Biography of the Day: René Jacobs

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René Jacobs
René Jacobs in Salzburg 2011
Born	30 October 1946 (age 75) Ghent, Belgium
Nationality	Belgian
Occupation	Countertenor and conductor

René Jacobs, 2014

René Jacobs (born 30 October 1946) is a Belgian musician. He came to fame as a countertenor, but later in his career he became known as a conductor of baroque and classical opera.

Biography

Countertenor

Born in Ghent, Jacobs began his musical career as a boy chorister at the Cathedral. Later he studied classical philology at the University of Ghent while continuing to sing in Brussels and in The Hague.

The Kuijken brothers, Gustav Leonhardt and Alfred Deller all encouraged him to pursue a career as a countertenor, and he quickly became known as one of the best of his time.^[1] He recorded a large amount of less-known Baroque music by such composers as Antonio Cesti, d'India, Ferrari, Marenzio, Lambert, Guédron, William Lawes and others. He also sang in much-acclaimed recordings of the major works of Bach (such as the St Matthew Passion led by Gustav Leonhardt and Philippe Herreweghe).

Conductor

In 1977, he founded the ensemble Concerto Vocale.

As a conductor, Jacobs recorded numerous operas and sacred and secular works of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. His recording of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro is especially renowned, having won such awards as Gramophone's Record of the Year for 2004, Le Monde de la musique's Choc of the Year for 2004, a Grammy Award for "Best Opera recording of 2005", and two Midem Classical Awards in 2004. Other award-winning recordings include George Frideric Handel's Rinaldo (Cannes Classical Award, 2004), and Joseph Haydn's The Seasons (Diapason d’Or of 2005). The partial discography below lists some of the many other awards won by Jacobs' recordings.

His recordings and work have won numerous awards, including the Grammy Award for "Best Opera", Gramophone's "Record of the Year", the "III Premio Traetta 2011", and numerous European awards. His recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute was Record of the Year at the inaugural International Classical Music Awards in April 2011.

He is particularly noted as a singer's conductor, and for his handling of recitative.^[2]

Jacobs regularly conducted such orchestras and ensembles as the Concerto Köln, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Freiburger Barockorchester, Nederlands Kamerkoor and RIAS Kammerchor for recordings and concert tours. In 1992, the Berlin State Opera invited Jacobs to conduct there.

From 1991 to 2009, Jacobs was the artistic director of opera programs at Innsbruck's Festwochen der Alten Musik (Innsbruck Festival of Early Music). He also taught interpretation and Baroque singing style at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

Partial discography

Countertenor

• Marc-Antoine Charpentier : 3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Mercredy Sainct, H.96, H.97, H.98, 3 Répons du Mercrediy Sainct, H.111, H.112, H.113, 3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Jeudy Sainct, H.102, H.103, H.109, Judith Nelson, Concerto Vocale (recorded 08/1977 and 01/1978) 3 LP Harmonia Mundi HM 1005/6/7
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier : 3 Leçons de Ténèbres du Vendredy Sainct, H.105, H.106, H.110, 6 Répons du Mercredy Sainct. H.114.H.115, H.116, H.117, H.118, H.119, Judith Nelson, Concerto Vocale (Volume 2, recorded 01/1978 and 01/1979) 2 LP Harmonia Mundi HM 1008/09
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier : Motets à voix seule et à 2 voix, Judith Nelson, Concerto vocale. CD Harmonia Mundi 1984 HMC 901149
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier : David et Jonathas H 490, (La Pythonisse), English Bach Festival Orchestra, conducted by Michel Corboz – 2 CD Erato 1982 report 2010.
• Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice with Mariannne Kweksilber, Magdalena Falewicz, and La Petite Bande conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken, Collegium vocale – 2 LP Accent 1982
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Tamerlano with John Elwes, Henri Ledroit, Mieke van der Sluis, Isabelle Poulenard, Gregory Reinhart, and La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre Du Roy conducted by Jean-Claude Malgoire – 3 LP CBS Masterworks 1984
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Alessandro with Sophie Boulin, Isabelle Poulenard, Jean Nirouët, Stephen Varcoe, Guy de Mey, Ria Bollen, and La Petite Bande conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken – 4 LP Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 1985
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Admeto with Jill Gomez, Rachel Yakar, James Bowman, Max van Egmond, Ulrik Cold, and Il Complesso Barocco conducted by Alan Curtis – 5 LP EMI 1978
• Georg Friedrich Händel: Partenope with Krisztina Laki, John York Skinner, Helga Müller-Molinari, Stephen Varcoe, Martyn Hill, and La Petite Bande conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken – 4 LP Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 1979

