HBD Winter 2025 Classics & Jazz Catalog

Winter 2025

All Prices Good through 03/31/25

Schubert: Symphonie No. 8 / Leonard Bernstein see page 8

New Jazz Releases see page 50

HBDirect Classics

We are pleased to present the HBDirect Winter 2025 Classics & Jazz catalog, with an expanded selection of releases we’re sure will be of great interest to our customers. We’re proud to once again feature releases from the Warner Classics, Alto Music, Hyperion, and Harmonia Mundi labels, among others. On the classical side, you’ll find sale promotions on select titles from Alpha Classics, Vox Classics, and Cedille Records, as well as a wealth of new 2025 titles! On the jazz side, we welcome SteepleChase Records with a 20% introductory sale! Also, you’ll find a sampling of some of the best classical & jazz offerings available on vinyl LP.

We thank you for your continued support and remind you to keep our catalogs handy. Visit our website www.hbdirect.com where you’ll find a more expansive selection of titles and additional label promotions. Also, our order line (800/222/6872) is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! We thank you for your continued support and remind you that prices are good for this catalog through March 31, 2025.

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In addition to this specialty Classical & Jazz catalog, HBDirect regularly publishes a Mixed-Genre Catalog featuring World Music, Folk, Roots of American popular music, Retro and Stage & Screen – in addition to classical and jazz favorites!

Sales tax obligation changes

Carsten Dahl, Diego Pinera, Johny Carlsson, Jacky Terrasson See page 50

Steeplechase Records

Dizzy Gillespie Quintet, Ella Fitzgerald, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker See page 52

HBDirect is obligated by law to collect sales tax on merchandise and shipping from residents of FL, KY, NJ, PA, & VT (6%) and TN (9.725%)

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Double Moon Records

Bobby Previte, Joe Haider Trio, Anette von Eichel, Marcus Klossek See page 55

& Jazz Winter 2025

Scarlatti: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 29

Domenico Scarlatti’s 555 keyboard sonatas were most probably written for his patron, Princess Maria Barbara of Portugal. Her love of music leads us to assume that she was suitably appreciative of these extraordinary gifts from her teacher and friend. The earlier sonatas are rooted in the Italian style, with the Sonata in G major, K. 103 notable for its eyebrow-raising lurches between major and minor tonalities. The influence of Spanish flamenco guitar can be heard in exotic embellishments and spicy harmonies. Scarlatti’s astonishing originality can be found throughout this entire collection. (Naxos) 1CD# 8574633 $19.99

Beethoven: Quartets, Vol. 3 / Calidore Quartet [3 CDs]

The third and final installment in their award-winning series, the Calidore Quartet return with a three-disc release of Beethoven Early Quartets. Their previous Beethoven recordings have been described as ‘highly collectible’ by BBC Music Magazine. The first album of Late Quartets won the Chamber Music Award at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2024, and the second was awarded Recording of the Month by Gramophone. The contents of this recording project serve as a snapshot of their fourteen years of working, growing, listening, and collaborating together. (Signum Classics)

3CD# SIGCD883 $37.99

Mozart: Concert Arias

After his acclaimed performances in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels, tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen delivers his highly anticipated first Mozart recording with his ensemble A Nocte Temporis. This imaginative program showcases Mozart’s lesser-known, original tenor arias, including a stunning aria from Mitridate, Re di Ponto. A must-hear collection that reveals the hidden gems of Mozart’s operatic genius. (Alpha) 1CD# ALPHA1114 $20.99 $16.79

Mahler: Symphony No. 7 / Bavarian Radio SO

In November 2021, even before taking up his post as chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle began a cycle of Mahler symphonies with a performance of the Ninth. The Sixth followed in September 2023, and the conductor is now tackling the composer’s Seventh Symphony. This cycle marks the beginning of a new chapter in Mahler interpretation, as Rattle is just as passionate a Mahler admirer at the helm of the orchestra as his predecessors Jansons, Maazel, and Kubelík. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900225 $19.99

Smetana: Symphonic Works / Prague Radio SO [3 CDs]

Within a mere few years, Petr Popelka has established himself as one of the world’s most exciting young conductors. Serving as principal conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Wiener Symphoniker, he has also appeared as a guest with prominent European and American orchestras, as well as at opera houses worldwide. This extraordinary album marks the 200th anniversary of Smetana’s birth. Lovers of spatial sound will certainly relish streaming “My Country” in the Dolby Atmos format. Petr Popelka conducts Smetana—with love, deep feeling, and sense for detail. (Supraphon)

3CD# SU4347-2 $44.99

Haydn: Complete Symphonies / Heidelberger Sinfoniker [36 CDs]

“The Heidelberg Haydn is a paragon of dynamism, freshness, wildness, humor, and a wealth of surprises. I am delighted that the journey continues and the cycle is complete. My musical encounters with the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra have always been journeys to happiness. Idealism, love of music, and technical perfection!” writes conductor Johannes Klumpp. He has taken over the great task of recording all 107 symphonies by Joseph Haydn from his predecessor Thomas Frey with great respect. The Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra released the first CD in this series back in 1999. (Haenssler Classic)

36CD# HC24042 $84.99

Italian Violin Sonatas [7 CDs]

A unique collection of Italian violin sonatas from the 19th and 20th centuries in stylish, native, modern studio recordings. In composing violin sonatas during this era, Italian composers were naturally drawing on an unrivalled heritage of violinistic writing. This comprehensive 7-CD set is a generous survey of fullblooded romantic music ablaze with Mediterranean passion and warmth. (Brilliant Classics)

7CD# BRI97323 $32.99

Wagner: The Ring of the Nibelung [12 CDs]

This Ring cycle established the major figures for the next five years: Hotter always as Wotan, Varnay and Mödl more or less alternating as Brünnhilde, and Windgassen, with one exception, Siegfried, similarly Gustav Neidlinger as Alberich. No more satisfactory Ring cast has been assembled since; indeed, none that can touch it, and this release is a fitting tribute to its lasting greatness. (Pan Classics)

12CD# PC10461

Messiaen: Catalogue d’oiseaux / Pierre-Laurent Aimard [3 CDs]

Renowned pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s recording of Olivier Messiaen’s Catalogue d’Oiseaux created a sensation when first released on Pentatone in 2018, and now returns to the market in an attractively priced stereo reissue. (Pentatone)

3CD# PTC5187214

$26.99

Hugo Alfvén: Complete Symphonies, Suites & Rhapsodies [7 CDs]

The success of Hugo Alfven’s symphonies fundamentally changed Sweden’s musical climate and, with a substantial collection of further orchestral music representing his gloriously rich and varied style, these recordings sweep us into the remarkable world of Scandinavian landscape and culture. (Naxos)

7CD# 8507015 $54.99

Mendelssohn: The Great Edition [40 CDs]

Discover the genius of Felix Mendelssohn in this 40-CD boxed set. Featuring iconic masterpieces and rare works, it showcases performances by world-class musicians such as Maxim Vengerov, the Alban Berg Quartett, and Marie-Claire Alain. This collection includes landmark recordings and first-time CD releases, including a comprehensive set of Mendelssohn’s organ works. (Warner)

40CD# WCL777413.2 $139.98

Schmidt: Complete Symphonies [4 CDs]

Vassily Sinaisky’s widely acclaimed cycle of Schmidt symphonies with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra is now available as a 4-CD box set. Also included are the popular orchestral excerpts from the opera Notre Dame, Variations on a Hussar’s Song, the Fuga Solemnis for organ, brass, and percussion, as well as the monumental Chaconne. (Naxos)

4CD# 8504059 $42.99

Louis Lane Conducts the Cleveland Orchestra [14 CDs]

Between 1959 and 1972 – with the full Cleveland Orchestra, the somewhat smaller Cleveland Pops, and the chamber-sized Cleveland Sinfonietta –Louis Lane made a series of critically acclaimed recordings for Columbia. Sony Classical is pleased to present them now in this new 14-disc set. (Sony) 14CD# 19658833742 $59.98

Bernard Haitink – Portrait, Vol. 2 [9 CDs]

BR-Klassik honors the legendary conductor Bernard Haitink with a second 9-CD portrait edition, featuring live recordings from his long-standing partnership with the Bavarian Radio Chorus and BRSO. This collection spans over six decades of performances, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Bruckner’s Symphonies, Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, and Shostakovich’s Symphonies. (BR Klassik) 9CD# BRK900720 $85.99

Haydn Symphonies Vol. 32–35 / Heidelberger Sinfoniker [4 CDs]

Joseph Haydn: Complete Symphonies Vols. 32–35. With this box set of four CDs, you now have the final missing piece of the jigsaw of the complete recordings of all of Haydn’s symphonies, as performed by the Heidelberg Symphony Orchestra. Heidelberg Haydn is a paragon of dynamism, freshness, wildness, humour, and a richness of surprise. (Haenssler Classic) 4CD# HC24039 $44.99

Brahms: Symphonies 1–4 / Bernard Haitink; London SO [4 CDs]

Bernard Haitink’s acclaimed cycle of Brahms symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra is now remastered on SACD. These recordings highlight Haitink’s fresh interpretations of Brahms’ symphonic masterpieces, and includes all four symphonies,as well as the Double Concerto, Tragic Overture, and Serenade No. 2. A must-have collection for lovers of Brahms. (LSO Live)

4SACD# LSOL570SACD $25.98

Sets

Thomas: The Complete Recordings [80 CDs]

Sony’s 80-CD box set now, for the first time, collects the entire discography MIchael Tilson Thomas amassed for RCA, CBS and Sony Classical between 1973 and 2005. He was Leonard Bernstein’s most famous protégé, and it’s convenient to draw parallels between two prodigiously gifted composers who became the leading American conductor of their respective generations. (Sony)

80CD# 19802819932 $299.98

La Divina – Maria Callas in All Her Roles [135 CDs]

This is the most comprehensive box of Maria Callas recordings ever released, presenting ‘La Divina’ in all 74 roles for which audio documents exist. This collection comprises her complete studio recordings, an extensive collection ot live recordings, videos, and alternate takes from studio recordings of the 1960s. The collection includes Blu-ray, DVD-ROM, and hardcover book. (Warner Classics)

135CD# WCL747395.2 $399.98

Frederic Lodeon: Complete Erato Recordings [21 CDs]

Today, Frederic Lodeon is probably best known as a man of the media, whose culture and sense of humour have done so much on the French airwaves and TV to spread the knowledge of classical music to a wider audience. Covering a broad spectrum of concerto and chamber music for cello, his discographic legacy for Erato and EMI is a tribute to his flamboyant style. (Erato)

21CD# EAO654625.2 $64.98

Szell Conducts Beethoven [7 CDs]

George Szell, a Hungarian-born Viennese conductor, is celebrated for his mastery of Beethoven and his transformative work with the Cleveland Orchestra. This 7-disc collection captures the essence of his artistry, showcasing his profound influence on one of the finest orchestras in the world. (Sony)

7CD# 19802819962 $40.98

BOX SETS IN BRIEF

French Baroque Music [14 CDs]

Jean-François Paillard, a founding member of Erato, dedicated his orchestra to preserving the French Baroque tradition, with a special focus on the concertos of JeanMarie Leclair. This limited 14-CD set showcases the orchestra’s performances of works by Leclair, Couperin, Rameau, and others. A celebration of French Baroque music and Paillard’s enduring legacy. (Erato)

14CD# EAO628784.2 $39.98

I Lituani / Lithuanian National SO [3 CDs]

In 2020, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and Kaunas State Choir, led by Modestas Pitrenas, made the first professional recording of Amilcare Ponchielli’s opera I Lituani. The opera tells the story of Lithuania’s medieval resistance against the Teutonic Knights. This recording brings to life a significant yet overlooked Italian opera masterpiece. (Accentus)

3CD# ACC80642 $47.99

The Art of Oboe / Marcel Ponseele, Il Gardellino [9 CDs]

Marcel Ponseele, a master of the baroque oboe, is renowned for his impeccable technique and expressive interpretations on period instruments. This 9-CD box set compiles all of Ponseele’s recordings for the Accent label between 1988 and 2013, showcasing his warm tone and precise artistry. A musthave collection for lovers of oboe virtuosity. (Accent)

9CD# ACC 24409 $39.99

Earliest French Piano [3 CDs]

This important addition to APR’s French Piano School series presents some of the earliest and rarest piano recordings ever made, many reissued for the first time. Featuring complete solo works by renowned pianists such as Saint-Saëns, Diémer, and Planté, these recordings offer a unique glimpse into 19thcentury musical history. (APR) 3CD# APR7318 $29.99

Polish Chamber Music: Penderecki, Szymanowski, Bacewicz, Górecki, Lukaszewski [5 CDs]

The five-disc album contains recordings made by the DAFO String Quartet over the past 30 years. The ensemble celebrates a round anniversary by taking the listeners on a time-travel adventure. (Dux) 5CD# DUX2040-44 $59.99

Beethoven: Violin Sonatas / Annedore Oberborbeck; Michael Schoch [4 CDs]

“On a personal level, I’ve always felt that Beethoven is the composer to whom I feel closest; the first sonata I ever played was a Beethoven sonata...” – Annedore Oberborbeck (Haenssler Classic) 4CD# HC23083 $32.99

Vox Luminis 20 Years [21 CDs]

Outhere Music celebrates the 20th anniversary of Vox Luminis with the release of the recordings made by the ensemble for Ricercar, Alpha Classics, and Ramée between 2007 and 2021. (Ricercar) 21CD# RIC111 $59.99

Schubert: Complete Symphonies / B’Rock Orchestra [4 CDs]

The acclaimed Schubert symphonies recordings by B’Rock Orchestra and René Jacobs now appear in a complete 4-disc box set. (Pentatone)

4CD# PTC5187353 $53.99

Box Sets

Emanuel Feuermann – The Complete RCA Album Collection [7 CDs]

For the first time ever, Sony Classical presents a complete collection of the recordings made for RCA Victor by the fabled Austrian cellist Emanuel Feuermann with 11 works for the first time on CD. The set comes with new liner notes by violin expert John Maltese as well as photos and facsimiles from the private archives of cellist Marika Hughes, granddaughter of Emanuel Feuermann. (Sony)

Smetana: The Complete Operas [17 CDs]

Celebrate the legacy of Bedřich Smetana with this luxurious 17-CD box set, featuring the complete collection of his operas. Including iconic recordings from legendary Czech conductors and singers, this definitive edition showcases Smetana’s dramatic brilliance. A perfect collector’s item, complete with a comprehensive booklet, rare photographs, and downloadable librettos in Czech and English. (Supraphon)

Mahler: Symphonies Nos. 1-10 [11 SACDs]

Each of Gustav Mahler’s ten symphonies is a sprawling epic, full of emotional turmoil. The Minnesota Orchestra embarked on a complete performance of all ten symphonies in 2016. Eight years later, the recordings of these symphonies have been brought together in this specially priced boxed set. (BIS)

BIS-2696

Schoenberg: Julliard String Quartet [7 CDs]

Arguably no recordings have done more to further the cause of Schoenberg’s orchestral and vocal works than those of Pierre Boulez, while none have done more to promote his chamber music than those by the Juilliard Quartet. Sony Classical now presents all of the Juilliard’s Schoenberg for CBS/ Columbia in a 7-disc set. (Sony) 7CD# 19658827202 $47.98

Shostakovich: The Symphonies [12 CDs]

This survey of Shostakovich’s Symphonies, recorded between 2002 and 2004, has found its place among the great such cycles, both for its artistic merits and its reference sonics, the wide dynamics and the impassioned playing from the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne that the native Leningrad native Kitajenko gets from his musicians. (Capriccio) 12CD# C7435 $47.99

Papandopulo: The Complete String Quartets [3 CDs]

Discover the captivating world of Boris Papandopulo with this new release of his string quartets, showcasing his distinctive blend of folk influences, socialist realism, and Western experimentation. This collection spans the composer’s entire creative life, including the expressive wartime Clarinet Quintet and the playful Guitar Quartet. (CPO)

3CD# 555469-2 $32.99

Bruckner: The Symphonies – Complete Versions Edition [18 CDs]

Released to coincide with Bruckner’s 200th birthday in 2024, this 18CD set brings together the entire recorded cycle of Bruckner’s symphonies in the Capriccio label’s The Complete Versions Edition. This is the most comprehensive Bruckner Symphonies cycle available today. (Naxos)

18CD#

Bach: The Vocal Works / Bach Collegium Japan [78 CDs]

Hailed by the international music press and highly praised by music connoisseurs, the recordings of Bach’s entire body of vocal music made by the Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ), its conductor Masaaki Suzuki and numerous prestigious soloists are here brought together to form the only complete set of these works in SACD format. (BIS)

78SACD# BIS-9061 $479.99

Complete RCA Victor Recordings / Boston Symphony Orchestra [4 CDs]

Baroque Piano Collection [12 CDs]

This survey of RCA Boston Symphony recordings during the Steinberg era is rounded off with 1970 tapings of Dvorák’s “New World” Symphony and Carnival Overture from the same recording period by Arthur Fiedler, former BSO violinist and longstanding conductor of the Boston Pops. (Sony)

4CD# 19658829882 $39.98

Masterpieces of Baroque piano literature, in critically acclaimed recordings by pianists with a fine sensibility for the 18th century. Recordings made between 2005 and 2023; new booklet essay; an ideal budget introduction to the world of the Baroque keyboard, full of elegant dances and virtuoso playing. (Brilliant Classics)

12CD# BRI97483 $52.99

Warner Classics

Artemis Quartet: Complete Recordings 1996–2018 [23 CDs]

Intense, passionate and impeccable in it’s musical disciplines, the Berlin-based Artemis Quartet “consistently finds a balance between projecting musical structure and conveying immediacy.” Confirming that verdict from the New York Times is this 23-CD collection, encompassing all the recordings the ensemble made between 1996 and 2018. (Warner Classics)

23CD# WCL764330.2 $99.98

Pappano: Complete Symphonic, Concertante & Sacred Music [27 CDs]

The collaborative efforts, the mutual emulation and inspiration of Sir Antonio Pappano and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome have spanned 18 years. This box brings together all the recordings that the British conductor Sir Antonio Pappano made with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in the years from 2005 to 2022 for Warner. (Warner Classics)

27CD# WCL779307.2 $99.98

Wolfgang Sawallisch: Complete Symphonic, Lieder & Choral Recordings [65 CDs]

This 65-CD box brings together all the non-operatic recordings that the German conductor and pianist Wolfgang Sawallisch (1923–2013) made in the years from 1954 to 1997 for EMI Classics and Electrola (now Warner). (Warner Classics)

65CD# WCL783217.2 $199.98

Leif Ove Andsnes: Complete Warner Classics Edition [36 CDs]

Leif Ove Andsnes is a leading pianist of his time, known for his exceptional musicianship and subtle touch, his considerable technical flair being unfailingly put at the service of his interpretations. He was a pioneer for being the first home-trained superstar pianist to have emerged from Norway. This box is the story of a 20-year partnership that has yielded a rich seam of recorded treasures. (Warner Classics)

36CD# WCL741400.2 $99.98

WARNER BOXES IN BRIEF

Otto Klemperer: Remastered Edition, Vol. 2 –Operas and Sacred Works [29 CDs]

This 29-disc box set comprises all the operas and sacred works Otto Klemperer conducted for EMI Columbia and HMV. Oratorios by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Handel are accompanied by operas of Beethoven, Mozart and Wagner. (Warner Classics)

29CD# WCL752899.2 $119.98

Lars Vogt: Complete Warner Classics Edition [27 CDs]

Lars Vogt’s (1970–2022) early recordings collected here provide a document of an artist who always remained authentic, both to himself and to music. Vogt never sought absolute truth, but truthfulness instead meant all the more to him. The man and the artist were always very close, never currying favor and never detached from the world.

(Warner Classics)

27CD# WCL760490.2 $79.98

Victoria de los Angeles: Complete HMV Recordings [59 CDs]

A singer who inspired the greatest admiration and affection, Victoria de los Angeles was, in the words of Opera magazine, “one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century”. This 59-CD box unites all the recordings in her Warner Classics catalogue, made between 1948 and 1977, and encompasses complete operas, collections of arias and a rich treasury of song. (Warner Classics)

59CD# WCL752928.2 $179.98

Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies / Wilhelm Furtwangler [6 CDs]

Alfred Corlot: The Warner Classics Edition [40 CDs]

Beethoven was Wilhelm Furtwangler’s guiding musical force. In his interpretations of the symphonies, the conductor generates irresistible dramatic momentum – and a constant sense of imaginative freshness –through the interrelationship of form, harmony, texture, rhythm and tempo. (Warner Classics)

6SACD# WCL713888SACD $69.98

Discover the artistry of Alfred Cortot, one of the greatest pianists of his era, in this meticulously restored collection of his iconic recordings. (Warner Classics)

40CD# WCL747194.2 $89.98

Pablo Casals: Complete HMV Recordings 1926–1955 [9 CDs]

Finally, an enchanting disc of encores and – with Pablo Casals’ (1876–1973) own street-band or cobla – seven examples of the sardana, the national dance of the great artist’s beloved homeland. (Warner Classics) 9CD# WCL752241.2 $29.98

Belcea Quartet: Complete Warner Classics Edition 2000–2009 [11 CDs]

Experience the Belcea Quartet’s remarkable interpretations of Schubert, Britten, Bartók, and Mozart, captured during their celebrated years with EMI Classics. (Warner Classics) 11CD# WCL721143.2 $39.98

Cesar Franck Edition – 200th Anniversary [16 CDs]

These five CDs of historical recordings testify to the continuing growth of Cesar Franck’s reputation after his death in 1890, and to the vibrant performing tradition engendered by his genius. (Warner Classics)

16CD# WCL631785.2 $59.98

Schubert: Symphonie No 8 / Leonard Bernstein

Experience the magic of Leonard Bernstein’s unparalleled artistry with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in this release. Featuring a stunning live recording of Schubert’s Great C Major Symphony from 1987, this collection captures Bernstein’s warmth, brilliance, and mastery. Relive this historic performance, preserved in exceptional clarity. (BR Klassik)

2CD# BRK900229 $29.99

Bruckner from the Archives, Vol. 4 / Berlin Radio SO [2 CDs]

SOMM Recordings is delighted to release Volume 4 in its “major commemorative series” (ConcertoNet.com) Bruckner from the Archives. This fourth installment offers the first ever release of a live radio broadcast of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 by the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnányi (1963). (SOMM)

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / Bernard Haitink

The Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra enjoyed a long and intensive artistic collaboration, which came to an abrupt end with Haitink’s death in October 2021. BR-Klassik now presents outstanding and previously unreleased live recordings of their concerts from past years. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900210 $19.99

Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 5

“With this fifth and final CD of my complete recording of Mozart’s piano sonatas, I conclude a musical cycle that has been particularly meaningful to me. It has been a truly enriching journey to explore Mozart’s development as a composer and pianist through these works, and I am delighted to be able to share this journey with you in its entirety.” – Jean Muller (Hanssler Classic)

1CD# HC24027 $20.99

Beethoven: Middle String Quartets / Narratio Quartet [2 CDs]

Second volume of Narratio Quartet’s complete survey of Beethoven’s string quartets. This 2-CD set gathers together the three complex quartets Op. 59 and the more accessible quartet Op. 74. Early Music Review noted:

“The quartet’s name refers to the art of rhetoric, the projection of which is tellingly apparent in these marvellously communicative performances.” (Challenge)

2CD# CC 72981 $19.99

Dvorak: Piano Trio No. 1 / Trio des Alpes

Dvořák’s chamber music is amongst the most extensive and significant of the 19th century, and the four surviving piano trios embody his command of the form. The first two were written in rapid succession, with No. 1 in B flat major marrying Schubertian lyricism with Slavic inflexions, serenity with joy. (Dynamic) 1CD# DYN-CDS8003 $16.99

C.P.E. Bach: Flute

Concertos

Kabalevsky, Shostakovich & Tchaikovsky: Cello Music

Following his CD debut in 2023, cellist Lionel Martin devotes the present album to Russian repertoire from the 19th and 20th centuries. All three composers on this album come from the same region, and all three struggled with their fate. (SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19159CD $20.99

A Lionel Tertis Celebration / Timothy Ridout

Lionel Tertis (1876–1975), a great genius of the viola, is little known to today’s public. Timothy Ridout pays tribute to this key figure in his instrument’s history with a flamboyant program featuring music by Tertis’s friends, teachers and students alongside some of his own original works and transcriptions. A marvelous musical journey, rich in discoveries. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF905376.2 $23.98

Adams: Dreamcatcher / James McVinnie

Organist and pianist James McVinnie makes his Pentatone debut with Dreamcatcher, an intimate sequence of contemporary classical music centred around the act of imagining. The recording features the organ of St Albans Cathedral—an epoch-making instrument closely associated with legendary organists Peter Hurford and Ralph Downes. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187404 $17.99

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788) was regarded as one of the greatest theoretical and practical musicians of his time, even during his lifetime; arguably the most famous son of Johann Sebastian Bach, he broke new ground in the concerto genre between the Baroque and Classical periods. His flute concerti are not only technically exceptionally demanding but are particularly challenging. (Fuga Libera)

1CD# FUG836 $20.99

Dvorak: Evening Songs / Adam Plachetka; David Svec

Renowned bass-baritone Adam

Plachetka celebrates the Year of Czech Music with an anthology of Czech evening songs by Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, Zdeněk Fibich, and Josef Suk. All based on love poems for Vítezslav Hálek’s Vecerní písne (Evening Songs), these songs provide a panorama of great Czech music, also zooming in on lesser-known repertoire. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187219 $17.99

Vienna – Joyful Apocalypse / Aurelien Pontier

We also hear evocations of Schubert, Liszt, Mahler and Kreisler, all imbued with a kind of nostalgia that belongs only to the mythical city of Vienna. Dedicated to the last years of Imperial Vienna, which gave rise to an artistic effervescence unique in European history, the program opens with a piano transcription of Strauss’s Die Fledermaus and ends with Ravel’s La Valse. (Warner Classic)

1CD# WCL763349.2 $18.98

Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge & Other Songs

“Nicky Spence and colleagues serve up a nourishing feast of Vaughan Williams’s vocal music, culminating in a performance of On Wenlock Edge which, in its thrilling assurance, strength of imagination and rapt instinct, inclines me to rank it alongside the very finest I know... in sum, a hugely enjoyable offering for the RVW sesquicentennial.’’ – Gramophone (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68378.2 $19.98

Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 77 / Maxwell Quartet

Following two highly acclaimed albums, the Maxwell Quartet rounds off its Haydn mini-series with the composer’s two Op. 77 string quartets, juxtaposed with its signature pairing of Scottish folk music. The quartet has become known for its ‘infectious enthusiasm’ and ‘irresistible’ playing.

BBC Music Magazine (Linn)

1CD# CKD741 $20.99

NEW RELEASES IN BRIEF

Brahms & Schubert / Trio Vitruvi

Schreker: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Following the success of Volume 1, this second album celebrates Franz Schreker’s triumphant years after his groundbreaking opera Der ferne Klang (1912). Featuring the lush Art Nouveau brilliance of Vorspiel zu einem Drama (1914) and the Chamber Symphony (1916), these works showcase Schreker’s unparalleled mastery of sound, harmony, and melody. (CPO) 1CD# 777703-2 $18.99

Beethoven & Brahms / Kate Liu

Pianist Kate Liu rose to international prominence after winning the Bronze Medal and Best Mazurka Prize at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw, along with the audience prize from the Polish public. Her latest recording spans two pianistic masterpieces: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 and the 3rd Sonata of Brahms. (Orchid Classics)

1CD# ORC100359 $16.99

Wranitzky: Orchestral Works, Vol. 8

Paul Wranitzky began composing late in life compared to his friend Mozart, but quickly rose to become the most important symphonist in Vienna by the end of the 1790s. The dramatic Grande sinfonie caractéristique pour la paix avec la République françoise depicts the French Revolution and France’s subsequent war with Austria. (Naxos) 1CD# 8574616 $19.99

Tales of Song & Sadness / Cappella Amsterdam; Daniel Reuss

Tales of Song of Sadness is a double tribute from the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Cappella Amsterdam, commemorating the demise of Frans Brüggen and Louis Andriessen, two giants of Dutch music culture. The album also documents the unique entanglement of early and contemporary music pioneers in post-war Netherlands whose influence stretched far beyond national borders. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187389 $96.99

This album of chamber works featuring piano brings together Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor and Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A Major, delivered by the dynamic forces of Trio Vitruvi. (Orchid Classics)

1CD# ORC100336 $16.99

Bruckner 3 – Version 1877

It is Bruckner’s Third Symphony, above all, “in which the trumpet introduces the theme,” that encapsulates this striving for absolute music – music that is timeless and continues to touch people’s hearts. (Profil) 1CD# PH24040 $20.99

Schubert: Piano Works, Vol. 2

“As always, Bushakevitz was detailed, nuanced and with great lyrical flair for pieces that require both a display of formal technique and improvisational instinct” – Scherzo (Haenssler Classic)

1CD# HC24025 $20.99

Ravel; Schubert: Recital

The first collaboration on record of long-time recital partners Viktoria Mullova and Katia Labèque. This fascinating program spans a tremendously exciting 100 years, in which music changed irreversibly. (Signum Classics) 1CD# SIGCD884 $20.99

Maestro – Very Best of Leonard Bernstein [2 CDs]

Experience the genius of Leonard Bernstein – electrifying conductor, brilliant composer, and inspiring teacher – in this essential 2-CD collection. Featuring legendary recordings of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler, it captures the Maestro’s unmatched passion and artistry. (Deutsche Grammophon)

2CD# DEGR140773.2 $24.98

Works by Fanny Mendelssohn; Clara Schumann / JoAnn Faletta

“Centenaries often yield rich results in recordings... This one is music by women composers performed by the Women’s Philharmonic under JoAnn Falletta which includes premieres of orchestral versions of two chamber-pieces, D’un Soir Triste and D’un Matin de Printemps.” – Gramophone (Musical Concepts) 1CD# MUCO3111.2 $12.98

Foss: Symphony No. 1, Renaissance Concerto, 3 American Pieces & Ode

German-American composer Lukas Foss transformed the Buffalo Philharmonic into an adventurous and world-renowned orchestra during his tenure as music director, and he was a mentor to the orchestra’s current music director, JoAnn Falletta, at the start of her career. This album celebrates the 100th anniversary of Foss’s birth with four works. (Naxos) 1CD# 8559938 $19.99

Fucík: Dances & Marches

One of the great ‘march kings’ of his time, Julius Fucik gained worldwide fame for his immortal “Entry of the Gladiators,” but after the composer’s death in 1916 many scores were lost. Painstaking editorial work has been carried out allowing us to hear the full range of Fucik’s works in these premiere recordings. (Marco Polo)

1CD# 8225381 $19.99

Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky & Lieutenant Kijé Suite

Leonard Slatkin released multiple albums on the Vox label. These classic Vox recordings of Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky and Lieutenant Kijé have been praised as ‘powerful and compelling performances’. Produced by the legendary Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz who made some of the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3033CD $19.99 $15.99

Quartets Nos. 2–3 [2 CDs]

Celebrate the legacy of pianist Lars Vogt with his final recordings: Brahms’ Piano Quartets No. 2 and No. 3. Featuring stellar performances by Christian Tetzlaff, Barbara Buntrock, and Tanja Tetzlaff, this poignant album fulfills Vogt’s wish to share these masterpieces with the world. (Ondine)

2CD# ODE 1448-2 $24.99

Russian Violin Concertos

This remarkable album marks the recording debut of German violinist Julia Fischer as well as the beginning of her extraordinary partnership with Russian-born conductor Yakov Kreizber. Together they tackle three Russian violin concertos (by Khachaturian, Prokofiev and Glazunov) which have been tragically overlooked, shedding new light on these masterpieces. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187110 $17.99

Tchaikovsky & Korngold: String Sextets / Nash Ensemble

The teenage Korngold possessed a compositional fluency and maturity which belied his youth. In contrast, Tchaikovsky feared – wholly unjustifiably – his own creative powers to be on the wane when writing “Souvenir de Florence”. The Nash Ensemble brings passion and conviction to both. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68406.2 $19.98

Higdon: Duo Duel & Concerto for Orchestra

The world premiere recording of Duo Duel for two pitched percussion instruments and orchestra is a double concerto of scintillating, high-speed virtuosity. Concerto for Orchestra demands the utmost in technical accomplishment from all members of the orchestra. Robert Spano conducts the Houston Symphony with percussion virtuosos Stev Stoyanov and Matthew Strauss. (Naxos)

Dvořák: Symphonies Nos. 7, 8, & 9 [2 CDs]

1CD# 8559913 $19.99

The Czech Philharmonic and its Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov present a new recording of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphonies 7, 8, and 9, coupled with the composer’s concert overtures In Nature’s Realm, Carnival, and Othello. The album is part of the 2024 Year of Czech Music. (Pentatone)

2CD# PTC5187216 $26.99

Brahms: Piano

Favorites

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Ukrainian Wedding / Capella Romana

Experience the rich traditions of Ukrainian wedding songs with Nadia Tarnawsky and Cappella Romana, joined by Ukrainian folklorists Inna Kovtun and Hanna Tishchenko. From vibrant village melodies to the sublime chants of the wedding ceremony, this performance celebrates the rituals of engagement, marriage, and blessing, preserving songs collected from Ukraine. (Cappella)

1CD# CR431 $17.99

C.P.E. Bach: Symphonies – From Berlin to Hamburg

This new album rounds off the complete recording of the symphonies of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach that the musicians of the Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin began over two decades ago. The final batch offers the quintessence of his art, revealing the full originality of Johann Sebastian’s inspired son, whose freedom and inventiveness paved the way for Haydn and Mozart. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMFHMM902317.2 $23.98

Lindberg: Viola Concerto, Absence & Serenades

This new album by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and its chief conductor Nicholas Collon features some of the most recent orchestral compositions by Magnus Lindberg, culminating with his new Viola Concerto, a substantial new work masterfully performed by Lawrence Power as soloist. (Ondine)

1CD# ODE 1436-2 $18.99

Partsongs, Pastorals / The Sixteen

Celebrating Anglo-Irish composer

Charles Villiers Stanford’s centenary, this new album from The Sixteen includes a number of premiere recordings of Stanford’s Irish Folksongs and Partsongs. Stanford composed a substantial number of concert works, including seven symphonies, but he is bestremembered for his choral works. (Coro)

1CD# COR16207 $18.99

TITLES IN BRIEF

This Land / Lara Downes

With This Land, Downes celebrates the beauty of the American experiment while offering an unflinching acknowledgement of its flaws and failings, ultimately embracing the power of hope and humanity as a pathway to finding common ground and building a brighter future. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187200 $17.99

Gubaidulina: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Bayan & Rejoice!

For the five movements of the duo composition Rejoice! for violin and cello (1981), Sofia Gubaidulina chose various quotations from the writings of the Ukrainian ‘travelling philosopher’ Grigori Skoworoda. Due to the unmistakable religious references it was not possible to premiere the work until 1988 and the premiere took place in Finland. (Orfeo)

1CD# ORF-C230121 $20.99

The Schumann Trilogy. Complete Concertos & Piano Trios / Isabelle Faust [4 CDs]

These albums left their mark on the Schumann discography: performing the works on period instruments, the artists suddenly revealed unexpected textures and sonorities. This boxed set assembles the three discs for the first time, with a bonus Blu-ray of the three concertos and the Overture, Scherzo and Finale in concert at the Berlin Philharmonie. (Harmonia Mundi)

4CD# HMF2904095.2 $31.98

Haydn: String Quartets Opp 42, 77 & Seven Last Words

“This delectable collection offers three more of the best: the two Op. 77 quartets plus the D minor Op. 42, which contrasts excellently with the serenity and poise of the late works. There’s a wonderful immediacy about the London Haydn Quartet’s playing here, complemented by superb recorded sound.” –

BBC Music Magazine (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68410.2 $19.98

Oquin, Parker & Rouse: Organ Concertos / Nashville SO; Guerrero

This release features organ concertos by some of America’s finest contemporary composers. The program ends with Ives’ Variations on “America” for solo organ. (Naxos)

1CD# 8559936 $19.99

Kodály: Organ Works / Iain Quinn

This album brings together all of Kodály’s extant pieces for organ, along with works by his contemporaries. The performances take place at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, Atlanta. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574544 $19.99

Grieg: Piano Concerto, Old Norwegian Melody with Variations

Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra are joined by Grant Johannesen in this classic Vox recording of Grieg’s Piano Concerto. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3040CD $19.99 $15.99

Piano Concertos / Paul Wee; Swedish Chamber Orchestra

After three solo recordings, virtuoso pianist Paul Wee brings us two forgotten concertos from the Romantic period with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Michael Collins. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2715 $21.99

Harmonia Mundi

Mozart: Piano Concertos K. 238 & 503 / Freiburger Barockorchester

From the youthful Concerto No. 6 (1776) to the almost testamentary Concerto No. 25 (1786), Mozart’s style underwent considerable evolution. With this fourth album in their series, Kristian Bezuidenhout and the Freiburger Barockorchester continue their exploration of a corpus visited so many times before; but with them, we have the impression we are rediscovering each note as if it were ‘the first time.’ (Harmonia Mundi)

Schumann: Piano Quartet – Piano Quintet / Isabelle Faust

In his Piano Quartet and Quintet, Schumann revisited the frameworks inherited from Schubert and Beethoven to create astonishingly innovative structures. The prestigious artists assembled here, with their extensive experience of performing Schumann’s chamber music and concertos, do full justice to his imaginative world. (Harmonia Mundi)

Faure: La Bonne Chanson, L’Horizon Chimerique [2 CDs]

The genre of the mélodie accompanied Fauré like a kind of personal journal. This music voluptuously –and sometimes vehemently – encompasses the meanderings of the soul: dreams, nostalgia, reflections or mirages. Stéphane Degout and Alain Planès take advantage of the iridescent tones of an 1892 Pleyel in their interpretation of some of his finest song cycles. (Harmonia Mundi)

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 Romantic / Anima Eterna Brugge

For their first collaboration on Harmonia Mundi, Pablo Heras-Casado and Anima Eterna explore the world of Bruckner. The first installment in this series is his tremendous Symphony No. 4. This cathedral in sound regains it’s lightness and elegance in dazzling orchestral colors! (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902721.2 $23.98

Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite; Falla: El Retablo de Maese Pedro

The three works on this album evoke the worlds of commedia dell’arte (Pulcinella), Don Quixote (El retablo de maese Pedro) and picaresque Spain (the Harpsichord Concerto). Telling their stories with color, rhythm and humor, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado and Benjamin Alard invite us to an exhilarating fireworks display. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902653.2 $23.98

Schubert: Piano Sonata D. 959 – Moments musicaux D. 780 / Adam Laloum

Under the fingers of Adam Laloum, Schubert’s music becomes a journey. The emotions that enrich it are those of a deeply human artistry and the murmur of a voice that still moves us 200 years after falling silent. A new world awaits us here with the Sonata D. 959 and the Moments musicaux, whose unassuming title belies the lasting impact they have had on piano lovers. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902386.2 $23.98

Faure:

Conversation – Gaspard Le Roux: Suites for 2 Harpsichords

An outlier in the French harpsichord world, Gaspard Le Roux composed music of unique inventiveness and richness at the end of the reign of Louis XIV. Juxtaposing his pieces with others by Lully, Marais and Francois Couperin, William Christie and Justin Taylor have found the ideal alchemy to do full justice to the myriad colors of these Suites. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF8905337.2 $23.98

Marais: Tombeau Pour Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe

In this new album, Florence Bolton and Benjamin Perrot revisit the composer who gave their ensemble it’s delightful name, La Rêveuse. Drawing on his heritage (Sainte-Colombe), his friendships (Robert de Visée) and his own visionary genius, Marin Marais blazed new trails for his instrument in his second book of viol pieces. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF905356.2 $23.98

Antonin Kraft – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach: Cello Concertos

Nocturnes & Barcarolles / Aline Piboule

Moving from the style galant to the Age of Revolutions, this album is an invitation to discover half a century of the cello concerto’s history. Riccardo Minasi and Ensemble Resonanz pay tribute to the hypersensitivity of the cello and honor with panache the transcendental virtuosity of the unjustly overlooked Antonin Kraft. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902392.2 $23.98

The Nocturnes and Barcarolles are key works in Faure’s output for solo piano that reflect his stylistic evolution. From his early efforts, still close to Chopin and Schumann, to the final pieces with their heady yet elusive harmonies, Aline Piboule invites us to rediscover a whole world of sound on a sublime Gaveau instrument of 1929. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902510.2 $23.98

Hyperion

Bach: Cantatas Nos. 35 & 169 / Iestyn Davies

Bach’s Cantatas Nos. 35 and 169 may have been written for an outstandingly gifted boy alto in Bach’s Leipzig, but listening to these peerless accounts from countertenor Iestyn Davies, it’s impossible to believe he could have approached the flawless technique and profound interpretative insight. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68375.2

Messiaen: Des canyons aux etoiles / Utah Symphony

Russian Variations / Piers Lane

$19.98

“The Utah Symphony would be justified in regarding Des Canyons aux Étoiles … (From the Canyons to the Stars …) as its signature work. The orchestra and its music director Thierry Fischer performed Messiaen’s longest orchestral work in the very canyons that prompted the epic score, and subsequently made this recording”. – The Guardian (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68316.2

Mompou: Musica callada / Stephen Hough

This attractive and virtuosic program from pianist Piers Lane’s features three substantial sets of variationsby Glazunov, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov-plus a delightful amuse-bouche from John Field, who settled in St. Petersburg in the early years of the nineteenth century. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68428.2

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 9 / Angela Hewitt

$19.98

$19.98

“Hough is the ideal guide. He wholly inhabits the music’s mystical atmosphere, its holy simplicity. Exquisite sensitivity is matched by a steely strength. Sounds coalesce and insist on their presence, before disappearing into the ether. Austerity blends with warmth.” – BBC Music (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68362.2 $19.98

Bach: Notebooks for Anna Magdalena

Experience the profound beauty and intimate spirituality of this collection of sacred keyboard and vocal works, rooted deeply in themes of contentment and inner peace. Attributed to J.S. Bach and lovingly preserved in Anna Magdalena’s notebook, these pieces transcend their modest scale, offering glimpses into the values and personal devotions of an extraordinary musical era. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68387.2 $19.98

HYPERION IN BRIEF

This latest installment of Angela Hewitt’s Beethoven is bookended by the great ‘Tempest’ and Op 109 sonatas. The performances-incentive enough to acquire this release-are as usual complemented by Angela’s own booklet notes which provide real insight into how she approaches these masterworks. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68374.2 $19.98

Mendelssohn: The Complete Solo Piano Music Vol. 6 / Howard Shelley

Howard Shelley’s survey of the piano music is an undoubted highlight of the Mendelssohn revival. In this, the final installment of the series, he focuses on late works and posthumous publications. This is Volume 6 of this exemplary series. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68368.2 $19.98

Schubert: String Quartets D112 & 887 / Takacs Quartet

Grieg: Holberg Suite, Ballade & Lyric Pieces / Andrey Gugnin

The ‘heavenly lengths’ Schumann loved in late Schubert are as much in evidence in the sublime G major quartet as in the other large-scale works of Schubert’s final years. The Takacs Quartet’s earlier Hyperion recordings of Schubert were hailed as ‘near ideal’ and ‘superlative’ and this new release is every bit as fine. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68423.2 $19.98

Andrey Gugnin presents a wonderful all-Grieg recital. Two complete sets of Lyric Pieces – those most perfect of piano miniatures-are also included. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68424.2 $19.98

Reinecke: The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol. 85

A prolific composer, respected and influential in his lifetime, on Romantic Piano Concerto volume 85, Simon Callaghan presents three concertos by Carl Reinecke. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68339.2 $19.98

Mendelssohn: Violin Sonatas / Alina Ibragimova

Mendelssohn’s F major sonata which, opens this program from Alina Ibragimova and Cedric Tiberghien is a particularly substantial and ambitious work. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68322.2 $19.98

Ries: Piano Trio & Sextets / Nash Ensemble

Sextets featuring piano and harp may be a rarity, but the one included here is a real delight. The three companion pieces showcase the individual and collective strengths of The Nash Ensemble. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68380.2 $19.98

Thomas: Grace / San Francisco Symphony; Bay Brass [4 CDs]

Created to celebrate MTT’s 80th birthday, GRACE honors his lifetime of contributions as a composer. This four-disc set spans more than five decades of his compositional career and features 18 works, from premiere recordings to remastered archival recordings available for the first time. “... it’s high time we should be giving MTT the composer the respect and consideration that he deserves.” – Gramophone (Pentatone)

4CD# PTC5187355 $96.99

Brahms & Schubert / Alexandre Kantorow

“In his performance Kantorow never tries to underplay that bravura element; if anything he underlines the brashness of some of the piano writing, revelling in its virtuoso demands, especially in the chordal writing of the scherzo, and the explosive opening to the finale, though never neglecting the moments of lyrical tenderness that are few and far between in the sonata.” – The Guardian (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2660 $21.99

Wagner, Swensen: Ring Odyssey [2 CDs]

“Lorin Maazel’s arrangement Ring without Words is a seamless alternative to so-called ‘bleeding chunks’ of concert-hall Wagner excerpts. And now conductor Joseph Swensen has a non-epic Ring (one of several out there) that also includes chorus and three singers in multiple, hard-to-cast roles. If Wagner has ever been sensible, it’s here.” – Gramophone (Alpha) 2CD# ALPHA1072 $29.99 $23.99

Puccini: Love Affairs / Jonas Kaufmann

“Call it operatic speed dating as the tenor Jonas Kaufmann embarks on a whirlwind romance with six different sopranos. In fact, because these sopranos were six busy women trying to sync diaries with one busy man, there were six ‘overdub dates’ that took place across Europe; in other words, the sessions when Kaufmann and partner recorded their vocals.” – Gramophone (Sony) 1CD# 19802806702 $13.98

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 – Bates: Resurrexit

“Manfred Honeck has already released Bruckner’s Fourth and Ninth symphonies with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, to widespread acclaim. This new Seventh ups the ante further: it’s undoubtedly one of the best recordings of the symphony in the digital era.” – BBC Music (Reference) 1SACD# FR-757SACD $24.99

Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8 / Scottish Chamber Orchestra

“Haydn and Beethoven are the clear models for Schubert’s first four symphonies, but the fifth, written in 1816, reflects the composer’s newfound enthusiasm for Mozart. Schubert scholar Brian Newbould, who’s excellent booklet article accompanies this release, feels that 1816 could well be called Schubert’s “Mozart year.” – The Classic Review (Linn)

1CD# CKD748 $20.99

Lambert: Music for Brass & Organ

“The two works for brass ensemble make the strongest impression. The Partita for brass quintet is ‘a divertimento-like compilation of earlier material for alternatively scored forces, recomposed idiomatically for standard quintet formation’. Two reworkings of choral pieces appeared on the earlier Toccata disc. The performances are first rate.” – MusicWeb (Toccata Classics) 1CD# TOCC0718 $20.99

Bach: Transcriptions / Julian Martin; Olivier Fortin

“Bach’s music for the type of flute we now call the recorder lamentably eschews the sonata genre. Seeking to redress this situation through the art of transcription are two long-standing musical partners: recorder-player Julien Martin and harpsichordist Olivier Fortin. In so doing, they present a selection including sonatas for transverse flute, violin and organ.” – BBC Music (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA939 $20.99 $16.79

Welcome Joy – A Celebration of Women’s Voices / Corvus Consort

“Gustav Holst was a champion of this combination of forces, and three of his works provide a framework for ten compositions by women, introduced by his daughter Imogen Holst’s Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow, a setting of six Keats poems inspired by the poet’s love of Devon.” – BBC Music (Chandos) 1SACD# CHSA 5350 $21.99

Mozart: Double & Triple Concertos

“This pleasing programme highlights the gifts of a rather special musical family, one that recalls the similarly gifted Busch/Serkin, Menuhin and Casadesus families of yesteryear. This project has more than just fulfilled our expectations. A dream has come true.” – Gramophone (Pentatone) 1SACD# PTC5187202 $21.99

Choice

American Voices / Pacifica Quartet; Uniting Voices

“Affectionately and adroitly played, theirs is a very impressive performance indeed, with buoyantlysprung rhythms underscoring the folkish elements of this much oversubscribed work to the degree that virtually every bar sounds freshlyminted. Particularly memorable is the cellist’s winningly under-stated playing in the Lento slow movement.”

– BBC Music (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 228 $19.99 $15.99

Sutton: Violin Concerto / Fenella Humphreys; BBC Philharmonic

“Adrian Sutton’s natural métier is the theatre, and even the Violin Concerto has an external programme which concerns a seagull and its appearance around various coastlines. The first movement begins dreamily with an eloquent long line for the soloist over gently lapping orchestral textures, and there’s contrast later in more rhythmic passages.” – BBC Music (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20349 $20.99

Chopin: Voyage / Yulianna Avdeeva

“Yulianna Avdeeva’s latest release comes 14 years after she won the XVI International Chopin Competition; it spotlights his late works, including the third piano sonata in B Minor. In the decade and a half span, she’s released a handful of albums featuring Bach to Mieczyslaw Weinberg—but a strong point of gravitation has always been Chopin.” – The Classic Review (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187233 $17.99

Brahms: Piano Concertos & Solo Piano [3 CDs]

“There are moments of sheer delight, where the famed Vienna strings sing and Levit pushes forward in a driving momentum (first movement, 21’53”). Or in both concertos’ slow movements, when Levit is joined by spiritual, horizontal music-making of the highest order.”

– The Classic Review (Sony)

3CD# 19658897652 $29.98

Britten: Violin Concerto & Chamber Music / Isabelle Faust

“Faust’s cadenza has real emotional involvement, and builds urgently towards the final Passacaglia, where conductor Jakub Hrůša leads the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra to a full-toned climax, before the soloist re-enters.” – BBC Music (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902668.2 $23.98

Handel in Rome / Dunedin Consort; John Butt

“You could say that Rome was the making of Handel. Even if the youthful works he wrote there aren’t now among his best known, they show him beginning to create the kind of complex, involving and contradictory characters that would light up his later operas. Three of his cantatas here get the best of advocacy from the Dunedin Consort, conducted by John Butt.” – The Guardian (Linn)

1CD# CKD747 $20.99

Schnittke: Film Music, Vol. 6 – Little Tragedies

“Schnittke constantly keeps you off balance in interesting ways, an unexpected instrumental combination here, and surprising off note or key change there. He has a penchant on this disc for guitar, harpsichord, flute, sometimes as solos sometimes in combination with strings. It reveals a clear sense of personality.” – Classical Music Sentinel (Capriccio)

1CD# C5496 $21.99

Georges Prêtre – The SWR Recordings [8 CDs]

“Given the quality of the recording, playing and conducting and the selection of real masterpieces it makes for an enjoyable listen from start to finish for any listener. Maybe the Respighi and Bizet are more minor masterpieces than the rest, but they all represent composition of a very high order.” – Classical Music Sentinel (SWR Classic)

8CD# SWR19155CD $55.99

Schubert: Meta / Claire Huangci [3 CDs]

“Claire Huangi’s ambitious allSchubert program, aptly titled META, features four late sonatas, excerpts from Schwanengaseng with baritone Thomas E. Bauer, and the D 946 Drei Klavierstücke. This multifaceted selection that spans 3 CDs speaks to the special musical relationship she cultivated with the composer from a young age.” – The Classic Review (Berlin Classics)

3CD# 0302967BC $26.99

Verdi: Macbeth [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

“Verdi’s operas have their share of sorcery but none embraces the supernatural like Macbeth, and few productions push it so far in that direction – as in this provocative DVD from the Salzburg Festival. It is a Macbeth of exceptionally tragic stature, with singularly mesmerising theatricality plus a vocally and dramatically accomplished cast.” – Gramophone (Unitel)

1DVD# 810608 $35.99

1Bluray# 810704 $45.99

Exile / Kopatchinskaja; Kaufmann; Bern

This program brings together composers who, for the most part, were compelled to flee their homeland. “Let’s listen to what they have to say,” suggests Patricia Kopatchinskaja, herself “uprooted for ever.” She is joined by cellist Thomas Kaufmann and her friends from Camerata Bern. (Alpha)

Orff: Carmina Burana

Carmina Burana, the staged cantata by Carl Orff, is a work unique in musical history, claims conductor Paavo Jaarvi: “The convergence of medieval texts with such daringly original orchestral colours creates a soundworld that is both archaic and yet beyond time, in which chorus, orchestra and soloists vie in splendour.” (Alpha)

Destinees / Sophie de Bardonnèche

No fewer than ten female composers are brought back to life in this program of sonatas, overtures, and dances devised by Sophie de Bardonneche, a founder member of Le Consort, who is accompanied on her first solo album by her partners Lucile Boulanger and Justin Taylor. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1078 $20.99 $16.79

Le Quattro Stagioni

A bestselling recording since its first release in 2008, Amandine Beyer and Gli Incogniti’s memorable performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has been reissued by Alpha Classics for a second time. These superb pieces are a fine addition to this performance of the famous Four Seasons, which established Gli Incogniti among the top reference ensembles for historically informed performance. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1047 $11.99 $9.59

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, A Tale [2 CDs]

This album offers a new approach to the character of Scheherazade, with Rimsky-Korsakov’s musical masterpiece transcribed for the forces of Ensemble K and a previously unpublished text, freely adapted from the Thousand and One Nights and ancient love poems, which tells the story of Scheherazade. (Alpha)

2CD# ALPHA1081 $29.99 $23.99

La messagère: XVII-XXIe siècles, un portrait de la viole de gambe

After the immense success of her Bach-Abel album, Lucile Boulanger celebrates the French viol through the centuries: “There is no longer any need to prove that my instrument is an integral part of our musical landscape. The viol is alive and well. For several decades now, it has inspired new compositions; its vocabulary is constantly expanding...” concludes the violist. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1070 $20.99 $16.79

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (Original Version)

Following their recordings of Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8, Paavo Järvi and the TonhalleOrchester Zürich here conclude their tribute to the Austrian composer in this bicentenary year with a recording of his 9th symphony. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1068 $20.99 $16.79

La Comédie Humaine: Chansons balzaciennes

Arnaud Marzorati and his singers, ‘Les Lunaisiens’, are unrivalled specialists in the popular French songs of the past centuries. Here they tackle two great monuments of 19th-century France: the writer Honoré de Balzac and songwriter Pierre-Jean de Béranger, a poet and composer highly famed in his day for his genius in depicting society in all its social diversity (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1105 $20.99 $16.79

Ferrum Splendidum / Yoann Le Lan; Choeur de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux

Adèle Hugo: Mélodies sur des poèmes de Victor Hugo

Ferrum Splendidum (the Latin for ‘Resplendent Metal’) recalls the Florian Sempey’s ancestors, who were blacksmiths in the Périgord region. Though not following in that family tradition, Sempey concentrated instead on forging and molding the metal of his brilliant baritone voice. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1104 $20.99 $16.79

This album pays homage to the composer Adèle Hugo (1830–1915), the fifth child of the great poet Victor Hugo. Suffering from lifelong psychological instability, she spent half of her tragic life in mental institutions, from the age of 42 until her death aged 85. Hers was an exalted and sensitive temperament; she became passionately fond of music from an early age, studying the piano and then composition. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1086 $20.99 $16.79

Vivaldi:

Classics Sale

Fauré: Requiem – Gounod: Messe de Clovis

“The two works share a reflective and intimate character that gives the impression of a return to the purity of Gregorian chant, although this does not detract from the jubilant character of Fauré’s Requiem: ‘this warm, luxuriant sound leads to an elevation of the spirit,’ says Hervé Niquet.”

– The Classic Review (Alpha)

Made in USA: Gershwin, Beach & Barber / Claire Huangci

Presented as “An Experiment in Modern Music” when it was premiered in 1924, Rhapsody in Blue made George Gershwin famous, and he soon set to work on a version for solo piano, recorded here by Claire Huangci as part of her first solo disc for Alpha Classics. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1071 $20.99 $16.79

Sarahbanda / The Sarahbanda

Meet the Sarahbanda – the Cuban band with a twist! Formed as part of the popular ‘Mozart y Mambo’ project by Sarah Willis of the Berlin Philharmonic, the Sarahbanda explores the captivating Cuban dance rhythms in a way never heard before. How? By featuring an instrument not typically included in traditional Cuban band music – the French horn. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1099 $20.99 $16.79

Mozart: Concerto 2 Pianos, K. 365, Sinfonia concertante, K. 279B, Adagio, K. 261, Rondo, K. 269 & 373 for Violin

This tenth volume in the ‘Next Generation Mozart Soloists’ series presents works that are less frequently recorded, including a concerto for two pianos (in its original orchestration), separate movements for violin and orchestra (an Adagio and two Rondos), and following in the footsteps of the Baroque concerto grosso, the Symphonie concertante for oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and orchestra. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1087

$20.99 $16.79

ALPHA TITLES IN BRIEF

J.S. Bach: Cello Suites Nos. 5 & 6

“For me, whenever I play the Bach suites, all of a sudden I find myself visualising Giacometti’s hands incessantly moulding the earthen clay until a face appears. Getting to grips with the Bach suites is very closely related to that sense. You have to dig deeply into the string to give birth to the phrase, to make sure it breathes correctly.” – Sonia Wieder-Atherton (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1076 $20.99 $16.79

Mahler: Symphony No. 9 on Period Instruments

This recording of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony is an event because it was made with period instruments of the kind the composer used in Vienna. The Mahler Academy Orchestra set itself the task of reconstructing this instrumentarium and researching how musicians of the time played it. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1057 $20.99 $16.79

Guy Braunstein: Abbey Road Concerto

This large-scale rhapsody, based on a dozen Beatles songs, pays tribute to a group of musicians who were greatly influenced by Classical and Romantic composers. To accompany this first recording, two English works for violin and orchestra are included: The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams and the Violin Concerto of Frederick Delius. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London! (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA869 $20.99 $16.79

Mozart: Concertos pour flûte & Concerto pour flûte et harpe

Mozart’s flute concertos are of course a Holy Grail for flutist Francois Lazarevitch, one that he has decided to tackle, together with his ensemble Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, in connection with their work on sources of interpretation. He has recorded the two concertos for flute and orchestra on a one-keyed flute, a copy of an instrument made in Mozart’s time, and the concerto in C for flute and harp on an eight-keyed flute. (Alpha)

ALPHA1065 $20.99 $16.79

Chopin & Szymanowski / Jonathan Fournel

Noted pianist Jonathan Fournel presents a program of Chopin and Szymanowski works that he has performed extensively in concert. (Alpha)

Young & Foolish: Mozart & C.P.E. Bach

Young and foolish is the title Café Zimmermann has chosen for this program, which features music from the 1770s and 1780s by Mozart and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. (Alpha)

Orlando / Bestion La Tempête

This album projects the iconoclast Orlando di Lasso into our 21st-century world. Join La Tempête for this unpredictable, fantasy-enriched exploration of the timeless realm of Orlando. (Alpha)

Liszt: Années de pèlerinage [3 CDs]

The great French pianist Roger Muraro joins Alpha Classics for several recording projects. He now presents a monumental masterwork by Liszt which is in his view a work of ‘universal intimacy. (Alpha)

Chamber Music

James Joyce: Chamber Music, Vol. 1 / Choral Scholars of UC Dublin

An album of world premiere recordings of works written to accompany poems by celebrated Irish novelist and poet James Joyce, Desmond Earley and the University Choral Scholars of University College, Dublin release their fourth album on Signum Classics. A tenor himself, it was Joyce’s wish that his words be set to music, and the choir are proud of their unique connection to Joyce’s Dublin story. (Signum Classics) 1CD# SIGCD864 $20.99

Gregory Hutter: Chamber Works

Composer Gregory Hutter holds degrees from Western Michigan University (BM), the University of Michigan (MM), the University of Illinois (MLIS), and Northwestern University (DM). For nearly two decades, he served on the music faculties at DePaul University (2002–2019) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (2013–2020). His works have been performed by numerous orchestras and smaller ensembles. (Centaur)

Block: Chamber Works / ARC Ensemble

Chamber works by German composer Frederick Block, performed by the ARC Ensemble. Bloch (Frederick Block once he arrived in America) was born in Vienna in 1899. After emigrating in 1940 to New York, his output remained high, and included three symphonies, Sunrise for mixed chorus and orchestra, an opera, Esther, several sets of piano pieces, and a large body of suites, sonatas, and chamber works. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20358 $20.99

An Evening in Vienna 1784 / Bennewitz Quartet

The names of Dittersdorf and Vanhal are familiar to some, but few have encountered their music. This recording offers an opportunity to discover those nearly forgotten masters’ works. The enthusiastic acclaim of international critics for their previous Haydn album is affirmation of their extraordinary quality in this repertoire. (Supraphon)

1CD# SU4345-2 $45.99

J.S. Bach: The Art of Fugue / Quartetto di Cremona

This new release from the renowned Quartetto di Cremona brings a fascinating and multi-dimensional approach to J.S. Bach’s Art of Fugue, with innovative approaches to instrumentation creating a new interpretation of the Baroque master’s seminal work. (Orchid Classics)

1CD# ORC100342 $16.99

Open / Stockholm Chamber Brass

One of the leading brass ensembles of our time, Stockholm Chamber Brass, presents the first Genuin album recorded with Dolby Atmos sound. In this unique production, the worldclass musicians compile exclusively commissioned works from five renowned composers: Djuro Zivkovic, Cathy Milliken, Molly Kien, Francisco Coll, and Mike Svoboda. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 24891 $20.99

Xiogang Ye: Chamber Music

Shrapnel: Chamber Works / Camarilla Ensemble

This collection by Hugh Shrapnel brings together works written between 2005 and 2022 for wind and piano. The varied influences give rise to music that ranges from pensive and slow to rhythmically taut and harmonically astringent, all showing Shrapnel’s characteristically expressive style. (Convivium)

1CD# CVI097 $16.99

Mozart: Horn Concertos / Swedish Chamber Orchestra

After Alec Frank-Gemmill’s critically acclaimed recordings of nineteenthcentury works for horn and piano, chamber music by Brahms, and preMozart horn concertos, a version of Mozart’s famous horn concertos from him has been eagerly awaited. As on his disc of concertante works, he is accompanied here by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra. (BIS)

1CD# BIS-2635 $21.99

Una poesia muta / The Marian Consort

Art in early Cinquecento Venice is the result of a collaboration between SWR radio, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, and The Marian Consort. Specially curated by the Stuttgart museum, Germany’s first-ever exhibition devoted to Vittore Carpaccio and his contemporaries has inspired The Marian Consort to devise an album to accompany this artistic journey. (Linn)

1CD# CKD750 $20.99

Ancient traditions, folklore, landscapes, and the natural world are central themes in the music of the distinguished Chinese composer Xiaogang Ye. This new album, performed by the Fidelio Trio and friends, spans over three decades of Ye’s chamber works from 1989 to 2023. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10342 $16.99

Cedille Records Sale

Children’s Stories / Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Children’s Stories features world premieres of works based on beloved children’s literature by superstar classical composers Michael Abels and Augusta Read Thomas. Both pieces bring children’s literary narratives stunningly to life through music.This recording exemplifies collaboration across Chicago’s musical scene. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 233 $19.99 $15.99

Corelli: Violin Sonatas, Op. 5 / Rachel Barton Pine [2 CDs]

For her 24th recording for Cedille Records, violinist Rachel Barton Pine joins forces with period instrument specialists David Schrader, John Mark Rozendaal, and Brandon Acker to record Arcangelo Corelli’s seminal set of 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5. Published in 1700, Corelli’s Twelve Violin Sonatas are foundational in the evolution of both the sonata and concerto forms. (Cedille)

2CD# CDR 232 $19.99 $15.99

Silenced: Unsung Voices of the 20th Century

Silenced – Unsung Voices of the 20th Century featuring tenor Ian Koziara and pianist Bradley Moore, shines a light on art songs by composers whose musical achievements were overshadowed by the oppression of the Third Reich. This recording marks the first time many of these art songs, traditionally performed by sopranos, are being recorded in the tenor voice. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 231 $19.99 $15.99

Storyteller: Contemporary Concertos for Trumpet

Mary Elizabeth Bowden, praised for her “splendid, brilliant” artistry (Gramophone), celebrates the narrative power of the trumpet with this release. Bowden is joined by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and conductor Allen Tinkham in a collection of new concertos that redefine the trumpet’s voice in modern classical music. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 229 $19.99 $15.99

CEDILLE TITLES IN BRIEF

American Stories / Pacifica Quartet; Anthony McGill

Anthony McGill and the multiple Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet join forces on an album illuminating the diversity of the American experience. “The pure, gorgeous tone and expressive musicianship of the clarinetist Anthony McGill meshes with the talents of the excellent Pacifica Quartet for thoroughly enjoyable readings” – The New York Times. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 216 $19.99 $15.99

Show Me the Way / Will Liverman [2 CDs]

Grammy Award-winning, “velvet voiced” (NPR) baritone Will Liverman presents a recital program honoring women in classical music, past and present, on Show Me The Way, his second “passion project” recording for Cedille. (Cedille)

2CD# CDR 226 $19.99 $15.99

Between Breaths / Third Coast Percussion

Grammy Award-winning Chicagobased percussion quartet Third Coast Percussion (Sean Connors, Robert Dillon, Peter Martin, David Skidmore) presents Between Breaths, an album of world premieres of works by four contemporary composers, plus a work by the quartet itself. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 224 $19.99 $15.99

Dependent Arising / Rachel Barton Pine; Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Trios from Contemporary Chicago / Lincoln Trio

Violinist Rachel Barton Pine’s 26th recording for Cedille Records, Dependent Arising, reveals surprising confluences between classical and heavy metal music by pairing Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 with Earl Maneein’s “Dependent Arising” — Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 223 $19.99 $15.99

The twice-GRAMMY-nominated, Billboard-charting Lincoln Trio surveys works by five of Chicago’s most highly lauded contemporary composers on an album that features three world-premiere recordings. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 211 $19.99 $15.99

Welcome to My World / Mark S. Doss

American bass-baritone Mark S. Doss honors the history of Chicago’s Bel Canto Foundation with an allencompassing vocal recital program. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 222 $19.99 $15.99

Beethoven: Complete String Quartets: Vol. 3 The Late Quartets [3 CDs]

The celebrated Dover Quartet concludes its critically acclaimed, three-volume Beethoven cycle with the composer’s five monumental, revolutionary Late Quartets and imposing Grosse Fugue. (Cedille)

3CD# CDR 215 $29.99 $23.99

Violin Concertos by Black Composers Through the Centuries

American violinist Rachel Barton Pine marks the 25th anniversary of her 1997 recording of violin concertos by Black composers of the 18th and 19th centuries. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 214 $19.99 $15.99

New from

Dale Kavanagh & Friends

Renowned as a soloist and as a member of the Amadeus Guitar Duo, Dale Kavanagh is one of the most prominent classical guitarists of her generation. With this album, she not only plays solo works composed for leading guitarists all over the world, but is also joined by acclaimed and award-winning colleagues. (Naxos)

1CD# 8551485 $19.99

The Golden Age of the Horn – Concertos for 2 Horns

These exuberant and technically demanding 18th-century concertos for two horns are performed by JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic with soloists Jacek Muzyk and Daniel Kerdelewicz, the orchestra’s Principal and Associate Principal Horns, respectively. The Hoffmeister concerto is a world premiere recording. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574646 $19.99

East German Flute Concertos

The flute concertos heard on this album were written by composers who lived and worked in East Germany during the four decades of its existence. These world premiere recordings of concertos are performed by the stellar German flautist Claudia Stein, with the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt conducted by David Robert Coleman. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574537 $19.99

Donizetti: L’ajo nell’imbarazzo [2 CDs]

Goran Filipec is renowned for his exceptional interpretations of the works of Franz Liszt. With this new album, he presents a selection of the composer’s most popular pieces featuring several of his own arrangements and adaptations. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574588 $19.99

Rachmaninov: Complete Symphonies [3 CDs]

Sergey Rachmaninov’s symphonic career had a rocky start with the premiere of his First Symphony, now recognized as one of the Russian symphonic works of the late 19th century. The enduring attraction of these symphonies is enhanced by the “impressive, highly desirable interpretations” (Gramophone) in this acclaimed edition conducted by Leonard Slatkin. (Naxos)

3CD# 8503278 $35.99

Bax: Complete Symphonies, Orchestral Works [7 CDs]

Sir Arnold Bax wrote his seven symphonies between 1921 and 1939, embracing a prolific period that drew inspiration from a variety of sources. The selection of additional orchestral works evoking nature and atmospheric landscapes fascinates and rewards in equal measure, providing an essential overview of Bax’s music in critically acclaimed recordings. (Naxos)

7CD# 8507014 $54.99

Malawski: Orchestral Works

Donizetti’s L’aio nell’imbarazzo (“The Embarrassed Tutor”) is a melodramma giocoso in two acts, premiered to considerable acclaim in 1824. This production uses the critical edition and restores the work, as far as possible, to Donizetti’s original conception – including excised arias and emphasizing the composer’s sparkling orchestration. (Naxos)

2CD# 8660565-66 $29.99

Liszt: Fantaisie romantique sur deux mélodies suisses & Années de pèlerinage (earlier versions)

Sergio Gallo performs this selection of earlier and lesser-known versions of Liszt’s masterpieces. The majestic Paralipomènes à la Divina Commedia ‘Fantaisie symphonique’ is included alongside other pieces that shed light on spiritual aspects of the final version of Années de pèlerinage. The relatively unfamiliar Fantaisie romantique, with its evocations of the Swiss Alps, is also featured. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574565 $19.99

Fauré: Violin Concerto, Pénélope: Prélude & Other Works

French music specialist Jean-Luc Tingaud conducts the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland in this album of favorites and rarities by Faure;. It includes the first movement of the unfinished Violin Concerto, the prelude to the opera Penelope, Henri Rabaud’s orchestration of the popular Dolly suite, and more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574587 $19.99

Having sustained an injury to his left hand, Artur Malawski had to abandon his career as a virtuoso violinist and went on to become a successful teacher and composer in his native Poland. The Symphonic Études of 1947 brought him international recognition with its unorthodox design and powerful expression. (Naxos)

1CD# 8579159 $19.99

Liszt: Piano Favourites

Naxos

Schubert: Dances for Piano

These delightful dances, including waltzes and Landler, may be smallscale, but they are quintessential Schubert. Containing 99 tracks, many of which are rare gems, this album presents the composer’s lighter side with beautifully balanced works that are accessible to pianists. (Naxos)

1CD# 8573089 $19.99

Banks: 7, 6, 5 [3 CDs]

The intense orchestral sound pictures in 7, 6, 5 rank among some of Tony Banks’s most accomplished works, marrying experimentation with form and structure, and a trademark melodic character which powerfully conveys both melancholy and joy. (Naxos)

3CD# 8503300

$35.99

Ye: Song of Farewell Without Words & The Faint Ginkgo

Xiaogang Ye’s interest in mysterious and beautiful plants has led him to write many pieces inspired by subtropical flora. The Faint Gingko, the oldest tree species in the world, represents an expression of Ye’s care and concern for nature. Heard here in a version without words, Song of Farewell is an opera with exquisite textures, beautiful melodies, and refined orchestration. (Naxos)

1CD# 8579151 $19.99

What I Saw in the Water – 21st Century Works for Guitar Duo

ChromaDuo (Tracy Anne Smith and Rob MacDonald) is one of the world’s greatest guitar duos. The works recorded here were all composed within the last 20 years, and four of the five works are dedicated to ChromaDuo. World premiere recordings. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574578 $19.99

NAXOS IN BRIEF

Gurney: Songs, Vol. 2

Nielsen: The Symphonies [4 CDs]

From the ‘imminent storm of genius’ of the First Symphony to the disarming outlandishness of the Sixth, Nielsen’s symphonies are recognized as among the greatest in their genre, heard here in recordings made with a league of conductors whose bond with Denmark and Nielsen’s music is second to none. (Naxos)

4CD# 8574650-53 $69.99

Golden Horizon – Works for Horn and Orchestra by Richard Strauss

Richard Strauss is considered to be both the last ‘Classical’ composer and a champion of modernity. His wide-ranging output stands as a monument to one of the most successful and influential composers of the 20th century. (Naxos)

1CD# 8551473 $19.99

Santoro: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6

The fourth volume in this series explores a pivotal decade in Claudio Santoro’s compositions, traversing his move from serialism towards nationalism. The release starts with the transitional, reflective Canto de Amor e Paz, and continues with Symphony No. 4, one of his most accessible and influential works, and his brief Symphony No. 6 of 1958. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574572 $19.99

Wranitzky: Orchestral Works, Vol. 7

Paul Wranitzky was a characterful composer with a masterful sense of orchestration, as this series has demonstrated. The composer’s mature Symphony in C major is a fine example of his abilities, and the finale of the Symphony in D major bursts into life in true Janissary style. Wranitzky’s command of singspiel and music for the stage shows equal excellence in these fields. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574562 $19.99

This album of Gurney’s songs, Volume 24 in the English Song series, presents a wide selection of his works. Featuring several masterpieces – among them Sleep and Severn Meadows. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574599 $19.99

Piazzolla: Music for Guitar

Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Suite, for two guitars, is one of the finest duo works in the repertoire, offering fireworks and percussive effects as well as exquisite melancholy. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574457 $19.99

Rieti: Piano Concertos

These world premiere recordings of Rieti’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1–3 are performed by the award-winning pianist Alessandro Marangoni, accompanied by the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574505 $19.99

Fauré: Ballade & Fantaisie – Poulenc: Piano Concerto & Aubade

Romain Descharmes is one of the foremost French pianists of his generation. This album of concertante works includes Poulenc’s alluring and seductive Piano Concerto. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574570 $19.99

Alto Music

Luminous Spirit – Chants of Hildegard Von Bingen

“Lamoreaux’s sensitive recital throws new light upon the genius of the abbess. Her voice, pellucid and supple, is perfectly at ease with Hildegard’s demands. The instrumental additions, of other periods and styles, are drawn from the melodies, and musically rather clever.” – Gramophone Editor’s Choice (Alto Music)

Miklos Rozsa: Violin Concerto; Theme, Variations & Finale

This Album was a Critics’ Choice in Gramophone in 1993 when it was released on the Koch Label. The review was rapturous; “This Concerto is probably Rozsa’s most celebrated concert work: it’s impassioned romanticism remains wonderfully enthralling... Theme, Variations & Finale was inspired by a wistful melody and helped to make Rozsa’s international reputation.” (Alto Music)

Eleven Famous Cathedral Organs (Various Artists)

Following the success of 10 Famous Cathedral Organs, this release Includes more Famous Cathedral organs with splendid sound. The Cathedrals are Westminster, Winchester, Salisbury, Hereford, Wells, Liverpool Anglican, St. Giles Edinburgh, Coventry and also King’s College Chapel. Westminster Abbey, York Minster. (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1489.2 $10.98

High Heels – Favourite Light Classics

Iain Sutherland is internationally recognized as a leading light music composer, conductor, and arranger.

