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available August 28th, call-off August 17th
SEPTEMBER 2015
August Issues out now GRAMOPHONE
EDITOR’S CHOICE BEL AIR CLASSIQUES BAC118 Thierry Escaich Claude Various soloists; Orchestra of the Opera de Lyon; Jeremie Rhorer EDITOR’S CHOICE DELPHIAN DCD34157 Eddie McGuire Entangled Fortunes Red Note Ensemble
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
CONCERTO CHOICE harmonia mundi HMU807573 Vaughan Williams & MacMillan Oboe Concertos Nicholas Daniel; Britten Sinfonia OPERA CHOICE harmonia mundi HMC902212/13 Rameau Castor et Pollux Ensemble Pygmalion/Raphael Pichon CHORAL & SONG CHOICE Signum SIGCD408 In the midst of life/Baldwin Partbooks Contrapunctus/Owen Rees INSTRUMENTAL CHOICE Wigmore Hall Live WHLIVE0076/2 Mozart Piano Sonatas Nos 6, 12, 14 &16; Fantasia in C minor, K457 Christian Blackshaw (piano)
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BRAHMS: Violin Sonatas Op.100 & 108 SCHUMANN: Romances Op.94
Isabelle Faust Alexander Melnikov A 19th-century ‘trio sonata’. Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov have already given us an acclaimed version Brahms’s First Violin Sonata, in 2007. They now complete the cycle with the other two sonatas of 1886 and 1888, and add a fascinating rarity dating from 35 years earlier: the ‘F-A-E’ Sonata, a collaborative effort by three composers in honour of the great violinist Joachim, who had to guess who had written which movement! He did so with ease, for the Scherzo is as eminently Brahmsian as the Intermezzo and Finale are Schumannesque. Alexander Melnikov will be contributing his take on a score his mother gave him that belonged to Sviatoslav Richter in September BBC Music Magazine
ADVERTISED IN GRAMOPHONE
Label: harmonia mundi File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: HMC902219 Barcode: 3149020221921 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Isabelle Faust [violin] Alexander Melnikov [piano]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BACH: Harpsichord Concertos Andreas Staier Freiburger Barockorchester CD1: Concerto No.1 BWV1052 in D minor Concerto No.2 BWV1053 in E major Concerto No.7 BWV1058 in G minor CD2: Concerto No.3 BWV1054 in D major Concerto No.4 BWV1055 in A major Concerto No.5 BWV1056 in F minor Concerto No.6 BWV1057 in F major
Label: harmonia mundi File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: HMC902181/82 Barcode: 3149020218129 MID Price Format: 2 CD Andreas Staier [harpsichord] Freiburger Barockorchester
The seven fabulously inventive concertos for solo harpsichord and orchestra mark a key stage in the history of the concertante form. The set was compiled during Bach’s Leipzig years, when he directed the city’s Collegium Musicum, and requires unfailing virtuosity and imagination of its performers. The contagious, invigorating pleasure one feels in the interpretations of Andreas Staier and the Freiburger Barockorchester restores the full range of meanings to the word ‘play’! ADVERTISED IN GRAMOPHONE
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BEETHOVEN: String Quartets Op.18, 1-6 Jerusalem Quartet CD1: String Quartet no.3 in D major String Quartet no.1 in F major String Quartet no.2 in G major CD2: String Quartet no.4 in C minor String Quartet no.5 in A major String Quartet no.6 in B flat major
Label: harmonia mundi File Under: Classical/Chamber music Catalogue No: HMC902207/08 Barcode: 3149020220726 MID Price Format: 2 CD Jerusalem Quartet
"Only now have I learnt how to write quartets properly" So wrote Beethoven in 1801, having just finished his first set of string quartets at the surprisingly advanced age of 30: the competition of Haydn and Mozart must have been intimidating for the young composer. But these six Quartets Op.18, which cost him great effort and extensive revision, already display much boldness and originality, from the dramatic echoes of 'Romeo and Juliet' in No.1 to the astonishing programmatic finale of No.6, ‘La Malinconia’. The Jerusalem Quartet was founded in 1993, and began its training in Jerusalem, under the direction of the violinist Avi Abramovitch. From 1999 to 2001 the quartet received support from the BBC (as BBC New Generation Artists), then in 2003 it was the recipient of the first Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. The Jerusalem Quartet is now a regular guest in the world’s leading concert halls, notably in the United States where it is increasingly present. It performs with such artists as Alexander Melnikov, Lawrence Power, and Sharon Kam. The Jerusalem Quartet record exclusively for Harmonia Mundi and their discs have been awarded with numerous prizes. Their recording of Haydn’s String Quartets won the chamber category of the 2010 BBC Music Magazine Awards and the Diapason d’Or Arte, while their release of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden Quartet received an ECHO Klassik Award in 2009 and was featured as Editor’s Choice in the July 2008 edition of Gramophone Magazine. The Quartet’s recording of Mozart’s String Quartets, released in March 2011, was Chamber Music Choice in BBC Music Magazine. The Quartet is very grateful to Daniel Barenboim who generously loans Jacqueline du Pré's ‘Sergio Perresson’ cello to Kyril Zlotnikov. ADVERTISED IN BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Pablo Neruda, The Poet Sings Conspirare Craig Hella Johnson Cary RATCLIFF (b. 1953): Ode to Common Things (1996; chamber version, 2014) Shawn KIRCHNER (b. 1970): Tu sangre en la mía Soneto 53 (2009, rev. 2014), Tu voz Soneto 52 (2007) Donald GRANTHAM (b. 1947): La canción desesperada (2005, rev. 2014) Craig Hella Johnson leads Conspirare in this vibrant tribute to revered Chilean poet and statesman Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), whose life-affirming poetry is the inspiration for these captivating choral settings by Donald Grantham, Shawn Kirchner and Cary Ratcliff, all recorded here for the first time.
