Today, it is difficult to imagine a world without the music of Handel. His operas, however, were already looked over even in the composer’s lifetime. Virtuosic and bristling with difficulties, his multithreaded works in the Neapolitan style quickly went out of fashion, and over time they have been almost completely forgotten. Only the twentieth century cracked open the doors to this extraordinary music, whetted the appetites of music lovers with performances of the most daring arias. There is nothing surprising in this- Handel’s sense of opera was incomparable, as evidenced by not only the ease of writing subsequent stage works, but also an exceptional talent for portraying human emotions with music. What we find so attractive in the music of Handel is the powerful emotional charge, making it timeless. What are actually the most successful arias from his operas, if not the musical essence of various shades of infatuation, hatred, despair or joy? Even though characters of the tacks mentioned in this recording come from distant times and spaces, their feelings still resonate with contemporary listeners, allowing a deeper insight into the full mysterious dynamics of love. These arias are performed by Natalia Kawalek and Jakub Jozef Orlinski, two young opera stars.

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REVIEWS:

This recording announces exciting new talents on several fronts. First is that of countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski, a colorful, expressive singer endowed with plenty of power. Also to be noted is the spectacular Natalia Kawalek, who’s classed as a mezzo-soprano but runs the whole gamut from a low growl to light agility at the top, in many pieces that would generally be considered soprano arias. Complaints? Poorly edited translations in the booklet.

– All Music Guide (James Manheim)

It is the nuanced singing of countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski that is fully to the fore in a recital partnered with mezzo-soprano Natalia Kawalek and their Polish compatriots Il Giardino d’Amore. Orlinski’s intuitive phrasing, sweet precision and sense of dramatic moods are consistently appealing.

– Gramophone

This beautiful new release is a live recording of Tatyana Nikolayeva’s 1989 Herodes Atticus Odeon Recital, and this is the first time the recording from that even has ever been published. Russian pianist Tatyana Nikolayeva was the greatest Bach performer of her generation, as well as an undisputed authority on the piano music of Dmitri Shostakovich. This recital was made in an open-air venue, and displays Nikolayeva’s impeccable technique and her interpretive sensitivity. Her chosen repertoire crosses genres and periods, and includes works from Bach, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Schumann, and more.

The Secret Life of Carols brings together a mixture of the earliest medieval English carols and traditional carols from across Europe. The title is inspired by the fact that many carols have intertwined roots, dating back centuries, often to the Middle Ages, with melodies being adapted and reinvented, and new sets of words written. In the Middle Ages the term "carol" didn't have the same meaning as today. It was merely an indication of the form of the piece which would start and end with a chorus (named a burden) and would be interspersed with verses which told the story. The word carol is derived from the Old French word carole, a circle dance accompanied by singers. Several medieval carols including The Coventry Carol and There is No Rose are also still sung in modern arrangements at Christmas carol concerts and church services across the country. And indeed these early English carols are very much "for the people". The programme on this album includes a selection of traditional carols from across Europe. Many, like the Burgundian carol Patapan, have roots going back centuries, some as far back as the Middle Ages. There is also a personal dimension to the choice of carols, drawing on three of the roots of the performers on the album- Finnish, German and Irish roots to include several carols which are not well known in the UK.

After his studies at the Conservatorio C. Pollini in Padua, Francesco Galligioni specialized in playing the baroque cello and the viola da gamba. He is one of the founding members of the Venice Baroque Orchestra, with which he has toured and recorded numerous times. He has worked with conductors and soloists such as John Eliot Gardiner, Andrea Marcon, Gustav Leonhardt, Sara Mingardo, Christopher Hogwood and Magdalena Kozena. With the ensemble gambe di legno, Galligioni dedicates himself to previously undiscovered works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. More recently, Francesco Galligioni has devoted himself increasingly to the baroque solo repertoire for violoncello. His great passion is the suites of Johann Sebastian Bach. After studying these mythical gems for a long time, Francesco will perform these works for the first time in concert over the next three years and he also record them for this album.