“High Heels” is the latest Alto release to showcase the Iain Sutherland Concert orchestra in a program of light music. “In fine fettle, Sutherland’s ensemble sashays elegantly in the titular ‘High Heels’ and bounces along merrily in ‘Jumping Bean’ in equally convincing manner.”

– BBC Music (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1492.2

Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 / Martino Tirimo [2 CDs]

Classics for Clarinet / Jack Brymer

$10.98

Readings that are strong and positive as well as thoughtful... crisp, lifted rhythms and a raptness to compare with Barenboim and Arrau, hold one’s attention as a live performance would. “That sense of spontaneity is similarly conveyed in the performance of the Second Concerto... formidable technique and warm, positive temperament...” – High Fidelity (Alto Music)

2CD# AOTL1610.2 $12.98

Grainger: The Warriors & Other Orchestral Works

“If you have a weakness for Grainger the orchestral wizard, then this is one disc you simply cannot afford to be without... I hope Simon will soon follow it up; in the meantime, see if you agree with Delius who thought The Warriors by far Grainger’s greatest thing. I know I do.” (Critic’s Choice) – Gramophone (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1469.2 $10.98

“His command is absolute, the mood calmingly resigned... The underlying melancholy is fully brought out... [others] Weber’s concertino, excellently exploits the clarinet’s qualities... Baermann’s Adagio has a certain melodic grace of an operatic kind... a skilful, thoroughly musical performance.” – Gramophone (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1483.2 $10.98

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Music for the Play Hamlet

“Kondrashin’s Fourth was made shortly after the first performance and is altogether outstanding. It is both spontaneous and imaginative... it’s intensity of feeling and refinement of detail are matched by recording quality of striking range for it’s period.” – Gramophone (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1484.2 $10.98

Byrd: Anthems, Motets, Services / Hereford Cathedral Choir

Bridge & Holst: Music for String Orchestra

This splendid collection of Byrd’s most important sacred music, recorded in Hereford Cathedral with their choir conducted by Geraint Bowen, breaks from the recent trend toward using small vocal ensembles in this repertoire, with greatly atmospheric and colorful results. This recording, first issued on Griffin Records, returns to international availability on Alto. (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1486.2 $10.98

Nicholas Braithwaite’s recording of music for string orchestra by Frank Bridge and Gustav Holst, characterful music that is eminently characterful, easily listenable, and deserves a far wider listening audience.

“Braithwaite has conducted British music to very good effect, and this shows him in equally favourable light... recorded sound is first class, and the orchestra of a high standard.” – Gramophone (Alto Music)

1CD# AOTL1487.2 $10.98

Organ Releases

Bach: Organ Works, Vol. 6 / Masaaki Suzuki

This sixth installment of Masaaki Suzuki’s critically acclaimed complete organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach presents the first eleven pieces from a manuscript since referred to as the Leipzig Chorales. Conceived around 1739, this collection is unusual in that it contains no new compositions, but rather ‘reworkings’ of organ chorales dating from the years 1708–17. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2731 $21.99

Bach: The Festival Organ / Johannes Zeinler

If you look at the European repertoire for organ from around 1642, you quickly realize that much of it can be performed very well on Johann Freundt’s Great Organ. This portrait CD is intended to give a small insight into the great variety and possibilities of the organ and also demonstrate its modernity. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99326 $24.99

Howard Skempton: 50 Preludes and Fugues for Organ [2 CDs]

Howard Skempton is recognized as one of the UK’s most renowned and respected living composers. Skempton’s music inhabits its own unique sound world. His major new work, 50 Preludes and Fugues for Organ, is given its world premiere recording by Matthew Owens on two of the finest organs in the UK. (Resonus) 2CD# RES10336 $22.99

Wagner: An Organic Journey / Laurens de Man

Although Wagner didn’t compose organ music himself, it is not difficult to imagine his colorful orchestrations transcribed for the organ. To enrich an overly ecclesiastic organ repertoire, 19th-century composers such as the legendary organist Edwin Lemare, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and Franz Liszt created organ transcriptions of beloved Wagner operas like Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde, and Tannhäuser. (Globe)

1CD# GLO5287 $16.99

ORGAN RELEASES IN BRIEF

De Grigny: Messe & Hymnes [2 CDs]

A pupil of the famous Nicolas Lebègue, Nicolas de Grigny quickly dazzled his peers with the daring complexity of his writing. The singular work of the former organist of Reims Cathedral is restored in all its splendour by Michel Bouvard and François Espinasse on the keyboards of the Great Organ of the Chapelle Royale. (CDV)

2CD# CVS133 $29.99

Bach: Organ Landscapes Dresden / Jorg Halubek [2 CDs]

The large-scale Bach Organ Landscapes project, featuring J.S. Bach’s entire organ oeuvre recorded on a range of instruments, aims to provide an overview of organ-playing and organ-building traditions that were key to Bach’s composing. The recordings are accompanied by digital material that offers an almost tactile access to the great composer’s sound universe. (Berlin Classics)

2CD# 0303285BC $19.99

Elliptic Curves / Evelin Degen; Matthias Geuting

The present CD contains a selection of new compositions for flute and organ that came into being in the last years at the suggestion or on behalf of the two implementing musicians. The premieres took place in Cologne, Essen, and Stockholm. (Querstand) 1CD# VKJK 2216 $25.99

Gerald Hendrie: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 2 / Tom Winpenny

The organ music of Gerald Hendrie encompasses a huge range of influences, among them the organistcomposers who went before him, dodecaphony, mediaeval plainchant and modality and jazz. The resulting works are as varied as the styles that fed into them, from grandiose to gentle, from severe to whimsical, from lyrical to lively. (Toccata) 1CD# TOCC0731 $20.99

Pachelbel: Organ Works, Vol. 3

Johann Pachelbel’s compositions provide a fascinating stylistic bridge between early-Baroque composers and the later music of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries. (Resonus) 1CD# RES10347 $16.99

Bach, Brahms: In Te Domine Speravi

This compilation of the greatest sacred compositions for bass and organ finds its ideal performers in singer Günther Groissböck and Matthias Giesen on the Bruckner Organ in St. Florian. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99327 $24.99

Nordic Journey, Vol. XVI – Germanic Connections / James D. Hicks [2 CDs]

American organist James D. Hicks continues his exploration and rediscovery of pipe organ literature from Nordic nations with Volume 16 in his Nordic Journey series, sub-titled “Germanic Connections,” recorded in the Pauluskirche of Ulm, Germany. (Pro Organo)

2CD# PO7310 $24.99

Nytch: I Was Glad / Joby Bell

This album comprises compositions for various Asian instruments from Japan to India, some combined with Western instruments. (Centaur) 1CD# CRC4112 $15.99

New Piano

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 / Elisabeth Leonskaja

Renowned pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja presents Beethoven’s Piano Concertos 3 & 4, recorded with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse under Tugan Sokhiev. Celebrated for her profound artistry and fidelity to the music, Leonskaja continues to follow in the footsteps of legendary Russian musicians, earning acclaim as one of the greatest interpreters of our time. (Warner Classics)

Bruckner: Piano Works / Mari Kodama

Mari Kodama honors Bruckner’s bicentenary with a unique album of rarely heard piano works, blending serious symphonic elements with lighter dance pieces. This collection offers a fresh, nuanced perspective on Bruckner’s genius, inviting listeners into the workshop of this ever-curious composer. (Pentatone)

Forkel: Piano Concertos [2 CDs]

Tobias Koch and the Kölner Akademie, led by Michael Alexander Willens, bring Johann Nikolaus Forkel’s four piano concertos to life in their world premiere recording. Known as the “founder of modern musicology,” Forkel surprises with works rich in classical elegance and deeply expressive slow movements, showcasing his creative brilliance beyond scholarship. (CPO) 2CD# 555563-2 $36.99

Scriabin: The Piano Sonatas / Yunjie Chen [2 CDs]

Immerse yourself in the enigmatic beauty of Alexander Scriabin’s complete piano sonatas, masterfully interpreted by the renowned pianist Yunjie Chen. This new album offers a profound journey through the introspective and mysterious soundscapes that have captivated audiences for over a century. (Accentus)

2CD# ACC306391 $29.99

Schubert: Piano Sonatas D 784 & D 959 / Eric Lu

Pianist Eric Lu pays heartfelt tribute to Schubert with an album featuring two of his greatest sonatas, D 784 and D 959, alongside the Allegretto in C minor, D 915. Praised as “a veritable poet of the keyboard” by The Guardian, Lu captures the profound emotion and artistry of a composer who continues to move him most deeply. (Warner Classics)

1CD# WCL729812.2 $18.98

Minimalist / Szymon Nehring; Michal Klauza

Polish pianist Szymon Nehring, celebrated as a rising star in classical music and the 2017 Arthur Rubinstein Competition winner, brings his artistry to a repertoire inspired by the minimalist movement. Performing with leading orchestras worldwide, Nehring’s profound musicality resonates in works shaped by the hypnotic and meditative qualities of composers like La Monte Young, Steve Reich, and Arvo Pärt. (IBS Classical)

1CD# IBS-132024 $17.99

Schubert: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 7 / Barry Douglas

Barry Douglas’s acclaimed survey of Schubert’s piano sonatas continues with this program pairing the Sonata in E flat major, D 568 with the Sonata in G major, D 894. Published posthumously, the E flat major Sonata is a revision and completion of the D flat major Sonata, D 567. The original was written in June 1817, the revision soon afterwards. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20289 $20.99

Kapustin: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 6

The music of Nikolai Kapustin stunned Western audiences with its vibrant fusion of classical precision and jazz improvisation, evoking the flair of Oscar Peterson through meticulously detailed scores. This recording showcases Kapustin’s evolving style, reflecting the changing tides of Big Band jazz while remaining uniquely his own. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5528 $21.99

Grosz: Piano Music, Vol. 1 / Gottlieb Wallisch

Gottlieb Wallisch is a specialist in the music of the 1920s and 1930s, as can be heard in Grand Piano’s 20th Century Foxtrots series. Here he turns his attention to Wilhelm Grosz, the Viennese composer, pianist, conductor, and orchestrator who was a musician of remarkable versatility and wide-ranging influences. All but one of the works in this collection are world premiere recordings. (Grand Piano)

1CD# GP927 $19.99

Beethoven: The Last Piano Sonatas / Tomoko Ogasawara

A monument of piano literature, the grand finale of the “New Testament of the piano”: Tomoko Ogasawara performs Ludwig van Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas on this album. The immense technical difficulties vanish, just as Beethoven must have wished, behind great seriousness and depth of feeling. Musical proclamation par excellence! (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 24906 $20.99

Releases

Resonance / Benjamin Hochman

Pianist Benjamin Hochman’s Resonance spans six centuries of music, connecting eras through rich counterpoint and tonal depth. Anchored by Beethoven’s late sonatas, the album weaves in Renaissance gems by Josquin des Prez and John Dowland, alongside George Benjamin’s Shadowlines, creating a program that bridges timeless beauty with modern brilliance. (Avie)

1CD# AV2681 $19.99

Out of Place – Piano Works by Edvard Grieg, Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Robert Schumann

Nikita Volov’s new Genuin album, Out of Place, features vibrant, complex, and often outcast characters from famous novels. Volov’s innovative program includes an imaginative arrangement of Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s pieces about the mad idealist Don Quixote, and Robert Schumann’s Kreisleriana, a portrayal of the tragicomic conductor Kreisler from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s books. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 24879 $20.99

Boulanger; Debussy: Reflexions

Experience the elegance of French chamber music with Trio Gaon, featuring masterpieces by Debussy, Ravel, Lili Boulanger, and Françaix. Discover the unique charm of this rare genre, brought to life by these exceptional composers. (Haenssler Classic)

1CD# HC23045 $20.99

Schumann: Piano Works, Vol. 2 / Gerhard Oppitz [2 CDs]

In the second part of his Schumann cycle, Gerhard Oppitz combines four works composed in the second half of the “piano decade” from 1830 to 1840 with two from the beginning and end of Schumann’s piano music period: on the one hand Carnaval Op. 9 (1837) and the Drei Romanzen Op. 28 (1840), and on the other Schumann’s Papillons Op. 2 published in 1832. (Haenssler Classic)

2CD# HC24030

PIANO TITLES IN BRIEF

Krebs: Keyboard Works, Vol. 4

$32.99

Guinjoan: Early Piano Works, Vol. 2 / Alfonso Calderón de Castro

Discover the profound artistry of Joan Guinjoan through Alfonso Calderón de Castro’s interpretations. This anthology unveils the hidden depths of Guinjoan’s piano works, blending craftsmanship with timeless elegance. Experience the subtle exploration of musical parameters, connecting composer, performer, and listener. (IBS)

1CD# IBS-102024 $17.99

Reger: Valse d’amour / Luigi Palombi

Max Reger is celebrated for his vast, abstract keyboard works in fugue and variation form. Yet, his introspective album pages reveal a different side of his character. Influences of Schumann, Brahms, and Chopin are evident in pieces like Improvisationen and Six Morceaux, while Träume am Kamin offers a self-confessional summary of his career and style. (Dynamic)

1CD# CDS8037 $16.99

Poulenc, Prokofiev: Mirrors / Paul Huang; Helen Huang

Paul Huang and Helen Huang celebrate a decade of collaboration with an album that mirrors their diverse perspectives. Featuring sonatas by Poulenc and Prokofiev, and the introspective Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt, this recording offers a contemplative journey through wartime compositions and ethereal reflections. (Naive)

1CD# V8617 $17.99

Brahms, Chopin: Kaleidoskop der Tonarten / Han-Lin Yun

Inspired by Professor Arnulf von Arnim’s lecture, pianist Han-Lin Yun’s debut solo CD explores the emotional “colors” of musical keys. Featuring twenty-six works, including enharmonic variants, this album invites listeners to experience and interpret the moods conveyed by each key. Engage in a personal, evocative journey through music’s emotional landscape. (Querstand)

1CD# VKJK 2309 $25.99

Keyboardist Steven Devine continues this survey of Johann Ludwig Krebs’ significant contribution to the keyboard genre with the fourth volume in this series dedicated to the composer’s keyboard works. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10344 $16.99

Reflections: American music for Violin & Piano

This is an album of first-rate contemporary American works for violin and piano, with superb performances by Pia Liptak, violin, and Yi-Wen Chang, piano. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4085 $15.99

Brahms: Early & Late Piano Works / Llyr Williams [2 CDs]

This album delves into Brahms’ introspective piano works and includes Variations on a Theme by R. Schumann, Op. 9. (Signum)

2CD# SIGCD916 $32.99

Pipkov: Piano Music, Vol. 2 / Dobromir Tsenov

Lubomir Pipkov was one of the leading members of the ‘second generation’ of Bulgarian composers. Pipkov connected Bulgarian folk dance and composers like Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCC0744 $20.99

Handel: Lotario [2 CDs]

Handel’s success with Italian-style opera in London had passed its initial peak by 1729. Lotario – a tale of revenge and heroism based on events in the life of Holy Roman Empress Adelaide of Italy – was the first of a new series of works intended to revive interest and challenge society’s new ‘vile taste’ for satire and light entertainment. (Naxos)

Richard Wagner: Famous Opera Scenes

Wagner’s genius is often associated with his unique feeling for orchestration. Yet the transcriptions and paraphrases for piano solo recorded here lay bare the beauty and boldness of his harmonic language, with an evocative power unrivalled at the time. (Harmonia Mundi)

Puccini: Turandot [2 CDs]

This recording of Puccini’s final opera, Turandot, marks several significant firsts. Conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, with Sondra Radvanovsky and Jonas Kaufmann in their debut performances of the opera, it includes the complete final scene completed by Franco Alfano. (Warner Classics)

Verdi: Don Carlo [3 CDs]

This re-release of an Orfeo bestseller features the 1970 Vienna première of Don Carlo, marked by a scandal involving Karajan’s fans. Despite the boos directed at conductor Horst Stein, the singers received immense praise. The album includes detailed information about the event and archive stage photographs. (Orfeo)

3CD# ORF-C230163

Telemann: Ino & Opera Arias for Soprano

$37.99

The Ino of our new recording comes from the ranks of the Boston Early Music Festival: Amanda Forsythe, most recently celebrated as the irresistible “Serva Padrona,” opens an aria recital with this demanding role, which portrays the opera composer Telemann from monodrama to lively comedy and looks ahead to upcoming productions. (CPO)

1CD# 555658-2

$18.99

Puts: The Hours / Renee Fleming; Kelli O’Hara; Joyce DiDonato [2 CDs]

Premiered at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2022, Kevin Puts’s The Hours stars Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming, and Kelli O’Hara. Praised for its sincerity and lyrical beauty, the opera returned to the Met in May 2024. This recording captures the powerful story of three women from different eras, featuring a libretto by Greg Pierce and conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. (Erato)

2CD# EAO791052.2 $19.98

Ricci: Il Birraio di Preston [2 CDs]

Probably the best recent version available of Aida with the finest possible cast of singers and a wonderful conductor. ‘Who needs elephants when the music sounds this good?’ declared The Times of this milestone recording event in Rome with it’s ‘luxurious, surely never-to-berepeated cast’. (Warner Classics)

2CD# WCL764081.2 $18.98

Donizetti: Chiara e Serafina [2 CDs]

Chiara e Serafina was the young Donizetti’s first opera composed for La Scala in 1822. A tardy librettist and an incoherent plot resulted in the premiere being a fiasco but Donizetti’s music is characterful with delightful duets, trios, and ensembles. This 200th anniversary live recording from the 2022 Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo is performed on period instruments and conducted by Sesto Quatrini. (Naxos)

2CD# 8660552-53 $29.99

Pergolesi: La serva padrona & Livietta e Tracollo [2 CDs]

In the 17th century, early opera saw comic elements overshadow heroic tales, leading to the emergence of opera seria with noble characters. Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s famous intermezzi, Serva padrona and Livietta e Tracollo, recorded by the Boston Early Music Festival, capture this shift. These lively Neapolitan caprices remain irresistibly entertaining. (CPO) 2CD# 555622-2 $36.99

Luigi Ricci (1805–1859) composed around thirty operas, excelling in comic opera and earning an international reputation. His success in semi-serious melodrama began with Chiara di Rosenberg at La Scala in 1831. Ricci’s flair for comedy and surreal plots made him a champion of post-Rossini opera buffa. (Bongiovanni)

2CD# GB2611/12-2 $31.99

Verdi: Aida [2 CDs]

Titles

Saimir / Saimir Pirgu; Orquestra De La Comunitat Valenciana

A “tenor from the dark side of the moon” (The New York Times), Saimir Pirgu takes us on a personal musical journey with a selection of arias guided by the vocal inspiration of his mentor Luciano Pavarotti. An intimate reflection on Pirgu’s career, this collection of arias traverses the Romantic tenor landscape of the 19th and early 20th centuries, taking the listener on a musical voyage across Europe. (Opus Arte)

1CD# OA CD9052D $21.99

Famous Opera Arias and Songs, Highlights

Lully: Atys [3 CDs]

A unique collection of recordings from the radio archives from 1982–1986, documenting the short yet brilliant career of the diva Ewa Gawronska, endowed with a beautiful soprano. An album for long-time admirers of the artist’s talent and for those who, thanks to recordings, have a chance to get to know one of the most beautiful voices of the operatic stage. (Dux)

1CD# DUX1997 $19.99

This is Atys, the King’s Opera, Lully’s masterpiece, premièred in 1676 before the court. A legendary work in the rediscovery of Grand-Siècle operas, Atys is a paragon of emerging lyric art: it places love at the centre of the plot, and its hero – for the first time in Lully’s work – dies on stage, provoking a sumptuous lamentation that could wring tears from the most hardened heart. (CDV)

3CD# CVS126 $39.99

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana

Thomas Hengelbrock is an artist who questions convictions with passion. Here he presents the original version of Cavalleria Rusticana intended by the composer with occasional higher keys and restored cuts. In the great drinking song shortly before the end of the opera, music never heard before has been recorded; the choral voices intertwine with great virtuosity. (Prospero)

1CD# PROSP0088 $23.99

OPERA IN BRIEF

Ukrainian InterMezzo / Luhansk SO; Ivan Ostapovych

Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Zoryana Kushpler was an ensemble member of the Vienna State Opera from 2007 to 2020 and performs regularly on the major international stages and festivals as both an opera and Lied singer. Kushpler pays special attention to music from and around her home country. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99302 $24.99

Wagner: Siegfried [3 CDs]

“Individual elements of this Siegfried live up to the high standards set by the previous instalments of the BRSO/ Rattle concert Ring cycle. There is no shortage of volume and high voltage to Simon O’Neill’s account of the titlerole, first and foremost in the brave and free top of his voice on display in the Forging Song. He holds nothing back.” – Gramophone (BR Klassik)

3CD# BRK900211 $45.99

Paisiello: La finta amante [2 CDs]

La finta amante was composed during Paisiello’s time at the Russian court of Catherine II, and it soon became a triumph across Europe. The opera features only three characters and was composed for a small travelling ensemble, part of the monarch’s entourage on a journey to visit the Emperor of Austria, Joseph II. Stefano Parisse conducts this world premiere recording. (Naxos)

2CD# 8660563-64 $29.99

Woolf: Jacqueline / Marnie Breckenridge; Matt Haimovitz [2 CDs]

Jacqueline is a powerful, awardwinning new opera that dives into the real-life struggle between famed cellist Jacqueline du Pré and the multiple sclerosis that ravaged her body, mind, and talent. The story is brought to life by celebrated American soprano Marnie Breckenridge and former du Pré protégé and world-renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz, giving voice to the role of her constant companion: her cello. (Pentatone)

2CD# PTC5187341 $26.99

Fiskeren – Der Fischer / Norwegian National Opera Orchestra [2 CDs]

Hjalmar Borgstrøm’s Fiskeren encompasses a forced marriage, a pact with the devil, divine punishment, and forgiveness. The recording has now taken its definitive form in this Simax release. (Simax)

2CD# PSC1221 $26.99

Jules Massenet: Werther / Hungarian National PO [2 CDs]

In adapting Goethe’s novel Werther, Massenet and his librettists gave greater prominence to the character of Charlotte, thus placing the struggle between duty and passion at the centre of the narrative. (Bru Zane)

2CD# BZ1056 $42.99

Corigliano: The Lord of Cries [2 CDs]

Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Gil Rose present the world premiere recording of The Lord of Cries, a breathtaking opera by John Corigliano and Mark Adamo. (Pentatone)

2SACD# PTC5187008 $36.99

Der Taucher / Hofkapelle Stuttgart; Kammerchor Stuttgart

Many years after the Stuttgart premiere of Der Taucher in 1813, Konradin Kreutzer reworked the opera for Vienna. A recording of the original version is now available for the first time with this release. (Carus)

1CD# CAR83536 $22.99

Vox Classics 80th

Rachmaninov: The Bells, Spring & 3 Russian Songs

The three choral masterpieces featured on this recording, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, were originally issued on the Vox label in 1982. The Bells is sung in an English translation by Fanny S. Copeland of the Russian poet Konstantin Balmont’s poem. (Vox Classics)

Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 “Scottish” & A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Romanian-born conductor Sergiu Comissiona galvanized the Baltimore Symphony into an orchestra of national prominence, releasing several albums on Vox. This classic recording of Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony is coupled with a previously unreleased recording from 1977 of excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (Vox Classics)

Wagner: Preludes & Overtures

This classic recording of Wagner’s preludes and overtures with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Jerzy Semkow, the orchestra’s music director from 1975 to 1979. Digitally mastered in high definition from the original analogue tapes. (Vox Classics)

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade – Smetana: Bartered Bride: Overture & Dances

These classic Vox recordings feature two former music directors of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in their prime – Walter Susskind (Smetana) and Jerzy Semkow (RimskyKorsakov). Newly remastered from the original tapes. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3043CD $19.99 $15.99

Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 4 –Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Abbey Simon and Leonard Slatkin’s much-admired set of Rachmaninov’s works for piano and orchestra makes a welcome return to the catalogue with this release of Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4 plus the Paganini Rhapsody. These classic performances originally issued on the Vox label in the late 1970s. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3030CD $19.99 $15.99

Gershwin: Piano Concerto, Second Rhapsody, I Got Rhythm Variations & Rhapsody in Blue

George Gershwin’s epochal Rhapsody in Blue is heard here alongside his Concerto in F, one of the most popular American works in the genre, Second Rhapsody and Variations on ‘I Got Rhythm’. These classic Vox recordings date from 1974, with the piano material last released on a Vox Box in 1990.