Label: harmonia mundi File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: HMU807637 Barcode: 093046763763 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: digipack Conspirare Chamber Players Craig Hella Johnson
"In this recording, Conspirare focuses its attention and exploration on the greatly revered Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), whose poems have stirred souls around the world. I have heard more than one passionate reader exclaim “Neruda IS music!” Neruda’s personal universe and the many realms of feeling, color and texture he envisaged with his words have inspired many artists to respond with new creations. It is our hope that the extraordinary musical settings by Cary Ratcliff, Shawn Kirchner, and Donald Grantham can serve as a conduit for an ever deepening experience with this sublime and powerful poetry. For the uninitiated, may it serve as a portal to his art." Craig Hella Johnson "So, through me, freedom and the sea will make their answer to the shuttered heart." PABLO NERUDA, transl. Alistair Reid
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Americano The Soul of the Spanish guitar
Pablo Villegas
Label: harmonia mundi File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: HMU907649 Barcode: 093046764920 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: ecopack Pablo Villegas [guitar]
Pedro ELIAS-GUTIERREZ arr. A. Díaz: Alma Llanera - Joropo VILLA-LOBOS: Prelude No. 1 Melodía lírica: Homenagem ao sertanejo brasileiro, Prelude No. 3 Homenagem à Bach Antonio LAURO: Vals Venezolano No. 2 João PERNAMBUCO: Sons de Carrilhoes - Choro Roland DYENS: Tango en Skaï Luiz BONFA arr. by C. Barbosa-Lima: Passeio no Rio - Bossa Nova Agustín BARRIOS-MANGORE: Danza Paraguaya No. 1 2 LAURO: Seis por derecho - Joropo BARRIOS-MANGORE: Un sueño en la floresta John WILLIAMS: Rounds :RUOG 3UHPLHUH 5HFRUGLQJ Agustín LARA arr. by J. Morel / M. Ubis: Granada BERNSTEIN: West Side Story - I Feel Pretty, Maria, America TRAD arr. by E. Scruggs / P. Villegas: Dear Old Dixie, Kansas City Kitty, Big Eared Mule Made in America. This is a musical journey through different countries, aesthetics, composers, and styles of the great American continent. On this album, Pablo Villegas combines the emotions of sensual Brazilian music, the nostalgic tango, vivid Venezuelan rhythms, the deep emotions of John Williams, and the exciting and colourful American bluegrass. Welcome on board! "An exceptional and gifted performer” Classical Guitar
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Heinrich BIBER: Baroque Splendor - Missa Salisburgensis La Capella Reial de Catalunya Le Concert des Nations Jordi Savall FANFARA [Bartholomäo Riedl (ca. 1650-1688)] Motet: PLAUDITE TYMPANA, à 53 (1682) BATTALIA, à 10 (1673) Sonata, Die liederliche Gesellschaft von allerley Humor: Allegro, Presto, Der Mars, Presto, Aria, Die Schlacht, Lamento der Verwundten Musquetirer: Adagio SONATA SANCTI POLYCARPI, à 9 (1673) MISSA SALISBURGENSIS, à 53 (1682) Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei
Label: Alia Vox File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: AVSA9912 Barcode: 8435408099127 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: cd book Hanna Bayodi-Hirt Marianne Beate Kielland Pascal Bertin David Sagastume Nicholas Mulroy Lluis Vilamajó Daniele Carnovich Antonio Abete
The 'Missa Salisburgensis à 53 voci' (in comparison, 'Spem in alium' was written by Thomas Tallis for «only» 40 voices) is perhaps the largest-scale piece of extant sacred Baroque music, an archetypical work of the Colossal Baroque. It is a polychoral composition which takes advantage of the multiple organs and various locations available for groups of singers and musicians to perform in Salzburg Cathedral, probably for the 1682 celebrations marking the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the Archbishopric of Salzburg. This stunning recording features Jordi Savall’s ensembles at their best and fully reveals the «splendour» of this masterpiece. A recording of cosmic proportions that Jordi Savall has decided to illustrate with a celestial image of the Helix Nebula. Nothing less. Recorded in Cardona (Catalunya) January 14-16, 2015 except for La Battalia à 10, recorded on February 11th, 2002
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
NIELSEN, SIBELIUS: Violin Concertos, 2 Serenades Op 69 Baiba Skride
Label: Orfeo File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: C896152A Barcode: 4011790896229 2 FOR 1 Price Format: 2 CD Packaging: digipack Baiba Skride Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Richard Strauss premiered Sibelius' Violin Concerto and this concerto has enjoyed an unstoppable series of triumphs through the concert halls of the world since. Sibelius came from what was then a Russian province, the Grand Duchy of Finland, and was younger than Strauss by just one year. It is worth noting here that there seems to be a particular affinity for this work among women violinists. The violin repertoire is hardly small, but it tends to be one-sided in the works generally chosen by performers. In her recent CD releases, however, Baiba Skride has endeavoured to offer carefully considered, stimulating programme combinations that can prompt a joy in discovery on the part of her listeners. For Baiba, coming from the Baltic, it was natural – both in terms of her biography and her native geography – that she would want to place the Violin Concerto by Sibelius in this, his anniversary year, alongside the sole violin concerto by his exact Baltic contemporary Carl Nielsen (1865-1931). And perhaps, above and beyond Baiba Skride’s own naturalness of manner, we can also hear a certain worldliness and directness here in her approach to the Sibelius Concerto – a work so holy to violinists – that allows us to discern a special familiarity with it on her part. Incidentally, both composers were trained violinists who earned their living for a while from their instrument. Skride here also includes Sibelius’s two Serenades of 1912/13 for solo violin and orchestra – two similarly original examples of his art of composition that are cast in a very different tone and in a smaller-scale genre. Santtu-Matias Rouvali is the July 2015 'Rising Star: Great Artists of Tomorrow' in BBC Music Magazine. Rouvali, now 29, made his conducting debut with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2009, and last season, took over from Hannu Lintu as chief conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra. There, his flamboyant performances and imaginative programming have gone down a treat. ALSO AVAILABLE: C873141A Szymanowski Violin Concertos/Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Vasily Petrenko BBC Music Magazine Concerto Choice, Awards Nominee 2015, *****/***** Musicweb Recording of the Month C854131A Schumann, Violin Concertos/Danish National Symphony Orchestral, John Storgards Gramophone Editor's Choice C849121A Stravinsky, Martin Violin Concertos/BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Thierry Fischer Gramophone Editor's Choice BBC Music Magazine Orchestral Choice C829112A Brahms Violin Concerto, Hungarian Dances/Royal Stockholm PO, Sakari Oramo Musicweb Recording of the Month
