Saga Konstantin Krimmel & Doriana Tchakarova

• Carl Loewe (1796 - 1869):
• 1 Tom der Reimer, Op. 135a 06:17
• Adolf Jensen (1837 - 1879): Romanzen und Balladen, Op. 41:
• 2 Romanzen und Balladen, Op. 41: II. Die Braut 07:05
• 3 Romanzen und Balladen, Op. 41: IV. Rübezahl 03:34
• Carl Loewe: Balladen:
• 4 Balladen, Op. 2: II. Herr Oluf 07:02
• 5 Balladen, Op. 1: III. Erlkönig 04:11
• Adolf Jensen: Gesänge:
• 6 Gesänge, Op. 5: IV. Waldesgespräch 03:08
• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828):
• 7 Der Zwerg, D. 771 05:31
• 8 Gruppe aus dem Tartarus, D. 583 03:23
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856):
• 9 Belsatzar, Op. 57 05:13
• 10 Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. II, Op. 49: II. Die feindlichen Brüder 02:37
• 11 Romanzen und Balladen, Vol. II, Op. 49: I. Die beiden Grenadiere 03:49
• Franz Schubert:
• 12 Prometheus, D. 674 05:41
• Carl Loewe:
• 13 Odins Meeresritt, Op. 118 05:14
• Total Runtime 01:02:45

Info for Saga

The young German baritone Konstantin Krimmel won the prestigious Preis des Deutschen Musikwettbewerbs in 2019, in addition to the Helmut Deutsch Prize. He joins Alpha for a number of recordings, starting with this programme of lieder conceived with his longstanding partner, the pianist Doriana Tchakarova. This lover of words, a particularly expressive performer in concert, wanted to ‘tell a story’ for his first album: he chose to record a selection of ballads, because ‘they are genuine operas in just a few minutes... mini-sagas that permit great interpretative freedom’. Among the great poets present here are Schiller, Goethe and Heinrich Heine. As to the composers, alongside the indispensable Schubert and Schumann, this programme presents a great master of the genre, Carl Loewe, who wrote several hundred ballads: the works recorded here, inspired by Scots poems or Danish legends, are especially eloquent. There is also a chance to discover the much more rarely recorded Adolf Jensen, a great admirer of Wagner, whom he met in 1861: ‘To translate Wagner’s ideas of Beauty and Truth to smaller forms has been my aim in all my later compositions.

Konstantin Krimmel, baritone
Doriana Tchakarova, piano

Konstantin Krimmel
won First Prize and the Audience Prize at the German National Music Competition (Deutscher Musikwettbewerb) in 2019. He also won First Prize and the Audience Prize at the 1st International Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition in 2019, and First Prizes at the 1st International Haydn Competition for Classical Song and Aria in Rohrau in 2018, and at the Rising Stars Grand Prix International Music Competition in Berlin in 2018 (in the Lied Duo category with Doriana Tchakarova). He also won 2nd Prize at the International Voice Competition “Das Lied” in Heidelberg in 2019, and at the Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition in 2018. He won 3rd Prizes at the National Voice Competition (Bundeswettbewerb Gesang) in Berlin in 2018, and at the International DEBUT Klassik Voice Competition.

In the current 2019-2020 season, Konstantin Krimmel is singing the role of Christ at Wiesbaden Opera in a staged production of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion conducted by Konrad Junghänel; he will likewise sing in Handel’s Brockes Passion in London with the Arcangelo Ensemble conducted by Jonathan Cohan, and in Haydn’s L’anima del filosofo in Eisenstadt with the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Enrico Onofri. He will sing his début with the RIAS Chamber Choir in Bach’s St Matthew Passion conducted by Justin Doyle, and in Haydn’s oratorio The Seasons at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg with the Hamburg Bach Choir conducted by Thomas Dahl.

Vocal recitals with pianist Doriana Tchakarova lead him to sing at Banz Cloister, at Frankfurt Opera, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, at the Bavarian Academy of the Arts, at Berlin Konzerthaus, at the Heidelberg Spring Festival, at the Schubertiada in Barcelona, at Tetbury Music Festival, Oxford Liedfestival, and Wigmore Hall.

Krimmel recently sang the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni in Sievierodonetsk (Ukraine). In Heilbronn he covered the role of Zoroastro in the 2016/2017 season, and the role of Nardo in La finta giardiniera in 2019.

German-Romanian baritone Konstantin Krimmel was born in 1993 in Ulm; he is currently studying voice with Prof. Teru Yoshihara in Stuttgart. He began his musical training as a member of the boys’ choir at the St. George Parish Church in his home town.

Konstantin Krimmel was awarded scholarships by the Walter and Charlotte Hamel Foundation and the Ulm Richard Wagner Society. He has actively participated in masterclasses imparted by Brigitte Fassbaender, Margreet Honig, Noelle Turner, and Thomas Heyer. He is currently also receiving valuable musical counsel from Julian Prégardien.

Konstantin Krimmel records exclusively for Outhere Music France. His first album was released in September 2019.

Booklet for Saga