Felix Mendelssohn; Richard Wagner; Robert Schumann - Works (Nikolaus Harnoncourt)

Information

Composer: Felix Mendelssohn; Richard Wagner; Robert Schumann

1. Mendelssohn - Die schöne Melusine Overture, Op. 32
2. Commentary on Wagner's Tannhäuser by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
3. Wagner - Tannhäuser, WWV 70: Overture - Bacchanale (Venusberg)
4. Commentary on Wagner's Tristan und Isolde by Nikolaus Harnoncourt
5. Wagner - Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90: Act I: Prelude
6. Wagner - Tristan und Isolde, WWV 90: Act III: Mild und leise "Isoldes Liebestod"
7. Schumann - Requiem für Mignon, Op. 98 b
8. Commentary on Mendelssohn's Melusine Concert Overture by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and complete performance

Chamber Orchestra of Europe

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Sony Classical

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To mark the tenth anniversary of Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s death, Sony Classical releases a previously unpublished 1999 Styriarte concert recording featuring works by Mendelssohn, Schumann, and a rare venture into Wagner. Remarkably absent from Harnoncourt’s discography until now, the program includes Schumann’s “Requiem for Mignon,” Mendelssohn’s “Die schöne Melusine” overture, and excerpts from Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” and “Tristan und Isolde,” with Violeta Urmana singing the “Liebestod.” Framed by the theme of love, this was Harnoncourt’s only engagement with Wagner as conductor. The edition also offers his live commentary and access to annotated scores from the Harnoncourt Archive, providing valuable insight into his interpretative approach.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929–2016) was an Austrian conductor and a leading pioneer of historically informed performance. Initially trained as a cellist, he founded the period-instrument ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien in 1953, helping to shape the Early Music movement. Renowned especially for his interpretations of Baroque repertoire, he recorded all 193 Bach cantatas with Gustav Leonhardt, a landmark achievement. From the 1970s onward, he expanded into Classical and early Romantic works, conducting major orchestras and opera houses worldwide. He led the Vienna New Year’s Concert in 2001 and 2003 and authored influential books on performance practice and musical aesthetics.