On 22 November 1963 at Idil Biret's US debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Erich Leinsdorf she played Rachmaninoff's 3rd Concerto. The concert was scheduled for 2.00pm. The tragic death of President Kennedy was announced during the concert. Despite the electrified atmosphere which can be sensed in the recording, the audience, many in tears, then heard a stunning performance of the concerto which was broadcast live to the nation from Boston and rebroadcast the next day from New York - "There was a buoyant quality to Idil Biret's playing, a great warmth of tone was in no way dispelled by her technical skill... she gave us power without a bang, emotion without a sentimental tear. There is no question that Miss Biret is one of the most extraordinary musicians and many of her listeners testified to her artistry by giving her a standing ovation."
The LP version: When Baroque Meets Folk Energy In 'folk baroque', the music of Georg Philipp Telemann encounters the vibrant dance traditions of central Europe. The program grew out of a collaboration between recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf and the Italian ensemble filoBarocco during the Gottingen International Handel Festival, initiated within the European support programme EEEMERGING+. At the heart of the project lies the fascinating Rostock Manuscript, a historical source long associated with Telemann's fascination with Central European folk traditions. For Bosgraaf and filoBarocco, the manuscript offers the perfect point of departure for exploring the meeting ground between Baroque repertoire and living folk music traditions. The ensemble shares a deep enthusiasm not only for historical performance practice but also for music that retains the energy, spontaneity, and expressive freedom of traditional dance music. Telemann himself was renowned for his openness to musical influences from across Europe. During his travels he encountered Polish and Hanna folk traditions that left a lasting impression on him. In his autobiographical writings, he vividly describes the impact of this music: it's rhythmic vitality, it's improvisatory spirit, and it's powerful melodic expression. These qualities fascinated him and found their way, sometimes subtly, sometimes quite directly, into his own compositions. Yet reconstructing the sound world of the eighteenth century presents a unique challenge. Unlike music from the twentieth or twenty-first centuries, there are no recordings to tell us exactly how this repertoire once sounded. Historically informed performance with this repertoire therefore requires re-composition. Musicians must piece together clues from written scores, historical treatises, instrument research, and contemporary descriptions. On the recording 'folk baroque' the musicians expand this process further by drawing inspiration from living folk traditions. Many rhythmic patterns, ornamentations, and expressive gestures that appear in Baroque music still survive today in Central European dance music. These traditions offer valuable insights into how such musical gestures might function in performance. The goal is not to recreate a supposedly 'authentic' past because that would be inherently impossible, but to create a musical interpretation that feels convincing, vibrant, and alive for modern listeners inspired by the timeless melodies of the Rostock Manuscript. For this reason, the program includes elements of improvisation and experimental playing techniques. While this approach may initially seem unusual in a Baroque context, it reflects the spirit of exploration that shaped the music of Telemann's own time. The musical notation in the Rostock Manuscript often provides only a framework rather than a fully fixed sound image. It invites performers to engage creatively with the material and rediscover it's inherent energy. The result is a concert experience that feels both historical and contemporary. The music is rooted in eighteenth-century sources, yet interpreted by musicians who are equally at home in the traditions of early music and in modern sonic experimentation. Ultimately, what connects this repertoire with today's audience is emotion. Instruments and styles may change over time, but the fundamental human passions expressed through music remain the same: joy, melancholy, longing, passion, and the irresistible urge to dance. When listeners begin to grasp the expressive language behind these works, the music suddenly feels remarkably immediate. It ceases to be merely a historical artefact and becomes a living experience, almost as if a sleeping frog had been awakened with a kiss
With this reflection on breathing as the most intimate human experience - one that connects people through language, movement and touch - Berlin-based jazz vocalist Esther Kaiser has dedicated her ninth album to 'Breathing'. Critics have described her as a 'voice artist','shaman of jazz', and a 'jazz poet'. Esther takes responsibility where she is. Her albums breathe and are politically and socially charged, as jazz has always been. With BREATHING, the vocalist and composer provides a glimpse into the heart of jazz. It breathes in what is, and it feels and exhales that which creates space for more understanding, tolerance, peace, and freedom. The interplay of lyrics and compositions by Esther Kaiser and pianist Alexander Wienand, alongside Kaiser's own works, interwoven with elements of spoken word, invites listeners to become part of the act of breathing itself.
Gregory Hutchinson's "Kind of Now - The Pulse of Miles Davis" is a fascinating and highly rewarding album that breathes new life into some of the immortal classics from Miles Davis' repertoire, such as Charlie Parker's "Ah-Leu-Cha" or Miles' own "Seven Steps to Heaven", discounting the obvious while closing in on the deep cuts. The leader's excellent drum interludes tie this hour-long program tightly together, adding a futuristic newness that's all in Hutch's time. The overall quality and density of "Kind of Now" has everything to do with the musicians involved, a great group of young legends and lions carefully selected by the leader, just the way Miles used to do: Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Ron Blake (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet), Jakob Bro (guitar), Emmanuel Michael (guitar), Gerald Clayton (piano) Joe Sanders (double bass).
