This Pure Analogue Vinyl Edition combines Richard Strauss's An Alpine Symphony with a consistently analogue production process. The live performance by the Wiener Symphoniker under their Chief Conductor Petr Popelka, recorded in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna on 26 February 2026, was captured on analogue tape using a reel-to-reel process and mastered directly from tape to vinyl without any digital intervention. The result is an exceptionally authentic listening experience, preserving the natural dynamics, spatial depth, and tonal warmth of the live performance in all it's immediacy. Strauss's monumental tone poem unfolds in all it's orchestral splendour-from the mysterious colours of night and the ascent to the summit to the elemental force of the storm and the serenity of the closing pages. With commanding musical insight and a finely judged sense of the work's architecture, the Wiener Symphoniker and Petr Popelka guide the listener through a musical journey that reaches far beyond the depiction of Alpine landscapes, emerging as a profound reflection on the human experience. An insightful essay on the work by Thomas Leibnitz offers fresh perspectives on Strauss's final tone poem. The edition is further enriched by Martin Hoffmeister's specially commissioned essay, "Melancholy, Contemplation, and Quiet Happiness: Vinyl as a Mark of Distinction", an exploration of the long-playing record as a cultural artefact, a collector's object, and a uniquely mindful way of experiencing music.
John Dowland's Songs and Ayres are among the most important song collections of the European Renaissance. They combine a distinctive musical language with an extraordinary poetic expressiveness: intimate love songs, profound melancholy, subtle humor and moments of unexpected lightness unfold into a richly varied panorama of human emotion. 400 years after Dowland's death, the Lautten Compagney Berlin turns to this unique universe in a carefully curated selection drawn from his five songbooks presented on their new album Behold a wonder here. Iconic works such as Flow my tears, Come again, Time stands still and the title piece Behold a wonder here are placed alongside less frequently heard songs, revealing the remarkable breadth and depth of Dowland's art. The richly colored ensemble - vocal consort, Renaissance lute, theorbo, Renaissance guitar, cittern, orpharion, viol consort as well as organ and harpsichord - creates a multi-layered sonic world in which every nuance of the music becomes audible. With their distinctive sense of timbre, clarity of text and stylistic precision, the Lautten Compagney Berlin brings these masterpieces to life with freshness, elegance and expressive power. Behold a wonder here presents John Dowland as a composer of timeless modernity, whose songs continue to move listeners through their emotional depth, melodic beauty and immediate expressive force. This recording reveals the richness of the English Renaissance in all it's colors.
Joaquin Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez | Maurice Ravel: Bole
Accentus Music
Vinyl
$39.99Oct 30, 2026
Two iconic masterpieces of the twentieth century come together on this exceptional release that will be available on vinyl and digitally: Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez" and Maurice Ravel's "Bolero". Recorded at Valencia's renowned Palau de la Música, the album combines a live performance of Rodrigo's celebrated guitar concerto and the rarely heard "Tiento Antiguo" (June 2024) with a studio recording of Ravel's mesmerizing Bolero (February 2026). Together, these works reveal two distinct yet complementary visions of musical Spain, viewed through the lenses of one of Spain's greatest composers and one of France's most brilliant orchestrators. At the center of the recording is acclaimed Croatian guitarist Ana Vidovic, whose artistry, technical mastery and expressive depth have made her one of the leading guitarists of her generation. She is joined by the Orquesta de Valencia under the direction of Alexander Liebreich, whose dynamic leadership has further strengthened the orchestra's position among Spain's leading symphonic ensembles. From the poetic lyricism and emotional intensity of Concierto de Aranjuez to the irresistible rhythmic momentum and dazzling orchestral colors of Bolero, this release captures music of enduring beauty, passion and brilliance. The combination of live spontaneity and studio precision makes for a compelling listening experience and a distinguished addition to any classical vinyl collection.
