SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
PERIOD INSTRUMENT ENS.
CHAMBER ORCHESTRAS
CHOIRS
CHAMBER MUSIC ENS.
CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ENS.

Academy of Ancient Music
Accademia Bizantina
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin
Anima Eterna
Cantus Cölln
Cappella della Pietà de' Turchini
Concert des Nations
Il Giardino Armonico
Concerto Köln
Ensemble Baroque de Limoges
Hespèrion XXI
La Petite Bande
Orchestre des Champs-Elysées

Jos van Immerseel

Anima Eterna is under the permanent musical direction of Jos van Immerseel, who has led the orchestra through a carefully guided evolution from small chamber ensemble to full symphony orchestra. In 1985 he brought six string players together to study the works of Bach, and two years later the group was enlarged to a baroque ensemble of seventeen musicians. In 1989 the by now twenty-five musicians began to work on the Viennese classical repertoire. The success was expanding and in 1990 the Amsterdam Concertgebouw included Anima Eterna in its "World famous Baroque Orchestras" series.

Mozart's complete concertos for fortepiano of Mozart formed the focal point of the next two years, with concert cycles in Kyoto and Tokyo, among other cities, and a set of 10 compact discs (on Channel Classics). These recordings received worldwide praise, of which it will suffice to quote the New York CD review: "No period orchestra has ever sounded better". The orchestra was now ready to discover the early Romantics - Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Gade, Rossini, ... - thus becoming from 1992 on a symphony orchestra with an average of fortyfive players.

Since its earliest years, Anima Eterna has worked exclusively with historically appropriate instruments, including those required for 19th Century repertoire. An intensive collaboration with Bärenreiter Verlag since 1996 also ensures the benefits of the latest research in source material.

During the 1996-1997 season, the orchestra Anima Eterna performed and recorded the complete Schubert symphonies in the innovative interpretation of their conductor Jos van Immerseel. This interpretation was based on a study of the composer's manuscripts and the use of Viennese instruments from Schubert's time, giving rise to a strikingly fresh and dramatical sound colour. The series of four CDs (on Sony Classical) caused an immediate shock wave in the international media and is being regarded as a new reference.

The celebration of the orchestra's tenth anniversary in 1997 provided the occasion for a season of special programming. Works representative of the orchestra's successive repertoires were presented over the course of the year, providing a concise overview of the ensemble's achievements. From Buxtehude and Bach to Pergolesi, Beethoven and Schubert, and further - successful performances of works by Franck and Saint-Saëns showed that Anima Eterna is now ready to broach more recent stylistic periods.

A varied and extensive discography also bears witness to the thorough approach typical of Anima Eterna. The years between 1989 and 1997 saw the completion of no less than 20 compact discs and three television films. Opera has not been neglected in the orchestra's programming, with two staged productions (Rameau's "Pygmalion" at the Opéra de Versailles in 1988 and "Xerxes" by Handel in the Flemish Opera's 1995-1996 season), and a concert version of Rossini's "Othello" (1993). At the invitation of choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Anima Eterna also participated in the "Mozart Concert Arias" production of the Rosas Dance Company in 1996.

In 1998, the next landmark in the orchestra's development was the exploration of a true monument of our cultural heritage: the complete symphonies of Beethoven. After an intensive period of preparation, the orchestra successfully toured with Beethoven programmes throughout Europe and Japan during the next seasons. Their fascinating performances of Beethoven's Fifth, Sixth and Ninth symphony are documented on CD recordings (Sony Classical).

Meanwhile, Anima Eterna also performed and recorded (CD still to be released) music of Johann Strauss Jr., using a new critical edition of his work prepared by Dr. Michael Rot. This was a valued opportunity to (re)discover the marvellous orchestrations of the often somewhat misjudged composer. Moreover, the musicians experienced it as a pleasant and valuable preparation for the orchestra's future projects in music of the late 19th Century, which include works by Tchaikovsky and other Russian masters.

It is perhaps Anima Eterna's particular work rhythm which ensures its depth of approach to each specific period of repertoire. Five or six times a year, early instrument specialists from all over Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia meet for three or four weeks to prepare and perform a programme read in advance some months before. The musicians' commitment to working on a particular programme is based on their own preferences and enthusiasms, and individual parts and interpretational guidelines are available well in advance.

Although a strong group identity exists amongst the orchestra members, no player 'has the job'. Musicians are invited per project and a compatible mentality and positive outlook are important factors in the integration of new members. Recrutement of new players usually happens through invitation and reputation rather than by audition.

The string groups practice rotating seating and the atmosphere in rehearsals, both tutti and sectional remains serious and disciplined. Following historical models, the orchestra often also uses a so-called 'solistic' seating system, in which musicians playing the same part do not sit together, thus optimising effectively the qualities and investment of each individual player.