Berliner Barock Solisten

There are plenty of early-music ensembles making the rounds nowadays, but only a few of them display a level of artistic mastery akin to that of the Berliner Barock Solisten (“Berlin Baroque Soloists”), founded in 1995 by Rainer Kussmaul and other prominent members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. These musicians and their director—who leads them as first among equals—have joined their talents in creating a unique approach to the musical works of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Berliner Barock Solisten do justice to their name, since each member is a bravura player, and they play on old but modernized instruments, using bows from different periods (depending on the scores). Such flexibility, along with the ensemble’s exceptional homogeneity and the presence of early-music soloists within its ranks, has contributed toward establishing this group’s leading position on the international scene. Because they maintain a nuanced view of historical periods, contexts, and performance practices, old sounds are heard with fresh ears. Works of the past are reconsidered in a new light—resulting in an interpretation that can be regarded as modern, though certainly not modernist. Theirs is a style that spans the ages.

This approach to performance has led to wide recognition and approval from audiences and critics alike. On concert stages from Tokyo to Berlin, from London to New York—everywhere the “Soloists” perform, they have left an indelible musical mark, ensuring that the ranks of their true fans are continually enlarged. Their programs are documented on numerous recordings whose exceptional quality has been widely acknowledged by music critics. The success of these recordings can also be attributed, in part, to the outstanding artists who regularly perform with the ensemble, including Thomas Quasthoff, Christine Schäfer, Dorothea Röschmann, Emmanuel Pahud, Albrecht Mayer, Maurice Steger, and Andreas Staier.