With this recording, the Gaechinger Cantorey turns to Johann Sebastian Bach's motets, works widely regarded as a pinnacle of sacred vocal music. Emerging from an intensively prepared series of concerts and recorded at the TauberPhilharmonie Weikersheim, the album combines tonal transparency, expressive power, and vibrant historically informed performance practice at the highest level. Bach's motets rank among the most impressive works in the choral repertoire. Between intimate devotion and the splendor of double-choir writing unfolds a musical cosmos filled with contrapuntal mastery, emotional intensity, and eight-part virtuosity. Finely balanced instrumental colours complement the choral sound, lending the works remarkable transparency and flexibility. For many years, the Gaechinger Cantorey has played a defining role in the performance of Bach's music with a sound that is at once precise, agile, and immediate. Under the direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann, the ensemble's interpretations understand historically informed performance practice as a means of rediscovering the emotional power and complexity of this music. The ensemble's distinctive artistic profile is especially evident in the motets: transparent in sound, closely attuned to the text, and driven by great musical energy. With this release, Accentus Music continues it's long-standing collaboration with the Gaechinger Cantorey, which has already resulted in several highly acclaimed Bach recordings.
Gianandrea Noseda is clearly one of those conductors who 'are equally at home in both genres', as the 'Neue Zurcher Zeitung' put it in 2021 on the occasion of his debut as General Music Director at Zurich Opera House. 'In hindsight, one cannot even judge whether he is the better opera or symphony conductor.' In his concert performances in Zurich, Noseda focused on the works of Johannes Brahms. Following a highly acclaimed performance of the 'German Requiem', he also conducted the Zurich Opera Orchestra in performances of Brahms's symphonies. The four symphonies by Johannes Brahms were completed between 1876 and 1885 and are regarded as milestones in the Romantic orchestral repertoire. Under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda, they were recorded live at the Zurich Opera House during various concerts and can now be heard together on this album.
Don Quixote' and 'Ein Heldenleben' are two large-scale tone-poems that Richard Strauss composed in Munich and Berlin during the final years of the 19th century. Whilst the first work was inspired by Cervantes' tragicomic novel hero, in the second work he effectively stylised himself as a successful (artistic) hero. Similar characters make an appearance in the two other works on this album: Shakespeare's tragic hero 'MacBeth' in an early overture, and another domestic Strauss hero (named 'Stork') in the opera 'Intermezzo', from which four symphonic interludes are featured here. As General Music Director of the Zurich Opera Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda has conducted these compositions by Strauss, some of which feature a huge orchestra. They are now released together on this album.
Always smile and always be cheerful, always satisfied, no matter what happens, smile in spite of your sorrows and a thousand aches and pains, sings Prince Sou-Chong, thus introducing the fundamentally melancholic tone of Das Land des Lachelns (The Land of Smiles), which has a tragic ending in store. For the new production of this operetta, world-class tenor Piotr Beczala returned to the Opernhaus Zurich as Sou-Chong. He has an equal partner in Julia Kleiter, who plays the role of Lisa. Fabio Luisi and Andreas Homoki also know that the genre of operetta requires particular care- which is why they have assumed personal responsibility for this production. Homoki let's the plot take place in a Paris Variete theater from the 1920s, complete with show staircase and heavy curtains. To emphasize the operatic elements, he condensed the piece, cutting several secondary roles and shortening dialogues. This production was recorded at the Opernhaus Zurich in June 2017.
More than 200 years after its premiere at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Isabelle Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Martin Helmchen have congenially mastered the artistic challenge of Beethoven’s gemstone. Under Herbert Blomstedt's sensitive direction, the soloists unite chamber musical intimacy together with virtuoso sophistication – and prove once again that the Triple Concerto is an unduly underestimated, much too rarely programmed masterpiece. With the composer's 5th Symphony, Blomstedt succeeds in achieving an entirely new perspective of this work. In his Sixth Symphony, the “Pastoral”, Ludwig van Beethoven conveys his musical message in such a way that lets the listener literally “see” images of beautiful nature, tempestuous storms, and shepherds singing in the fields, whereas in his Seventh Symphony, Beethoven lets the music speak for itself. The performances of these works by the Gewandhausorchester give the uplifting feeling that the intentions of both composer and performers are united in serving the musical message. The humanist and musician Herbert Blomstedt embodies this truth in a unique way, creating an atmosphere where the wonders of music all become true. Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony and the musical city of Leipzig are closely intertwined with each other: Felix Mendelssohn, Kapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester, made the work an indispensable part of the concert hall repertoire and Arthur Nikisch, one of his successors, established in 1918 the worldwide tradition of performing this groundbreaking and pioneering work at the end of the year. Herbert Blomstedt once again conducted Beethoven's Ninth in Leipzig for the 2016 New Year celebrations. With his former orchestra, of which he has been Conductor Laureate since 2005 and with whom he enjoys a close friendship, he achieves a gripping interpretation of this monumental work.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, the music world did not remain unaffected. Artists inevitably became involved, either as soldiers at the front or as composers of patriotic music or musical memorials to a lost world. The three-part documentary series investigates the (un)known, overt and hidden connections between music, power, war and revolution. Beginning with what led to this great human tragedy, each episode addresses different perspectives of the relationship between music and politics. While Parts One and Two explore both the hopeful and subsequently tragic entanglements of art and politics to which so many artists fell victim during the First World War and the October Revolution, Part Three embarks on a search for the political aspects of music up to this day. Featuring Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Ivan Fisher, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Steffen Schleiermacher, Julia Sophie Wagner, Vladimir Stoupel, and many more, this release is a production of Accentus Music in co-production with WDR, in co-operation with Arte and supported by Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.
