Carl Heinrich Graun (1703/4-1759) was Royal Kapellmeister to the Prussian king Frederick the Great.
Recording & Production
Julia Lezhneva and Mikhail Antonenko spent hours at the Berlin State Library poring over Graun's manuscript copies to select arias for this album.
Recording & Production
Except for one aria, 'Mi paventi', all other arias on this album are world-premiere recordings.
Composition History
During his time as Kapellmeister, Graun typically wrote two new operas a year, which premiered in Berlin at the opera house Frederick the Great built.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Graun, unlike Handel or Porpora, seems to have favored the natural female voice, creating many roles for women with emotional and dramatic range.
Composition History
Frederick the Great's father, Frederick William I, opposed his son's interest in music, which sometimes kept Graun's activities under wraps until Frederick became king in 1740.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Julia Lezhneva describes Graun's music as "simple and fluent, with nothing artificial about it; there is truthfulness and naturalness."
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