CD reviews

“A CD with Spanish songs – subtly interpreted at a high level.
interpretation, sound quality and repertoire value: 4 stars ****”

 Klassic.com (18.5.2013)

“Friends of Spanish vocal music get their money’s worth with this CD […]. The Berlin Duo Arcadie with their distinctive line-up of vocals and guitar are making a name for themselves with their numerous new repertoire pieces. […] The mezzo-soprano Franziska Markowitsch sings the songs with an appealing timbre, never forced vocalization and flawless intonation. […] Her guitar partner Ulrike Merk also always maintains a classical, chamber music frame without superficial effects.”

 das Orchester 9/2013

“5 stars! ***** This CD is a pleasure of a very special kind […]”

gitarre-und-laute.de (online, 27.05.2014)

Sheet Music Reviews

“… a three-movement composition by Berlin composer Ulrike Merk (…) leaves the strongest impression at a concert by the masterful ensemble “Écoute! …“

Forum Oberstdorf 2016 – Rezension Allgäuer Zeitung

“a beautiful and successful opus, to which many performances, whether in whole or in excerpts, are to be wished! «

Üben&Musizieren, Daniel Göritz, (1/2015)

“[…] Nine of these rare, widely unknown songs are presented here in a careful edition with extremely successful arrangements that do not serve the clichés, but accompany the sometimes rare keys appropriately. Yeah, you can rub it sometime.
We have been waiting for this release for decades! …«

Review of the parallel music edition (and CD) in: AKUSTIK-GITARRE, Wieland Ulrichs (3/2014)

»L’accompagnamento e l’elaborazione fatto dalla Merck sono rispettosi delle linee melodiche e del sapore modale, nonché del senso del testo. (…) Una bella pubblicazione, che arrichisce ulteriormente il repertorio per questo organico.« 5 Sterne *****

SEICORDE, Settembre 2014

»[…] I loved the two sets of traditional Jewish Sephardic Songs, arranged by the performers themselves. “Three Spanish songs” by Joaquin Rodrigo will make you think of his famous “Concierto de Aranjuez” for guitar. […] I love Merk’s free, whimsical approach. This disc was designed as a tribute to a brief, utopian situation that supposedly existed in Spain in the Middle Ages, when Christians, Muslims and Jews are said to have lived peacefully side by side.«
The Buffalo News – Listening Post, M.K.G. (20.07.2013)

Doctoral Thesis

Akustik Gitarre 1/18

What is typical Spanish about Spanish music, and where does it come from? (…)
While normal doctoral theses are rather dull to read, here one can read wonderfully crosswise and constantly discover interesting things.
(…)
A book on Spanish music history? Guidebook for searching guitarists? Both and much more: probably the last word on the subject for a long time.

Wieland Ulrichs

EGTA:
(Journal 6 / 2018)

With 480 pages, the work, which is not only important in terms of content (…), is written in an understandable way despite its complexity and appeals to both the researcher and the performer. (…)

In the analysis part, more well-known guitar works (…) are comprehensively analysed alongside repertoire rarities (…) and offer new insights and approaches for one’s own interpretations.

An enrichment for every specialist library.

(editorship)