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Sir Peter MAXWELL DAVIES: Symphony No. 10 Sir Andrzej PANUFNIK: Symphony No. 10
London Symphony Orchestra Sir Antonio Pappano
Label: LSO Live File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: LSO0767 Barcode: 0822231176725 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: cristal London Symphony Orchestra London Symphony Chorus Sir Antonio Pappano
LSO Live presents the world premiere recording of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’s architectural 10th Symphony, alongside Sir Andrzej Panufnik’s Symphony No 10. This release showcases two of the 20th century’s most iconic symphonic composers, paired together here by their 10th Symphonies. Regarded as one of the foremost composers of our time, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies has made a significant contribution to musical history through his wide-ranging and prolific output. Commissioned by the LSO and described by the composer as "the wildest music I’ve ever written", Symphony No. 10 tells the story of 17th century architect Francesco Borromini, who suffered much criticism for his idiosyncratic buildings and tragically committed suicide. Borromini’s architectural and mathematical principles permeate the symphony, a work that speaks of creativity, life, death and renewal. Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano has spoken of his admiration for the piece and its composer: "When he described the piece to me and its dramatic content then I was drawn very strongly to it. Max wrote most of this piece in hospital. He was diagnosed with leukemia and was undergoing treatment for a long period of time, so the piece is very strong with tremendous pathos… it gives the piece a power and a sureness of knowledge." As with many of his other works, Panufnik’s succinct offering is influenced by geometry – the Fibonacci series in this instance. The sym-phony achieves its supreme sound quality through the combination of various groups of instruments, with Panufnik allowing each grouping to convey humanity and an intense, profound musicianship. This recording was made during Panufnik’s Centenary year and supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
RACHMANINOV: Symphony No. 3, BALAKIREV: Russia London Symphony Orchestra Valery Gergiev
Label: LSO Live File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: LSO0779 Barcode: 822231177920 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: cristal London Symphony Orchestra Valery Gergiev
Following his acclaimed LSO Live recordings of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 and 'Symphonic Dances', Valery Gergiev conducts a scintillating performance of the powerfully emotional Symphony No 3, framed with a work by one of the Mighty Five: Balakirev’s 'Russia'. Rachmaninov’s third and final symphony was composed nearly 20 years after the composer’s emigration from his homeland. Often considered to be his most overtly Russian symphony, Rachmaninov makes subtle use of a motto theme which appears throughout the work and can be heard in the finale as a variant of the Dies Irae plainchant – a melodic tag used in Rachmaninov’s music as a dark reminder of mortality. 'Russia', an epic symphonic poem, is a reworking of an Overture on Russian Themes, collected during Balakirev’s expedition up through the Volga. It was composed in 1864 and is based on three folksongs – a slow wedding song and two round-dances which are varied, fragmented and combined throughout the piece. Gergiev's Rachmaninov cycle is due for completition in Spring 2016.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 1 SHCHEDRIN: Piano Concerto No. 2, STRAVINSKY: Capriccio Denis Matsuev, Mariinsky Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Label: Mariinsky File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: MAR0587 Barcode: 0822231858720 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: cristal Denis Matsuev [piano] Mariinsky Orchestra Valery Gergiev On October 4th Denis Matsuev will be performing Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1 at the Royal Festival Hall, London.
The Mariinsky Label’s latest release showcases works for piano and orchestra by three of Russia’s great composers, with the celebrated Russian pianist Denis Matsuev featured as soloist. Renowned for his interpretations of Russian music, and affectionately known as ‘the Siberian bear with the fastest paws in the Arctic,’ Matsuev’s previous releases on the Mariinsky label, including Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3 and 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini', have received widespread acclaim. Piano Concerto No 1 was written whilst Rachmaninov was still a teenager and though relatively playful in comparison to his later piano concertos, its three movements are full of the showmanship, beautiful melodies and lush orchestral accompaniment that were to characterise his music in the years to come. A similarly playful tone can be found in the revised 1949 version of Stravinsky’s 'Capriccio' for piano and orchestra, which was premiered in 1929 with the composer at the piano. Written as a virtuosic vehicle for Stravinsky himself, the piece is characterised by a dancing piano part which is full of leaps and bounding with energy. Completing the release is Shchedrin’s Piano Concerto No 2, recorded in the presence of the composer, which was influenced by 12-tone techniques and jazz. Virtuosic writing is found throughout, and the final movement sees the surprise introduction of a jazz ensemble, including vibraphone and drum kit. Speaking about this release, Denis Matsuev says "we wanted to show great Russian composers from different periods. Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto is one of my favourites. It was written whilst he studied at the Moscow Conservatory and despite his young age he managed to reveal himself as a great artist. Capriccio is a brilliant work with a wonderful sense of humour. It is also very cinematic; one can envision this music whilst listening to it and we tried to communicate all of these features to the audience. Shchedrin is a very special composer in the Russian tradition. He takes an active part in rehearsals; we have an opportunity to talk to him, to exchange ideas and to listen to his advice. It is a priceless experience." Concert Reviews: "Playing with confidence, technical brilliance and great flair, the young Russian made the piece (Stravinsky’s Capriccio) sparkle, glitter, and dance, especially in the jazzy finale." Classical Source Review of Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 1 (digital release) "The live meeting of Denis Matsuev and Valery Gergiev in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 1 is electrifying… This supercharged version is carried by an incandescent Mariinsky Orchestra." Classica
