May 6 classical releases

harmonia mundi UK

Classical new releases

available May 6th 2016, call-off April 29th

MAY 6

BBC Music Magazine Award Winners 2016 Choral Award: Signum SIGCD430 Brahms, Bruckner Motets / Tenebrae, Nigel Short Premiere Award harmonia mundi HMU807573 Vaughan Williams, MacMillan Oboe Concertos / Nicholas Daniel, Britten Sinfonia, James MacMillan

Chamber Choice: April BBC Music Magazine

Aparté AP 122 Forqueray Suites Nos 1-5 / Atushi Sakai, Marion Martineau (viol), Christophe Rousset (harpsichord)

DISTRIBUTED lABELS: ACCENT RECORDS, ACTES SUD, ALIA VOX, APARTE, BELVEDERE, THE CHOIR OF KINGS COLLEGE CAMBRIDGE, CHRISTOPHORUS, CSO RESOUND, EDITION CLASSICS, FRA MUSICA, GLOSSA, harmonia mundi, HERITAGE, LA DOLCE VOLTA, LES ARTS FLORISSANTS EDITIONS, LSO LIVE, MARIINSKY, MIRARE, MYRIOS, NAÏVE, ONYX, PAN CLASSICS, PRAGA DIGITALS, RCO LIVE, SIGNUM CLASSICS, UNITED ARCHIVES, UNICORN, WIGMORE HALL LIVE

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

Hymns from King's Choir of King's College Cambridge / Stephen Cleobury 'Hymns from King’s' is a collection of hymn arrangements by Stephen Cleobury from the Peters Edition book of the same name. Covering the entire church year including Christmas and Easter, 'Hymns from King’s' contains arrangements, accompaniments and descants for some of the world’s most popular hymns as they are sung at King’s College.

The release will be accompanied by an international press and marketing campaign and extensive touring and joins the label’s other critically-acclaimed recordings including 'English Hymn Anthems', a celebrated Fauré 'Requiem' [Recording of the Month in BBC Music Magazine] and '1615: Gabrieli in Venice': the first classical album ever to use Dolby’s new Atmos technology.

Label: Kings College Cambridge File Under: Classical/Choral Catalogue No: KGS0014 Barcode: 822231701422 MID Price Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Choir of King's College Cambridge Stephen Cleobury CONCERTS: 22+23rd March Bach St John Passion in King’s College Chapel wt the AAM 26th March Handel Brockes Passion wt the Hanover Band 22nd April Kings Place, London Brockes Passion wt the Hanover Band 27th June Fauré Requiem Sheffield, Cathedral Church of Saint Marie

1 Thine be the glory [Maccabaeus] G F Handel 2 Alleluya, sing to Jesus [Hyfrydol] Richard Huw Pritchard 3 Angel-voices ever singing [Angel Voices] E G Monk 4 All creatures of our God and King [Lasst uns Erfreuen] R V Williams, based on Geistliche Kirchengesange 5 Love divine, all loves excelling [Blaenwern] William Rowlands 6 Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven [Praise my soul] John Goss 7 Now thank we all our God [Nun danket alle Gott] Johann Crüger 8 Glorious things of thee are spoken [Abbot’s leigh] Cyril Vincent Taylor 9 Let all mortal flesh keep silence [Picardy] French carol melody (Chansons Populaires, Vol. 4) 10 Jesus Christ is risen today [Easter Hymn] Adapted from Lyra Davidica 11 Lord of all hopefulness [Slane] Traditional Irish, harm. Erik Routley 12 Christians, awake, salute the happy morn [Yorkshire (Stockport)] John Wainwright 13 Abide with me [Eventide] W H Monk 14 As with gladness men of old [Dix] Conrad Kocher, arr. W H Monk 15 My song is love unknown [Love Unknown] John Ireland 16 O God, our help in ages past [St Anne] William Croft 17 O come, O come, Emmanuel! [Veni Emmanuel] 15th-century French melody 18 Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! [Nicaea] J B Dykes 19 Just as I am, without one plea [Saffron Walden] Arthur Henry Brown 20 Come, ye thankful people, come [St George’s, Windsor] George Elvey

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

'Where'er You Walk': Arias for Handel's Favourite Tenor Allan Clayton Classical Opera Ian Page Classical Opera explore a wealth of arias by Handel and his contemporaries William Boyce, John Christopher Smith and Thomas Arne, all of which were composed for the celebrated 18th-century tenor John Beard (1716-1791). For this recording Allan Clayton steps ably into this role, performing alongside the Orchestra of Classical Opera under Ian Page.

The disc also features a duet with Mary Bevan, from Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.

