IMMERSEEL, JOS VAN - conductor
ANIMA ETERNA
COLLEGIUM VOCALE

D. Buxtehude Ein Starken Music
6 cantatas 
Nimm von uns,
Herr, du treuer Gott, Bux WV 78;
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, Bux WV 62;
Mit Fried und Freud ich Fahr dahin-Klaglied, Bux WV 76;
Fhrwar, er trug unsere Krankheit, Bux WV 31;
Herzlich lieb, hab ich dich, o Herr, Bux WV 41;
Der Herr ist mit mir, Bux WV 15

(period performance)

Jos van Immerseel, the well-known harpsichordist and pianist, is appreciated all over the world for his authentic interpretations based on a balanced combination of technique, improvisational talent, and theoretical background. This is all the more striking when one knows that he is the first native Fleming in 150 years to have once again been awarded a chair at the Conservatoire National Suprieur of Paris. Over sixty recordings give evidence of the importance of primary source investigation in the shaping of a performance. For Jos van Immerseel, terms like rhetoric and stylistic approach are no longer sterile words. On the contrary, he has an unmatched ability to demonstrate that these elements, combined with pronounced and original musicality, can lead repeatedly to ground-breaking, unique interpretations. In 1985, after having conducted numerous ad hoc and guest ensembles for many years, Jos van Immerseel founded a permanent ensemble which was better suited to the realization of his musical ideas and the results of his research; at the same time it was an experimental medium for the testing of his theories in practice: Anima Eterna. Nine years later, the orchestra has recorded 15 CDs including an unsurpassed complete recording of Mozarts piano concerti. They have also made concert tours in Europe and Japan and have been awarded numerous prizes (including Cultural Ambassadors of the Flemish Community; Best Period Orchestra of 1992 from the prestigious American periodical, CD review; the Caecilia Prize of the Belgian musical press...). The orchestras rapid rise is due largely to its members, an international selection from among the best players from more than 15 countries who have created their own unique sound after five years of intensive rehearsal. As a result, Anima Eterna has created such a distinctive niche in the world of historic performance that it is now considered a benchmark for performances of e.g. Mozart and Schubert.

The Collegium Vocale was founded by Philippe Herreweghe in 1970. The ensemble was the first group to open up new paths for consistent historically accurate performances of vocal polyphony. The Collegium Vocale has also made an important contribution to the rediscovery of the polyphonic repertoire of composers such as Lassus and Sweelinck. In addition it has concentrated particularly on the German Baroque repertoire, especially the music of J. S. Bach. The Collegium Vocale has appeared at virtually every major European Festival, and made an extensive and highly successful tour through the USA. In 1993, the Collegium Vocale and Philippe Herreweghe were both appointed Cultural Ambassadors of Flanders. Since its foundation in 1985, the Netherlands gamba quartet The Royal Consort has amassed an outstanding reputation at international concert venues. The ensemble also won the first competition for early music ensembles at Amersfoort. All four members studied at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague under Wieland Kuijken. The ensemble concentrates on the performance of consort music of the 16th and 17th centuries, with a particular emphasis on the English repertoire including composers such as Purcell, Byrd, and Jenkins. In addition, the players perform on original 17th century instruments, which contributes to the unique sound which characterizes the ensemble.
American soprano Claron McFadden studied at the Eastman School of Music in New York and was awarded a solo diploma in 1984, after which she settled in the Netherlands. In 1988 she won a second prize in the Opera category at the International Singing Competition at s-Hertogenbosch, subsequently making her debut with the Netherlands Opera as Zerbinetta in Strausss Ariadne auf Naxos. She has since appeared regularly in opera both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Mezzo-soprano Francisca Dukel, after completing her studies in musicology and piano, was awarded a diploma in performance in 1990 by the Utrecht Conservatory, where she studied with Marianne Blok. Her interests include both the 20th-century and Romantic song repertoires, as witnessed by the concerts she gives in association with the Vrienden van het Lied. She appeared in 1992 with the Ensemble Polytonaal in Paris on the occasion of the commemoration of the 100th birthday of Darius Milhaud. Alto Jonathan Peter Kenny is a native of Liverpool and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He specializes in opera.
Tenor Marius van Altena studied piano and singing at the Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam. His specialty is the interpretation of Renaissance and Baroque music, in which he has given courses at universities including those of Padua, Oslo, Manchester, and Tokyo. He teaches at the conservatories of The Hague and Tilburg. Bass Stephan McLeod was born in 1971 in Geneva. His repertoire ranges from Italian, French and German Baroque music through Mozart, Rossini, Faur up to Honegger and Frank Martin. He frequently performs the song repertoire of the great German Romantic composers.

