HBD - Fall 2022 Classics & Jazz Catalog

Classics & Jazz

Fall 2022

New Holiday Titles see page 18

All Prices Good through 12/31/22

Classical New Releases see page 3

HBDirect Classics

We are pleased to present the HBDirect Fall 2022 Classics & Jazz catalog, with a wide range of new releases for our customers, as well as eight pages of Holiday favorites for the season! On the classical side, you’ll find a 30% sale on select boxed sets from Brilliant Classics as well as hundreds of new releases, many organized by time period. On the jazz side, we’re excited to offer a sale on Challenge Jazz titles, as well as dedicated label pages for Mack Avenue Records, Storyville Records and two pages of Holiday Jazz releases! In partnership with our friends at ArkivMusic, orders can now also be processed online for your convenience. To view the catalog and order online, visit www.ArkivMusic.com and click on the “HBDirect” tab at the top of the screen to begin your order. We thank you for your business and remind you to keep our catalogs handy. Prices are good through December 31, 2022.

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

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3

7 New Classical Releases

Boxed Sets

New from Naxos

Brilliant Classics Sale

Holiday Releases

New by Era

New Jazz Releases

Holiday Jazz Titles

Challenge Jazz Sale

Featured Jazz

Go to Pages 48–55

New Jazz Releases

Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Connie Han, Charles Lloyd, Julian Lage See Page 48

Holiday Jazz

Frank Sinatra, David Benoit, Diana Krall, Warren Wolf, Peter Asplund See Page 50

Storyville Records

Copenhagen Trio, Mads Mathias, Adonis Rose, Cyrille Aimée, Tommy Flanagan See Page 53 Are

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& Jazz Fall 2022

Portrait – Alex Baranowski / Angèle Dubeau

Following her passion for seeking out rare musical gems, Angèle Dubeau presents Portrait: Alex Baranowski, the 6th opus in her series of albums dedicated to contemporary composers, which began in 2008. Under the breathtaking interpretation of Angèle Dubeau and her remarkable ensemble, La Pietà, this album includes several key works from Baranowski's repertoire as well as three previously unreleased pieces, including Wiosna, a commission that the composer describes as one of his most intimate works. (Analekta)

1CD# AN28750 $18.99

Christmas Concert / Helen Donath; Regensburger Domsplatzen

Recorded here is something which normally is evanescent over the airwaves or in the Philharmonie am Gasteig: the pre-Christmas evening in the series of Munich Sunday concerts, featuring Helen Donath as one of the most distinguished lyric sopranos of her times, the boys’ choir Regensburg Cathedral Sparrows and the Munich Radio Orchestra under the musical direction of Kurt Eichhorn. (Orfeo)

1CD# ORF-C230091 $14.99

Mahler: Symphony No. 9 / Simon Rattle

For the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the performances on November 26 and 27, 2021 in the Isarphilharmonie marked the beginning of a new chapter in its Mahler interpretation: with its designated new principal conductor Simon Rattle. The very long silence after the final chord was one of those “goosebump moments” that one goes to concerts for – and for which music is made in the first place. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900205 $17.99

Invasion – Music & Art for Ukraine / Nadia Shpachenko; Lewis Spratlan

A new album of World Premieres from GRAMMY® Award-winning UkrainianAmerican pianist Nadia Shpachenko. As she watched in horror her home city of Kharkiv (and the rest of Ukraine) being destroyed, Shpachenko tried to come up with ways to express her feelings of utter despair and anger, as well as hope and resilience. She decided to put together a new album to support Ukraine humanitarian aid. Reference Recordings is proud to release this album, with proceeds benefitting Ukrainian people affected by the war. (Reference)

1CD# FR-749 $16.99

Brasil em Concerto [6 CDs]

The series, The Music of Brazil, is part of the project, Brasil em Concerto, developed by the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to promote music by Brazilian composers. This limited-edition boxed set has been produced as part of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of Brazilian Independence in 2022. Composers include Alberto Nepomuceno, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Camargo Guarnieri, Cesar Peixe-Guerra, Claudio Santoro, and José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado. (Naxos)

6CD# 8506046 $49.99

Pavarotti in Hyde Park [Blu-ray Video]

This legendary concert of Luciano Pavarotti in Hyde Park,1991, was held to mark the 30th anniversary of the start of Pavarotti's operatic career. Attended by 120,000 fans, including Lady Diana, Prince Charles, and premier John Major, Luciano Pavarotti thrilled the electrified audience with a popular program from Verdi to Puccini ("Nessun Dorma") from Mascagni and Leoncavallo to Bixio ("Mamma") and Di Capua ("`O sole mio"), which is now available for the first time available on Blu-ray, digitally remastered! (C Major)

1Blu-ray# 762404 $32.99

New Classical

Recommended New Titles

Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 / Wiener Philharmonic; Thielemann

Sony presents the next installment of Christian Thielemann’s complete cycle of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic- the orchestra’s first Bruckner cycle under a single conductor. The Vienna Philharmonic premiered four of Anton Bruckner’s nine symphonies, including No. 4 in 1881 and has enjoyed a unique relationship with the Austrian composer’s music since 1873. (Sony)

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II / Various Artists

This recording of the BBC’s broadcast of the coronation service from Westminster Abbey was taken by means of a direct line to Abbey Road Studios. The splendid ritual of the coronation rite has offered to composers of succeeding generations an opportunity to provide music of fitting beauty and to the choirs taking part an incentive to excel in presenting music in which Britain has a rich and unique tradition. (Warner)

MOB159337 $14.99

Berg: Violin Concerto / James Ehnes; BBC Orchestra

Born in 1885, Alban Berg was one of the most significant composers of the Second Viennese School, whose output proved tremendously influential in the development of music in the 20th century. His Piano Sonata, Op. 1 was the fulfilment of a task set by Schoenberg to write non-vocal music. The Passacaglia, written between the sonata and World War I was only completed in short-score, and may have been intended to form part of a larger work. Both pieces are recorded here in skillful orchestrations by Sir Andrew Davis. (Chandos)

Vaughan Williams: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2

SOMM Recordings celebrates the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s birth with insightful, deeply felt accounts of his String Quartets Nos.1 and 2, coupled with Gustav Holst’s Phantasy Quartet, by the Tippett Quartet. This major release sheds new light on one of the enduring friendships of 20th century British music, Vaughan Williams and Holst having first met at the Royal College of Music in 1895. (SOMM)

1CD# SOMMCD 0656 $18.99

Glenn Gould: Complete 1981 Goldberg Sessions [11 CDs]

Forty years ago, on September 2, 1982, Glenn Gould’s legendary second recording of the Goldberg Variations closed a circle that his revolutionary 1956 recording of Bach’s masterpiece had opened. Across 11 CDs, the set includes the double GRAMMY®-winning final release as well as everything committed to tape during the 1981 sessions. (Sony) 11CD# 19439977422 $99.99

Ruiz-Pipo: Complete Music for Guitar [2 CDs]

Born in Granada, Antonio Ruiz-Pipo (1934–1997) learned the guitar in his youth but trained as a pianist. This new recording presents Ruiz-Pipo’s complete works for guitar, unmistakably Hispanic in character, but seamlessly integrated within his own, distinctive musical language. Elements of the Spanish folk tradition bridge the divide between a tonal-modal center and the prevalence of free atonal chromaticism. (Brilliant)

2CD# BRI96300 $14.99

Sulamita / Sulamita Slubowska

Born in Jelenia Góra, Sulamita Slubowska started playing the violin at the age of six under the direction of Ludmiła Sołowiewicz. Moreover, she has been appreciated many times at national and international competitions, winning, among others, first place at International ‘Young Paganini’ Violin Competition in Legnica. On this release, she presents a program of works by Bacewicz, Prokofiev, and Part. (Dux)

1CD# DUX1753 $19.99

Beethoven: Overtures / Roger Norrington

This recording presents Ludwig van Beethoven’s most important overtures composed for his stage works, which were few and far between yet cover a wide variety of styles: the three overtures for his only opera Leonore which was later known as Fidelio followed by the introductory music to the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus and by music for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s play Egmont. (Warner Classics)

1CD# SWR19121CD $18.99

John Adams / Paavo Järvi; Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

In this program, Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich celebrate one of the most important composers of our time with works from different periods and citing a wide range of references. John Adams has assimilated numerous musical influences, and his personal style cannot be reduced to one of them: he is neither Minimalist, nor post-Minimalist, nor neo-Romantic. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA874 $18.99

Beat Bach – A Cancelled Clavier Competition

There is a wealth of legends about great composers and famous musicians. The present program relates to a keyboard competition between the two keyboard virtuosos and composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Louis Marchand, which was apparently to have taken place in Dresden in 1717. A total of 21 texts dated between 1739 and 1802 mention the proposed encounter between Bach and Marchand. (Hanssler Classic)

1CD# HC22048 $18.99

Releases

Ravel: Five O’Clock Foxtrot / Philharmonia Orchestra

Ravel grew up in Paris during la belle epoque, the thirty-odd years prior to 1914 when Paris was the unquestioned artistic center of the world. He was an immensely gifted youth, and one by one his early compositions began to show a real mastery of conception and execution-before the 1800s were out, he had produced such assured works as Habenera, Menuet antique, several other fine songs. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD2160 $17.99

Neilsen: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4 / Roger Norrington

Among the early 20th-century composers involved in the transition from romanticism to modernism, Carl Nielsen was perceived at the time as downright provocative. Nielsen’s international breakthrough only began in the 1950s and today his works are still far from being commonplace in our concert halls. The Symphony No. 4 is today one his most performed works. (SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19120CD $18.99

Falkenberg: The Moons Symphony / London SO

International award-winning composer, Amanda Lee Falkenberg has composed a dynamic new work that merges music and science. Through the persuasive and powerful forces of music, the symphony offers a chance to contemplate who and where we are in the universe. In 42 minutes they will be taken on an emotional journey, marveling at the wonders of these moons and the beauty of our planet. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD730 $17.99

Chamber Works by Alberto Hemsi

Alberto Hemsi was born in 1898 in Turgutlu, in Anatolia (present-day Turkey). Although there had been a Jewish presence in Anatolia for more than 2000 years, the population expanded considerably following the Alhambra Decree of 1492. Having completed his training at the conservatory in Milan, Hemsi returned to Anatolia determined to collect as much traditional Sephardic music as he possibly could. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20243 $18.99

NEW ALBUMS IN BRIEF

Bruckner: Symphonies 4 & 5 / Münchner Philharmoniker [2 CDs]

Rudolf Kempe made his conducting debut with an amateur Leipzig orchestra in 1934. After taking a Figaro rehearsal at short notice for general music director Paul Schmitz he was offered a contract as solo répétiteur and conductor at Leipzig Opera in addition to his orchestral position. In 1950 Kempe succeeded Joseph Keilberth as general music director of Dresden State Opera and Orchestra. (Profil)

2CD# PH20038 $25.99

Les

Freres Francoeur

Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte and harpsichordist Justin Taylor, two of the most promising virtuosos of the new generation and founder members of the ensemble Le Consort, now present a duo album that pays tribute to a great 18th-century dynasty of musicians, the violinists and composers of the Francoeur family. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA895 $18.99

Bach: Concertos for Recorder, Vol. 2

Dutch recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf goes back to Bach for his latest release. Bach wrote as inventively and idiomatically for the recorder throughout his career, but he left no concertos in which the instrument takes the spotlight. Thus Bosgraaf and his colleagues have attempted to answer the question, what might Bach have done, or could he have done, if he had written concertos for the recorder? (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96394 $12.99

Top of the Pops – Dutch Golden Age Edition [3 CDs]

The easiest way to make music is by singing songs, especially if you have the tune in your head. People in the past had to make do with the city’s carillon, annual visits to fairs, the church organ and the city musicians. There were songs for every occasion. This type of song provides the basis for this project, which starts from the 40 most commonly used melodies of the period 1535–1750. (Aliud)

3CD# ACDOE1222 $19.99

Silvestrov: Requiem fur Larissa / Andres Mustonen

Valentin Silvestrov is probably the best-known Ukrainian composer, and his “Requiem for Larissa” was written in response to the 1996 death of his wife, scholar Larissa Bondarenko. (BR Klassik)

1CD# BRK900344 $17.99

J.S. Bach: 6 Suites a Violoncello Solo [2 CDs]

An eminent interpreter of Vivaldi, Giuliano Carmignola has always had a great affinity with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, as can be heard in his landmark recordings of the Violin Sonatas. (Arcana)

2CD# A533 $27.99

Karajan Spectacular, Vol. 8 / NY Philharmonic

Herbert von Karajan during the Fifties performed the Beethoven Symphonies several times. Many Karajan performances were recorded by collectors, and now after seventy years they are still available. (IDIS)

1CD# IDIS6746 $14.99

100 Years of Japanese Song, Vol. 3

This is the third Charlotte de Rothschild CD with piano accompaniment and like the other two, is a mixture of “kakyoku”, the Japanese equivalent of Lieder or Chanson. (Nimbus)

1CD# NI6430 $18.99

New Releases

New Recommendations

The Kreutzer Project / The Knights

The Knights, the bold Brooklyn-based orchestral collective, embody the spirit of exploration with The Kreutzer Project, a program that posits Tolstoy’s response to Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata: What is music? What does it do? The Knights’ response to these iconoclastic touchstones is to reimagine the Beethoven as “Kreutzer Concerto”, arranged by The Knights’ co-founder Colin Jacobsen. (Avie) 1CD# AV2555 $17.99

Tristan / Igor Levit [2 CDs]

On Igor Levit’s double album Tristan, the pianist explores nocturnal themes of love and death, fear, ecstasy, loneliness & redemption in the music of Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Gustav Mahler & Hans Werner Henze. It includes Levit’s first concerto recording with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Franz Welser-Möst with the album’s central work Henze’s “Tristan” for piano, electronic tapes and orchestra. (Sony) 2CD# 19439943482 $18.99

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Weill: Symphony No. 2 / Rotterdam PO

Two symphonies from the turbulent 1930s are juxtaposed in Lahav Shani’s second Warner Classics release as Chief Conductor of The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Shani has described Kurt Weill’s Symphony No 2, premiered by Bruno Walter in Amsterdam in 1933, as “one of my favourite pieces to conduct... It is tonal music, very melodic, very theatrical, and really not comparable to anything else.”

(Warner Classics)

Violin Concertos by Black Composers Through the Centuries / Rachel Barton Pine

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 with Violin Concertos by Black Composers Through the Centuries. This special-edition reissue updates and expands the original program into the 20th century with Pine’s recent recording of Florence Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2, composed in 1952. (Cedille)

1CD# CDR 214 $16.99

Britten: Les Illuminations Serenade Nocturne

In these three song cycles, Britten draws his inspiration from the peaks of European poetry, the better to push back the boundaries of the genre. He multiplies the relationship between voices and instruments, moving from strings alone to a string ensemble featuring obbligato wind instruments, harp and timpani. A unique sound world is revealed here by artists at the top of their form.

(Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# MOB944615 $19.99

Schubert: String Quintet Quartettastz

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, the Brodsky Quartet has performed more than 3000 concerts on the major concert stages of the world. As they comment in their booklet note: ‘It seems fitting to mark the milestone by recording this epic and most celebrated of chamber works, Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, a piece which we have lived with since childhood.’ (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 10978 $18.99

1CD# MOB478346 $18.99

Secret Love Letters / Lisa Batiashvili

This album – a collaboration between two of the biggest names in classical music – celebrates the fine art of concealment, of holding private passions just beneath the surface until they erupt. Secret Love Letters sees the violinist explore some of the most romantic music ever written. In this, her first recording with a US orchestra, she is joined by The Philadelphia Orchestra. (DG)

1CD# MOB604623 $14.99

Lucerne Festival Historical Recordings / Rafael Kubelík [2 CDs]

In the summer of 1968, a few days after the brutal suppression of the Prague Spring, the exiled Czech Rafael Kubelík conducted a gripping concert in his adopted home of Lucerne: a vital Haydn symphony and a passionately glowing Fourth by Tchaikovsky framed Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto. Kubelík takes up the cause of the Tchaikovsky symphony as if it were a declaration of the victory of the spirit. (Audite)

2CD# AUD95745 $21.99

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

The celebrated Dover Quartet, the young, GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble brimming with prestigious awards and residencies, concludes its critically acclaimed Beethoven cycle with the composer’s five monumental, revolutionary Late Quartets and imposing Grosse Fugue. The triple-album release comprises Beethoven’s very last compositions — remarkable works that upended the concept of the string quartet. (Cedille)

3CD# CDR 215 $32.99

Bach: Miscellaneous Pieces for Harpsichord [3 CDs]

Over a career spanning more than 30 years, the Dutch harpsichordist and conductor Pieter-Jan Belder has become renowned as a Bach interpreter. On this new album, recorded in 2020 and 2021 on a modern Titus Crijnen copy of a Ruckers model, Pieter-Jan Belder turns to the overlooked corners of Bach’s early writing for the harpsichord. (Brilliant)

3CD# BRI96065 $15.99

New Boxed Sets

Legendary Conductors – Symphony Orchestras of the SWR [10 CDs]

Over the years the SWR symphony orchestras have performed with many legendary conductors who either were in charge as chief conductor or occasionally invited as guest conductor. On this 10 album box set, the listener will find 12 of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, including Wilhelm Furtwängler, Leopold Stokowski, Hans Knappertsbusch, Karl Böhm, Kurt Sanderling, and others who have left a lasting legacy with the orchestras. (SWR Classic)

10CD# SWR19432CD $51.99

Beethoven-Barry / Complete Symphonies [6 CDs]

To mark their 30th Anniversary, Britten Sinfonia and Thomas Adès are releasing their acclaimed Beethoven and Barry cycle as a box set. Thomas Adès: “After 20 years of performing Gerald Barry’s works, I was frantic to record as much of it as possible. I also loved working on Beethoven Symphonies, and suddenly an idea was born: why not dare the two firebrands to join hands?” (Signum Classics)

6CD# SIGCD687 $90.99

Handel: Die Macht der Musik (Audiobiography) [3 CDs]

In Jörg Handsteins audiobiography “The Power of Music” in nine chapters and on a total of 3 albums you can hear about the life of Handel, his most famous and most important compositions are heard, which are closely interwoven with the very exciting biography. A lively, music-rich portrait of Handel and his time – strictly according to the original sources, but always alive and narrated and inspired. (BR Klassik)

3CD# BRK900911 $27.99

Heinrich Schütz Edition [10 CDs]

Born in 1889 in the Ore Mountains, the 25th Kreuzkantor Rudolf Mauersberger made it his life’s work to perform the complete surviving works of Heinrich Schütz. The set comprises 10 albums and offers reference recordings of all central works such as Psalms of David, Cantiones sacrae, Resurrection

History, Small Sacred Concerts, Sacred Choral Music and, last but not least, Passions. (Berlin Classics)

10CD# 0302786BC $26.99

BOXED SETS IN BRIEF

Martynov Edition [7 CDs]

As both a violinist and conductor, Tatiana Grindenko has continued to keep Martynov’s flame burning, and she leads most of the performances here, which were made mostly in Moscow over the course of several years and in several cases receive here their first international release. (Brilliant)

7CD# BRI96380 $46.99

Bach: La Petite Bande – 50th Anniversary [9 CDs]

This amazing box celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the most influential and seminal Baroque ensembles of the recording history: La Petite Bande and its conductor, Sigiswald Kuijken. The box contains the St. Matthew Passion, the Christmas Oratorio and the Mass in B minor. All these works are performed according to the musicologically-based criteria elaborated by Sigiswald Kuijken. (Challenge)

9CD# CC 72917 $49.99

Les Ballet Russes / Various [10 CDs]

Les Ballets Russes was founded by director Sergei Diaghilev in 1909. The company never actually performed in Russia – it made its debut in Paris, and the world was to be its home during its 20 years of existence. With his concepts and commissions, Diaghilev set in motion a groundbreaking artistic revolution, the echoes of which still reverberate even today. (SWR Classic)

10CD# SWR19431CD $51.99

Ries: Complete Piano Sonatas & Sonatinas [6 CDs]

Ferdinand Ries was a friend and pupil of Beethoven and was praised by Robert Schumann for his ‘remarkable originality’. He was also one of the great piano virtuosos of his age and perfectly placed to compose works for his instrument that honor the Classical tradition of Haydn and Mozart while foreshadowing the Romanticism of Schubert and Chopin. (Naxos)

6CD# 8506043 $40.99

The Complete Warner Recordings (Updated) / Jacqueline Du Pré [23 CDs]

Jacqueline du Pré was recognized during her brief prime as one of the supreme cellists of the 20th century. This updated box includes her previously unpublished 1968 Abbey Road recordings. (Warner Classics)

23CD# MOB611384 $99.99

Mozart: Complete Wind Music [5 CDs]

Bläserphilharmonie Mozarteum Salzburg – “Mozart: Complete Wind Music” – This new recording “made in Salzburg” bears the Mozarteum’s seal of quality. (DG)

5CD# MOB624577 $39.99

Gina Bachauer: The Mercury Masters [7 CDs]

This limited edition 7-CD box set features seven classic Mercury Living Presence albums, newly remastered and compiled for the first time to celebrate the legacy of Greek pianist Gina Bachauer. (Eloquence)

7CD# MOB443581 $61.99

Purcell: King Arthur, Music for Queen Mary, The Tempest [9 CDs]

As John Eliot Gardiner converted his Monteverdi Orchestra into the English Baroque Soloists, he engaged them in the most emblematic works by “the Greatest Genius we [England] ever had”: Henry Purcell! (Erato)

9CD# MOB416231 $24.99

New

Recommended Box Sets

Brahms: Complete Symphonies / Münchner Philharmoniker [3 CDs]

Johannes Brahms was an expert on music of the past, going back till the polyphonic composers of the 16th century. He made use of old patterns such as the variation and the interrelated passacaglia. He adopted the traditional four-movement symphony and its juxtaposition, respected the pattern of the sonata form and did hardly go beyond Beethoven when it came to instrumentation. (Profil)

3CD# PH20037 $25.99

Kapellmeister Edition – Great German Conductors [10 CDs]

The fruits of a long-term collaboration: “Kapellmeister” literally means “master of the chapel choir”. The term designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians and today represents the bond, spanning many years, between an orchestra and conductor. This expansive release features recordings by some of the finest German conductors, including Herbert Blomstedt, Herbert Kegel, and Kurt Masur. (Berlin Classics) 10CD# 0302856BC $35.99

Kurt Masur: Complete Warner Classics Edition (Teldec & EMI) [70 CDs]

Kurt Masur’s achievement is defined above all by his relationships with two orchestras exemplifying vastly different traditions. Having spent some 20 years as Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, he became the transformational music director of the NY Philharmonic. This 70-CD set consolidates the entirety of the catalogues that Masur built for EMI and Teldec between 1974 and 2009. (Warner Classics)

Rameau: Zoroastre 1749 [3 CDs]

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764) left two very different versions of his tragédie en musique Zoroastre: the first, in 1749, suffered from cabals and the work was withdrawn from the repertory. Rameau gave it a thoroughgoing revision in 1756. At this time, he was at the height of his powers. Melody, harmony, orchestration and choral writing no longer held any secrets for him. (Alpha)

3CD# ALPHA891 $36.99

Pasquini:

L’Idalma [3 CDs]

It’s already a tradition: at the opening of the Innsbruck Festival there’s a baroque opera rediscovery. This time it is Idalma by Bernardo Pasquini. It is about marital fidelity and steadfast love. Alessandro de Marchi has created a new version of the work, which has been forgotten for some 350 years, based on the composer’s own handwriting. (CPO)

3CD# 555501-2 $33.99

The Young Friedrich Gulda [6 CDs]

Friedrich Gulda was born in Vienna on May 16, 1930. In the 1950s he was celebrated and considered the leading interpreter of Beethoven in his generation. He founded his own Klassische Orchester Gulda for chamber music with members of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. In addition to Beethoven, Gulda’s repertoire encompasses works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, and Richard Strauss. (Profil)

6CD# PH19017 $25.99

L’Arpeggiata and Christina Pluhar have blazed new trails in the rediscovery and interpretation of Baroque music, Italian in particular. The five recordings they made for Alpha are among the biggest-ever successes in this repertory. La Tarantella, above all, has enjoyed undimmed enthusiasm from the public ever since its original release. (Alpha) 6CD# ALPHA641 $36.99

The Complete RCA Album Collection / Lorin Hollander [8 CDs]

American pianist Lorin Hollander recorded his first album for RCA in 1958, a personal selection of “22 Favorites.” Over the next eight years he produced an acclaimed series of releases for the Red Label, with more than 2,500 appearances as a pianist & conductor. Sony Classical is now pleased to present a new 8-disc box set offering Lorin Hollander’s complete RCA discography for the first time on CD. (Sony)

8CD# 19439928782 $46.99

Symphonic Highlights – Capriccio 40th Anniversary [10 CDs]

This 10-disc box set features Capriccio’s most important ensembles, orchestras, and conductors, from the classical period to the 20th century, when, in 2005, Capriccio released the first complete Shostakovich Cycle with the Gürzenich Orchestra and Dmitrji Kitajenko. (Capriccio)

10CD# C7388 $34.99

Passions / Sofia Gubaidulina; Osvaldo Golijov [4 CDs]