Anyone familiar with Bruckner, his symphonic architectures reaching for the stars as well as his later Missas from the 1860s, may well be amazed at how deep his Missa Solemnis is still rooted in the solid tradition of Viennese Classicism. In this recording, this rarely heard and recently re-edited and newly published gem is put into the context of the inauguration service of collegiate provost Friedrich Mayr on 14 September 1854 in St. Florian, for which it was written. It is interspersed with the original Proper settings by Robert Fuhrer, Joseph Eybler, and Johann Baptist Gansbacher. This brilliantly mastered album was recorded at the Konzerthaus Berlin in June 2017 as a coproduction with Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
Christian Spuck puts the literary origin at the heart of his choreography of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, emphasizing the fantastical nature of the original rather than the delightful Christmas fairytale and bringing back the tale of princess Pirlipat, who turns into a nut monster, as told by E.T.A. Hoffmann. On stage, Drosselmeier’s workshop turns into an old revue-theater, where the ballet’s characters come to life. Spuck’s choreography plays with the richness of characters in Hoffmann’s narrative cosmos, the absurdity and overwrought humor that inhabit them, while at the same time looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism. This production was recorded at the Opernhaus Zürich April 2018
The 24 preludes for cello solo by Mieczyslaw Weinberg have a particular history. Composed in the late sixties for Mstislav Rostropovich, he never actually played them. Their musical language is aphoristic, often brutal, provocative in it's inner conflict. It contains many different gestures and is very intense. To perform these preludes might have been problematic in the Soviet Union back then. Gidon Kremer has adapted the Preludes for solo violin and this is the world premiere recording of his adaptation. In his concerts, Kremer often plays them to projections of works by the Lithuanian photographer Antanas Sutkus in the background. This album was recorded at Paliesiaus Dvaras in Lithuania in December 2017.
All are equal before the work, before the mysteries of a score; this was Claudio Abbado’s heart-felt conviction. For him, the willingness to be open to one another and to the independent life of musical processes was the only prerequisite for making music. In the live performances documented here for the first time on DVD/Blu-ray, Abbado could be sure of the devotion of these world-class artists: the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the sopranos Christine Schäfer and Juliane Banse, as well as the actor Bruno Ganz. They shared his credo of “listening togetherness” (Die ZEIT) that made possible those precious moments of musical truth toward which this great conductor strove throughout his life.
CLAUDIO ABBADO CONDUCTS MOZART AND BEETHOVEN (Blu-ray Disc Version)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Misera, dove son!, K. 369 Ah, lo previdi, K. 272 Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio, K. 418 Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385, “Haffner”
Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont, Op. 84
Christine Schäfer, soprano Juliane Banse, soprano Bruno Ganz, narrator
Lucerne Festival Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor
Recorded live at the Concert Hall of KKL Luzern, 19–20 August 2011 (Mozart) and 8–10 August 2012 (Beethoven)
Picture format: 1080i Full-HD Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles: Italian, German, English, Japanese, Korean Running time: 89 mins No. of Discs: 1 (BD 25)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem in D minor, K. 626 (Sanctus completed by Robert Levin. All other movements completed by Franz X. Sussmayr, edited by Franz Beyer.)
