Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Mozart's Clavichord (Georg Nigl; Alexander Gergelyfi)

Information

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1. Die Zauberflöte, KV 620: Overture
2. Die Zauberflöte, KV 620, Act II: Aria. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen Wünscht Papageno sich!
3. La Clemenza di Tito, KV 621, Act I Scene 4: Marcia
4. Das Veilchen, KV 476
5. Fantaisie, KV 476
6. Sehnsucht nach dem Frühlinge, KV 596
7. Das Kinderspiel, KV 598
8. Die Alte, KV 517
9. Rondo in D Major, KV 485
10. Abendempfindung an Laura, KV 523
11. Fantasia in C Minor, KV 396/385f
12. Die Zufriedenheit, KV 473
13. Adagio in C Major for Glass Harmonica, KV 356/617a
14. Das Lied der Trennung, KV 519
15. Kleiner Trauermarsch in C Minor, KV 453a
16. Die ihr des unermeßlichen Weltalls, Eine kleine deutsche Kantate, KV 619
17. Requiem in D Minor, KV 626: III. Sequenz: No. 6, Lacrimosa

Georg Nigl, baritone

Alexander Gergelyfi, clavichord

Date: 2025

Label: Alpha Classics

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How did Mozart hear his own music at home in Salzburg? This recording provides the answer, as it was made not only in the house in which he lived but also with the clavichord that he used to compose Die Zauberflöte, La clemenza di Tito and the Requiem. While its keyboard has the same five-octave range as the fortepianos that Mozart used for concerts, the clavichord's weaker sound limited it to domestic use, to be heard by family members who happened to be present or collaborators. Baritone Georg Nigl and early keyboard specialist Alexander Gergelyfi have devised an intimate programme of arias, overtures, cantatas, Lieder, fantasias, rondos and even the poignant Lacrimosa from the Requiem. This unique album lets us enter Mozart’s own house in Salzburg, where we can sit next to an instrument he himself played and listen to two exceptional performers, both of whom are irrevocably smitten with the genius loci.

Austrian baritone Georg Nigl (b. 1972) is acclaimed for his emotionally charged and text-driven performances in both opera and concert repertoire. Known for roles such as Wozzeck at La Scala and his Bach interpretations, he has performed at leading opera houses including the Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, and the Bolshoi, and at major festivals like Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence. Nigl frequently collaborates with top conductors and directors and is a strong advocate for contemporary music, premiering works by Dusapin, Rihm, and others. His recording Bach privat won a Diapason d’or, and in 2015, he was named “Singer of the Year” by Opernwelt.

Alexander Gergelyfi is an Austrian specialist in historical keyboard instruments, particularly the clavichord. He studied early music in Linz, Graz, Strasbourg, and Hamburg, and has performed with renowned ensembles such as Il Gusto Barocco, L’Orfeo Barockorchester, and Concentus Musicus Wien. His debut CD Morbides mit Charakter (2018) and its follow-up Liebe auf den ersten Schluck (2022) received critical acclaim, as did his 2022 solo album Sapperlot!. In 2023, he debuted at the Salzburg Festival, performing on Mozart’s original clavichord in the Kleine Nachtmusiken series. A dedicated educator, he has taught clavichord and historical performance at the University of Graz since 2018.