Awards: BBC Music top 50/
Telerama award/
Editors Choice Gramophone

(...) Waarlijk starcke cantates van Buxtehude (...) (...) het is allemaal bijzonder van compositie en groots van uitvoering. De kwaliteit van de medewerkenden en de inzet van de dirigerende Van Immerseel straalr er van af. (...) Trouw, March 1995
(...) Van Immerseels zeer persoonlijke betoog in het begeleidende cd-boekje brengt Buxtehude en de tijd waarin hij leefde fascinerend tot leven (...) (...) De musici spelen met grote intensiteit en gedrevenheid en de vocale inbreng past daar wonderwel bij. (...) Luister, June 1995
(...) Zo spannend heb ik dienst geniale vocale muziek nog nooit gehoord. Dit is binnenkant. Dit is mensentaal. Deze opname moet gekoesterd worden. Klassiek, June 1995 (...) Incroyable! (...) (...) Jos van Immerseel nen finit pas de nous mouvoir et de nous blouir.(...) (...) Pas tonnant quil ait dj sign lune des plus profondes et dynamiques intgrales des Concertos pour piano (en loccurence, un pianoforte) de Mozart. (...) Tlrama, May 1995
(...) Hier klinkt het leven zelf, het leven van de gelovige wel te verstaan: vertrouwen, twijfel, deemoed, vreugde, medelijden, ontroering, dank. (...) Tijdschrift Oude Muziek, Summer 1995
(...) zelden was bij een barok ensemble een zo sterke strijkersklank te horen als hier bij Anima Eterna en de gambisten van The Royal Consort. De Morgen, May 1995
(...) Lushly emotional readings (...) (...) excellent performance (...) Billboard, May 1995 (...) Incroyable ! Jos Van Immerseel nen finit pas de nous mouvoir et de nous blouir (...) Tlrama, May 1995 (...) Gesangkultur in tiefer Frmmigkeit. Fono Forum, September 1995
(...) Une conjonction de talents dont Van Immerseel peaufine la transparence, la mobilit rythmique, lfflorescence concertante. (...) Diapason, September 1995
(...) The performance of these works equal the music in quality. Magnificently realised by Jos van Immerseel from the scanty indiations in the sources, the orchestra and choir are beautifully balanced and all perform with devotion and insight. Very highly recommended. Classic CD, February 1996
(...) Buxtehudes oftmals hochexpressive Musik stilsicher gesungen und auf historischen Instrumenten begleitet. (...) BBC Music, September 1995
(...) Immerseel und den ihm zur Verfgung stehenden Ensembles ist es gelungen, die Ausdruckkraft der Werke einzufangen, ohne dabei in Extreme zu gehen. (...) (...) eine willkommene Begrndung zur lngst gehegten Wermutung, da Buxtehude durchaus abwechslungsreich sein kann (...) Concerto, September 1995
(...) dennoch verdient Jos van Immerseel mit seinem Orchester Anima Eterna, dem Royal Consort und seinem Chor Collegium Vocale mit dieser Neuafnahme groes Lob.(...) (...) lobenswert aus fhrlichen dreisprachigen Beiheft (...) (...) Wer nur der Musik lauscht, ist beeindruckt von ihrer tiefen Frmmigkeit und von der Kunst Buxtehudes. Fono Forum, September 1995
(...) an especially rewarding release (...) BBC Music Magazine, December 1995
Eine neue Einspielung von 6 Kantaten von Dietrich Buxtehude gehrt zu den gelungensten aufnahmen von Werken des Lbecker Meisters berhaupt. (...) Nord, January 1996 Jos van Immerseel lieh sich mal kurz den Chor von Philippe Herreweghe, das Collegium Vocale Gent, mit der beste gemischte Chor auf dem kontinent, trommelte das Royal Consort und sein Orchester Anima Eterna zusammen und legte eine Buxtehude-einspielung vor, die ihresgleichen in der Alten Musik nicht hat. (...) (...) eine sehr empfehlenswerte Buxtehude-CD mit historischer Auffhrungspraxis erhltlich. (...) Alte Musik Aktuell, Februar 1996