New Classical

Mahler: Symphony No. 5 / Orchestre symphonique de Montreal

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and its Music Director Rafael Payare make their Pentatone debut with Mahler’s 5th Symphony. The album is also the first recording under Payare’s tenure, and the beginning of a long recording relationship with the label. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187067 $15.99

Rota: Film Music; Concertos

When Toscanini encouraged Nino Rota to study at the Curtis Institute, it was already clear he would have a massive career. Only the direction wasn’t certain yet. It turned out to be classical music and film music, the former informing the latter. Notable when you listen to the delicious waltz from War & Peace or the darkly humorous snippets from the very apropos Orchestra Rehearsal. (Capriccio)

1CD# C5494 $19.99

Debussy, Enescu, Ravel, Rota & Ysate: Impressions D’enfance

Leader of the Orchestre National de France for the past two decades, chamber musician, high-flying soloist, Sarah Nemtanu is one of the most dynamic musical figures on today’s French scene. With her partner Romain Descharmes, she presents here a very personal journey, in the form of a tribute to her dual Romanian and French roots. (Alpha)

Onslow: Piano Quintets / Nepomuk Fortepiano Quintet

Hailing from an aristocratic English family, George Onslow (1784–1853) grew up as a nobleman in ClermontFerrand, France. Onslow’s strict classical style, however, made him unique in Paris at that time, earning him the nickname, ‘French Beethoven’. There has been an increase in interest in his works in recent times, and his compositions can be heard frequently in concert halls today. (Brilliant Classics)

1CD# BRI96720 $12.99

Bonds: Credo; Simon Bore the Cross

New York City-based The Dessoff Choirs, instrumental in re-establishing the music of 20th-century African American composer Margaret Bonds with the world-premiere recording of her Christmas oratorio, The Ballad of the Brown King, present two more Bonds premieres: new orchestrations of her cantata, Simon Bore the Cross, and the large-scale Credo set to prose by W.E.B. Du Bois. (Avie)

1CD# AV2589 $17.99

Godowsky in Asia / Charisse Baldoria

Philippine-born pianist, composer, and educator Dr. Charisse Baldoria draws upon Western pianism, her Southeast Asian and Hispanic heritage, and various art forms in her work. Her recently recorded all-Godowsky album features the complete Java Suite inspired by pianist-composer Leopold Godowsky’s travels to the island of Java in 1923.

(Centaur)

1CD# CRC3972 $15.99

Tom + Will – Weelkes & Byrd: 400 Years

400 years ago, in 1623, England lost two of its greatest composers, William Byrd and Thomas Weelkes. In a program marking this double anniversary, The King’s Singers and Fretwork turn their focus to the bold personalties of these two men, Will and Tom. This release unlocks the humanity behind these two giants of Elizabethan music.

(Signum Classics)

1CD# SIGCD731 $14.39

Monteverdi: Concerto, Settimo libro de’ madrigali [2 CDs]

With this recording of Book VII of Claudio Monteverdi’s madrigals (1619, Venice), Rinaldo Alessandrini and his Concerto Italiano devote themselves to a love theme with a very pastoral edge the composer particularly savored. The Italian harpsichordist and conductor once again offers us a collection of Monteverdi madrigals of the highest quality. (Naive)

2CD# OP7365 $19.99

Strike, Strum and Stride / Blue Violet Duo

Blue Violet Duo “excel at both extremes, from the nuanced and restrained to the incandescent and extravagant” (Stringendo). Formed in 2013, the Chicago based duo was born of a friendship and musical kinship and enjoyed immediate recognition, winning a competition that led to their performance in Carnegie’s Weill Hall in New York in February of 2014. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3978 $15.99

The Launy Grøndahl Legacy, Vol. 7 [2 CDs]

Three major additions to the Grøndahl discography, newly recovered from the archives of Danish radio, remastered from the original tapes and released here for the first time. Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and the first two movements of Schubert’s ‘Great’ C major Symphony confirm what an exhilarating interpreter Grøndahl was of the Austro-German classics. (Danacord)

2CD# DACOCD887 $33.99

New Mexican Music for Saxophone Quartet / Sigma Project

The saxophone quartet Sigma Project is based in Madrid. One of their key efforts is to create and promote a broad and diverse repertoire. The five scores recorded here are among them. Composed by Arturo Fuentes, Víctor Ibarra, Hilda Paredes, Javier Torres Maldonado and Hebert Vázquez, these works were written for, dedicated to, and premiered by SIGMA Project in different concerts and festivals. (Mode)