These works were commissioned by the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart to write works to mark Bach Year 2000. Osvaldo Golijov´s Pasión Según San Marcos is the work of one who moves back and forth between different worlds. His work unites the music of South America, Cuba, the West and Jewish tradition to produce an unconventional conception of a “Passion“. (Hanssler Classic)

4CD# HC22036 $29.99

La Tarantella / L’Arpeggiata; Christina Pluhar [6 CDs]

Boxed Sets

Beethoven / Liszt: The 9 Symphonies [5 CDs]

The symphonic world of Beethoven is not merely experienced as a distant echo but translated into the idiom of the virtuoso piano which swept across Europe during the latter half of the 19th century, led by Liszt and Clara Schumann. Thus in these performances, Giovanni Bellucci seeks a kind of fidelity to the Romantic age of the transcriptions rather than the Classical age of the original works. (Brilliant)

5CD# BRI94863 $19.99

Ries: Complete Works for Piano & Orchestra [5 CDs]

Ferdinand Ries’ works for piano and orchestra stand alongside those of Hummel as the finest and most important of their kind from the early decades of the 19th century. These recordings reveal the intense lyricism and rugged Beethovenian grandeur of this pianist-composer’s piano concertos. A rich variety of companion pieces renowned for their ravishing beauty and exceptional pianistic virtuosity are also included. (Naxos)

5CD# 8505257 $38.99

Boston Symphony Chamber Players: RCA Collection 1964–1968 [10 CDs]

Sony Classical is now pleased to present all the Boston Symphony recordings together for the first time on album. The BSO’s ensemble of first-chair players is led here by its patrician concertmaster Joseph Silverstein. RCA Victor recorded these outstanding musicians in a wide spectrum of repertoire, and each release represented a judicious balance of classical and modern works, both European and American. (Sony)

10CD# 19439946802 $49.99

Schubert: Complete Piano Sonatas / Elisabeth Leonskaja [8 CDs]

These very recent recordings by Elisabeth Leonskaja, released on her label a few years ago, have been bought by Warner Classics at the occasion of her new signing as a Warner Classics artist. “An Olympian interpretation […], a lifetime’s wisdom is here, don’t miss it.” BBC Music (Warner Classics)

8CD# MOB287855 $24.99

BOXED SETS IN BRIEF

Villa-Lobos: Complete String Quartets [6 CDs]

Heitor Villa-Lobos once confessed that he loved to write string quartets, stating ‘one could say that it is a mania.’ His 17 quartets form a substantial part of his chamber music output, covering a long career that embraced national pride and musical experimentation. Often drawing on the musical folklore of Brazil, these quartets are an outpouring of daring invention. (Naxos)

6CD# 8206006 $53.99

Perfect Moods – Contemplative, Contemporary Piano Miniatures [6 CDs]

This six-album boxed set comprises Tanya Ekanayaka’s Twelve Piano Prisms performed by the composer; works by Valentin Silvestrov performed by Elisaveta Blumina; Philip Glass’ piano music played by Nicholas Horvath; and more. These contemplative contemporary piano miniatures are sure to leave listeners and critics alike extremely satisfied. (Grand Piano)

6CD# GP898X $49.99

Jean Fournier Plays Beethoven [10 CDs]

Jean Fournier (1911–2003) was a French violinist and professor of classical music. This 10-album compilation is testament to the violinist’s diversity. It includes recordings such as the Sonatina No. 5 op. 32/1 for solo violin by Jean Martinon (1910-1976), and of course numerous duet works, piano trios (usually together with his trio partners Antonio Janigro and Paul Badura-Skoda) and violin concertos by Mozart. (Profil)

10CD# PH22003 $34.99

Meyerbeer: L’étoile du Nord [3 CDs]

After composing a spectacular series of grand operas for the Paris Opéra, Meyerbeer turned to two comic operas with spoken dialogue. One of these was L’étoile du Nord (‘The North Star’) which is strictly an opéra de demi-caractère, containing both comic and serious elements. This 1996 Wexford Festival Opera production features a dazzling young cast under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski. (Naxos)

3CD# 8660498-500 $29.99

Sweelinck: The Complete Vocal Works [17 CDs]

In the summer of 2009 Harry van der Kamp and his Gesualdo Consort Amsterdam finished their epic journey through the complete vocal oeuvre of Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. (Glossa)

17CD# GCD922411 $109.99

Wanda Landowska Plays Bach, Mozart, Handel [10 CDs]

The historic recordings presented here range from Jacques Champion de Chambonnières to Henry Purcell and François Couperin, from Domenico Scarlatti and George Frideric Handel. (Profil)

10CD# PH22027 $34.99

Complete Warner Recordings / Cécile Ousset [16 CDs]

The EMI Classics recordings of Cécile Ousset (b. 1936), would mark her third and most prestigious recording collaboration, launching her, at age 46, into the international limelight. (Warner Classics)

16CD# MOB436246 $44.99

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos, Keyboard Concertos [15 CDs]

Since it’s foundation Erato has made Bach one of the cornerstones of it’s catalogue, with Jean-François Paillard responsible for the orchestral works. (Erato)

15CD# MOB414633 $44.99

Works for Violin & Percussion Orchestra

1CD# 8574212

$13.99

Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

1CD# 8574429 $13.99

La Femme – Journey of Female Composers

1CD# 8551470 $13.99

Mayr: L’accademia di musica / Various Artists

1CD# 8660511 $13.99

Goodwin: Drake 400 Suite 1CD# 8555193 $13.99

Walton: The Complete Facades 1CD# 8574378 $13.99

Burge: Sinfonia Antiqua 1CD# 8579073 $13.99

Russian Trumpet Concertos / Paul Merkelo 1CD# 8579117 $13.99

Wolf-Ferrari: Suite Veneziana 1CD# 8573583 $13.99

Delius, Smith: String Quartets 1CD# 8574376 $13.99

Vieuxtemps: Fantasie in E Major 1CD# 8574363 $13.99

Suppé: Around the World in 80 Days 1CD# 8574396 $13.99

Digital Mist –Works for Violin & Piano 1CD# 8559903 $13.99

Flauta Andina – 20th Century Andean Music for Flute & Piano 1CD# 8579125 $13.99

Danielpour: Twelve Études for Piano

1CD# 8559922 $13.99

from Naxos

Works for Guitar Sextet 1CD# 8551475 $13.99

Zeisl: Weich küsst die Zweige der weiße Mond 1CD# 8551459 $13.99

Works for Two Cellos 1CD# 8574386 $13.99

Meyerbeer: Overtures & Stage Music 1CD# 8574316 $13.99

Hedges: Kingston Sketches 1CD# 8574324 $13.99

Bermel: Intonations –Music for Clarinet & Strings 1CD# 8559912 $13.99

Vassiliev: Guitar Works, Vol. 1 1CD# 8574315 $13.99

McClelland: Where the Shadow Glides

1CD# 8559906 $13.99

Perosi: Piano Quintets, Nos. 1–2

1CD# 8574375 $13.99

Foerster: Festive Overture, Symphony No. 1 1CD# 8574336 $13.99

Belevi: Cypriana –Works for Violin & Guitar 1CD# 8579104 $13.99

Thalberg: Les Soirées de Pausilippe 1CD# 8555668 $13.99

Boyer: Balance of Power –Orchestral Works 1CD# 8559915 $13.99

Soler: Keyboard Sonatas Nos. 96–98

1CD# 8574418 $13.99

Italian Guitar Rarities / Giuseppe Buscemi

1CD# 8574400 $13.99

Violetta Fialko – Ciccolini Prize Winner Recital

“The debut disc suggests a very promising future for the young Ciccolini Prize winner. The way she plays Liadov’s pieces shows a real love for these tiny gems, and so does her rendition of Medtner’s Sonata

The latter is as fine a performance as I have heard. She is a considerable talent, and I hope to hear more from her soon.” – MusicWeb – (Divine Art)

1CD# DBU20211 $17.99

Haydn: Complete Piano Trios, Vol. 1

“Trio Gaspard’s new album marks the beginning of their ambitious complete Haydn piano trio cycle. Not many have attempted this largescale project, though precedents include the Beaux Arts Trio and a period recording by the Van Swieten Trio. The sprightly Allegro Moderato of the A Major Trio shows each member of the ensemble creating clean lines that sync well.”

– The Classic Review (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20244 $18.99

Brahms: Complete Symphonies [3 CDs]

“Adam Fischer adds even more buoyancy by paying scrupulous attention to every detail of the rhythmic articulation; he generally favours quick tempo too, though it’s rare that they seem unduly fast – the finale of the Second sets off at quite a lick, for instance, yet never seems rushed, while the finale of the Fourth loses none of its cumulative power by always being kept on the move.”

– The Guardian (Naxos)

3CD# 8574465-67 $29.99

Lost & Found / Sean Shibe

“Here’s another bonkers-at-firstglance, brilliantly curated album from the guitarist Sean Shibe. He describes Lost and Found as “an emporium of curiosities”, and all the exhibits are for electric guitar. That doesn’t mean all the music is modern. Some of it skirts perilously close to chill-out, or would do if Shibe let it: instead, whenever we might be lulled into inactive listening Shibe provides something subversive.”

The Guardian (Sony)

1CD# PTC5186988 $15.99

Choirbook / Jesper Koch

A lyrical suite of seven chapters for mixed choir a cappella, Jesper Koch’s Choirbook is a meditation on nature, complex and yet simple, communicating openly with the listener. Sincerity and a sense of timelessness pervade this largescale work based on the poetry of Frank Kjørup. “This is interesting: a new, large, coherent and thoroughly worked out choral work with the potential to become a modern classic.” – Klassisk (Dacapo)

1SACD# 6220627 $15.99

Suppé: Mozart [incidental music]

Suppé’s music subtly accompanies the stage action as the story of the composition of Mozart’s music unfolds. “Dario Salvi conducts with unreserved energy that makes the music catch fire, and his Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra players respond with vibrant playing full of unalloyed joy. This is super Suppé, wrapped in a must-get disc for your collection.” – ClassicalMusicDaily (Naxos)

1CD# 8574383 $13.99

Quantz: Trio Sonatas / Ensemble Labirinto Armonico

The Trio Sonatas featured in this recording are early works, and skilfully mesh this theatrical Italian style with formal German structure and counterpoint, and in doing so consistently present an intricate and well-balanced sonic canvas. There is a constant sense of ebullience within their delivery of the faster movements, well counterbalanced by highly expressive slow movements.

– Classical Music Sentinel (Dynamic)

1CD# DYN-CDS7957 $16.99

Peter Jablonski Plays Grazyna Bacewicz

In this album pianist Peter Jablonski represents Grazyna Bacewicz’s (1909–1969) dazzling piano etudes and piano sonatas which are hardly known outside of her native Poland. “There’s a sense of Bacewicz’s compositional imagination really taking wing in these pieces, and Jablonski commits to her vision. The First Sonata feels full of ambition, and Jablonski draws out all of its rhythmic and emotional complexity.”

– Gramophone (Ondine)

1CD# ODE 1399-2 $16.99

Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (1890 Version)

This is the most comprehensive Bruckner Symphonies cycle, including all 19 available versions.

“This performance is much more flexible, less cumbersome, more of an experience and of a monument... Played and conducted like this, the work’s unity becomes much clearer, and it emerges, at least for me, as the greatest of all symphonies.”

BBC Music (Capriccio)

1CD# C8081 $16.99

Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos 1 & 2 / Alexandre Kantorow

“Kantorow’s cycle has all the wit, drama and attention these concertos need. BIS’s engineering has plenty of impact and we get choice couplings too, including vibrant accounts of the ‘Wedding Cake’ Valse-Caprice and Africa, the latter inspired by the composer’s trips to North Africa and quoting from what was, in 1891, the Tunisian national anthem. It’s great fun. You need this disc.”

TheArtsDesk (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2400 $19.99

Choice

J.S. Bach: 6 Suites for Solo Cello, BWV 1007–1012 / Marina Tarasova [2 CDs]

The Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach are generally regarded as the first and greatest masterpieces ever written for the instrument. Their scope is vast and ingenious.

“She (Tarasova) has a magnificent technique. One forgets about the technical difficulty of this music and is allowed just to sit back and listen to the splendour of her playing. This is an outstanding release.”

– MusicWeb International (Divine Art)

2CD# DDA21238 $25.99

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde [3 CDs]

“Although this new release enshrines a performance now almost a decade old, it seems to mark an important watershed in the conductor’s work with this score. WelserMöst’s Tristan accompaniments are faster, louder and more committed, more involved with the blood of the drama. There is also an unashamed glorying in the sheer beauty of much of this score and his orchestra’s ability to perform that.”

– Gramophone (Orfeo)

3CD# ORF-C210123 $34.99

Vaughan

Williams on Brass

“Of all the new releases for the 150th anniversary of Vaughan Williams’ birth, this is one that I have been most eagerly awaiting. Of the ten works presented on this disc, six are the first recordings of new arrangements or editions of the particular score. Simply put, for any collector wishing to have a collection of the composer’s music for band this disc is both unique and invaluable.” – Musicweb (Albion)

1CD# ALBCD052 $18.99

Verdi: La Traviata [2 CDs]

“Verdi’s La Traviata is certainly not under-represented on CD, but it is many a moon since a brand-new studio recording arrived. Daniel Oren knows how to build up the prelude from an atmospheric murmuring of the strings to the caressing love theme and then back to a soft end, but as the curtain opens, he shifts gear to a swift, exuberant party mood where everyone is in high spirits.”

– Musicweb (Pentatone)

2SACD# PTC5186956 $29.99

Thalberg: Fantasies on Operas by Verdi, Rossini, & Bellini

Thalberg’s influence on fellow pianists was enormous and his operatic paraphrases and fantasies, designed for his own use in concert performances, proved exceptionally popular. “We are being given a fresh opportunity to revel in some absolutely glorious music from a legendary wizard of the keyboard, whose stock has been sadly neglected for far too long... Strongly recommended.”

ClassicalMusicDaily (Naxos)

1CD# 8555503 $13.99

Monteverdi: Vespersof 1610 / Apollo’s Fire [2 CDs]

“This recording is stunningly different from the norm. The real understanding of style is everywhere. No cautious ‘note counting’ in the complex Duo Seraphim, instead the fluttering lines become the beating wings of angels, and in the startling echo duet of the Gloria Patri (from the Magnificat) we feel the ricochet from the very stones of Monteverdi’s church.” – BBC Music (AVIE)

2CD# AV2206 $27.99

Brahms: 3 Sonatas / Michael Collins; Stephen Hough

Michael Collins and Stephen Hough bring their combined musical insights and expertise to bear on Johannes Brahms’s sonatas for clarinet and piano. “Even if you already have Collins’s first-rate Chandos disc, this beautifully recorded BIS CD is a worthy investment, not least for the exceptionally successful arrangement of the A major Violin Sonata.” – Gramophone (BIS)

1CD# BIS-2557 $19.99

English Music for Strings / John London; Sinfonia of London

“John Wilson’s conducting wonderfully conveys the characteristic muscularity of Bliss’ score, but there’s a warmth and tenderness in his interpretation, enhanced by the sumptuous playing of the London Sinfonia – led by Andrew Haveron – which makes this version so special.” – Gramophone (Chandos)

1SACD# CHSA 5264 $18.99

Holmboe: String Quartets, Vol. 2 / Nighingale String Quartet

The Nightingales continue with energetic, precise, yet lively and poetic interpretations of the Holmboe quartets, which stand amongst the most significant contributions to the genre in the 20th century. “If you don’t know him, Holmboe is a great composer, and this is a series that should appeal to all lovers of the 20th-century string quartet. I can’t imagine these masterful interpretations being bettered.” – Limelight (Dacapo)

1SACD# 6220717 $15.99

Ysaÿe: 6 Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27

Jack Liebeck returns to Orchid Classics with Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, as well as the lyrical Poème élégiaque for violin and piano, for which Liebeck is joined by Daniel Grimwood. “in every track Liebeck excels in capturing the fury, poetry, madness and dazzle of Ysaÿe’s haunting music... This is an exceptional release.” 5* – The Times (Orchid Classics)

1CD# ORC100179 $16.99

Graupner: Complete Harpsichord Music [14 CDs]

Making his Brilliant Classics debut, one of Italy’s most accomplished harpsichordists, in the music of a composer fast making up for centuries of neglect as one of Bach’s most original and gifted contemporaries. Fernando de Luca has recorded Baroque music both canonic for a variety of early-music specialist labels. He presents here the harpsichord music of Christoph Graupner (1683–1760). (Brilliant)

14CD# BRI96131 $40.59

Martini: Complete Organ Music [9 CDs]

This new recording presents the complete organ works of Giovanni Battista Martini, consisting mainly of Sonatas, but also shorter pieces like fugues, toccatas and preludes. Played on a variety of historic Italian organs from the 18th century by Manuel Tomadin, one of the foremost Italian organists of today, a scholar and passionate musician, with an impressive discography to his name. (Brilliant)

9CD# BRI96182 $32.89

Moyreau: Complete Harpsichord Music [7 CDs]

Christophe Moyreau (1700–1774) was born and spent most of his life in Orléans. He became organist at Orléans Collégiale Saint-Aignan in February 1719 and at Orléans Cathedral in January 1738 and occupied this position until around 1772. The first-ever survey on record of the complete surviving output by a significant contemporary of Rameau: a missing piece in the jigsaw of the French Baroque. (Brilliant)

7CD# BRI96285 $24.49

Vierne: Complete Organ Music [8 CDs]

Organ works account for only 17 of Vierne’s 62 opus numbers, and yet no one would now question his status as the organ’s greatest symphonist after Franck and Widor. His six symphonies stand at the pinnacle of the 20th-century literature for the instrument. ‘These lovely performances memorably showcase Rübsam’s sensitive and poetic side’ – Classics Today (Brilliant)

8CD# BRI96398 $27.29

Krebs: Complete Harpsichord Music [6 CDs]

The son of a Weimar-based organist, Johann Krebs (1713–1780) entered the Thomasschule in Leipzig at the age of 12 in 1726. There he remained for the best part of a decade, and a glowing testimonial from Bach commended his talents on the clavier, violin and lute, as well as in composition. This important collection joins several other albums of little-known keyboard music from the period. (Brilliant)

6CD# BRI95723 $21.69

Scriabin: Complete Piano Music [8 CDs]

The history of Scriabin’s piano music is like a condensed history of piano music, for his style changed perhaps more than any other composer during his life. This reissue makes an obvious first port of call for any listener looking to immerse themselves in the rich, heady world of Scriabin’s piano writing. (Brilliant)

8CD# BRI95913 $27.29

Bach: Complete Edition [142 CDs]

Johann Sebastian Bach’s stature as a composer of extraordinary talent and widespread influence is firmly and unquestionably established in our Western culture. Bringing together all of his works, this dynamic 142-CD set offers a resounding impression of this great man’s spirit, presenting dynamic performances – divided according to genre, thus making for a highly userfriendly compendium. (Brilliant)

142CD# BRI94940 $160.99

Mozart: Complete Edition [170 CDs]

Mozart encountered much fickleness on the part of the Viennese audiences and struggled to find suitable permanent employment for most of his career, but today his music is celebrated the world over; he is considered one of music history’s greatest geniuses. Stretching from his earliest years right through to his final days, this wonderful 170-CD compendium traverses the full gamut of his glorious output. (Brilliant)

170CD# BRI95010 $181.99

Sweelinck: Complete Harpsichord & Organ Music [6 CDs]

A splendid recording by a fine artist’: Choir and Organ magazine on Daniele Boccaccio’s organ version of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier Now Boccaccio travels back several generations, to Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621). This Italian-trained. Amsterdam-based composer is the real father of the North German school, including not only the Bach family but also Scheidt and Buxtehude. (Brilliant)

6CD# BRI95643 $21.69

Hummel: Edition, Vol. 1 [20 CDs]

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837) was a pupil of Mozart, a protégé of Haydn, a friendly rival of Beethoven, and renowned throughout Europe as one of the greatest pianists of his day. All his sacred music – represented on this set by a Te Deum, a Solemn Mass, and the offertory Alma Virgo are here, along with several dramatic works including the opera Mathilde von Guise. (Brilliant)

20CD# BRI95792 $48.99

Classics Sale

Corelli Complete Edition [10 CDs]

BRI94112

Locatelli: Complete Edition, Vol. 1 [21 CDs]

21CD# BRI94358

Schubert: String Quartets (Complete) [7 CDs]

7CD# BRI94468

Chopin: Complete Edition [17 CDs]

17CD# BRI94660

Respighi: The Complete Orchestral Music [8 CDs] 8CD# BRI94900

Alkan Edition [13 CDs] 13CD# BRI95568

Purcell: Complete Chamber Music [7 CDs] 7CD# BRI93647

Bach Transcriptions [20 CDs] 20CD# BRI95943

Russian Orthodox Choral Music [6 CDs]

6CD# BRI95969

César Franck Edition [23 CDs] 23CD# BRI95793

Michael Haydn Collection, Vol. 1 [28 CDs] 28CD# BRI95885

Complete Fitzwilliam Virginal Book [15 CDs]

Vivaldi Edition [66 CDs]

66CD# BRI94840 $97.99

Handel: Edition, Vol. 1 [65 CDs] 65CD# BRI95050

Beethoven Edition, Vol. 1 [85 CDs] 85CD# BRI95510 $111.99

$97.99

Light Classical

Calm Romantic Piano Music, Vol. 3 / Peter Breiner

Peter Breiner is one of the world’s most recorded musicians with over 200 releases and more than two million albums sold, of which his Beatles Go Baroque alone reached sales of a quarter of a million copies. In addition to being a multifaceted composer and conductor, Breiner is also a pianist, and the third of his Calm Romantic Piano Music series melds melodic substance with delicate musical expressiveness. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574474 $13.99

Bach to Folk / Lodestar Trio

Lodestar Trio present their striking debut album, one that not only exhibits the three performers’ outstanding musicianship but also presents new interpretations of baroque classics (Bach, Lully, Couperin...), folk tunes and new compositions. Together, they push the boundaries of their mystical and magical Scandinavian string instruments. (Naxos World)

1CD# NXW76158-2 $18.99

Farnon: Westminster Waltz

Frank Sinatra dubbed Robert Farnon

‘The Guv’nor’ in 1962 when the two men first came together in London. This summed up Farnon’s reputation as being synonymous with the highest standards of craftsmanship across the widest spectrum of musicmaking. “The performances on this acclaimed recording are given with warmth, polish and a remarkable naturalness of idiomatic feeling.” – The Penguin Guide. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574323 $13.99

Fairytales / Nordic Light Trio

Märchenhaft (Swedish “sagolikt”) is a concert program by Nordic Light Duo inspired by the wonderful fairy tale world of the popular children’s book author Elsa Beskow. Devotedly and lovingly designed, Beskow’s fairy tales and illustrations run like a thread through the musical delightful experiences in it. The program is divided into five sections, each representing a fairy tale. (ARS)

1SACD# ARS38354 $20.99

Hollywood Soundstage / Sinfonia of London

Sinfonia of London and John Wilson present an album that celebrates the golden age of Hollywood. Sinfonia of London rose to fame in the 1950s as the leading recording orchestra of the day, appearing in the musical credits of more than 300 films, including the 1958 soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann for Hitchcock’s Vertigo. (Chandos)

1SACD# CHSA 5294 $19.99

German: Merrie England Suite – Neil Gwyn

Acknowledged by Sir Arthur Sullivan as his musical heir, Edward German enjoyed huge acclaim during his lifetime. His dances are ‘charged with the fragrant essence of the greenwood’ and the Overture to Nell Gwyn, with its richly English themes, explains Elgar’s liking for German’s music. Conductor Adrian Leaper has also recorded formidable recordings of Elgar and Wieniawski, and Havergal Brian, among many others. (Naxos)

1CD# 8555171 $13.99

Great composers in words & music

Chopin – Great Composers Series

This account of Chopin’s life and times separates myth and reality. The narrative takes us from his youthful beginnings as ‘a second Mozart’ to the darkness and light of his life and the brilliance of his work. (Naxos)

1CD# 8578367 $13.99

Mozart – Great Composers Series

This entertaining and informative biography is illustrated with music from each stage of Mozart’s intense career, including the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony, Clarinet Concerto, Coronation Mass, Requiem, and many more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8578361 $13.99

J.S.