Thad Jones (1923 - 1986) was best known as the leader / composer / arranger of one of the best big jazz bands of the 1960s and 70s. But Thad was also a superb instrumentalist in smaller settings. This was Thad's first quartet recording in 30 years (recorded in Copenhagen, October 1984). The newly remastered 24 bit/96 kHz 180g vinyl edition draws a vivid, intimate portrait of Jones the storyteller: reflective, free, and full of tunes. The session finds Jones in inspired form-'the way his notes fall,' as Mel Lewis once said, is fully on display-mixing relaxed authority, sly humor, and a deeply personal sense of swing. Joined by pianist Ole Kock Hansen, bassist Jesper Lundgaard, and drummer Ed Thigpen, Jones moves effortlessly from buoyant blues to spacious ballads, stretching himself with the same curiosity that marked his early Mingus collaborations '... Jones' harmonically advanced style and crisp sharp sound... very much intact on this relaxed quartet date... His improvisations are thoughtful... easily recommended.' (Down Beat)
Composer Niels Ronsholdt's (b. 1978) solo project Aftermath journeys the American highway, observing cities and landscapes in decay, and reflecting on a fractured modern society. The classic road -trip dream of freedom fades into bewildered loneliness and remorse, yet fragile hopes of spring and new generations glimmer. This exclusive vinyl edition includes a free mp3 download of the full album (14 tracks in total).
Joseph Haydn not only liked surprising his audiences, he also enjoyed a laugh, writes Christian Moritz-Bauer in the introduction to this sixteenth volume of the Haydn2032 complete recording of the symphonies. Take, for instance, the false conclusion of Symphony No. 90, composed in 1788: the music seems to have reached the last chord but, after a pause, the movement resumes to end with a powerful coda. Another example of Haydn's mischievous wit is the famous Andante "with the drumstroke" that forms the "surprise" of Symphony No. 94, a fortissimo chord designed to wake up audiences who dozed off towards the end of his concerts. In this volume focused on humour, Giovanni Antonini pays tribute to a great admirer of Haydn, Gioachino Rossini, by recording the sparkling opening Sinfonia of La scala di seta (The Silken Ladder), a one-act opera written in 1812.
Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage returns with his fifth Blue Note release, Scenes From Above, the follow-up to the GRAMMY-nominated Speak To Me, which was once again produced by Joe Henry. The album features Lage in a new band with John Medeski on organ and piano, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums for a set of striking new original compositions.180g black vinyl.
The Piano Guys return with Unstoppable, a fan favorite album now on both CD & vinyl featuring their signature cinematic take on today's biggest hits. Includes stunning renditions of "As It Was," "When You're Gone," and "Easy on Me." Own the music you love in a beautifully packaged release from the viral sensations who redefine instrumental music. Don't miss this must-have addition to your collection!
Limited double orange and magenta colored vinyl LP pressing. As if from the farthest reaches of space, a tremendous positive energy has come to us via Light on a Satellite: It is Sun Ra's music, played by his Arkestra, more than 30 years after the legendary band founder's earthly demise - or, in other words, after his reported ascent to Saturn. Under the direction of Marshall Allen, the NEA Jazz Master (2025) and multi-instrumentalist, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024, Sun Ra's big band has arrived safely in the 21st century, after traveling Sun Ra's space ways for almost 70 years. This album pays tribute to the lifetime achievement of Marshall Allen, who leads the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1993. Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the mastery of the exceptional musician Marshall Allen as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher, and guardian of Sun Ra's unique legacy. Perhaps this day will one day become part of the collective jazz memory, for what we are experiencing here is a simultaneity of the non-simultaneous, projected into the future, a time machine traveling through 100 years of jazz, out of the free approach of the Sun Ra Arkestra and in it's signature groove right into the heart of swing - with a century-old jazz master as captain. That in itself is a superlative. We are even more inspired by the power with which the virtuoso Marshall Allen continues his life's vocation. As a tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, Frank Kleinschmidt of IN+OUT Records invited the Sun Ra Arkestra into the studio with 24 musicians in the largest possible line-up, with the goal of documenting the music in it's polyphony and expansion in space and time in the best possible way. It is not only the variety of instruments used, but also the fact that musicians from four generations come together with a repertoire that spans 100 years of jazz history.
