fot. J.Grobliński
Altberg Ensemble – is a baroque orchestra founded in 2017 by cellist Jakub Kościukiewicz. The first recording of Altberg Ensemble with compositions of Georg Philipp Telemann, Suites & Concerto, DUX1761, recorded under direction of Peter Heyghen, was nominated to Fryderyk 2023 award in category Early Music – Album of the Year and in autumn 2023 it received a Golden Diploma in 3rd Eagles of Music International Competition.
Since 2018 Altberg Ensemble has regularly co-operated with outstanding Swiss
harpsichordist, organist and conductor Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, who has led the ensemble on numerous occasions during concert series 200 Bach’s Cantatas for 200 Years of Warsaw University as well as in Altberg’s series – Baroque Łódź and Baroque Mirages in the Museum of the City of Lodz and Herbst Palace Museum.
The ensemble has co-operated with legendary personalities from historically informed performance scene – violinist Olivia Centurioni, oboist Alfredo Bernardino and recorder player, musicologist and conductor Peter van Heyghen.
Altberg Ensemble has performed in Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic in Łódź and during festivals such as Dramma per Musica in Royal Castle in Warsaw, Kolory Polski in Tum and Gidle, Jerzy Waldorff Festival in Radziejowice, ORGANy PLUS in Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz Baroque Scene, Baroque in Masuria, Concerts for Peace in Jawor. In August 2022 Altberg Ensemble arranged and prepared the programme composed of forgotten 18th century manuscripts, from Dominican order convent in Gidle, as part of Kolory Polski Festival.
The ensemble is a regular guest of Artists Retreat in Radziejowice Palace, where it prepares the most of its musical projects.
Altberg Ensemble plays historical instruments, using period performance practice.
The name of the ensemble was inspired by the figure of Emma Altberg (1889-1983), a harpsichord player, devoted to promoting musical life and education in Łódź.
Feel free to contact us via our e-mail address:
altbergensemble.recordings@gmail.com
Altberg Ensemble
Altberg Ensemble is a baroque orchestra from Łódź, founded in 2017 by cellist Jakub Kościukiewicz. The group consists of musicians, who specialise in historical performance and play period instruments or their copies, using historically informed techniques. Artistic paths led each member of the ensemble to Łódź.
The debut of the ensemble took place on August 13th 2017 in Tum near Łęczyca during 18th Kolory Polski Festival. Its appearance was soon appreciated by artistic environment of Łódź and brought the ensemble “Armatka Kultury” 2017 – an award in the plebiscite of cultural magazine Kalejdoskop ,as well as the performance in Artur Rubinstein Philharmonic in Łódź in the following year. In 2018 Altberg Ensemble, led by an outstanding Swiss harpsichordist, organ player and conductor Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, took part in concert series 200 Bach Cantatas for 200 Years of Warsaw University.
Since 2019 the ensemble performs regularly in Łódź and in the Voivodeship of Łódź with concert series Baroque Lodz. It is also recognized in Poland thanks to appearances at festivals such as Dramma per Musica in the Royal Castle in Warsaw, The Baroque Scene of Bydgoszcz, Baroque in Masuria, and also during Warsaw University’s Bach 200 concert series or at Concerts for Peace in Church of Peace in Jawor. It is a regular guest of Artists’ Retreat in Radziejowice Palace, a museum and a centre for artistic work, research and activity located near Warsaw.
The ensemble has cooperated with many celebrated singers: Anna Mikołajczyk, Olga Pasichnyk, Karol Kozlowski, Jakub Józef Orliński, Aleksander Rewiński, Michał Sławecki, Kacper Szelążek, Rafał Tomkiewicz and with acclaimed leaders, like harpsichordist and organ player Jörg-Andreas Bötticher, violinist Olivia Centurioni, oboist Alfredo Bernardini or recorder player, musicologist and conductor Peter Van Heyghen. In April 2022 Altberg Ensemble published the first CD with G. Ph. Telemann “Suites & Concerto” recorded with Peter Van Heyghen as conductor for DUX Recording Producers DUX 1761.
An idea, bringing together all the members of the ensemble is to study and to perform instrumental and vocal-instrumental works of 17th and 18th century. The name of the ensemble was inspired by the figure of Emma Altberg (1889-1983), a harpsichordist and a pianist. After World War II, that remarkable student of Wanda Landowska opened and taught in the first Polish harpsichord class at State Higher School of Music in Łódź.
fot. J.Grobliński
2018
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
It was wonderful to work with the young ALTBERG Ensemble. With great passion and love they devote themselves to enliven baroque music. Without any prejudices they are willing to experiment new approaches to historical informed playing. Everyone being highly skilled as single musicians they even surpass themselves when playing as an ensemble, being freshly motivated for rehearsing and deeply involved within the concerts. I particularly appreciated the (rare!) mixture of seriously making music and at the same time enjoying the moment of communication with the public.
