Apr14 nrclassical

APRIL 2014 Release Date: April 8, 2014 A division of Allegro Media Group

Order Due Date: March 18, 2014

Linus RothWEINBERG BRITTEN

Violin Concertos Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin Mihkel K端tson

allegro Classical News TABLE OF CONTENTS AVIE Records CAvi-music Challenge Classics Cobra CORO EM Records Intergroove Classics LAWO Classic L’Encelade

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LCMS Nimbus Records Phaedra Querstand Sheva Collection SOMM Recordings Stone Records Stradivarius Winter & Winter

12 10, 11 17 13 8 6 7 9, 10 12

BEST OF THE YEAR “An essential record … one of the most (more pessimistically: one of the only) unforgettable operas of the last decade or two … With a virtuosic cast and its composer leading a committed orchestral reading, it takes its rightful place among the classics.”

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George Benjamin Written On Skin

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“The Hagen Quartet, long and widely respected in Europe, came into its own in New York this fall with a complete cycle of the Beethoven quartets, some of which it has recorded in scattershot fashion. This latest entry maintains the group’s usual, exalted standard.”

Greg Beshers, Senior Director of Digital Strategy greg.beshers@allegromediagroup.com

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top 10 RECENT RELEASES

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1. Philippe Quint Opera Breve (Avanti Classic) 2. Lisa Larsson Ladies First! Opera Arias (Challenge Classics) 3. Honeck + Pittsburgh SO Strauss: Tone Poems (Fresh! from Reference) 4. Halle Orchestra Holst: The Hymn of Jesus (Halle) 5. The Sixteen Palestrina Volume 4 (CORO) 6. Ton Koopman Buxtehude Complete Works 17 (Challenge Classics) 7. Ewa Poblocka Chopin: Scherzo, Ballads & Waltzes (Chopin Institute) 8. TENET UNO+ONE: Italia Nostra (AVIE Records) 9. Britten: Peace and Conflict (Capriol Films) 10. Eric Coates The Definitive Eric Coates (Nimbus Alliance)

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Challenge Classics

Benjamin BRITTEN & Mieczysław WEINBERG Violin Concertos [Hybrid SACD] CD: CHR SACD 72627 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 O-Card Jewel, Box Lot 22 d

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Linus Roth: violin Deutsches Symphony Orchestra Berlin Mihkel Kütson: conductor BRITTEN: Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 15 • WEINBERG: Concerto for violin, Op. 67 “The dark side of human life conveyed in gripping performances … This new set from Linus Roth and José Gallardo is particularly valuable in that it features all six sonatas, the Sonatina, three early pieces dating from the 1930s, and the Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes … particularly grips the imagination — at times Roth appears to be merely breathing on his 1703 ‘Dancla’ Stradivari as he fearlessly probes Weinberg’s harrowing cries of anguish. Not an easy listening experience by any means, but a profoundly moving one.”

— The Strad Since winning the ECHO Klassik Award for his EMI debut album in 2006, Linus Roth has made a name for himself as one of the most interesting violinists of his generation, and as a champion of wrongly forgotten works and composers. His live performances, and his Challenge Classics recording of Mieczysław Weinberg’s complete works for violin and piano, have brought him both critical and public acclaim. Roth’s commitment to Weinberg is now further documented in this recording of Weinberg’s Violin Concerto, coupled with Britten’s sublime Concerto for violin and orchestra, Op. 15.

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Avie Records Jonathan Aasgaard: cello Martin Roscoe: piano BRAHMS: Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 • Cello Sonata No. 2 in F, Op. 99 • Violin Sonata No. 1 in G, Op. 78 (arr. Brahms) • Hungarian Dances 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 • Feldeinsamkeit Op. 86, No. 2 • Wie Melodien zieht es mir Op. 105, No. 1 • Sapphische Ode Op. 94, No. 4 • Wiegenlied Op. 49, No. 4 • Liebestreu Op. 3, No. 1 • Minnelied Op. 71, No. 5 • Andante from Piano Concerto No. 2 in B major, Op. 83 “A highly accomplished, indeed aristocratic, player.” — Musicweb-International

Complete music for cello and piano

Principal cellist of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Jonathan Aasgaard is an equally distinguished soloist and a notable arranger, talents in evidence on his previous AVIE release, From Jewish Life (AVR 2149), on which he solos in Bloch’s Schelomo and Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, and his own arrangement of Bloch’s Prayer. His new two-CD set of the complete works for cello and piano by Brahms includes the composer’s Sonatas as well as arrangements of the popular Hungarian Dances, a selection of Lieder, the First Violin Sonata, and the Andante from his Second Piano Concerto. His superb partner is pianist Martin Roscoe.