Double vinyl LP pressing. As if from the farthest reaches of space, a tremendous positive energy has come to us via Light on a Satellite: It is Sun Ra's music, played by his Arkestra, more than 30 years after the legendary band founder's earthly demise - or, in other words, after his reported ascent to Saturn. Under the direction of Marshall Allen, the NEA Jazz Master (2025) and multi-instrumentalist, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024, Sun Ra's big band has arrived safely in the 21st century, after traveling Sun Ra's space ways for almost 70 years. This album pays tribute to the lifetime achievement of Marshall Allen, who leads the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1993. Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the mastery of the exceptional musician Marshall Allen as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher, and guardian of Sun Ra's unique legacy. Perhaps this day will one day become part of the collective jazz memory, for what we are experiencing here is a simultaneity of the non-simultaneous, projected into the future, a time machine traveling through 100 years of jazz, out of the free approach of the Sun Ra Arkestra and in it's signature groove right into the heart of swing - with a century-old jazz master as captain. That in itself is a superlative. We are even more inspired by the power with which the virtuoso Marshall Allen continues his life's vocation. As a tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, Frank Kleinschmidt of IN+OUT Records invited the Sun Ra Arkestra into the studio with 24 musicians in the largest possible line-up, with the goal of documenting the music in it's polyphony and expansion in space and time in the best possible way. It is not only the variety of instruments used, but also the fact that musicians from four generations come together with a repertoire that spans 100 years of jazz history.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt describes Mozart's Requiem as "an intensely personal confrontation, frightening and moving in the case of a composer who normally kept his life and experience divorced from his art to an astonishing degree". This famous recording uses an edition published by Eulenberg in 1972; seeking to come closer to the spirit of the composer himself, it replaces the familiar instrumentation of Franz Xaver S�ssmayr, who completed the Requiem after Mozart's death. For the 40th anniversary of this recording, Warner Classics has newly remastered it from original tapes in High Definition 192kHz/24-bit.
Matteo's first album with Warner Classics combines solo piano and electronic synth-tracks. The album includes many melodious and catchy works, simply perfect for modern-classical piano mood playlists as well as for synch opportunities. 'This album is entirely dedicated to all forms of longing. Whether it is wistful longing of moments from the past, or the desire for future better times. The Notes of Longing premise is to accompany the listener through all of his or her intimate moments of daydreaming and longing. Therefore, this album is fully dedicated to those seeking comfort.' - Matteo Myderwyk
Brian Wilson -"At My Piano" - Genius, icon, and trailblazer Brian Wilson revolutionized music as head of the Beach Boys. Now, he retraces his steps and reimagines the most iconic songs from his back catalog into their purest form, with him alone at the piano. Featuring "God Only Knows," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "California Girls," "Good Vibrations," and many more on SOLO PIANO.
Our Savings, the first LP from Chicago trio ZRL, brings together classical frameworks and sonic explorations, sliding from acoustic ambience to cacophonous clatter to quietly virtuosic displays of musical invention. ZRL recorded the album during a residency at Edgar Miller's Glasner Studio in Chicago. Like Miller, ZRL works without sketches, synthesizing a broad array of creative lineages and approaches. Together, the trio's instruments wash, crash, sprint, glide and divide, darting around and between each other, like they're playing hide-and-seek. Between "Daylight Savings" and "Remarkable Savings," Good moves between soft drones and piercing, frenetic octaval hurdles, recalling ice cream trucks and baseball cards in bicycle spokes. Meanwhile, "Our Savings" conjures Arthur Russell's Tower of Meaning presented by an outer space ensemble; as Packard's electronics collide with his bandmates' chordal drones, Kohl's bowing quickens and disintegrates, like a rocket on reentry." "1. Daylight Savings 2. Remarkable Savings 3. Our Savings 4. Hardly Slept 5. ATM 6. Butterish 7. Recent Ornithology 8. Telling The Difference Between Us
THE Eye of Time is the Solo-Project of the French musician Marc Euvrie. Euvrie's musical development is deeply connected with the French diy scene though he has been classically trained as well. Acoustic II is Marc's sixth album and the second one only based on Piano & Cello works. Marc about the development of the album: "Playing Piano and Cello has become more important to me in the last years. After Acoustic (2014) I felt a need to do more acoustic songs. In the mean time, a dream came true. In summer 2018 I travelled across Europe with an acoustic upright piano and a cello to play outdoor shows in natural areas. The audience and feedbacks were so wonderful and gave me the energy to compose more songs. The recording finally happened at the Library of Cherbourg, where I grew up, with a very high quality grand piano." A 1. Not from this world 2:34 2. To heal a shape-shifted mind 3:29 3. Itself 4:38 4. A lost song 4:55 B 5. On perd sa vie a chercher sa place 6:13 6. Un volcan qui pousse les os 6:43 7. de l'incapacite de dire au revoir aux belles choses 5:42 C 8. Behind the unknown is where magic is 4:47 9. Eternal conflicts 4:32 10. La resilience se trouve a l'Est 5:30 11. Hope is by nature 4:35 D 12. L'eternite se cache dans un jardin au fond du mois d'aout 4:54 13. Today is the journey 8:26 14. Toucher le temps du bout des doigts 5:00
Double vinyl LP pressing of this release containing stunning new recordings arranged especially for some of the world's most exciting musicians including The Piano Guys, 2CELLOS, Lang Lang, Till Bronner, Lindsey Stirling and others. The Classics is a stunning 2016 album from the world's most exciting film composer, Hans Zimmer. The album features back-to-back blockbuster hits including the iconic music from Pirates of the Caribbean, Academy Award-winner The Lion King, the powerful and evocative theme from The Dark Knight Rises and the Platinum-selling "Now We Are Free" from Gladiator. This incredible collection is a must-have for all fans of the most in-demand composer in Hollywood. Hans Zimmer has scored more than 120 films, which have, combined, grossed over 24 billion dollars at the worldwide box office. He has been honored with an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, three Grammys, an American Music Award and a Tony award.