Bach – Great Composers Series

This fascinating biography of Johann Sebastian Bach is illustrated with musical excerpts including the Brandenburg Concertos, and Harpsichord Concerto among many others. (Naxos)

1CD# 8578362 $13.99

Beethoven – Great Composers Series

Illustrated with music from each period, this enlightening history tells us about Ludwig Von Beethoven’s life. The musical excerpts include the ‘Pathétique’ and ‘Moonlight’ Sonatas, ‘Diabelli’ Variations, and more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8578363 $13.99

Debussy – Great Composers Series

Debussy is regarded by many as the quintessential French composer, with music that invited both warm applause and frosty criticism in his day. This biography is illustrated with several musical excerpts. (Naxos)

1CD# 8578364 $13.99

Satie – Great Composers Series

Erik Satie’s eventful life is told in this fascinating revue of a composer whose unique music is still influential today. The narrative is illustrated with musical excerpts from works including Gymnopédie No. 3 (Naxos)

1CD# 8578366 $13.99

Music of Brazil

Pedro I of Brazil: Te Deum – Credo

Dom Pedro I was the first Emperor of Brazil, proclaiming its independence from Portugal in 1822. A gifted musician, Pedro I is one of only a few monarchs to have become known as a composer. The Hino da Independênciado Brasil (‘Hymn to the Independence of Brazil’) remains one of the country’s best-loved anthems. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574404 $13.99

Serenata – Brazilian Music for Chamber Orchestra

Brazilian composers in the 19th century often sought state scholarships to enable them to study in Europe where they were to become influenced by the German, Italian and French compositional schools. They also became involved in the vogue for writing suites based on ancient dances, such as Nepomuceno’s delightful Ancient Suite, premiered at Grieg’s home, or Braga’s Madrigal-Pavana. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574405 $13.99

Guerra-Peixe: Symphonic Suites Nos. 1 & 2

César Guerra-Peixe was one of the most versatile Brazilian musicians of the 20th century, gaining a particular mastery of orchestration and creating his own inimitable sound through extensive work in radio, television and cinema. The toe-tapping dance rhythms and lyrical expressiveness in his two Symphonic Suites were inspired by research into Brazilian folk traditions. (Naxos)

1CD# 8573925 $13.99

Guarnieri: Choros, Vol. 2 / Flor de Tremembé

In his Choros, Guarnieri wrote music that conjures up the landscape and essence of Brazil. These very personal concertos reveal the composer’s refined instrumental combinations and elegant contrapuntal writing, while their dance rhythms are vivacious, drawing on the baião, maracatu and embolada. The Choros in this second volume represent all stages of Guarnieri’s compositional development. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574403 $13.99

Prado: Piano Concerto No. 1

At the time of his death in 2010, Almeida Prado was one of Brazil’s most internationally admired composers, one who created music of unique sonority and color, rooted in his native country. In his Piano Concerto No. 1 Almeida Prado explores a cogent structure in which the soloist opens up, rips apart or transforms the theme and variations, in a work that is both grandiose and luminous. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574225 $13.99

Nepomuceno: Symphony in G minor

Alberto Nepomuceno was a herald of Brazilian musical nationalism. He was one of the first composers in his country to employ elements of folklore in his compositions, he encouraged younger composers such as Villa-Lobos, and his music was conducted by Richard Strauss. The Prelude to O Garatuja, an incomplete opera, is one of his bestknown works and an example of a truly Brazilian lyric comedy. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574067 $13.99

Guarnieri: Choros, Vol. 1 / Seresta

Camargo Guarnieri’s catalogue of works represents a legacy of incalculable worth for Brazilian culture. The series of seven Choros and the Seresta for Piano and Orchestra represent Guarnieri’s personal approach to the concerto form, with striking contrasts between potent rhythm and dense, emotionally charged soundscapes and melodies full of Brazilian inspiration. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574197 $13.99

Santoro: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7 “Brasilia”

Claudio Santoro was one of Brazil’s most eminent and influential composers. Over a 50-year period, he wrote a cycle of 14 symphonies that is widely acclaimed as the most significant cycle of its kind ever written in Brazil. The two selected works in this inaugural volume focus on the 1950s, a period when Santoro sought a more direct and communicative idiom using Brazilian elements. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574402 $13.99

Villa-Lobos: Guitar Concerto, Harmonica Concerto

The concertos and chamber works on this album show Villa-Lobos’s unceasing enthusiasm for new colors and sonorities in his music. The Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra was his last work for the instrument and written for Segovia. A cornerstone of the repertoire, it contains soaring melodies and rhythmic vitality couched in virtuosic writing. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574018 $13.99

Miguez: Sonata for Violin & Piano, Op. 14

Leopoldo Miguez and Glauco

Velasquez were both leading figures in Brazil’s classical music scene at the turn of the 20th century, bringing back influences from Europe to a homeland in a state of enormous social upheaval. The tropical Romanticism of these three works marked an important change in Brazil’s chamber music. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574118 $13.99

New Holiday Recommendations New Holiday Titles

Christmas: Oratorios & Concertos [6 CDs]

New six-disc collection of Oratorios & Concertos from composers including Bach, Telemann, Schütz, Corelli, Rinck, Clarke, Nicolai and more. You’ll enjoy a wealth of performances from artists including Iona Brown, Joachim Held, Diethard Hellmann, Collegium vocale Siegen, the Heinrich-Schütz Ensemble and and Bach-Ensemble. (Hanssler Classic)

6CD# HC22034 $29.99

The First Nowell – Christmas Carols Through the Ages

The Christmas carol has its origins in the Middle Ages but it has since embraced a wide variety of musical backgrounds. In this album, religious sentiment is set in many different contexts – from the mystery plays to an African American spiritual, from its origins in Gregorian Chant and 16th-century secular dance to traditional examples rooted in poetry. Some of the most famous and beautiful examples are heard alongside energizing contemporary carols to present a tapestry of the genre across the centuries. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574475 $13.99

Sherman: A Christmas Carol [Blu-ray Audio]

Skylark again partners with master storyteller Sarah Walker to offer a new musical interpretation of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Composer Benedict Sheehan has created a new concertlength story score that weaves familiar Christmas carols into the fabric of the Dickens story. This is an unforgettable new version of a Christmas classic! (Sono Luminus)

Weihnachten! / Max Müller

As the Bavarian police chief “Michi Mohr” in the hit ZDF series “Die Rosenheim-Cops” Max Müller has long been a cult figure! Now the baritone trained actor presents a wonderful Christmas album with fifteen songs in nine languages and Christmas texts from three centuries. Müller says: “I grew up in Carinthia where, theoretically, it is possible to celebrate Christmas in three languages: German, Slovenian and Italian.” (Solo Musica)

1CD# SM88875033532 $18.99

O Jesulein – A Geman Baroque Christmas Oratorio

This innovative program presents an imaginary Christmas oratorio made up of works by German composers of the 17th century. Many of these works are unpublished; they are arranged here in a sequence that introduces the scenes and the principal characters of the Nativity: Mary, Joseph, the Archangel Gabriel, the angels, the shepherds, the Magi and Simeon. (Ricercar)

1CD# RIC444 $18.99

Weihnachtslieder – Christmas Songs / Violoncello

The artists write: “Christmas in 2020 was very still, with corona lockdown and a ban on singing. After that sobering experience, we had the idea to arrange traditional Christmas carols for two cellos. We are always surprised to discover that the earliest ones move our emotions because of their purity, their sheer energy, and their touches of elevated spirituality.” (Cavi)

1CD# AVI 8553499 $17.99

Baroque Christmas Cantatas from Central Germany, Vol. 2

The Mitteldeutsche Weihnacht (Central German Christmas) with the Sächsisches Vocalensemble under Matthias Jung has now recorded a second selection of Christmas gems from one of the most important collections of Lutheran church music from the Fürsten- und Landesschule St. Augustin in Grimma in Central Saxony. The focus again is formed by festive, magnificent church cantatas. (CPO)

1CD# 555491-2 $16.99

Veni: Songs of Christmas II / Norwegian Soloists’ Choir

December is a time of anticipation. We wait and we hope – veni, come! The songs on this album encompass many nuances and moods – from joy and jubilant celebration to deep melancholy and longing. They move between folk tunes, English carols and traditional Christmas songs from different times and parts of the world, between Bach and Ives, Bulgaria and Norway. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2511 $19.99

Historia Nativitatis – Christmas Oratorio after Heinrich Schütz [2 CDs]

During the 17th century the historia developed in Protestant church music as a genre telling the Easter, Passion, and Christmas stories in the words of Luther’s Bible. The Dresden chapel master Heinrich Schütz, who was renowned far and wide already during his lifetime, drew on this form as early as 1623. (CPO)

2CD# 555432-2 $33.99

Christus Natus Est – Sacred Christmas Duets

While Crystal Jarrell Johnson and Angela Malek have long enjoyed thriving careers as soloists, and in the fall of 2017 they made their official debut as Deux. They have appeared together in over 40 recitals and concerts throughout South Texas and beyond. Their repertoire includes a wide range of styles from early 17th century to art song, sacred music, opera, and also contemporary commissioned works. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3924 $15.99

1Blu-ray Audio# DSL-92262 $16.99

a Deux

Holiday Favorites

Telemann: Christmas Cantatas, Vol. 2

The three cantatas brought together here are from Telemann’s last printed annual cycle, which was published in Hermsdorf (near Hirschberg), Silesia, in 1749. These are joyful works of dancy verve to which Telemann supplied additional splendor in many movements through the use of trumpets. (CPO)

1CD# 555166-2 $16.99

Christmas Portraits / Rick Wakeman

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman, famous the world over for his hugely successful and high-profile rock career – most notably with leading bands Yes and The Strawbs is pleased to celebrate the festive season with Christmas Portraits With all tracks personally chosen and arranged by Wakeman himself, this special holiday album celebrates Wakeman’s favourite time of the year. (Sony)

1CD# 19075967592 $11.99

100 Christmas Classics / Various [5 CDs]

With this 5-CD set Capriccio presents in total 100 Classical Christmas titles, sung by most famous choruses and soloists. And draws a bow from the high classical Christmas Oratorio by Bach to more simple songs from the country side. And of course the most famous song can’t be missed: “Silent Night, Holy Night.” (Capriccio)

5CD# C7331 $22.99

Christmas Songbook / The King’s Singers

This new release is the Christmas equivalent of The King’s Singers’ recent release, Great American Songbook. Paying homage to the a capella group’s heritage while still acknowledging their modern passion for swing, the group mixes Christmas classics like “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and “The Holly and the Ivy,” with modern tunes such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Sleigh Ride.” (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD459 $17.99

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker [DVD]

Experience the wonder of New York City Ballet’s iconic holiday classic on the big screen. George Balanchine’s stunning choreography shines amidst awe-inspiring set pieces, ornate costumes, and grand one-of-a-kind visual effects, like the one-ton Christmas tree. The New York City Ballet’s beloved production has been performed in New York City every year since its premiere on February 2, 1954. (C Major)

1DVD# 738608 $29.99

Handel’s Messiah / Ensemble Caprice

Ensemble Caprice and Ensemble Vocal-Arts Québec, under the direction of Matthias Maute, present George Frideric Handel’s Messiah featuring Karina Gauvin. Although it is certainly not the first recording of The Messiah, it serves as an opening act to new beginnings; a breath of fresh air after the isolation and empty concert halls caused by the pandemic. (Leaf)

1CD# LM247 $16.99

A Belfast Christmas

This ‘new’ cathedral choir brings together some of the finest singers in Northern Ireland who lead the liturgy and worship of Belfast Cathedral and are featured here in their debut album for Resonus Classics. Featuring a varied program of seasonal carols from composers including Elizabeth Poston, John Rutter and Philip Ledger, this album celebrates Christmas from Northern Ireland’s national cathedral. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10292 $16.99

Carol of the Bells

The Sixteen contrasts traditional with contemporary in this choral feast of festive music. Bob Chilcott’s sumptuous Advent Antiphons based on plainsong melodies anticipate the coming of Christmas and feature alongside Mykola Leontovich’s much-loved Carol of the Bells, Richard Rodney Bennett’s stunning Susanni and Eric Whitacre’s shimmering Lux aurumque (Coro)

1CD# COR16188 $18.99

HOLIDAY FAVORITES IN BRIEF

Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Christmas

This recording focusses on arrangements made by Vaughan Williams for The Oxford Book of Carols (1928), coupled with two later carols. (Albion)

1CD# ALBCD050 $18.99

Festive Trumpets for Christmas / Matthias Höfs & Ensemble

On this new album, Matthias Höfs joins his brass ensemble and organist Christian Schmitt in a wide-ranging program. The musicians capture the joy and splendor of the Christmas festival. (Berlin Classics)

1CD# 0301802BC $18.99

Christmas / Buzz Brass

Buzz Brass inspired dreams with this new opus, Christmas. The quintet takes the listener out of the familiar with this majestic, elegant and refined arrangements to highlight the holiday season. (Analekta)

1CD# AN28913 $18.99

An Elizabethan Christmas – Byrd, Holborne, Gibbons

Viol consort Fretwork and mezzo soprano Helen Charlston explore the more reflective and sombre Christmas celebrations of Elizabethan England, in this collection of works. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD680 $17.99

Holiday Choral Picks Holiday Choral &

Christmas Best / The Tabernacle Choir

Worshipful, moving, and vibrant messages of joy, peace, and love shine from this collection of the very best songs by the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square from the last fifteen years. This mixture of beloved sacred songs and nostalgic classics features favorites like “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” and “Ring Those Christmas Bells.” (MTC) 1CD# MTC5258002 $14.99

Rutter: A Christmas Festival / Cambridge Singers

No living composer has come to be more closely associated with Christmas than John Rutter: for more than thirty years, his carols and other seasonal choral music have been an indispensable feature of Christmas celebrations worldwide. This recording features over a dozen brand new compositions and arrangements for Christmas by John Rutter, together with his own personal selection of choral favorites.

1CD# COLCD133 $16.99

Carols from New College / Choir of New College, Oxford

21 tracks recorded in the Chapel of New College, Oxford, under the direction of Edward Higginbottom. Tracks include “Out of Your Sleep,” “Wassail Carol,” “A Virgin Most Pure,” “Once in David’s Royal City,” “Sussex Carol (On Christmas Night),” “There is a Rose of Such Virtue,” “Alleluya, a New Work is Come on Hand,” and more. (CRD)

1CD# CRD3443 $14.99

It’s Christmas! / Jonas Kaufman [2 CDs]

In a Christmas album that is a gift itself, Jonas Kaufmann – the most acclaimed operatic tenor of the age – echoes his own holiday memories and joys with It’s Christmas!, celebrating the most festive time of the year with a unique selection of beloved songs and carols. This uniquely rich and diverse holiday album features 40 favorites that reflect the many facets of Christmas, from ancient Christian hymns to contemporary pop classics. (Sony)

2CD# 19439786762 $16.98

Christmas with St. John’s / Choir of St. John’s College

Well ahead of the Holiday season, The Choir of St. John’s College along with their director Andrew Nathsingha present this new release featuring Christmas Music. Two works commissioned by the choir are featured, Michael Finnissy’s “John The Baptist” and Judith Bingham’s “The Clouded Heaven.” (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD458 $17.99

In Great Britain, Christmas carols are an integral part of Christmas just like plum pudding and turkey, paper crowns and mistletoe. This splendid recording contains traditional, centuries old Christmas Carols, arranged by British composers like Benjamin Britten, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Byrd, to name just a few.

(SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19094CD $18.99

Advent Carols from St. John’s / Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge

Enjoy a ceremonious selection of Advent carols performed by the Choir of St. John’s, under the direction of Christopher Robinson. Songs include “A Hymn to the Virgin,” “Drop Down ye Heavens,” “A Spotless Rose,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “There is No Rose,” “The Lord at First Did Adam Make,” and many more. (Nimbus)

1CD# NI5414 $18.99

Christmas Song / Roger Whittaker

Over his long and storied career, British singer-songwriter Roger Whittaker has earned over 250 silver, gold, and platinum albums. This beloved collection of seasonal favorites includes “The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “The Christmas Song,” “The Holly & the Ivy,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and more. (Sony)

1CD# 09026682992 $11.99

Christmas with the Westminster Choir

The Westminster Choir presents an outstanding selections of holiday songs, performing with organist Daniel Beckwith. Tracks include “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “The First Nowell,” “Carol of the Bells,” “I Wonder As I Wander,” “Deck the Halls,” “Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and more. (WCC)

1CD# WCC0691 $16.99

Songs for the Nativity / The Sixteen Choir

On this release, the Sixteen contrasts the dramatic intensity of music by some of today’s most admired composers with such traditional and modern carols as Boris Ord’s Adam Lay Ybounden and Henry Walford Davis’ version of O Little Town of Bethlehem. Every work on this album captures the joy and sincerity of the most wonderful of seasons. (Coro)

1CD# COR16146 $18.99

Christmas Carols / SWR Vokal Ensemble

Vocal Favorites

A Renaissance Christmas / The Sixteen Choir

This new seasonal offering from The Sixteen explores a stunning selection of festive works from the Renaissance. “The Sixteen gives a masterclass in the art of unaccompanied singing, and in close emotional engagement with the pieces chosen… It puts the music front and centre, in this beautifully realized Christmas sequence.” – BBC Music Magazine (Coro)

1CD# COR16167 $18.99

He is Born / BYU Vocal Point

He Is Born features songs such as “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “Sleigh Ride,” and more. Formed in 1991, BYU’s Vocal Point was the 2006 winner of the Int’l Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and a 2nd place finisher at ICCA in 2011. The ensemble also proved to be a Top 5 finisher on the aforementioned NBC-TV show “The Sing Off”, also in 2011. (BYU)

1CD# YCD0315HIB $16.99

Sing We Noel / St. John’s Cathedral Boys and Girls Choir

Collection of holiday music performed by the St. John’s Cathedral Boys & Girls Choir. Songs include “Angels We Have Heart on High,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “The Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol,” “The Little Road to Bethlehem,” “God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen,” “Ding Dong, Merrily on High!” and more. (Delos)

1CD# DE 3128 $16.99

The Sacred Flame / Cambridge Singers

John Rutter directs the Cambridge Singers and Orchestra in this outstanding program of Christmas carols. Songs include “Good Christian Men, Rejoice,” “All My Heart This Night Rejoices,” “Lo, how a Rose e’er Blooming,” “Three Kings of Orient,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Away in a Manger,” and more. (Collegium)

1CD# COLCD134 $16.99

HOLIDAY CHORAL IN BRIEF

Christmas / Voces8

A Christmas Journey / La Monnaie Youth Choirs

This fifth album in Cypres’ anniversary series offers a real Christmas odyssey, a journey through time in search of our childhood memories: Tino Rossi for some, Jingle Bells for others. Composer Aldo D. Platteau has carefully selected the most beautiful existing Christmas carols and assembled them into a fresco of Seven popular and traditional Christmas scenes for choir, soloists and instrumental ensemble. (Cypres)

1CD# CYP8612 $18.99

To Catch a Christmas Star – Choral Music

The Roger Wagner Chorale shines on this outstanding collection of songs from Delos. Tracks include “Noel, Noel, Bells are Ringing,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Sweet Little Jesus Boy,” “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day,” “Sing We Now of Christmas,” “O Come, O Come, Emanuel,” “A Merry Christmas Song,” and more. (Delos)

1CD# DE 3072 $16.99

Christmas Carols with The King’s Singers

This brand new Christmas album from The King’s Singers features 25 tracks covering everything from contemporary choral gems and folk songs through to well-loved carols. Dotted throughout the album are several of the most famous English church carols, which take The King’s Singers right back to their earliest singing days, and which also reflect the group’s heritage at King’s College, Cambridge. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD683 $17.99

Christmas Star – Carols for the Christmas Season

In 1997, this recording became the most successful first-year release in Collegium history. Mastered from an original 1981 digital tape, once thought lost forever, it is actually the first-ever recording by The Cambridge Singers. It contains 22 Christmas songs, including The Christmas Song, written by Mel Tormé. (Collegium)

1CD# CSCD503 $11.99

VOCES8 has been praised for exquisite singing and creating a sound that spans the entire range of vocal color. Songs includes “Once in David’s Royal City,” “Gabriel’s Message,” and more. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD291 $17.99

The Cambridge Singers Christmas Album

John Rutter leads the Cambridge Singers in this fine collection of holiday favorites, including beloved tracks as “The Holly & the Ivy,” “The Infant King,” “Somerset Wassail,” and more. (Collegium)

1CD# CSCD512 $11.99

The John Rutter Christmas Album

The definitive collection of John Rutter carols and arrangements. This album gathers together most of the carols composed by John Rutter over the years, plus a sprinkling of traditional carols. (Collegium)

1CD# CSCD510 $11.99

Christmas Vespers / Saint Frideswide Monks & Novices

Vespers hymns and Christmas mass movements are combined in a relazing and spiritually uplfting program. (GCD)

1CD# GCDG1042 $16.99

A Mexican Christmas

The Newberry Consort and EnsAmble Ad-Hoc present A Mexican Christmas, an album of 17th century traditional music for worship and celebration. The collection features pieces commonly heard in both liturgical service and in the streets, and evoke the solemnity and fanfare heard in Mexico City’s convents and plazas, with jubilant vocals and lively strings, guitars, and percussion. (Navona)

1CD# NV6375 $14.99

Christmas Bells – Organ Music from Belfast Cathedral / Matthew Owens

For this recording Organist Matthew Owens presents a diverse recital of some of the greatest Christmas music ever written for the instrument. Traditional tunes, whether Lutheran chorales, plainchant, French noëls, or medieval carols, have provided the inspiration for much Christmas organ music throughout the years, with much of this program made up of pieces based on such pieces. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10293 $16.99

Traditional Christmas Collection [2 CDs]

Due to continued demand, CORO has packaged packaged The Sixteen’s two most popular Christmas titles into one boxedset. The ensemble’s Traditional Christmas Carol Collections Vols. I and II feature some of our bestknown and best-loved Christmas carols in arrangements with traditional harmonies and original words. (Coro)

2CD# COR16136 $18.99

Keeping Christmas – Beloved Carols & the Christmas Story

Each year at Christmas, Gloriae Dei Cantores celebrates the “dawn of redeeming grace” with a traditional candlelit Service of Readings and Carols, retelling the stories of Christ’s birth that stir us with memories and hopes for peace and love. Just for a time as you listen to these carols and stories, let your heart fill with gratitude for our many blessings, and with goodwill toward others. (GDC)

1CD# GDCD050 $16.99

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker [DVD]

This all time ballet favorite, in which young Clara is swept into a fantasy adventure when one of her Christmas presents comes to life, is at its most enchanting in Peter Wright’s glorious production - as fresh as ever in its 25th year. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound. (Opus Arte)

1DVD# OA 1036D $29.99

Polish Christmas Carols

As popular as they are with composers, Polish carols are even more so with performers, especially with choirs and soloist singers. This recording presents two distinguished soloists: Soprano Teresa Zylis-Gara and tenor Wieslaw Ochman are simply outstanding. The repertoire presented is made up of the best known Polish carols ranging from the 16th to the 19th centuries. (Dux)

1CD# DUX346 $19.99

The Nutcracker / Royal Ballet

[DVD or Blu-ray Video]

The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker is the quintessential Christmas ballet. With sumptuous period designs, spellbinding stage effects and of course Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, The Nutcracker continues to enchant audiences of all ages. “Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell make an enchanting couple,”

– The Daily Telegraph (Opus Arte)

1Blu-ray# OA BD7229D $39.99

1DVD# OA 1252D $29.99

A Canadian Brass Christmas

This is a CD re-release of the original Canadian Brass Christmas LP from around 1985. This is a true classic! The sound quality is excellent, Songs include “White Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I Saw Three Ships,” and more. (Sony)

1CD# SONY39740 $17.99

Christmas with the 5 Browns

The 5 Browns are delivering on their dream to wake up classical music by introducing it to the widest, largest and most excited audience they can find. Whether performing individually or together in various combinations from duo to complex five-piano arrangements, The 5 Browns reveal a deep connection to the intent of their material while bringing dynamic character to the color and tonal spectrum of their sound. (Steinway)

1CD# STNS30124 $17.99

A String Quartet Christmas [3 CDs]

If ever a season called for music in the home, it is Christmas. In the days before recordings, people would gather in households and play music together - both for their own enjoyment, and to set a festive mood. The arrangements in this set from Arturo Delmoni hearken back to those earlier days, and the modern household may be inspired to sing along! (Steinway)

3CD# STNS50001 $29.99

Favorites

Jaffee: A Renaissance Christmas

Michael Jaffee directs the Waverly Consort in this splendid program or Renaissance songs for the holidays. Tracks include: “O Magnum Mysterium,” “In Dulci Jubilo,” as well as additional works from Michael Praetorius. (CBS)

1CD# SONY34554 $17.99

Leroy Anderson: Sleigh Ride & Other Holiday Favourites

This is a very special collection of Leroy Anderson’s holiday music made possible with the help of Leroy’s son Kurt Anderson as well as conductor Leonard Slatkin. There is a variety of Christmas expression in these tracks, which include “Sleigh Ride,” “Song of the Bells,” “Suite of Carols for Brass Choir,” “O Come, O Come, Emanuel,” “China Doll,” “Bugler’s Holiday,” Horse and Buggy,” and more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8559621 $13.99

Christmas Day in the Morning / Wilburg Orchestra at Temple Square

Celebrate the Christmas season with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square as they are joined by Kelli O’Hara, acclaimed Broadway star and frequent performer at the Metropolitan Opera, as well as Emmy Award–winning actor Richard Thomas. The production features the unparalleled 360-voice choir exulting in the “Hallelujah Chorus,” by George Frideric Handel. (MTC)

1CD# MTC5244327 $15.99

The Nutcracker / Bolshoi Ballet [DVD]

This masterpiece of classical dance was filmed at the Bolshoi Theatre. Choreographer Yuri Grigorovich immerses himself in Hoffmann’s fantastic imagery, and takes his cues from the traditional staging of Marius Petipa’ scenario. The greatest talent of the Bolshoi Ballet appears in this production – Nina Kaptsova (Marie) and Artem Ovcharenko (the Nutcracker Prince) and Denis Savin (Drosselmeyer).

