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Cantus Cölln (Vocal Ensemble)

Founded: 1987 - Köln (Cologne), Germany

Cantus Cölln, an ensemble of vocal soloists, was founded in 1987 by the well-known lutenist Konrad Junghänel. In the space of just a few years, the ensemble has managed to secure a place among the world’s leading vocal groups.

Cantus Cölln concentrates on the field of German and Italian vocal music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The German vocal music from these eras, in particular, offers an undreamed-of wealth of outstanding compositions, which have remained largely neglected up to now. Cantus Cölln has already included several of these works in its repertoire, and has performed them in concert to an enthusiastic response from the audience. The ensemble’s work has made a considerable impression on the music critics, too, with their first recording of, the ‘Diletti pastorali’ of Johann Hermann Schein, being awarded international record prizes.

As the critics repeatedly point out, the special fascination of these singers, all of whom have enjoyed success as soloists in their own right, lies in the fact that they come remarkably close to the ideal of a homogeneous vocal ensemble, without sacrificing the characteristics of the individual singers’ voices. The well-known French CD magazine ‘Diapason’ has referred to Cantus Cölln as “one of the Early Music discoveries of recent years”.

In addition to recital programmes of unaccompanied vocal music, another point of emphasis in Cantus Cölln’s work is the interpretation of larger-scale sacred works of cantatas. Examples of this and their recording of the cantatas of Johann Rosenmüller (this CD has been awarded the ‘Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik’), and of the works by the Cantors of St. Thomas’s, Leipzig before J.S. Bach.

Cantus Cölln has made an excellent name for itself with its many appearances at such international festivals as Herne, Stuttgart, Innsbruck and Breslau, and these successful European appearances brought them invitations to visit America and Asia. Further feathers in the cap of this internationally renowned ensemble are their broadcasts for WDR West German Radio in Cologne, and regular recordings released on the BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi and Harmonia Mundi France labels as part of long-term collaboration.

Members of Cantus Cölln:

Sopranos

Altos

Tenors

Basses

Mechthild Bach
Amaryllis Dieltiens
Sabine Goetz
Magdalene Harer
Gabriele Hierdeis
Maria Cristina Kiehr
Johanna Koslowsky
Monika Mauch
Susanne Rydén
Hedwig Westhoff-Düppmann

Bernhard Landauer
Elisabeth Popien
Graham Pushee
Alexander Schneider
Henning Voss
Kai Wessel

Wilfried Jochens
Henning Kaiser
Mirko Ludwig
Hans Jörg Mammel
Georg Poplutz
Martin Post
Gerd Türk

Markus Flaig
Wolf-Matthias Friedrich
Matthias Gerchen
Sebastian Noack
Raimund Nolte
Stephan Schreckenberger



Sources:
Liner notes to Deutsche Harmonia Mundi CD 05472-77203-2 (Thomaskantoren vor Bach, conducted by K. Junghänel, 1993)
Liner notes to Harmonia Mundi France CD 901694 (Actus Tragicus, conducted by Junghänel, 2000)
Contributed by
Aryeh Oron (April 2001)

Konrad Junghänel: Short Biography | Ensembles: Cantus Cölln
Bach Discography:
Recordings of Vocal Works | Recordings of Instrumental Works
Discussions of Individual Recordings:
“Actus Tragicus” - by K. Junghänel & Cantus Cölln | Motets - K. Junghänel & Cantus Cölln | Das Alt-Bachische Archiv - K. Junghänel & Cantus Cölln | BWV 232 - K. Junghänel & Cantus Cölln

Links to other Sites

Cantus Cölln (Official Website)


Biographies of Performers: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Explanation | Acronyms | Missing Biographies | The Sad Corner




 

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Last update: Sunday, October 01, 2023 16:09