after 1750.

This Symphony was often interpreted as a self-portrait of the composer: the first movement reflecting his musical development, deriving from humble beginnings and moving on to masterly skill. In the second movement the sensitive, lyrical character of the composer is considered to be the central motive, while the third movement is thought to symbolize fleeting moments and the fourth portrays Tchaikovsky as a victor, erasing all doubts about his power and ability.

The repertoire of the London Festival Orchestra, founded in 1980, embraces the very widest range—from the eclectic and contemporary to the classical and baroque, from Boccherini and Bach to Tippett and Tavener. The excellence of the LFO’s playing is reflected in the outstanding reviews its recordings have universally received. The LFO is noted for its innovative concert series—Cathedral Classics, Birthday Honours, The Four Seasons, and annual Remembrance Sunday concerts at Royal Albert Hall. On its concert tours the LFO performed in South America, the Far East, and at major concert halls throughout Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonie and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Franco Fagioli’s past roles include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel at the Teatro Colón. At the Handel Festival in Halle/Saale, he sang the Lichas in Hercules. Nicolaus Harnoncourt invited the young countertenor to audition in Zürich. There, Fagioli was heard as Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea beginning in 2005. In 2003, he won first prize at the international singing competition “Neue Stimmen 2003” (New Voices 2003) in Gütersloh (Germany).