CD: AVR 2300 Price Code: 2L (SRP $23.99) Number of Discs: 2 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25

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Johannes BRAHMS

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CORO The Sixteen Harry Christophers: conductor HANDEL: Coronation Anthem: Zadok the Priest • Coronation Anthem: Let thy hand be strengthened • TOMKINS: Be strong and of good courage • TALLIS: Sing and glorify • Sanctus (from Missa Puer Natus) • BYRD: O Lord, make thy servant, Elizabeth • BRITTEN: Final Dance of Homage (from Gloriana) • PURCELL: May her blest example chase (from Ode for Queen Mary’s Birthday, 1692) • May she to heaven late return (from Ode for Queen Mary’s Birthday, 1692) • Beati omnes qui timent dominum • Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts (from The Funeral Music for Queen Mary, 1695) • TURGES: From stormy windes • RAMSEY: When David heard • CARVER: Sanctus (from Missa Dum Sacrum Mysterium) • GIBBONS: Great King of Gods • HUMFREY: I will always give thanks This new compilation from The Sixteen pulls together some of the finest works written for, and in celebration of, Monarchs and the Kingdom. From Turges in the 1400s to Britten in the 20th century, whether for magnificent state occasions or private devotion, the Kings and Queens of Great Britain have inspired and patronized some of our finest and most enduring music.

The Sixteen

Music of the Kingdom

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CD: CRO 16122 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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LAWO Classics Liv Elise Nordskog: soprano Signe Bakke: piano MESSIAEN: Poémes pour Mi • Trois Mélodies • DELBOS: L’Âme en bourgeon Who was “Mi,” who inspired Messiaen to write the lovely and intricate work Poèmes pour Mi? This was one of the questions Liv Elise Nordskog and Signe Bakke asked when they began work on this album, after having immersed themselves in Messiaen’s rich and diverse tonal world for many years.

The poet Cécile Sauvage was Messiaen’s mother. Her cycle of poems dating from 1908, L’Âme en Bourgeon (The Soul in Bud) was written while she was awaiting the birth of her son. Almost 30 years later, Olivier Messiaen and his wife, violinist and composer Claire Delbos, were themselves expecting a child. During this time, Delbos set to music the poem cycle of her deceased mother-in-law. At the same time, Messiaen composed a song cycle entitled Poèmes pour Mi — his pet name for his wife Claire.

L’Âme en Bourgeon and Poèmes pour Mi were premiered at the same concert in Paris in 1937. It is the only time the two works are known to have been performed together — until the recording of this CD!

Olivier MESSIAEN Pour Mi

CD: LAW 1051 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

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Itziar M. Galdos: soprano Per Arne Frantzen: piano Tracks include a collection of songs in Galician, Basque, and Catalonian Spanish music is, for many, synonymous with flamenco. On this recording, Itziar M. Galdos and Per Arne Frantzen wish to show that Spain has infinitely more to offer, as they introduce the listener to music from three regions: Galicia, Basque Country, and Catalonia. Each of the regions has its own language and its own musical character, and on this album they are represented by both through-composed music and traditional folk music.

“Language is identity. Language has its own melody and its own sound,” say the artists in giving the raison d’être for this album, and they add: “With Colores we wish to present the unknown side of Spain, enriched by three living minority languages: Galician, Basque, and Catalonian. Much of this material is scarcely known, and we are proud to bring it to light.”

