It’s seldom that you see the words “bassoon” and “superstar” in the same sentence, but there you have it. Klaus Thunemann was internationally famous and a familiar presence to classical music radio listeners of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and beyond. Thunemann was principal bassoonist of the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra of Hamburg from 1962 to 1978, but it was a recording contract with Philips Records that gave him a world platform as he was partnered with Neville Marriner, Alfred Brendel, Heinz Holliger, and the chamber orchestra I Musici. His recordings for Philips and Deutsche Grammophon were guaranteed crowd-pleasers, and I played them fairly frequently on my morning radio shows. Against the monotony of endless new releases of “The Four Seasons,” Thunemann’s recordings of Vivaldi’s bassoon concertos were bracing, hypnotic, and amusing. Klaus Thunemann died on Friday at the age of 88. R.I.P.
Tag: Klaus Thunemann
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