News
New CD from Berlin Classics with the world’s first recording of Schubert’s “Sonate Oubliée”
Sebastian Knauer’s latest recording of works by Franz Schubert has received the highest international praise. Apart from the well-known 4 Impromptus D935, Op. 142, this CD also contains the world’s first recording of the “Sonate Oubliée” D 916B, a combination of hitherto unpublished movements from 1827.
Only discovered in 1978, these piano pieces were skilfully joined together by Jörg Demus and Roland Sölder to form a convincing and complete sonata, thereby reviving another work by Schubert from the final year of his life.
A further work on this CD is the Adagio and Rondo Concertante D487, originally conceived for piano quartet, here, however, presented in Sebastian Knauer’s own version for piano and string orchestra.
The press has heaped the highest praise on this new recording:
„Poise and discipline from a pianist we must hear more from.”
(Gramophone Magazine)
“Absolutely worth listening to”
(Hessischer Rundfunk – CD Tip)
“He achieves great things”
(WDR 3)
“A pianist deeply immersed in Schubert”
(NDR Kultur)
“Superb touch and highly musical”
(Kölner Stadtanzeiger)
“Schubert in mature form”
(N – TV)
„A glittering raw diamond“
(Rondo Magazin)
“The pianist Sebastian Knauer in excellent form”
(Klassik.com)
“CD of the double month!”
(Piano News)
" Supersonic 2007 Award"
(Pizzicato Magazine Luxembourg)
For more information about all CD recordings click on discography.
Haydn Piano Concertos with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra under Helmut Müller Brühl on the Naxos label
Shortly after his great success with his Schubert recording, Sebastian Knauer again received much praise from the press, this time for his recording of four Haydn piano concertos.
Far too rarely performed, these concerts deserve much more attention than they have received in the past, and Sebastian Knauer has made a huge contribution towards it, by acting as a herald, as it were, for the coming Haydn year in 2009.
„He makes the slow movements sing most beautifully“
(Kölner Stadtanzeiger)
“Beautifully sounding and highly differentiated interpretation”
(Klassik.com)
“A masterly re-creation”
(Rondo Magazin)
“Cheerfulness that is catching”
(Bild am Sonntag)
“Steeped deeply in Haydn’s world”
(RBB Kulturradio)
“Convincing synthesis of light touch and solid sound”
(Fono Forum)
New Agencies for France, Austria and Spain
With the start of the 2007/2008 season three big artists’ agencies have taken on the management of Sebastian Knauer for France, Austria and Spain respectively.
With immediate effect the Künstleragentur Raab & Böhm is responsible for Austria and the Musica Glotz Artists Management for France and Monaco. The first joint project with Musica Glotz will be an engagement with the Orchestre National de France under
Kurt Masur in 08/09.
Pere Porta Concerts of Barcelona represents Sebastian Knauer in Spain.
For more information about managements click on Contact.
2006/2007 Review and 2007/2008 Preview
Here are just a few of the concert highlights of the 2006/2007 season:
Sebastian Knauer performed as soloist and conductor with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz in Ludwigshafen as well as with the Kammerorchester Basel in Lucerne und Basle, where his Mozart interpretations (K271, K414 and K466) met with great enthusiasm.
At the Robeco Summer Concerts, he played under Jaap van Zweden with the Netherland Philharmonic Orchestra in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
For the first time Sebastian Knauer also worked with the conductor Thomas Hengelbrock.
Further concert appearances were in New York (Lincoln Center), Paris, Athens, Gstaad (Menuhin Festival), Vevey (Festival Vevey/Montreux), Bonn (Beethoven Fest), the Schleswig Holstein Festival, the Festspiele Mecklenburg, the Kissinger Sommer, and his debut in the Alte Oper Frankfurt.
The principal concerts planned for the current 07/08 season are with the Staatskapelle Dresden under Fabio Luisi in Hamburg and Cologne as well as his debut in Japan as part of a Recital Tour in May 2008.
Further concert stops will be the Cadogan Hall and Wigmore Hall in London, KKL Lucerne, Bologna, Santiago de Compostela, Beethoven Fest Bonn, Festspiele Mecklenburg, Miami, New York, Savannah Music Festival and the El Paso Music Festival.
A new solo CD for Berlin Classics will be recorded in February 2008
New Word & Music Projects for 2008 in Progress
Apart from his activities as soloist, Sebastian Knauer has also made a name for himself during the last few years with programmes of words and music.
Work is presently in progress for two new programmes, one is “Rhapsody in Blue – Hommage to George Gershwin” and the other “On Wings of Song – Felix Mendelssohn and the Singer Jenny Lind”.
Sebastian Knauer will perform both programmes with his long-standing partners from the stage, Hannelore Elsner,
Martina Gedeck and Gudrun Landgrebe; all current programmes will also continue to be performed.
For more information about all the Word and Music programmes click on projects.
