Deutsche Harmonia Mundi
The German Harmonia Mundi (proper spelling " German harmonia mundi ", in short: dhm ) is a record label for Early Music. Although there are also recordings of new music in the catalog of the label, the focus of the program is still early music.
History
It was founded in Freiburg im Breisgau by Rudolf Ruby 1958. In its first ten years, the German Harmonia Mundi worked closely with the independent French label Harmonia Mundi France, which pursued a similar concept. Thus handed the cooperation of the same artist on material exchange up to the joint distribution. The dhm - founder Rudolf Ruby found in Alfred Krings, editor of the West German Radio (then NWDR ), an ally who became the mentor of the young label. First shots were taken with Elly Ameling, Deller Consort and the Gustav Leonhardt. 1962 Collegium Aureum was founded as a kind of in-house orchestra, which played exclusively on historical instruments and was musically directed by his concertmaster Franz Josef Maier. They were among the first who played Mozart's works on period instruments.
By establishing a festival in the Fugger Castle Kirchheim in Schwaben, which has been held annually by the label, other artists came to dhm. Among them were per Cantione Antiqua and the brothers Kujiken. Sigiswald Kuijken took over the management of the second, which was founded under the patronage of the German Harmonia Mundi, orchestra La Petite Bande. Large baroque opera productions, such as Rameau and Handel's Partenope Zoroastre were also in the repertoire. Other early music greats such as René Jacobs, Hopkinson Smith and the Schola Cantorum were added. In addition, the collaboration grew with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, who came from important chamber music ensembles. Contacts with the German Music Council led to the documentation of the German Music Competition, the choir and orchestra competition, the National Youth Orchestra and the Youth Music Competition. Through the recordings of Bruckner symphonies of the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Günter Wand the German Harmonia Mundi also occurred in the area of the large orchestra with modern instruments a. Also Andreas Staier, Cantus Coelln and Junghänel, Musica Fiata, La Stagione, Camerata Köln, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Thomas Hengelbrock among the receiving dhm for artists.
Acquisitions
In 1992, the German Harmonia Mundi by Bertelsmann Music Group ( BMG) was taken up and carried the label in terms of its founder. Now Al Ayre Espanol were added with Spanish baroque music and Andrew Lawrence-King with the Harp Consort. Thomas Hengelbrock founded his ensemble Balthasar Neumann Choir and Ensemble and Nikolaus Harnoncourt Concentus Musicus published his important recordings in dhm. Following the merger of BMG with Sony Music in 2004, the label belongs to the company Sony BMG and is after Sony took over the share of Bertelsmann in 2008, part of Sony Music Entertainment.
The gamba player Hille Perl, the sopranos Nuria Rial and Dorothee Mields, the ensemble Melante, the Huelgas Ensemble, Balthasar- Neumann Choir and Ensemble, conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock, Concentus Musicus Wien, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Musica Fiata under Roland Wilson and flutist Dorothee Oberlinger are some of the many artists who published successful CDs in recent years in dhm.