Heinz Holliger

• 2-CD SET

Heinz Holliger’s “dream opera” Lunea which was premiered, to great acclaim, at Opernhaus Zurich, interweaves strands from the life and mind of Nikolaus Franz Niembsch (1802-1850), the Hungarian-born Austrian poet who wrote under the name Nikolaus Lenau. Lenau’s last, fragmentary writings have fired Holliger’s imagination and led to the creation of an intricately inventive work with a marvellously evocative lead role for baritone Christian Gerhaher. Neue Zürcher Zeitung: “Here Gerhaher can display his full sensitivity in dealing with the finest nuances of language and bring to bear his almost unlimited spectrum of tonal-dynamic gradations in the intonation. The poet Lenau speaks most directly from the sounds and notes...” The 2-CD set, in slipcase, is accompanied by an an extensive 120 page German-English booklet with the full libretto by Händl Klaus and synopses of each of the opera’s 23 scenes, as well as a liner essay by Roman Brotbeck, a performer’s note by Christian Gerhaher, score fragments, performance photography, and more.

PERSONNEL:

• Heinz Holliger (conductor, composer)
• Christian Gerhaher (baritone)
• Juliane Banse (soprano)
• Ivan Ludlow (baritone)
• Sarah Maria Sun (soprano)
• Annette Schönmüller (soprano)
• Philharmonia Zürich Orchestra
• Basler Madrigalisten (Choir)

TRACKS:

• CD ONE
• 01. Einklang
• 02. Erstes Blatt
• 03. Zweites Blatt
• 04. Drittes Blatt
• 05. Viertes Blatt
• 06. Fünftes Blatt
• 07. Sechstes Blatt
• 08. Siebtes Blatt
• 09. Achtes Blatt
• 10. Neuntes Blatt
• 11. Zehntes Blatt
• 12. Elftes Blatt
• 13. Zwölftes Blatt
• 14. Dreizehntes Blatt

• CD TWO
• 01. Vierzehntes Blatt
• 02. Fünfzehntes Blatt
• 03. Sechzehntes Blatt
• 04. Siebzehntes Blatt
• 05. Achzehntes Blatt
• 06. Neunzehntes Blatt
• 07. Zwanzigstes Blatt
• 08. Einundzwanzigstes Blatt
• 09. Zweiundzwanzigstes Blatt
• 10. Dreiundzwanzigstes Blatt