Nikolaus Harnoncourt was a widely acclaimed Austrian conductor, cellist, and a pioneer of the early music movement, which sought to play music from the Baroque, Renaissance, and Medieval periods on period instruments and using historic performance practices. Born in Berlin on December 6, 1929, into a noble family with a rich history, Harnoncourt grew up surrounded by music and developed a keen acumen for both historical inquiry and musical performance. He started his career as a cellist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra but soon became deeply interested in the historically informed performance of early music.

In 1953, Harnoncourt co-founded the Concentus Musicus Wien with his wife Alice Hoffelner, which was devoted to performing on original instruments, and the ensemble quickly became a beacon in the movement to revive old music with new authenticity. His interpretations were noteworthy for their rigorous historical research as well as their lively, often unconventional execution. Throughout his extensive career, Harnoncourt worked with many leading symphony orchestras and opera houses. He received widespread admiration for his fresh and insightful interpretations of a wide-ranging repertoire, from the early Baroque to the Romantic periods. Harnoncourt's discography is vast, encompassing seminal recordings of cantatas by Bach, the symphonies of Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven, as well as operas and lesser-known works by composers such as Schmelzer and Marais. He remained an active and influential figure in classical music until his retirement in 2015, and he passed away on March 5, 2016, leaving behind an enduring legacy that has reshaped the way we hear and understand early Western music.

Genres

Classical Performance

Orchestral Performance

Related Artists

Ton Koopman

John Eliot Gardiner

Philippe Herreweghe

Christopher Hogwood

René Jacobs

Gustav Leonhardt

Masaaki Suzuki

Jordi Savall

Frans Brüggen

Trevor Pinnock

The English Concert

Karl Richter

Latest Release

Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms...

Nikolaus Harnoncourt•

Antonio Vivaldi•

Felix Mendelssohn•

Franz Schubert•

George Frideric Handel•

Johann Sebastian Bach•

Johannes Brahms•

Ludwig van Beethoven•

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Album - 94 Tracks - Released October 17, 2024