Itziar M. Galdos

Colores: Galician, Basque and Catalonian Songs CD: LAW 1048 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

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EM Records Rupert Marshall-Luck: violin, viola Matthew Rickard: piano BANTOCK: Sonata No. 3 in C major for violin and piano • SCOTT: Sonata for viola and piano (premiere) • COKE: Sonata No. 1 in D minor for violin and piano (premiere) This new release features the world premiere recordings of Cyril Scott’s Viola Sonata and Sacheverell Coke’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor. Scott openly eschewed compositional models, and his Sonata is full of colorful, idiosyncratic writing, presenting a finely-woven and detailed tapestry in the context of clearly-defined, accessible musical structures. Coke’s Violin Sonata dates from immediately after WWII, and its haunting melodies, turbulent rhythms, and elegiac final movement are lamentations for a human tragedy. These works are complemented by Granville Bantock’s Third Violin Sonata, a late composition that — in its straightforward structures, clean harmonic language, and the autobiographical codes in its melodic lines — may be regarded as a statement at once valedictory and celebratory.

Rupert Marshall-Luck Sonatas for Violin & Viola CD: EMR 18 Price Code: P (SRP $16.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT includes world premieres

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SOMM Recordings Leon McCawley: piano SCHUMANN: Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 • Kinderszenen, Op. 15 • Études Symphoniques, Op. 13 “You must hear this recording but be warned: you may never want to hear another pianist play Brahms’ Klavierstücke, Op. 118. They don’t come much better than that!” — International Record Review (for SMM 116) For the past three years, SOMM and the wonderful Leon McCawley have been happily exploring the music of composers whose works have made the piano repertoire unique and immortal. They began with the piano music of Chopin (SMM 103), went on to Brahms (SMM 116), and now continue with Schumann.

The wealth of solo piano music he composed in the mid-to-late 1830s marked him as a great composer. With the substantial pieces on this disc, Schumann practically redefined the possibilities of the genre.

Robert SCHUMANN Piano Music

Interview with International Piano Magazine (January/February issue).

Interview & Performance on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” (available worldwide via digital radio).

CD: SMM 134 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Stone Records Birgid Steinberger: soprano Anna Huntley: mezzo-soprano Benjamin Hulett: tenor Marcus Farnsworth: baritone Sholto Kynoch: piano WOLF: Spanisches Liederbuch (Weltliche Lieder) Stone Records is delighted to announce its newest Oxford Lieder Live release, the seventh disc in the first-ever complete edition of the songs of Hugo Wolf.

This disc, recorded live at the Oxford Lieder Festival in 2012, comprises the secular songs from the much-loved Spanish Songbook. Over the course of 2014, Stone Records will release the final discs in their Hugo Wolf song series, totaling 11 discs.

Hugo WOLF

The Complete Songs 7: Spanisches Liederbuch (Weltliche Lieder) CD: SNR 8034 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25

Together with the festival’s artistic director Sholto Kynoch at the piano, they provide world-class performances of these wonderful songs. They were recorded in the Holywell Music Room, Europe’s oldest purpose-built concert hall, and the disc’s booklet features translations and detailed notes by Richard Stokes, a leading authority on Lieder.

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The exciting singers on this disc are all dedicated Lieder singers: Birgid Steinberger is a renowned song singer from Germany, and a particular favorite at the Oxford Lieder Festival; Anna Huntley is a rising UK mezzo-soprano who has won a host of competitions at home and abroad; Benjamin Hulett was a former ensemble member of Hamburg Opera who now sings at the world’s most important opera houses; and Marcus Farnsworth won both the Wigmore Song Competition and the Kathleen Ferrier Award, establishing himself as one of the finest song interpreters of his generation.

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Marie Macleod: cello Martin Sturfält: piano MENDELSSOHN: Variations concertantes, Op. 17 • Sonata No. 1 in B flat, Op. 45 • Lied ohne Worte, Op. 109 • Assai tranquillo • Sonata No. 2 in D, Op. 58 “Powerfully eloquent.” — The Guardian This talented cello and piano recital duo has been performing together since 2003, when they were still students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. Having played hundreds of concerts together, including most of the standard works from the classical and romantic eras alongside contemporary music, they decided to make this live recording of Mendelssohn’s complete works for cello and piano. The result is a thrilling account of the repertoire, brilliantly performed and wonderfully recorded. The disc stands as a testament to the performances that have been heard by audiences around the UK (Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Bridgewater Hall), and throughout Europe.

