Since my early youth, I have had a close bond with Bärenreiter. Already when I was a small child, I received the “Quempasheft” from my mother for domestic music-making at Christmas.
When I became a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor in 1953 – during the time of Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger – it was impossible to imagine a musical life without BÄRENREITER. We sang exactly the repertoire through which Karl Vötterle brought his publishing house to world renown: Heinrich Schütz, Hugo Distler, Ernst Pepping and Willy Burkhard.
As a baritone soloist and second conductor, I was allowed to participate in the sensational premiere of Wolfgang Hufschmidt’s “Meißner Te Deum” on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of Meissen cathedral. The Vötterle family had “smuggled” the music into the GDR.
My musical life is unimaginable without this publisher.
To this day, especially the great complete editions are my companions.
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Haenchen
Conductor
Principal Guest Conductor North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Honorary Conductor Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest