Kartal Karagedik & Helmut Deutsch - Prometheus (2025) [Hi-Res]

Baritone Kartal Karagedik, together with his accompanist Helmut Deutsch presents an album of Schubert songs.

"Imagine: what if ancient myths could whisper truths to us about our modern lives? These songs tell stories of titans, gods, heroes, and the underworld; but if you listen closely, they reflect the human spirit--its defiance, struggles against oppression, and quest for freedom.

Recording this album has meant more than gathering Schubert's mythological songs--it is an exploration of mythos, poetry, and the human psyche, conveyed through Schubert's music. With Helmut Deutsch at my side, and with his guidance, this mythological voyage becomes as much an outward interpretation as it is an inward Odyssey--a journey of self-discovery, deepening my understanding of the universal experiences we all share. As we listen to these songs today, we must ask ourselves: How are these narratives connected to the world we live in today? Is there really a difference? Can the fire of Prometheus light our path and reveal the shadows within?" (Kartal Karagedik)

Baritone Kartal Karagedik has earned critical acclaim for his "virile, Mediterranean-timbred voice," praised for its "tender warmth and emotional depth."

Having performed over 40 roles, Karagedik's repertoire highlights his range from Verdi to Gluck. His performances include iconic roles such as Renato in Un ballo in maschera, Simon Boccanegra, Don Giovanni, Il Conte Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Germont in La Traviata, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Zurga in Les pecheurs de perles, Rodrigo in Don Carlo, Oreste in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride, and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. He has performed at opera houses such as Hamburg State Opera, Opera Vlaanderen, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Grand Theatre de Geneve, Opera de Monte-Carlo, Torre del Lago Puccini Festival, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and many others.

On the concert stage, Karagedik has performed works ranging from Mahler's Symphony No. 8, Kindertotenlieder, and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen to Mendelssohn's Die erste Walpurgisnacht, as well as numerous Liederabende. Concerts have brought him to Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Brucknerhaus in Linz, Mahlerfestwochen in Toblach, Vienna's Mozartsaal, Hercules Hall in Munich, Tokyo Metropolitan Hall, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, TivoliVredenburg, and other major venues.

Karagedik has collaborated with conductors such as Joana Mallwitz, Kent Nagano, Stefano Ranzani, Ottavio Dantone, Eliahu Inbal, Gianluca Capuano, and Pablo Heras-Casado, among others. Born in Izmir, Turkey, Karagedik began his vocal studies in his hometown and Istanbul before joining the Accademia dell'Opera Italiana in Bologna. Since 2015, he has been a resident artist at Hamburg State Opera