backstage

JEANNE D'ARC by WALTER BRAUNFELS

Juliane Banse · Martin Gantner · Pavol Breslik · Johan Reuter · Norbert Ernst
SALZBURGER BACHCHOR · ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra · MANFRED HONECK

Walter Braunfels is a composer whose music died twice: Once when the Nazis declared his music “degenerate art”. Then again when post-war Germany had little use for the various schools of tonal music; when the arbiters of taste considered any form of romantic music – almost the whole pre-war aesthetic – to be tainted. This already 10th release of Capriccio’s Braunfels Edition focus on one of his most popular Opera works. What makes Jeanne D’Arc such an uncommonly effective music drama is not just the often sumptuous, post-romantic musical language but Braunfels’ own libretto. The main storyline of Joan of Arc is known well enough: Vision, liberation of Orleans, coronation of the Dauphin, arrest, trial, and burning at the stake. Braunfels somehow managed to put together a libretto from the original French and Latin 15th-century trial documents of Joan of Arc, a smidgen of by George Bernard Shaw (Saint Joan), and his own additions, that makes this story and its characters – in so many ways so far removed from a modern audience’s sensibilities and reality – relatable to listeners today

with: Jens F. Laurson (Journalist) / Johannes Kernmayer (Capriccio) / Video Operator: Martin Klebahn

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ANTON BRUCKNER EDITION - Backstage Interviews / Part 1

Bruckner Orchester Linz · ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Markus Poschner

Why we have so many versions of Bruckner Symphonies? What are the differences between them and what is really new in the New Bruckner Edition? JOHANNES KERNMAYER (Capriccio / Naxos) talks about with long-time Bruckner Expert PAUL HAWKSHAW (Professor Emeritus, Yale School of Music)
Recordings: Linz, Musiktheater / Wien, Radiokulturhaus · Recording Supervision: Erich Hofmann · Video Operator: Axel Stummer · Interview: Johannes Kernmayer

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Beethoven and the Mahler Re-Orchestrations

Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz Michael Francis

Does Beethoven Works realy need an re-orchestration? Gustav Mahler, the conductor, considered Beethoven’s scores primarily a challenge; material that needed adapting and adopting to the orchestras and concert halls of his time.
Johannes Kernmayer talks to conductor Michael Francis who explains us the Backgrounds.
Recording Supervision: Roland Kistner
Video Operator: Axel Stummer
Interview: Johannes Kernmayer
Co-Production SWR -
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz – Capriccio
3CD-Set C5484 ist [06/2024 Release]

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JOSEF LABOR and PAUL WITTGENSTEIN

The blind composer and his one-handed pianist
OLIVER TRIENDL · Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz · Eugene Tzigane

Besides the well-known Left Hand Piano Concertos by Korngold, Prokofiev, Ravel and others, this very first Concert of Josef Labor marks the beginning of this genre in 1915. One-Handed pianist Paul Wittgenstein ordered it already during his captivity in Russia where he lost his right arm but determined to forward his pianistic career.
Recording: Ludwigshafen, Philharmonie, Feb. 2023
Recording Supervision: Karola Parry
Video Operator: Philipp Ohl
Producer: Stefan Lang (Deutschlandfunk); Johannes Kernmayer (Capriccio)
Capriccio CD C5521 

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ZYGMUNT NOSKOWSI - The forgotten polish romanticist

Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz · Antoni Wit

Sometimes you are surprosed why no one listens to this beautiful romantic music anymore. More surprisingly why these scores are completely forgotten in the last 150 years. Polish Music Expert and conductor ANTONI WIT explains us more about Zygmunt Noskowski (1846-1909) and his time. Capriccio CD C5509
Recording: Ludwigshafen, Philharmonie, 17.09.2022
Recording Supervision: Roland Ruble
Video Operator: Philippe Ohl, philo-media
Producer: Johannes Kernmayer

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NINO ROTA - and a lot of Italian fun!

Il cappello die paglia di Firenze (Opera complete Recording)

In Spring 2021 – when daily live stopped for Lockdowns and all public performances too – the Opera of Graz had prepared two fresh stage productions which could'nt take place anymore. One of them was Weinberg's 'Passagierin' (already release at Capriccio Label / C5455) and the second one this really funny, entertaining Opera 'The Florentine Straw Hat' by famous film composer Nino Rota. Happily no one of the artists got infected these days, so we could finish in time and could use the empty Opera House as a fantastic recording studio.
Oper Graz – General Manager: Nora Schmid
Recording Supervision: Jens Jamin
Video Operator: Axel Stummer
Producer: Johannes Kernmayer
2CD-Set · Capriccio C5466

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News from 'Moscow's Gershwin'

Nikolai Kapustin - Piano Concerto No. 5

The successful Edition with Music by russian composer NIKOLAI KAPUSTIN (1937-2020) goes on: I had the chance to talk to pianist FRANK DUPREE about these fascinating Music with a mixture of Jazz and Classic and how much this music changed his life with that – already – 3rd album he recorded.
Video Operator: Christina Voigt, Markus Nick · Recording Supervision: Johanna Vollus · Video Editing: Axel Stummer · Interview: Johannes Kernmayer · Producers: Stefan Lang (Deutschlandradio) · Johannes Kernmayer (Capriccio)

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#bruckner24 Symphony No. 4

Unfinished Diversities

'This is actually I have a hard time accepting – but there simply is'nt "the Fourth Symphony",
explains conductor Markus Poschner. He talks about these many versions, these 'unfinished diveristies',
and Bruckners distempered lifetime.
BRUCKNER ORCHESTER LINZ
ORF VIENNA RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MARKUS POSCHNER, conductor
Recording Supervision: Erich Hofmann · Recording Engineer: Erich Pintar
Video Operator: Axel Stummer · Producer: Johannes Kernmayer
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40th Anniversary: The Story Behind

Interview · Stories · Anecdotes

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of Capriccio, the distinguished classical music record label based in Vienna. Johannes Kernmayer, Capriccio's label director, joined the company in 1988, and takls about his long time work with 
the artists and the label.
Interview: Jens F. Laurson
Video Operator: Axel Stummer

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Powerful Holocaust Drama: Weinberg - Die Passagierin

Fascinating Graz Opera Production during Pandemic Times

When the world had to stay in Lockdown, all public performances cancelled, the Opera in Graz decided to use the time for CD and DVD Video Productions. The already prepared staging of this powerful and shocking Holocaust Drama has been recorded without any public and under strong Covid restrictions.

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