Polyharmonique

Ensemble Polyharmonique is a collective of vocal soloists with a focus on vocal music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Ensemble Polyharmonique is a collective of singers from the versatile EARLY MUSIC scene of Europe. The vocal music of the Renaissance and the Baroque era form the core repertoire of the ensemble. Taking historical performance practice into account, the ensemble combines ideas from German and Franco-Flemish vocal culture to lively poetic interpretations. The basic ensemble includes 6 vocal soloists a cappella or accompanied by the basso continuo and can vary depending on the programme (4-13 singers).

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Invitations to festivals all over Europe speak for the international appreciation of Ensemble Polyharmonique. These include the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, the Bachfest Leipzig, Meer Stemmig Gent, Musica Divina Mechelen, Les Nuits de Septembre Liège, the Trigonale Klagenfurt, the Thüringer Bachwochen, the Händelfestspiele Halle, the Tage der Alten Musik Regensburg, the Heinrich Schütz Musikfest, the Köthener Bachfesttage and many more.

For the repertoire with instrumental accompaniment, such as the oratorios, masses and cantatas by J.S. Bach, Dieterich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri, Claudio Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers or the Messiah by G.F. Händel, renowned baroque orchestras could be won as partners, among them the {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna from Katowice, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, L’arpa festante, Arte dei Suonatori and the La Folia Baroque Orchestra.

In addition to the well-known repertoire of EARLY MUSIC, the Ensemble Polyharmonique is dedicated to discovering unknown works of the 17th and 18th centuries.

So far, the CDs “Musicalische Seelenlust” with music by Thomaskantor Tobias Michael (1592-1657) were released in 2015, and “Cavalli-Requiem” with works by Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676) and Alessandro Grandi (1577-1630) in 2016 (both on Raumklang Records). In 2017, the world premiere recording of the “Chor-Music auff Madrigalmanier” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675) was released, and in 2019 the full-length oratorio-like St Mark Passion by Johann Georg Künstel (c1645-1694).

In October 2020, the recording of the “Geistliche Chor-Music 1648” by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) was released, which was awarded a Diapason d’Or. The “HISTORIA NATIVITATIS – a Christmas Oratorio after Heinrich Schütz – SWV 435“ (1585-1672), as well as the “Zwölff Madrigalische Trostgesänge” (Twelve Madrigal Consolation Songs) by Wolfgang Carl Briegel (1626-1712) were released in 2021/22 on the cpo label. The CD “Dresden Vespers” with the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra was released in February 2022 on the Accent label. The Vespers Psalms by Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729) were received with great positive response by the international press. In October 2022, the disk “Ad Vesperas” with first recordings of sacred vocal works by Lambert de Sayve (1549-1614) was released on the Belgian label Musique en Wallonie. From November 2022, another sounding treasure, “Bach Family”, will be available on the cpo label.

The Ensemble Polyharmonique consists of renowned experts in 17th and 18th-century music. Together with the music dramaturge Dr. Oliver Geisler, it developed the idea of interpreting Heinrich Schütz’ Auferstehungshistorie in a contemporary manner, staging it as a music film. Encouraged by Schütz’ own phrase, “…das Werck für die Hand zu nehmen…“ (…to take the work in hand), they have found an entirely new approach to this baroque masterwork: today’s viewers are confronted with the ways they deal with doubt, hope, consolation, fear and unbridled happiness. (link)

In March 2023, the accompanying soundtrack “Historia der Auferstehung Christi – SWV 50” by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) was published by accentus music.