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BRAHMS: Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Mariss Jansons Following the requiem masses of Dvorák and Mozart in previous seasons, this performance of Brahms's German Requiem would have been the third in a long series of Requiems conducted by Mariss Jansons. Unfortunately the 'new tradition' was cut short by Jansons's departure as the RCO's chief conductor during the 2014/2015 season. The performance was dedicated to Kurt Sanderling, one of the orchestra's most beloved guest conductors. He passed away the year before and would have turned 100 that very month. It proved to be a very moving performance, a fitting salute to a great conductor. "Gerald Finley is a baritone that combines gritty presence and clarity of diction ... Soprano Genia Kühmeier moved the audience with the purity of her timbre" Mischa Spel, NRC
Label: RCO Live File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: RCO15003 Barcode: 0814337019150 NORMAL Price Format: 1 SACD Packaging: cristal Genia Kühmeier [soprano] Gerald Finley [bass] Netherlands Radio Choir Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Mariss Jansons [chief conductor]
“Perfectly proportioned strings, smooth as silk, yet capable of a devastating loudness, world famous wind soloists that together sound like an organ, crisp and warm at the same time. The RCO in Brahms leaves one speechless.” Hildegart Maertens, Kwadratuur “Kühmeier achieved an almost magical effect with her subdued timbre. And Finley ...enraptured the listener with his impressive voice” Frederike Berntsen, Trouw "The Concertgebouw Orchestra sounded incredibly beautiful. Jansons managed not only to have the violins whisper mysteriously about death, but also coloured all the separate wind parts in Brahms's masterful orchestral texture. Rarely a choir and an orchestra merge as well and rarely this Requiem is performed as beautifully as yesterday evening at the Concertgebouw." Roeland Hazendonk, Het Parool
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Tsar's Bride Opera in 4 Acts
Staatskapelle Berlin Daniel Barenboim
Label: Bel Air Classiques File Under: Classical Catalogue No: BAC105 Barcode: 3760115301054 NORMAL Price Format: 1 DVD Packaging: long box
Vasily Sobakin: ANATOLI KOTSCHERGA Marfa: Olga PERETYATKO Grigory Gryaznoy: JOHANNES MARTIN KRÄNZLE Grigory Malyuta-Skuratov: TOBIAS SCHABEL Ivan Lykov: PAVEL˜ERNOCH Lyubasha: ANITA RACHVELISHVILI Bomeliu:s STEPHAN RÜGAMER Domna Saburova: ANNA TOMOWA-SINTOW Dunyasha: ANNA LAPKOVSKAYA Petrovna: CAROLA HÖHN Stage direction, Set design DMITRI TCHERNIAKOV Enregistrement HD / HD recording: Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, Berlin - 10/2013 Opera sung in Russian The argument is based on an historical case. In the suburbs of Moscow, reigned around 1571 Tsar Ivan IV, 'the Terrible'. Widowed, he is looking for a new wife for the third time. He chooses the young Marfa; she loves another man but bends to the will of the Tsar and renounces her love. From this starting plot, the Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov retains only the frame. A live competition is organised for a virtual monarch like in a reality show called «Joe Millionaire » where competitors attempt to marry a rich man. Here, the characters become the various players of the audiovisual industry bringing an acerbic criticism of contemporary TV. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin, with Olga Peretyatko, Anita Rachvelishvili and Johannes Martin Kränzle. Recorded at Staatsoper, Im Schiller Theater Berlin, in October 2013. 1 DVD DIGIPACK Running time 152 min Booklet FR / ENG / DE, Subtitles FR / ENG / DE 16/9, NTSC, Sound Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: The Tsar's Bride Opera in 4 Acts
Staatskapelle Berlin Daniel Barenboim
Label: Bel Air Classiques File Under: Classical/Opera & Vocal Catalogue No: BAC405 Barcode: 3760115304055 NORMAL Price Format: 1 Blu-ray Packaging: long box
Vasily Sobakin: ANATOLI KOTSCHERGA Marfa: Olga PERETYATKO Grigory Gryaznoy: JOHANNES MARTIN KRÄNZLE Grigory Malyuta-Skuratov: TOBIAS SCHABEL Ivan Lykov: PAVEL˜ERNOCH Lyubasha: ANITA RACHVELISHVILI Bomelius: STEPHAN RÜGAMER Domna Saburova: ANNA TOMOWA-SINTOW Dunyasha: ANNA LAPKOVSKAYA Petrovna: CAROLA HÖHN Stage direction, Set design DMITRI TCHERNIAKOV Enregistrement HD / HD recording: Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, Berlin - 10/2013 Opera sung in Russian The argument is based on an historical case. In the suburbs of Moscow, reigned around 1571 Tsar Ivan IV, 'the Terrible'. Widowed, he is looking for a new wife for the third time. He chooses the young Marfa; she loves another man but bends to the will of the Tsar and renounces her love. From this starting plot, the Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov retains only the frame. A live competition is organised for a virtual monarch like in a reality show called «Joe Millionaire » where competitors attempt to marry a rich man. Here, the characters become the various players of the audiovisual industry bringing an acerbic criticism of contemporary TV. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin, with Olga Peretyatko, Anita Rachvelishvili and Johannes Martin Kränzle. Recorded at Staatsoper, Im Schiller Theater Berlin, in October 2013. 1 Bluray DIGIPACK Running time 152 min Booklet FR / ENG / DE, Subtitles FR / ENG / DE 16/9, Full HD Son/Sound PCM 2.0, DTS HD Master Audio
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Jacques OFFENBACH - Les Contes d'Hoffmann Opera in 5 acts, Mise en Scène Gérard Mortier
Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Real de Madrid Conductor: SYLVAIN CAMBRELING
Label: Bel Air Classiques File Under: Classical/Opera & Vocal Catalogue No: BAC124 Barcode: 3760115301245 NORMAL Price Format: 1 DVD Packaging: long box
ERIC CUTLER: Hoffmann ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER: La Muse/Nicklausse VITO PRIANTE: Lindorf / Coppélius / Dr Miracle / Dapertutto CHRISTOPH HOMBERGER: Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio ANA DURLOVSKI: Olympia MEASHA BRUEGGERGOSMAN: Antonia / Giulietta ALTEA GARRIDO: Stella LANI POULSON: La Mère d’Antonia JEAN-PHILIPPE LAFONT: Maître Luther / Crespel GERARDO LÓPEZ: Nathanaël GRAHAM VALENTINE: Spalanzani TOMEU BIBILONI: Hermann ISAAC GALÁN: Schlemil Stage director: CHRISTOPH MARTHALER HD recording: Teatro Real, Madrid - 05/2014 Although posthumous, 'The Tales of Hoffmann' is considered as the masterpiece of Jacques Offenbach’s work and mixes love, pain and whim. The intrigue settles around three stories about a broken love. Told by Hoffmann, narrator and hero, these tales paint a portrait of three feminine figures: Olympia the automaton, Antonia the dying opera singer and Giulietta the courtesan. This triptych allows the development of very different universes, and colour. It’s also a declension of the image of woman and of evil. Christoph Marthaler signed this creation for the Teatro Real. This was Gerard Mortier’s last commission for this stage: the Swiss director has proven his ease in many different registers. An essential capacity needed for a work as rich and subtle as 'The Tales of Hoffmann'. Music is conducted by Sylvain Cambreling and the cast includes Eric Cutler, Anne Sofie von Otter, Measha Brueggergosman and Jean-Philippe Lafont. 1 DVD Running time 193 min. Booklet FR / ENG / ESP, Subtitles FR / ENG / DE / ES 16/9, NTSC, Sound Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Jacques OFFENBACH - Les Contes d'Hoffmann Opera in 5 acts, Mise en Scène Gérard Mortier
