NUOVO ASPETTO

“…elegance, energy and imagination”

— American Record Guide (Ratis)

“In the gondola, along with the singing gondolier, sits the ensemble Nuovo Aspetto. Stylistically one is reminded of Christina Pluhars’ Baroque troupe L’Arpeggiata, which could be caused by the rhythmically precise, percussive and at the same time agogically-free music making, but also by the continuo-rich ensemble with lute, harp, gamba and Baroque guitar, and most clearly by the use of the salterio, played by Elisabeth Seitz. The salterio, the baroque dulcimer, fits perfectly with Venice: Antonio Vivaldi especially called for its exotic, sweet sound in one of his operas. The gondoliers of yore may well have known it as well.”

— Frankfurter Rundschau

nominated Opus Klassik

Best Ensemble 2021

for Il Gondoliere Veneziano

NOTE: this is a virtual concert for the 2020 Dresdener Festspiele

Nuovo Aspetto was founded in 2011 by Michael Dücker, Johanna Seitz, and Elisabeth Seitz The secret of the ensemble’s success lies in its programming - the rediscovery of baroque works for unusual configurations allows the ensemble a new perspective on seemingly long-since tested repertoire, and offers with its exquisite programs true discoveries. Particular attention is paid to the repertoire which uses salterio, harp and lute.

The group’s first CD “Arie et Sinfonie” is dedicated to the almost forgotten music of the “discoverer” of Haydn – Johann Georg Reutter- who amongst others gave the legendary pantaleon magical and enthralling parts. In 2014 the second CD “Diaoghi con l’Angelo” appeared with music from the oratorio composer Francesco Ratis’ collection “Canzonette Spirituale” from 1657. Its musical dialogue between an angel, a musician, the soul and the devil as well as popular songs and contrafacta are colorfully orchestrated and are wonderfully interpreted by the first-rate five-voice vocal ensemble.

Together with the counter-tenor Valer Sabadus, Nuovo Aspetto produced a CD of arias by Antonio Caldara, that gathered international attention. Caldera uses in his arias -whether,magnificent, virtuoso, soft or plaintive - accompaniments that are charming in their configuration with obligato lute, salterio, viola, gamba, violin or chalumeau. Another CD offers the music of Joseph Haydn in chamber music version for harp, lute, and strings from the 18th century that was produced together with the Bayerische Rundfunk, In 2020 the much-praised CD “Il Gondoliere Veneziano” with baritone Holger Falk earned the group a nomination for the 2021 Opus Klassik as best ensemble.

The ensemble has brought forth “cheers like in a jazz cellar” and “great excitement” for its performances in famous festivals and legendary concert halls like the Konzerthaus Wien, the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeinszhalle Hamburg, the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, the Innsbrucker Festwochen für Alte Musik, the Germanische Museum Nürnberg. The Handelfestspiele Karlsruhe, and the Bremen Musikfest, the Moselfestival, the Romanischer Sommer Köln, and the Kanayawa Festival in Japan, The Goethe Institute invited the ensemble for a tour in South Asia in 2020 . In addition there have been many concerts for Radio and TV including BR, WDR, Radio Bremen, NDR, HR and the ORF.

More what the critics say:

“The ensemble Nuovo Aspetto has for each instrument one to a part. Here the strings do not create the sound, but mainly plucked instruments such as harp, baroque guitar and salterio, a box zither. A Mediterranean sound world is created: sensitive, transparent and dance-like. Together with the singer Holger Falk they create chamber music that brings life and a quicksilver wit to the sometimes coarse and simple songs of the gondoliers.”

— Deutschlandfunk

“…virtuosic and incredibly colorful…”

—MDR Figaro

“Nuovo Aspetto , the exquisite Cologne ensemble of soloists, leads with much sensitivity through the landscape of Caldara’s theater works.”

— Fono Forum (Caldara)

“Deeply felt expression instead of a surface show was the principle to which not only the soloist but also the early music experts Nuovo Aspetto subscribed. A hand-picked troop of 11 full-blooded musicians joined Valer Sabadus in changeable configurations, and each had their individual chance to shine.”

— Münchener Merkur

“The works on the CD are an excellent example: with pain-staking research in a music library, Michael Dücker had found arrangements of Haydn works by composers of his day that he (Dücker) fitted for his ensemble Nuovo Aspetto, founded in 2011. In this way Haydn’s works in authentic arrangements from his time win a totally new dimension: almost all the works are premieres, and captivate with their freshness.”

— Klassik Heute (Haydn News)

“This is a completely enchanting album of late-Baroque vocal music without opulent accompaniment, but with a wonderful sense of elegance and harmony and, with it, Sabadus and ensemble Nuovo Aspetto have moved to dizzying new heights.”

— artistxite.co.uk (Caldera)

“The finale with Reutter’s aria “Venga l’eta” is another triumph for the entire ensemble – it was celebrated with many shouts of ‘bravo.’ ”

— Neue Ruhr Zeitung

“Reutter’s music gives off a powerful, emotionally-rich aura, especially in the engaged performance by the early music ensemble Nuovo Aspetto. The riches of colors of the performance, and the artistic approach by the lute, harp, organ, dulcimer, and, cembalo accentuate in particular the qualities of the music - a music that combines various elements into a convincing symbiosis.“

— Klassik.com