Deutsche Grammophon Signs Long-Term Deal with Freiburger Barockorchester

The Freiburger Barockorchester's (FBO) first release with Deutsche Grammophon (DG) places great emphasis on the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his relationship to the German city of Mannheim, a place known for its rich cultural heritage. Along with works by the composer himself, the album features composers which Mozart would've met as a young man during his time at the court of the music-loving Elector Palatine in the late 1770s.

The debut album includes world premiere recordings of Christian Danner’s Violin Concerto in F major, works for orchestra or smaller ensemble by Carlo Giuseppe Toeschi, Christian Cannabich and Georg Joseph “Abbé” Vogler. Lastly, the Symphony in C major K. 208/102, Mozart’s reworking of the overture to his Il re pastore, will also be featured in the same release.

The origins of the FBO can be traced back to 1985. It was formed by some students of the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg whose intent was to study historically informed performance (HIP) practice and play Baroque and early Classical works on period instruments.

The players made their concert debut in November 1987, following which, under the artistic directorship of violinists Gottfried von der Goltz and Petra Müllejans, the FBO went on to become a leading period-instrument ensemble. To date, the FBO has worked with renowned guest conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Pablo Heras-Casado, Teodor Currentzis, and René Jacobs, the latter of whom the ensemble has enjoyed a long and fruitful musical friendship.

The FBO's numerous awards include three Jahrespreise der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, two Gramophone Awards, three Edison Classical Music Awards, a Classical Brit Award and two Grammy nominations.

“It is a big honour for us to be invited to work with Deutsche Grammophon," Hans-Georg Kaiser, Intendant and Managing Director of the FBO. "This exciting relationship shows DG’s commitment to bringing Early Music to the widest possible audience. We were thrilled when they asked us to create album programmes based around the music of a particular region or historical court. There’s so much great music from before 1800 waiting to be rediscovered, and we look forward to adding some wonderful compositions to the Yellow Label’s unrivalled catalogue.”

“In the 35 years since the Freiburger Barockorchester made its debut, it has set benchmark standards and shown how music from the past can sound fresh and alive to contemporary audiences," Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President of DG, commented in a statement. "We are very pleased to be able to launch this partnership and work with the ensemble as it continues to break new ground in the period-instrument arena. The DG team is looking forward to capturing its incomparable sound in all its rich variety and subtlety of nuance.”