Franz Xaver Richter - Four Symphonies (Michi Gaigg)

Information

Composer: Franz Xaver Richter

• Sinfonia con fuga in G minor
• Symphony in B flat major
• Symphony in D minor, Op. 3 No. 4
• Symphony in G major, Op. 4 No. 6

L'Orfeo Barockorchester

Michi Gaigg, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: CPO

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Franz Xaver Richter (1709–1789), alongside Johann Stamitz, was a key figure in the rise of the Mannheim School and the renowned orchestra of Elector Carl Theodor von der Pfalz. Unlike some of his more progressive contemporaries, he maintained a restrained style rooted in the Baroque, a trait that may have limited his career yet enriched the character of the Mannheim circle. This portrait reveals the breadth of his musical expression, ranging from intricate contrapuntal writing to elegant, lively works and charming genre pieces marked by playful, programmatic touches. Together, these elements showcase a varied and engaging body of music.

Michi Gaigg, born in 1957 in Schörfling am Attersee, Austria, is a violinist and conductor shaped early on by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and later trained in Baroque violin with Ingrid Seifert and Sigiswald Kuijken. After performing with leading early-music ensembles, she founded L’Arpa Festante in 1983 and, in 1996, co-founded the L’Orfeo Barockorchester, which has since earned major international awards for nearly 50 recordings. Known for her affinity for French Baroque music and her vibrant interpretations of Rameau, pre-Classical repertoire, and early Romantics, she combines active performance with a long teaching career and significant festival leadership, receiving numerous cultural honors.