1DVD# BAC073 $29.99

Christmas Folkjul – A Swedish Christmas

The program includes international favourites (“Silent Night” and “Veni, veni Emanuel”), Swedish traditional versions from the rich stock of the Lutheran hymn book (“Es ist ein Ros entsprungen”) and Swedish folk tunes and newly written material in the same vein. The resulting disc gives a fresh breath of life to familiar materials, presenting us with an entirely new view of Christmas. (BIS)

1CD# BIS-NL-CD-5031 $19.99

Messiah (Dublin Version 1742) [2 CDs]

Recently released on Linn, Dunedin Consort’s recording of the 1742 Dublin version of “Messiah” – Handel adjusted the allocation of arias according to the performers – is one of the most intimate “Messiahs” available. The choruses are sung by only 12 singers, and though the “multitude of the heavenly host” sounds like a madrigal group, it is fascinating to hear Handel’s textures so clearly. (Linn)

2SACD# CKD285 $26.99

Medieval Carols / Oxford Camarata

A magnificent collection of English carols from the 15th century, when the carol tradition started to evolve. None of the carols on this disc are ascribed to a specific composer or poet. They consist of alternating verses and refrains, in a mix of Latin and English. Songs include “Ave Maria,” “What tidings bringest thou?,” “Hail Mary full of Grace,” and more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8550751 $13.99

Christmas Eve

Although Rimsky-Korsakov’s reputation outside Russia may rest primarily on a number of colorful orchestral works, his principal achievement must be seen to rest on his 16 or so operas, major contributions to a relatively new repertoire. Christmas Eve (Noch’ pered rozhdestvom) was completed in 1895 and first staged in December that year at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. (Naxos)

1CD# 8553789 $13.99

Handel’s Messiah [2 CDs]

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir present an intimate and stirring performance of Handel’s Messiah. This 2-CD recording of the full score on period instruments features a stellar cast of soloists including Karina Gauvin, Robin Blaze, Rufus Müller and Brett Polegatol. Tafelmusik presents this baroque masterpiece with the spirit and vitality of Handel’s own 18thcentury productions. (Tafelmusik)

2CD# TMK1016CD2 $24.99

Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium

One of the best-selling pieces of choral music of the late 20th century, the motet “O Magnum Mysterium” (“O Great Mystery”) epitomizes the the style of it’s composer, American Morten Lauridsen. In this four-part a cappella chorus work, Lauridsen takes a centuries-old Latin text describing the Nativity scene, and creates a restrained, simple setting that develops at an unhurried pace. (Hanssler)

1CD# 98272 $18.99

Recommended Holiday Picks Holiday

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Peter Wright’s timeless and enchanting interpretation of The Nutcracker has been in The Royal Ballet’s repertory for over thirty years. Presented in a festive period setting, this charming and magical production features Marianela Nuñez as the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy and Vadim Muntagirov as her charming Prince. The quintessential Christmas ballet – an opulent treat for the senses for audiences of all ages. (Opus Arte)

1Blu-ray# OA BD7259D $39.99

1DVD# OA 1290D $29.99

A Vaughn Williams Christmas

Vaughan Williams was one of the foremost collectors of folk songs during the early 1900s. He collected many traditional Christmas carols as well. This collection is of carols as he arranged them, thus presenting his view of Christmas in the first half of the 20th century. He also wrote four completely new carols for The Oxford Book of Carols, which are also all included here. (Albion)

1CD# ALBCD035 $18.99

Schütz: Christmas Story

Schutz’s work is a true revelation. A haunting marriage of music and text with exiqusite vocal rhythms. Jeremy Summerley and his Oxford Camerata have done their usual precise job, the sensitivity of the sparse instrumentation matched by the gymnastic expressivity of the singers. (Naxos)

1CD# 8553514 $13.99

A Tapestry of Carols / The Carnival Band

This recording from Maddy Prior is a collection of ancient carols from across Europe, played by The Carnival Band on replicas of medieval instruments. It was recorded at The Quaker Meeting House, Frenchay, near Bristol. Tracks include “The Sans Day Carol,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” “The Holly & the Ivy,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear,” and more. (Saydisc)

1CD# SDL366 $18.99

Handel’s Messiah [2 CDs]

This new period-instrument recording aims to bring the Messiah back to the size and intimacy of the 1742 premiere in Dublin. The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin has a substantial Pentatone discography, including Handel’s Concerti grossi Op. 6 and Op. 3, (released in 2019 and 2020), Telemann’s opera Miriways (2019) and Cantata with Bejun Mehta (2018). (Pentatone)

2CD# PTC5186853 $33.99

Traditional Christmas, Vol. 1

A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection from The Sixteen, sung in well-known and well-loved arrangements with traditional harmonies and original words. This is the perfect Christmas disc –everyone will recognize the carols and be able to sing along with The Sixteen, or just create a relaxing and convivial mood, enjoying the familiar sounds of that special season of the year where love and hope surround us. (Coro)

1CD# COR16043 $16.99

A Christmas Carol (Broadway Cast)

Based on Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic novella, A Christmas Carol was presented annually at New York City’s Paramount Theatre in Madison Square Garden from 1994 through 2003. Over its nine years, A Christmas Carol featured a slew of notable actors as “Scrooge” including F. Murray Abraham, Tim Curry, Tony Randall, Roddy McDowall (in his final role), Frank Langella, and Roger Daltrey. (Sony)

1CD# 88985385382 $11.98

Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain –An Irish-Appalachian Celebration

Following the release of the awardwinning Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering, Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire present Christmas on Sugarloaf Mountain. In this celebration of the American immigrant experience, fiddlers, medieval harp, hammered dulcimer, bagpipes and singers join with children’s voices to evoke the Celtic roots of an Appalachian Christmas. (Avie)

1CD# AV2396 $17.99

Bach: St. Matthew Passion [3 DVD/Blu-ray]

Sir Simon Rattle was in no doubt: the performance of the St. Matthew Passion which he realized together with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2010 was for him “the single most important thing we ever did here”. Critics around the world agreed, praising the semistaged “ritualization” by star-director Peter Sellars, as well as the outstanding musical performances. This video release consists of 2 DVDs + 1 Blu-ray disc. (Berlin Philharmonic)

3DVD/Blu-ray# BPHR140021 $74.99

A Brass Organ Christmas in Grace Cathedral

Noted organist John Fenstermaker recorded this gorgeous Christmas disc with the Bay Brass at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. Includes “Joy to the World,” “Greensleeves,” “The Christmas Nightingale,” “Silent Night,” and many more. (Gothic)

1CD# G-49120 $16.99

Favorites

Handel: Sing-Along Messiah [DVD]

Resplendent in his powdered wig and 18th-century garb, Maestro Handel (aka Director of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir Ivars Taurins) leads Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, a stellar cast of soloists and a mass audience choir made up of more than 1000 Tafelmusik fans as they perform Handel’s baroque masterpiece. A revered family ritual for many Torontonians over the past 25 years! (Tafelmusik)

1DVD# TMK1008DVD $24.99

A Scandinavian Christmas / Choral Arts Northwest

The 30-strong, mixed-voice, Seattlebased Choral Arts (formerly Choral Arts Northwest), founded by artistic director Richard Sparks, is one of the outstanding chamber choirs in the United States. In 1997, CAN put together a program of Scandinavian Christmas music with David Dahl as guest organist. This recording consists of works from that popular program. (Loft)

1CD# LRCD-1017 $18.99

Christmas Goes Baroque, Vol. 1

Here are 31 Christmas carol favorites performed in the styles of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and more! Conductor Peter Breiner leads the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra through two delightful CD’s performing Baroque versions of well-known Christmas songs. Songs include classics like “Jingle Bells,” “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” “The First Noel,” “O Tannenbaum” and more. (Naxos)

1CD# 8550301 $13.99

Joyeux Noël (French Christmas Music) [3 CDs]

In the popular imagination, French Christmas music may now be almost wholly defined by Minuit, chrétiens and favourites such as Petit Papa Noël covered by Charles Aznavour and Johnny Hallyday, but the festive season was marked in the Baroque era with great merriment, principally through the genre of Noëls. This is a uniquely compilation, fully annotated, sure to bring a touch of distinction to a festive stocking. (Brilliant)

3CD# BRI95569 $19.99

HOLIDAY TITLES IN BRIEF

Christmas in Sweden

The Bells of Christmas / Gloriae Dei Ringers

Brilliant and clear, like the stars on a cold winter’s night, infuse your home with the joyful sounds of handbell arrangements of favorite carols including Ding Dong! Merrily on High, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and more! Our best-selling recording of all time – more than 20,000 copies sold! The Bells of Christmas will fill your home with the joyful and sparkling sound of handbells. (GDC)

1CD# GDCD122 $14.99

In Terra Pax – A Christmas Anthology

Performances of carols both ancient and modern have become central to the celebration of Christmas. The choral music on this program includes Holst’s surprisingly neglected Christmas Day, as well as music by Leighton, Joubert, Mathis, Gardner, and Rutter. The City of London Choir enjoys an enviable reputation as a “leader among professional choruses.” The Times (Naxos)

1CD# 8572102 $13.99

Sacred Music – Chrstimas History [DVD]

Harry Christophers and The Sixteen join Simon Russell Beale for two special Christmas programs that look beyond the familiar carols and festive songs to reveal two millennia of music and texts from across Europe.The stories take us through two millenia of music, from a fragment of papyrus containing the earliest known Christian music, through our popular carols of today. (Coro)

1DVD# COR16094 $18.99

Bach: Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 [2 CDs]

This release is following the massive success of 2015’s Magnificat & Christmas Cantata. Dunedin Consort is excited to release their follow-up album, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Conductor John Butt applies his extensive knowledge of Bach’s performing practices to present the range of choral scoring that Bach seems to have used, realizing something of the implications of the composer’s performing conditions and decisions. (MGD)

2CD# CKD499 $27.99

Christmas in Sweden features works from Handel, Wennerberg, Bach, Lundel, and more. Tracks include “Hosanna, Son of David,” “Saint Lucia,” “Good Evening in this Hall,” and many more. (BIS)

1CD# BIS-CD-1179 $19.99

Christmas on Guitar / Giovanni De Chiaro

Classical guitarist Giovanni De Chiaro presents this delightful collection of Christmas songs, which is one of Louisiana-based Centaur Records’ best sellers! (Centaur)

1CD# CRC210 $16.99

Stille Nacht – Christmas Carols for Guitar

Rossini Hayward, one of the most creative guitarists of his generation, has written a sequence of Christmas carol arrangements that range across the centuries and over continents. – Classical Guitar (Naxos)

1CD# 8574269 $13.99

In Dulci Jubilo / Berlin Radio Choir

Christmas carols are such an essential part of the Advent and Christmas season. The earliest examples of carols are written either in Latin or a combination of Latin and German. (Coviello)

1CD# COV41310 $18.99

Choral Releases

New Choral Titles

Van Gogh in Me / Netherlands Chamber Choir

With Van Gogh in Me, the Netherlands Chamber Choir presents an experience in which the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt come to life to the music of the great Romantic and early 20th century composers such as Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Mahler... and, in a world premiere, a transcription for a cappella choir of Satie’s first Gymnopédie. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA638 $18.99

Raff: Choral Works a cappella

Joachim Raff, sometime assistant and orchestrator of Franz Liszt, wrote many sacred works and political songs of his own. Translated into music, this meant that he drew on the romantic vernacular of the time but could combine it with his very own take on the Cecilian revival of renaissance polyphony in a way rivaled only decades later, by Hans Pfitzner. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5501 $16.99

Lukaszewski: Sacred Choral Works

Pawel Lukaszewski is possibly the most-performed contemporary composer from Poland. Lukaszewski’s output has a significant position in Great Britain where his works are performed and premiered by renowned London and Cambridge choral ensembles. This new album by the award-winning State Choir LATVIJA under Maris Sirmais includes several world première recordings from the Polish master. (Ondine)

Vaughan Williams: Et in terra… / Vokalensemblen

Sundbyberg

2022 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958). He wrote his Mass in G minor (Curwen edition) after the First World War, at the same time as his Pastoral Symphony Vokalensemblen Sundbyberg presents this new release pairing an internationally renowned composer’s large a cappella work with the finest contemporary Swedish a cappella music. (Swedish Society)

1CD# SCD1186 $16.99

The Sweet & Merry Month / Choir of Magdalen College Oxford

Experience a staple of the Oxford calendar in this set of works inspired by the May Morning tradition, with music spanning from the traditional to contemporary. Starting with The College Clock welcoming in the sunrise, this special recording displays The Magdalen College Choir in radiant form, shining in the glorious acoustics of the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Oxford. (Opus Arte)

1CD# OA CD9049D $19.99

Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs

Featuring Vaughan Williams’ masterly and intensely personal Five Mystical Songs, this album reflects on the sources of inspiration of some of his sacred choral works, alongside gems of 19th and 20th century English church music. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574416 $13.99

How Can I Keep from Singing 1984–2015 / BYU Singers [6 CDs]

This 6-disc collection of choral performances features a selection of pieces that Dr. Ronald Staheli arranged for the BYU Singers as he conducted the choir from 1984–2015. Ranging from sacred hymns to folk songs to popular music to Broadway show tunes, this collection is perfect for the choral enthusiast. (BYU Records)

6CD# YCD0222HKS $39.99

To Speak to Our Time: Choral Works by Samuel Adler

Samuel Adler believes “Life is a Gift.” The risk-taking composer of 400 published works in all media taught for 63 years at Juilliard, and Eastman and has given masterclasses and workshops at over 300 universities world-wide. Having studied with Aaron Copland, Paul Hindemith, Randall Thompson and more – he has received numerous awards including ASCAP’s Aaron Copland

Lifetime Achievement Award. (GDC)

1SACD# GDCD066 $19.99

Bach / Collegium Vocal Gent [10 CDs]

Founded by Philippe Herreweghe at a time when the Baroque revival was still a matter for specialists, Collegium Vocale Gent has been at the heart of the rediscovery of Bach’s sacred music. This ten-album set brings together some of his finest sacred vocal works, from a selection of Leipzig cantatas (Gramophone Editor’s Choice) to the St. John Passion by way of the Mass in B minor. (Phi)

10CD# LPH038 $41.99

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

The music of the Russian Orthodox Church was an essential part of Sergei Rachmaninov’s musical background. As a boy he was deeply moved by the sound of St Petersburg’s cathedral choirs, and phrases reminiscent of liturgical chant permeate his music. His Vespers has long been admired as a summit of Russian liturgical music.

(BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2571 $19.99

1CD# ODE 1406-2 $16.99

Vocal Recitals

Mirrors / Jeanine De Bique

With rich texture and bold femininity, Jeanine De Bique presents her debut album Mirrors on Berlin Classics! De Bique is accompanied by the renowned baroque orchestra Concerto Köln, with musical direction by Luca Quintavalle. The album focuses on baroque arias and includes three world premiere recordings. Arias of heroines such as Rodelinda, Alcina and Cleopatra. (Berlin Classics)

1CD# 0302017BC $18.99

Handel: Neun Deutsche Arien

A stroke of luck for us: the cycle of “Nine German Arias” is a real gem. It is perfect in its form down to the last detail, thrifty and yet striking in its use of resources. As a rule, a large choir and full orchestra fortissimo makes a much more immediate impression than an aria with only four executants. The present album is a new production by artistic husband and wife Eilika and Bernhard Wünsch. (Hanssler)

1CD# HC22009 $18.99

Bijoux Perdus / Jodie Devos

With her new release Bijoux Perdus, Jodie Devos has chosen to follow in the footsteps of one of her compatriots, the Belgian coloratura soprano Marie Cabel (1827–85), who scored a phenomenal success in Adolphe Adam’s opéra-comique Le Bijou perdu, which she premiered in Paris. Devos pays tribute to this star of the nineteenth century, whose audacity and sense of mischief she undoubtedly shares! (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA877 $18.99

Romances d’Empire / Sophie Gail

French singer Sophie Gail filled her short life with music and passion. Publishing her first romances at the age of 15 in 1790, this divorcée who led a free life and achieved fame as a composer at the Opéra-Comique in 1813, while having her romances hummed by all of the Empire’s “Belle société”. They are brought back to life with spirit and brio by the magnificent duo of Maïlys de Villoutreys and Clara Izambert. (Versailles)

1CD# CVS077 $18.99

VOCAL ALBUMS IN BRIEF

Britten: Our Hunting Fathers

The present album presents a very challenging but also very interesting program with vocal works by Benjamin Britten with world class tenor Mark Padmore. Mark Padmore was born in London and studied at King’s College, Cambridge. He has established an international career in opera, concert and recital. He is joined on this release by the Basler Sinfonieorchester and Ivor Bolton. (Prospero)

1CD# PROSP0031 $20.99

Danish Songs / Tonny Landy

As he turns 85 years old, Danish tenor Tonny Landy is still among the finest singers of his generation. This release features immaculate performances of Danish songs which Tonny Landy recorded for the Danish branch of RCA between 1966 and 1969. This is the first modern release of these truly unique and much sought-after recordings. All the songs in this new release features a short English synopsis. (Danacord)

1CD# DACOCD938 $16.99

The Crown – Heroic Arias for Senesino / Randall Scotting

The countertenor Randall Scotting’s debut album on Signum Records – with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment explores repertoire composed for the (in)famous countertenor Senesino, featuring works by composers including Ariosti, Oralandini, Giocomelli and Gaj. Randall is recognized for winning over audiences with his stunning vocal beauty, stylish singing, and charismatic stage presence. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD719 $17.99

Wolf: Italienisches Liederbuch

Composed in feverish bouts interrupted by long periods of inaction, Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch was brought to completion in 1896. The 46 songs are settings of poems in German by Paul Heyse, after Italian folk songs. Heyse’s translations often intensify the simple Italian of the original poems, and in their turn, Wolf’s settings represent a further heightening of emotion. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2553 $19.99

From Windsor with Love / The Queen’s Six

The Queen’s Six return to Signum with a new album of romantic pop song arrangements. This album of new a cappalla arrangements sets traditional classics next to more unusual fare. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD698 $17.99

An Old Belief / The Sixteen

An Old Belief introduces Hubert Parry’s emotional and heartfelt Songs of Farewell, which surely rank among some of the finest choral works ever written. (Coro)

1CD# COR16189 $18.99

Celebration in Life & Death / Anna Prohaska

With this eclectic release, soprano Anna Prohaska here celebrates ‘life in death’. An ambitious program which takes us on a journey across the centuries and through many different countries. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA745 $18.99

Rachel / Rachel Willis-Sørensen

Rachel is the debut album from American soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen, released in early 2022. The album includes key works from Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, Dvořák and Lehár. (Sony)

1CD# 19439968352 $11.99

Recommended Opera Titles Opera

Fuoco Sacro – A Search for the Sacred Fire of Song [DVD or Blu-ray Video)

Opera confronts us with extremes of emotion, sometimes delivering unforgettable, life-changing experiences. Fuoco Sacro (‘Sacred Fire’) seeks out singers who have the power to pierce our hearts, presenting three of them at work in the most intimate details of their rehearsals and preparations. Over 90 minutes of extras are included featuring vocal warm-ups and live performances. (Naxos)

Judas Maccabaeus / Bavarian Radio SO [2 CDs]

When Handel composed his Judas Maccabaeus in 1746 he had brought to an end his activity for the (Italian) opera in London and begun a second career as an oratorio composer. This historical live recording from 1963 presents Fritz Wunderlich as Judas together with Agnes Giebel, Julia Falk, Naan Pöld and Ludwig Welter. (Orfeo)

Operas – Teatro Alla Scala [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

This new release features five outstanding operas from the legendary Teatro Alla Scala. The selections include Aida: “A perfect coup de theatre” (Giornale della Musica); I Due Foscari: “[Domingo’s performance] was sublime”; Die Zauberflote: “[Adam Fischer] gets the best out of the Academy Orchestra with delicate execution and humane phrasing” – Die Presse (C Major)

Handel: Amadigi Di Gaula [2 CDs]

Countertenor Tim Mead leads an all-star cast in the Early Opera Company’s recording of Handel’s Amadigi di Gaula, conducted by Christian Curnyn. The opera was first performed in London in 1715, in the first season under the reign of George I, in the King’s Theatre on the Haymarket. The complex, twisting plot features lovers Amadigi and Orianna, imprisoned by the sorceress Melissa (who wants Amadigi’s love). (Chandos)

2SACD# CHSA 0406(2) $39.99

Meyerbeer: Robert le Diable [3 CDs]

French grand-opéra specialist Marc Minkowski has at last recorded Robert le Diable, a jewel of the genre. A triumph at its premiere in November 1831, it captivated contemporaries, and its influence stretched as far as Verdi and Wagner. A foundational score of musical Romanticism – performed more than 750 times in the nineteenth century at the Paris Opéra alone – is now gradually emerging from oblivion. (Bru Zane)

3CD# BZ1049 $41.99

Vivaldi: Serenata a tre, RV 690

The Serenata a tre, RV 690, is the least familiar and in certain respects the most enigmatic of the Vivaldi serenatas. The sole surviving source is the autograph manuscript of the score, preserved at the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria of Turin. Vivaldi expert Federico Maria Sardelli performed the rarely heard work at the Barga Opera Festival 2021 and subsequently realized the present recording. (Glossa)

1CD# GCD924602 $19.99

Celebri arie d’opera e da camera / Domenico Menini

Within this collection the tenor Domenico Menini is delivering to us some of the most famous opera and chamber arias of the vocal repertoire, from Gioachino Rossini to Giuseppe Verdi. An anthology of melodies that since their creation in the great melodrama and cultural salons of the nineteenth century have become widely popular, and still today are an integral part of the musical culture of every social class. (Tactus)

1CD# TC840002 $16.99

Pfitzner: The Little Elf of Christ / Munich Radio Orchestra [2 CDs]

To many contemporaries it might seem incomprehensible that Pfitzner had his poetic and musical masterpiece Palestrina followed by this slight fairy-tale opera, whose libretto could scarcely satisfy higher artistic demands. Pfitzner was captivated by the cozy sphere, reminiscent of old picture-books, of this typically German Christmas fable. (Orfeo)

2CD# ORF-C230082 $24.99

Humperdinck: Der Blaue Vogel (The Blue Bird) [2 CDs]

In 1908, Maurice Maeterlinck wrote his play The Blue Bird (L’Oiseau bleu). Having proved a good source of operatic subjects before, it is no surprise that composers jumped at the opportunity to write music to this latest. A sweet story and sweeter still music by Humperdinck newly discovered? Why, that’s in and of itself as though it was Christmas! (Capriccio)

2CD# C5506 $16.99

Opera Suites for Nonet – Act II / ensemble minui

Located between chamber music and orchestra, the Carinthian-based ensemble minui has dedicated itself to the musical possibilities for large chamber music ensembles. In the arrangements of clarinettist Stefan Potzmann, the nine versatile orchestral musicians offer listeners with their second album recording stylish new perspectives on three large-scale opera works, reduced to what is essential for them: the music. (ARS)

1SACD# ARS38330 $19.99

Titles

Monteverdi: L’Orfeo [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was premiered in 1607 and is the oldest opera still performed today. The opera’s dramatic power is brought to life in this acclaimed production conducted by the great Monteverdi expert and interpreter Jordi Savall. Filmed at the Opéra Comique in Paris, L’Orfeo features a virtuoso cast with the service of text and music always at its core. (Naxos)

1Blu-ray# NBD0152V $24.99

1DVD# 2110733 $24.99

Mozart: Italian Arias / Filippo Mineccia

Between 1769 and 1773, Mozart made three travels to Italy, under the guidance of his father Leopold. The present program traces the stages especially of his first two trips from 1769 to 1771 , during which the young Mozart played an important role in Milan’s musical life and reconstructs the most important musical encounters. Arias from “Mitridate” and “Ascanio in Alba” and “Betulia Liberata” can be heard. (Glossa)

1CD# GCD923534 $19.99

Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Triumphantly premiered in 1724 at the King’s Theatre in London, George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto masterfully combines human emotions: Triumph with sorrow, despair with happiness and love with profound melancholy in the face of the transience of all earthly life. An excellent cast of singers is led by two of the world’s leading countertenors: Bejun Mehta and Christophe Dumaux. (Unitel)

1Blu-ray# 807804 $41.99

2DVD# 807708 $46.99

French Bel Canto Arias / Lisette Oropesa

On her second solo album Lisette Oropesa has combined two of her greatest loves, the French language and Italian bel canto. This recording with the Dresdner Philharmonie under the baton of Corrado Rovaris showcases the variety of lesserknown and more popular works by Rossini and Donizetti, featuring arias that contain coloratura, lyricism, drama, heightened emotion, and even comedy. (Pentatone)

1SACD# PTC5186955 $19.99

OPERA RELEASES IN BRIEF

Verdi: Gustavo III [3 CDs]

The composition of Un ballo in maschera caused Verdi many problems. What began as an opera called Gustavo III was subject to censorship by the Neapolitan and Roman authorities, so its libretto, location and title all changed. The subject, however, is still the murder of Riccardo (Gustavo) at the masked ball, couched in a musical language in which the seriousness of Italian opera is infused with French vivacity. (Dynamic)

3CD# DYN-CDS7937.03 $27.99

Mozart: Don Giovanni [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Kasper Holten’s 2014 production of Don Giovanni for the Royal Opera offers a glimpse inside the mind of one of opera’s most notorious seducers. With a spectacular revolving set by awardwinning designer Es Devlin, ingenious video projections by Luke Halls, and an ‘ideal cast on world beating form’ (The Independent), this staging brings Mozart’s dazzling score to life, in all its wit and glamour. (Opus Arte)

