amarcord is a German male classical vocal ensemble based in Leipzig, founded in 1992 by five former members of the Thomanerchor. They primarily perform

Medieval music Medieval music encompasses the sacred and secular music of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, from approximately the 6th to 15th centuries. It is the first and longest major era of Western classical music and followed by the Renaissance ...

Renaissance music Renaissance music is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century '' ars nova'', the Tr ...

as well as collaborating with contemporary composers. Until 2013, the group's name was ensemble amarcord.

Singers

The ensemble typically performs as a quintet, singers have included * Wolfram Lattke ( tenor) * Robert Pohlers (tenor) *

Martin Lattke Martin Lattke (born 29 May 1981) is a German tenor, performing as a soloist and former member of the ensemble amarcord. Career Born in Pirna, Martin Lattke was seven years old when he received his first singing training. He was a member of the ...

(tenor) * Dietrich Barth (tenor) * Frank Ozimek (

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

) * Daniel Knauft (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

) * Holger Krause (bass)

Career and program

As members of the Thomanerchor, which Johann Sebastian Bach had directed in his time, the singers received the same vocal training and the knowledge of a vast repertory. The ensemble attended masterclasses with the Hilliard Ensemble and the

King's Singers The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1 ...

. In 2000 they were granted a scholarship from Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council, a member of the International Music Council) and were named to the ''Bundesauswahl Konzerte Junger Künstler'', which recognized young professional musicians and provides financial support for their concert engagements. They have appeared at international festivals and undertaken tours of Europe, North America, the Middle East, South East Asia and Australia. The first half of their concert programs is typically devoted to sacred music, while the second half shows secular music. In their first concert at the Rheingau Musik Festival on 29 August 2002 they stepped in for the Chanticleer and performed in the Unionskirche, Idstein. They sang music of Pierre de la Rue, William Byrd, (1917–1998), and

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

's ''Laudes de Saint Antoine de Padoue'' in the first half, works of Schubert, The Beatles,

Otto Mortensen Otto Hübertz Mortensen (18 August 1907 – 30 August 1986) was a Danish composer and conductor. He also played the organ and piano. For a number of years he worked at the Royal Danish Theatre as a rehearser for the opera, and later worked at A ...

and others in the second. Their concerts programs, which they comment with a sense of humour, usually concentrate on a theme, such as ''Musik und Musiker in Paris'' (Music and Musicians in Paris) in another concert of the festival in

Wiesbaden-Frauenstein Frauenstein is the westernmost borough of the city of Wiesbaden, located in the Rhine Main Area near Frankfurt and capital of the federal state of Hesse, Germany. The borough has a population of approximately 2,400. The formerly independent vi ...

on 26 August 2004. The first half contained compositions of Pierre de la Rue, Johannes Ockeghem, Pérotin, Gioachino Rossini and Poulenc's '' Quatre petites prières de saint François d’Assise'', the second half took through the centuries again with entertaining works of Pierre Certon, Pierre Passereau, Orlande de Lassus,

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

and ''Dans la montagne'' of

Jean Cras Jean Émile Paul Cras (; 22 May 1879 – 14 September 1932) was a 20th-century French composer and career naval officer. His musical compositions were inspired by his native Brittany, his travels to Africa, and most of all, by his sea ...

. Their concert in 2010 in Schloss Johannisberg picked up the festival's theme

Fernweh Wanderlust is a strong desire to wander or travel and explore the world. Etymology The first documented use of the term in English occurred in 1902 as a reflection of what was then seen as a characteristically German predilection for wanderin ...

. In 2009 they participated in a performance and live recording of Bach's lost '' Markus-Passion'', in the reconstructed version by Diethard Hellmann and

Andreas Glöckner Andreas Glöckner (born 1950 in Sondershausen) is a German musicologist, a Bach scholar who has served as the dramaturge of the Bachfest Leipzig. Career Glöckner studied musicology at the University of Leipzig. He worked at the Bach Archive L ...

, in the

Frauenkirche Dresden The Dresden Frauenkirche (german: Dresdner Frauenkirche, , ''Church of Our Lady'') is a Lutheran church in Dresden, the capital of the German state of Saxony. Destroyed during the Allied firebombing of Dresden towards the end of World War II, ...