A wonderful recital, beautifully recorded, with extensive booklet notes.

Felix MENDELSSOHN

The Complete Works for Cello and Piano CD: SNR 8038 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Sheva Collection Giuseppe Bruno: piano LISZT: Isoldens Liebestod • KLINDWORTH: Parsifal: Prelude • TAUSIG: Der Ritt der Walküren • VON BÜLOW: Vorspiel • CRAMER: Illustrations der Lohengrin • BUSONI: Marcia Funebre • MAIO: Lied des Mephistopheles • NICOLI: Parsifal Phantasie Featuring piano pieces inspired by Wagner’s operatic music, this CD was recorded in the Steingraeber & Sohne Fabrik in Bayreuth, the German piano firm that has made this recording possible. The pianist, Giuseppe Bruno, gives an inspired reading of these famous works.

Giuseppe Bruno

A Tribute to Richard Wagner CD: SCV 66 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Michael Bell: piano SEABOURNE: Steps Volume 3: Arabesques (premiere) • GRANADOS: Danzas Españolas • DE FALLA: Fantasia Baetica Peter Seabourne’s piano series Steps is seen by many as one of the most significant large scale piano series of the 21st century. This disc includes the world premiere recording of volume three of the cycle, which sees the famous monument through the eyes of painter Ann Seabourne, his aunt, with whom he collaborated extensively during the composition. It is coupled with a selection of Spanish Dances by the Andalusian Enrique Granados, and the wildly virtuosic Fantasia Baetica by Manuel de Falla, who lived just a few meters from the Alhambra. This collaborative venture, called “Diverse Encounters,” will be presented in a joint exhibition/recital next year.

Peter SEABOURNE

Steps Volume 3: Arabesques CD: SCV 88 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT includes world premiere

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Stradivarius Renata Fusco: voice Massimo Lonardi: archlute Matteo Mela: baroque guitar Lorenzo Micheli: theorbo, baroque guitar SCARLATTI: Sinfonia • Un amante che pianger non vuole • Onde, ferro, fiamme e morte • Lasciami sola a piangere • Il rosignuolo • Sonata K. 81 • Cantata d lontananza • Tal io, misera amante • Al dispetto del sospetto • Cieli, voi che ognor vedete • Sinfonia (reprise) • Scherzo fui della procella Over 60 operas, 700 cantatas, and 35 oratorios, masses, and motets — to cite only his vocal music — define a musical career that lasted almost 50 years, and yet the process of discovery and appreciation of the music of Alessandro Scarlatti is far from complete. There were some fundamental steps that were made (the first, in chronological order, is the monograph by Edward J. Dent, “Alessandro Scarlatti: His Life and Works,” London, Arnold 1905) and there have been some sporadic flares of interest since then (such as the week of Scarlattian studies, conceived by Alfredo Casella and Sebastiano A. Luciani and organized by the Accademia Chigiana of Siena in 1940). But for the most part, the immense production of the Sicilian maestro remains shrouded in a thick fog of oblivion. This CD pays homage to the musical art of one the greatest Italian composers of all time.

Alessandro SCARLATTI

Clori, ninfa e amante: Arias & Cantatas CD: STV 33910 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 50 d

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Giampaolo Nuti: piano Daniela De Santis: piano BARBER: Themes • Petite Berceuse • Three Sketches • Prelude to a tragic drama • Fresh from West Chester (Some Jazzings) • To Aunt Maime on Her Birthday • Essay I • Essay II • Essay III • Interlude I • Interlude II • Souvenirs, Op. 28 • After the concert • Ballade, Op. 46 The piano compositions of Samuel Barber, with few exceptions, are not commonly part of the international repertoire. After his Barber CD issued in 2010, pianist Giampaolo Nuti now presents a second program of Barber’s music, this time mostly consisting of rare piano solo pieces (especially early and childhood compositions). The compositions on this CD range from 1920–1977, from the composer’s childhood and adolescence through his later years. The Ballade is Barber’s last complete piano piece.