1Blu-ray# OA BD7295D $39.99

1DVD# OA 1344D $29.99

Büchner: Woyzeck

One of the most important dramas in the German language, Georg Büchner’s fragile fragment is based on the case of the soldier J.Ch. Woyzeck, who stabbed his lover to death in 1824. Büchner explores the question of our dependence on social conditions, while also addressing the role of individual freedom and of fatalistic determination in our lives. (Naxos)

1DVD# THE08064 $22.99

Weber: Der Freischütz [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Christian Räth’s inspired staging of Der Freischütz, Weber’s seminal Romantic opera, at the Haus am Ring stands out due to the bold set and costume design by Gary McCann. It was “a festival of singers, that the young conductor Tomas Netopil underscored with the State Opera Orchestra with warmth. The production was recorded live at the Wiener Staatsoper in June 2018. (C Major)

1Blu-ray# 760104 $41.99

2DVD# 760008 $46.99

Heat of the Moment / Lars Cleveman, tenor [2 CDs]

Lars Cleveman is a sought-after soloist in Europe. He had the title role as Tannhäuser in Bayreuth in 2011, and has appeared as a replacement as Tristan in Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. (Sterling) 2CD# CDA1858 $29.99

Ruzicka: Holderlin Symphonie

Peter Ruzicka’s opera Holderlin was premiered in Berlin in November 2008. As with its predecessor, the music drama Celan, it stands at the center of a large group of works. (Hanssler Classic) 1CD# HC22023 $18.99

Tchaikovsky: Iolanta / Tchaikovsky SO [2 CDs]

Russian soprano Olga Mykytenko and the astonishing tenor Piotr Beczala give riveting performances as Iolanta and the noble knight. (Pan Classics) 2CD# PC10439 $24.99

Rossini: La scala di seta [2 CDs]

Gioachino Rossini was only 20 when he was commissioned to compose La scala di seta. It is one of four farsa comica operas which fed popular demand for this genre in Venice in the early 19th century. (Naxos) 2CD# 8660512-13 $13.99

New Piano Recommendations New Piano

Van Dieren: Complete Music for Piano Solo [2 CDs]

Bernard Van Dieren (1887–1936) was essentially self-taught as a composer, though friendships with Schoenberg, Busoni, Sorabji, Walton and Lambert all obliquely indicate by association both the technical confidence of his work. This release features a set of six densely polyphonic ‘Sketches’ in the style of Busoni and a Theme and Variations in the grand Romantic manner. (Piano Classics)

2CD# PCL10241 $19.99

J.S. Bach: Cembaloconcerts, Vol. 1 (Bwv 1053, 1055)

Johann Sebastian Bach has always been a fixing point in the musical cosmos of Sigiswald Kuijken and La Petite Bande. Over the years, the ensemble recorded the cantatas for an entire church year, the great sacred works, and also Bach’s important instrumental works. The present recording is the first volume (of three) of Bach’s harpsichord concertos. (Accent)

1CD# ACC 24385 $19.99

Elmas: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 1 / Mikael Ayrapetyan

Armenian pianist and composer Stephan Elmas was a child prodigy who met Franz Liszt and became closely acquainted with Rubinstein and Massenet. Mikael Ayrapetyan continues his acclaimed exploration of rediscovered Armenian piano repertoire with the first in this series of Elmas’s complete works for piano. (Grand Piano)

1CD# GP914 $16.99

Una Bourne – Australian Recording Pioneer 1914–1926 [2 CDs]

Australia seems to have produced more than its fair share of pianists in the early days of recording, with Percy Grainger, William Murdoch and Eileen Joyce all being mainstays of the 78 rpm catalogue. To their ranks we should add Una Bourne, a stalwart of the acoustic period of recording. She excelled in what we might now call ‘salon music’ and character pieces, as can be seem from her recorded repertoire. (APR)

2CD# APR6037 $19.99

Farrenc: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 1 – Etudes

Louise Farrenc was one of the most respected pianists and composers in the 19th-century Parisian music scene, and her four sets of Études are her most important compositions for piano. Beautiful melodies and distinctiveness of character have made the Études, Op. 26 the most popular set, but all of these pieces are full of grace and charm.

(Grand Piano)

1CD# GP912-13 $24.99

Upon Further Reflection / John Wilson, piano

Dynamic young pianist John Wilson embellishes this album’s Americana theme with two titans of the solo piano repertoire – Aaron Copland’s early Piano Sonata – a work lesser-heard than the composer’s other works for solo piano – and Earl Wild’s virtuoso arrangements of seven of George Gershwin’s most iconic tunes. (Avie)

1CD# AV2458 $17.99

The French Album – Works by Debussy, Fauré, Ravel

Castiglioni: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 1

Niccolò Castiglioni was one of the most singular figures on the Italian music scene of the latter half of the 20th century. Including world première recordings, Volume 1 of this complete edition reveals the exceptional quality of Castiglioni’s early piano works. Acclaimed pianist Aldo Orvieto has recorded and performed extensively throughout his career and is a specialist in Italian 20th century repertoire. (Grand Piano)

1CD# GP862 $16.99

Montgeroult: Etudes / Clare Hammond

Hélène de Montgeroult’s life reads like a novel: showing a precocious musical ability as a child in pre-revolutionary France, she became fêted as one of the finest pianists and improvisers of her time. Imprisoned during an attempt to reach Naples at the time of the Revolution, she was able to return to France. She managed to compose an important body of work for the piano, including 114 études. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2603 $19.99

Leon Fleisher Live, Vol. 4 [2 CDs]

Leon Fleisher was born in San Francisco in 1928. In 1944, at age 16, he played the Brahms first Piano Concerto as soloist with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Monteux. Doremi is proud to offer here a previously unreleased live recording of 16 years old Leon Fleisher playing Brahms’ Piano concerto No. 1 with the New York Philharmonic, with Pierre Monteux conducting. (Doremi)

2CD# DHR-8183/4 $37.99

“For us, piano duets are a particularly special form of musical expression, somewhere between solo playing and chamber music. Playing duets is such an incredible source of inspiration, the benefit is reaped in all other genres of music-making. Starting with the masterpieces of Mozart up to the present day, piano duets have a rich, varied repertoire at their fingertips.” – Izabella Simon, Dénes Várjon (Hungaroton)

1CD# HCD32868 $24.99

Releases

Chopin: Complete Mazurkas, Vol. 1 / Peter Jablonski

Internationally acclaimed Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski is known as a fervent champion of Polish music. In this album Jablonski returns to some of his dearest piano music – Chopin’s Mazurkas. For Chopin, the Mazurkas became a deeply personal, intimate statement of his feelings as an émigré Polish composer living in Paris. (Ondine)

1CD# ODE 1412-2 $16.99

Martha Argerich Live, Vol. 8 [2 CDs]

Over 20 years ago, Alex Ross, the noted music critic for the New Yorker, described the atmosphere of a Martha Argerich recital in terms reminiscent of the golden age of nineteenth century piano virtuosos. This set is the 8th volume of Doremi’s special series of live performances and broadcasts featuring the artistry of the young Martha Argerich. (Doremi)

2CD# DHR-8181/2 $37.99

Onslow: Piano Quintets

George Onslow (1784–1853) grew up as a nobleman in ClermontFerrand, France. From the 1830s onwards, Onslow appeared frequently in Parisian musical circles. Composers such as Meyerbeer, Rossini, and Donizetti were popular, alongside the dazzling Romantic piano music of Liszt and Chopin. Onslow’s strict classical style made him unique in Paris at that time, earning him the nickname, ‘French Beethoven’. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96720 $12.99

Fiestas y Siestas – Piano Music from Spain, Argentina and Brazil

This delightful album contains an interesting Spanish and Latin-American piano program with Swiss pianist Marian Rosenfeld. Unknown and highly appealing works by Turina, Villa-Lobos and others are highlighted. Rosenfeld immediately captivates the audience with her intensity: her passionate and personal playing leaves no one untouched. (Prospero)

1CD# PROSP0050 $20.99

PIANO TITLES IN BRIEF

Bright Spots / Burak Cebi

Young Turkish-German Pianist Burak Çebi brings us an interesting program, combining Schubert’s A Major Sonata with works by Turkish composers. Burak Çebi, an outstanding pianist and composer of his generation, captivates audiences with his poetic, introspective approach to music making. His playing is marked by tonal perfection, subtly structured voicing and a range of moods and colors. (Prospero)

1CD# PROSP0051 $20.99

Lutyens: Piano Works, Vol. 2 / Martin Jones

Pianist Martin Jones delves deeper into the music of this undeservedly neglected composer. This second volume features further world premiere recordings including pieces from her early maturity such as The Check Book, a compelling collection of twelve miniatures for children. Also included is an early unpublished sonata movement (Allegro molto) possibly written as early as the 1930s. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10306 $16.99

Cloches et Carillons / Irmela Roelcke

The piano is perhaps better suited than any other instrument to evoke the sound of bells – evening bells, bells of farewell and of joy, funereal bells, bells with spiritual overtones. This recital explores three centuries of pianistic tintinnabulation, and its ability to capture atmosphere and emotion. In her work, Irmela Roelcke combines concerts with teaching, practicing with reflecting and communicating music. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCN0020 $18.99

Haydn: The Complete Piano Concertos [2 CDs]

All nine keyboard concertos that were definitely written by Haydn are now being released with Matthias Kirschnereit and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra of Heilbronn. The recording is a co-production with Deutschlandfunk Kultur. Haydn’s “concertos for keyboard instruments”, which are collected in Section XVIII of the Hoboken catalogue, were surely written for a variety of instruments. (Berlin Classics)

2CD# 0302297BC $20.99

Langgaard: Piano Works, Vol. 4 / Berit Johansen Tange

In this fourth volume of piano works by the deeply original Danish composer Rued Langgaard, Berit Johansen Tange captures the fierce inner life of Langgaard. (Dacapo)

1CD# 6220662 $15.99

Timeless / Tanja Zapolski

This new recording features the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra as partner in slow movements from famous piano concerti – Chopin, Ravel and Grieg. (Danacord)

1CD# DACOCD876 $16.99

Fenster (Window) / Fidan Aghayeva-Edler

In this Genuin production, Fidan Aghayeva-Edler has exclusively compiled world premiere recordings by some of the world’s leading female composers. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 22775 $18.99

Korngold, Ehrenfellner, Berg, Kreisler / Maximilian Kromer

Viennese pianist Maximilian Kromer deliberately leaves out Viennese Classicism with its somewhat well-trodden paths, and illuminates an even wider spectrum of Viennese piano music with his debut album. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99253 $16.99

Recommended Organ Titles Organ Releases

In London Town / Benjamin Sheen, organ

“From the moment this organ project began, it was without doubt that the new Dobson organ at Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue would be an instrument of world-class beauty and of historic importance. A combination of works originally for organ and transcriptions for the instrument allowed me to explore the full tonal palette of the instrument and tease out all that the organ has to offer.” – Benjamin Sheen (CRD Records)

1CD# CRD3541 $18.99

Elgar: Complete Organ Works

The symphonic scale and distinctive themes of Elgar’s First Sonata contrast with the more liturgical atmosphere of the Vesper Voluntaries, while the rousing Second Sonata is an arrangement of Elgar’s Severn Suite for brass band. This album comprises Elgar’s original works for organ as well as the complete arrangements made by the composer himself and those made by four distinguished contemporary organists. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574366 $13.99

Eben: Velvet Revolution – Complete Organ Music, Vol. 1 [3 CDs]

Over more than half a century Petr Eben produced music in diverse genres. He wrote numerous vocal, choral, symphonic, piano, and chamber works, but it was organ music which remained his greatest love and in which he was most prolific. Janette Fishell is Professor of Organ and Chair of the Organ Department at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University. (Brilliant)

3CD# BRI96312 $15.99

Magic Music Box / Lars Schwarze; Marion Krall

The organ duo Marion Krall and Lars Schwarze take us to enchanted lands with their new album, playing their own transcriptions of great orchestral works for organ with four hands and four feet. Since the Baroque era, orchestral works have been transcribed for the organ. Even today, the instrument’s various colors make it possible to discover new, unexpected, but equally rich sounds in seemingly familiar works. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 22799 $18.99

Matthew: Organ Transcriptions / Fausto Caporali [2 CDs]

This discographic work completes the Tactus series dedicated to the complete organ works by Ulysses Matthey, famous concert artist and teacher of the Italian historical twentieth century. The album is including pages of virtuosity and meditation, from the famous Chaconne in D Minor by Bach for solo violin to the symphonic pages of Liszt, Berlioz, Debussy, Grieg and Wagner. (Tactus)

2CD# TC871390 $24.99

Yon: Complete Organ Music, Vol. 2 [2 CDs]

Among Pietro Yon’s most popular works was a Concerto Gregoriano for organ and orchestra, later rearranged for organ and piano and then solo organ, in which version Tommaso Mazzoletti performs it here. Album one concludes with a pair of Easter-themed works, while album two features Christmas music including an Advent Suite, along with some gentle pastorales. (Brilliant)

2CD# BRI96202 $15.99

Evocations: Contemporary Organ Music

This album of contemporary organ repertoire features fascinating works that display a wide array of influences. Barry Jordan’s Praise Song, heard here its 2018 revision, draws on modern worship songs and African drumming rhythms, an element that also suffuses part of Thierry Escaich’s Évocation II, a work of electrifying intensity and vibrant color. (Naxos)

1CD# 8579122 $13.99

Rare 19th & 20th Century Organ [2 CDs]

The organist Andrea Toschi with this work continues the musical research he started with his two previous record productions. The repertoire features composers that in the period of the early twentieth century adhered to the new impulse given by the Cecilian Movement strongly reacting to the domination of the theatrical style that during the nineteenth century ‘contaminated’ the liturgical music. (Tactus)

2CD# TC890090 $24.99

Saint-Saëns: Complete Music for Organ [4 CDs]

Saint-Saëns worked as a church organist for much of his prodigiously long life and career. He understood how to exploit the full spectrum of tonal colors available on the instruments designed by the greatest organ builder of his age, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, and even the apparently abstract designs of his many Preludes and Fugues invite the kind of swirling mists evoked by Michele Savino on this newly recorded collection. (Brilliant Classics)

4CD# BRI96219 $21.99

Beethoven, Liszt, Mendelssohn: Die Blaue Blume

Music has always been used throughout the ages to convey certain states, emotions. Especially in the music of the 19th century, it was important for composers to express inner states – landscapes of the soul – in their music. For his first album on the Aeolus record label Martin Schmeding has chosen transcriptions of works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, and the famous Sonata by Julius Reubke. (Aeolus)

1SACD# AE11321 $19.99

Brass

Alchemy – New Music for Trumpet & Orchestra

Like alchemists of old, attempting to recombine the four elements, here Fábio Brum presents four distinct musical languages in a program forged during lockdown. Gabriele Roberto’s Tokyo Suite charts the astonishment of a traveler dazzled by the vast megapolis, whereas Dimitri Cervo’s The Brazilian Four Seasons offers a colorful, energetic panorama of the natural and human worlds. (Naxos)

1CD# 8579119 $13.99

Nine Trumpets & One Piano / Fabio Blum, trumpet; Santiago Baez, piano

Nine Trumpets and One Piano is an album of works dedicated to leading trumpeter Fábio Brum and written for the classically conceived combination of trumpet or other high brass instruments and piano. The music is exciting and vibrant – not least in its dancing, driving rhythms –and exploits neo-Classical traditions as well as minimalism, jazz and folklore, all heard here in world premiere recordings. (Naxos)

1CD# 8579118 $13.99

Trumpet Concerto & Pieces / Matthias Höfs

For many years little or no information was available about Oskar Böhme, the composer who had written the 19th century’s most interesting trumpet concerto in Romantic style. With this album Matthias Höfs aims to shed light on Böhme. He presents a rare recording – his third recording with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen – with beautiful, expressive and romantic music.(Berlin Classics)

Storyteller /

Justin

1CD# 0302814BC $18.99

Benavidez, tuba Tuba virtuoso Justin Benavidez is heard in three new tuba concertos, two recent solos, and stunning transcriptions of works by Gustav Mahler and Claude Debussy. Benavidez is currently Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Florida State University and performs as principal tuba of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra. (Bridge)

1CD# BCD9571 $16.99

BRASS TITLES IN BRIEF

Loudmouthed Beauty – Concert Pieces for Bass Trombone

“Despite its loudmouthed reputation, there is so much beauty in the bass trombone. The aim of this album is to showcase all the best sides of the bass trombone: robust yet fragile, colorful and flexible, juicy bass notes and beautiful melodies. By commissioning and playing new works and allying myself with great friends, I have attempted to give new color to the bass trombone repertoire.” – Clare Farr (Lawo)

1CD# LWC1242 $16.99

Rota: Horn & Piano Works / Nilo Caracristi; Giancarlo Guarino

A repertoire of absolute rarity is presented in this release, given the peculiarity represented by the instrumentation (horn and piano) that in the history of music cannot boast large quantities of original compositions. This musical journey begins with Gustavo Rossari’s Fantasia on motifs by Verdi, and passes through the Italian twentieth century with the brilliant Sonata by Giorgio Ferrari. (Tactus)

1CD# TC920003 $16.99

Orgelpunkt – Trombone & Organ

A double stroke of luck: the Sauer organ in the “Glocke” concert hall in Bremen has survived almost unchanged since 1928. The Franz Kuhn Trombone Quartet led by the enterprising Juan Gonzáles Martínez can fall back on an original trombone set from the 1920s. With this and together with organist Lea Suter, they bring remarkable literature from the heyday of virtuoso trombone playing to life in an authentic way. (MDG)

1CD# 9512253-6 $18.99

Quiet City / Alison Balsom

“This album has been an utter joy to make. The concept of this project began decades ago, when I decided that Copland’s Quiet City was a work that everyone needed to hear – especially so as Copland reveals the scene so brilliantly via the solo trumpet and cor.” – Alison Balsam (Warner Classics)

1CD# MOB229916 $18.99

The Trumpet Collection / Friedrich Reinhold [10 CDs]

This 10 album set shows the impressive spectrum of Reinhold Friedrich, playing a repertoire from the natural trumpet till the experimental avant-garde. (Capriccio)

10CD# C7285 $34.99

Deep Heights / Lisa Hochwimmer, bass trombone

Lisa Hochwimmer embarks on wide-ranging musical expeditions, taking on powerful original repertoire by Derek Bourgeois, Alexej Lebedev, and Chris Brubeck. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 22774 $18.99

Mosaic / A4 Brass Quartet

An exciting kaleidoscope of new music, Mosaic makes a bold claim for the vibrancy and variety of contemporary brass music. (SOMM)

1CD# SOMMCD 0638 $18.99

Music for Brass Septet 7 / Septura

In this seventh volume of Music for Brass Septet, Septura survey two of America’s greatest and most representative composers. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574238 $13.99

Video Recommendations

Leonard Bernstein Box [5 Blu-ray]

This Blu-ray box contains legendary concerts from 1977 – 1990 of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Wiener Philharmoniker, Orchestre National de France and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. The set also includes the Centennial Celebration Concert at Tanglewood, featuring John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Andris Nelsons, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tony Yazbeck and many more. (C Major)

Shakespeare: The Merry Wives of Windsor [DVD]

Double-meanings, disguises and dirty laundry abound as Sir John Falstaff sets about improving his financial situation by wooing Mistress Page and Mistress Ford. But the ‘Merry Wives’ quickly catch on to his tricks and decide to have a bit of fun of their own at Falstaff’s expenses. The Merry Wives of Windsor is the only comedy that Shakespeare set in his native land. (Opus Arte)

Verdi: Gustavo III (Un ballo in maschera) [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

The composition of Un ballo in maschera caused Verdi many problems. What began as an opera called Gustavo III was subject to censorship by the Neapolitan and Roman authorities, so its libret to, location and title all changed. The opera’s structure is carefully symmetrical in the great terzets, and the themes of duty, pleasure, drama and humor are rendered with masterful clarity. (Dynamic)

1Blu-ray# DYN-57937 $27.99

1DVD# DYN-37937 $27.99

Schiller: Maria Stuart [DVD]

Mary, Queen of Scots, is taken prisoner and sentenced to death by her cousin Elizabeth, the Queen of England. But Mary remains a figure of light even inside her prison cell. She is able to count on her loyal followers. The result is an intrigue woven into the fabric of politics and religion in which the protagonists are caught between love and the desire for power. “The cast is uniformly superb.”

New York Times (Belvedere)

1DVD# THE08078 $24.99

The Art of Vadim Muntagirov [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Since joining The Royal Ballet in 2014, Vadim Muntagirov has excelled in many of ballet’s most celebrated lead roles, as well as proving his skills as a sensitive partner to some of The Royal Ballet’s most revered stars. This special collection brings together four of his most show-stopping performances. (Opus Arte)

4Blu-ray# OA BD7306BD $54.99

4DVD# OA 1359BD $39.99

Metanoia / Simone Menezes and K [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Metanoia – the word itself – means beyond thought; to broaden and change the way of seeing.Together with her ensemble, K, the choir Sequenza 9.3, and violinist Manon Galy, Simone Menezes travels across Italy and invites us to experience the thoughttranscending aspects of music, and to uncover the personal journeys of Metanoia of some of the greatest figures in music and art. (Accentus)

1Blu-ray# ACC10550 $39.99

1DVD# ACC20550 $24.99

Le Chevalier de Saint-George: The Enlightened Violinist DVD

An emancipated slave, the Chevalier de Saint-George managed to elevate himself to the highest spheres of the Enlightened 18thcentury French society, thanks to his incredible accomplishments as a fencer, horseman, and musician. Through his compositions, and testimonies from specialists, this film narrates his extraordinary adventures. (BelAir)

1DVD# BAC190 $19.99

Global Wagner – From Bayreuth to the World [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Global Wagner – From Bayreuth to the World is not a biography of Richard Wagner, nor is it a musicological analysis of his work. The film is a revealing featurelength study of life with Wagner’s legacy from one Bayreuth Festival to the next, and we travel the world to meet devoted Wagnerians and those most intimately involved in commenting on and producing his work today. (Naxos)

1Blu-ray# NBD0139V $22.99

1DVD# 2110708 $22.99

Bach: Goldberg Variations [DVD + CD]

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations intended to “refresh the spirits of connoisseurs”, is an impressive example of the art of variation. During the pandemic, the pianist Ragna Schirmer performed it for a small audience. The result is a magnificent achievement that affords masterly proof of her passion for this work, a passion that has evolved over several decades. (Belvedere)

1DVD/CD# bve08076 $22.99

Great Conductors documentary [4 Blu-ray]

This impressive four-DVD set features four documentaries that revolve around the lives and careers of four of history’s finest conductors. I Am Lost to the World, a documentary about Carlos Kleiber; Journey of a Lifetime, which focuses on Sir Georg Solti; Larger Than Life, which revolves around Leonard Bernstein, and finally, Maestro for the Screen, a film about the life of Herbert von Karajan. (C Major)

4Blu-ray# 760604 $76.99

Blu-ray Titles

Klassiker Des Theatres, Vol. 2 [10 DVDs]

See classics by Shakespeare, Schiller, Euripides, Büchner, Chekhov, Gorky, Ibsen, Molière and Heiner Müller on this new release from Belvedere. This extensive edition features more highlights of the world’s uniquely diverse German theatre landscape, united in a 10-DVD video box set. Die Theater edition reflects the great variety of current German theatre on video. (Belvedere) 10DVD# THE08082 $113.99

Pissarro – Father of Impression (Exhibition on Screen) [DVD]

Without Camille Pissarro, there is no Impressionist movement. He is rightfully known as “The Father of Impressionism”. This documentary was filmed on location in France, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Kunstmuseum in Basel. This film explores the enthralling and hugely important biography of an extraordinary artist. (Seventh Art)

1DVD# SEV223 $21.99

Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur was inspired by the real-life story of a celebrated actress at the Comédie-Française who was much admired by Voltaire. Hailed as a masterpiece, the opera was triumphantly staged in cities around the world after its premiere in 1902. The dramatically effective narrative is a passionate love triangle filled with intrigue and complicated plot twists set in the gallant 18th century. (Naxos)

1Blu-ray# NBD0153V $24.99

1DVD# 2110737 $24.99

David Garrett: Unlimited – Live from the Arena di Verona [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Star violinist David Garrett celebrates his ten-year spectacular crossover program with thousands of fans in the extraordinary atmosphere of the Arena di Verona, Italy. Garrett performs his ‘Greatest Hits’ of brilliant interpretations of rock classics like “We Are The Champions” and world famous pop songs, and his arrangements of classical melodies like Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. (C Major)

1Blu-ray# 759904 $42.99

1DVD# 759808 $29.99

VIDEO RELEASES IN BRIEF

Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies / Chamber Orchestra of Europe [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE) had for many years a special rapport with Paavo Berglund and it was the orchestra who suggested that they perform and record all the Sibelius Symphonies with him. This took place at the Edinburgh International Festival followed by studio recordings for Finlandia and finally, at the Helsinki Festival in August 1998. (ICA)

1Blu-ray# ICAD5163 $41.99

Bach: Brandenburg Concertos [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos rank among the most popular works of Baroque music. To mark their 300th anniversary in 2021, Collegium 1704 played all six Brandenburg Concertos on historical instruments in Köthen Castle’s restored Hall of Mirrors. Founded by Václav Luks in 2005, the orchestra is one of the most renowned ensembles of our time specializing in baroque music. (Accentus)