(Vox Classics)

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 – 1812 Festival Overture

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony is paired here with his ‘noisy festival piece’, the 1812 Overture. These Vox Audiophile Edition recordings were originally released in 1974 as quadraphonic LPs and also appeared in 2001 as part of a complete Tchaikovsky symphonic edition on the Vox label. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3023CD

$15.99

Dvorák: Cello Concerto - Silent Woods - RondoRomance - Mazurek

Antonin Dvorak’s Cello Concerto is considered the finest of his concertos, and arguably the greatest of all such works for the cello. These Vox recordings from 1974 performed by Zara Nelsova in the Concerto, Silent Woods and the Rondo, and Ruggiero Ricci in the Romance and Mazurek, with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Walter Susskind, are acclaimed classics. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3034CD $19.99 $15.99

Dvorák: Violin Concerto & Piano Concerto

Rudolf Firkušny was a great advocate for Dvorak’s Piano Concerto during his lifetime. He made several recordings of the work and this classic Vox recording from 1975 is still considered one of the best versions available. Ruggiero Ricci’s account of the Violin Concerto from 1974 is also an acclaimed classic. (Vox Classics)

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 & Romeo & Juliet Fantasy Overture

Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra’s recordings of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral works, originally released on Vox in 1974, remain much admired to this day. These classic recordings of Symphony No. 4 and Romeo and Juliet make a welcome return to the catalogue, newly remastered in 192kHz / 24-bit high-definition. (Vox Classics)

$19.99 $15.99

Anniversary Sale

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1, Fantasy on Polish Airs

The great American pianist Abbey Simon was an eloquent exponent of Chopin’s works, and these classic Vox recording from 1972 are a fitting testament to his artistry. Produced by the legendary Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz who made some of the finest sounding examples of orchestral recordings. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3032CD $19.99 $15.99

Gershwin: Orchestral Works

These Vox recordings from 1974 capture Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in classic performances of Gershwin’s most popular orchestral works including An American in Paris, Catfish Row and Cuban Overture. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3019CD $19.99 $15.99

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

Friedrich Wuhrer was appointed Professor at the Vienna Academy of Music at the age of 28 but he did not confine his activities to teaching. He soon became increasingly active as a concert pianist. His concert tours led him to most countries in Europe, and earned him the reputation as one of the finest keyboard artists of his time. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3003CD $19.99 $15.99

Tchaikovsky: Manfred & Marche slave

Tchaikovsky’s unnumbered symphony Manfred is based on a poem by Byron and charts the tempestuous journey of Manfred towards the longsought peace of death. The rousing Marche slave is a long-established concert favourite. The much-admired Tchaikovsky recordings by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and Maurice Abravanel were originally released on Vox in 1974. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3025CD $19.99 $15.99

VOX IN BRIEF

Beethoven: Overtures & Incidental Music

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 27

The piano concerto was the category in which Mozart most consistently excelled, in which he most successfully combined elements of virtuosity and depth, of chamber music and symphonic style, of regard for his public and for personal expression. Scored for the same instrumentation as No. 17, No. 27 was his last piano concerto. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3012CD $19.99 $15.99

Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 1 & Prince Rostislav

The orchestral color and grandeur of Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 1 and Prince Rostislav is expertly captured in these naturally balanced recordings produced by the legendary Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3029CD $19.99 $15.99

Beethoven: Overtures & Incidental Music

The Minnesota Orchestra and Stanislaw Skrowaczewski acclaimed VoxBox set of Beethoven’s overtures and incidental music makes a welcome return to the catalogue. Produced by the legendary Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz, and newly remastered from the original analogue tapes in high-definition. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3026CD $19.99 $15.99

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3 “Polish” & Francesca da Rimini

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 is his only symphony in a major key and displays echoes of Mendelssohn; Schumann and Schubert. The tragic and tempestuous symphonic poem Francesca da Rimini is based on scenes from Dante’s Divine Comedy. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3021CD $19.99 $15.99

Much has been written about Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. On the present recording Stanislaw Skrowaczewski leads the GRAMMY Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra. (Vox Classics)

Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

Sergey Rachmaninov’s concertos for piano and orchestra continue to be his most successful compositions together with his second symphony. (Vox Classics)

VOX-NX-3014CD $19.99 $15.99

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique” & Hamlet Fantasy Overture

Symphony No. 6 in B minor ‘Pathetique’ is the culmination of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic canon. The fantasyoverture after Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an insightful character study. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3024CD $19.99 $15.99

Beethoven: Symphony No. 4

Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, completed in 1806, is often seen as less grand than the Eroica and the Fifth, but it is celebrated for its grace, melodic invention, and spontaneity. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3002CD $19.99 $15.99

Guitar/Lute

Alma Gypsy / Pietro Lazazzara

“Gypsy Jazz and Gypsy music, from flamenco to 20th-century Spanish classical composers, have greatly influenced my technical and music-making journey, both interpretatively and compositionally. The sounds of this recording are a blend of styles and techniques embraced by my area of expertise.” – Pietro Lazazzara (Stradivarius)

1CD# STR57950 $16.99

A Tribute to Maria Luisa Anido / Cinzia Milani

The ‘grande dame of the guitar’ remembered through a new recording of her own music. María Luisa Anido (1907–1996) was born in Argentina. This is only the second album ever dedicated to Anido’s music, making Cinzia Milani’s recording a landmark contribution to guitar music on record, and to the extensive guitar library on Brilliant Classics. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI95954 $14.99

Selected Works for Lute [2 CDs]

Evangelina offers a double album dedicated to the music of the greatest lutenist of all time: Sylvius Leopold Weiss. In his work, virtuosity and sumptuousness merge against the elegant and ethereal background of the gallant encounters and court dances of the 18th century. A new recording that restores the lute to its due and ancient glories. (Arcana)

2CD# A569 $29.99

Krouse & Pearl: East Meets West –

Solo Guitar Works

East meets West offers a series of geographical and musical connections that bind the music of composers Ian Krouse and Ronald Pearl. The album includes the first recording of Krouse’s Roderick Usher’s ‘Phantasmion’ (in its 2009 revision), as well as the eloquent tone poem La Petite Fille aux Allumettes (“The Little Match Girl”) (Naxos)

1CD# 8559948 $19.99

Chamber Sonatas with Guitar

Franco Margola (1908–1992) was an Italian composer who was active throughout the 20th century. Margola’s sonatas often provide opening movements that are diatonic and atonal, followed by lyrical cantabile second movements that culminate in sparkling third movements evoking a medieval or baroque feel. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI97148 $14.99

Latin Landscapes choro, tango and more

Each country in South America has, over the centuries, produced varied popular traditions and distinctive dance rhythms. These include the vivacious and zestful Brazilian choro, as well as the Argentinian tango, of which we hear an example from “the father of the tango,” Ángel Villoldo. (Dynamic) 1CD# DYN-CDS8049 $16.99

Masters of the Guitar, Vol. 6

Volume 6 in the Masters of the Guitar series gives the opportunity to meet some of the most significant and important Russian guitarists: very peculiar artists who had a very strange personal history and who lived in a historical period of deep changes and they could testify their love for guitar. (Idis)

1CD# IDIS 6752 $16.99

The lute master Nicolas Vallet (c.1583–c.1642) lived and worked in a borderland between musical categories. This album shows that Vallet’s output covers the three instrumental genres of the Renaissance: free abstract pieces (preludes and fantasias), dances and settings of vocal pieces. For this recording a ten-course lute is used, strung in gut at 415 Hz. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI96925 $13.99

Innovations. Left Hand Guitar Pieces / Nicola Yasmin

Discover the groundbreaking artistry of Nicola Yasmin Stock, who has redefined classical guitar with her innovative left-hand-only repertoire. An award-winning performer and dedicated advocate for female composers, Nicola captivates audiences worldwide with her unique musical vision. (Musicaphon) 1CD# M55728 $16.99

This recording features Manuel María Ponce’s Sonatas, composed between 1923 and 1929, and performed by Andrés Segovia. These works are notable for being the first collection of Sonatas written in the 20th century by a non-guitarist composer. The collaboration between Ponce and Segovia began in 1923 and significantly influenced the classical guitar repertoire. (IBS Classical)

1CD# IBS-122024 $17.99

Vallet: Lute Music / Yavor Genov

Ponce Guitar Sonatas / María Esther Guzman

Vocal Releases

Rising / Lawrence Brownlee

Rising is Lawrence Brownlee’s project featuring new works by six leading African-American composers, inspired by Harlem Renaissance poetry. The composition, explore themes of joy, empowerment, faith, love, and resilience. Brownlee collaborates with Dr. Louise Toppin to revive works by Margaret Bonds and Robert Owen, accompanied by pianist Kevin J. Miller. (Warner Classics)

1CD# WCL2289972.2 $18.98

J.S. Bach: Complete Solo Cantatas for Alto and Bass [2 CDs]

L’Orfeo Barockorchester and its director, Michi Gaigg, have created an impressive discography through their close collaboration with CPO. Seven sacred solo cantatas form the program, featuring two proven specialists in early music who sing the vocal part: Dutch bass-baritone Peter Kooij and Austrian alto Margot Oitzinger. (CPO)

2CD# 555690-2 $36.99

Fries: Songs / Margarita Gritskova

Albin Fries presents highlights of his Lied oeuvre with soprano Margarita Gritskova, a Vienna State Opera member since 2012. The CD features nature-themed songs like the “Seasons” cycle, settings of poems by Hermann Hesse and Stefan Zweig, and love-themed cycles such as “Lieder nach Gedichten von Friedrich Rückert Op. 52.” (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99319 $24.99

La Divina – The Best of Maria Callas (Compilation) [2 CDs]

Maria Callas is credited with changing the history of opera. Known as ‘La Divina,’ she continues to fascinate as a supreme artist, but also as a woman and an icon of style. A magnetic presence, she brought operatic heroines to vivid life, magically shaping and colouring her tone, and making insightful use of the text of the libretto. (Warner Classics)

2CD# WCL766491.2 $18.98

VOCAL RELEASES IN BRIEF

Tag und Nacht / Bamberger Symphoniker

Katerina Knežíková, acclaimed in opera and concerts, explores Richard Strauss’s songs with Jakub Hruša and the Bamberger Symphoniker. This live performance includes the Four Last Songs and a selection of Lieder, reflecting Strauss’s life and themes of parting and death, each song a polished gem. (Supraphon)

1CD# SU4346-2 $26.99

Messiaen: Vocal Works / Bertrand Chamayou, Barbara Hannigan

Soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianist Bertrand Chamayou unite to record the vocal music of Olivier Messiaen, presenting his two major song cycles from the 1930’s. Existing in both the sensual and sacred realms, the Poèmes pour Mi are inspired by the precious relationship of Messiaen and “Mi” – the nickname of his first wife; violinist and composer Claire Delbos. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1033 $20.99 $16.79

Monde es Mystere / Christina Baader; Gert Hecher Stuttgart-born mezzo-soprano Christina Baader has been a much sought-after musician for many years, not only as an opera singer and soloist, but also as an internationally successful visual artist. To mark the 100th anniversary of Gabriel Fauré’s death, Christina Baader and Gert Hecher, piano, are presenting this album featuring a selection of Fauré’s songs as well as those by Henri Duparc. (Gramola) 1CD# GRAM99314 $24.99

Jenkins: The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace

Their third release on Signum Classics, David Temple and Hertfordshire Chorus present Karl Jenkin’s The Armed Man. This is the first recording of the ensemble version of The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. This recording features celebrated mezzo soprano Kathryn Rudge as well as muezzin Osama Kiwan and cellist Jamal Aliyev. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD779 $20.99

Singt und klingt!

The Leipzig Gewandhaus hosts four choirs with over 200 singers, performing solo and collaborative concerts. This CD captures the festive spirit of their annual Christmas concert. (Querstand) 1CD# VKJK 2211 $25.99

Close Harmony / The King’s Singers [2 CDs]

Close Harmony is the latest musical offering from Grammy Award-winning and internationally acclaimed vocal group The King’s Singers. (Signum Classics)

SIGCD912 $32.99

Then and Now / Gregory Kunde

Acclaimed tenor Gregory Kunde marks his 70th birthday by making his first foray outside operatic repertoire with an album inspired by his childhood jukebox favorites. (Delos)

1CD# DE 3606 $20.99

Ester Mägi: Complete Songs – Female Voice

Many of the earlier songs are openly romantic, but Ester Mägi later tapped into the hypnotic energy of Estonian runic folksong. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCC0741 $20.99

Voices of Thunder / Oxford The Choir of Magdalen College

Voices of Thunder features choral pieces showcasing Magdalen College Chapel’s new Eule organ. The album combines The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, with the organ’s unique sonorities, including works from Haydn to Judith Weir. The Eule organ, built by Herman Eule Orgelbau, is the first of its kind in the UK in nearly 100 years. (Coro)

Rolling River: American Choral / Lestyn Davies

Choral singing enjoys astonishing vitality in the United States of America. Graham Ross and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge introduce us to the colorful works of the younger generation of composers on the other side of the Atlantic. This recording is splendid panorama of American choral music from the post-war period to the present day. (Harmonia Mundi)

The Salvage Men / Eric Ericson; Chamber Choir

The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, led by Fredrik Malmberg, presents a program of a cappella works by American composers. The album features Samuel Barber’s “Reincarnations,” Jeff Beal’s “The Salvage Men,” Daniel Nelson’s “The New Colossus,” and two pieces by Eric Whitacre: “A Boy and a Girl” and “Three Songs of Faith.” (BIS)

1SACD#

Briggs: Hail, gladdening Light & other works / Choir of Temple College Cambridge

Apocalyptic walls of sound cascade around the Gothic vaults of SaintEustache in Paris as Stephen Layton and David Briggs unleash, respectively, the full power of a topnotch Trinity Choir and the mighty van den Heuvel organ of 1989. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68440.2 $19.98

Choir Concertos / SWR Vokalensemble

Vedel and Berezovsky are among the most important composers of Ukrainian classical music of the 18th century. The works attributed to Vedel, including 31 choral concertos, are all set to liturgical texts or Bible verses. Bortniansky is highly credited with bringing the genre of the sacred concerto to fruition. (SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19150CD $20.99

Bononcini: How Are The Mighty Fallen / Academy of Ancient Music

This is the first recording not only of Ave Maris stella and Laudate pueri but also the original D-major version of Bononcini’s Te Deum. The work has been newly edited here from its English eighteenth-century sources. These works were written during Bononcini’s time in London. (Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD905 $19.99

Two opulent choral masterpieces by Richard Strauss frame an eclectic program from one of Europe’s most highly acclaimed choirs. The name of the young Slovenian composer Matej Kastelic may still be relatively little known, but the title track “Credo / I believe” is simply extraordinary, and demands to be heard. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68426.2 $19.98

Bach: Mass in B Minor / Cantata Collective [2 CDs] San Francisco-based early music ensemble Cantata Collective continues its major series of J. S. Bach’s choral works with the Mass in B Minor, a towering testament of sacred music and the composer’s crowning achievement of his final years. (Avie)

2CD# AV2668 $32.99

Heger: Stilles Leuchten / Basler Madrigalisten

Missa Benevola / I Fagiolini; The City Musick

Raphael Immoos leads the Basler Madrigalisten in this collection of Swiss choral music from the late Romantic era. This collection includes works from Hans Huber, Friedrich Hegar, Hermann Suter, Rudolf Moser, Conrad Beck, and more. (Prospero) 1CD# PROSP0097 $21.99

I Fagiolini continues its rediscovery of multi-choir masses from mid-17th-century Rome by maestro and ‘fixer’ Orazio Benevoli. The four-choir work on this new recording, ‘Missa Benevola’, is accentuated with even more instrumental colour to allow the ear to appreciate the dance between the four separated ensembles. All the Masses in I Fagiolini’s Benevoli series are premiere recordings. (Coro)

1CD# COR16208 $19.99

Credo / State Choir Latvija

Releases

Choral Works / Westminster Abbey Choir

A diverse selection of works, many written to commemorate state occasions in Westminster Abbey itself, by three composers who demonstrate a particular affinity for choral music. Tracks include “Kyrie,” “Gloria,” “Vast Ocean of Light,” “Agnus Dei,” and more. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68350.2 $19.98

Bruckner, Haselbo: Motetten

Chorus sine nomine, founded in 1991 by Johannes Hiemetsberger, is a distinguished Austrian concert choir. This CD features Anton Bruckner’s motets, composed for liturgical occasions, including Graduale, Offertorium, and a Good Friday hymn. Organist Martin Haselböck connects Bruckner’s admired improvisational style to these works with his organ improvisations. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99335 $24.99

Sorozábal: Choral Works I

Pablo Sorozábal (1897-1988), renowned in the operatic scene, maintained a deep connection with choral music throughout his career. His artistic personality was shaped by the vibrant choral movement of his native Basque Country, influenced by his father, a talented bertsolari. Sorozábal inherited a love for folk music and the Basque language, which he described as “sounding like music.” (IBS Classical)

1CD# IBS-92024

Martinaityte: Aletheia / Latvian Radio Choir

$17.99

Ondine’s third album devoted to the music of Lithuanian-American composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė (b. 1973) focuses on her music for unaccompanied chorus. On this album, four of her works are performed by the award-winning Latvian Radio Choir, conducted by Sigvards Klava. (Ondine)

1CD# ODE 1447-2 $18.99

Opere corali sacre / Coro Euridice

With this new album, the Euridice Choir, Bologna achieves a major objective with regard to the divulgation of some choral works by two authors, Ildebrando Pizzetti (Parma 1880 – Rome 1968) and Giorgio Federico Ghedini (Cuneo 1892 – Genoa Nervi 1965), who are at the top of the history of 20th century Italian choral music. (Tactus)

1CD# TC880005 $18.99

The French Album / James Orford; London Choral Sinfonia

“Fast becoming the go-to champions for contemporary British choral music” (Gramophone), the London Choral Sinfonia presents a captivating blend of French choral music under the direction of Michael Waldron, with soloists Nick Pritchard and Miriam Allan. (Orchid Classics)

1CD# ORC100317 $16.99

Bernstein; Boulan: Les chansons des roses / Jervaulx Singers

“Everyone involved in Jervaulx Singers has a passion for vocal music in all its forms. The varied repertoire of Les chansons des roses encompasses all that this choir is about – giving singers the freedom to sincerely express themselves through choral music, song, and opera. This repertoire, all connected to earth and nature, reminds us to cherish the world around us.”

– Charlie Gower-Smith (Convivium) 1CD# CVI101 $16.99

Coccia: Sacred Music / Cardiff University Chamber Choir

The Roman Maria Rosa Coccia (1759–1833) was a musical phenomenon of almost Mozartian precocity, becoming the first female composer to be awarded the professional distinction of maestra di cappella – at the age of fifteen. The freshness and buoyancy of her writing up to that point give an indication of what might have been. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCC0359 $20.99

The Lamb’s Journey: A Choral Narrative from Gibbons to Barber

The American countertenor Christopher Lowrey founded the vocal ensemble Altera ‘to form the beating heart of professional choral music in the United States’. Altera has devised this musical tour through sacred territories which focuses on epic narratives from various periods, from Renaissance music to the present day. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1029 $20.99 $16.79

Radiance Untethered: The Choral Music of John Wykoff

Poetry and music accomplish together what neither can accomplish alone. For the majority of the works on this album, John Wykoff collaborated with one of the best choral lyricists of our time. In writing the words for many of the works, Charles Anthony Silvestri was finely sensitive to the ways in which music transforms a text and is transformed in return. (Gia) 1CD# GIACD-1136 $18.99

Sacred Music

The Song of Songs / BBC Women’s Chorus Of Wales; English SO

Two works by American composer Walter Arlen, who escaped Vienna when Hitler invaded and moved to Chicago, where he worked as a journalist and composer. The album features mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, tenor Gwilym Bowen, baritone Thomas Mole, the English Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Women’s Chorus of Wales, and is conducted by Kenneth Woods. (Signum)

Handel: Il Messia

On August 6, 1768, Handel’s Messiah premiered in Florence’s Palazzo Pitti, 24 years after its debut. Adapted by Abate Antonio Pillori and Salvatore Pazzaglia to align with Catholic doctrines and Italian customs, this version was recorded at the Innsbruck Festival and is noted for its compact and singable form. (CPO)

Matthew Martin: Masses, Canticles, Motets

Following its first album for Linn – a recording of motets by the English expatriates Philips and Dering – the Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, travels a few centuries forward, turning now to the vibrant and engaging choral music by its Director of Music, Matthew Martin. The album showcases a collection of works written between 2004 and 2022. (Linn)

1CD# CKD743 $20.99

Ave Maria – Marian Hymns [2 CDs]

Masterpieces of musical Marian devotion over the centuries, composed by the greatest composers of the time, as well as well-known traditional hymns, interpreted by renowned soloists and ensembles such as the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart under Helmuth Rilling, Renata Tebaldi, the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff, or the Stuttgart Hymnus Choir Boys’ Choir. (Haenssler Classic)

2CD# HC24051 $24.99

Beethoven: Missa Solemnis / Herbert von Karajan; Philharmonia Orchestra

Herbert von Karajan’s 1958 and 1961 recordings of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Mozart’s Requiem are highly regarded by critics. The Missa Solemnis, released by Testament over 20 years ago, is noted for its extraordinary interpretation and sound quality. Karajan’s first recording of Mozart’s Requiem, though always available in the DG catalogue, is currently hard to find. (Urania)

1CD# WS121.420 $29.99

Sacred Music / Collegium Vocale Gent [11 CDs]

Philippe Herreweghe and Collegium Vocale Gent have made a lasting impression on the Bach discography with their many recordings devoted to the Kantor. They have also explored other sacred repertoires by Beethoven, Haydn, Dvorák and Bruckner. Here they are together for the first time in a boxed set of 11 CDs. (Phi)

11CD# LPH042 $53.99

Pachelbel: Magnificat II

A German Passion – 17th Cent. Music for Lent and Easter

The Hanseatic wealth of North Germany in the 17th century is reflected in its magnificent cathedrals, and the enormous grandeur of its church music was composed to fill the rich acoustics of these spaces. This program presents a wide range of Easter music that displays the wealth of inventiveness in this period. (Naxos)

1CD# 8551484 $19.99

Bach & McMillan: Motets & Sacred Songs

Tenebrae bring their trademark passion and precision to this live performance of music by J.S. Bach and Sir James MacMillan. Renowned for their technical difficulty, Bach’s motets are pillars of the choral repertoire Here, Tenebrae performs the three most well-known of the set, culminating in the joyful Singet dem Herrn. (Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD773 $19.99

Roger Norrington Conducts Sacred Music [4 CDs]

Sir Roger Norrington has been chief conductor of the former Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (today the SWR Symphonieorchester) for thirteen years. The present re-issue brings together in a boxed set three of most the important works of Sacred Music from the 19th century: Berlioz’ Requiem, Brahms’ A German Requiem and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. (SWR Classic)

4CD# SWR19532CD $37.99

In the last decade of his life, Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706) was highly productive as a church musician in Nuremberg, setting the Magnificat nearly a dozen times for Protestant vespers services. The Himlische Cantorey, led by Jan Kobow, continues to bring Pachelbel’s spirited compositions to life. (CPO)

1CD# 555515-2 $18.99

Early Music

Sacred Treasures of Venice / London Oratory Schola Cantorum

It’s tempting to imagine that this is how the music might have sounded four centuries ago in the glorious surroundings of St Mark’s. Certainly, any comparisons are unlikely to be to the disadvantage of these exceptional young singers from The London Oratory Schola Cantorum who excel in this repertoire. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68427.2 $19.98

Cornelis Schuyt: Madrigali nuptiali – Padovane e Gagliarde

Cornelis Schuyt, born in Leiden seven years before Shakespeare, transformed his travels into musical masterpieces. Inspired by his visit to Italy, he composed four volumes of enchanting madrigals and a collection of beautiful Padouanas and Gagliardes. Manfred Cordes and the Weser-Renaissance ensemble bring these captivating works to life with a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces. (CPO)

1CD# 555545-2 $18.99

Music in Golden-Age Florence, 1250–1750 [2 CDs]

This double album accompanies the eponymous book by Anthony M. Cummings, Music in Golden-Age Florence, 1250–1750. They are designed to enable readers and listeners to enter the sound world of late-medieval and early-modern Florence. Through the integration of the contents of the book and the CDs, we offer our listeners the possibility of a fascinating metaphoric time travel. (Ramee)

2CD# RAM2206 $29.99

A Byzantine Emperor at King Henry’s Court

At the end of the 14th century, musical worlds collided in England as Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos spent Christmas at King Henry IV’s royal court. For the first and only time, florid chant, polyphony, royal ceremonial, and imperial acclamations from both kingdoms and rites echoed antiphonally in London’s Eltham Palace. (Cappella Romana)

1SACD# CR427 $21.99

EARLY MUSIC IN BRIEF

La Hele: Missa Praeter rerum seriem

Brandt: German Songs of the Renaissance

With this CD, we present a composer who is almost completely unknown. An astonishing admission, because his work is well documented in Georg Forster’s songbooks and his compositions have also been published in print. Georg Forster himself held vom Brandt in high esteem, so much so that he dedicated the third volume of his “Teutschen Liedlein” to him. (Haenssler Classic)

1CD# HC22018 $20.99

Obrecht: Scaramella / Binschois Consort

The challenges and rewards of performing early music are here vividly illustrated by The Binchois Consort, as creative scholarship comes to the aid of two substantialbut fragmentary-works by Jacob Obrecht, and an audacious recorded sound attempts to recreate the experience of the original performers 500 years ago. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68460.2 $19.98