1CD# MOD-CD-331 $18.99

Manelli: Trio Sonatas Op. 3 / Ensemble Giardino di Delizie [2 CDs]

The forgotten art of a 17th-century Roman master, in the hands of a dynamic period ensemble with a string of acclaimed rarity albums to their credit. The Baroque triosonata repertoire still yields up plenty of undiscovered treasure lying in libraries across Italy. “A garden of delights, sensitively and beautifully performed, perfect for any lover of the Baroque.” – MusicWeb (Brilliant Classics)

2CD# BRI96465 $14.99

Bach, Copland, Liszt: Fantasies & Transcriptions / Stijn De Cock

Hailed for his passionate and virtuosic piano playing by the East Hampton Star, internationally acclaimed pianist Stijn De Cock maintains an active musical career as a soloist, chamber musician, and teaching artist in the US and abroad. On this new release he presents a program of works by Bach, Copland, Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Scriabin. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3979 $15.99

Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil (Vespers)

The Clarion Choir and its Artistic Leader Steven Fox make their Pentatone debut with a recording of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s choral masterpiece, the All-Night Vigil, demonstrating their exceptional proficiency in Russian repertoire. Generally considered as one of the most exceptional US choirs, their recordings of Russian choral repertoire have received multiple GRAMMY nominations. (Pentatone)

1CD# PTC5187019 $15.99

New Releases In Brief

Hans Gál: Works for Viola, Piano, Violin and Oboe [2 CDs]

Composer Hans Gál was born near Vienna in 1890. He rose to fame in the 1920s as a composer and scholar. His compositional style was considered more traditional than other composers, but his music is nonetheless fresh and infused with chromaticism and counterpoint. He was an extremely successful composer of all genres, especially opera. (Centaur)

2CD# CRC3975/76 $15.99

Bach Family / Ensemble Polyharmonique

The close-knit nature of the Bach musical family is documented in many sources. In baroque Central Germany, the name “Bach” was practically synonymous with the job title “musician”. The “Family Affairs” with 15 works from four generations thus provide an impressive testimony to this unique musical dynasty. (CPO)

1CD# 555418-2 $16.99

Martha Argerich Live, Vol. 11 [2 CDs]

The eminent Martha Argerich is one of the most loved and admired classical pianists of all time. This set is the 11th volume of Doremi’s special series of live performances and broadcasts featuring the artistry of the young Martha Argerich. Most items are first release ever. The performances here are live recordings from her Venice recital in February 1969, and from her Cologne broadcast in September 1960. (Doremi)

2CD# DHR-8191/2 $37.99

Love is a Rebellious Bird – French Music for Oboe & Piano

French music for oboe and piano lies at the heart of the oboe repertoire. In this their third album, Catherine Tanner-Williams and Christopher Williams present the famous oboe sonatas of Saint-Saëns, Poulenc and Dutilleux alongside their own brand-new transcriptions of well-known arias from Bizet’s Carmen, including the Habanera “L’amour est us oiseau rebelle” – Love is a rebellious bird. (Willowhayne)

1CD# WHR080 $21.99

Bass Favorites & Transcriptions from the 18th Century / George Speed

George Speed joins with pianist Heidi Louise Williams for this program showcasing Bass favorites and transcriptions, including works by Beethoven, Boccherini, Dragonetti, and Sperger. (Centaur)

1CD# CRC3994 $15.99

Mahler, Weill, Romberg: Atlantic Crossings

The album Atlantic Crossings by the Parisian Orchestre Pasdeloup, is dedicated to works from European composers who crossed the Atlantic to New York or later had to flee there from the Nazis. (Gramola)

1CD# GRAM99278 $23.99

Walker: Lyric for Strings; Folksong for Orchestra

The Seattle Symphony releases powerful live performances of works by two brilliant American composers, William L. Dawson and Pulitzer Prize winner George Walker. (Seattle Symphony)

1CD# SSM1027 $16.99

Schneider: The Art of Trumpet / Reinhold Friedrich

Reinhold Friedrich is one of the world’s leading trumpeters, and impresses with a breathtaking variety of repertoire on a breadth of brass instrments. (Solo Musica)

1CD# SM419 $18.99