Anna Prohaska, soprano Sara Mingardo, alto Maximilian Schmitt, tenor Rene Pape, bass
Bavarian Radio Chorus Swedish Radio Chorus (chorus master: Peter Dijkstra) Lucerne Festival Orchestra Claudio Abbado, conductor
Recorded live at the Concert Hall of the Culture and Convention Center, Lucerne, 8 and 10 August 2012
Picture format: NTSC 16:9 Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1 Region code: 0 (worldwide) Subtitles: Latin, English, Japanese Running time: 60 mins No. of DVDs: 1 (DVD 9)
Golden-globe winning Chinese film director Zhang Yimou has staged his first Peking opera at the NCPA, spectacularly fusing the traditional and modern together for his production of You and Me. This production is an overwhelming feast for the senses. Lavish and colorful costumes, unique music composed and conducted by Zhu Shaoyu, and a world class ensemble that features the greatest stars of the Peking opera, including Meng Guanglu, Shi Yihong, and Li Mingyan, turn You and Me into an unforgettable experience. You and Me is based on the age-old tale from the Zuo legend, “Lord Zheng defeats Duan in Yan,” which is a story about deceit and the power of filial love. Zhang Yimou recounts the story using the stylistic elements of the Peking opera, which in turn he makes accessible for an entirely new audience. This release also includes Tradition versus Modernity, a documentary about Peking opera and the making of You and Me.
When Alban Berg attended the first production of Georg Buchner’s play Woyzeck, he immediately knew that he wanted to base an opera off of the story line. His opera, Wozzeck, was composed between the years 1914 and 1922, and received its debut performance in 1925. The dark storyline centers around the soldier Wozzeck, who travels through a callous and at times sadistic world that he doesn’t understand. He is tortured with medical experiments, ridiculed by his captain, and his lover, Marie, betrays him. He becomes a murderer and eventually secures his own demise. Renowned stage director Andreas Homoki brilliantly creates this dark and mysterious world, which explores the thin line between the unfathomable and ridiculous. Christian Gerhaher’s dramatic subtlety and vocal prowess is breathtaking in the title role, alongside the equally impressive Gun-Brit Barkim as Marie.
Mozart: The String Quintets / Schoneweg, Klenke Quartet
Accentus Music
CD
$36.99Dec 14, 2018
On this new release, The Klenke Quartett, who are well-versed in the performance of Mozart, present the Mozart’s String Quartets Nos. 1-6. The Klenke Quartett, based in Berlin and Thuringia, was founded in 1991 at the Musikhochschule Weimar. Since then, and still in its original formation, it enriches the concert life “as one of the most distinguished European ensembles.” (Gewandhausmagazin) The immediate response of the musical world to the Klenke Quartett’s performances and recordings of Mozart’s string quartets was one of acclaim and superlatives. In the view of the music magazine Rondo: “With their precise, controlled, and masterly grasp of the music, the four women of Weimar moved international critics to a storm of enthusiasm.” And Deutschland Radio exclaimed: “They are four equally talented musicians, who interact in the most marvelous, indeed, most exquisite fashion.”
REVIEW:
The Klenke Quartett’s new 3-disc set of Mozart’s complete string quintets (with guest violist Harald Schoneweg) constitutes a welcome return for the group to the music of Mozart. This new release shows some familiar strengths: a fine ensemble sound, careful but not over-precise, with enough character to set these performances apart even from such well-known groups as the Amadeus Quartet with Cecil Aronowitz or the Guarneri Quartet with Michael Tree, both of which I find just a bit superficial. My gold standard for these great works has always been the 1973 Philips set with Arthur Grumiaux and four other very fine instrumentalists (or, as they say in the Season One Gilligan’s Island theme song: “and the rest”). Of course, this new recording comes from a completely different tradition of playing, more historically informed and without the fine Corinthian leather upholstery of earlier days, but it has the same high standard of musicianship and not-too-careful tightrope-walks between dancing joy and intense despair. The Accentus engineers provide a surprisingly big, resonant space which matches well with the big sound of these fine string players. This is a more than just an enjoyable release; it’s a profound experience.
Christian Spuck puts the literary origin at the heart of his choreography of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, emphasizing the fantastical nature of the original rather than the delightful Christmas fairytale and bringing back the tale of princess Pirlipat, who turns into a nut monster, as told by E.T.A. Hoffmann. On stage, Drosselmeier’s workshop turns into an old revue-theater, where the ballet’s characters come to life. Spuck’s choreography plays with the richness of characters in Hoffmann’s narrative cosmos, the absurdity and overwrought humor that inhabit them, while at the same time looking down into the dark abyss of Romanticism. This production was recorded at the Opernhaus Zürich April 2018
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