Samuel BARBER

Souvenirs & Recollections: Early and Late Piano Music CD: STV 33939 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 d

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Stradivarius Aldo Orvieto: piano Carlo Lazari: violin Carlo Teodoro: cello Ex Novo Ensemble Orchestras of Padua & Veneto Marco Angius: conductor DALL’ONGARO: Freddo • Festschrift • Mise en abyme • Zero • Checkpoint • La primavera Six years after Grimoire, a new album devoted to Michele dall’Ongaro is now released! Here we find compositions for orchestra and chamber orchestra, from 1999 to the more recent “Festschrift” and “Checkpoint” (2010). The performers are pianist Aldo Orvieto alongside the Ex Novo Ensemble, whose collaboration with the composer started 30 years ago.

Michele DALL’ONGARO Checkpoint

CD: STV 33964 Price Code: R (SRP $17.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 d

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Nimbus Records

Nimbus Alliance

CD: NIM 5913 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25

CD: NIM 6256 Price Code: J (SRP $9.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25

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Ernest BLOCH

William ZINN

Raphael Wallfisch: cello/BBC National Orchestra of Wales/ Benjamin Wallfisch: conductor

Wihan Quartet

Schelomo

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Works for String Quartet

ZINN: Elie Wiesel • String Quartet No. 1 • Kol Nidrei Memorial BLOCH: Voice in the Wilderness • Schelomo • CAPLET: Epiphanie • RAVEL: Melodie Hebraique Kaddish These two great works for cello and orchestra by Bloch are among Raphael Wallfisch’s very favorite to play. He grew up listening to the wonderful recording by Emanuel Feuermann and the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Stokowski, and before long could play every note from memory!

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Composer-violinist William Zinn was a member of many major orchestras. He performed under the world’s greatest conductors, and his compositions have been played worldwide. He has composed over 500 chamber ensemble, symphony, vocal, and solo instrumental works, and his compositions cover the entire spectrum of musical instruments including all the woodwinds, brass, strings, harp, guitar, harmonica, and piano.

Nimbus Alliance Vladimir Feltsman: piano BEETHOVEN: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120 Anton Diabelli, a Viennese publisher and composer of popular music for amateurs, published Beethoven’s 33 Variations on a Waltz for Pianoforte in 1823. A year later, he republished the set as Part I of a two-volume collection, Part II of which comprised 50 variations on the same “Given Theme,” each written by a different “prominent composer.” Among those who contributed were Hummel, Czerny, Kalkbrenner, Moscheles, Schubert, Archduke Rudolf, and the 11-year-old Liszt. The “Given Theme” was a waltz, “Ein Deutsche,” written by Diabelli himself. Even judged by the highest standards of Beethoven’s output, the Diabelli holds a very special place among his works: a magnum opus that summarizes not only Beethoven’s own experiments as a composer, but those of the whole German musical tradition to which he considered himself a rightful heir.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Diabelli Variations

CD: NIM 6257 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Chicago Symphony Orchestra Pierre Boulez: conductor MusicNOW Ensemble Oliver Knussen: conductor THOMAS: Aureole • Words of the Sea • In My Sky at Twilight • Carillon Sky • Terpsichore’s Dream • Silver Chants the Litanies Among today’s composers, Augusta Read Thomas has remained consistent in blazing her own path. In this she has undoubtedly been aided by her cosmopolitan training, having studied with, among others, Alan Stout (Northwestern University), Oliver Knussen (Tanglewood), and Jacob Druckman (Yale University), as well as one final year in London at the Royal Academy of Music. But names, appointments, and honors in themselves cannot give an indication of what Thomas’ music sounds like; her long-standing study of jazz has imparted a sense of rhythm notable for its combination of drive and elasticity. Figures as diverse as Byrd, Bach, Chopin, Ellington, Coltrane, and Dutilleux certainly furnish clues as to how Thomas’ music has attained its formal fluidity, a lyricism high-flown and diaphanous by turns, with a harmonic language that can move between tart, flavorsome dissonance and warm consonance with an enviable naturalness.