Orchestra & Chorus of the Teatro Real de Madrid Conductor: SYLVAIN CAMBRELING
Label: Bel Air Classiques File Under: Classical/Opera & Vocal Catalogue No: BAC424 Barcode: 3760115304246 NORMAL Price Format: 1 Blu-ray Packaging: long box
ERIC CUTLER: Hoffmann ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER: La Muse/Nicklausse VITO PRIANTE: Lindorf / Coppélius / Dr Miracle / Dapertutto CHRISTOPH HOMBERGER: Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio ANA DURLOVSKI: Olympia MEASHA BRUEGGERGOSMAN: Antonia / Giulietta ALTEA GARRIDO: Stella LANI POULSON: La Mère d’Antonia JEAN-PHILIPPE LAFONT: Maître Luther / Crespel GERARDO LÓPEZ: Nathanaël GRAHAM VALENTINE: Spalanzani TOMEU BIBILONI: Hermann ISAAC GALÁN: Schlemil Stage director: CHRISTOPH MARTHALER HD recording: Teatro Real, Madrid - 05/2014 Although posthumous, 'The Tales of Hoffmann' is considered as the masterpiece of Jacques Offenbach’s work and mixes love, pain and whim. The intrigue settles around three stories about a broken love. Told by Hoffmann, narrator and hero, these tales paint a portrait of three feminine figures: Olympia the automaton, Antonia the dying opera singer and Giulietta the courtesan. This triptych allows the development of very different universes, and colour. It’s also a declension of the image of woman and of evil. Christoph Marthaler signed this creation for the Teatro Real. This was Gerard Mortier’s last commission for this stage: the Swiss director has proven his ease in many different registers. An essential capacity needed for a work as rich and subtle as 'The Tales of Hoffmann'. Music is conducted by Sylvain Cambreling and the cast includes Eric Cutler, Anne Sofie von Otter, Measha Brueggergosman and Jean-Philippe Lafont. 1 Bluray Running time 193 min. Booklet FR / ENG / ESP, Subtitles FR / ENG / DE / ES 16/9, NTSC, Sound PCM 2.0, DTS HD Master Audio
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
SCRIABIN: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 23 MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition Etude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 2, No. 1, Night on the Bare Mountain
Alessio Bax Pianist Alessio Bax creates “a ravishing listening experience” with his lyrical playing, insightful interpretations, and dazzling facility. “His playing quivers with an almost hypnotic intensity,” says Gramophone magazine, leading to what Dallas Morning News calls “an out-of-body experience.” For his latest solo recording with Signum, Alessio Bax returns with a programme of rich and evocative works for piano by Modest Mussorgsky and Alexander Scriabin
Label: Signum Classics File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: SIGCD426 Barcode: 0635212042625 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Alessio Bax [piano]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB109 Live at the Salzburg Festival
Philharmonia Orchestra Christoph von Dohnányi Recorded in 2014 at the beginning of a series marking his 85th birthday season, Christoph von Dohnányi leads the Philharmonia Orchestra in a rousing live performance of Bruckner’s monumental Ninth Symphony, which stands alongside the other epoch-defining Ninth symphonies of Beethoven and Mahler.
Label: Signum Classics File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: SIGCD431 Barcode: 0635212043127 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Philharmonia Orchestra Christoph von Dohnányi [conductor]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Mynstrelles with Straunge Sounds Clare Wilkinson Rose Consort of Viols Anon: And I were a maiden*, De tous biens plaine, Fortuna desperata, Henry VIII: Helas madame*, van GHIZEGHEM De tous biens plaine*, JOSQUIN: De tous biens plaine, attrib. BUSNOYS: Fortune esperée*, JOSQUIN: Fortuna desperata, PENALOSA: Vita dulcedo / Agnus Dei II* AGRICOLA: Cecus non iudicat de coloribus, ENCINA: Triste España*, MARTINI: Des biens amors, La martinella, JOSQUIN: In te Domine speravi*, Anon: In te Domine sperabo, La quercia, Biblis, ENCINA: Fata la parte*, Anon: La Spagna, PONCE: La mi sola Laureola*, CORNYSH: Fa la sol, ANCHIETA: Con amores, la mi madre*, ISAAC: Agnus Dei II, JOSQUIN: Adieu mes amours*
Label: Delphian File Under: Classical/Secular Vocal music Catalogue No: DCD34169 Barcode: 0801918341694 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Clare Wilkinson [mezzo-soprano]* Rose Consort of Viols
A rapid transformation in musical tastes occurred in the years around 1500, with the relatively widespread distribution of part-music in the new medium of print – it was in this context that the consort of viols emerged. For their third recording on Delphian, the Rose Consort use a set of instruments modelled on those depicted in an Italian altarpiece dating from 1497 in Bologna. Peerless early-music mezzo Clare Wilkinson joins the consort in a sophisticated interweaving of voices that casts revealing light on the earliest music for this innovative ensemble. Rose Consort of Viols’ recent engagements have included performances at the BBC Proms Matinees at Cadogan Hall with vocal ensemble Tenebrae, at the National Gallery in London and for Semana de Musica Religiosa in Cuenca, Spain. The Consort has received awards for its research and performance of newly devised programmes, and has made a number of highly acclaimed recordings for Delphian and other labels, including most recently 'An Emerald in a Work of Gold: Music from the Dow Partbooks' (Delphian DCD34115), a disc of music by Byrd and his contemporaries in collaboration with The Marian Consort, and 'Serenissima' (DCD34149), a programme of music from Renaissance Europe performed on instruments by Richard Jones copied from the earliest surviving viol, a Venetian instrument by Francesco Linarol from c.1540. A second recorded collaboration with The Marian Consort, 'Loquebantur: Music from the Baldwin Partbooks' (DCD34160), will be released 28 September, 2015.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
PURCELL: Devotional Songs and Anthems La Reveuse Purcell’s devotional songs for three male voices are still little known and shrouded in a certain mystery. Yet these meditations on the frailty of human existence are among his finest and most moving works. Gifted with profound intuition of the emotions that can emerge from the union of text and music, this formidable composer, who understood and served the vocal music of his time so well, continues here the work begun by the masters of the preceding generation such as Henry Lawes.