Label: Signum Classics File Under: Classical/Opera & Vocal Catalogue No: SIGCD457 Barcode: 635212045725 Price: £8.98 Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Mary Bevan [soprano] Allan Clayton (tenor) Classical Opera Ian Page

1Esther, HWV 50a: Tune Your Harps to Cheerful Strains 2Il pastor fido, HWV 8a: Sol nel mezzo risona del core 3Ariodante, HWV 33: Sinfonia to Act 2 4Ariodante, HWV 33: Tu vivi, e punito 5Alcina, HWV 34: M’inganna, me n’avveggo 6Alcina, HWV 34: Un momento di contento 7Alexander’s Feast, HWV 75: Happy Pair (Air) 8Alexander’s Feast, HWV 75: Happy Pair (Chorus) 9Berenice, HWV 38: Vedi l’ape che ingegnosa 10L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV 55: As Steals The Morn 11Solomon: Sinfonia to Part 2 (William Boyce) 12Solomon: My fair’s a garden of delight (William Boyce) 13Solomon: Softly rise, o southern breeze!(William Boyce) 14Solomon: Ye southern breezes gently blow(William Boyce) 15Samson, HWV 57: Let but that spirit 16Samson, HWV 57: Thus when the sun from’s wat’ry bed 17Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63: Tis well, my friends 18Judas Maccabaeus, HWV 63: Call forth thy pow’rs 19Jephtha, HWV 70: Hide thou thy hated beams 20Jephtha, HWV 70: A father, off’ring up his only child 21Jephtha, HWV 70: Waft her, angels 22The Fairies: Hark how the hounds and horn(John Christopher Smith) 23Artaxerxes: Thou, like the glorious sun(Thomas Arne) 24Semele, HWV 58: See, she appears 25Semele, HWV 58: Where’er you walk

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

Horizon 7 Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra George BENJAMIN: Dream of the Song / George Benjamin [conductor], Bejun Mehta [countertenor], Nederlands Kamerkoor Magnus LINDBERG: Era / David Robertson [conductor] Richard RIJNVOS: fuoco e fumo / Daniel Harding [conductor] Tan DUN: The Wolf / Tan Dun [conductor], Dominic Seldis [double bass] Recorded live at Concertgebouw Amsterdam on 17-18 January 2013 (Lindberg), 29-30 January 2015 (Tan Dun), 12 June 2015 (Rijnvos), 25-26 September 2015 (Benjamin)

Label: RCO Live File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: RCO16003 Barcode: 814337019266 NORMAL Price Format: 1 HYBRID SACD Packaging: cristal Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Daniel Harding [conductor] George Benjamin [conductor], Bejun Mehta [countertenor], Nederlands Kamerkoor

The seventh release in RCO Live's Horizon series features world premieres recorded during three concert seasons.

Magnus Lindberg's sumptuous 'Era' – a birthday present from the Concertgebouw Hall to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra - dates from the 2012-2013 season. Both Tan Dun's catchy double bass concerto 'The Wolf' and Richard Rijnvos's 'fuoco e fumo' about the 1996 destruction by fire of the Venetian opera house La Fenice, are from 2015.

The programme opens with a beguiling 20-minute work for countertenor, women’s voices and orchestra, 'Dream of the Song', Benjamin’s first work since his ground-breaking opera 'Written on Skin', was premiered in September at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw by the countertenor Bejun Mehta, the ladies of the Netherlands Chamber Choir and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by its composer. The work sets verse by three major poets who spent formative years in Granada; two Hebrew poets of mid-11th century, Samuel HaNagid and Solomon Ibn Gabirol (sung by solo countertenor in English versions by Peter Cole), and Gabriel Garcia Lorca (sung by the female chorus in the original Spanish). Commissioned by the Royal Concertgebouw, BBC and Boston Symphony Orchestras and the Festival d’Automne, the work received its UK premiere on 18 March with Iestyn Davies, the BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Oliver Knussen.

"Dream of the Song proved to be perfectly structured music of great beauty, fleet-footed and profound, varied and thoughtful... From the virtuosically poetical opening song to the concluding ode to daybreak, the fluid melodic lines fitted Mehta's bronzed voice like a glove. Benjamin possesses a passionate, almost fanatical, gift for tone colour… The reduced orchestra sounds mysterious and silvery, with an occasional well-placed punch from the horns or a plaintive oboe melody. The interaction between voice, choir and instruments was reminiscent of the game of sunlight on water, with fish just below the surface: sometimes you know exactly what you heard, and then the sounds subtly and inimitably flowed together again."

NRC Handelsblad (Joe Stack), 28 September 2015

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

Une vie de Rossini Karine Deshayes Karine Deshayes is one of the greatest Rossini singers on the international opera stage. In this first solo album, featuring excerpts from some of his most beautiful works, she traces the different stages in Rossini's life.

She is accompanied by Raphaël Merlin (cellist of the Ébène Quartet) at the head of Les Forces Majeures, a collective bringing together musicians from prestigious chamber ensembles and top-flight orchestras.