. The ensemble was augmented by sopranos

Anja Zügner Aanya, Anya or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most cultures especially Indian, and unisex in several African and European countries. Origins and variant forms * Aanya or Anya is an Indian name that means inexhaustible, limitless ...

and

Dorothea Wagner Dorothea Wagner (born 1957) is a German computer scientist, known for her research in graph drawing, route planning, and social network analysis. She heads the Institute of Theoretical Informatics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

, and altos

Clare Wilkinson Clare Wilkinson (born in Manchester, England) is an English mezzo-soprano specialising in Baroque and Renaissance music. Her recent CD recordings are *''Mynstrelles with Straunge Sounds'' with the Rose Consort of Viols *''Anne Boleyn's Songboo ...

and

Silvia Janak Silvia () is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, ''Silva'', and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of t ...

, the Kölner Akademie was conducted by

Michael Alexander Willens Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

. The lost recitatives were replaced by recitation. In 2010, they performed Monteverdi's '' Marienvesper'' in the Berlin Cathedral with the

Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg The Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg is a mixed choir in Hamburg, the chamber choir of the University of Hamburg since 1961. Founded in 1955 by Jürgen Jürgens and directed by him until 1994, it is one of Germany's most famous concert choirs. The choir is ...

and the

Lautten Compagney lautten compagney BERLIN is a German instrumental ensemble based in Berlin. Founded in 1984 by Hans-Werner Apel and Wolfgang Katschner, now the principal conductor, it specializes in Early music and Baroque music, notably the operas of Handel. ...

. In 2013 they performed the work as the annual Marienvesper of the Rheingau Musik Festival in Eberbach Abbey, forming the choir with additional guest singers Angelika Lenter, Hanna Zumsande, Stefan Kunath,

David Erler David Erler (born 1981) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music. Career Erler was born in Auerbach (Vogtland). He attended the musical gymnasium ''Clara-Wieck-Gymnasium'' in Zwi ...

and Daniel Schreiber, and the Lautten Compagney conducted by

Wolfgang Katschner Wolfgang Katschner (born 1961 in Kyritz) is a German lutenist and Conducting, conductor. He is director of the ensembles Capella Angelica and Lautten Compagney which specialise in Baroque music—notably the operas of Handel. Katschner studied g ...

International festival for vocal music ''a cappella''

In 1997 the singers initiated an annual international summer festival in Leipzig for ''a cappella'' vocal music, the International Festival for Vocal Music "a cappella", where a wide variety of guest ensembles such as the

Swingle Singers 270px, The Swingles at the Black Forest Voices Festival in Kirchzarten, Germany">Kirchzarten.html" ;"title="Black Forest Voices Festival in Kirchzarten">Black Forest Voices Festival in Kirchzarten, Germany on 29 June 2019 The Swingles are a v ...

, the Huelgas Ensemble, the ensemble Chanticleer and The Real Group have appeared.

Music composed for the ensemble amarcord

Contemporary composers such as Ivan Moody and Dimitri Terzakis wrote music for the ensemble amarcord. In 1998

Marcus Ludwig Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a Asteroid belt, main belt asteroid, also known as List of minor planets: 369001–370000#088, ( ...

(born 1960) wrote in Leipzig ''Drei Gedichte von Paul Celan''. One of these three poems of

Paul Celan Paul Celan (; ; 23 November 1920 – c. 20 April 1970) was a Romanian-born German-language poet and translator. He was born as Paul Antschel to a Jewish family in Cernăuți (German: Czernowitz), in the then Kingdom of Romania (now Chernivtsi, U ...

, ''Tenebrae'', was recorded. They premiered in 1999 ''Apokathilosis'' (from the Orthodox vespers of Good Friday) of Moody who wrote for them in 2002 ''Chalice of Wisdom'', Matins of the Feast of St Thomas. Terzakis composed in 2002 ''Kassandra'' after Aischylos, and Siegfried Thiele (born 1962) wrote for them ''Urworte, Orphisch'' after Goethe. Bernd Franke (born 1959) composed for them in 2002 ''unseen blue I'' for voices and bandoneón on words of Pascual Contursi, William Shakespeare, Arthur Rimbaud, Michael Frank and

Cesare Pavese Cesare Pavese ( , ; 9 September 1908 – 27 August 1950) was an Italian novelist, poet, short story writer, translator, literary critic, and essayist. He is often referred to as one of the most influential Italian writers of his time. Early li ...

, and in 2006 ''unseen blue II'' on words of

Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...