Label: Mirare File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: MIR283 Barcode: 3760127222835 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack La Reveuse Benjamin Perrot Florence Bolton
Hear me, O Lord, the great support Z133 O, I'm sick of life Z140 Since God so tender a regard Z143 FINGER: Sonata Quarta in D min RI-148 Plung'd in the confines of despair Z142 Blessed is he that considereth the poor Z7 The Aspiration: How long, great God Z189 FINGER: Division No. 8 in G When on my sick bed I languish Z144 With sick and famish'd eyes Z200 FINGER: Division in G min RI-140 I was glad Z19 [Harmonia Sacra version] Lonrd, not to us Z137
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BUXTEHUDE: Membra Jesu Nostri Rosso Porpora Walter Testolin CANTATA I: AD PEDES CANTATA II: AD GENUA CANTATA III: AD MANUS CANTATA IV: AD LATUS CANTATA V: AD PECTUS CANTATA VI: AD COR CANTATA VII: AD FACIEM
Label: Stradivarius File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: STR37004 Barcode: 8011570370044 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Rosso Porpora Walter Testolin
The work is dedicated to Gustav Düben, organist and Kapellmeister in Stockholm, who was not only a personal friend of Buxtehude but also responsible for the preservation of many of his compositions which came together in the Düben collection, today held in the library of the University of Uppsala. Buxtehude’s choice to write the first version of 'Membra Jesu Nostri' in the form of tablature for the organ was a gesture that contributed to emphasising the closeness of the two musicians. On the other hand, this composition was not only a declaration of affection and friendship but an authentic spiritual testament. 'Membra Jesu Nostri' is a meditation on the seven parts of the Mystical Body, to which there correspond seven cantatas, each of which is divided into six episodes: a long progress which begins with an ascent (the two ascending 16ths of Ecce super montes), and ends with an ascent. A gorgeous performance from Rosso Porpora under the direction of Walter Testolin.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Andras Schiff: The Denon Recordings J.S. BACH: Keyboard Concertos in D min BWV1052, A Major, BWV1055, F Minor, BWV1056, Two-Part Inventions for Keyboard BWV772a-786, Two-Part Sinfonias for Keyboard, BWV787-801 SCHUMANN: Papillons, Op. 2, Arabeske in C Major Op. 18, Humoreske in B-Flat Major Op. 20 HAYDN: Sonata in C Min Hob. XVI-20, Sonata in C Major Hob. XVI-50 BARTOK: Dance Suite Sz. 77 BB 86a, Rumanian Folk Dances Sz. 56 BB 68 Three Rondos on Folk Tunes Sz. 84 BB 92, Hungarian Peasant Songs Sz. 71 BB 79
Label: Heritage File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: HTGCD302 Barcode: 506033266144 SPECIAL Price Format: 3 CD Packaging: cristal Andras Schiff English Chamber Orchestra, George Malcolm
András Schiff is a daring and adventurous pianist. He has a wide repertoire, but always remains loyal to the composers most important to him. These are the composers represented in this collection of early recordings which first appeared on the Denon label – Bach, Schumann, Haydn and Bartók. He has returned to each repeatedly throughout his career, fashioning innovative recital programmes around their works, and often recording individual pieces more than once as his interpretations develop. But at this relatively early stage in his career, from the late 1970s onwards, Schiff already had a mature and distinctive voice, and his musical personality shines through in each of these recordings. Typically of Denon, the sound recordings presented here are of demonstration quality. The performances appear on the Heritage label courtesy of SLG.
