Baroque Colours   Martin Stadtfeld

• Johann Kuhnau (1660 - 1722): Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V in G Major:
• 1Kuhnau: Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V in G Major: Prelude01:43
• 2Kuhnau: Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V in G Major: Gigue01:04
• François Couperin (1668 - 1733): L'art de toucher le clavecin:
• 3Couperin: L'art de toucher le clavecin: Prelude No. 7 in B-Flat Major01:28
• Pièces de clavecin, Sixième ordre:
• 4Couperin: Pièces de clavecin, Sixième ordre: No.5 in B-Flat Major, "Les Baricades Misterieuses"02:35
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964:
• 5Bach: Sonata in D Minor, BWV 964: III. Andante02:37
• Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757): Sonata in F Minor, K.466:
• 6Scarlatti: Sonata in F Minor, K.46603:16
• Sonata in A Minor, K.54:
• 7Scarlatti: Sonata in A Minor, K.5401:57
• Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759): Suite in B-Flat Major, HWV 434:
• 8Händel: Suite in B-Flat Major, HWV 434: I. Prelude01:26
• 9Händel: Suite in B-Flat Major, HWV 434: II. Allegro (Sonata)01:23
• 10Händel: Suite in B-Flat Major, HWV 434: III. Aria con Variazioni02:34
• Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764): Suite in E Minor, RCT 2:
• 11Rameau: Suite in E Minor, RCT 2: IV. Gigue en rondeau II01:40
• 12Rameau: Suite in E Minor, RCT 2: VIII. Tambourin01:11
• Baldassare Galuppi (1706 - 1785): Passatempo al cembalo, Sonata No. 3 in C Minor:
• 13Galuppi: Passatempo al cembalo, Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: I. Allegro moderato02:10
• 14Galuppi: Passatempo al cembalo, Sonata No. 3 in C Minor: II. Allegro01:41
• Antonio Soler (1729 - 1783): Sonata No. 21 in C-Sharp Minor, R.21:
• 15Soler: Sonata No. 21 in C-Sharp Minor, R.2102:25
• Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer (1703 - 1755): Pièces de clavecin:
• 16Royer: Pièces de clavecin: IV. Tambourins, Suite des Matelots01:26
• 17Royer: Pièces de clavecin: XIV. Le Marche des Scythes05:21
• Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II:
• 18Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II: Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 876: I. Praeludium03:01
• 19Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II: Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat Major, BWV 876: II. Fuga03:20
• The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I:
• 20Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prelude No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846 (Arr. for Piano four hands by Martin Stadtfeld)01:44
• Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632 - 1687): Armide, LWV 71, Act V:
• 21Lully: Armide, LWV 71, Act V: Passacaglia (Arr. for Piano four hands by Martin Stadtfeld)03:45
• Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706): Canon, P.37 (Arr. for Piano four hands by Martin Stadtfeld):
• 22Pachelbel: Canon, P.37 (Arr. for Piano four hands by Martin Stadtfeld)03:34
• Henry Purcell (1659 - 1695): The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II:
• 23Purcell: The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act II: Hush, no more, be silent (Arr. for Piano by Martin Stadtfeld)02:32
• The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V:
• 24Purcell: The Fairy Queen, Z. 629, Act V: Chaconne (Arr. for Piano by Martin Stadtfeld)02:28
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741): Four Seasons Summer Variation (After Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315: III. Presto):
• 25Vivaldi: Four Seasons Summer Variation (After Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315: III. Presto)02:44
• Four Seasons Winter Variation (After Violin Concerto in F Minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, III. Allegro-Lento):
• 26Vivaldi: Four Seasons Winter Variation (After Violin Concerto in F Minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, III. Allegro-Lento)01:43