Augusta Read THOMAS Selected Works for Orchestra CD: NIM 6258 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Louth Contemporary Music Society Callino Quartet Patricia Rozario: soprano Michael McHale: piano Ioana Petcu-Colan: violin Vourneen Ryan: flute Stephen Kelly: percussion TAVENER: Ikon of Joy/Sorrow (premiere) • PÄRT: Hymn to a Great City (premiere) • Da Pacem Domine (premiere) • KNAIFEL: O Heavenly King (premiere) • SILVESTROV: Ikon (premiere) • 25.X.1893 (premiere) • GÓRECK: Good Night • CAGE: In a Landscape Louth Contemporary Music Society celebrates some of the most world’s most popular contemporary composers! This new disc, A Place Between, features world premiere recordings of works by Tavener, Pärt, Silvestrov, and Knaifel as well as pieces by Górecki and John Cage — all of whom have, in various ways, been deeply influenced by profound spiritual, religious, or cultural encounters. The release features a number of renowned performers including soprano Patricia Rozario, the Callino Quartet, pianist Michael McHale, violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan, flautist Vourneen Ryan, and percussionist Stephen Kelly. The recordings were made in the acoustically superb historic setting of St. Peter’s Church of Ireland in Drogheda, and the mixing, mastering, and editing were carried out in the state-of-the-art Rainbow Studios in Oslo.

Various Artists A Place Between

CD: LCM 901 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 Includes world premieres

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Winter & Winter Exaudi James Weeks: director L’Instant Donné GERVASONI: Dir – in dir for six voices and string sextet • descdesesasf for string trio Dir – in dir by Stefano Gervasoni is based on a text line of 17th-century physician and mystic Angelus Silesius. The composer, born in 1962 in Bergamo in Northern Italy, has set texts from Silesius’ “Cherubinischer Wandersmann” to music and contrasted them with a string sextet.

For the second piece on the CD, he was inspired by German lyric, Paul Celan’s “Atemwende.” The central theme in both works is not the accurate composing of exactly sung lyrics, but the resolution, the dwindling away of words in the music until both fuse into an inseparable, almost transcendental whole. Stefano Gervasoni began his compositional studies in 1980, encouraged by Luigi Nono. He read music at the Milan Conservatory, and with György Ligeti in Hungary and Paris, where he now teaches composition at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse.

Stefano GERVASONI Dir – in dir

CD: WTR 910208 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Smartpak, Box Lot 20 d

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Querstand Jörg HERCHERT Seligpreisungen

Dominik Susteck: organ Tracks include a collection of organ works including “Komposition 1 for Organ” The second CD of Jörg Herchet organ works on the Querstand label contains a collection of varied styles and techniques played at the Peter organ in Cologne, a double organ (Main and Choir) especially designed for performing modern organ compositions from the 20th and 21st centuries.

CD: QUE 1233 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

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Sjaella

Preisung Sjaella A Capella Choir/Viola Blache: soprano/Marie Fenske: soprano/Franziska Eberhardt: mezzo-soprano/Helene Erben: alto/Marie Charlotte Seidel: mezzo-soprano/Felicitas Erben: alto WAWER: Morgengesang • Ave Maria • Abendliedchen • DISTLER: Christ fuhr gen Himmel • HELLER: Psalm • Zieh ein zu Deinen Toren, arr. Heller • NYSTEDT: I am my brother’s keeper • Sancta Maria • GJEILO: Ubi Caritas • BRÄUTIGAM: Preisung CXLVIII • THOMPSON: Alleluja • Arr.: TIMM: Gib dich zufrieden • MEISTER: Stat rosa pristina • Nun ruhen alle Wälder, arr. Meister CD: QUE 1312 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

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“They could not be further from any diva-like behavior or the need to distinguish themselves; they are truly diverse because they do not ‘just try something else’ but are actually interested in music” — these are the words that composer and arranger Ekkehard Meister used to describe this female a cappella ensemble. Meister is one of five composers who were inspired by the musical perfection of these six ladies, aged 18 to 22 years, and thus contributed sacred vocal music to this CD called Preisung (“Praise”).