PRAISE FOR THESE RECORDINGS: SCHUMANN – "His playing is truthful and sympathetic……….Schiff captures Schumann’s mercurial mood changes without drawing attention to an interpreter at work." Gramophone HAYDN – "Schiff makes all these sonatas sound even more attractive than you remembered them being'. 'Schiff is as polished as you could wish in the scintillating rondos……. but I cannot recall anyone else with the delicacy of touch and understanding that he brings to the other movements." Gramophone "Schiff plays with an extraordinary refinement and delicacy; he is resourceful and highly imaginative in his use of tone colour; his phrasing and articulation are a constant source of pleasure. Superb in every way and beautifully recorded too." Penguin Guide BACH – "This record had me completely gripped." Gramophone
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
John Carol Case sings Somervell, Butterworth and Elgar Arthur SOMERVELL: Maud George BUTTERWORTH: Six Songs from a Shropshire Lad Edward ELGAR: Twilight, Op. 59 No. 6, Clapham Town End, The River, Op. 60 No. 2, The Shepherd’s Song, Op. 16 No. 1, Modest and Fair from The Spanish Lady, Still to be neat, Rondel, Op. 16 No. 3, O Salutaris Hostia
Label: Heritage File Under: Classical/Secular Vocal music Catalogue No: HTGCD297 Barcode: 5060332661435 MID Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal John Carol Case [baritone] Daphne Ibbott [piano]
‘The aristocrat of English baritones’, said Michael Oliver. He was a versatile singer, with a repertoire that stretched from Fauré to Schoenberg, and his noble countenance made him perfect to sing Christ in Bach’s St Matthew Passion, his signature role. But his eloquent and lyrical voice, combined with his impeccable enunciation, also made him the ideal exponent of English song, qualities that are clearly demonstrated in these recordings of Elgar, Somervell and Butterworth. These recordings are taken from an early SAGA LP of Elgar songs dating from 1969 and his farewell solo recording for Pearl in 1974 featuring Somervell’s 'Maud' and Butterworth’s Six Songs from ‘A Shropshire Lad’. Born in 1923, Case came relatively late to singing, only beginning his studies after his voice had broken at 14. In 1942, he became a choral scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, initially as a countertenor and later as a baritone. He was called up in 1943, but in 1945 returned to Cambridge, graduating two years later. Initially struggling to find work as a singer, Case took up an appointment as director of music at King’s College School in Wimbledon. There he met Ralph Vaughan Williams, and in 1948 sang his 'Fantasia on Christmas Carols' under the composer’s direction. This began a close friendship and active musical collaboration, with Case recording many of Vaughan Williams’ works. After the composer’s death in 1958, Case gave the premiere of the last of his 'Songs of Travel', which had been discovered among his papers. From the late 1950s, Case devoted his energies exclusively to singing. The composer Gerald Finzi was a decisive influence on Case’s early career, steering him in the direction of English song. Elgar was another important composer for Case. The songs featured here demonstrate a natural fluency in Elgar’s idiom, aided as ever by Case’s lyrical phrasing and immaculate diction. Arthur Somervell’s song cycle 'Maud' had fallen from favour in the years following the war, but Case was an ardent champion of the work, and his regular performances brought it back to public attention. Case made a fitting farewell to the stage with a performance of the St Matthew Passion at Leith Hill in 1976. He then turned his attentions to teaching, first at the Birmingham School of Music and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Among his pupils during this period was the soprano Lesley Garrett. He became involved in singing competitions, adjudicating for the English Song Award and the Kathleen Ferrier Awards.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
SCHUBERT: Quintet in C D956, String Trios D471, 581 Prazak Quartet Franz Schubert's lesser-known intimate string Trios, and his large and last score, the Quintet D 956 (1828). This quintet is Schubert’s farewell to chamber music and to life, contemporaneous with the 'Great 'C major Symphony, here played by the Prazak Quartet and friends.
Label: Praga Digitals File Under: Classical/Chamber music Catalogue No: PRD250311 Barcode: 3149028071726 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Prazak Quartet Marc Coppey [cello] Pavel Hula [violin]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
French-Hungarian Impressionism? DEBUSSY: String Quartet in G min, RAVEL: String Quartet in F, BARTOK: String Quartet No. 4 Sz91
Párkányi Quartet This record is dedicated to the frequent association of two French scores, gems from la Belle Epoque, played by a string quartet which, following their mentor Sandor Vegh's example, is undertaking a new career. After a first and brilliant appearance (1976-84) as the Orlando, the quartet returns as the Párkányí Quartet, from the name of the Hungarian-born 'primarius' [leader], István Párkányí. Only one member has changed, the cellist Michael Müller replacing Stefan Metz. One fantastic bonus is the addition of Bartók's string quartet, the No.4, with similar attributes as the French.
Label: Praga Digitals File Under: Classical/Chamber music Catalogue No: PRD250312 Barcode: 3149028071825 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Párkányi Quartet
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
BEETHOVEN: Complete String Trios Jacques Thibaud String Trio String Trio in E flat major, Op. 3 Serenade in D major, Op. 8 String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1 String Trio in D major, Op. 9, No. 2 String Trio in C minor, Op. 9, No. 3
Label: Audite File Under: Classical/Chamber music Catalogue No: AUDITE23430 Barcode: 4022143234308 2 FOR 1.5 Format: 2 CD Packaging: digipack Jacques Thibaud String Trio: Burkhard Maiß [violin] Hannah Strijbos [viola] Bogdan Jianu [cello]
The five String Trios are masterpieces of the young Ludwig van Beethoven as he travels towards the string quartet: however, many musicians and scholars have preferred the mature Trios Op. 9 to the subsequent String Quartets Op. 18. With their new double CD, the Thibaud Trio provide an opportunity to rediscover these milestones in the history of the string trio. Prize-winners in the prestigious 1999 Bonn Chamber Music Competition, the Jacques Thibaud String Trio was founded at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin (today: Universität der Künste) in 1994. In its early stages the ensemble was closely related to Laszlo Varga (solo cellist of the New York Philharmonic, cellist of the Borodin Trio) and the pianist Gyorgy Sebók. Later on important artistic impulses came from Adolphe Mandeau and Markus Nyikos. Today the trio consists of Burkhard Maiß (violin), Hannah Strijbos (viola) and Bogdan Jianu (cello).
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14 SCHUBERT: Impromptus No. 1-4, Op. 90 D899
Elisso Bolkvadze Prokofiev, the temperamental St Petersburg firebrand, and Schubert, the quiet revolutionary from Vienna – an intelligent and exciting combination. The pianist Elisso Bolkvadze, an UNESCO Artist for Peace and a superstar in her native Georgia, presents Prokofiev’s Second Piano Sonata and Schubert’s Impromptus D899 in glowing and lyrical interpretations.
Label: Audite File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: AUDITE97719 Barcode: 4022143977199 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Elisso Bolkvadze [piano] Unesco World Artist for Peace
With nine completed sonatas Prokofiev created a musical cosmos similar in range to Shostakovich’s string quartets. Elisso Bolkvadze has chosen the Second Sonata (1912), where Prokofiev adopted an incredibly delicate tone but which reflects the modernist spirit of the Russian capital of St Petersburg before the First World War. Bolkvadze juxtaposes this with Schubert’s four Impromptus D899, a popular cycle whose innovation is often underestimated. Georgian pianist Elisso Bolkvadze was selected as a UNESCO Artist for Peace in January 2015. She has won numerous international piano competitions, including the Van Cliburn, Vianna da Motta and Dublin International Piano Competitions. A superstar in her home country, she was awarded the prestigious national Medal of Honour of the Georgian Government in 1993. In 2013, Elisso Bolkvadze founded her own charitable foundation, 'Lyra', which supports talented young Georgian pianists. She is the Artistic Director of the Batumi Music Festival in Georgia.
