Captivating rhythms, profoundly moving melodies and winning hits with all-time-great potential distinguish the music of John Rutter. No great effort is required: he wrote his opera The Piper of Hamelin on the basis of the rat-catcher legend, and it was originally intended for a school performance.

Hard to believe but it now appears for the first time on CD with the ECHO award-winning children and young people from Bobbys Klassik and the Beethoven Orchestra of Bonn.

Despite its popularity, Rutter’s music is absolutely demanding and avails itself of means in keeping with its times. The piper’s iridescent leitmotif is based on a whole-tone scale and thus lends his appearance a touch of the mysterious and magical. The scenes featuring corrupt rat society are absolutely grotesque in their exaggeration; they are situated somewhere between march music and the hits of the 1920s.

A thoroughly engaging release recorded to MDG’s customary high standards.