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 - 1767): Trumpet Concerto in D Major, TWV 51:D7:
• 27Telemann: Trumpet Concerto in D Major, TWV 51:D7: IV. Allegro (Arr. for Piano by Martin Stadtfeld)01:40
• Gaspar Sanz (1640 - 1710): Canarios (Arr. for Piano by Martin Stadtfeld):
• 28Sanz: Canarios (Arr. for Piano by Martin Stadtfeld)01:30
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Praise (After Israel in Egypt, HWV 54: Dank sei Dir, Herr):
• 29Händel: Praise (After Israel in Egypt, HWV 54: Dank sei Dir, Herr)02:13
• Johann Kuhnau: Piano Improvisation 1 (After Prelude from Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V):
• 30Kuhnau: Piano Improvisation 1 (After Prelude from Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V)01:06
• Piano Improvisation 2 (After Prelude from Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V):
• 31Kuhnau: Piano Improvisation 2 (After Prelude from Neue Clavier-Übung I, Partie V)01:16
• Johann Sebastian Bach: Minuet Piano Meditation 1 (After Minuet in D Minor, BWV Anh.132 from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach):
• 32Bach: Minuet Piano Meditation 1 (After Minuet in D Minor, BWV Anh.132 from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)01:03
• Minuet Piano Meditation 2 (After Minuet in D Minor, BWV Anh.132 from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach):
• 33Bach: Minuet Piano Meditation 2 (After Minuet in D Minor, BWV Anh.132 from Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)01:23
• Air Piano Meditation (After Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068):
• 34Bach: Air Piano Meditation (After Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068)01:53
• Fugue Piano Meditation (After Fugue for Organ in G Minor, BWV 578):
• 35Bach: Fugue Piano Meditation (After Fugue for Organ in G Minor, BWV 578)01:47
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Chaconne Piano Meditation (After Chaconne in G Major, HWV 435):
• 36Händel: Chaconne Piano Meditation (After Chaconne in G Major, HWV 435)01:44
• Sarabande Piano Meditation (After Sarabande from Suite in D Minor, HWV 437):
• 37Händel: Sarabande Piano Meditation (After Sarabande from Suite in D Minor, HWV 437)01:11
• Aria Piano Meditation (After "Eternal Source of Light Divine" from Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, HWV 74):
• 38Händel: Aria Piano Meditation (After "Eternal Source of Light Divine" from Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne, HWV 74)01:53
• Arcangelo Corelli (1653 - 1713): Folia Piano Variation 1 (After Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 5, No. 12):
• 39Corelli: Folia Piano Variation 1 (After Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 5, No. 12)00:47
• Folia Piano Variation 2 (After Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 5, No. 12):
• 40Corelli: Folia Piano Variation 2 (After Violin Sonata in D Minor, Op. 5, No. 12)00:58
• Prelude Piano Variation (After Prelude from Violin Sonata in F Major, Op. 5, No. 10):
• 41Corelli: Prelude Piano Variation (After Prelude from Violin Sonata in F Major, Op. 5, No. 10)01:51
• Melchior Vulpius (ca. 1570 - 1615): Piano Improvisation 1 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade"):
• 42Vulpius: Piano Improvisation 1 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade")02:21
• Piano Improvisation 2 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade"):
• 43Vulpius: Piano Improvisation 2 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade")02:19
• Piano Improvisation 3 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade"):
• 44Vulpius: Piano Improvisation 3 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade")00:58
• Piano Improvisation 4 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade"):
• 45Vulpius: Piano Improvisation 4 (After "Ach bleib mit deiner Gnade")02:50
• Total Runtime01:31:31