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
SCHUBERT: Piano Sonata D960 12 Ländler D970, Mélodie Hongroise D817
Shani Diluka Exploring the quintessence of musical folklore so dear to his heart, in the form of his still neglected ländler and waltzes, right up to the last notes of the Sonata in B flat on the eve of his death, Schubert takes us from the simplest language to the innermost reaches of the soul. One can hardly dream of a more appropriate pianist than Shani Diluka to guide us through these works and offer us an interpretation shifting between shadows and light, touching on the mystery of the invisible, as Novalis said. Here she performs some of the Viennese composer’s finest pieces.
Label: Mirare File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: MIR240 Barcode: 3760127222408 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Shani Diluka [piano]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
VIEUXTEMPS: Le violon harmonique 6 Études de concert Op.16, Adagio in E major, Étude No. 28 Op. 48, 6 Morceaux Op. 55
Francesco Parrino Vieuxtemps' way of playing fostered purity of intonation, total technical command, broad tone and a strong power of expression, all of which remain the representative qualities of the Belgian violin school. Contrary to Paganini, Vieuxtemps never used virtuosity for its own sake. Ysaÿe used to stress that Vieuxtemps’ motto was not to play a stroke for its own sake, but to sing, always to sing. When listening to the works presented here, we can appreciate Vieuxtemps' debt to Mozart, Couperin, Bach and Haydn. His compositions combine Paganini’s virtuosity, Kreutzer’s classicism and Bach’s polyphony. Francesco Parrino’s main intention is to restore the brilliant character of Vieuxtemps’ works for solo violin which have hitherto been neglected heading a significant revival of the Belgian violinist’s music.
Label: Stradivarius File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: STR37015 Barcode: 8011570370150 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Francesco Parrino [violin]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Morton FELDMAN: Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello Quartetto Klimt 'Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello' constitutes the last, memorable composition by Morton Feldman, which was completed in the year of his death, 1987. This instrumental grouping reflects the two preferences of the American composer regarding timbre: the piano, to which very many pieces were destined, from 1950 to 1986, and the string quartet (here reduced to three instruments), used by Feldman both solely or with orchestra and other instruments The expanded dimension of the extraordinary 'Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello' is of the highest quality, written in the course of the 1980s, when Feldman's works were notoriously of extremely long duration: with the aim, according to Feldman himself, of avoiding the routine of the “usual twenty-minute piece�, even if such a temporal hypertrophy in chamber pieces, without the phonic resources of an orchestra, can sometimes present problematic aspects in terms of prolonged attention.
Label: Stradivarius File Under: Classical/Chamber music Catalogue No: STR33967 Barcode: 8011570339676 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Quartetto Klimt
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Peteris VASKS: Sala, Musica Appassionata, Credo Liepaja Symphony Orchestra Atvars Lakstigala Aesthetic games as ends in themselves are far from the mind of the Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks. He believes in 'Art for mankind' rather than ;Art for art’s sake'. He sees his music as a language of the soul: “Music is indefinable, it is true, but sounds are able to express spirituality. This cannot be expressed in words...This is why I try to preserve a ray of light in my sounds." 'Sala – Island' was commissioned by the Magnum Opus Project of three orchestras in California. 'Musica appassionata' begins – which is unusual for Vasks – loudly and resolutely. The strings rise to a collective climax, which at the dynamic high point unexpectedly breaks off. All that remains is contemplation and a silent prayer. The composer wrote in the programme for the premiere of 'Credo' in 2010: “‘Credo’ is crowned by a hymn-like song of praise for the almighty power of love. After a high point, the intensity of the orchestral sound gradually recedes. [...] Slowly the mood becomes more peaceful, and the piece fades away with a radiant melody.”
Label: Wergo File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: WER7323-2 Barcode: 4010228732320 NORMAL Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Liepaja Symphony Orchestra Atvars Lakstigala [conductor]
RELEASE DATE 28TH AUGUST 2015
Oliver TARNEY: Magnificat Serafine Chamber Choir Manvinder Rattan Magnificat, Et exultavit, Quia respexit, Ecce enim, Quia fecit, Et misericordia, Fecit potentiam, Deposuit, Esurientes, Suscepit Israel, Sicut locutus, Gloria Patri
Label: Convivium Records File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: CR030 Barcode: 0700153370134 MID Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Katy Thompson [soprano], Claire Tasker [alto], Paul Bentley-Angell [tenor], Tom Herring [bass], Serafine Chamber Choir, Serafine Sinfonia Manvinder Rattan [conductor]
'My soul doth magnify the Lord' usually elicits the most exultant of musical reactions from the most noted composers. This one, however, offers a more human response and in a style which touches one's soul in an exceptional manner. Picture this: Mary is 16 and living in ancient Judea. Tarney is not convinced that the news that she was to be the mother of God, conceived out of conventional wedlock, would have necessarily made her heart leap with joy in the first instance. In this newly-commissioned work in 12 movements, Tarney has interpolated the conventional text from the Gospel of Luke with apocryphal and old Testament texts as well as extracts from the Book of Maryam from the Qur'an. The fuller picture this paints completely changes the way we think of this important bible story and Tarney sets the whole with memorably exquisite musical colours which bow to no one. In a world riven with division and violence based on religious lines, this piece reminds us of what we could have in common if we looked a little harder. Scored for string orchestra, choir, string quartet and soloists, Tarney’s 'Magnificat' was premiered in the chapel of Keele University, as part of Sing for Pleasure’s Golden Anniversary Summer School in 2014 and is to be published by Sing for Pleasure this autumn (2015). Oliver Tarney is currently head of Composition and Singing at Winchester College in Hampshire. He sings with the College Chapel Choir, Winchester Cathedral Choir and with Serafine. He also keeps up a busy schedule as a choral director and composer. Oliver now specialises in choral writing and has most recently written works for Sansara chamber choir (Prayer of St Richard of Chichester), Chichester Cathedral Choir (Men’s voices responses) and for the St Endellion Easter festival (Fair is the Heaven).