1Blu-ray# ACC10555 $39.99

1DVD# ACC20555 $24.99

Bruckner: 11, Vol. 2 / Thielemann, Vienna Philharmonic [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

On the occasion of the Bruckner bicentenary, the Wiener Philharmoniker recorded its first ever complete Bruckner cycle under the baton of Christian Thielemann. In addition to the well-known canon of nine symphonies, the two earliest Bruckner symphonies in F minor and D minor, which are a world premiere on DVD and Blu-ray, were also recorded for the first time in the orchestra’s history. (Unitel)

1Blu-ray# 807004 $41.99

2DVD# 806908 $36.99

The Art of Lauren Cuthbertson [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Since joining The Royal Ballet in 2002, Lauren Cuthbertson has become a much-loved member of the Company and this special boxed set showcases why - combining five outstanding performances by one of the world’s leading ballerinas. This collection includes two iconic roles: the funfilled, eponymous Alice (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ) and Jacqueline du Pré in the biographical work The Cellist (Opus Arte)

4Blu-ray# OA BD7307BD $54.99

4DVD# OA 1360BD $39.99

Haydn: Die Schöpfung (‘The Creation’) [DVD or Blu-ray Video]

Inspired by hearing performances of Handel’s oratorios during his visits to London, Haydn composed Die Schöpfung (‘The Creation’) in 1798. (Dynamic)

1Blu-ray# DYN-57909 $22.99

Bergman: Persona [DVD]

Director Anna Bergman raises questions about power, trust and role images and shows an excellent adaption of Ingmar Bergman’s experimental film. (Naxos)

1DVD# THE08066 $22.99

The Lied – A Journey’s Tale [2 DVDs]

In his Parisian living-room, music critic André Tubeuf (1930–2021) tells, with his knowledge, his language and his memory, the story of the German Lied. (BelAir)

2DVD# BAC187 $24.99

Beethoven: The Piano Concertos No. 1–5 / Margarita Höhenrieder [3 DVDs]

For the recordings of all five of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos, Margarita Höhenrieder has top-class orchestras and conductors at her side. (Accentus)

3DVD# ACC70551 $58.99

Sacred Music

New Sacred Titles

We Praise Our God – Music from the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin

We Praise Our God captures the daily and uniquely beautiful rhythm of chapel worship at Nashotah House Theological Seminary, an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin, founded in 1842. Each day of the academic year begins with Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist. The day ends with Evensong, the music taken from The Hymnal 1982 and the Nashotah House Plainsong Psalter. (Affetto)

1CD# AF2204 $19.99

Dal Barba: Requiem & Other Sacred Music

Daniel Pio Dal Barba (1715–1801) was Maestro di Cappella at Verona Cathedral, a position he took up in 1762. Before this, he taught at the Accademia Filarmonica in Verona where, on 9 January 1770, he met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who was visiting the city. There are also numerous references to his work at other theatres in the Veneto and Trentino regions, where he was both a composer and male soprano. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96189 $12.99

Frank La Rocca: Mass of the Americas

Frank La Rocca extends the genre of the festal Missa solemnis in his Mass of the Americas, a sublime setting of the Traditional Latin Mass for choir and orchestra. La Rocca weaves a rich tapestry with serene Gregorian chants, folk melodies from 18th-century regions of México, and florid praises in Nahuatl, the language spoken by Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego in 1531. (Cappella

1SACD# CR425 $19.99

Asheim: Salmenes bok (The Book of Psalms)

The process behind this work originates from when Oslo Cathedral commissioned a large-scaled work by Nils Henrik Asheim. The composer suggested including a choir to create a cycle of texts from the Book of Psalms, and the Oslo Cathedral Choir were more than willing to participate. The titles of these five movements are taken from Psalm 150, v. 1–3. (Lawo)

1CD# LWC1232 $16.99

The Choir of St John’s have received glowing praise for their previous releases, culminating in the choral prize at the 2017 BBC Music Magazine Awards for their debut release of works by Jonathan Harvey. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world, known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD721 $17.99

Bach: Masses / The Sixteen [2 CDs]

While often overshadowed by the more famous Mass in B minor, the beauty of these short Masses is that they represent Bach’s own choice of his finest Cantata movements. Despite their exquisite beauty, featuring splendid choruses and deeply moving arias, there are relatively few recordings of the Masses. This collection combines The Sixteen’s recordings into one collection. (Coro)

2CD# COR16194 $29.99

Stabat Mater [4 CDs]

This new release features poignant soul music for moments of contemplation. Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Catholic hymn to Mary’s suffering as Jesus Christ’s mother at his crucifixion and has been set to music by many Western composers. This 4-disc box presents timeless interpretations of the most important compositions of Stabat Mater (Hanssler Classic)

4CD# HC22051 $29.99

Pedersøn: Pratum spirituale

Mogens Pedersøn’s major work, Pratum Spirituale (“Spiritual Pasture”), was published in 1620, containing 21 five-part hymns and a mass, three motets, and a number of responsories. In addition to the hymns that were part of the core liturgical program for the three feasts (Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost), there are Danish hymns, ten psalm hymns, and nine “free” hymns, partly from the distinctly Danish hymn tradition. (CPO)

1CD# 555216-2 $16.99

Schneider: Christus Das Kind

As early as the 1820s, the Dessau court Kapellmeister Friedrich Schneider conceived the plan to compose a coherent series of four full-length oratorios dealing with the life of Jesus. Although he did not realize his original plan, three complete oratorios were nevertheless composed, forming a coherent trilogy. With the edition published in 2021, a foundation was laid for the revival of this forgotten trilogy. (ARS)

1SACD# ARS38353 $20.99

Sheehan: Vespers / The Saint Tikhon Choir

GRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan leads The Saint Tikhon Choir in his new setting of Eastern Orthodox Vespers in English. Inspired by the great All-Night Vigil setting by Rachmaninoff, Sheehan’s composition expands the genre with full settings of Psalms. Each verse is treated with deep musical pathos to express a full range of human emotion. (CPL)

1SACD# CR423 $19.99

Romana)

The Psalms / Nethsingha

Early Music

Sacred Chants / Grace Davidson

Grace Davidson presents her third release with Signum Classics, an intimate disc of Sacred Chants by Hildegard von Bingen, translations by Jeremy Summerly. The florid imagery of Hildegard’s texts is matched by suitably florid tunes, whose calculated intervals suggest both vocal improvisation and carefully controlled composition. (Signum)

1CD# SIGCD717 $17.99

Byrd: Psalmes, Songs & Sonnets (1611) [2 CDs]

The Psalmes, Songs and Sonnets of 1611 was William Byrd’s final publication. And what a superbly fitting culmination to a lifetime of musical service it is! As well as being packed with variety and invention –including both sacred and secular music and using a range of forces from small trios to consorts to full choir – it is probably the happiest, most serene collection of music Byrd ever produced. (Coro)

2CD# COR16193 $29.99

Heaven & Earth / Cappella Romana [2 CDs]

Discover here a performance unlike any other of John Tavener’s Ikon of Light, his landmark setting of the Prayer to the Holy Spirit by the great medieval mystic St. Symeon the New Theologian. Six Orthodox composers collaborated to create Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation, written for Cappella Romana and its unique musical capacities (Cappella Romana)

2SACD# CR424 $24.99

Lusitano: Motets / The Marian Consort

Following its digital debut on Linn presenting a triptych of works by Josquin des Prez, Vicente Lusitano and Roderick Williams, The Marian Consort now focuses its attention on the central figure of this trio, the ‘Portuguese’. Referred to as ‘pardo’ in one eighteenth-century source, his only surviving printed book of compositions, the Liber primus epigramatum, was issued in Rome in 1551. (Linn)

1CD# CKD694 $18.99

EARLY MUSIC IN BRIEF

Gesualdo: Primo Libro di Madrigali

Ensaladas / Cantoría

The Cantoría ensemble present their own interpretation of the famous Ensaladas by Mateo Flecha “El Viejo”. For their first recording with Ambronay Editions, these four young singers use their passion and enthusiasm to make us rediscover some masterpieces of the Spanish Renaissance. Freshness, expressiveness and proximity have become the distinctive features of Cantoría. (AMB)

1CD# AMY315 $18.99

Under Der Linden / Ensemble Celadon Paulin Bundgen

Like the Occitan troubadours and the trouvères of northern France, the Minnesänger celebrated courtly love and gave medieval German its letters of nobility. These “singers of love” — Minne is the old German word for love — thus perpetuated a poetic and musical tradition that had begun nearly two centuries earlier in Occitania. (Ricercar)

1CD# RIC447 $18.99

Du Bellay: Heureux qui, comme Ulysse

Ronsard and Joachim Du Bellay are the great French poets of the 16th century, but while the former has been set to music hundreds of times, Du Bellay inspired only about 30 compositions. Denis Raisin Dadre and his ensemble Doulce Mémoire celebrate the Angevin poet on his 500th anniversary with works by the leading composers of the period, among them Arcadelt, Lassus, Chardavoine and Verdonck. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA870 $18.99

De Ribera & Navarro – Masters of the Spanish Renaissance

These are superb performances by the Spanish vocal ensemble Amystis, specialized in presenting hidden gems from the Spanish Renaissance and Baroque. Early Music Review: “Amystis are worthy exponents of this glorious music, negotiating its considerable complexity with aplomb.” (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI96409 $12.99

With this album, the members of La Compagnia del Madrigale present a recording of all six books of madrigals of Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa. (Glossa)

1CD# GCD922811 $18.99

Ries: 3 Violin Sonatas

Ferdinand Ries was without doubt one of the most prolific composers and most significant figures in the musical life of the early to mid-19th century. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI96521 $12.99

William Byrd: Keyboard Music

William Byrd’s work stands out above all for the variety of genres and structural principles. This is particularly evident in his unique keyboard music.

1CD# OC 1724 $14.99

On Early Music / Francesco Tristano

Acclaimed pianist and composer Francesco Tristano, returns to his first love – early music for his new studio album On Early Music. (Sony)

1CD# 19439917392 $12.99

Top Baroque Picks Baroque

Vivaldi: Concerti per violino / Julien Chauvin

This tenth volume of violin concertos marks the return of Julien Chauvin and his Concert de la Loge to the Vivaldi Edition, with works linked to Pisendel, a major musical figure in the court of Dresden in the 18th century. This album comprises three concertos composed for him (RV 237, RV 314 and RV 340) and three others copied by his hand (RV 225, RV 226 and RV 369). (Naive)

1CD# OP7546 $16.99

Have Cellos, Will Travel / Tutti Bassi

In this program, Tutti Bassi explores the rich and varied repertoire for baroque cello by sampling works from across 18th century Europe. With them, we will visit the forests of Germany, the elegant palaces of France, sunny Italy, and foggy London Town, to hear the fascinating differences and similarities of these works, and to appreciate the variety within them. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3973 $15.99

Zelenka: Solo Motets / Alex Potter

Jan Dismas Zelenka is a significant but frequently neglected eighteenth century composer who received his musical training in Prague and was active from around 1710 at the court of August Elector of Saxony in Dresden where he was primarily responsible for church music at court, but also composed secular instrumental works. (Christophorus)

1CD# CHR77463 $19.99

Italian Sonatas 1730 (Remembering Naples & Venice)

The program takes you on a wonderful journey through Baroque Italy, illuminating compositions of different colors written for recorder and basso continuo. Some of the great music centers of the time – Milan, Venice and Naples – are visited and the listener can immerse themselves in a bygone era. (Tyxart)

1CD# TXA21166 $19.99

Vivaldi,

Razzi: Nisi Dominus

In the 17th century, the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice took in young orphan girls who received advanced musical instruction. The concerts given there attracted visitors from all over the world. This musical journey centers on the figure of woman and on divine praise, with composers awaiting discovery such as Serafino Razzi (1534–1619) and Soto de Langa (1531–1611). (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA724 $18.99

Bach on the Bassoon / Bran van Sambeek

For this new recording, Bram van Sambeek has selected four works by Johann Sebastian Bach that consist mainly of typical baroque dances. The album opens with van Sambeek’s own arrangement of the celebrated Partita in C minor for keyboard – the arrangement includes every note of the original keyboard part and is for no less than eight bassoons – all played by van Sambeek using multitrack recording technique. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2637 $19.99

Grand Motets pour Louis XV / Charles-Hubert Gervais

A stranger reveals the opulence of the Royal Chapel of Louis XV: CharlesHubert Gervais was Chapel Master from 1723 onwards, thus offering a perfect representation of the splendor of sacred music at the Court of Versailles. Heir to the great frescoes of Lully and Lalande, Gervais was above all an opera composer, and his dramatic style lends his Grands Motets a decidedly Italian resonance. (Versailles)

1CD# CVS073 $18.99

Music of the Golden Age / sixty1strings

A golden age is brought to life for us by sixty1strings on their new Genuin album. Their unique instrumentation of mandolin, harp and guitar presents a thrilling program of baroque music from Spain, Italy and France. Konstanze Kuß, Ekaterina Solovey and Negin Habibi plunge into the compositions by Vivaldi, Marais and Scarlatti with enthusiasm and panache. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 22793 $18.99

The Fall of the Leaf – English Keyboard Music on the Rucellai virginal

Celebrating the golden age of English keyboard music from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, this personal anthology features works by the greatest composers of the time. John Dowland’s beguiling Pavane and Galliards are punctuated by John Tomkins’ dazzling song-variations. (Arcana)

1CD# A532 $18.99

Telemann: Fantasias for Solo Violin

Telemann may have written his twelve fantasias for the amateur market, but he would surely have rejoiced to hear such superlative performances as these. Alina Ibragimova again demonstrates just what can be accomplished on the four strings of a solo violin. (Hyperion)

1CD# MOB283845 $19.99

Era

Rameau: Chez la Pompadour / Ensemble Les Surprises

The famous Marquise de Pompadour, favorite of King Louis XV for nearly twenty years, reigned over the arts at court. Rameau, whom she particularly admired, was omnipresent. He received a specific commission for the Théâtre des Petits Appartements, where the Marquise herself sang in the midst of a troupe of amateurs and professionals. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA876 $18.99

Isabella Leonarda: Solo & Duo Motets

Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704) was a remarkable woman. At a time when female composers were a rarity, she was both prominent and prolific. Although most of the works recorded here are devotional, they are full of buoyant rhythms, colorful textures and a surprisingly dramatic approach to the texts she was setting – many probably written by Leonarda herself. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCC0655 $18.99

Handel: Six Grand Concertos, Op. 3 /

Hellendaal

Peter

Pieter Hellendaal, concertmaster of Handel’s orchestra, was born in 1721 on the milk market of the Dutch city Rotterdam. Exactly 300 years later, this album with his sumptuous Grand Concertos was recorded live in Rotterdam. “There is much to enjoy in this excellent disc”

Scherzo (Challenge)

1CD# CC 72911 $16.99

Vivaldi:

Tempesta di Mare / Les Paladins

In this new b•records release, Jérôme Correas and Les Paladins invite you to travel to the court of Mantua, at the time when Vivaldi invented for the musicians he had at his service a new genre, the concerto da camera. Both extremely virtuosic and expressive, the pieces that compose the Tempesta di mare program testify to a privileged moment in the composer’s career. (B Records)

1CD# LBM045 $18.99

BAROQUE TITLES IN BRIEF

Bach: Complete Sonatas for Flute & Piano [2 CDs]

When Johann Sebastian Bach composed his flute sonatas, the flute was in its infancy as a replacement for the popular recorder. Nevertheless, his musical genius rings out as richly layered harmony and emotions exude from each fluently written piece on J.S. Bach Complete Sonatas for Flute & Piano (Navona)

2CD# NV6468 $14.99

Scarlatti: Violin Sonatas

The place of Domenico Scarlatti in the history of 18th century music is certainly exceptional. This exquisite and imaginative group of works is included in the fourteenth volume of Scarlatti’s manuscript sonatas preserved in the Marciana Library in Venice. This is flashy and virtuosic writing for violin at its finest. (Obsidian)

1CD# CD720 $16.99

Marias: La Gamme / Les Timbres

In 1723, Marais published his final masterpiece: La Gamme (The Scale). In the form of a small opera, this collection places drama and action at the center of the music. Hearts capsize, feelings are expressed with excess, virtuosity reigns right up to the emblematic Sonnerie de Sainte Genevieve du Mont. Yoko Kawakubo, Myriam Rignol and Julien Wolfs reign magnificently over this music. (CDV)

1CD# CVS074 $18.99

Two Sides / Barokkbandið Brák [2 CDs]

Tvær hliðar / Two Sides presents two contrasting sides of our music-making. The first album contains core repertoire of Italian and Swedish Baroque music, but Barokkbandið Brák also seeks to expand the repertoire for historical instruments by commissioning new works by up and coming Icelandic composers, and the second album showcases new Icelandic music written specially for the ensemble. (Sono Luminus)

2CD# SLE-70026 $18.99

Bonporti: Sonatas Op. 4 for 2 Violins & B.C.

‘The playing is of a high order,’ observed Early Music World when reviewing Labirinti Armonici’s debut on Brilliant Classics, with the Sonatas of Francesco Antonio Bonporti Op. 2. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96623 $12.99

Bouffil: Clarinet Chamber Music

Coached in composition by Reicha, Jacques-Jules Bouffil (or Boufil, 1783–1868) wrote primarily for his own instrument and in a Viennese style attractively modulated with a French accent. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96611 $12.99

Bach: Italian Concerto & French Overture

Mahan Esfahani again highlights the radicalism, virtuosity, and sheer joyousness of the works recorded here, both in his playing and in his uncommonly engaging booklet notes. (Hyperion)

1CD# MOB283364 $19.99

Purcell: Odes & Welcome Songs

Of the 24 Odes and Welcome Songs composed by Purcell between 1680 and 1695: 4 celebrate St Cecilia, 6 are to welcome royalty, 3 celebrate King James II’s birthday and 6 celebrate that of Queen Mary. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA780 $18.99

Classical Era Recommendations Classical

Beethoven: The 5 Piano Concertos / Haochen Zhang [3 CDs]

As one of the finest pianists of his era and an improviser of genius, Ludwig van Beethoven’s preferred vehicle for musical exploration was the piano. With his five piano concertos composed between 1788 and 1809, he established new model for the Romantic era: a sort of symphony with obbligato piano which was to remain a reference point well into the twentieth century. (BIS)

3SACD# BIS-2581 $39.99

Mozart, Haydn, Salieri: Zauberoper

Following his acclaimed first recording for Alpha Classics, Saga, the German baritone Konstantin Krimmel continues to tell us stories, with a program focusing on Zauberoper or ‘magic opera’. Accompanied by the Hofkapelle München orchestra conducted by Rüdiger Lotter. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA892 $18.99

C.P.E. Bach: Piano Concertos / Michael Rische

As early as his Piano Concerto in A minor, Wq. 1, which he composed in Leipzig at the age of 19, it was hard for Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach to conceal his ability to weave his own stylistic flair into the still nascent genre of the piano concerto. Starting with Wq. 1, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach proved the tremendous potential for development and transformation of this genre. (Hanssler

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 / Andreas Staier

Julien Chauvin meets up with one of the great harpsichordists and fortepianists of our time, Andreas Staier, who is a leading interpreter of the Mozart concertos. He presents us with his vision of the Piano Concerto No. 23 and its famous Adagio, ‘one of the most heart-rending’ slow movements ever written by Mozart. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA875 $18.99

Beethoven: Piano Trios Op. 1, Nos. 1 & 2 / Rautio Piano Trio

Beethoven’s Piano Trios Op. 1 were first performed in 1793 at one of the chamber music soirées held at the home of Prince Karl Lichnowsky and in the presence of Beethoven’s teacher, Joseph Haydn. The Rautio Piano Trio returns to Resonus with this first volume of the complete cycle of Beethoven’s Piano Trios, recorded on period instruments. (Resonus)

1CD# RES10305 $16.99

Haydn: Opus

54 / Quatuor Psophos

Composed in 1788 and considered works of Haydn’s full maturity as a composer, the quartets of Opus 54 immerse us in the bountiful universe of “the Father of the String Quartet”. Like with the Adagio of Op. 54 n° 2, his humanity and profundity fill us with wonder and remind us to what extent the very essence of the string quartet is exalted in this music. (EnPHASES)

1CD# ENP009 $18.99

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 & 4 / Netherlands CO; Yakov Kreizberg

Pentatone presents this re-issue of Julia Fischer’s epoch-making Mozart Violin Concertos recordings, starting with her readings of the famous Nos. 3 and 4 concertos, as well as the Adagio in E Major and Rondo in B-flat Major, first released in 2005. Fischer performs them together with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Yakov Kreizberg. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187016 $15.99

Wranitzky: Works for Oboe / Vilem Veverka, oboe; Sylvie Schelingerova, flute

ArcoDiva’s new release presents oboe music of “a Moravian in Vienna” – Paul Wranitzky (1756–1808). In his day, Paul Wranitzky was one of the most highly regarded musicians in Europe. You can enjoy the world premieres of his Works for Oboe, delightfully interpreted by Wranitzky Kapelle. The oboe parts are played by eminent oboist Vilém Veverka. (Arcodiva)

1CD# UP235 $16.99

Haydn: String Quartets, Vol. 14 / Leipziger String Quartet

Joseph Haydn must have been curious: Away from the extensive obligations for music at the court of Prince Esterhazy, he found in the string quartet the ideal field for experiments. The quartets from Op. 9 contain ideas that would only find expression in symphonies and sonatas much later. (MDG)

1CD# 3072234-2 $18.99

Mozart: Famous Sonatas & Fantasia / Luc Beauséjour

Harpsichordist and organist Luc Beauséjour is never short of ideas when it comes to offering concert programs marked by refinement and authenticity. Luc Beauséjour offers here a program of famous sonatas, all of which bear the mark of Mozart’s genius. Harpsichordist and organist, Luc Beauséjour tackles Mozart’s favorite instrument: the fortepiano. (Analekta)

1CD# AN28931 $18.99

Classic)

1CD# HC22039 $18.99

Era

Mozart & Beethoven Transcribed / Paul Wee

This recording brings together two of the greatest works of the Classical era in transcriptions for solo piano by two of the greatest pianist-composers of the Romantic era, resulting in two of the most thrilling experiences that nineteenth-century pianism has to offer. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2615 $19.99

Portuguese Tributes to Beethoven – Chamber Music

These three compositions by three Portuguese composers pay direct and indirect tribute to the music of Beethoven. The Piano Quintet by João Domingos Bomtempo was written in the style of the Viennese Classical mainstream even as Beethoven was changing its direction. The two works by César Viana and Jaime Reis both have distant roots in Beethoven but pay their homage in very different styles. (Toccata)

1CD# TOCN0021 $18.99

Haydn: London Symphony, No. 103

The Handel and Haydn Society celebrates Haydn with a dazzling pairing of two of the composer’s masterpieces. In one of his final performances as Artistic Director of the Society, Harry Christophers leads the ensemble and a stellar cast of soloists in Haydn’s monumental ‘Theresienmesse’ and his Symphony No. 103 in E-flat major, one of Haydn’s twelve ‘London’ symphonies composed between 1791 and 1795. (Coro)

1CD# COR16192 $18.99

Mozart: Chamber Music with Clarinet

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s story for clarinet and string ensemble hasn’t been fully written yet. Part of it is voiced through some of the most often performed works in the repertoire. Still, every clarinetist is left with the challenge to get hands-on with the music and put a personal, original spin on it. To accomplish this, one has to be willing to do the necessary homework, returning to the source – and to go about it diligently. (Antartica)

1CD# AR 034 $14.99

BAROQUE TITLES IN BRIEF

Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 8 / Akademie

Fur Alte Musik Berlin [2 CDs]

The least famous of Beethoven’s symphonies? Yet these two works are genuine tours de force: the composer takes the listener on a journey whose destination never seems to be known in advance. This recording is also an opportunity to discover just how clearly Cherubini’s music prefigured that of Beethoven, whereas Méhul’s Symphony is a response à la française to the German composer. (Harmonia Mundi)

2CD# MOB944776 $21.99

Haydn: String Quartets, Opp 42, 77 & 103 / Takacs Quartet

Haydn: String Quartets Opp 42, 77 & 103 – Takacs Quartet & Marc-Andre Hamelin – ‘Does it need saying that they’re awfully good?’ was The Strad’s rhetorical take on the Takács Quartet’s previous Haydn recordings for Hyperion. With more marvellous Haydn on offer here, it’s a verdict which listeners will certainly share. (Hyperion)

1CD# MOB283647 $19.99

Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 10 / Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

His multi-award-winning recordings and dazzling concert performances have long established Jean-Efflam Bavouzet as one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation. This latest album in his cycle of the complete Haydn sonatas is built around the Grand Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI: 50 Bavouzet has surrounded this with two very early sonatas (Nos. 3 & 4). (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20191 $18.99

Mozart: The Milanese Quartets [2 CDs]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s six ‘Milanese’ quartets constitute a milestone in his artistic activity. Written between Bolzano and Milan between 1772 and 1773, they came a few years after the Quartet K80/73f that he had composed in Lodi during his first Italian visit. More than that work, these six pieces constitute one of the first organic sets of string quartets ever conceived. (Arcana)

2CD# A497 $27.99

Schubert: Sonatas for Violin & Fortepiano

Wolfgang Brunner has selected two different fortepianos for this recording, while Lena Neudauer performs on a Lorenzo Guadagnini violin from 1743 with gut strings. (CPO)

