Mendelssohn - Händel Niklas Liepe, NDR Radiophilharmonie & Joseph Bastian

• Florian Christl (b. 1990), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 - 1847): Mendelssohn Variation (After Violin Concerto, Op.64/MWV O14:
• 1 Christl, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Mendelssohn Variation (After Violin Concerto, Op.64/MWV O14: I. Allegro molto appassionato) 03:57
• Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759): Handel Lascia ch'io pianga Reflection (From Rinaldo, HWV 7b, Arr. for Violin, Piano and Orchestra by Tim Allhoff):
• 2 Händel: Handel Lascia ch'io pianga Reflection (From Rinaldo, HWV 7b, Arr. for Violin, Piano and Orchestra by Tim Allhoff) 03:22
• Handel Zadok Variation (From Zadok, the Priest, HWV 258, Arr. for Violin, Piano and Orchestra by Tim Allhoff):
• 3 Händel: Handel Zadok Variation (From Zadok, the Priest, HWV 258, Arr. for Violin, Piano and Orchestra by Tim Allhoff) 03:54
• Aleksey Igudesman (b. 1973): Peace-acaglia (After Handel's Passacaglia, HWV 432, No. 6):
• 4 Igudesman: Peace-acaglia (After Handel's Passacaglia, HWV 432, No. 6): I. Epic Peace 03:38
• 5 Igudesman: Peace-acaglia (After Handel's Passacaglia, HWV 432, No. 6): II. Peaceful Eyes 02:08
• 6 Igudesman: Peace-acaglia (After Handel's Passacaglia, HWV 432, No. 6): III. Just a Jest 01:44
• 7 Igudesman: Peace-acaglia (After Handel's Passacaglia, HWV 432, No. 6): IV. Fabulous Final 03:05
• Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809 - 1847): Violin Concerto, Op. 64/MWV O14:
• 8 Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Violin Concerto, Op. 64/MWV O14: I. Allegro molto appassionato 12:35
• 9 Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Violin Concerto, Op. 64/MWV O14: II.1 Andante 07:26
• 10 Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Violin Concerto, Op. 64/MWV O14: II.2 Allegretto non troppo 00:45
• 11 Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Violin Concerto, Op. 64/MWV O14: III. Allegro molto vivace 05:55
• Total Runtime 48:29

Info for Mendelssohn - Händel

On his new album ‘Händel Mendelssohn’, which will be released on 13 June, violinist Niklas Liepe, who has won many awards for his creative repertoire concepts, combines Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Violin Concerto in E minor with new variations on well-known melodies by Georg Friedrich Händel, supported by the NDR Radiophilharmonie. Pianist, composer and arranger Tim Allhoff has reworked the well-known aria ‘Lascia ch'io pianga’ from the opera ‘Rinaldo’ and the coronation hymn ‘Zadok the Priest’ for solo violin, piano and orchestra, while violinist and composer Aleksey Igudesman contributes his ‘Peace-acaglia’, a four-movement variation on Handel's ‘Passacaglia’. Composer and pianist Florian Christl provides a minimalist counterpoint to the original with his variation on the striking theme of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, which is being released today as a digital single. ‘Mendelssohn and Handel have inspired me since I was a child. Their clear forms and flowing melodies are simply inspiring. On my album, I wanted to show the different colours in which these melodies shine and how these forms can be reinterpreted,’ explains Niklas Liepe.

Niklas Liepe, violin
Nils Liepe, piano (tracks 1-3), harpsichord (tracks 4-7)
NDR Radiophilharmonie
Joseph Bastian, conductor

Niklas Liepe
Violinist Niklas Liepe is blazing a unique trail in classical music with his innovative approach to creating new and unique repertoire, both in his recordings and in his live projects. His debut album ‘The Paganini Project’, which he recorded with the Deutsche Radiophilharmonie orchestra, earned international praise. For his second album ‘#GoldbergReflections’ (2020), on which he interpreted Bach's famous piano masterpiece ‘Goldberg Variations’ in a new version for solo violin and orchestra in collaboration with various composers and the NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, he was honoured with the German classical music Grammy ‘Opus Klassik’.

Liepe has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Igor Levit, Gidon Kremer, Fazil Say, Christoph Eschenbach, Joana Mallwitz and Garry Walker. He has played with orchestras such as the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Recognised for his distinctive repertoire concepts and his precise, emotionally profound tone on the violin, Liepe has performed at major international classical music festivals such as the Rheingau Music Festival and the Ocean Sun Festival in Helsinki. He frequently performs in renowned concert halls such as the Musikverein Vienna, the Philharmonie Berlin, La Seine Musicale Paris, the Cultural Art Centre Bangkok or the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Weiwuying, Taiwan.

Liepe has been curating his own music festival in Hanover since 2017, demonstrating his commitment to musical innovation.

From March 2024, he will embark on a major tour of Germany, where he will present the repertoire from his latest album ‘Tipping Points’.

Booklet for Mendelssohn - Händel