With such qualities I’m sure that ALTBERG will be playing an important role in the still growing early music scene in Poland, spreading not only the beauty, but also the rhetorical and emotional power of music and making it happen even today, that classical concerts can touch and comfort the soul.
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
Professor for Harpsichord, Organ and Basso Continuo
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
2019
Tomasz Cyz – Ruch Muzyczny
“Łódź Baroque Orchestra, led by harpsichord player Ewa Mrowca and cellist Jakub Kościukiewicz had its debut in 2017, but despite being a young ensemble, it already tastes like a well ripe wine. They are not afraid of challenges, such as performing forgotten repertoire, which falls to memory thanks to juicy performance.”
“Altberg Ensemble was conducted by recorder player and conductor Peter van Heyghen and it was an excellent choice, because the Belgian is not only a well-known historical practice authority, not only he could inspire young musicians to hard work (which gives great results), but also he is one of the greatest specialists in Georg Muffat’s output (among the others he leads ensemble Les Muffatti in Brussels). And Muffat touches the hearts of the audience”.
“The joy and energy of musicians from Łódź gives hope, that Polish baroque scene is still developing. And when van Heyghen in the encore (Telemann’s Polonaise) took the recorder, the audience didn’t want to leave the concert hall. I am not surprised.”
Tomasz Cyz
Ruch Muzyczny #6 2019
2018
Karol Kozłowski
I met Altberg Ensemble for the first time in the autumn of 2018. We performed quite challenging repertoire – rarely heard, full of soloistic virtuosity cantatas by J.S. Bach. I have known the musicians from other leading groups specializing in historical performance. I was indeed surprised how this relatively young ensemble (but consisting of experienced and well practiced musicians) already during our first rehearsal has presented coherent, rich and in the same time very energetic sound. The musicians maintained this high quality despite of changing acoustic conditions of the places in which during the next days we performed with the same energy this very special and a bit forgotten repertoire.
With kindest regards and wishes of further wonderful development,
Karol Kozłowski
2018
Iwona Ramotowska – dolce tormento
“As I wrote yesterday, Bach 200 UW concerts can be very different, from very successful to ones not worth mentioning. But I must admit, that this time concert in Pałac Kazimierzowski was great! One of the best I have heard during this series of concerts.”
“But the most spectacular was young orchestra from Łódź, Altberg Ensemble, led by Jörg-Andreas Botticher. Already at the beginning in Bernhard Bach’s ouverture it sounded stunning. I must admit that I am not familiar with this member of the Bach family, perhaps everything he wrote is equally light, in rococo style, sounding like written by a French maestro. And how it was played! It turned out, that Johann Sebastian’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 sounds just as light, played incredibly fast, almost like on one breath. Young instrumentalists sounded very well also in the cantatas, both in oboe or violin obbligato parts with basso continuo and in full orchestral sound. They were really amazing! I have heard them for the first time, so it is difficult for me to compare or judge their playing, but with great pleasure and attention I will follow career of this group. Altberg Ensemble – keep up the good work!”
2019
Tomasz Cyz – Ruch Muzyczny
“Łódź Baroque Orchestra, led by harpsichord player Ewa Mrowca and cellist Jakub Kościukiewicz had its debut in 2017, but despite being a young ensemble, it already tastes like a well ripe wine. They are not afraid of challenges, such as performing forgotten repertoire, which falls to memory thanks to juicy performance.”
“Altberg Ensemble was conducted by recorder player and conductor Peter van Heyghen and it was an excellent choice, because the Belgian is not only a well-known historical practice authority, not only he could inspire young musicians to hard work (which gives great results), but also he is one of the greatest specialists in Georg Muffat’s output (among the others he leads ensemble Les Muffatti in Brussels). And Muffat touches the hearts of the audience”.
“The joy and energy of musicians from Łódź gives hope, that Polish baroque scene is still developing. And when van Heyghen in the encore (Telemann’s Polonaise) took the recorder, the audience didn’t want to leave the concert hall. I am not surprised.”
Tomasz Cyz
Ruch Muzyczny #6 2019
2018
Karol Kozłowski
I met Altberg Ensemble for the first time in the autumn of 2018. We performed quite challenging repertoire – rarely heard, full of soloistic virtuosity cantatas by J.S. Bach. I have known the musicians from other leading groups specializing in historical performance. I was indeed surprised how this relatively young ensemble (but consisting of experienced and well practiced musicians) already during our first rehearsal has presented coherent, rich and in the same time very energetic sound. The musicians maintained this high quality despite of changing acoustic conditions of the places in which during the next days we performed with the same energy this very special and a bit forgotten repertoire.
With kindest regards and wishes of further wonderful development,
Karol Kozłowski
2018
Iwona Ramotowska – dolce tormento
“As I wrote yesterday, Bach 200 UW concerts can be very different, from very successful to ones not worth mentioning. But I must admit, that this time concert in Pałac Kazimierzowski was great! One of the best I have heard during this series of concerts.”