1CD# 555153-2 $16.99

C.P.E. Bach: Die Auferstehung Und Himmelfahrt Jesu

Radical, daring and extremely refined: that’s how C.P.E. Bach saw his new path for the Oratorio, after his father’s Passions had marked the climax of the baroque era. (Passacaille)

1CD# PAS1115 $18.99

Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1–5 / Gil Shaham; Nicholas McGegan [2 CDs]

Gil Shaham, one of the foremost violinist of our times, is accompanied by the SWR Symphony Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan. (SWR)

2CD# SWR19113CD $26.99

Beethoven – Complete Works for Cello & Piano [3 CDs]

Jennifer Kloetzel now arrives at a career milestone with this recording of Beethoven’s Complete Works for Cello and Piano. (Avie)

3CD# AV2450 $23.99

Romantic

Romantic Era Picks

Mendelssohn: Early Works / Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante

In this new album of music by the young Mendelssohn, Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante explore the influence of Classicism on the Italian repertoire, while researching some of the composer’s lesser-known works. Mendelssohn is rarely spoken of as a child prodigy, and yet he showed extraordinary talent from a very young age. This program of works composed when he was between eleven and eighteen. (Naive)

1CD# V7262 $16.99

Liszt: The Friend & Paragon / Anna-Victoria Baltrusch

When Weimar was only feeding off its past greatness under Goethe and Schiller, Liszt re-established the city as a musical center of European stature; in the process, he met eminent organ virtuosos who introduced him to the multi-faceted instrument. Here we will hear Anna-Victoria Baltruscher’s recording of Liszt’s great original works as well as her own arrangement of his Totentanz. (Audite)

1CD# AUD97792 $19.99

Brahms: String Sextets / Belcea Quartet

Brahms was one of the first composers to write for pairs of violins, violas and cellos, blazing the trail for Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Korngold and Schoenberg. His two sextets are early works, composed in 1860 and 1865 respectively. The members of the Belcea Quartet called in their friends Tabea Zimmermann and Jean-Guihen Queyras to record these peaks of the chamber repertory. (Alpha)

Rode: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 22

24 Caprices for Solo Violin by Pierre Rode, next to an analogous cycle by Niccolò Paganini, should be considered one of the most important violin works of early Romanticism. Rode’s compositions are advanced and innovative, and their contribution to the development of the 19th-century cycle of instrumental miniatures is undeniable. (Dux)

1CD# DUX1766 $19.99

Grieg: The Cello Works / Daniel Müller-Schott, Edvard Grieg, arguably the most popular composer ever to emerge from the Scandinavian peninsula, made substantial contributions to the chamber music canon with his violin sonatas rather than with his works for cello: only one sonata for cello and piano (Op. 36) was written for this line-up. Daniel Müller-Schott has transcribed and recorded for the first time the violin sonata in C minor, Op. 45, No. 3 for the cello. (Orfeo)

1CD# ORF-C240221 $18.99

Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 / Markus Poschner

Bruckner revised his Third Symphony more than any other: There are three manuscript versions, two published versions from within his lifetime, a separate manuscript of the Adagio, and surviving revision fragments from 1874, 1875, and 1876. In its first version (here recorded), it is Bruckner’s longest and most overtly Wagnerian symphony. (Capriccio)

1CD# C8086 $16.99

3 Schubert Sonatinas (Reflections)

Artur Kaganovskiy has released a recording of the Brahms and Tchaikovsky violin concertos on Centaur. Transylvanian born pianist Attila Székely is a superb musical partner in the Schubert Sonatinas. Recognized for his intense richness of tone, remarkable technique and exceptional musicality, the Russian-born violinist Artur Kaganovskiy was discovered at the age of six by the renowned violinist Isaac Stern. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3785 $15.99

Dvořák: Legends, Op. 59 / Christian Macelaru

Linn is thrilled to commence a new collaboration with one of the most renowned orchestras in Germany, Cologne based WDR Sinfonieorchester, with the fast-rising star of the conducting world, Cristian Macelaru, at the helm. In this first album, the all Dvořák program includes the composer’s Legends Op. 59 and the Czech Suite in D major, Op. 39 (Linn)

1CD# CKD710 $18.99

Brahms: Lieder / Anna Lucia Richter, Ammiel Bushakevitz

On her third Pentatone album Brahms Lieder, Anna Lucia Richter returns to the German lied, making her recording debut as a mezzo-soprano with a recital of Brahms songs, together with pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz. Brahms is particularly suitable for this recording debut, and the pieces presented here range from love poetry and dark Romanticism to folk songs. (Pentatone).

1CD# PTC5186986 $15.99

Mendelssohn, Bruch: Romantic Violin Concertos

Mikhail Pochekin writes of this new release: “Both Violin concertos have in common that they were composed with great violinists in mind. With Mendelssohn it was the violin virtuoso Ferdinand David and the Bruch Concerto is unthinkable without Sarasate. Both works are based on a similar foundation. What the works have in common, however, is that they are two completely different masterpieces.” (Hänssler Classic)

1CD# HC21058 $18.99

1CD# ALPHA792 $18.99

Era

Brahms: Complete Symphonies [3 CDs]

Herbert Blomstedt and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig present Brahms’s Complete Symphonies on Pentatone. These recordings, made between 2019 and 2021, have already met with extraordinary critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine praised the performance of the First Symphony as “splendid and inspiring”, praising Blomstedt’s “admirable attention to detail” and “wonderfully controlled performances”. (Pentatone)

3CD# PTC5186978 $29.99

Sor: Variations

Fernando Sor was born at a time when the guitar enjoyed increasing prominence. His three collections based on popular French melodies have enjoyed popularity as has Les Folies d’Espagne avec Variations et un Menuet, but his masterpiece remains the Introduction et Variations sur un Thème de Mozart, a sublime example of his skill. (Dynamic)

1CD# DYN-CDS7949 $16.99

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 / Budapest Festival Orchestra

Following his critically acclaimed interpretation of Bruckner’s 7th Symphony, Iván Fischer leads his Budapest Festival Orchestration to the summit of 19th century symphonic music, with this new recording of the monumental, enigmatic, unfinished and deeply religious 9th Symphony of Anton Bruckner. (Channel)

1SACD# CCSSA42822 $21.99

String Serenades, Vol. 1 / Anima Musicae CO

Reinecke, Hugo Wolf, Karlowicz, Kalinnikov – four rarely heard composers of the Late-Romanticism, and four lyrical serenades of the fin-de-siècle are presented on this album. The Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, named as “the soul of music”, has gained the title National Youth Orchestra 2018–2020. (Hungaroton)

1CD# HCD32853 $24.99

ROMANTIC ERA IN BRIEF

Brahms: Violin Concertos

Carl Czerny: Improvisation on the Pianoforte [2 CDs]

For the third time Kolja Lessing, one of the most versatile musicians of our times, dedicates himself to the multifaceted composer Carl Czerny and specifically to his Systematische Anleitung zum Fantasieren auf dem Pianoforte Op. 200. It was with this poetic comparison that Czerny characterized the nature of improvisation, contrasting it with a composition elaborated in writing. (CPO)

2CD# 555384-2 $33.99

Mendelssohn: The String Quartets

Mendelssohn’s two String Quintets were written at the beginning and end of his short but remarkable compositional life. No 1 was written in 1826, shortly before the Overture to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, when Mendelssohn was just seventeen. No.2 was written in 1845, a year before the premier of Elijah and just two years before his death. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20218 $18.99

Clara Schumann & Fanny Hensel: O, Wie Beseligend

Collection of works from Clara Schumann and Fanny Hensel, deftly performed by Bettina Pahn (soprano) and Christine Schornsheim (fortepiano). Works include “Ave Maria,” “Wanderlied,” “Ich hab in deinem Auge,” “Nacht,” “Die gute Nacht,” “Lebewohl,” and more. (Hanssler Classic)

1CD# HC20026 $18.99

Saint Saëns: Cello Sonatas

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, Camille Saint-Saëns enriched the cello repertoire with two important compositions: his Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor (Op.33 ) and his Cello Sonata No. 1 in C minor (Op.32). The first Cello Sonata was composed in the autumn of 1872, and its first public performance was given on 26 March 1873 at the Salle Érard in Paris. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI95421 $12.99

In this new concerto album one of the greatest violinist of his generation, Christian Tetzlaff, offers profound interpretations of two deeply dramatic and lyrical concertos – those of Brahms and Berg. (Ondine)

1CD# ODE 1410-2 $16.99

Rachmaninov: Vespers

With his masterly Vespers, comnposed for an a cappella choir in 1915, Rachmaninoff immerses the listener in a musical universe of sublime profundity and interiority. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# MOB945919 $19.99

Liszt: Rhapsodies, Études and Transcriptions

A native of Ukraine, pianist Sophia Agranovich continues her superb series of recordings for Centaur Records. “A bold, daring pianist in the tradition of the Golden Age Romantics.” – Fanfare (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3955 $15.99

Brahms, Glazunov, Sibelius: Horn Quintets / Baborák Ensemble

The new album of the world-renowned horn player Radek Baborák, released on Animal Music, brings compositions by three romantic authors in arrangements for the French horn and string quartet. (Animal Music)

1CD# ANI105-2 $29.99

Post-Romantic

Recommended Recordings

Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Kissin: Russian Ballads

The 20th century saw an abundance of notable Russian cellists inspiring an extensive repertoire by Soviet composers. In the cello sonatas by Shostakovich and Prokofiev, both composers explore the rich and emotive timbre of the instrument with expressive subtleties and bittersweet emotions, alongside their typical touches of wit and irony. (Naxos)

1CD# 8574377 $13.99

Hindemith: Compete Music for Piano Duo

This record contains the complete works for piano duo (piano 4-hands and 2 pianos) by Paul Hindemith (1895–1963). While Hindemith was foremost a violist, not a pianist, he knew his way around the piano, and this familiarity is reflected in his compositions for the instrument, all of a decent technical level and featuring great originality of expression. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI95756 $13.99

The Scriabin Mystery (Piano Works) / Vincent Larderet

The Scriabin Mystery is brought to vivid life by acclaimed French pianist Vincent Larderet and celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Russian composer. Larderet presents a comprehensive survey of the scope of Scriabin’s output and the evolution of his style, from his early, post-Romantic works influenced by Chopin and Liszt, through to the modernism of the 20th century in his final works. (Avie)

1CD# AV2500 $17.99

Debussy:

Piano Duets / Louis Lortie; Hélène

Mercier

Regular duet and two-piano partners

Hélène Mercier and Louis Lortie have returned to the studio for this allDebussy program. The album features duets written by the composer himself – such as the Petite Suite, the Six Épigraphes antiques and the Marche écossaise sur un thème Populaire; as well as a number of arrangements of his solo piano pieces. (Chandos)

1CD# CHAN 20228 $18.99

Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps

After Franck, Debussy and Strauss, Mikko Franck and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio France here continue their collaboration with Alpha Classics, this time with the spotlight on Igor Stravinsky. The program begins with two pieces from his so-called ‘neo-classic’ period: his Capriccio and Octet. (Alpha)

1CD# ALPHA894 $18.99

Prokofiev, Poulenc, Britten: Three Sinfoniettas

The term sinfonietta is generally used to describe a work that is smaller in scale or lighter in approach than a standard symphony. It only came into common usage during the first half of the 20th century, which is when the three works included on this disc were in fact composed. Worth noting is also that Sergei Prokofiev and Benjamin Britten wrote their respective sinfoniettas while they were still in their teens. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2601 $19.99

Ravel: A Moune / Lina Tur Bonet; Marco Testori

This is a ‘concept-album’ around Maurice Ravel and his special relation with Hélène Jourdan Mourhange, a dear friend and violinist. The program is set-up in order to take the listener by the hand into Ravel’s musical world through a series of pieces which are gradually more deep and complex.

(Challenge)

1CD# CC 72916 $18.99

Max Reger: 52 Easy Preludes on the Most Common Protestant Chorales, Op. 67 (2 CDs)

This is a magnificent, major work for organ by Max Reger (1873–1916), beautifully performed by Christopher Anderson. Christopher Anderson is Associate Professor of Sacred Music at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, where he teaches graduate courses in history and theory in the Perkins School of Theology and the Meadows School of the Arts. (Centaur)

2CD# CRC3935/36 $15.99

Bartók: Divermento for String Orchestra

Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936) enjoyed right from the beginning a roaring success, being praised by critics as a masterpiece. The piano works on the present recording, arranged for percussion ensemble, are in their original form miniatures whose strong rhythms almost predestinate them for percussion arrangements.

(SWR Classic)

1CD# SWR19110CD $18.99

Scriabin: Poems, Colors, Flames / Jerfi Ahi, piano

Jerfi Aji is an exceptional pianist for sensitivity and huge culture – he is also an engineer and speaks fluently four languages – Aji nowadays is one of the most acclaimed Scriabin performer his comprehension with the great Russia composer reveals itself with a clear understanding of contemporary sides of Scriabin works. (Vermeer)

1CD# VRM400030 $14.99

Era

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4

With over 35 million views, Anna Fedorova’s live performance of Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto is the most viewed classical concerto video on YouTube. We are proud to release the long-awaited studio recording of this beloved concerto, together with Rachmaninoff’s 4th Piano Concerto. (Channel Classics)

1CD# CCS42522 $18.99

Debussy, Doyen: Undine

Each piece on this album, titled Undine, takes inspiration from fairy tales, myths and poems. These works perfectly represent the hidden symbolism and fervent romanticism of this period, and the aura of magic and allure they emanate is undeniable. Alongside the more wellknown pieces by Debussy, Reinecke and Mouquet, Undine features a piece by the almost forgotten composer Albert Doyen. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96695 $12.99

Scriabin: Poems of Ecstasy & Fire

One of the boldest and most radical composers of all time, Alexander Scriabin had a lifelong obsession with occult and mystical ideas. Initially under the influence of Chopin, Wagner and Liszt, his music later became more complex, taking on an expressive power which provoked extreme reactions from audiences. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2362 $19.99

Blech: Alpine King & the Misanthrope [2 CDs]

Around 1902 Leo Blech nabbed the subject of the “original romanticcomic magic” play by Ferdinand Raimund. Highbrow opera meets folksy farce with unexpectedly gorgeous, splendidly orchestrated music somewhere between Wagner and Humperdinck. The premiere at the Dresden Court Theater was a sensational success. (Cappricio)

2CD# C5478 $22.99

Medtner: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3 / Paul Stewart

This new release is the penultimate volume in this acclaimed series of Medtner’s Complete Piano Sonatas. The SonataBallade explores a tempestuous musical allegory – the triumph of Light over Darkness, of Faith over Doubt; while the Sonata in A minor is cast in a single, terse movement, with folkloric elements and frequent use of bell-like features that exude Russianness. (Grand Piano)

1CD# GP888 $16.99

Debussy & Ravel: The New Epoch

Three musicians from the Boston Artists Ensemble rivetingly interpret works by French composers Fauré, Debussy, Ravel, and Lili Boulanger, infusing these pieces with unprecedented freshness and clarity. It’s a marvelous concept; not only does it lend a restful homogeneity to The New Epoch, it also underlines the commonalities between the composers’ unique voices. (Navona)

1CD# NV6463 $14.99

Stravinsky: L’Oiseau de feu, Apollon Musagete

Between the shimmering world of Russian folk traditions and the Apollonian cosmos of Greek mythology, Igor Stravinsky creates two radically different and protean musical universes. Gustavo Gimeno and the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg reveal the splendors of these two major ballets of the early twentieth century. (Harmonia Mundi)

1CD# MOB945384 $19.99

Mahler: The Complete Symphonies [14 CDs]

To record such a global oeuvre as Gustav Mahler’s ten symphonies is a truly Herculean task. After 15 years of intensive musical labor, Gabriel Feltz has produced a really impressive complete recording, and is the only German conductor of his generation to have done so. Two orchestras, namely the Stuttgart Philharmonic and the Dortmund Philharmonic, can be heard on this highly acclaimed album cycle. (Dreyer Gaido)

14CD# DGCD21140 $64.99

POST-ROMANTIC TITLES IN BRIEF

Debussy: Early & Late Piano Pieces / Steven Osbourne

A program which bridges Debussy’s first work for piano (the ‘Danse bohémienne’, from 1880) and his last (‘Les soirs illuminés par l’ardeur du charbon’, from 1917). (Hyperion)

1CD# MOB283906 $19.99

Franck: Piano Concertos 1 & 2

Composer Eduard Franck was from an art-loving banker’s family and revealed his musical gifts at an early age. Later Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy became his teacher and performed with him. – MusicWeb (CPO)

1CD# 555320-2 $16.99

Hindemith: Clarinet Concerto – Clarinet Quartet

Hanau-born Hesse Paul Hindemith is undoubtedly one of the most influential German composers of the generation after Richard Strauss. (Orfeo)

1CD# ORF-C210041 $18.99

Schoenberg: String Quartets, Nos. 1 & 3 / Gringolts Quartet

Arnold Schoenberg’s second string quartet, where Schoenberg in the fourth movement suddenly does away with a time signature, was composed in 1907, three years after his first work in the genre. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2567 $19.99

20th Century Era

Recommended Titles

Shostakovich:

Symphonies No. 4 & 11 / Gennady Rozhdestvensky [2 CDs]

Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1931–2018) was one of Russia’s greatest conductors along with Evgeny Mravinsky and Kirill Kondrashin. His close personal and musical relationship with Shostakovich began in the 1950s and continued until the composer’s death in 1975. Rozhdestvensky conducted the first western premiere of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4 in Edinburgh in 1962. (ICA Classics)

2CD# ICAC5169 $24.99

Zwilich: Cello Concert & Other Works

The great cellist Zuill Bailey begins this program with the world premiere recording of Zwilich’s beautiful Cello Concerto, a new and important work traversing many elements of the cello’s singing sound. The remarkable Santa Rosa Symphony brings full warmth and color to the music on this program. (Delos)

1CD# DE 3596 $16.99

Visions / Tamara Stefanovich; Pierre Laurent-Aimard

Visions offers Tamara Stefanovich and Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s return to Pentatone, presenting a program revolving around Messiaen’s intoxicating Visions de l‘amen for two pianos. This centerpiece is surrounded by Enescu’s Carillon nocturne, Knussen’s Prayer Bell Sketch and Clock IV from Birtwistle’s Harrison’s Clocks. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5186957 $15.99

Thomas Jensen Legacy, Vol. 13 [2 CDs]

The First and Fourth symphonies of Jean Sibelius, in previously unpublished live recordings from the early 1960s, are major additions to the recorded legacy of Thomas Jensen. As a young cellist, Jensen had known and played under both Nielsen and Sibelius, and his interpretations of their symphonies are stamped with authority: respectful of the score while seeing deep inside its mysteries. (Danacord)

2CD# DACOCD923 $16.99

Meeting Leo Brouwer / Lux Nova Duo

On its new album, the Lux Nova Duo takes up the cause of composer Leo Brouwer. The Cuban old master is well known to guitarists and lovers of guitar music but deserves more attention for his gripping, pulsating and multifaceted music. In the unusual line-up with Lydia Schmidl on accordion and Jorge Paz Verastegui on guitar, the Lux Nova Duo presents smaller and more extensive works by Brouwer. (Genuin)

1CD# GEN 22794 $18.99

Walter Gieseking Plays Debussy [2 CDs]

Walter Gieseking (1895–1956) has long been regarded as one of the supreme interpreters of Debussy, his recordings having achieved almost definitive status. But it’s generally his later recordings from the early 1950s which have been reissued time and time again. His first Columbia recordings, mostly made in the 1930s, are much less known, yet many critics have regarded them as even finer than the remakes. (APR)

2CD# APR6040 $19.99

Braunfels: String Quartets 1–3 & String Quintet / Minguet Quartet [2 CDs]

Walter Braunfels wrote his first two string quartets in 1944; they were followed after the war by the String Quintet (1946/47), the Third String Quartet (1946/47), and the new Final Movement composed for the latter (1953). All these works meet the highest standards in terms of transparent voice leading, closely knit polyphony, and boldly expanded tonal harmony. (Cavi Music)

2CD# AVI 8553018 $24.99

The Enescu Project / Nicholas Dautricourt

The Enescu Project began life in the concert hall and has now been faithfully recorded to create this album. The program is devoted to the music of the great Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu, and to that of his contemporaries and friends, creating a sense of the context in which Enescu was composing. Violinist Nicolas Dautricourt is joined for this recording by a gathering of exceptional string players. (Orchid)

1CD# ORC100202 $16.99

Szymanowski: Stabat Mater Dies Irae

Despite their different musical languages, all works by the Polish composers Karol Szymanowski and Krzysztof Penderecki presented on this album have in common the inherent character of a lament: Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater, which was completed in 1926 and is based on a Polish translation of the Latin medieval poem, is considered as one of the most important compositions of the 20th century. (Orfeo)

1CD# ORF-C210311 $18.99

Khachaturian / The Concertante Works for Piano

The expressive immediacy of Aram Khachaturian’s music, with its sensuous melodic writing, vibrant orchestration and rhythmic drive, resulted in a popularity equaled by few composers of his generation. Composed in 1936, the Piano Concerto was the work that established Khachaturian’s name. Cast in the customary three movements, it is scored for a sizable orchestra. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2586 $19.99

Contemporary

John Luther Adams: Sila – The Breath of the World

Acclaimed by The New York Times as “an alluring, mystical new work” when it premiered outdoors at the city’s Lincoln Center, John Luther Adams’ Sila: the Breath of the World is so carefully orchestrated that the recording itself pushes the limits of how to capture multiple ensembles of musicians in one setting.

(Cantaloupe)

1CD# CA21177 $19.99

Transatlantique / Anne-Sophie Bertrand

This project tells of European-American musical exchange at the beginning of the 20th century, the golden era of the transatlantic liners. Through concert tours and emigrations, the chosen composers toured and emigrated across the Atlantic, experiencing foreign impressions and recalling traditional themes. (ARS)

1SACD# ARS38333 $20.99

Mikel Kuehn: Entanglements

Composer Mikel Kuehn releases his second recording on New Focus, Entanglements, featuring three electro-acoustic works alongside ensemble music that highlights his cultivated approach to character, structure, and alternative notation. This album of Kuehn’s work zeroes in on his powerful ability to examine dynamic sonic relationships from many angles. (New Focus)

1CD# FCR341 $16.99

Bussotti: Complete Music for Guitar

Sylvano Bussotti (1931–2021) counts among the most original and underappreciated composers working in the second half of the last century. He became famous – notorious – in the 1960s for ‘graphic’ scores which required considerable realization on the part of the performer. His early work, however, is invested with a rhythmic regularity, a clarity of phrase structure and a lyricism reminiscent of Luigi Dallapiccola. (Brilliant)

1CD# BRI96638 $13.99

Through Broken Time / Jennifer Grim

Flutist Jennifer Grim presents Through Broken Time, a collection of works at the intersection of Afro-Modernism and postminimalism, by composers Tania León, Alvin Singleton, David Sanford, Valerie Coleman, Allison LogginsHull, and Julia Wolfe. Together with pianist Michael Sheppard, Grim performs these multi-dimensional works with characteristic precision, virtuosity, and expressive power. (New Focus)

1CD# FCR346 $16.99

Jalbert: Air in Motion / Escher String Quartet

Pierre Jalbert returns with Air in Motion: world premiere recordings that celebrate his long relationship with the Escher Quartet, as well as paying tribute to flautist Carol Wincenc during her 50th anniversary season. Jalbert is an “acknowledged chamber-music master” (The New Yorker ) and in his String Quartet No. 4, dynamic shapes such as spiral, waveform or labyrinth are the catalysts for each movement. (Orchid)

1CD# ORC100203 $16.99

Synergy / Sharon Bezaly

On Synergy, flautist Sharon Bezaly and her musician friends demonstrate that one plus one can be much greater than two. With his Concerto for flute and recorder, Telemann not only creates a fusion of different musical styles of his time – namely Italian, German and French – but also shows a gift for borrowing elements from popular music. (BIS)

1SACD# BIS-2339 $19.99

Moonstrike / Apollo Chamber Players

Apollo Chamber Players’ sixth commercial album, MoonStrike, is a universal celebration of storytelling, space and folk song, realized through new works by Jennifer Higdon, Jerod Tate, and Pierre Jalbert. Higdon’s “In the Shadow of the Mountain” (2020) is inspired by her upbringing in the Great Smoky Mountains and incorporates the sounds and colors of the area. (Azica)

1CD# ACD-71352 $16.99

CONTEMPORARY TITLES IN BRIEF

Sierra: Piano Works / Matthew Bengston

The Estudios rítmicos y sonoros (Studies in Rhythms and Sonorities) of Roberto Sierra, harken back to the grand virtuoso tradition of piano pieces by Chopin and Liszt. (IBS Classical)

1CD# IBS-72022 $15.99

Kevin Rafferty: Second Child

On this release, Kevin Rafferty’s Second Quartet is partnered with choral works (both sacred and secular), and works for solo piano, violin duo and ensemble. (Metier)

1CD# MSV28600 $18.99

Four Elements / Nordic Chamber Orchestra

The Nordic Chamber Orchestra, led by multiple award-winning conductors JoAnn Falletta and Patrik Ringborg, perform orchestral works by multiple award-winning Swedish composer, Andrea Tarrodi. (DB Productions)