Hans FÄHRMANN Organ Works Vol. 4

Dietrich von Knebel: organ FÄHRMANN: “On the day of the Pentecost” Fantasy and Fugue in G minor, Op. 16 • Seven Chorale Preludes, Op. 59, Series I • Sonata No. 1 in G minor, Op. 5

CD: QUE 1323 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

The works of Fährmann represent a pinnacle in the art of modern organ counterpoint and organ playing; at their best they rival the works of Max Reger, equal in boldness yet appearing at times superior in their fantasy. Although the interpreter, composer, and pedagogue was celebrated at the time, he has been nearly forgotten over the years. On this new disc, German romantic organ music specialist Dietrich von Knebel attends to the huge and multifaceted organ work of the composer.

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Intergroove Classics Irina Mataeva: soprano Vladimir Felenchak: tenor Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Philharmonia Student Choir of St. Petersburg’s Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory Alexander Titov: conductor PROKOFIEV: The Year 1941, Op. 90 • Two Waltzes from War and Peace • Ballad of the Boy Who Remained Unknown: Cantata, Op. 93 • March in B flat major, Op. 99 • Ode on the End of the War, Op. 105 This compilation presents rarely recorded titles from Prokofiev’s creative output, all of which come from the era of World War II. Therefore, they are not only musical documents but also epochal witnesses from a time whose aftermath still persists today. The outbreak of war in 1941 stimulated Soviet composers; symphonic music became one of the most important creative areas in those four years of war. Prokofiev’s symphonic suite “The Year 1941” came up as one of the first works, yet was not performed until January 1943. These recordings, with Alexander Titov conducting, impress by their authenticity and historical coherence.

Sergei PROKOFIEV

Echoes from the Dark Years: WWII CD: IGE 72 Price Code: P (SRP $16.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 d

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St. Petersburg Camerata Alexander Titov: conductor TCHAIKOVSKY: Polonaise and Waltz from Eugene Onegin • MYASKOVSKY: Symphony No. 10, “The Bronze Horseman” • SVIRIDOV: Snowstorm Pushkin’s literary influence went beyond his contemporaries; his work had a remarkable effect on the budding Russian romantic music scene. His poems and writing became central to many symphonic and operatic works such as Ruslan and Ludmila (set to music by Michail Glinka), Boris Godunov (set to music by Modest Mussorgsky), and Eugene Onegin (set to music by Peter Tchaikovsky). The present collection offers musical transcriptions of Pushkin’s works, which are largely unknown; the two orchestral pieces from Eugene Onegin are the most popular ones. The other two compositions are real finds: Myaskovsky’s Tenth Symphony on Pushkin’s poem “The Bronze Horseman,” and Sviridov’s film score on the narrative “Snowstorm.”

St. Petersburg Camerata Pushkin in Music

CD: IGE 82 Price Code: P (SRP $16.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 d

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CAvi-music The Danish String Quartet Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen: violin Frederik Øland: violin Asbjørn Nørgaard: viola Fredrik Sjølin: cello Sebastian Manz: clarinet FUCHS: Clarinet Quintet in E flat major, Op. 102 • BRAHMS: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 The Danish String Quartet is a highly regarded and very well known group, touring the U.S. at least twice a year. Sebastian Manz is one of very few world-class young clarinet players, with a great career ahead of him.

Johannes BRAHMS & Robert FUCHS Clarinet Quintets

CD: AVI 8553300 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Dina Ugorskaja: piano BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90 • Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101 • Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109 • Piano Sonata in A flat major, Op. 110 Following her first Beethoven recording with Sonatas 29 & 32, this new recording offers the composer’s last great sonatas. Dina Ugorskaja is an extremely thoughtful artist who has proven — to rave reviews — that she understands the spirit of the late sonatas with her noble and extensive art of piano playing.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN

Piano Sonatas Opp. 90, 101, 109 & 110 CD: AVI 8553299 Price Code: Q (SRP $15.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 5% PREORDER DISCOUNT