The Orpheus of Amsterdam / The Royal Wind Music

With The Royal Wind Music, we will make the music of the most famous composer of the Netherlands sound like it never sounded before. Our ensemble is often compared to a “walking organ”. The idea of how the ‘Sweelinck Organ’ sounded in his own hands in the Old Church in Amsterdam stimulates our interpretation of his beautiful keyboard works. (Pan Classics)

1CD# PC10462 $20.99

Si breve e ‘l tempo / La Compagnia del Madrigale

In the last quarter of the 16th century, the madrigal spread well beyond Italy. Over 85 books of Italian madrigals were printed in Antwerp, mainly by Pierre Phalèse the Younger, giving a place of choice to both Italian and local composers. La Compagnia del Madrigale is unveiling the world premiere of works taken from the volumes that made the genre such a success. (Musique en Wallonie)

1CD# MEW2410 $20.99

El Leon de Oro and Peter Phillips offer a collection of works representative of a school of Flemish composers living in Madrid towards the end of the Renaissance. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68439.2 $19.98

Sweet Musicke / Johanna Carter

Although the repertoire survives mainly in manuscript, a handful of collections printed in London between 1600 and 1612 include music for lyra viol. The music on this album is drawn from two prints. (Fra Bernardo)

1CD# FB2409281 $22.99

The Florentine Renaissance / Orlando Consort

A celebration from The Orlando Consort of the musical and literary worlds of Florence’s golden age under the Medici, in a selection of works which includes a number of first recordings. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68349.2 $19.98

Padovano: Missa a La Dolc’ Ombra / Cinquecento

Cinquecento deliver flawless accounts of two major Mass settings as they might have been heard in Karl II’s Habsburg court. (Hyperion)

1CD# HYP68407.2 $19.98

J.S. Bach: Cellos Suites Nos. 1 & 2 / Sonia Wieder-Atherton

Sonia Wieder-Atherton, a prizewinning Franco-American cellist, is known for her collaborations with contemporary composers and artists. Her Alpha Classics recordings of Bach’s Cello Suites, starting with Suites Nos. 1 and 2, feature photos by Sarah Moon. Wieder-Atherton likens playing Bach to Giacometti molding clay, a process of creation and discovery. (Alpha) 1CD# ALPHA1053 $20.99

Telemann: Six Quatuors ou Trios 1733 / Camerata Köln

Despite Georg Philipp Telemann’s extensive body of work, new discoveries continue to emerge. Camerata Köln and director Michael Schneider’s latest production, Six Quatuors ou Trios 1733, showcases Telemann’s polyphonic and chromatic creativity, delicate cantilenas, and virtuosic miniatures. This collection highlights his boundless imagination and innovative spirit. (CPO) 1CD#

Purcell: Dido & Aeneas, the Fairy Queen [3 CDs]

In the late 1980s, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants recorded galvanizing versions of two masterpieces of early English opera: Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and The Fairy Queen. These two seminal interpretations are now available again, coupled for the first time in a single boxed set. (Harmonia Mundi)

Bonizzi: Complete Works for Viola Bastarda

Vincenzo Bonizzi is remembered by music historians for writing the last work for the viola bastarda published in 1626. The viola bastarda was described as ‘the queen of instruments’ – it stands midway between tenor and bass viols in terms of size and tuning. Bonizzi’s Alcune opere di diversi auttori is a mixture of original music and pieces drawn from numerous sources. (Dynamic)

1CD# DYN-CDS8045 $16.99

Italian Baroque Trumpet Concertos / Interpreti Veneziani

The brilliant dynamism of Italian Baroque music is at its most virtuosic and thrilling in works featuring the solo trumpet, whether in original compositions or transcriptions. Albinoni’s astonishing ornamentations and the luminous dexterity of Vivaldi’s concerto both represent each composer’s distinctive character, heard alongside works by Corelli, Zipoli, Baldassare, and Torelli. (Naxos) 1CD# 8551467 $19.99

Colonna: Caro ardore, Sacro amore

The sumptuous music of Giovanni Paolo Colonna is brought to life in this concert to honour Bologna’s patron saint at the Chapel of St Petronio Basilica – the very place in which this great musician was organist and chapel master in the mid-17th century. (Dynamic)

1CD# CDS8044 $16.99

“The 4 Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi… are probably the most famous and often performed compositions ever written. While you can hear it in the original version in the great concert halls just as well as background music in a lift, most of us have some personal hearing memory about them...” – Linus Roth (EPR Classic)

1CD# EPRC 0065 $16.99

J.S. Bach: A Life in Music Vol.1 / Les Art Florissants

In this new series, Paul Agnew and Les Arts Florissants invite us to follow the creative itinerary of J. S. Bach through the times and cities in which he lived. The first instalment introduces us to a young master who remained faithful to the north German tradition of the sacred concerto, but already displayed an intensely personal invention. (Harmonia Mundi) 1CD# HMF8905364.2 $23.98

Pieces de viole / Francois Joubert-Caillet L’Acheron

The Sainte-Colombe family remains a source of mystery to this day: the first name and the origins of the father, who taught Marin Marais and composed numerous pieces for one or two viols, remains hidden in the mists of time. These five suites of dances in the French style, including a Tombeau pour Mr de Sainte-Colombe le père, have survived in a non-autograph manuscript. (Ricercar) 1CD# RIC466 $20.99

Handel: Dixit Dominus, Laudate pueri, Nisi Dominus

It was in Rome, where he resided between 1707 and 1710, that the young Handel composed these three dazzling sacred works. The Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin and the RIAS Kammerchor give us an extremely lively and colorful reading of these pieces. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902723.2 $23.98

Vivaldi: 4 Seasons for Violin & Guitar / Linus Roth; Petrit Ceku

Era

Vivaldi: Concerti Per Una Vita [2 CDs]

One must get past the cliche (‘Vivaldi composed the same concerto 500 times’) to understand the extent to which composer, instrument and genre form an indissoluble whole; and that is what Theotime Langlois de Swarte and the musicians of Le Consort have set out to do. (Harmonia Mundi)

2CD# HMF902373.2 $25.98

J.S. Bach: Violin Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach is always seen as a keyboard virtuoso, but he must also have been a very good violinist. Two of Bach’s violin concertos have survived, which the violinist duo Florian Deuter and Mónica Waisman split between them, as well as the Double Concerto in D minor for two violins and orchestra, BWV 1043. (Accent)

1CD# ACC 24403 $20.99

Boxberg: Cantatas and Sacred Concertos

Christian Ludwig Boxberg was a versatile musician, serving as an organist, singer, opera director, composer, and librettist. His unique cantatas often feature chamber music with a singing voice, two melody instruments, bassoon, and organ. Many solo cantatas, called “Concert con Aria,” combine a dictum and an aria, while others use psalms and chorales in a motet-like style.

(Cantate)

1CD# CTE58058 $16.99

Eccles, Geminia: Italophilia

This recording explores the Italian influences on English baroque music in the 17th and 18th centuries. It highlights how composers like Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel were inspired by Italian masters, contextualizing Handel’s work with those he influenced and was influenced by, both in England and Italy. (Challenge)

1CD# CC 720003 $16.99

BAROQUE IN BRIEF

Ouvertures & Suites / Altberg Ensemble

This album provides a unique opportunity to get to know the oeuvre of forgotten masters of the mature Baroque era and to admire their talent and compositional craftsmanship. Thanks to its exuberant production, the Altberg Ensemble, specializing in historically informed performance on period instruments, transfers listeners to the world of emotions, intrigue, and entertainment of sixteenth-century European courts. (Dux)

1CD# DUX1987 $19.99

Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine / Pygmalion [2 CDs]

After Stravaganza d’amore, their superb album of late sixteenthcentury Florentine music, Raphael Pichon and Pygmalion returned to Italy, this time to Mantua. Here they offer us their reading of one of the peaks of sacred music from this period. (Harmonia Mundi)

2CD# HMF271011.2 $25.98

Couperin: Concerts Royaux / Pierre Gallon

Pierre Gallon and Matthieu Boutineau offer us an opportunity to rediscover Couperin’s Concerts Royaux in a version for two harpsichords, a rare combination, yet one of which the composer to the Sun King was especially fond. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# HMF902317.2 $23.98

V6: Vision Bach, Vol. 6 / Gaechinger Cantorey [2 CDs]

Subissati: Sonate per Violin Solo e Basso Continuo [2 CDs]

The ensemble of the Bachakademie, the Gaechinger Cantorey, plays under the direction of HansChristoph Rademann. For this purpose it comprises the instrumentalists and up to four vocalists per voice, including the soloists, all specialists in their field, as Bach himself wished it. (Haenssler Classic)

2CD# HC23030 $32.99

In these virtuoso interpretations, Joanna Morska-Osinska reveals the sophisticated and imaginative face of forgotten compositions of the early Baroque era. (Dux)

2CD# DUX1959-60 $29.99

J.S. Bach: Sonatas & Partitas [2 CDs]

Violinist Gisella Curtolo describes recording these works as a lasting mark, akin to a “sculpture of sounds,” reflecting years of dedication and preparation. (IBS Classical)

2CD# IBS-142024 $21.99

Vivaldi: Musica sacra per coro, Vol. 1

This collection highlights Vivaldi’s lively and intricate compositions, with a focus on clarity and joy. (Naive) 1CD# OP8564 $17.99

Concert in Bachhaus Eisenach [2 CDs]

Inspired by the 2021 Eisenach Bach Festival, this CD features Bach’s violin and keyboard pieces. Performers are David Shemer on historical keyboards and Walter Reiter on a 1727 baroque violin. (Querstand)

2CD# VKJK 2210 $25.99

The Classical

Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5, KV 219 / Howard Griffiths

Volume 11 of the Next Generation Mozart Soloists series features Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major and Piano Concertos KV 40 and KV 449. Swiss-Canadian pianist Teo Gheorghiu describes the concertos as “joyful and optimistic,” while French violinist David Castro-Balbi highlights the operatic character of Violin Concerto No. 5. The Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, conducted by Howard Griffiths, accompanies the soloists. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1112 $20.99 $16.79

Haydn: Late Symphonies, Vol. 4 – Nos. 102-104

Adam Fischer and the Danish Chamber Orchestra continue their ground-breaking survey of Haydn’s late symphonies. This fourth volume presents Haydn’s final three London symphonies performed with the same excitement and energy that can be found in Volumes 1–3 of this critically acclaimed series. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574519 $19.99

Beethoven: The Late Quartets, Vol. 1 / Alma Quartet

In 2015, pianist Jonathan Biss initiated the Beethoven/5 commissioning project with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Volume Two sees “City Stanzas,” written by British composer Sally Beamish to pair with Beethoven’s first piano concerto, marking a thematic departure from Beamish’s earlier works often inspired by nature. (Orchid Classics)

Platti: Violoncello & Harpsichord Sonatas, Vol. 1

This CD is the first of three albums of music by Giovanni Benedetto Platti, on which we plan to record all twelve cello sonatas and the harpsichord sonatas Op. 1. Platti is a classic example of one of the many underestimated composers of the 18th century. Today, his name is familiar only to specialists and his music known to but a very few, yet his work is well worth discovering. (Solo Musica)

1CD# SM460 $20.99

Mozart: Piano Concertos, Vol. 10 / Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Mozart: Piano Concertos, Vol. 10 recorded by Jean Efflam-Bavouzet and the Manchester Camerata, with Caroline Pether. Works include the Overture to ‘Apollo et Hyacinthus, KV 38, Overture to ‘Bastien und Bastienne, KV 50, and more. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20323 $20.99

Fasch: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4

This volume of modern premières of Johann Friedrich Fasch’s works was recorded at the 2023 International Fasch Festival in Zerbst. Tempesta di Mare has been exploring Fasch’s orchestral music since 2007, leading to this fourth volume of discoveries. Fasch’s distinctive voice sets him apart from contemporaries like Vivaldi, Corelli, and Telemann, despite their influences. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 0829 $20.99

Abel: Between Two Worlds

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 / Bavarian Radio SO

This CD from BR-Klassik features Leonard Bernstein’s live recording of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and the Leonore Overture No. 3, performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on October 17, 1976. Munich critic Joachim Kaiser praised Bernstein’s passionate and powerful interpretation. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900228 $19.99

Haydn 2032, Vol. 16: The Surprise

The 16th volume of the Haydn2032 symphony recordings highlights Joseph Haydn’s humor, featuring Symphony No. 90 with its false conclusion and Symphony No. 94’s famous “surprise” Andante. Giovanni Antonini also pays tribute to Haydn admirer Gioachino Rossini by including the Sinfonia from La scala di seta. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA698 $20.99 $16.79

Cannabich: No Strings Attached / London Mozart Players

La Petite Écurie’s latest album, No Strings Attached, inspired by Johann Christian Schieferdecker’s preface, showcases the virtuosic capabilities of the Oboe Band. Featuring works by composers from Germany, France, Italy, and England, this album follows their acclaimed debut, The Queen’s Favourites, which received high praise for its beautiful tone and precise intonation. (Arcana)

1CD# A570 $20.99

Carl Friedrich Abel’s updated catalogue includes 420 works, of which 29 are concertos for solo instruments. These follow the typical pattern, with three movements (first and third played fast in the home key, the second more slowly in a separate albeit related key) starting and ending in orchestral ritornellos, which are also interposed between each solo. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI97437 $12.99

Era

Beethoven: Violin Concerto / Veronika Eberle

For her debut concerto album, violinist Veronika Eberle offers a fresh interpretation of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, featuring new cadenzas by Jorg Widmann. This concerto, central to her career, was first performed by her at the 2006 Salzburg Easter Festival under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. The album reunites them to celebrate this enduring masterpiece. (LSO Live)

1SACD# LSOL5094SACD $15.98

Vesperae / Czech Ensemble Baroque

Discover the timeless brilliance of mid-18th-century composer Tuma with Czech Ensemble Baroque’s latest album. Featuring sacred vespers, litanies, and instrumental gems, this collection showcases modern-day premieres of his masterful blend of tradition and innovation. (Supraphon)

1CD# SU4352-2 $26.99

Haydn: Violin Concerto No. 4

This disc couples the last Violin Concerto (1769) by Joseph Haydn with the Double Concerto for Viola and Harpsichord (1762) by his brother Michael: two rarely recorded early Classical gems. This is the debut recording of Pearls in Baroque Chamber Orchestra. (Challenge)

1CD# CC 72983 $18.99

Mozart: Stories / Emmanuel Pahud; Eric Le Sage

Flautist Emmanuel Pahud first became captivated by the Mozart’s music when he was just five years old. In the words of the Baltimore Sun he plays it “with an astonishing array of subtly moulded sounds, superb breath control, flawless articulation and, above all, consistently eloquent phrasing.”

With pianist Eric Le Sage, Pahud performs several Sonatas, which Mozart originally composed for violin and piano. (Warner Classics)

CLASSICAL ERA IN BRIEF

Beethoven: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2

Boccherini Edition [52 CDs]

This comprehensive collection celebrates the works of Boccherini, one of the Classical era’s most distinctive voices. Known for his refined galant style, his output includes an extensive catalog of chamber music, around 30 symphonies, a dozen cello concertos, and a selection of vocal works. (Brilliant Classics)

52CD# BRI97172 $125.99

J.E. Bach: 6 Sonatas for Violin / Susanna Pisana; Maurizio Paciariello

J.E. Bach’s 6 Sonatas for fortepiano & violin are among the few works the composer managed to have published during his lifetime: the first three in 1770 and the remainder in 1772. Although critics deemed them to be ‘too modern’, they were received so well by the public that a new edition was released in 1775. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI97021 $12.99

Giannotti: 12 Sonate per Violino solo [2 CDs]

Pietro Giannotti, who in the title page of Op. 1 (entirely written in Italian), is described as native of Lucca, was born in that independent Tuscan city. Pierluigi Mencattini, accompanied by the ensemble Labirinto Armonico, in this double CD performs the full version of the Op. 1 collection. (Tactus)

2CD# TC690790 $27.99

Bruno Walter Conducts Mozart & Haydn [6 CDs]

Explore the artistry of Bruno Walter, one of the 20th century’s most beloved conductors, in this remarkable collection. From his emotionally radiant Mozart and German Romantic classics to his final stereo recordings of Mahler and Schubert, these performances showcase Walter’s unique blend of warmth and precision.6 CDs in all! (Sony)

6CD# 19802819972 $39.98

Beethoven’s Sonatas for Piano and Cello, Op. 5 are revolutionary works, with neither instrument subservient and the piano fully independent. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574529 $19.99

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice [DVD]

This 1982 recording from Glyndebourne, where Dame Janet Baker appropriately began her professional career, proved a suitable crowning glory to the career of one of the great singing actresses of our age. (Opus Arte)

1DVD# OA 1372D $21.99

Baldassarre: Sonatas for Harpsichord, Vol. 2 / Alvise De Piero

This is the second album of the collection dedicated to Baldassare Galuppi’s Harpsichord Sonatas by Alvise De Piero. (Urania)

1CD# LDV14117 $19.99

Mozart: String Duos

This recording begins with Mozart’s two spectacular duos for violin and viola: pieces that are by turns lyrical, playful, and virtuosic. (Leaf Music)

1CD# LM297 $18.99

The Romantic

Dvorák: Songs / Ester Pavlu; Charles Spencer

Mezzo-soprano Ester Pavlu has chosen four of the two dozen individual songs and song cycles that the world-famous Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) wrote during his lifetime. Ester Pavlu’s magnificent voice, as well as her convincing stage presence, make her one of the most promising mezzo-sopranos of the current generation. (Arcodiva) 1CD# UP0251

Schumann: The Young Schumann / Charles Owen

The Young Schumann, the new release by British pianist Charles Owen, is a musical narrative of Robert Schumann’s early career, featuring works written in the 1830s when the composer was in his 20s. His first two published works, Abegg Variations and Papillons, the impetuous six Intermezzi, Op. 4, and the characterful Carnaval, Op. 9, are all fueled by some of Schumann’s compositional hallmarks. (Avie)

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5; Fantasy Overture / Aziz Shokhakimov

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, under the dynamic leadership of Aziz Shokhakimov, presents Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Romeo and Juliet. Known for their stunning recent recordings, including Berlioz and Janáček, the Alsatian orchestra continues to captivate with its immersive sound and Shokhakimov’s fresh perspective on classic works. (Warner Classics)

Brahms: Cello Sonatas / Emanuel Gruber; Arnon Erez

Brahms’s two masterpieces for cello and piano are heard in new recordings by Emanuel Gruber and Arnon Erez. The Jerusalem Post wrote that Emanuel Gruber is “one of our great artists,” citing “his extraordinary capacity for projecting the deepest meaning of the music.” (Bridge)

1CD# BCD9609

$16.99

Schubert: Die schöne Müllerin (arr. A.N. Tarkmann)

This world premiere recording of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin offers a unique twist with Ensemble acht’s accompaniment and star tenor Klaus Florian Vogt. Arranger Andreas N. Tarkmann expands the sound palette, highlighting the romantic nuances of the piano part. This innovative version brings a fresh perspective to the beloved song cycle. (CPO)

1CD# 555549-2

Frohlich: Johannes & Esther / Ian Bostridge; Julius Drake

$18.99

Friedrich Theodor Fröhlich (1803–1836), long disregarded, is now seen as the most important Swiss composer of the Early Romantic era. He left a large number of music manuscripts, which disappeared into private hands and were soon forgotten, though most of them have survived. His works are now being increasingly rediscovered and made available to listeners.

(Haenssler Classic)

1CD# HC23010

$20.99

John Damgaard plays Schubert

Alfred Brendel Plays Busoni & Liszt

Alfred Brendel’s early 1950s recordings for SPA Records, including Busoni’s Fantasia Contrappuntistica and Liszt’s Weihnachtsbaum, are now reissued with his blessing. These recordings, premieres at the time, mark an important addition to Brendel’s discography. The release includes a booklet with Brendel’s reflections on Busoni and the Fantasia Contrappuntistica. (APR)

1CD# APR5655 $16.99

Dvorák & Elgar: Cello Concertos

Harriet Krijgh is one of today’s most exciting and promising young cellists. Her grace and expressiveness touch her audiences as soon as she is on the concert platform. With the present CD, she made a long-held wish come true and presents two of the most popular cello concertos by Dvořák and Elgar. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5534 $21.99

Wilms: Symphony No. 6

In 2017, Ivan Repušic became chief conductor of the Munich Radio Orchestra, succeeding Ulf Schirmer. His 2023 CPO debut featured works by Gunnar de Frumerie. Now, he focuses on Johann Wilhelm Wilms (1772–1847), a composer admired for his dramatic yet balanced symphonies and overtures, influenced by Joseph Haydn. (CPO) 1CD# 555472-2 $18.99

“Damgaard plays calmly, creamily, but his clear focus on overall shape clarifies surprises like the rise from the high soprano B heard thrice in the second strain to its octave leap to stratospheric B (tr. 1, 0:54). This music is, as Damgaard’s playing, art which conceals art.” – MusicWeb (Danacord) 1CD# DACOCD 980 $18.99

Era

Saint-Saens / Lang Lang [2 CDs]

Lang Lang presents with this album a treasure trove of musical discoveries. Saint-Saens’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was recorded with a stellar cast, the Gewandhausorchester and Andris Nelsons and is for Lang Lang a true romantic masterpiece that rivals the greats like Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky. (Deutsche Grammophon)

2CD# DEGR141486.2 $18.98

Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust / London PO [2 CDs]

Half grand opera, half roof-raising choral-orchestral spectacular, Berlioz’s

The Damnation of Faust caused a scandal in 1846 when it was first performed with it’s supernatural story and thumping good melodies. Recorded live at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on 4 February 2023 with three-massed choruses and all-start cast, this release captures the drama of the opera. (LPO)

2CD# LPO128.2 $29.98

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 – Stravinsky: The Firebird / Munich Philharmonic

The Munich Philharmonic and Sergiu Celibidache’s legacy is celebrated through the MPHIL label’s archival releases. Highlights include Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 and Stravinsky’s

The Firebird, now available in immersive Dolby Atmos format, capturing the essence of Celibidache’s profound interpretations. (Munchner Philharmoniker)

1CD# MRPI356025.2 $18.98

Dvorak: Legends & Rhapsodies / Czech Philharmonic

Dvořák’s Legends & Slavonic Rhapsodies, recorded by Tomáš Netopil with the Czech Philharmonic, celebrate Czech composers in 2024. These pieces, known for their colorful orchestration and folk dance melodies, are presented with an intimate quality. This release marks Netopil’s debut with Pentatone. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187221 $96.99

ROMANTIC ERA IN BRIEF

Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 in E flat Major

Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 / Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

Lahav Shani, Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, leads the ensemble in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, admired for its grand architecture and atmospheric climaxes. Shani’s skill in symphonic structure and drama was also evident in their 2022 recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, praised by Gramophone for its rediscovery and breathtaking transitions. (Warner Classics)

1CD# WCL761966.2 $18.98

Potter: Complete Symphonies, Vol. 2 / BBC NO of Wales

Cypriani Potter, unlike his namesake Harry, learned from British composers and Beethoven in Vienna. His captivating music features delightful melodies, dramatic energy, and rhythmic urgency. This program includes all nine of his symphonies, the Overture to Shakespeare’s Tempest, and the Concertante for piano and strings on La Follia. (CPO)

1CD# 555500-2

Schumann: Piano Concertos / Beatrice Rana; Chamber Orchestra of Europe

$18.99

Beatrice Rana combines Clara WieckSchumann and Robert Schumann’s piano concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In an interview with the New York Times, Rana, who called the piano concerto by Clara Wieck “a genius work in many ways,” said: “I think that it’s very, very underestimated – the intellectual value of this concerto in the history of music.” (Warner Classics) 1CD# WCL729625.2 $18.98

Brahms: Cello Sonatas/Clarinet Sonata No. 2 / Marina Tarasova

Brahms’ Cello Sonatas 1 & 2, along with the Clarinet Sonata No. 2. For many years Marina Tarasova has been one of the most renowned Russian cellists; a winner of International Competitions in Prague, Florence and the Grand Prix in Paris and a laureate of Moscow’s Tchaikovsky International Competition. (Musical Concepts) 1CD# MUCO3109.2 $12.98

On Vol. 3 of this edition, we find Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major by Anton Bruckner, whose 200th birthday in 2024 is commemorated by the musical world. (Querstand)

1CD# VKJK 2401 $25.99

Eliahu Inbal Conducts Schumann & Sibelius

As winner of the international conducting competition “Guido Cantelli,” Eliahu Inbal was already in demand as a guest conductor. The present album contains recordings from 1971 and 2012. (SWR Classic) 1CD# SWR19151CD $20.99

Mussorgsky: Songs & Dances of Death

Old Russian folk melodies; the traits of human life; a high aesthetic-musical realism as a compositional commitment. All are ingredients in Musorgsky’s Lieder. (Urania) 1CD# LDV14121 $20.99

Hoffmeister: Duos for Violin and Viola

After their very successful album with duos by Pössinger, Katja Grüttner and Christian Goosses now turn their attention to another master of the Viennese scene, Franz Anton Hoffmeister. (Musicaphon)

1CD# M56994 $16.99

Elgar: There is Sweet Music / Proteus Ensemble; Stephen Shellard

There Is Sweet Music marks the debut AVIE release from the eight-voice Proteus Ensemble under Stephen Shellard, offering a rare selection of Edward Elgar’s exquisite part-songs. Drawing inspiration from poets like Byron, Shelley, and Tennyson, and personal connections such as his wife Caroline Alice, these works showcase Elgar’s characteristic charm and emotional depth. (Avie)

Busoni: Violin Sonatas & 4 Bagatelles

Following her recent recording of Busoni’s Violin Concerto (CHSA 5333), Francesca Dego completes her celebration of Busoni’s anniversary year with this program of the two sonatas for violin and piano, and the four Bagatelles. (Chandos)

Fauré: Requiem (1888) / Millenium Orchestra

Marking Gabriel Fauré’s centenary, this world premiere recording presents the original 1888 version of his Requiem, first performed at the Madeleine Church in Paris, with a reduced ensemble of violas, cellos, double bass, organ, and harp. Also included is the Messe des pêcheurs de Villerville (1881). (Ricercar)

1CD# RIC469 $20.99

Stravinsky: Chamber Works

In this latest collaboration, Barbara Hannigan directs students from both institutions in an all-Stravinsky program, including the Octet, Dumbarton Oaks, Ragtime, and Three Japanese Lyrics. Recently appointed the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Academy, Hannigan conducts this transatlantic group in a wonderfully intelligent and engaging program of Stravinsky’s most iconic ensemble repertoire. (Linn)

1CD# CKD722 $20.99

Debussy and Ravel for Two / Alessio Bax; Lucille Chung

Their third duo album on Signum Classics, husband and wife Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung unite to bring an album of French works by Debussy and Ravel in versions for piano duo and four hands. With arrangements by Dutilleux and Ravel himself key works include ‘Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune’ for four hands and La valse for two pianos. (Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD787 $20.99

Vaughan Williams Live Vol. 4

Somm Recordings continues its acclaimed Vaughan Williams Live series celebrating the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth with Volume 4 featuring his signature Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, the Concerto for Two Pianos and Eighth Symphony in recordings conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos and Sir John Barbirolli. (Somm)

1CD# ARIADNE 5020 $20.99

Richard Stöhr: Orchestral Music, Vol. 3 / Sinfonia Varsovia

Like so many important Austrian musicians forced into American exile by the Nazis, Richard Stöhr (1874–1967) suddenly found himself cast from celebrity into obscurity. Indeed, the echoes of Mahler in Stöhr’s Second Symphony may be a deliberate homage if, as seems possible, this 1942 version is a revision of a now-lost work first composed shortly after Mahler’s death. (Toccata Classics)

Ysaye: Poeme nocturne

1CD# TOCC0743 $20.99

Renowned virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe was also a groundbreaking composer. This album features his orchestral concert works, many recorded in their orchestral versions for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into his distinctive sound world.