, Arthur Rimbaud,

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

David Bengree-Jones David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and Lodovico Agostini. ''Peronellas Fass'' (Peronella’s Barrel) on a Boccaccio Decameron scene, written on a commission of the ensemble in 2005 by

Aristides Strongylis Aristides ( ; grc-gre, Ἀριστείδης, Aristeídēs, ; 530–468 BC) was an ancient Athenian statesman. Nicknamed "the Just" (δίκαιος, ''dikaios''), he flourished in the early quarter of Athens' Classical period and is remember ...

(born 1974), was premiered at the opening concert of ''a capella'' in 2006.

Prizes and awards

The ensemble amarcord won prizes at competitions in Tolosa, Spain (1995, Second Prize, Profane), Tampere (1999, Joint Third Prize), and the ''1st Choir Olympiad'' in Linz (2000). In 2002 the ensemble won the German music competition Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and in 2004 the prize of the ''Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'' (Music Festival of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). The ensemble won the ''Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award'' (CARA) of the Contemporary A Cappella Society several times, first in 2002 for their album ''Hear the voice'', a collection of sacred music of composers Thomas Tallis,

, Rudolf Mauersberger,

Josquin des Prez Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...

, Darius Milhaud, William Byrd, Carl Orff, Pierre de la Rue, Peter Cornelius and Marcus Ludwig. The program and the singing were reviewed:

"... the offering of works by Orff, Peter Cornelius, Rudolf Mauersberger, and Marcus Ludwig shows Ensemble Amarcord well attuned to their national heritage. The Orff work, “Sunt lacrimae rerum” is notably rhythmicized and reiterative, and an interesting contrast to the supple lines of the earlier Renaissance works. Similarly, Ludwig’s “Tenebrae” explores a clustery palette and features some of the ensemble’s best soft singing."

In 2006 they won the CARA in the categories "Best classical album" with ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'' and also the second prize with ''Incessament'', they won in the category "Best classical song" with ''Sanctus Incessament'' and second prize with ''Sic Deus Dilexit''. ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'' is a collection of music for

Advent Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''. In ...

and Christmas around ''Veni redemptor gentium'' in settings of Ambrosius of Milan and Michael Praetorius, ''Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'' of

Johann Eccard Johannes Eccard (1553–1611) was a German composer and kapellmeister. He was an early principal conductor at the Berlin court chapel. Biography Eccard was born at Mühlhausen, in present-day Thuringia, Germany. At the age of eighteen he went ...

, and compositions of Jacobus Vaet,

Philipp Dulichius Philipp Dulichius (also ''Deulich, Deilich, Teilich, Dulich, Dulichs'') (18 December 1562 – 24 March 1631) was a German composer. Life Dulichius Philip was born in Chemnitz, where his father, Caspar Deulich, was a clothier, councillor and may ...

, Heinrich Isaac and Hildegard of Bingen, among others. ''Incessament'' features music of Pierre de la Rue, especially his ''Missa Incessament'', a five-part canonic mass ordinary, also known as ''Missa Sic deus & Non salvatur rex'', La Rue's longest mass cycle. A review on this first recording of the work remarked:

"However, the Ensemble Amarcord itself deserves full credit for its breathtakingly smooth blend and celestial sweetness of tone. As with the Brumel work on the disc previously discussed, this is a worldpremiere recording of this lovely and important piece."

In 2010 their album ''Rastlose Liebe'' won the CARA in the category "Best classical album". ''Rastlose Liebe'' (restless love), after a song by

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

, is a collection of works of composers who lived in Leipzig in the 19th century, such as

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...

, Adolf Eduard Marschner, Heinrich Marschner,

Carl Steinacker Carl may refer to: * Carl, Georgia, city in USA * Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name * Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of ...

August Mühling August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

and Carl Friedrich Zöllner. In 2012 they were awarded the Echo Klassik Awards in the category "Ensemble of the year, vocal music" for their Album ''Das Lieben bringt groß' Freud!''.

Discography

* ''Insalata a cappella'' (2001) * ''In Adventu Domini'' (2001) * ''Hear the voice'' (2001) * ''And So It Goes'' (2002) The longest time; New York, New York;

Breakfast in America ''Breakfast in America'' is the sixth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released by A&M Records on 29 March 1979. It was recorded in 1978 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles. It spawned four US ''Billboard'' hit singles: "The ...

; Blackbird; Juramento;

In This Heart IN, In or in may refer to: Places * India (country code IN) * Indiana, United States (postal code IN) * Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN) * In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast Businesses and organizations * Indepe ...