Label: Aparté File Under: Classical/Opera & Vocal Catalogue No: AP121 Barcode: 3149028077421 Price: £9.48 Format: 1 CD Packaging: digipack Karine Deshayes [mezzo-soprano] Les Forces Majeures Raphaël Merlin

La Donna del lago, Atto II, Scena Ultima Tanti affeti in tal momento Otello, Atto III, Scena 1 Assisa a piè d'un salice Otello, Atto III, Scena 2 Deh calma, o ciel La Cenerentola, Atto II Temporale La Cenerentola, Atto II, Scena 3 Nacqui all'affano, Nizza Semiramide, Atto I, Scena 9 Bel raggio lusinghier, L'âme délaissée, Giovanna d'Arco Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Atto II Temporale Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Atto I, Scena 5 Una voce poco fa Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Atto II, Scena 3 Contro un cor, Canzonetta spagnuola

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

Eight Setts of Lessons for the harpsichord, London 1754 Mitzi Meyerson A fascinating insight into English instrumental music from the mid-18th century is Mitzi Meyerson's latest Glossa recording. A considered view of musical life in Baroque London is likely to overlook the presence of composers such as John Jones because of the dominance of Georg Frideric Handel. Yet, John Jones concurrently held three important London organ posts for 40 years, including at St Paul’s Cathedral.

Alas, little of Jones’ compositional output remains except for these harpsichord Setts (or Suites), full of 18th-century inspiration and dance movements such as Sicilianas, Allemandes, Gavottes and Minuets. If Jones shows himself aware of orchestral scores by Handel, his music also nods – as Handel did – in the direction of CPE Bach. Such revelations in Jones' music would amount to little if it weren’t for the virtuosic brilliance provided by Meyerson, as she has demonstrated over recent years in forgotten gems by the likes of Gottlieb Muffat, Claude-Benigne Balbastre, Giovanni Battista Somis, as well as Richard Jones [probably no relation].

Label: Glossa File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: GCD921808 Barcode: 8424562218086 Price: £14.58 Format: 2 CD Packaging: digipack Mitzi Meyerson [harpsichord]

CD1: 01-05 Lesson I: Preludium - Allmand - Lentement - Allegro - Andante affettuoso 06-10 Lesson II: Larghetto - Allegro ma non troppo - Largo - Giga - Vivace / Allegro 11-15 Lesson III: Allemand - Courant - Saraband - Giga (Presto) - Gavot (Andante) 16-19 Lesson IV: Siciliana - Allegro - Andantino - Allegro CD2: 01-05 Lesson V: Andante moderato - Allmand - Corrante - Andante - Minuet (Presto) 06-09 Lesson VI: Largo - Allegro - Pastorale - Air / Minuetto andante 10-14 Lesson VII: Moderato - Allegro - Grave - Gig - Rondeau (Andante) 15-18 Lesson VIII: Spiritoso - Allegro - Minuet - March (Grave) 19 Brillante (Lessons for the Harpsichord, 1761)

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

Poulenc: Works for Piano Solo & Duo Lucille Chung Alessio Bax Poulenc was a skilled pianist, cultivating a style of playing characterised by colorfulness and clarity, possessing an ear for melody that distinguished him as France’s finest song composer since Fauré.

Canadian pianist Lucille Chung – acclaimed for her “stylish and refined performances” by Gramophone magazine, “combining vigour and suppleness with natural eloquence and elegance” – appears as a soloist on this new recording, performing Poulenc’s 'Improvisations and Novelettes' before being joined by her duo partner (and husband) Alessio Bax for 'L’embarquement pour Cythère', the Sonata for Four Hands and Concerto for Two Pianos.

Label: Signum Classics File Under: Classical/Instrumental Catalogue No: SIGCD455 Barcode: 635212045527 Price: £8.98 Format: 1 CD Packaging: cristal Lucille Chung (piano); Alessio Bax (piano)

1-15 15 Improvisations 16-18 3 Novelettes: Novelette sur un thème de Manuel de Falla 19-21 Sonata for Four Hands 22 L’embarquement pour Cythère 23-25 Concerto in D Minor for Two Pianos

RELEASE DATE 6TH MAY 2016

RACHMANINOV: Piano Concerto No. 3, The Bells Van Cliburn Moscow Philharmonic Kirill Kondrashin “Is he the best?” Khrushchev asked a nervous Jury in 1958, “Then give him the prize”. At the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow during the height of the Cold War, the gold medal went to the young American pianist Van Cliburn. On his return to New York he was carried aloft through the streets in triumph. The conductor Kondrashin, no stranger to such acclaim, met with similar success when he came to New York in 1962. He knew how to render the innate Russian-ness of Rachmaninov’s compositions imbued with religious fervour, (like 'The Bells', his universally respected choral symphony). dates and tracks tbc

Label: Praga Digitals File Under: Classical/Orchestral Catalogue No: PRD350123 Barcode: 3149028086225 NORMAL Price Format: 1 hybrid SACD Packaging: cristal Van Cliburn, Symphony of the Air Orchestra, Elizaveta Shumskaya, Mikhail Dovenmann, Alexei Bolshakov, Russian Republic Capella, Alexander Yurlov, Moscow Philharmonic, Kirill Kondrashin