Harry Geraerts


Harry Geraerts is a Dutch tenor. His repertoire includes the great oratorios, baroque operas, ensemble music and Lieder, especially in the field of Renaissance and Baroque music.

Life

Born in Utrecht, Geraerts attended school in Utrecht and sang in the boys' choir of St. Martin's Cathedral, Utrecht. In 1972, he became the first private student of Max van Egmond in Amsterdam, as at that time there were no courses of study for early music majoring in singing. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was a member of the baroque ensemble "De Egelentier". For about three decades he performed at the major early music festivals. He regularly held master classes at the University of Michigan in the US.
Geraerts has an international reputation and has performed in almost all European countries, as well as in the US and Israel. In the field of early music, he has appeared as a singer in baroque operas, oratorios and in ensemble music. As a lieder singer, he has recorded the Winterreise by Franz Schubert with Ludger Rémy on the fortepiano.
His numerous radio performances and recordings include important works by Johann Sebastian Bach such as some of his cantatas, the St. John Passion and the St. Matthew Passion with Johan van der Meer. His clear voice is appreciated "without vocal equalization and without vibrato, i.e. always razor sharp on the tone", and his lively declamation, which is strongly influenced by the musical rhetoric of the Baroque. Konrad Klek praises Geraerts as the oratorio singer of Bach's great vocal works: "I have never experienced such German linguistic power with any German singer.
As a singer he has worked with well-known European ensembles such as the Groningse Bachvereniging, the Fiori musicali, the Musicalische Compagney, the Ensemble Weser-Renaissance Bremen, Leonhardt-Consort and the Alsfelder Vokalensemble.
In 2003, he moved from his hometown Utrecht to the South of France, where he had the dilapidated St.-Guiraud Castle restored in Castelnau-Barbarens near Auch. In the Auch Cathedral he gave several concerts with the titular organist Anton Stiller on the local baroque organ from 1694 and the vocal ensemble Capella Auscitensis.

Recordings

  • Heinrich Schütz: Symphoniae sacrae. Eigenproduktion 6810 167, 1972.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäus-Passion. 1973.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Kreuzstab Cantata, BWV 56 / Ich habe genug, BWV 82. Philips 6575 093 , 1977.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Johannes-Passion. 1979.
  • Gilles Binchois: Chansons. Alpha Brussels MBM 40, 1979.
  • Heinrich Schütz: Symphoniæ Sacræ I. Arion 38604, 1980.
  • Aus den Tagebüchern des Orlando di Lasso. Musique En Wallonie MW 84524, 1982.
  • Henry Desmarest: Deux grands motets lorrains. Erato STU 71511 REC 350, 1983.
  • Heinrich Schütz / Johann Seb. Bach: Musikalische Exequien / Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. Teldec 66.23335-0, 1983 with Staats- Und Domchor Berlin, Christian Grube)
  • Heinrich Schütz and Giovanni Gabrieli: Psalmen, Concerti und Motetten. Musikproduktion Ambitus amb 97843, 1985.
  • Heinrich Schütz: Weihnachtshistorie. MD+G L 3229, 1986.
  • Heinrich Schütz: Liebe und Klage. Hochzeits-Concerti, Dialoge und Hohe-Lied-Kompositionen. MD+G L 3230, 1986.
  • Vincent Lübeck: Sämtliche Kantaten. Motette CD 50181, 1986.
  • François Couperin: Mis voor orgel, „Messe propre pour les couvents de religieux et de religieuses“. 1990.
  • Franz Schubert: Die Winterreise. MD+G L 3391, 1991.
  • Palestrina/Bach: Missa sine nomine. EMI CDC 7544552, 1991.
  • Orlando di Lasso: Deutsche Lieder. Ambitius, 1991.
  • The Apocryphal Bach Cantatas BWV 217–222. CPO 999 139–2, 1992.
  • Nordniederländische Orgelkunst. Coronata, COR 1217, 1992.
  • Orlando di Lasso: Musik am Hofe Bamberger Fürst Bischöfe I. Ambitus amb 97895, 1992.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Kaffeekantate BWV 211 / Bauernkantate BWV 212. Discodom DSD 0094.2, 1993.
  • Heinrich Scheidemann: Sämtliche Orgelmotetten. Orlando di Lasso, Hans Leo Haßler. Ambitus amb 97946, 1995.
  • Johann Rosenmüller: Venezianische Vespermusik. Ambitus, Amb 97949, 1995.
  • Gabrieli Tedesco. Das Spätwerk Giovanni Gabrieli's aus deutschen Quellen. CPO 99 454–2, 1996.
  • Jacob Praetorius: Motets & Organ Works. CPO 999215–2, 1996.
  • Iacobus Regnart: Stabat Mater. CPO 999 507–2, 1996.
  • Friedens-Seufftzer Und Jubel-Geschrey / Music For The Peace Of Westphalia 1648. CPO 999 571–2, 1997.
  • Heinrich Schütz: Geistliche Chormusik 1648. Capriccio 10858/59; Bayerischer Rundfunk LC 87484, 1998
  • In Terra Pax. Fest-Concerte zum Westfälischen Frieden. Ambitus, amb 97 920, 1998.
  • Ludwig Senfl: Deutsche Lieder / Carmina. CPO, 1999.
  • Hans Leo Hassler: Motets and Organ Works. CPO 999 723–2, 2000.
  • Lieder/lustick zu syngen/zu fleiten und schwegelen. Cornetto, 2000.
  • Festive Hanseatic Music. CPO 999 782–2, 2000.
  • Gabrieli Superiore. Motetten und Canzonen von Giovanni Gabrieli. Querstand VKJK 0019, 2001.
  • Orlando di Lasso: Bußpsalmen Nr. 1–3. Capriccio 67018, 2003.
  • Orlando di Lasso. Bußpsalmen Nr. 4–7. Capriccio 67130; Bayerischer Rundfunk, LC 67130, 2004.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Stil'Antico-Motetten à 4. Rondeau-LC 06690, 2008.