(Musique en Wallonie)

1CD# MEW2409 $20.99

Shostakovich: String Quartets, Vol. 3 / Quartetto Nous [2 CDs]

With this latest volume in their ongoing cycle, recorded in 2023, the Quartetto Noûs passes the halfway mark of Shostakovich’s 15 quartets. The Second Quartet proper was composed in 1944, soon after the Leningrad Symphony which had won the composer international celebrity.

(Brilliant Classics)

2CD# BRI96422 $16.99

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos; Paganini Rhapsody [2 CDs]

Lukáš Vondrácek and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Scarcely do we encounter a connection between a musician and a composer so close, strong and energizing. This recording was made with the superb Prague Symphony Orchestra, capturing performances rendering every detail, teeming with emotion, colour and contrast. Rachmaninoff in Lukáš Vondrácek’s hands. A lavish musical feast. (Supraphon)

2CD# SU4323-2 $26.99

Romantic

Herz: Piano Concerto, Cello Concerto & Orchestral Works

Maria Herz was born in 1878 in Cologne. By the 1920s, she became recognized as a dynamic element of the contemporary music scene. New music’s ‘chief theoretician,’ Theodor W. Adorno, became interested in her works and their style, which was rooted in Late Romanticism and aimed at Modernism by way of Expressionism, New Objectivity, and Neo-Baroque. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5510

Ives: Orchestral Works / Navarre SO; Orchestra New England

Cilea: Concertante Suites

$21.99

This album showcases a selection of Ives’ shorter works for orchestra. Experiments, marches, arrangements, and enticingly incomplete fragments are included alongside the Four Ragtime Dances and Chromâtimelôdtune, one of Ives’ most startling creations. Ives specialist James Sinclair conducts. Includes seven world premiere recordings. (Naxos)

1CD# 8559954 $19.99

Debussy, Rachmaninoff / Philharmonia Orchestra

BBC SO

The legendary Yevgeny Svetlanov’s mastery of Debussy shines in this 2001 Philharmonia recording, with a vocal-like Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune and a commanding La Mer. His 1999 BBC Symphony performance of Respighi’s orchestration of Rachmaninov’s Etudes-Tableaux balances atmospheric nuance and vivid color. (ICA Classics)

1CD# ICAC5181 $16.99

Rachmaninoff 150 / Berlin Philharmonic

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s contribution to the great Russian composer’s anniversary year places a landmark performance of his perennially popular C minor Concerto by Kirill Gerstein and Kirill Petrenko in the illuminating context of his solo music. (Berlin Phil)

1SACD# BPHR230469 $32.99

TITLES IN BRIEF

Several recent albums on Brilliant Classics have expanded our understanding of Francesco Cilea beyond his status as the composer of L’Arlesiana and Adriana Lecouvreur. Completing this unique survey of Cilea’s output is a modern work, the first recording of the Canto dell’amore by Raffaele Cacciola, born in 1965. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI96761 $14.99

Reger: A Romantic Suite / Badische Staatskapelle

The Badische Staatskapelle, founded in 1662, is now a renowned orchestra under Georg Fritzsch. Volume 2 of their new CD edition celebrates Max Reger’s 150th birthday, featuring his Romantic Suite, Op. 125 and Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart, Op. 132, showcasing his orchestral brilliance and classical influences. (Querstand)

1CD# VKJK 2303 $25.99

Sibelius: Works for Violin & Orchestra / James

Ehnes; Bergen PO

Sibelius wrote only one violin concerto. Although there was no second concerto, Sibelius’s numerous other works for violin and orchestra are no mere miniatures, as the recordings on this album amply demonstrate. The acclaimed international virtuoso James Ehnes is accompanied here by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Edward Gardner. (Chandos)

1SACD# CHSA 5267 $21.99

Elgar: Symphonies 1–3, Enigma Variations / London SO [4 CDs]

The London Symphony Orchestra’s deep connection with Sir Edward Elgar dates back to its 1904 founding. This remastered collection features acclaimed recordings of his Symphonies Nos. 1–3, Enigma Variations, Cello Concerto, and more, with conductors including Sir Colin Davis and Sir Antonio Pappano. (LSO Live)

4CD# LSOL572.2 $25.98

Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex; Pizzetti: Three Orchestral Preludes CD

Stravinsky’s opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex was written in his neo-Classical style, in a stark, stylised and formal setting. (Dynamic)

1CD# DYN-CDS7981 $18.99

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3 / Ural PO; Dmitry Liss

The Ural Philharmonic Orchestra under Dmitry Liss has repeatedly performed Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony in both Russia and abroad. (Fuga Libera)

1CD# FUG821 $20.99

Stravinsky: Orchestral Works / WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Performances of less-recorded orchestral works by Igor Stravinsky which showcase the versatility of the Russian composer. (SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19156CD $20.99

Holmès: Symphonic Poems

The Irish-French composer Augusta Holmès (1847–1903) is one of those female composers who knew how to overcome all hindrances with natural élan. (CPO)

1CD# 555593-2 $18.99

Bacewicz: Complete Symphonic Works, Vol. 3 / WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

This third release marks the end of the recording of all the orchestral works written by Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz. And once again, the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Lukasz Borowicz unfolds a representative range that extends from the phenomenal artist’s early neoclassical works to her late phase, in which tonal innovations were at the forefront of her creative work. (CPO) 1CD# 555661-2 $18.99

Americascapes 2: American Opus

This sequel to the Gramophone Award-nominated Americascapes album by the Basque National Orchestra and Robert Treviño is a thrilling and deeply personal journey into the music of three American composers. All three composers had very unique aesthetic worlds, and with two of the composers, conductor Robert Treviño also had direct artistic collaboration. (Ondine) 1CD# ODE 1445-2 $18.99

Prokofiev: Ivan The Terrible / St. Louis SO; St. Louis Symphony Chorus

Sergey Prokofiev’s spectacular music for Ivan the Terrible is arguably one of his finest film scores. This classic recording of the oratorio arranged by Abram Stasevich, conducted by Leonard Slatkin, is filled with Prokofiev’s irrepressible energy and eloquent melodic power. (Vox Classics)

1CD# VOX-NX-3045CD $18.99 $15.19

Argento: A Few Words about Chekhov

The sets of songs and cycles included in this brilliant recording all speak to this artistic goal and include settings of Olga and Anton Chekhov, Petrarch, Walt Whitman, Walter de la Mare, Alun Lewis, and Argento himself. Mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala, baritone Jesse Blumberg, and pianists Martin Katz and JJ Pena join forces to present this tribute to a great American composer. (Bridge)

1CD# BCD9591 $16.99

Britten: Spring Symphony / London SO

This album combines three of Britten’s enduringly popular, yet vastly distinctive works. Sir Simon Rattle leads us on an unexpected journey through this diverse collection of masterpieces. In this piece, Britten’s rich, yearning harmonies reveal a sombre and dramatic warning of the cost of conflict. From the darkness of war, we move towards the light with Britten’s choral Spring Symphony. (LSO Live)

1SACD# LSOL830SACD $15.98

Gipps: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 / Martin Owen; BBC PO

For this third installment in his survey of orchestral works by Ruth Gipps, Rumon Gamba, conducting the BBC Philharmonic, is joined by the horn soloist Martin Owen. The album opens with Gipps’s Coronation Procession. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20284 $20.99

Invisibles / Astrig Siranossian; Nathanael Gouin

Astrig Siranossian and Nathanaël Gouin pluck from obscurity three rare works that time has rendered (temporarily) invisible. The first of these sonatas for cello and piano, recorded at the La Grange-Fleuret Music Library, was composed by Jean Cras in 1901, when he was a young naval officer aged twenty-two. (Alpha) 1CD# ALPHA1085 $20.99 $16.79

Kouvaras: Piano Music, Chamber Works. Vol. 2

As with many other Australian composers, the music of Linda Kouvaras (b. 1960) has a strong sense of wide-open spaces, expressed in lyrical, elegiac melodic lines that soar over freewheeling Lisztian piano textures and atmospheric echoes of French Impressionism. This second album of a series presents her instrumental works, chamber music, and songs written since 1991. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCC0734 $20.99

Shostakovich: Symphonies 6 & 9 / Philharmonia Orchestra

Santtu Conducts Shostakovich is the fourth album from Philharmonia Records, featuring Shostakovich’s colorful Sixth Symphony alongside his subversive and sardonic Ninth Symphony. Conducted by SanttuMatias Rouvali, these performances were recorded at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in 2023. (Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD877 $20.99

Lloyd: Lament, Air & Dance & Sonata for Violin & Piano [2 CDs]

It was not until 1970 that Lloyd wrote Violin Concerto No. 1, his first piece with a leading role for his own instrument, but this achievement seemed to stir his enthusiasm, and during the next seven years, he completed a number of pieces for violin and piano, a fully-fledged sonata, and a second concerto. (Lyrita) 2CD# SRCD424 $20.99

20th Century

Elms: Visions of St Anne

Dedicated to Bramwell Tovey, this album of world premiere recordings by celebrated composer Roderick Elms features soloists Carlos Bonell (guitar), Derek Hannigan (bass clarinet), and Joanna Smith (piano), and Roderick Elms himself, with the BBC Concert Orchestra under the baton of Barry Wordsworth. (Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD875

Jack Stamp: Music for Brass Band

$20.99

John Stamp’s involvement with brass bands on both sides of the Atlantic –particularly the Minneapolis-based Lake Wobegon Brass Band, which takes its name from Garrison Keillor’s fictional Minnesota town –has generated a number of works which bring elements of the British brass tradition to audiences in the US Mid-West, imbuing them with a catchy rhythmic swing. (Toccata Classics)

Weigl: Symphony No. 3

Hindemith: Sonatas for Viola

The album contains recordings of three sonatas by Paul Hindemith, who began his compositional career under the influence of Claude Debussy—who was still active back then—and ended it in a completely different reality of the 1960s, in the era of sonoristic, formal, and harmonic experiments. He was also an excellent violist, hence a significant number of his works are dedicated to viola. (Dux)

Brass: Musica Viva, Vol. 45

1CD# TOCC0745 $20.99

The two works recorded on this disc both come from a creative period at the beginning of the 1930s. In terms of style, with his works linked to basic tonalities, Weigl drew on the sound realm of late Romanticism, from whose aesthetics he never departed in favour of more progressive contemporary trends. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5489

Prokofiev: Invasion / Sergei Redkin

1CD# DUX2074 $19.99

Explore Nikolaus Brass’ profound musical world with BR-Klassik’s latest release, featuring live recordings of three works spanning 2012–2023. From the evocative In der Farbe von Erde to the richly textured Der goldene Steig, his compositions confront life’s fragility with breathtaking depth and innovation. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900645 $19.99

Khachaturian: Symphony No. 1 Dance Suite

$21.99

Experience Sergei Redkin’s profound interpretation of Prokofiev’s Sixth and Seventh Piano Sonatas, masterpieces of wartime complexity and contrast. Blending philosophical depth with brilliant technique, this recording captures the timeless resonance of these iconic works in today’s world. (Fuga Libera)

1CD# FUG835 $20.99

20TH CENTURY IN BRIEF

Celebrate 90 years of Aram Khachaturian’s first symphony, a masterful work blending Caucasian folklore, vibrant rhythms, and bold orchestration. Frank Beermann and the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie Chemnitz complete the symphonic cycle, offering a powerful tribute to this extraordinary composer. (CPO) 1CD# 777919-2 $18.99

Schultz: Efterklange: Samlede værker for blandet kor, Vol. 3

Svend Simon Schultz (1913–1998) is one of the most remarkable Danish composers, and as a conductor, he made a significant contribution to Danish songs, not least during his 30 years as head of the Danish Radio Chamber Choir. This is the third CD of a project to record all his nearly 90 choral songs, all of them musically and technically at the highest possible level. (Danacord)

1CD# DACOCD 953 $18.99

Music for Flute, Viola, Piano / Charlotte Daniel; Kathryn Schmidt

This album features five superb contemporary works for flute, viola, and piano, all in beautiful performances from Charlotte Daniel and Kathryn Schmidt. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4075 $15.99

Bacewicz: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 / WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln

Discover the brilliance of Grazyna Bacewicz (1909–1969) in this CPO release, featuring her vibrant Overture, sonoristic Tre movimenti, and more. Her “invisible engine” still drives her timeless music today. (CPO) 1CD# 555660-2 $18.99

Strzelecki: Early Works [2 CDs]

A two-disc album featuring a cross-section of Pawel Strzelecki’s compositions from the early period of his oeuvre. (Dux)

2CD# DUX2062-63 $29.99

American Classics

American Classics – Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott and Walt Whitman Recorded in February 2024 in Salzburg, Austria. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99342 $24.99

Nickel: Concerto for Piccolo

Explore the brilliance of Christopher Tyler Nickel’s latest release, featuring a dazzling Piccolo Concerto with Sally Jackson and a groundbreaking Wagner Tuba Concerto. Supported by Clyde Mitchell and the Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra, this recording showcases Nickel’s bold innovation and extraordinary artistry. (Avie)

1CD# AV2736 $19.99

The Road to a New Harmony [2 CDs]

The two-disc album contains as many as ten premiere recordings—stylistically diverse pieces by contemporary composers showing the possibilities of wind instruments as well as the talent and versatility of their creators. The outstanding Cracow clarinettist Piotr Lato is responsible for the entire project. (Dux)

2CD# DUX2070-71 $19.99

Montalbetti: Orchestral Pictures

Discover the evocative world of Éric Montalbetti with his latest album, featuring the vibrant Flute Concerto: Memento vivere. Influenced by Debussy, Messiaen, and spectral music, Montalbetti’s work masterfully blends modality, serialism, and harmonic nuance in a unique, compelling synthesis. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1113 $20.99 $16.79

Loeb: An Asian Sounds Journey

This album comprises compositions for various Asian instruments from Japan to India, some combined with Western instruments. Traditional performance techniques figure more prominently in some pieces than in others. Most of these recordings were previously released but are long out of print. They have benefitted from recent advances in editing technology. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4110 $15.99

Rising Sun Variations / Bruce Wolosoff

Bruce Wolosoff is a formidable pianist, lauded for his integration of classical, jazz, blues, and contemporary influences in his compositions. His new magnum opus, Rising Sun Variations, is an extended and innovative set of improvisations on the American traditional folk song, best known for a version recorded in 1964 by British rock band The Animals. (Avie)

1CD# AV2730 $19.99

Perhaps Thus the End / Quatuor Diotima

This album presents Rune Glerup’s (b. 1981) String Quartet No. 2, crafted for and dedicated to Quatuor Diotima, alongside his Clarinet Quintet featuring Jonas Frølund. The Clarinet Quintet, a labyrinth of musical nods—from Boulez to Brahms—fuses past and present in a tribute to the voices that shaped Glerup’s own, creating a sound world both familiar and intriguingly new. (Dacapo)

1CD# 8224763 $15.99

Vteriny, mesice a roky / Vladimir Misik Josef Stepanek

Vladimír Mišík is back with a new album, Vteriny, mesíce a roky (Moments, Months and Years). The album is Mišík’s third collaboration with the producer Petr Ostrouchov. The album is comprised of fifteen new songs, with lyrics by Vladimír Mišík and Michael Žantovský, songs based on poems by Jan Skácel, Jiří Dedeček, and František Gellner, and one text tailored directly for Mišík by Tomáš Belko. (Animal)

1CD# ANI131-2 $29.99

Kevin Salfen: Stations of Mychal

This project began in the mind of tenor Richard Novak as a way to bring Father Mychal Judge’s life – and the lessons it offers about the power of love, hope, faith, tolerance, courage, and joy – to the world in the form of a song cycle. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4084 $15.99

Tomasz Skweres: On the Brink of Reality

Solitary Poems for Soprano Saxophone

The album features premiere recordings of compositions by the versatile composer and cellist Tomasz Skweres, standing out due to his boldness in reaching for extensive ensembles and unusual instrumental combinations. The artists who faced this extremely demanding matter are well-known and outstanding contemporary music performers, soloists, and ensembles from Poland and Austria. (Dux)

1CD# DUX1978 $19.99

The project ‘Solitary Poems for Soprano Saxophone’ is a creative response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequent obliteration of livelihoods for freelance musicians. The 23 world premières presented on this album were all composed specifically for Anders Paulsson so that he and they could keep growing artistically during the pandemic when all concerts and touring came to a standstill. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2644 $21.99

Works

Ostlund: Reveries / Belarus State SO [2 CDs]

Rêveries is the highly anticipated new album from acclaimed composer Jonathan Östlund. Renowned for his evocative and cinematic compositions, Östlund weaves together classical elegance with contemporary innovation. Rêveries showcases Östlund’s ability to craft immersive soundscapes and ignite the imagination. (Divine Art)

2CD# DDX21247 $25.99

Adams: An Atlas of Deep Time / South Dakota SO As GRAMMY-winning composer

John Luther Adams puts it, his latest work An Atlas of Deep Time, “... is grounded in my desire, amid the turbulence of human affairs, to hear the older, deeper resonances of the earth.” Commissioned and recorded with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Delta David Gier. (Cantaloupe)

1CD# CA21199 $19.99

David Lang: composition as explanation / Eighth Blackbird

Four-time GRAMMY-winning sextet, Eighth Blackbird (8BB), described as ‘one of the smartest, most dynamic contemporary classical ensembles on the planet’ by the Chicago Tribune, presents the world premiere recording of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang’s composition ‘as explanation,’ based on Gertrude Stein’s seminal 1926 lecture of the same name. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 230 $18.99 $15.19

Musica Viva, Vol. 44 – Milica Djordjevic

The music of composer Milica Djordjevic, born in Belgrade in 1984, is based on an exuberant and imaginative use of sound. Her already extensive oeuvre, which is performed by leading international soloists and ensembles, includes pieces for solo instruments, vocal works, and large-scale orchestral compositions. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900644 $19.99

Danielpour: Songs in Three Languages

Richard Danielpour is one of the most recorded American composers of his generation, with a large number of albums released on Naxos. The stellar soprano Hila Plitmann, a regular collaborator with Danielpour, is the soloist in these song cycles, featuring texts by Rumi, Vivaldi, and the composer’s father. World premiere recordings! (Naxos)

Jüri Reinvere: Ship of Fools

1CD# 8559946 $19.99

Jüri Reinvere, born in Tallinn in 1971, is an Estonian composer with a passion for theology and psychology. His collaboration with Paavo Järvi began in Pärnu, the birthplace of the Estonian Festival Orchestra, in 2016. This program begins with And tired from happiness, they started to dance, in which feverish rhythms are followed by moments of ecstasy. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA1056 $20.99 $16.79

Nikolaus Heyduck: Horizonte

Intermedial, occasionally multimedia, radiophonic, instrumental, improvisational, notated, installative, and often collaborative. This is how Nikolaus Heyduck, born in Kassel in 1957, can be described. The CD “Horizons” features seven of his works that have been created in recent years as joint projects with artists and composers who are also predominantly polyaesthetically active. (Coviello)

1CD# COV92402 $22.99

Luminos: Contemporary Music for Clarinets

A captivating anthology of British clarinet compositions curated and performed by versatile musician Ronald Woodley and pianist Andrew West. This collection explores British musical modernism, featuring both new and underappreciated pieces from the twentieth century by composers Elisabeth Lutyens, Angela Elizabeth Slater, Morris Pert, Christopher Fox, and Edward Cowie. (Metier)

1CD# MEX77118 $20.99

CONTEMPORARY TITLES IN BRIEF

New Music for String Orchestra

This is an album featuring seven works for string orchestra by Philadelphia-area composers; all are new commissions. This is absolutely first-rate new music for string orchestra. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4103 $15.99

Signature Philip Glass / Angele Dubeau

“Like (Philip) Glass’ work as a whole, the content of this album is very diverse: music for theatre and for cinema, for chamber and for symphony orchestra....” – Angèle Dubeau (Analekta)

1CD# AN28755 $20.99

Constantinides: Works for Violin

Dinos Constantinides, Kurt Nikkanen, and Maria Asteriadou collaborated to create this CD, spotlighting the violin’s sound when playing Constantinides’ own pieces for violin. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC4101 $15.99

Fitkin: Loosening [2 CDs]

Loosening is a double album featuring five works by award-winning composer Graham Fitkin. Each piece revolves around the string quartet as its core, accompanied by its own additional soloist. (Signum Classics)

2CD# SIGCD792 $32.99

Handel: Theodora [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Theodora has proved to be one of Handel’s most enduring and compassionate masterpieces – a work of introspective depth about the redemptive power of tolerance. In this acclaimed Viennese production, La Folia Barockorchester and the Arnold Schoenberg Chor are conducted by the acclaimed countertenor and Handel specialist Bejun Mehta. (Naxos)

1DVD# 2110776 $29.99

1BLURAY# NBD0184V $29.99

New Year’s Concert – Teatro la Fenice 2024 [DVD]

Conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi, this prestigious event features an exquisite blend of symphonic works and operatic masterpieces, including arias from operas such as Tosca, La traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. Soprano Eleonora Buratto and tenor Fabio Sartori shine on stage and ring in the New Year with a burst of joyous brilliance. (C Major)

1DVD# 768508 $32.99

Don Quixote [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Teeming with comedy, wit, and an abundance of bravura choreography, Carlos Acosta’s production brings the Spanish heat and romance of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote to life. Often regarded as the first modern novel, Cervantes’ epic regales the chivalrous adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. (Opus Arte)

Florian Krumpöck Piano Recital at the Musikverein Wien [DVD]

Experience the brilliance of Florian Krumpöck, a remarkable talent celebrated as both pianist and conductor. Known for his virtuosic performances and versatility, Krumpöck captivates audiences worldwide with his dual artistry. Discover the pianist Daniel Barenboim hailed as “a wonderful pianist.” (Gramola)

1DVD# GRAM20006 $38.99

Fiorentino Opera Collection, Vol. 1: Baroque [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

All of these excellent Maggio Musicale Fiorentino productions were recorded in Florence, a city that was witness to the origins of opera and saw its rise in popularity with leading names such as Monteverdi and Vivaldi. Lully and Handel represent opera’s spread throughout Europe and its adaptation to national tastes. (Dynamic)

9DVD# DYN-38051

6BLU-RAY#

Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht – Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

On the program: Richard Strauss’ monumental Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony). This work, often regarded as the final and climax of the “symphonic poem” genre, is juxtaposed with Arnold Schönberg’s probably most famous tonal composition, the orchestral version of the string sextet Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night). (C Major)