It was clearly of great importance at the start of the 18th century, both to the free imperial city of Mühlhausen in Thuringia and to distant Vienna, metropolis of the Holy Roman Empire, to be recognized and to record signs of both independence and affiliation to the empire and it's ruler. Two musical documents have survived in testimony. One owes it's prominence to the composer, Johann Sebastian Bach, the other, preserved in Mühlhausen's municipal archives and revived in performance today after more than three hundred years, is from the hand of Philipp Heinrich Erlebach.

Virtuosity was as intricate issue in the late Baroque period. On one hand, the public attending the concert demanded to be overwhelmed by the performers' technique. On the other hand, virtuosity provided imitation and often revelaed composers' command over their craft. Composers were expected to supply a piece that showcased an artists entire "bag of tricks" including special effects and specific skills. Handel and Vivaldi did not allow the circumstances of the day to hinder their inspiration. The ensemble Barrocade, along with Claire Meghnagi and Shai Kribus showcase Handel and Vivaldi's virtuosic works of their day.

For the 30th anniversary of the Brunnenthaler summer concerts, ensemble director Francesco Cera with the cornettist William Dongois performed music from the 17th century. The repertoire ranges from instrumental motets and virtuoso sonatas to toccatas whose origins lie in Italy.

Before the early 20th century, any list of significant Western composers would have included Benedetto Marcello. Through his advocacy of a return to the proportional values and simplicity of ancient Roman civilization, he helped set the stage for the Classical era in Western music, soon to unseat the aesthetic norms of the Baroque in which he lived.

Wild, impetuous, rocking, fantastic - in short, Stepan Simonian playing J.S. Bach! All seven Bach Toccatas for piano are on this CD, works that have led a wallflower existence compared to other Bach keyboard works. When one listens closely to the virtuoso playing of the 2010 Bach Prize winner the music flashes and sparkles and polished details are presented to the delighted listener.

17th and 18th c. musical Venice's legendary status was owed partly to the development and spread of the instrumental form known as the trio sonata. It's first great creator, the Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli, was followed by such distinguished figures and fellow countrymen as Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi, both of whose cheerful, playful and profound efforts in this area are heard on this Genuine CD played by the Camerata degli amici, under the direction of the oboist Jaime González, a widely recognized chamber, soloist and orchestral musician.

The Goldberg Variations are one of the greatest works of piano literature, and a test of virtuosity for any concert pianist. Marie Rosa Gunter has chosen these works for her debut album, presented here. Marie Rosa Gunter has already won first prize in multiple competitions, and this release marks the start of what will surely be a remarkable career.

Who says young people don't still present innovative programs? The virtuosic winner of the Leipzig Bach Competition 2012, Johannes Lang, even manages to integrate a Bach homage into his GENUIN debut CD that was created before Bach's birth - is such a thing possible? Yes - listen to the disc and study the text written by the soloist! Pieces by Bach himself and others based on the B-A-C-H tone sequence are put together here in a compilation that will transport the organ-music lover from 1600 to 2014. It's a journey that even contains a world premiere recording: Jan Esra Kuhl's "Variations on B-A-C-H".

When Simone Rubino plays Johann Sebastian Bach on the marimba, his music seems to be released of temporality, more so than in its original form. It sounds like the music of the spheres: ancient and brand new ... and more than ever when the prizewinner of numerous competitions (including the International ARD Competition) combines Bach with works of the 20th and 21st centuries. Virtuosic, iridescent pieces for marimba, vibraphone and much more. The finest structures and shades are transparent, for example, in "Esegesi" by Roberto Bocca, which is presented here as a world premiere recording. Percussion pleasure at its finest, and not just for fans of drums and Bach. “What should one praise more: the incredible dexterity with which he executes thunderous rolls on the drums, tom-toms and bongos, makes the claves clang or dances along the xylophone? Or the sensitivity with which the gongs, chimes and cymbals blend with the high strings and delecate woodwinds?” (Isabel Herzfelt, Der Tagesspiegel)