Quadro Nuevo – Music for Christmas Nights

Andreas Hinterseher Accordion, Bandoneon, Vibrandoneon

D.D. Lowka Contrabass, Percussion

Mulo Francel Saxophone, clarinets

Evelyn Huber Harp, Salterio

&

Münchner Symphoniker Orchestra

Andreas Kowalewitz Conductor

1. Oh du Fröhliche

2. Lasst uns froh und munter sein

3. Nun komm der Heiden Heiland

4. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

5. Bells of Salvation

6. Maria durch ein Dornwald ging

7. Macht hoch die Tür Erwartung

8. Macht hoch die Tür Macht hoch die

9. Macht hoch die Tür Epiphanias

10. Winter Wonderland

11. Oh little Town of Bethlehem

12. Entre le Boeuf et l Ane gris

13. Abendsegen from Hänsel und Grete

14. Antiochia Suite Antakya Dadasc

15. La Virgen se está peinando

16. The Way you look tonight

17. Epilog

In their new album Music for Christmas Nights, Quadro Nuevo collaborated with the Munich Symphony Orchestra to explore the origins of the Christmas story, specifically the Middle East with its old cultures and fascinating music traditions. Quadro Nuevo got inspired by these cultures on various trips and concerts in Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Antioch. The recordings with the Munich Symphony Orchestra show a moving interaction of improvising virtuosos and classical orchestra sound, Occident and Orient, old traditions, new creations and childhood memories.

“It’s just a ton of fun to use these partially very simplistic yet powerful melodies in a playful way. Working with strings and wood brass presented fantastic opportunities.”

For the song “Lasst uns froh und munter sein” bass player Didi put his Bass aside to play on the oriental drum named Tarambouka, creating a groove that could be described as a mix of Orient, German middle age and New Orleans. The traditional bass function was replaced by the orchestra’s basses: bassoon and bass clarinet. On the American classic “Winter Wonderland” the string orchestra everybody expects was intentionally left out. Quadro Nuevo plays the song only on the orchestra’s wood instruments, which takes the listener on a musical journey through an atmospheric winter forest.

For the old song “Macht hoch die Tür” Accordion player Andreas Hinterseher wrote a three part suite. For the Band, this suite signifies the need of reorientation: away from wasting our resources, away from destroying our planet, away from ideologies and religious stubbornness.

The album shows the quartet’s love for the sound potential of orchestra instruments, which they use consciously and carefully. Don’t be surprised to hear a lonely French horn in the middle of what we know to be the typical Quadro Nuevo sound. In “Maria durch ein Dornwald ging” they worked with strings, which adds a pleasant width to this intense song.

Every title on the CD gives the listener the opportunity to rediscover old traditions and to experience instruments with a large acoustic body in all their might.

The album Quadro Nuevo & Munich Symphony Orchestra: Music for Christmas Nights is going to be available as both CD and Double-Vinyl!

For tour dates please check http://www.quadronuevo.de/