Conductor

• Bach – Mass in B minor
• Bach – Christmas Oratorio (Choc du Monde de la Musique; ClassicsToday.com)
• Bach – The Motets (award: Diapason d'Or)
• Bach – Secular cantatas
• Blow – Venus and Adonis
• Buxtehude – Membra Jesu Nostri
• Caldara – Maddalena ai piedi di Cristo (awards: Gramophone Award; Diapason d'or)
• Cavalli – La Calisto (awards: Cannes Classical Award; Diapason d'or)
• Cavalli – Giasone (1988)
• Cavalli – Xerxes – (awards: Choc du Monde de la Musique; Diapason d'or; Un événement Télérama (ffff))
• Cesti – Cantatas
• Cesti – Orontea
• Couperin – Leçons de Ténèbres
• Gluck – Orfeo ed Euridice (awards: Cannes Classical Awards)
• Grandi – Vulnerasti cor meum and other sacred music
• Handel – Giulio Cesare
• Handel- Messiah
• Handel – Rinaldo ((awards: Cannes Classical Award)
• Handel- Saul ((awards: Editor's choice Gramophone; Choc du Monde de la musique; BBC Music Magazine Disc of the Month (October 2005))
• Handel – Orlando ((awards: DG Archiv)
• Haydn – Die Jahreszeiten (awards: Choc du Monde de la Musique; Edison Classical Music Award; Gramophone Award)
• Haydn – Die Schöpfung
• Haydn – Symphonies Nos. 91 and 92 (awards: Choc du Monde de la Musique; Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik; Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik)
• Keiser - Croesus (awards: Edison Classical Music Award; Diapaison d'or)
• Monteverdi – L'Orfeo (awards: Choc 2006)
• Monteverdi – Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (Diapason d'or; Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik)
• Monteverdi – L'incoronazione di Poppea
• Monteverdi – Vespro della beata Vergine
• Monteverdi – Madrigals
• Mozart – Così fan tutte (Cannes Classical Awards; Diapason d'or; Edison Classical Music Award)
• Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro (awards: 47th Grammy Award; Choc du Monde de la Musique; Edison Classical Music Award; Gramophone Record of the Year 2004; Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik
• Mozart – La clemenza di Tito (awards: Critics award at the Brits Classics 2007; 10 de Classica-Répertoire; Jahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik; Un événement Télérama (ffff)
• Mozart – Don Giovanni (awards: Gramophone Record of the Month, October 2007; Classics Today 10/10)
• Mozart – Symphonies Nos. 38 and 41 (awards: 10 de Classica-Répertoire; Diapason d'Or Arte)
• Mozart – Idomeneo (awards: Scherzo, Choc de Classica, Un événement Télérama (ffff)
• Pergolesi – Stabat Mater
• Purcell – Dido and Aeneas; (awards: Editor's choice Gramophone; Un événement Télérama (ffff)
• Scarlatti – Il primo omicidio (overo caïn) (awards: Diapason d'or; Editor's choice Gramophone; Gramophone Award; Le Timbre de Platine
• Scarlatti – Griselda (awards: 10 de Répertoire; Diapason d'or; Le Timbre de Platine)
• Schubert – Symphonies 1 & 6, Pentatone PTC 5186707 (2018)
• Schubert – Symphonies 2 & 3, Pentatone PTC 5186759 (2020) BBC Radio 3 Record Review Choice of Marina Frolova-Walker 03/10/2020
• Schütz – Christmas Oratorio (awards: Diapason d'or; Un événement Télérama (ffff))
• Zelenka – Magnificat & Lamenti

Literature

• Jozef Robijns en Miep Zijlstra, Algemene Muziek Encyclopedie deel 5, Unieboek 1981, pagina 36
• Kennedy, Michael (2006), The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 985 pages, ISBN 0-19-861459-4
• Nicolas Blanmont, René Jacobs, prima la musica, prime le parole, uitgave Versant Sud (2009)
• René Jacobs im Gespräch mit Silke Leopold: "Ich will Musik neu erzählen", Bärenreiter Henschel, Kassel 2013, ISBN 978-3-89487-910-5.

 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Il dissoluto punito, ossia il Don Giovanni - K. 527
Vienna Version

Rene Jacobs
Freibruger Barockorchester
RIAS Kammerchor
Johannes Weisser - Don Giovanni
Lorenzo Regazzo - Leoporello
Alexandrina Pendatchanska - Donna Elvira
Olga Pasichnyk - Donna Anna
Kenneth Tarver - Don Ottavio
Sunhae Im - Zerlina
Alessandro Guerzoni - Il Commendatore
Nikolay Borchev - Masetto

