Aktuell

le chardon logo gruen

„Le Chardon”,

 

„Le Chardon” was formed in 1995 by Hajo Wienroth to perform French baroque music on period instruments. Following the success of their first concerts, the ensemble soon found their interests developing towards music of the 18th and 19th centuries and towards music for larger ensembles. Now a chamber orchestra, they regularly perform larger scale Oratorios, Masses and Passions, working with many famous singers and choirs in churches, for festivals (including the „Musikalischen Sommer in Ostfriesland und Groningen”, the „MUSE” in Seelze, the „Barockfestival in Bad Arolsen” and the NDR and WDR) as well as for radio.
 Le Chardon's musicians come together from across Europe including Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Rep., France Sweden and the UK. Their working brief is to ensure that their performances are as closely guided by original sources, and scores as possible. Exploration of little played or undiscovered works are also important to the group which has resulted in many first performances of largely unknown works since the baroque times.
Le Chardon now has a number of recordings to its name. In 2007 Hajo Wienroth founded „Lunaris CD Produktion” which has released unknown music, first editions as well as more mainstream repertoire in collaboration with leading singers.
„Le Chardon” (the thistle) was chosen as the groups name because although it is a beautiful flower that characterizes the beauty of the music on the one hand, it is also a flower that has thorns. Le Chardon not only wants to bring beauty, it also wants to bring about thinking and to express both joy and sadness in its musical output.
Hajo Wienroth is Le Chardon's musical director and Ute Schildt is the groups manager.
 

„Le Chardon” has many members and different faces

i.e.

Cantatas with orchestra:

Tenor (Markus Brutscher), Soprano Margaret Hunter, Elin Manahan Thomas, Counter Maarten Engeltjes,
Traversflute (Hajo Wienroth), Oboe (Mark Baigent, Nils Jönsson, Margret Schrietter, Linda Leighton), Violin (Simon Standage, Jörn Sebastian Kuhlmann, Elin Eriksson, James O`Toole, Andreas Klingel, Huw Daniel, Mary Riccardi, Friedemann Kienzle, Marketa Knittlova...), Viola (Hajo Bäß, Kees Hilhorst), Cello (Poppy Walshaw, Michael Corßen, Cassandra Luckhard, Bas van Hengel+), Doublebass (Nicholas Baldock, Ute Schildt), Harpsichord/Organ (Tilman Skowroneck, Pieter Dirksen)
Bassoon (Yvonne Hof, Rhoda Patrick)

Trumpet (Hannes Rux, Jaroslav Rouceck, Ute Hartwich, Almut Rux, Frantisek Svejkovsky, Josef Sadilek)
Cornetto (Helen MacDougall)

Orchestra:

for Oratorios, Passions, Masses, Symphonies, Solo concertos, etc. in small and larger complements.

Cantatas without orchestra:

Soprano, Traversflute, Cello, Archlute and Harpsichord

Soprano, Traversflute, Viola da Gamba, Archlute and Harpsichord

Quartets:

Traversflute / Keyed Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello

Traversflute, Violin, Cello, Harpsichord

Trios:

Traversflute, Cello , Archlute

Traversflute, Viola da Gamba, Archlute

Traversflute, Cello, Harpsichord

Traversflute / Keyed Flute, Violin, Cello

Duets:

Traversflute, Archlute

Traversflute, Clavichord