Info for Baroque Colours  

With his new double album "Baroque Colours", Martin Stadtfeld presents a unique palette of colourful baroque works. And in a very special form: For the first part, he selected 19 wonderful little original pieces by Bach, Rameau or Handel, among others, but also by lesser-known composers such as Johann Kuhnau or Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer.

For the second part, Stadtfeld has selected some of his favourite Baroque pieces and arranged them for piano. From Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons", for example, the rousing melodies from "Summer" and "Winter" can be experienced anew - as short, wonderful-sounding piano pieces. Or the famous "Canon" by Johann Pachelbel in a new version for piano four hands, which Martin Stadtfeld recorded with the pianist Lilian Akopova.

She is also his partner in the four-hand versions of Bach's first prelude and the "Passacaglia" from Lully's opera "Armida". The piano versions of Purcell's music from the opera "Fairy Queen" are also an experience. Stadtfeld's improvisations on themes by Bach (including the famous "Air" and "Minuet"), on works by Arcangelo Corelli and on the hymn "Ach bleib mit Deiner Gnade" sound almost meditative.

The 45 pieces were recorded on a modern Steinway with a very close and warm sound, so that the richness of colour and intensity is immediately transferred to the listener. It is like standing in front of a colourful baroque painting and discovering ever new colours.

Martin Stadtfeld, Lilian Akopova

Martin Stadtfeld
born 1980 gave his début recital at the age of nine, and was only 13 when he enrolled at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt to study with Lev Natochenny. He created a stir in 2002 when he became the first German pianist to win the International Bach Competition in Leipzig. First prize in this prestigious contest, which hadn't been awarded for 14 years, opened the doors to the leading Bach festivals (Ansbach, Stuttgart, Köthen) for the young artist, as well as to other important music festivals.

Concert tours have since taken him to all the leading music centres in Europe, the USA and Japan, and he has given solo recitals to full houses in all major German cities, in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo and at the Salzburg Festival. He has also played in orchestral concerts together with the Munich Philharmonic, London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, the Residentie Orkest den Haag, the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchester and the Dresden Staatskapelle.

Martin Stadtfeld records exclusively for Sony Classical. His début CD with Bach's Goldberg Variations was released in 2003 to effusive praise from the critics, and rapidly rose to first position in the German classical charts. In October 2004 Martin Stadtfeld was awarded the "Echo Klassik" prize for this CD as "Young artist of the year". His sophomore album, "Bach Pur", featured Bach's three-part inventions and his Italian Concerto, as well as transcriptions by Ferruccio Busoni and Alexander Siloti, and again went to no.1 in the German classical charts; in 2005 the pianist was awarded another "Echo Klassik" prize for the "Solo recording of the year". Martin Stadtfeld's great passion is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, but to quote the weekly paper Die Zeit, Bach is certainly "the alpha and omega of his thinking, but by no means the entire alphabet. The young German artist can do a lot more than just play Bach".

In autumn 2005, in time for Mozart Year, Martin Stadtfeld released Mozart's piano concertos no. 20 & 24, recorded together with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra under Bruno Weil, which the music press praised as an "interpretation at once totally alert and highly sensitive". February 2006 saw the release of the CD "Kleine Stücke" with 16 Bach preludes and Robert Schumann's Bunte Blätter. Martin Stadtfeld then went on to record three keyboard concertos by Bach, with Achim Fiedler conducting the Festival Strings Lucerne. This CD was released in the autumn of 2006, and was awarded the "Echo Klassik" prize for the "Best concerto recording" in 2007. For his next CD, the young pianist turned his attention to Schubert, releasing the two sonatas D.960 in B flat major and D.984 in G major in September 2007. German trade magazine Audio chose this recording as its classical CD of the month, writing that "Martin Stadtfeld makes the piano sing. His approach is unusual and unfamiliar-sounding, cheeky and typically Stadtfeld. But once you've got used to it, these interpretations afford immense pleasure". "Echo Klassik" once again honoured the new CD with an award as its "Best solo recording (19th century)" in 2008.

The recording of the first part of Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier" was made in the Dortmund Konzerthaus, and was released in October 2008 accompanied by a second CD made as a co-production with the broadcasting station SWR: Martin Stadtfeld explains to a 12-year-old girl the special features of the work, using extracts from the score that he plays on the piano, the harpsichord, a clavichord and an organ. Martin Stadtfeld has been working together with the Dortmund Konzerthaus for many years now. In addition to regular recitals there as part of the concert series "Junge Wilde", he has also gone to some lengths to engender interest in classical music among pupils from problem schools: he visits schools, talks to the children about his work as a pianist, presents music to them, especially music by Bach, and invites them to attend one of his concerts.

Booklet for Baroque Colours