Overture (Orchestra) 0:10
Act I
Scene One: Introduction: Notte e giorno faticar 5:45
Scene One: Recitative: Leporello, ove sei? 11:10
Scene One, Recitative & Duet: Recitative: Ah del padre in periglio 11:43
Scene One, Recitative & Duet: Duet: Fuggi, crudele, fuggi! 14:36
Scene Two: Recitative: Orsù, spicciati presto 18:29
Scene Two: Aria: Ah, chi mi dice mai 20:20
Scene Two: Recitative: Chi è là? (Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni/Leporello) 24:02
Scene Two: Aria: Madamina, il catalogo è questo (Leporello) 27:07
Scene Two: Recitativo: In questa forma (Donna Elvira) 32:22
Scene Three: Coro: Giovinette che fate all'amore (Zerlina/Coro/Masetto) 33:04
Scene Three: Recitative: Manco male è partita (Don Giovanni/Leporello/Zerlina/Masetto) 34:38
Scene Three: Aria: Ho capito, signor, sì! (Masetto) 36:52
Scene Three, Recitative & Duet: Recitative: Alfin siam liberati (Don Giovanni/Zerlina) 38:26
Scene Three, Recitative & Duet: Duet: Là ci darem la mano (Don Giovanni/Zerlina) 40:15
Scene Three: Recitativo: Fermati, scellerato! (Donna Elvira/Zerlina/Don Giovanni) 43:15
Scene Three: Aria: Ah! fuggi il traditor! (Donna Elvira) 43:58
Scene Three, Recitative & Quartet: Recitative: Mi par ch'oggi il demonio si diverta (Don Giovanni/Don Ottavio/Donna Anna/Donna Elvira) 45:09
Scene Three, Recitative & Quartet: Quartet: Non ti fidar, o misera (Don Giovanni/Don Ottavio/Donna Anna/Donna Elvira) 46:15
Scene Three: Recitative: Povera sventura! (Don Giovanni) 49:43
Scene Three, Recitative & Aria:: Recitative: Don Ottavio, son morta! (Donna Anna/Don Ottavio) 50:10
Scene Three, Recitative & Aria:: Aria: Or sai chi l'onore (Donna Anna) 53:15
Scene Three, Recitative & Aria:: Recitative: Come mai creder deggio (Don Ottavio) 55:56
Scene Three, Recitative & Aria:: Aria: Dalla sua pace (Don Ottavio) 56:27
Scene Three: Recitative: Lo deggio ad ogni patto (Leporello/Don Giovanni) 1:00:45
Scene Three: Aria: Finch'han dal vino (Don Giovanni) 1:02:41
Scene Four: Recitative: Masetto, senti un po' (Zerlina/Masetto) 1:04:12
Scene Four: Aria: Batti, batti, o bel Masetto (Zerlina) 1:05:33
Scene Four: Recitative: Guarda un po' (Masetto/Don Giovanni/Zerlina) 1:08:57
Scene Four, Finale: Presto, presto, pria ch'ei venga (Masetto/Zerlina/Don Giovanni/Coro) 1:09:34
Scene Four, Finale: Tra quest'arbori celata (Zerlina/Don Giovanni/Masetta) 1:11:10
Scene Four, Finale: Bisogna aver coraggio (Donna Elvira/Don Ottavio/Donna Anna/Leporello/Don Giovanni) 1:13:32
Scene Four, Finale: Protegga il giusto cielo/Vendichi il giusto cielo (Donna Anna/Don Ottavio/Donna Elvira) 1:15:14
Scene Five: Riposate, vezzose ragazze (Don Giovanni/Leporello/Masetto/Zerlina) 1:16:43
Scene Five: Venite pur avanti (Leporello/Don Giovanni/Donna Anna/Donna Elvira/Don Ottavio) 1:18:01
Scene Five: Ricominciate il suono! (Don Giovanni/Leporello/Donna Elvira/Donna Anna/Don Ottavio/Masetto/Zerlina) 1:19:16
Scene Five: Ecco il birbo, che t'ha offesa! (Don Giovanni/Leporello/Don Ottavio/Donna Elvira/Donna Anna) 1:21:29
Scene Five: Trema, trema, o scellerato! (Don Giovanni/Leporello/Don Ottavio/Donna Elvira/Donna Anna) 1:22:51
Act II
Scene One: Duet: Eh via, buffone, non mi seccar! (Don Giovanni/Leporello) 1:25:07
Scene One: Recitative: Leporello!....Signore? (Don Giovanni/Leporello) 1:26:10
Scene One: Terzetto: Ah taci, inguisto coro! (Donna Elvira/Leporello/Don Giovanni)
Scene One: Recitative: Amico, che ti par? (Don Giovanni/Leporello)
Scene One: Recitative: Eccomi a voi (Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni/Leporello)
Scene One: Canzonetta: Deh vieni all finestra (Don Giovanni)
Scene One: Recitative: V'è gente alla finestra (Don Giovanni/Masetto)
Scene One: Aria: Metà di voi qua vadano (Don Giovanni)
Scene One: Recitative: Zitto, lascia ch'io senta (Don Giovanni/Masetto/Zerlina)
Scene One: Aria: Vedrai, carino, se sei buonino (Zerlina)
Scene Two: Recitative: Di molte faci il lume (Leporello/Donna Elvira)
Scene Two, Sextet: Sola, sola in buio loco (Donna Elvira/Leporello/Don Ottavio/Donna Anna)
Scene Two, Sextet: Ferma, briccone, dove ten vai? (Zerlina/Masetto/Donna Anna/Don Ottavio/Donna Elvira/Leporello)
Scene Two, Sextet: Mille torbidi pensieri (Zerlina/Masetto/Donna Anna/Don Ottavio/Donna Elvira/Leporello)