“But the most spectacular was young orchestra from Łódź, Altberg Ensemble, led by Jörg-Andreas Botticher. Already at the beginning in Bernhard Bach’s ouverture it sounded stunning. I must admit that I am not familiar with this member of the Bach family, perhaps everything he wrote is equally light, in rococo style, sounding like written by a French maestro. And how it was played! It turned out, that Johann Sebastian’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 sounds just as light, played incredibly fast, almost like on one breath. Young instrumentalists sounded very well also in the cantatas, both in oboe or violin obbligato parts with basso continuo and in full orchestral sound. They were really amazing! I have heard them for the first time, so it is difficult for me to compare or judge their playing, but with great pleasure and attention I will follow career of this group. Altberg Ensemble – keep up the good work!”
2018
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
It was wonderful to work with the young ALTBERG Ensemble. With great passion and love they devote themselves to enliven baroque music. Without any prejudices they are willing to experiment new approaches to historical informed playing. Everyone being highly skilled as single musicians they even surpass themselves when playing as an ensemble, being freshly motivated for rehearsing and deeply involved within the concerts. I particularly appreciated the (rare!) mixture of seriously making music and at the same time enjoying the moment of communication with the public.
With such qualities I’m sure that ALTBERG will be playing an important role in the still growing early music scene in Poland, spreading not only the beauty, but also the rhetorical and emotional power of music and making it happen even today, that classical concerts can touch and comfort the soul.
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
Professor for Harpsichord, Organ and Basso Continuo
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
2018
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
It was wonderful to work with the young ALTBERG Ensemble. With great passion and love they devote themselves to enliven baroque music. Without any prejudices they are willing to experiment new approaches to historical informed playing. Everyone being highly skilled as single musicians they even surpass themselves when playing as an ensemble, being freshly motivated for rehearsing and deeply involved within the concerts. I particularly appreciated the (rare!) mixture of seriously making music and at the same time enjoying the moment of communication with the public.
With such qualities I’m sure that ALTBERG will be playing an important role in the still growing early music scene in Poland, spreading not only the beauty, but also the rhetorical and emotional power of music and making it happen even today, that classical concerts can touch and comfort the soul.
Jörg-Andreas Bötticher
Professor for Harpsichord, Organ and Basso Continuo
Schola Cantorum Basiliensis
2019
Tomasz Cyz – Ruch Muzyczny
“Łódź Baroque Orchestra, led by harpsichord player Ewa Mrowca and cellist Jakub Kościukiewicz had its debut in 2017, but despite being a young ensemble, it already tastes like a well ripe wine. They are not afraid of challenges, such as performing forgotten repertoire, which falls to memory thanks to juicy performance.”
“Altberg Ensemble was conducted by recorder player and conductor Peter van Heyghen and it was an excellent choice, because the Belgian is not only a well-known historical practice authority, not only he could inspire young musicians to hard work (which gives great results), but also he is one of the greatest specialists in Georg Muffat’s output (among the others he leads ensemble Les Muffatti in Brussels). And Muffat touches the hearts of the audience”.
“The joy and energy of musicians from Łódź gives hope, that Polish baroque scene is still developing. And when van Heyghen in the encore (Telemann’s Polonaise) took the recorder, the audience didn’t want to leave the concert hall. I am not surprised.”
Tomasz Cyz
Ruch Muzyczny #6 2019
2018
Iwona Ramotowska – dolce tormento
“As I wrote yesterday, Bach 200 UW concerts can be very different, from very successful to ones not worth mentioning. But I must admit, that this time concert in Pałac Kazimierzowski was great! One of the best I have heard during this series of concerts.”
“But the most spectacular was young orchestra from Łódź, Altberg Ensemble, led by Jörg-Andreas Botticher. Already at the beginning in Bernhard Bach’s ouverture it sounded stunning. I must admit that I am not familiar with this member of the Bach family, perhaps everything he wrote is equally light, in rococo style, sounding like written by a French maestro. And how it was played! It turned out, that Johann Sebastian’s Orchestral Suite No. 1 sounds just as light, played incredibly fast, almost like on one breath. Young instrumentalists sounded very well also in the cantatas, both in oboe or violin obbligato parts with basso continuo and in full orchestral sound. They were really amazing! I have heard them for the first time, so it is difficult for me to compare or judge their playing, but with great pleasure and attention I will follow career of this group. Altberg Ensemble – keep up the good work!”
2018
Karol Kozłowski
I met Altberg Ensemble for the first time in the autumn of 2018. We performed quite challenging repertoire – rarely heard, full of soloistic virtuosity cantatas by J.S. Bach. I have known the musicians from other leading groups specializing in historical performance. I was indeed surprised how this relatively young ensemble (but consisting of experienced and well practiced musicians) already during our first rehearsal has presented coherent, rich and in the same time very energetic sound. The musicians maintained this high quality despite of changing acoustic conditions of the places in which during the next days we performed with the same energy this very special and a bit forgotten repertoire.
With kindest regards and wishes of further wonderful development,
Karol Kozłowski