Klaus Thunemann
His many admirers will assert that Klaus Thunemann is the greatest bassoonist of all time. Certainly, critics and public alike have long considered him one of the finest bassoonists of his generation and arguably the most celebrated. He is generally viewed as the leading German bassoon teacher and has probably made more recordings than any other bassoonist with the possible exception of Milan Turkovic. Thunemann has performed as an orchestral member, chamber player, and soloist, and possesses a vast repertory in all areas, from J.S. Bach and Vivaldi to Mozart and Beethoven; and from Schubert and Carl Maria von Weber to Hindemith and Sofia Gubaidulina. Thunemann is one of those rare musicians who grasps virtually every feature of his/her instrument, not just the interpretive and technical ones. He published an authoritative article in 1995 on the medical aspects of playing the bassoon ("Medical problems in instrumentalists: Causes and Prevention"). Thunemann's recordings can be found on several labels, including Philips, Decca, DG, Hänssler Classics, Naxos, and BIS.
Klaus Thunemann was born in Magdeburg, Germany, on April 19, 1937. He studied piano from an early age, but at 18 turned his focus to the bassoon. He enrolled at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, where his most important teacher was Willy Fugmann.
Thunemann graduated in 1961 and from 1962-1978 he served as first chair bassoonist for the Hamburg-based NDR Symphony Orchestra. During this stint he also regularly appeared as soloist and chamber player.
In 1978 he abandoned orchestral playing and turned to teaching, accepting a professorship at the Hochschule für Musik and Theater in Hanover. He continued with solo and chamber work, often appearing in concert with oboist/composer Heinz Holliger. The pair made a series of acclaimed Mozart recordings on the Philips label that was reissued in 2006. Thunemann began teaching at the Hanns Eisler Musikhochschule in Berlin in 1996. He regularly gave master classes in the U.S., Japan, and various locales in Europe.
Thunemann retired from teaching in 2005 and the following year was recognized by the German government for his contributions to the arts with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (the Federal Cross of Merit). Thunemann remained active on the concert scene after his retirement from teaching. Among his more acclaimed engagements was his September 2008 appearance at the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, where he played the Saint-Saëns Sonata for bassoon and piano.
© TiVo
Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Vivaldi: 6 Bassoon Concertos
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1986
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skalkottas: Cycle Concert
Håkan Hardenberger, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Thunemann, Bruno Canino
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 May 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Clarinet & Bassoon Concertos
Karl Leister, Klaus Thunemann, Stephen Orton, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1989
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Telemann: Recorder Suite; 2 Double Concertos
Michala Petri, William Bennett, Klaus Thunemann, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Dec 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Saint-Saëns / Poulenc: Sonatas
Ingo Goritzki, Klaus Thunemann, Ricardo Requejo
Chamber Music - Released by Claves Records on 1 Jan 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: 7 Bassoon Concertos
Klaus Thunemann, I Musici, Shizuko Noiri
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 7 Jul 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Carl Maria von Weber: Klarinettenkonzerte Nr. 1 & 2, Fagottkonzert
Andrew Marriner, Klaus Thunemann, Sir Neville Marriner, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Classical - Released by Decca on 1 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hummel / Weber: Bassoon Concertos
Klaus Thunemann, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stamitz: Clarinet Concertos
Eduard Brunner, Ana Chumachenco, Münchener Kammerorchester, Klaus Thunemann, Hans Stadlmair
Classical - Released by Tudor on 7 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Romantic Bassoon Rarities
Klaus Thunemann, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 3 Nov 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante; Oboe Concerto
Heinz Holliger, Aurèle Nicolet, Hermann Baumann, Klaus Thunemann, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jun 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Danzi & Stamitz: Music for Clarinet, Bassoon & Orchestra
Eduard Brunner, Klaus Thunemann, Münchener Kammerorchester, Hans Stadlmair
Classical - Released by Tudor on 21 Apr 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Piano Trio, Op. 11 "Gassenhauer" & 3 Duets for Clarinet & Bassoon, WoO 27
Eduard Brunner, Wolfgang Boettcher, Klaus Thunemann, Elisabeth Leonskaja
Chamber Music - Released by Tudor on 2 Sep 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: Wind Concertos
Heinz Holliger, Klaus Thunemann, Reinhold Friedrich, Håkan Hardenberger, I Musici, Aurèle Nicolet
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 1 Jan 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mozart: Bassoon & Clarinet Concertos
Klaus Thunemann, Thomas Friedli
Concertos - Released by Claves Records on 1 Jan 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Devienne : Six Sonatas for Bassoon and Basso continuo, Op. 24
Klaus Thunemann, Klaus Stoll, Jörg Ewald Dähler
Chamber Music - Released by Claves Records on 16 Feb 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vivaldi: 6 Bassoon Concertos
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on 15 Oct 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bohner: Music at the Court of Gotha, Vol. 2
Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha, Hermann Breuer, Klaus Thunemann, Anette Nötzoldt
Classical - Released by Es-Dur on 24 Apr 1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stamitz: Clarinet Concertos & Double Concertos
Ana Chumachenco, Eduard Brunner, Klaus Thunemann, Münchener Kammerorchester, Hans Stadlmair
Classical - Released by Tudor on 7 Oct 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo