Heinichen: Dresden Concerti

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Heinichen's Dresden Concertos created quite a stir when they were first released a couple of years ago, and for good reason. This is vital, colorful music scored for a large and varied ensemble. Like most composers of his day, Heinichen spent the majority of his compositional talent in the service of vocal music, for either the opera house or church. These pieces represent his only surviving set of concertos, and anyone who enjoys, for example, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos or the orchestral works of Zelenka will certainly want to hear these as well. These performances are simply the last word in style and virtuosity. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Concerto In F Major, Seibel 234: 1. Vivace
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 234: 2. Adagio
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 234: 3. Un poco Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 234: 4. Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 235: 1. Vivace
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 235: 2. Andante
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 235: 3. Presto
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 235: 4. Alla breve
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 235: 5. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 215: 1. Andante e staccato
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 215: 2. Vivace
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 215: 3. Largo
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 215: 4. Allegro - 2-4
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Darmstadt 1715): 1. Vivace
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Darmstadt 1715): 2. Largo
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Darmstadt 1715): 3. Allegro
Concerto In D Major, Seibel 226: 1. Allegro molto
Concerto In D Major, Seibel 226: 2. Adagio
Concerto In D Major, Seibel 226: 3. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 1. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 2. Larghetto
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 3. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 4. Entree
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 5. Loure. Cantabile
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 213: 6. Tempo di Menuet - Air italienne

Tracks:

Concerto In F Major, Seibel 233: 1. Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 233: 2. Andante piu tosto un poco Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 233: 3. Presto
Concerto In C Major, Seibel 211: 1. Allegro
Concerto In C Major, Seibel 211: 2. Pastorell
Concerto In C Major, Seibel 211: 3. Adagio
Concerto In C Major, Seibel 211: 4. Allegro assai
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 231: 1. Vivace
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 231: 2. Arioso
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 231: 3. Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 232: 1. Allegro
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 232: 2. Andante
Concerto In F Major, Seibel 232: 3. (Allegro)
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 217: 1. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 217: 2. Largo e staccato
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 217: 3. Grave
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 217: 4. Allegro
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Venezia 1715): 1. Vivace
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Venezia 1715): 2. Andante e staccato
Concerto In G Major, Seibel 214 (Venezia 1715): 3. Vivace
Serenata di Moritzburg In F Major, Seibel 204: Allegro - Adagio - Allegro
Sonata In A Major, Seibel 208: 1. Allegro
Sonata In A Major, Seibel 208: 2. Adagio e staccato
Sonata In A Major, Seibel 208: 3. Allegro
Concert Movement In C Minor, Seibel 240: Vivace

Amazon.com

Heinichen's Dresden Concertos created quite a stir when they were first released a couple of years ago, and for good reason. This is vital, colorful music scored for a large and varied ensemble. Like most composers of his day, Heinichen spent the majority of his compositional talent in the service of vocal music, for either the opera house or church. These pieces represent his only surviving set of concertos, and anyone who enjoys, for example, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos or the orchestral works of Zelenka will certainly want to hear these as well. These performances are simply the last word in style and virtuosity. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Just an alert.......2007-07-08

Before you click "buy" check elsewhere on Amazon. This set has already been re-released at mid-price!

Great music well played........2006-10-24

I hadn't heard of Heinichen until I got a bonus CD (celebrating 25 years of Music Auntiquita Koln) with something. The first track, which really hooked me, was the first concerto on this set, and so I bought it.

Two discs of concertos by somebody is a lot of their music, but I find myself playing both of these through at a single sitting quite often - there is something about the way that Heinichen keeps the musical ideas flowing that I find very satisfying. He also manages to use a lot of different sounds - I can't imagine much more contrast than between the first movement of that first concerto that I heard - tightly clustered strings playing in a very controlled sprightly manner and, a movement on the second disc that is played on something like bagpipes with sliding notes.
MAK of course give an excellent performance as usual.

This was a doubly excellent find: a new composer (to me at least) and a great CD. However, I now have two other discs of Heinichen wind concertos and sonatas on CPO which are also very good, and which I also recommend.

Sounds as fresh as ever. .......2005-06-22

It's a few years since this set won the Gramophone Award, but hearing it again very recently, it still provides a thrilling listening experience.
I'm not normally a lover of prominent brass instruments in early music where the sonorities are often too lean and bright for my taste. Well, there's plenty of brightness here, but it all comes from the sparkle and energy of an orchestra at the very top of its form.
I wouldn't say this is a set to listen to at one sitting. Better to pick and choose two or three concertos at a time. Or better still, go for the excitement of progamming just the allegros and hold on to your seat as the rhythms and stratospheric brass catapult you into the midst of the hunt.
Great stuff.

Magical discsý.......2003-11-10

Heinichen is the Deep Purple of baroque music! Forgotten, but clearly GREAT! This music is easily as enjoyable as Bach, Vivalidi, Handel and Telemann. If you enjoy baroque, this is surely a collection you ought to own. The flawlessness of these recording is breathtaking. It has a kind of richness that I don't find in compact disc recordings. These recordings force you to sit down and just listen. The compositions may not be as complex and "deep" as Bach or Handel, but its very enjoyable and clearly more relaxing. The incredible Dresden Concerti (period instruments) performed flawlessly under Goebel. What an unsurpassable job in bringing Heinichens curiously abandoned works back into the catalog. Two or three hundred years from now Deep Purple will get their due as one of the important artists in rock music history.

PS: If you like baroque wind music, you will fall in love with this collection.
This is a must for the Baroque fan.

HIP and Alive.......2000-12-26

This is a superb recording. The performances are vibrant and the quality of the recording is stunning. There is a warmth and fullness that is often missing in recordings of period instruments. The ensemble sounds HUGE. I particularly like the second movement of the Concerto in F (S. 234). Oboes are used instead of strings as the accompaniment to the flute solo.