The New Organ of the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg Iveta Apkalna

• Joseph Jongen (1873-1953) Sonata Eroica cis-Moll op. 94
• 1Sonata Eroica in C-sharp minor14:41
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Fuge G-Dur, BWV 577
• 2Fugue in G-major, BWV 57703:14
• Percy Whitlock (1903-1946)
• 3Canzona06:24
• 4Scherzetto04:23
• Edwin Henry Lemare (1866-1934) Orgeltranskription der Ouvertüre zur Oper „Rienzi“ von Richard Wagner
• 5Transcription for Organ of the Overture to the Opera 'Rienzi' by Richard Wagner11:16
• George Thalben-Ball (1896-1987) Variationen über ein Thema von Paganini für das Orgelpedal
• 6Variations on a Theme by Paganini for Organ Pedals07:28
• Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911): Sinfonie für Orgel und Orchester Nr. 1 d-Moll op. 42
• 7Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra in D-minor - I. Introduction et Allegro08:26
• 8Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra in D-minor - II. Pastorale. Andante quasi Allegretto07:09
• 9Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra in D-minor - III. Final. Allegro assai06:40
• Zugabe: Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)
• 10The Typewriter02:10
• Total Runtime01:11:51

Info for The New Organ of the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg

With this new release a very special highlight of the long-standing partnership between the Duisburg Philharmonics under the baton of Jonathan Darlington and ACOUSENCE has been documented: The venue of the Duisburg Philharmonics, the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle erected three years ago, got a big new concert organ built by Eule in an English/late romantic style at the beginning of the 2009/2010 season. The very first performance on this magnificent instrument, the dedication concert on 14th September 2009, immediately presented the opportunity to also publish this multifaceted programme on CD. In addition it was possible to employ two world-class organists as soloists for this concert: Iveta Apkala and Thomas Trotter.

The LIVING CONCERT SERIES embodies, in a very special way, the basic concept behind ACOUSENCE's PHILOSOPHY-LABEL. These music recordings are planned to provide, aside from exceptional musical content and an audiophile sound quality, above all, emotionally intense performances. The spontaneity and naturalness of a live performance, combined with a highly refined recording technique, that is capable of transmitting the smallest of sound-nuances, so essential in portraying atmosphere and emotional content, provide a true 'Concert' experience.

Iveta Apkalna, Orgel
Thomas Trotter, Orgel
Duisburger Philharmoniker (Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra)

Jonathan Darlington

LIVING CONCERT SERIES Vol. 14, 24Bit Quad Sampling Ultra Definition Recording

Iveta Apkalna
Latvian organist Iveta Apkalna is considered one of the leading instrumentalists in the world. Starting from 2017 she serves as the titular organist of the Klais organ at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany – Hamburg's new cultural landmark and one of the most exciting structural projects in Europe. The January 2017 opening offerd two world premieres: Wolfgang Rihm's Triptychon und Spruch in memoriam Hans Henny Jahnn with Thomas Hengelbrock and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Jörg Widmann's ARCHE with Kent Nagano and the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg.

Iveta has performed with a number of the world's top orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Mariss Jansons, Marek Janowski, Kent Nagano, Thomas Hengelbrock, Sir Antonio Pappano and Andris Nelsons and frequently appeared at the Lucerne, Lockenhaus, Bremen, Halle Georg Friedrich Händel, Ludwigsburg Castle, Schwetzinger, and Schleswig-Holstein Festivals.

Recent engagements include a recital in Disney Hall and the debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, as well as concerts in China's most prestigious halls such as the NCPA Beijing and the Shanghai Symphony Hall.

Throughout her career, Iveta Apkalna has earned international recognition for honours and competitions. She was appointed a cultural ambassador of Latvia by receiving the "Excellence Award in Culture 2015" from the Latvian Ministry of Culture. In March 2018 she received the "Latvian Grand Music Award" as "Musician of the Year" and in the category "Concert of the Year", the most prestigious award in music in Latvia. Iveta Apkalna became the first organist to receive the title of "Best Performing Artist" award at the 2005 ECHO Klassik. French-German TV network ARTE broadcasted in 2008 a documentary about her entitled "Dancing with the Organ". In 2003 she received the first prize and four additional special prizes in the International M. Tariverdiev Organ Competition in Kaliningrad, Russia. In 2002 she advanced to the world finals of the Royal Bank Calgary International Organ Competition in Canada and received the prestigious Johann Sebastian Bach Prize. Iveta studied piano and organ at J. Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and continued her studies at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama and at the National Academy of Music and Fine Arts in Stuttgart.

She is dedicated to contemporary music and performs works of Naji Hakim, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Arturs Maskats or Thierry Escaich. Together with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam she has presented the world premiere of "Multiversum", a commissioned composition of Péter Eötvös, on an extensive Europe tour.

Born in Rēzekne, Latvia, Iveta has made it her mission to bring the splendour of organ music beyond church walls and into concert halls. She currently lives in Berlin and in Riga.

Booklet for The New Organ of the Philharmonie Mercatorhalle Duisburg