Thanks to Sven from Brainerd for sending us a collated list of Nikolaus Harnoncourt’s rep for 2008. I’m a huge Harnoncourt fan, even though he’s as likely to make me scream in horror as cheer in admiration, sometimes in the same piece. Just this weekend I heard his Hallelujah Chorus on Radio 3. It starts so slowly and softly and affectedly that I really couldn’t take it remotely seriously (I didn’t know who I was listening to, which makes it more interesting sometimes- my first reaction to the opening was “whoever this is is a fraud”). However, the performance really took off and came to a thrilling ending, full of fascinating touches and compelling ideas. In the end, it was a vivid example of why he’s one of the most interesting musicians on earth.

Anyway, his is the smallest list so far- less than 30 works, but several operas and even more single-work programs. What I like most about his list is that it seems like a declaration of principles- you can certainly tell which composers he feels most passionately about. I wish I could have heard all the big Schumann works.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt- 2008 Repertoire Report 1-       Bach: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Cantata BWV 38

2-       2- Bach- Freue dich, erloeste Schar, Cantata BWV 30

3-       Bach- Wachet, betet, Cantata BWV 70

4-       Bach- St John Passion

5-       Beethoven- Symphony no. 5

6-       Bruckner- Symphony no. 5

7-       Haydn- The Seasons

8-       Haydn- Symphony no 60 in C  Major

9-       Haydn: Symphony in G major No. 92 (Oxford)

10-   Haydn- In un mar d’acerbe pene. Aria from: L’anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice, Hob. XXVIII:13

11-   Haydn- Ah, tu non senti, amico. Aria, Hob. XXIVb:10

12-   Haydn- Symphony in C major, No. 97

13-   Joseph Haydn: Symphony in A major No. 59 (Fire Symphony)

14-   Haydn- Fra un dolce deliro, aria of Silvia from L´isola disabitata

15-   Haydn- Ragion nell´alma siede, aria of Flaminia from Il mondo della luna

16-   Haydn- Salamelica, aria of Volpino from Lo speziale

17-   Mozart: Tiger! Wetze nur die Klauen, aria of Zaide from Zaide, K 344

18-   Mozart- Alma grande e nobil core, aria for soprano and orchestra, K 578

19-   Mozart- Hat der Schöpfer dieses Leben samt der Erde uns gegeben, aria of Weltgeist from Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots

20-   Mozart- Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!, aria for soprano and orchestra, K 418

21-   Mozart- Idomeneo

22-   Mozart- Risolver non osa. Aria from: Il sogno di Scipione, KV 126

23-   Mozart-Di que sei l’arbitra. Aria from: Il sogno di Scipione, KV 126

24-   Mozart- Non ter, amato bene. Aria from: Idomeneo, re di Creta, KV 366

25-   Mozart- Coronation Mass

26-   Schumann- Faust Scenes

27-   Schumann- Paradise and the Peri

28-   Schumann- Genoveva

29-   Stravinsky- Rakes Progress