Puccini: Tosca [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

It is an event that attracts thousands of music lovers to Verona every summer: the opera season in the ancient Roman Arena. Nearly 22,000 spectators regularly fill the amphitheater for the performances. The dream couple of opera, Sonya Yoncheva and Vittorio Grigolo, returns to the breathtaking open-air stage to perform Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. (C Major)

Giselle [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

The premiere of Adolphe Adam’s Giselle in Paris on 28 June 1841 was an absolute triumph, and it has been considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon ever since. This Dutch National Ballet production by Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante breathes new life into Giselle while remaining true to the original, combining stunning sets and costumes with ethereal beauty. (BelAir Classiques)

Bizet: Carmen [DVD + Blu-ray Video]

Carmen, the most famous heroine of Romantic opera, has never been so moving and rebellious as in the historical staging of 1875, whose flamboyant Spanishry is brought back to life here with the help of unpublished archive material. (Bru Zane) 1DVD/BLURAY# BZ3001 $39.99

Handel: Brockes Passion [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

$74.99

Influential German poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes reinvented the Passion oratorio tradition, transforming its textures into a much-admired poetic meditation that took hold of the imagination of many German Baroque composers. Of several settings, Handel’s is by far the most famous, creating an eloquent and moving score from his friend’s libretto. (Naxos) 1DVD# 2110755 $29.99 1BLURAY# NBD0167V $29.99

Adam:

Blu-ray

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Experience Brahms’ German Requiem as never before, with Christian Thielemann leading the Wiener Philharmoniker and Wiener Singverein in a deeply moving performance. Featuring Elsa Dreisig and Michael Volle as soloists, this recording captures Brahms’ timeless message of comfort and hope in unforgettable moments. (Unitel)

1DVD# 811208 $32.99

1BLURAY# 811304 $45.99

The Vienna Recital [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Pianist Yuja Wang has become an integral part of the world‘s major stages, inspiring young and old alike. This program combines masterpieces from famous works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Alexander Scriabin to lesser-known compositions by György Ligeti and Nikolai Kapustin, including also sublime musical miniatures by Christoph Willibald Gluck and Philip Glass. (C Major)

1DVD# 767308 $32.99

1BLURAY# 767404 $45.99

Royal Ballet – Classics: Pas de Deux & Essential Royal Ballet [DVD]

This box set includes a special collection of classic performances from The Royal Ballet. In the feature-length documentary Essential Royal Ballet, Katie Derham introduces carefully curated excerpts from productions that span the history of ballet and goes behind the scenes to see what it takes to be a dancer in The Royal Ballet as they prepare to take to the stage. (Opus Arte)

2DVD# OA 1379BD $42.99

Schumann: Piano Concerto – Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Experience the Wiener Philharmoniker’s exclusive Subscription Concert Series, now available worldwide. Led by Zubin Mehta and featuring Martha Argerich, this powerful performance of Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony showcases the timeless brilliance of these legendary musicians. (C Major)

1DVD# 764508 $32.99

1BLURAY# 764604 $45.99

Mozart: Mitridate, re di Ponto [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

The Staatsoper Berlin presents a new production of Mozart’s early masterpiece Mitridate, re di Ponto. Under the baton of Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre bring fresh energy and nuance to Mozart’s intricate opera seria, while the all-star cast shines with an impressive vocal range. (C Major)

2DVD# 767908 $51.99

Brahms: Violin Concerto; Nielsen: Symphony No. 5 [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

As a counterpoint to Carl Nielsen’s exciting experimentation, Greek star violinist Leonidas Kavakos interprets Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto, one of the most beloved and frequently performed works in the violin concerto repertoire. “Leonidas Kavakos, together with the Philharmoniker, makes this beautiful work a true celebration.” (C Major)

Schumann & Brahms: Love Songs / Damrau; Kaufmann [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

A radiant concert at the Great Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein: Diana Damrau and Jonas Kaufmann, luminaries of the classical realm and celebrated interpreters of Lieder, breathe life into love songs of two titans of romanticism, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. (C Major)

Madama Butterfly [Blu-ray Video]

With its exquisite score, Giacomo Puccini’s poignant 1904 opera is as beautiful as it is shattering. Drawing inspiration from 19thcentury European images of Japan, Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production stars Asmik Grigorian, with Kevin John Edusei conducting. (Opus Arte)

1BLURAY# OA BD7328D $42.99

Boito: Nerone [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

A century after its world premiere at Teatro alla Scala under Arturo Toscanini, conductor Francesco Cilluffo opened the 2024 season of the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with this acclaimed production of Arrigo Boito’s rarely performed Nerone. Boito’s opera displays a forward-looking harmonic palette with an eloquent and masterly handling of large orchestral forces. (Dynamic)

2DVD# DYN-38047

1BLURAY# DYN-58047

$29.99

Respighi: Maria Egiziaca [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Ottorino Respighi’s ‘mystery in three episodes’, Maria egiziaca, started out as a concert triptych. Its intensely dramatic and at times symphonic qualities give it a character somewhere between an oratorio and an opera. Based on the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, the archaic story of Maria egiziaca revolves around faith seen through its various characters. (Dynamic)

1DVD# 38050 $27.99

1BLURAY# 58050 $27.99

Puccini:

In Rome / Thomas Fonnesbæk

Storyville Records is pleased to announce the release of In Rome, a new album by Danish bassist Thomas Fonnesbæk alongside esteemed jazz musicians, pianist Enrico Pieranunzi, saxophonist Rosario Giuliani, drummer Roberto Gatto, and singer Valentina Ranalli. This recording consists of 11 original compositions. (Storyville)

SVL1018538 $17.99

A Night at the Village Vanguard – Complete Masters / Sonny Rollins [2 CDs]

A Night At The Village Vanguard: The Complete Masters expands legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins’ tour- de-force 1957 live trio album to a 2-CD set. Produced by Joe Harley, the album has been remastered from the never-before-used original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray. (Blue Note)

Interpretations The Norway Sessions / Carsten Dahl; Golden Ratio Trio

Renowned Danish pianist and composer Carsten Dahl presents his new album, Interpretations: The Norway Sessions, with his Golden Ratio Trio feat. bassist Daniel Franck and drummer Jakob Høyer. This recording presents 13 original compositions, two by Dahl, one by Franck, and ten by all three musicians. Interpretations presents two distinct recording sessions that offer contrasting textures. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1014363 $17.99

Embracing Dawn / Christian Sands [CD or Vinyl LP]

Bohuslän Big Band and Danilo Pérez collaborate on a new and unique album. Danilo Pérez and the Swedish jazz orchestra, Bohuslän Big Band have released a record where PanAmerican rhythms meet the Nordic big band sound. The album, characterized by improvisation and playfulness, is evidence of music’s power to unite cultures. (Prophone)

1CD# PCD343 $20.99

Moving On / Jacky Terrasson [CD or Vinyl LP]

The celebrated pianist Jacky Terrasson, hailed by the New York Times as “One of the thirty artists poised to shape the trajectory of American culture,” unveils Moving On Back in France after three decades in New York, he organizes a double nationality treasure hunt, mixing Chopin and jazz, with guest artists such as Kareen Guiock-Thuram, Camille Bertault and Grégoire Maret. (Naive)

1CD# BLV8419

& the MegaBones [2 CDs]

Johny Carlsson, a passionate jazz fan from Sweden, has been captivated by the sound of trombone groups since hearing J.J. Johnson with Miles Davis and the Jay & Kai Quintet. As a teenager and in his early 20s, Johny composed music and played piano in small jazz combos. (Prophone)

2CD# PCD348-349 $37.99

Pianist/composer Christian Sands’ new album, Embracing Dawn, serves as a cinematic narration of the stages of grief and healing, reflecting Sands’ personal experience while offering a guide for anyone who has experienced loss of any kind. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MACK1209.2 $17.98

1LP# MACK1209.1 $24.98

Early Years 1954-1957 / Maynard Ferguson [2 CDs]

This 43-track 2-CD collection comprises all the titles from Maynard Ferguson’s albums on the Emarcy label with line-ups ranging from an octet to a 13-piece big band. It features many original compositions, with a number by tenor saxophonist and arranger Bill Holman. It’s an intriguing and entertaining insight into his work as he leads his own bands on record for the first time. (Acrobat) 2CD# ACBT3522.2 $20.99

Jazz Club Montmartre – CPH 1988 / Michel Petrucciani Trio [2 CDs]

A Good Day / Jacob Christoffersen

Storyville Records proudly presents the previously unreleased live double album, Jazz Club Montmartre – CPH 1988, by the legendary French pianist Michel Petrucciani. Recorded during a memorable performance at Copenhagen’s Jazzhus Montmartre on July 3, 1988, the album captures Petrucciani in the company of two jazz icons, Gary Peacock on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. (Storyville)

2CD# SVL1038541 $20.99

Danish jazz pianist Jacob Christoffersen unveils his latest album, A Good Day, showcasing a seamless collaboration with fellow veterans Thomas Fonnesbæk on bass and Rasmus Kihlberg on drums. This recording marks a significant milestone in their collective careers, combining their individual expertise into a compelling musical narrative. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1014362 $17.99

Lumen / Danilo Perez; Bohuslan Big Band

Johny Carlsson

Titles

Underground Roller Coaster / Diego Pinera

David Friedman reflects on Diego’s Underground Roller Coaster, praising his blend of impetuous creativity and deep musical knowledge. The album features rhythmic complexity, atmospheric lyricism, and daring improvisational moments, with standout tracks like “13 Days” and a playful take on And I Love Her. “It’s a thrilling, intellectual musical journey that invites listeners to embrace the ride.” (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71451 $14.99

Jewels in the Treasure Box – 1953 Blue Note Club Recordings / Art Tatum [3 CDs]

Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings is a previously unissued collection of recordings from jazz icon and virtuosic pianist, Art Tatum, captured live at the Blue Note jazz club in Chicago in March of 1953. Containing a whopping nearly 3 hours of never-before-heard tracks captured at the height of his powers with his longtime trio. (Resonance)

3CD# RNCE144243.2 $32.98

Who Killed AI? / Kenny Garrett; Savoy

For more than three decades saxophonist Kenny Garrett has been on the forefront of the most adventurous and creative collaborations in jazz, having performed with generations of innovators such as Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard and more. The living legend charts yet another path in his illustrious career with the release of his first ever electronic album, an avenue to explore new sounds. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MACK1210.2 $17.98

Yours Unfaithfully / Stina Ágústsdóttir

Vocalist Stína Ágústsdóttir presents 12 new tracks on this Prophone release, including “Glitterblood,” “Silver Cowboy,” “The Laughing Heart,” “Deadheart,” “Perfect Box,” “Chaotic,” the title track, and more! Recorded in Sundlaugin in 2023. (Prophone)

1CD# PCD368 $20.99

NEW JAZZ IN BRIEF

32,8 / Hamrå Orkester

In discussing his new release, Faces, Erik Parlberg said: “We have had a busy, yet inspiring time since our last album. The discussions and musical exchange sowed the seeds for the new songwriting. I was inspired by a new understanding and awareness towards the different musical styles and ideals that were existing within the group.” (Prophone)

1CD# PCD367 $20.99

Emmet Cohen, renowned pianist and bandleader, presents Vibe Provider, a tribute to his friend and mentor, jazz legend Michael Funmi Ononaiye. Featuring an all-star band, this album masterfully blends Cohen’s original compositions with beloved jazz classics, reflecting his deep musical journey and connection to Funmi. (Mack Avenue)

/ Avishai Cohen [CD or Vinyl LP]

In his latest album, Brightlight, Avishai Cohen showcases his multifaceted talents alongside a stellar ensemble of musicians. Among these are some of the brightest young talents from the new jazz scene, including drummer Roni Kaspi, pianist Guy Moskovich, his working core trio as the center on many of the titles, and joined by saxophonist Yuval Drabkin and many other hand-picked talented artists. (Naive)

1CD# BLV8583 $16.99

1LP# BLV8584 $26.99

SWR New Jazz Meeting 2022: Forest

When asked about a name for the SWR NEWJazz Meeting project, Micah Thomas said: Forest. The musical fruits of this album, in fact, shimmer like a dew-covered forest landscape that extends much farther than a single glance could take in. And in this “forest” something magical happens: it is dark, calm, and quiet, and then suddenly, for a moment, rare, shy animals appear out of the mist and fog. (SWR Jazzhaus)

1CD# JAH-487 $19.99

Hamrå Orkester Björn Cedergren, Tenor saxophone Patrik Putte Janson, Trumpet Andreas Thurfjell, Alto sax & clarinet Simon Westman, Piano Olli Rantala, Double bass Fredrik Hamrå, Drums. (Prophone)

1CD# PCD339 $20.99

For All We Know / Adonis Rose Trio

Renowned drummer and Artistic Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Adonis Rose, releases his new ballads album For All We Know, featuring his trio and vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. (Storyville)

Say It’s So / Nate Radley

Canadian-born saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun presents his 10th leader album on SteepleChase. This is thoroughly emotionally moving music. (Steeplechase)

Stars / Anton Dromberg; Tom Gabrielsson

The music of Pianist Anton Dromberg and vocalist Anna Berglund has been described as heartfelt, melodic, and with exceptional interplay whether an original or a new version of a Burt Bacharach ballad. (Prophone)

Vibe Provider / Emmet Cohen

Faces / Erik Palmberg

Brightlight

Dizzy Gillespie Quintet in Concert 1961

On November 20, 1961 Dizzy Gillespie brought on stage at the Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen the quintet version of his “Gillespiana Suite”, composed originally for his 16-piece orchestra by young Argentine composer/pianist Lalo Schifrin. The program finishes with Gillespie’s own “Kush” which stayed in his repertoire for the next 15 years. (Steeplechase)

Ella Fitzgerald in Copenhagen April 1959 was said to be still shy at age 42 and still modest after the 25 years of downright success reign as “Queen of Jazz”. The third volume of “In Concert” series features Ella’s quintet. Roy Eldridge, Swing Era’s greatest trumpeter, opens the program with two tracks. The live recording of this concert in Copenhagen has been essentially unknown for half a century. (Steeplechase) 1CD# SCCD 36503 $21.99 $17.59

Bud Powell changed the way that virtually all post-swing pianists play their instruments. These previously unreleased recordings are from March and August of 1962 from Danish Radio Concert Hall and Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. Tracks include “Straght No Chaser,” “Round About Midnight,” “Blues in the Closet,” and more.

(Steeplechase)

1CD# SCCD 36040

September 8, 1960 Oscar Pettiford, American bassist/cellist/composer died abruptly at age 38. A few weeks after Pettiford’s passing a circle of Danish jazz fans organized a memorial concert presented here to raise fund for his children with a starstudded program that included Stan Getz, Alice Babs, among others. (SteepleChase)

1CD# SCCD 36512 $21.99 $17.59

The first in the “In Concert” series, an unreleased live recording made at the Falkoner Centre, Copenhagen in the late 50’s. In 1959, swing king Benny Goodman (1909–86) formed a 10-piece band that included Red Norvo, a famous vibraphonist from the early days of jazz, and vocalist Anita O’Day, who participated in two songs on this album. Songs include “Body and Soul,” and “Let’s Dance.” (Steeplechase)

1CD# SCCD 36501 $21.99 $17.59

SteepleChase

Once he left the United States to spend over a decade living and working in Europe, Dexter Gordon found many opportunities to perform, particularly at the Montmartre Jazzhus in Copenhagen. Part of this 1967 radio broadcast was issued, but these tracks never saw the light of day until label owner Nils Winther uncovered them in his recorded archives. (Steeplechase)

1CD# SCCD 36038 $21.99 $17.59

In Search Of Hipness / Dave Scott

Trumpeter Dave Scott’s 5th SteepleChase release here finds him leading his other New York ensemble

“The Dave Scott Violin Band” which features some of America’s finest instrumentalists including Sarah Bernstein on violin. Dave Scott’s compositions allow each musician to fully engage in individual expression. (SteepleChase)

1CD# SCCD 31864 $21.99 $17.59

trioTrio meets Sheila Jordan

Sheila Jordan’s intensely creative power is evident throughout this album presented in a crossgenerational collaboration with trioTrio consisting of three young elite instrumentalists of the New York scene. (SteepleChase)

1CD# SCCD 31927 $21.99 $17.59

Count Basie & His Orchestra in Concert 1962

William “Count” Basie (1904–1984) had a long successful career over a span of six plus decades leaving an enormous legacy in the history of jazz. The concert here was a part of Basie’ New Testament Orchestra’s frequent European tours in the late 50’s and early 60s, an era that’s called The Atomic Period. Songs include “Easy Money,” “April in Paris,” “Young and Foolish,” and more. (Steeplechase)

1CD# SCCD 36508 $21.99 $17.59

Gerry Mulligan Quartet in Concert 1959

The Messengers expanded to a sextet with the addition of Curtis Fuller in 1961 and went into their most Prior to 1960 Concert Band appearance in Copenhagen. Mulligan brought his piano less quartet with Art Farmer to the Falkoner Centret on May 21, 1959. The night’s mostly Danish audience were mesmerized by their “cool” sound of West Coast Jazz. (Steeplechase)

1CD# SCCD 36506 $21.99 $17.59

Ella Fitzgerald & Roy Eldridge Quartet in Concert 1959

1962 Copenhagen / Bud Powell

Oscar Pettiford Memorial Concert / Stan Getz

Benny Goodman Orchestra in Concert 1959

Satin Doll / Dexter Gordon

Looking At The Moon / Allegra Levy

1962 Stockholm-Oslo / Bud Powell

Montmartre 73 / Duke Jordan

/ Gary Smulyan

Con Alma / Jason Palmer

Introducing Steven Herring

Just Sayin’ / Ron McClure

Renewal / LeeAnn Ledgerwood

Soul Sister / Dexter Gordon

Mood Suite / Russ Lossing

Jimmy Guiffre Trio; Gene Krupa Quartet in Concert 1959

Upper West Side Stories / Mark Soskin

Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band in Concert 1960

Look Ahead / Chris Byars

Short Story / Kenny Dorham

Classical & Jazz Vinyl

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Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 – 200th Anniversary [2 LPs]

During the 200th anniversary of the first performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, in 2024, IBA is releasing a commemorative limited edition on LP, Idil Biret’s performance of the symphony as transcribed for piano by Franz Liszt, originally recorded for EMI and published in a box set of 6 LPs with all nine symphonies in 1986. The Choral Fantasy for Piano, Orchestra, and Chorus is also included in the set. (IBA)

2LP# IBA-LP001-02

$74.99

Schumann: Diaries / Tiffany Poon [2 LP Reissue]

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Tiffany Poon, “classical pianist of the new generation,” with this deluxe vinyl edition of her brilliant Pentatone debut album Diaries: Schumann. Through her vivid interpretation of Robert Schumann’s masterpieces, Tiffany invites us on a journey through her musical diary. (Pentatone)

Mozart Y Mambo – La Bella Cubana / Sarah Willis [2 LPs]

Sarah Willis and the Sarahbanda ensemble present all four of the Mozart horn concertos, fusing Mozart with Cuban dance rhythms in Rondo alla Rumba. Let the magic of Mozart y Mambo – this music, these musicians, their interpretation, their love for the project and for each other – get you up and dancing one more time! (Alpha)

Harmony / The King’s Singers [LP]

Close Harmony is the latest musical offering from Grammy Award-winning and internationally acclaimed vocal group The King’s Singers. Accompanying the new album, this limited edition LP features a selection of the newly recorded tracks, recorded in 2020 and 2024. (Signum Classics)

1LP# SIGLP912 $24.99

Mozart: Two Pianos – Vinyl Edition [LP]

This new collection of music for two pianos by Mozart features pianists Ivo Varbanov and Fiammetta Tarli, alongside the English Chamber Orchestra and Muhai Tang. Renowned for their wide-ranging careers as soloist and ensemble players, Varbanov and Tarli present performances of Mozart’s Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra K. 365, and Concerto for 2 Pianos and Orchestra K. 242. (Orchid Classics)

1LP# ORC100316 $33.99

Vivaldi: Flute Concertos, Op. 10 [LP]

Vivaldi was one of the first composers to focus on the transverse flute as a viable solo instrument. Performing these works is Italian flautist

Mario Folena, who is joined by L’Arte dell’Arco, led from the front by violinist Federico Guglielmo, whose Vivaldi performances have previously garnered high praise.

(Brilliant Classics)

1LP# BRI90017 $34.99

Strauss: Four Last Songs [LP]

Beethoven: Diabelli Variations / Alfredo Perl

[LP]

A foretaste of the artistic mastery of Beethoven’s late work: the “Diabelli Variations” are the last major piano work to embody the pinnacle of Beethoven’s variation oeuvre and are considered one of the most extensive and important compositions of this art form. (Audite)

1LP# ADT82544 $33.99

Interpretations / Carsten Dahl [LP]

Renowned Danish pianist and composer Carsten Dahl presents his new album, Interpretations: The Norway Sessions, with his Golden Ratio Trio feat. Swedish bassist Daniel Franck and Danish drummer Jakob Høyer on vinyl on Storyville Records. This recording presents 13 original compositions, two by Dahl, one by Franck, and ten by all three musicians. (Storyville)

1LP# SVL6014363 $27.99

XL-LX / Danish Radio Big Band [5 LPs]

Storyville Records proudly announces the release of the Danish Radio Big Band – XL-LX. A bold and expansive project that captures the essence of the band’s sound in the 2020s. This ambitious collection features five commissioned compositions from five diverse composers, showcasing the versatility and modernity of large jazz ensemble music. (Storyville) 5LP# SVL6014360 $109.99

Singer Asmik Grigorian has chosen to record both versions of Richard Strauss’s ultimate masterpiece, composed in 1948: the version with orchestra and the much rarer version with piano. For her, this work is associated with the idea of solitude, but not an unhappy solitude, rather a journey towards infinity. (Alpha) 2LP# ALPHA1052

Double Moon Records

Rosalie’s Dream / Joe Haider Trio

Jazz legend Joe Haider’s latest album, Rosalie’s Dream, recorded after his 88th birthday, features fresh arrangements with his trio and the Amigern String Quartet. The album includes Duke Ellington classics and six new Haider pieces. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71450 $14.99

Porgy’s Dream / Winterschladen; Ludemann

“Porgy’s Dream,” a personal homage by Hans Lüdemann and trumpeter Reiner Winterschladen, boldly reinterprets George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” Their unique approach delivers an intense atmosphere and fresh interpretations that honor the original masterpiece. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71449 $16.99

Purple Sky / Vlado Grizelj

In music, the new is only created by looking at tradition; the talent that comes with it only matures through mastery of the craft. The new album Purple Sky by guitarist and composer Vlado Grizelj is a perfect example of how the balance of these two artistic driving forces can lead to a rousing result. His love of the funk and soul of the sixties and seventies is expressed very strongly. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71446 $16.99

Sunland / Oliver Le Goas

Olivier Le Goas: “Recording a new album for piano–bass–drums trio felt like an important step in my career, since it is at the piano that I compose most of my music. Kristjan Randalu’s rhythmic precision, the depth of his sound and the sensitivity of his touch confirmed without a doubt that he was the pianist who was perfectly suited to my music.” (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71443 $18.99

DOUBLE MOON IN BRIEF

Belonging / Anette von Eichel

Dedication II / Moises P. Sanchez

Moises P. Sanchez’s new album Dedication II is an expansive affair (nine long songs provide a playing time of 73 minutes) and covers a lot of musical landscapes. Chick Corea once said that he made music to make people happy, and Sanchez can certainly concur with this viewpoint. His new album is a bit reminiscent of the music of Chick Corea, who was open to the most diverse influences. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71445 $16.99

Prisma – Jazz Thing Next / Clemens Gottwald

Clemens Gottwald and his quartet Prisma – with the decisive addition of guitarist Christina Zurhausen – play seven compositions by the trombonist. Gottwald’s formative influences ranged from Kid Ory to Albert Mangelsdorff, and the universal aspiration he places on his instrument is best embodied by a musician like Ray Anderson. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71437 $16.99

Double Trouble / Bobby Previte; Ray Anderson

Magic … is one of the most overused terms for describing music. You seldom hear something that is really magical. On the other hand, the American bandleader Ray Anderson is a magician if there ever was one. His magic wand is the trombone. He masterly breaks down the boundaries between magic and reality, spirit and the physical, tradition and utopia. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71434 $16.99

In Between / Kuppers; Blumenschein

Singer Juliana Blumenschein and guitarist Florin Kuppers are musical storytellers. On In Between they tell stories situated between North and South America, more precisely from the Great American Songbook to the sambas and bossa novas of Brazil. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71440 $16.99

Anette von Eichel leads a piano trio in this moving collection of songs including Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” “A Time for Love,” “Let’s Go Slow,” “Burning Bridges,” and more. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71435 $16.99

Blink 6 / Marcus Klossek

Music that features many influences and genres from contemporary jazz, experimental rock, new music and beyond as well as dynamic interplay between all the musicians. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71433 $16.99

Faces / Mainz04

Faces is the title of jazz quartet MAINZ 04’s debut album. Four faces standing behind this album: four distinct characters which are all passionate musicians and saxophonists. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71432 $16.99

Unperfect Buildings / Openthebox Trio

The trio combines familiar sounds with new rhythms and influences and creates independent, organic soundscapes in the field of tension between composition and improvisation. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71430 $16.99