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Cobra Records Philippe Graffin: violin BBC Symphony Orchestra Mikhail Agrest: conductor Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra Robertas Šervenikas: conductor DVARIONAS: Pezzo Elegiaco • SCHEDRIN: Concerto Parlando for violin, trumpet, and strings (premiere) • PROKOFIEV: 5 Melodies, Op. 35 bis (premiere) • TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto, Op. 35 (premiere) The charismatic and innovative violinist Philippe Graffin, described as “today’s quintessential French violinist” by the London Times, is at the creative heart of a new release of Russian repertoire titled Concertos Parlando, or “concertos with a story,” the first in a series of strikingly individual and fascinating projects for Cobra Records. Graffin’s extensive and successful discography began with a recording with Yehudi Menuhin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and includes many world premieres for a number of independent labels. His idea to record the complete Saint-Saëns concertos launched Hyperion’s Romantic Violin series, and all of his releases have been exceptionally praised.

Philippe Graffin

Concertos Parlando CD: CBA 40 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 includes world premieres

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Philippe Graffin: violin Ralph van Raat: piano Marko Ylönen: cello Turku Philharmonic Orchestra Ari Rasilainen: conductor Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra Hannu Lintu: conductor MARTTINEN: Violin Concerto Op. 13, MV 63 • Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 154, MV 65 • Phantasy for cello and orchestra Op. 154, MV 84 “I have written music out of my heart, and if you play it out of yours, the performance will be a success!” This is one of the credos of Finnish composer Tauno Marttinen (1912–2008). He was living in the birthplace of Jean Sibelius, Hämeenlinna, and he built up musical life there, becoming one of the most prolific composers from the land of the thousand lakes. One of his most-played works is his violin concerto, on this record brilliantly performed by the French master Philippe Graffin together with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ari Rasilainen.

Tauno MARTTINEN

Violin Concerto & Piano Concerto CD: CBA 41 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Jewel Case, Box Lot 25 d

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L’Encelade Pierre Gallon: claviorganum Tracks include a collection of works for keyboard instruments published in early 16th-century Paris Paris, Quartier Saint Germain, Spring 1531: Here in Pierre Attaingnant’s workshops in the Rue de la Harpe, you could cut the tension with a knife.

France’s first music printer is preparing for a new collection of pieces for keyboard to come off the presses. Le Tout Reduict en la Tablature D’Orgues, Espinettes et Manicordions (“All Reduced to Tablatures for Organs, Spinets, and Clavichords”) is the latest in a series of seven books, all published between January and April of that same year, and it has been a tough winter! The series deals with three genres: sacred counterpoint, adaptations of songs, and dance music. This CD program focuses on the latter two, in the hope that it will help bring these pieces back to life.

Although they were very quickly forgotten, they did, after all, help to lay the foundations for the famous French school of keyboard music!

Pierre ATTAIGNANT

Auprès de vous: music for claviorganum CD: LDL 1301 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 d

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Phaedra Aquarius Chamber Choir Marc Michael de Smet: conductor CORYN: A Meeting With…, Op. 82 (premiere) • A Letter to the World, Op. 51 (premiere) • From “Miscellaneous,” Op. 75: A Game of Fives, Life (premiere) • “There is another Sky,” Op. 71 (premiere) • Let down the Bars, O Death Part 1 (premiere) • Vijf koorliederen, Op. 80 (premiere) The composer Roland Coryn (b. 1938) received many international awards, among them the Tenuto Prize (1973), the Jef Van Hoof Prize (1974), the Koopal Prize (1986) and, in 1999, the Visser-Neerlandia Prize for his entire oeuvre. Initially, he mainly wrote instrumental music; compositions for voice and choir appeared only sporadically. In the middle of the ’90s a fundamental change took place, and after that he created an extensive series of choral works. He was mainly influenced by Scandinavian examples, where the composers were and still are looking for new tone colors for this medium. Meanwhile, his opus list has grown with a series of a cappella music based on English, Dutch, and Italian texts. This CD offers a selection of English poems set to music.

Roland CORYN

A Meeting with Roland Coryn CD: PHA 92081 Price Code: S (SRP $18.99) Number of Discs: 1 Digipak, Box Lot 30 World premieres

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