1CD# DBCD204 $16.99

Robert Saxton: Portrait

These works by Robert Saxton were written between 2013 and 2019 and represent his continuing journey of exploration in modal and harmonic structures. (Metier)

1CD# MSV28624 $18.99

New Jazz

Recommended New Titles

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 – 1982–1985 / Miles Davis [3 CDs]

That’s What Happened 1982–1985: Bootleg Vol. 7 is the next installment in the celebrated, awardwinning archival series that began in 2011, shining an in-depth light onto different eras of the legendary career of Miles Davis. The set collects nearly 4 hours of unreleased music including 2 CDs of studio material from 1982 to 1985 plus a complete, blistering 1983 show of one of Miles’ last amazing bands. (Sony)

3CD# 19439863852 $28.99

Trios – Ocean / Charles Lloyd

Charles Lloyd’s restless creativity has perhaps found no greater manifestation than on his latest masterwork Trios: Ocean, an expansive project that encompasses three albums with an overarching theme, each presenting him in a different trio setting-a Trio of Trios. The first The second, Trios: Ocean, features guitarist Anthony Wilson and pianist Gerald Clayton. (Blue Note)

1CD# MOB266814 $14.99

Secrets of Inanna / Connie Han

Rising star pianist/composer Connie Han brings the ancient Sumerian culture to the present day by channeling Inanna — the ancient Sumerian goddess of love, beauty and war — on this new release. Featuring Katisse Buckingham (alto flute and piccolo), John Patitucci (bass), Rich Perry (tenor saxophonist) and drummer Bill Wysaske, Secrets of Inanna creates a new world open to interpretation. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1193 $17.99

In-Between Flow / Maik Krahl Quartet

The continuing growth of Maik Krahl as a melodic improviser, bandleader, and composer is distinctly evident in this new release. In-Between Flow, Krahl’s third outing as leader, is a portrait of a young artist who has gone through many years of dedicated hard work, study, experimentation, and refinement in order to achieve this level of instrumental and artistic prowess. (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73546 $16.99

Triptyque / Jean-Paul Estievenart Marcel Ponseele

The three sections of this Triptych can be described as follows: the left-hand panel — Misery — depicts the vale of tears; Transitio on the right-hand panel represents a transformation in everyday life, whilst Transfiguratio, the central panel, portrays the brilliant colors of transcendental bliss. (Fuga Libera)

1CD# FUG804 $18.99

Blossoms & Blasphemy / Bart Pluggers

Male singing is probably the only branch of jazz where the men are in the minority. However, that did not deter the 24-year-old Belgian Bart Plugers was from doing just that. The seven songs of the debut album, with the exception of “Lucid”, composed by Jules Martinet, all come from the pen of Plugers and take the audience into a unique world of sound. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71406 $14.99

Flying Home / Reinhardt Winkler

Free Music / Between

At the end of the 1960s, a group of excellent musicians formed in Germany that soon attracted the attention of the music world. The group called itself “Between”. During the 1970s, Between recorded six albums. Half a century later, some of the still living musicians from back then have come together again and, with some additional excellent new members, have developed and recorded Free Music. (Intuition)

1CD# INT36052 $16.99

75 (Live at Flagey) / Philip Catherine

Philip Catherine is one of those musicians who, throughout a prolific career, has developed a unique and authentic sound. He only needs to play a single note to be instantly recognized. The selection of pieces on this recording revisits the numbers that appeared on his very first recording, as well as more recent works and some cover versions. (Outnote)

1CD# OTN636 $18.99

Eternal Movement / Five on Fire

Daniel Gubelmann’s trademark is his lyrical saxophone sound, around which his band “Five on Fire” is also centered. In 2013, the band fused with a string quartet. Now, their musical framework has been expanded even more: On their newest album Eternal Movement, “Five on Fire” perform with the renown Musikkollegium Winterthur’s large string section. (Solo Musica)

1CD# SM407 $18.99

This new release features famous standards played by a remarkable ensemble lead by drummer Reinhardt Winkler. The recording features Harry Allen on tenor saxophone, John di Martino on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass. “I’ve selected each song on the album because it speaks to my heart in a very personal way.”

– Reinhardt Winkler (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73551 $16.99

Releases

Something in the Water / Jennifer Hartswick

On her sophomore release, Something in the Water, dynamic singer-songwriter Jennifer Hartswick writes and sings about life, love and music that inspires the listener to feel deeply. Something in the Water features 8x GRAMMY® Award-winner Christian McBride on bass, in addition to Hartswick’s longtime collaborators Nicholas Cassarino (producer, guitar, vocals) and Shira Elias (vocals). (Brother Mister)

1CD# BRO4002 $17.99

Marching On / Ray Anderson

A trombone solo album is not exactly an everyday commodity, because the instrument is considered somewhat bulky, unwieldy and grumpy. In the hand of a master like Ray Anderson, however, one wonders how these prejudices could have come about, because he simply makes music with the trombone. (Double Moon)

1CD# DMCHR71416 $14.99

Gypsy Jazz Style / Pietro Lazazzara

“This album represents an innovative and renewed production path started in 2020 with my first album My Art of Gypsy Jazz Already in the previous work, my aim was to immediately highlight in the title a personal vision of the Gypsy style, starting from its stylistic peculiarities, and adding “color” in a harmonic and stylistic combination with my experience.

Pietro Lazazzara (Stradivarius)

1CD# STR57925S $16.99

Double Vision, Triple Vision / Peter Scharli [2 CDs]

Three wonderful trumpeters from two generations get together to play, supported by a rhythm section that provides everything a soloist on stage needs to take off. The rhythm section, with Vince Benedetti, Swiss by choice, on the piano, Hämi Hämmerli on the bass, and the sadly deceased Peter Schmidlin on the drums, sets the standard for what is to be played: standards, namely – swinging and contemporary jazz.

(TCB)

2CD# TCB 37302 $19.99

NEW JAZZ TITLES IN BRIEF

Blue Train – The Complete Masters / John Coltrane [2 CDs]

John Coltrane’s Blue Train: The Complete Masters includes a second disc of alternate and incomplete takes, four of which have never been released. The 2-CD set comes with a bound booklet featuring session photos by Francis Wolff and an essay by Coltrane expert Ashley Kahn. (Blue Note)

2CD# MOB062031 $29.99

View with a Room / Julian Lage

Guitarist Julian Lage discovers new possibilities with orchestration on the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut, Squint by, expanding his trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of fellow guitarist Bill Frisell. A View With A Room presents 10 compelling new original compositions by Lage that explore a wide range of guitar sounds and textures. (Blue Note)

1CD# MOB528356 $14.99

Solo in Denmark / Michel Petrucciani

This album features French piano prodigy Michel Petrucciani in a solo recording from Silkeborg Church in 1990. Recorded at the Silkeborg Riverboat Jazz Festival in Denmark, this album is a tour de force that leads the listener through a series of the most iconic motifs in jazz, all of which are deconstructed and transformed by an outstanding craftsman and embellished along the way by a true master. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1018495 $15.99

Clark

Terry: Live in Holland 1979

Clark Terry is one of the greatest and most important trumpeters in jazz history. Now, Storyville Records presents a live recording with his fantastic orchestra, Clark Terry’s Big Bad Band – Live in Holland 1979 The whole band is in great form, and besides Clark Terry himself, this recording showcases many of the very best musicians from the heyday of big bands. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1018529 $15.99

It’s a Foreign Language / Klaus Koenig Jazz Live Trio

Klaus Koenig writes: “It only makes sense for us as Europeans to become engaged with the fascinating world of jazz if we stay true to our European identity, and reflect the cultures that we come from. (TCB)

1CD# TCB 36602 $16.99

Be-Bop! Pasquale Grasso

Guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso presents Be-Bop! a brilliant new tribute to be-bop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. (Sony)

1CD# 19658721632 $11.99

Two Continents, One Groove / T.S. Monk

Drummer, percussionist, composer, producer and bandleader, T. S. Monk, also known as “Toot”, leads his sextet with an innovative and dynamic approach. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1018530 $15.99

Veer Quartet / Sarah Bernstein

Violinist/composer Sarah Bernstein presents the debut release from her new ensemble, Veer Quartet. Her writing is front and center on this self titled album. (Panoramic)

1CD# PAN026 $16.99

It’s a David Benoit Christmas! / David Benoit

Vince Guaraldi’s music for Charlie Brown, essential for the holidays, is in perfect hands with Guaraldi’s successor, the illustrious Jazz pianist and composer David Benoit. For three decades, the GRAMMY®nominated pianist/composer/arranger David Benoit has reigned supreme as one of the founding fathers of contemporary jazz. (Steinway)

1CD# STNS30163 $17.99

Christmas at Steinway Hall / Simon Mulligan

This new release presents the sounds of Christmas on a Steinway piano — recorded at Steinway Hall in New York City. Simon Mulligan’s tasteful jazz arrangements are an ideal accompaniment to the holiday season. British pianist Simon Mulligan has been described by The Times of London as ‘the most abundantly gifted of pianists.’

(Steinway)

1CD# STNS30053 $17.99

The Christmas Feeling / Peter Asplund

Trumpeter and singer Peter Asplund invited some of Sweden’s top jazz musicians to make a joint Christmas album; the result is The Christmas Feeling.“People often get the question: What do you associate with Christmas? For me it’s community with loved ones, the sense of quiet, the beautiful winter landscape and all the Christmas music!”

Peter Asplund (Prophone)

1CD# PCD145 $18.99

Christmas Vibes / Warren Wolf

There’s no shortage of Christmas music out there that can evoke the holiday spirit. But it takes a master of groove and swing like Warren Wolf to conjure a true feeling of Christmas Vibes. On his new album, the vibraphone great and father of five offers an album of jazzy Yuletide cheer sure to provide the ideal soundtrack to the season for the hippest families on the block.

(Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1183 $17.99

How

Does Christmas Sound? / Kirk Whalum

On his new album for Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group, GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum asks How Does Christmas Sound? On his second holiday-themed album, Whalum finds a more spiritual, introspective sound for Christmas, one that acknowledges the melancholy that often accompanies the Yuletide and the faith that is so central to his own celebrations.

(Artistry)

Christmas / Till Brönner

The delightful new holiday release from trumpeter Till Brönner is a relaxed affair, in which he is accompanied by double bass and piano. Tracks include “Jesus To A Child,” “Christmas Time is Here,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Silver Bells,” and more. (Sony)

1CD# 19439888102 $11.99

Kristin Korb: That Time of Year

There are few bassists who can sing and there are even fewer who can do it well. Kristin Korb is one of those artists who make you forget that she is playing the bass when you hear her crystalline voice. On her new release That Time of Year, she explores the holiday season, performing traditional classics as well as twentieth century new classics. “Kristin Korb is a jewel of jewels.”

All About Jazz (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1014323 $15.99

Christmas Jazz

A selection of evergreens and old favourites from the world of jazz including Christmas hits from stars such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. The wit, charm and musicianship of these great artists shines as brightly as ever! Tracks include “’Zat You, Santa Claus?” by Louis Armstrong, “Silent Night” by Dinah Washington, and many more holiday chestnuts!

(Gift of Music)

1CD# GCDG1204 $16.99

Christmas Is – Christmas Duets / Mike Renzi & Jim Porcella

Together, Mike Renzi and Jim Porcella have produced a sublime collection of simple, heartfelt holiday tunes, all done with delightful originality. Renzi adds the perfect decor to Porcella’s warm yuletide voice, especially on the tender “Christmas Is,” the minor key magic of “Snowfall,” and a peaceful take on Irving Berlin’s “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” (Whaling City)

1CD# WCS123 $16.99

Joe Stilgoe’s Christmas Album

1CD# ART7076 $17.99

Internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter Joe Stilgoe presents a classic Christmas album, complete with star-studded line up, big band songs, Christmas choirs and fireside yuletide lullabies. Joe is joined by a host of special guests for a feast of Christmas classics, including GRAMMY® nominated saxophonist Amy Dickson on ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’. (Storyville)

1CD# SVL1018484 $15.99

Jazz Titles

Ultimate Christmas / Frank Sinatra

Ultimate Christmas showcases

Frank Sinatra’s merry best, from the tranquil and traditional “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,”

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” and “The First Noël” to the rollicking “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” and “Mistletoe And Holly.” (Universal)

1CD# MOB734775 $16.99

Christmas (10th Anniversary) / Michael Bublé [2 CDs]

Michael Bublé’s Christmas is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the phenomenal success of his mega holiday album in grand style with this extraordinary, updated package of music. This double CD set includes a 7-track bonus CD with songs personally selected by the artist.

(Warner Classics)

2CD# MOB876847 $29.99

Christmas Together / Jonathan Butler

Christmas Together is a collaboration by Jonathan Butler and many of his all-star friends including Shelea, Dave Koz, Keiko Matsui, and Kirk Whalum. Butler notes: “Christmas is family and friends, and we associate Christmas music with love and family, happiness and togetherness.”

(Artistry)

1CD# ART7068 $17.99

A Charlie Brown Christmas / Vince Guaraldi Trio

A newly remastered edition of one of the most popular and beloved holiday albums of all-time. This special 2012 edition of the multiplatinum selling classic includes three bonus tracks that did not appear on the original 1965 LP: “Greensleeves,” “Thanksgiving Theme” and “Great Pumpkin Waltz”.

(Fantasy)

1CD# MOB340275 $14.99

Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas

A swinging Christmas and a jazzy new year-that’s what this joyous 1960 Ella Fitzgerald release will bring you. She sings (and swings) “Jingle Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland,” and more! Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes. (Verve)

1CD# MOB508627 $16.99

Merry Christmas To You / Jonathan Butler

The first Christmas album from popular smooth jazz guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler. He performs classic holiday songs, such as “The First Noel,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Little Drummer Boy” with help from guests Rick Braun, Dave Koz and Paul “Shilts” Weimer. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# ART7040 $17.99

A Dave Brubeck Christmas

Brubeck delivers a cool-jazz Christmas album that you’ll have to break out year after year. It’s just him at the piano on this 1996 recording, bringing class and joy to “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Away in a Manger,” “Joy to the World,” “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells,” and more. You’re also treated to two Brubeck originals: “To Us Is Given” and “Run, Run, Run to Bethlehem!” (Telarc)

1CD# MOB341021 $14.99

Christmas at Birdland

This recording features tracks recorded from the 10th Annual Christmas show at Birdland Jazz Club in December 2019, featuring appearances by Dave Koz and Donny Osmond. Tracks include “Manhattan in December,” “Mister Santa,” “The Christmas Waltz,” “Caroling, Caroling,” “Silent Night,” and more. (Provident)

1CD# 64315744708 $11.99

Christmas Songs / Diana Krall

A jazz holiday favorite! Christmas Songs features swinging big band arrangements by John Clayton and several tracks for quartet, including string arrangements by Johnny Mandel. Tracks include “Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Christmas Time is Here,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and more. (Verve)

1CD# MOB821213 $16.99

What a Wonderful Christmas / Louis Armstrong

This album is the only Christmas package in existence to contain both sides of all 3 Christmas singles Armstrong recorded for Decca. These 6 singles have been carefully matched with holiday music from some of the greats of the genre – from Dinah Washington to Mel Torme, from Louis Jordan to Eartha Kitt. (Hip-O Records)

1CD# MOB006523 $16.99

Mack Avenue

Uptown in Orbit / Emmet Cohen

On Uptown in Orbit, his sophomore release for Mack Avenue, Emmet Cohen brings the tradition of jazz to the forefront while providing the modern twist needed for the current times. Featured on this release is trumpeter/educator Sean Jones, saxophonist Patrick Bartley, bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1195 $17.99

Origin / Joey Alexander

Mack Avenue Music Group is proud to announce the signing and first label release for Joey Alexander. The pianist, composer and bandleader is one of the most emotive and compelling pianist-composers active on the scene today, and while his accomplishments to this point are significant—including being the youngest artist ever nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in a jazz category. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1198 $19.99

Parallel Motion / Yellowjackets

Parallel Motion — the new album from jazz fusion legends Yellowjackets — is a true testament to the longevity and resilience of a band who debuted over 40 years ago. Consistently reinventing themselves through elevated instrumentation in their signature electro-acoustic soundscape, the current lineup showcases a collective at their prime. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1196 $17.99

A Time for Love / Oscar Peterson Quartet [2 CDs]

A Time for Love: The Oscar Peterson Quartet – Live in Helsinki, 1987 from Two Lions/Mack Avenue Records is a momentous album. The final gig of a long international tour that began with 4 concerts in Brazil, this date was the 14th of a European tour that took the quartet all over mainland Europe. This night in Helsinki is a stunning addition to the continuing legacy of this beloved master of music. (Mack Avenue)

2CD# MAC1151 $19.99

Relief – A Benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America

All net proceeds from Relief: A Benefit for the Jazz Foundation of America – comprising studio and live tracks by top-flight jazz artists – will benefit the JFA’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund. Relief commences with a recording that exemplifies the extreme challenges faced by musicians in the depths of the 2020 health emergency. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1185 $17.99

More Music / Joey DeFrancesco

After a year of pandemic lockdown – with stages dark and nightclubs shuttered, friends and families kept at a social distance – the one thing we could all use right now is More Music. And who better to supply that demand than Joey DeFrancesco? More Music is “more” in every conceivable way. It offers up ten DeFrancesco originals, brought to life by a scintillating new trio. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1186 $17.99

Symphony Hall Concert / Erroll Garner

Mack Avenue Music Group celebrates the 100th anniversary of Erroll Garner’s birth with an extraordinary three-tiered release focused on his output from 1959 to 1975 and featuring a stunning 27-song previously unreleased 1959 concert recorded at Boston’s Symphony Hall. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1189 $17.99

Sounds from the Ancestors / Kenny Garrett

Composer/saxophonist Kenny Garrett emerged as a distinctive voice on the national scene in 1978 with an undisputed aptitude for emotive melodic phrasing that led him to collaborations with Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey and Miles Davis. With Sounds from the Ancestors, Garrett remembers the spirit of the sounds of African ancestors alongside tributes to Roy Hargrove, Art Blakey and Tony Allen.

(Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1180 $17.99

Future Stride / Emmet Cohen

On this release, Emmet Cohen revisits jazz’s earliest forms through a progressive lens. Future Stride features bassist Russell Hall, drummer Kyle Poole, trumpeter Marquis Hill and saxophonist Melissa Aldana. Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen is in the vanguard of his generation’s advancement of music and the related arts. (Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1181 $17.99

This Bitter Earth / Veronica Swift

Whereas Veronica Swift’s 2019 Mack Avenue Records debut, Confessions, contained songs that played out like pages from her personal diary, on the captivating follow-up, This Bitter Earth, she flips the script by crafting an ingenious song cycle that tackles a variety of issues. The singersongwriter gathered material that covers multiple genres, including jazz, American musicals and contemporary indie-rock.

(Mack Avenue)

1CD# MAC1177 $17.99

Storyville Records

Jiggs’ Back In Town / Copenhagen Trio 1CD# SVL1018534 $15.99

There Is No Greater Love / Lee Pearson, Jesper Lundsgaard 1CD# SVL1018493 $15.99

A Beautiful Blue Moment / Carsten Dahl, Tim Hagans 1CD# SVL1018528 $15.99

Something Tomorrow / Enrico Pieranunzi 1CD# SVL1018498 $15.99

Shoehorn Shuffle / Cool Sweetness Sextet 1CD# SVL1014349 $15.99

Our Songs / Alex Riel, Bo Stief, Carsten Dahl 1CD# SVL1014336 $15.99

I’m All Ears / Mads Mathias 1CD# SVL1014342 $15.99

Petite Fleur / Adonis Rose, Cyrille Aimée 1CD# SVL1018492 $15.99

Captain Coe’s Famous Racearound / Tony Coe 1CD# SVL1018479 $15.99

Dimma: A tribute to Jan Johansson / Ensemble Edge 1CD# SVL1014340 $15.99

The Doldrums / Jeppe Gram 1CD# SVL1014348 $15.99

Glad to Be Here / Fessor 1CD# SVL1014345 $15.99

Solo Piano / Tommy Flanagan 1CD# SVL1018491 $15.99

Over The Rainbow / Emborg, Swallow 1CD# SVL1018475 $15.99

The Touch / Soren Kristiansen 1CD# SVL1014347 $15.99

Saudade, Colour of Love / Maria Mendes

The GRAMMY®-nominated Award Winner Metropole Orchestra, the GRAMMY® Award Winner John Beasley, the GRAMMY® Award Nominee Maria Mendes present a new live recording. Fado music is undeniable for the Portuguese people and for all of those who seek for nostalgic love in the past and present. And so is “saudade” – a Portuguese word that doesn’t translate to any other language in the world.

(Challenge)

1CD# CR 73552 $15.29

Star Crossed Lovers / Patty Lomuscio, Kenny Barron

Patty Lomuscio writes: “My dream has finally come true, to make a record in NY with jazz legend, maestro Kenny Barron. The pieces we have chosen resonate beautifully thanks to the piano touch of Kenny Barron, the deep sound of Peter Washington, the poignant notes of Vince Herring and the pressing rhythm of Joe Farnsworth.”

(Challenge)

1CD# CR 73548 $15.29

Lexposure / The Lex Jasper Trio & Strings

“It is not often that one is lucky enough to directly observe the creation of unique beauty, perfect craftsmanship, absolute passion and profound dedication. I recently had the wonderful opportunity to experience these with the creation of Lexposure. This took place in the legendary, state-of-the-art “Riverside Studios”, under the auspices of the producer Ralf Kemper”Lex Jasper. (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73521 $15.29

Voyage In Time / Enrico Pieranunzi & Jasper Somsen

Pieranunzi: This fourth encounter - our second album for Challenge Records, is a completely special recording, both in terms of line-up and material. The movements, composed by Jasper and arranged together during our recording session, reflect our shared love of classical music and combine classical forms with a very open improvisational approach.

(Challenge)

1CD# CR 73533 $15.29

Turn Out the Stars / Pinheiro, Ineke, Cavalli

Inspired by the music of the extraordinary pianist Bill Evans, the Pinheiro - Ineke - Cavalli Trio explores in this new album musical landscapes constructed from delicate arrangements and intricate musical interaction. The album features compositions by Bill Evans, as well as works by Michel Legrand and Leonard Bernstein, all in arrangements by the trio. (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73523 $15.29

Nordic Bop / Pekka Pylkkanen; Eric Ineke

Eric Ineke: “When Pekka

Pylkkanen invited me in 2017 to play a couple of concerts with him in Finland and Estonia, I immediately responded with an enthusiastic YES!! Having played together before, I knew the music would be great and swinging! Pekka got the idea of putting together a repertoire of tunes written by some of the great Jazz legends I played with during my earlier career.” (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73542 $15.29

Magic Realism / Chai Masters

“This album was recorded during the 2nd Covid lockdown. Circumstances were against us, as the two shows we planned to do before recording were cancelled, and we felt like we weren’t fully prepared to go into the studio. After we started playing, we began to relax and focus on the music, and some magic started to happen. After two intense days of recording, we were happy with the final takes.” – Antonio Moreno Glazkov (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73543 $15.29

Coming Yesterday / Martial Solal

Coming Yesterday is the recording of what turned out to be Martial Solal’s last concert; he decided to stop playing piano after that show. Martial Solal writes: “When I walked onto the stage on January 23, 2019, I did not yet know that I would decide not to play piano anymore after this concert, more than seventy years after my debut.”

(Challenge)

1CD# CR 73516 $15.29

The Vienna Sessions / Markus Burger

“While recording this album, I enjoyed exploring the sound of the piano, especially in the upper register. I also chose to improvise in a minimal way to let the instrument guide me on a musical stroll. I found my time in Vienna relaxing, inspiring, and deeply spiritual. I hope you, the listener, will enjoy the music as much as I enjoyed playing it.”

– Markus Burger (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73535 $15.29

Free / Joost Lijbaart

“Free is an album I’ve wanted to make all my life. I didn’t know how, I was too busy and I was also a bit afraid of it. And then there was a time when the world seemed to come to a standstill. A time of reflection and contemplation. It gave me the energy to embark on an inner dialogue, spiritually and musically.”

– Joost Lijbaart (Challenge)

1CD# CR 73519 $15.29

Records Sale

Carnet Imaginaire / Joachim Badenhorst 1CD# CR 73538 $15.29

Grow / Jessica De Boer 1CD# CR 73539 $15.29

Let’s Face the Music / Reinhardt Winkler 1CD# CR 73526 $15.29

Gershwin on Air / Massimiliano Rolff 1CD# CR 73527 $15.29

The Bari Sessions / Wertico, Helliwell, Lupi, Scaglia 1CD# CR 73529 $15.29

Chapter One / Marieke Koopman 1CD# CR 73525 $15.29

Afterglow / Pieranunzi 1CD# CR 73460 $15.29

The Hague Songbook Exchange / Various [2 CDs] 2CD# CR 73520 $15.29

Ever Open Door / John Helliwell 1CD# CR 73511 $15.29

What Kinda Bird is This? / Eric Ineke Jazz Express 1CD# CR 73512 $15.29

Inside Out / Juraj Stanik Trio 1CD# CR 73488 $15.29

Dynamics in Meditation / Scaglia-Wertico Quartet 1CD# CR 73503 $15.29

Nu Bottega / Pylkkanen Quintet 1CD# CR 73502 $15.29

Second Wind Quintet / Second Wind Quintet 1CD# CR 73495 $15.29

World Citizen / Eran Har Even 1CD# CR 73500 $15.29