; Somebody to love; Only you; Hit the Road Jack;

Rain in May Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water fo ...

; Since You Went Away; Can't Buy Me Love; Strangers in the Night; Good Vibrations;

That Lonesome Road ''That'' is an English language word used for several grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words like ''this''. The word did not or ...

; And So It Goes. * ''ensemble amarcord'' (2003) * Pierre de la Rue: ''Incessament'' (2005) * ''Nun komm der Heiden Heiland'' (2005) * ''Vita S. Elisabeth'' (2006) * ''The Book of Madrigals'' (2007) Dowland,

Josquin Josquin Lebloitte dit des Prez ( – 27 August 1521) was a composer of High Renaissance music, who is variously described as French or Franco-Flemish. Considered one of the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he was a central figure of the ...

Banchieri Banchieri is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Adriano Banchieri (1568–1634), Italian composer, music theorist, organist, and poet *Antonio Banchieri Antonio Banchieri (19 May 1667 - 16 September 1733) was an Italian cardina ...

Senfl Ludwig Senfl (born around 1486, died between December 2, 1542 and August 10, 1543) was a Swiss composer of the Renaissance, active in Germany. He was the most famous pupil of Heinrich Isaac, was music director to the court of Maximilian I, Holy ...

. * ''Album français'' (2008)

Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

, Milhaud,

, and Saint-Saëns. * ''Heimlich Heimlich'', EP (2009) * ''Rastlose Liebe'' (2009):

, ,

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...

, , Carl Friedrich Zöllner and Marschner * Bach: Markus-Passion (2010) * ''Von den letzten Dingen'', with

Cappella Sagittariana Dresden Cappella may refer to: * Cappella (band), Italian electronic music group * a cappella, unaccompanied singing People with the surname * Felix Cappella (1930-2011), Canadian race walker * Scipione Cappella (fl. 18th century), Italian painter S ...

(2010) Anonymus: Gott sei mir gnädig (Psalm 51),

Stephan Otto Stephan Otto (1603–1656) was a German composer and kantor in Freiberg and Schandau. He worked for Count Rudolf von Bünau in Weesenstein, and was mentor and probably teacher to Andreas Hammerschmidt. Works, editions, recordings * Dialogue "Mein ...

Rosenmüller Rosenmüller is a surname of German origin. People with that name include: *Johann Rosenmüller (1619-1684), German Baroque composer *Johann Georg Rosenmüller (1736–1815), German Protestant theologian *Ernst Friedrich Karl Rosenmüller (1768-18 ...

, Heinrich Schütz: Mit dem Amphion zwar;

Musikalische Exequien Musikalische Exequien (Funeral music), Op. 7, SWV 279–281 is a sacred composition that Heinrich Schütz wrote in 1635 or 1636. Written for the funeral services of Count Henry II, Count of Reuss-Gera, who had died on 3 December 1635, it is Sch ...

, Schein, Heinrich Scheidemann, Michael Praetorius. * anon.: ''Historia de Compassione Gloriosissimae Virginis Mariae'', Marian office of the 15th century CPO (2010) * ''Annees de Pelerinage'' (2011) * ''Das Lieben bringt groß Freud!'', works for male quartet and string quartet by Friedrich Silcher,

Moritz Kässmayer Moritz Kässmayer, sometimes spelled Käßmayer (1831, Vienna1884, Vienna) was an Austrian composer remembered for his humorous settings of folk songs for string quartet. Among the quartets' admirers was Brahms, on his visits to the Kässmayer fami ...

and

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig, Leipzig University ...

, with Leipziger Streichquartett (2011) * ''Jauchzet dem Herren alle Welt'' (2011), with Cappella Sagittariana Dresden * ''Années de pèlerinage'', madrigals by

Carlo Gesualdo Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa ( – 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century ...

, Luca Marenzio (2011), complementing Liszt's piano work played by Ragna Schirmer * ''Coming Home for Christmas'' (2011) * ''Zu S. Thomas'' (2012) * ''Chronik: Nahaufnahme – 20 Jahre amarcord'' (book with two CDs) (2012) * ''Johann Sebastian Bach – Die Motetten'' (2012) * '' Folks & Tales (2013) * ''The Madrigal Book'' DVD (2014) * ''Marienvesper'' (2014) * ''Schubert'' (2016) * ''Tenebrae'' (2017)