“Miss E. Mayer is a rare phenomenon. [...] here we can see a female composer writing not merely for the pianoforte, but also solving the arduous task of orchestral composition, swarming with thousands of secrets. And how she solves it!” (Neue Berliner Musikzeitung 32, 1878) In the German-speaking area, it was Clara Schumann and Fanny Hensel that towered beyond the borders and, at the turn of the 20th century, it was Amy Beach in the USA and even more so Ethel Smyth in Great Britain that became icons of the women’s movement in music. Still hardly present is the music by the German Romantic composer Emilie Mayer. At the age of five, she began receiving piano lessons, and in the early 1840s none other than Carl Loewe in Stettin was her teacher. In her music, presented here, we encounter familiar classical form patterns, yet the focus is placed on the colorfulness of her music, which constantly holds new phrases and impulses, and with which she presents herself as one of the most important female representatives of Central European music in the 19th century.

REVIEW:

This is a very satisfying collection of works, most of which wouldn’t win any prizes for originality, but which nonetheless make for very enjoyable listening. I would judge the B-Minor Symphony, however, to be, if not a masterpiece, at least an important work and a significant contribution to the German Romantic symphonic literature. Strongly recommended.

–Fanfare

Ernst von Dohnanyi’s piano works are influenced by the late romantic era, with different character pieces woven together as a cycle like the late piano works of Brahms. Dohnanyi first made his mark on the music scene as a pianist. He made his debut in Berlin in 1897 and was at once recognized as an artist of extremely high merit. Similar success followed in Vienna, and then he toured Europe. After he began composing, the piano was his natural instrument to write for. Sofja Gulbadamova has long been a champion of Ernst von Dohnanyi’s piano oevre. Sofja has won prizes at many international competitions in the USA, Spain, France, Germany, and Russia. Several CD recordings of her performances have already been published in Germany and France, and have been widely well-received.

“I have given every operetta the style demanded by the space and time in which it is set.” (Eduard Künneke. Driven by success, Künneke committed himself to the genre of the operetta in the 1920s and 1930s. The diversity of his many operettas reveals Künneke’s enormous adaptability to the stylistic currents of entertainment music at that time. He had most international success with Der Vetter aus Dingsda (1921), with which Künneke has almost exclusively been identified up to today. His successful operettas were even adapted for London and New York. Herz über Bord was premiered in 1935, initially at the Zurich Opera and was performed almost 500 times between 1935 and 1937, including in Dresden, Stuttgart, Stockholm and Berlin. The Berliner Zeitung noted: “Once again, we can listen to operetta music written by an artist, a man of taste. Every number has its own weight.”

For over 500 years, the Vienna Boys’ Choir has been a living tradition. Since their beginning, the choir has worked with composers such as Mozart, Schubert, and Bruckner. Capriccio presents this two-disc set of what the choir is best known for - traditional Christmas music.

Capriccio presents the debut album of up and coming Dutch cellist Harriet Krijgh. Among others, she received a first prize and the audience award at the Dutch Prinses Christina Concours, a first prize with excellence at the Austrian national competition Prima la Musica, a first prize and the Nicole Janigro Prize at the international Antonio Janigro Cello Competition in Croatia, as well as a first prize at the Fidelio competition in Vienna. As soloist artist Harriet is a member of the Live Music Now Foundation, which was established by Yehudi Menuhin.

This album is a re-mastered, re-release of Sir Neville Marriner leading the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Legendary recordings of artists like Sandor Vegh, Ton Koopman and the Vienna Boys' Choir are all included as special repertoire highlights from the baroque to the contemporary era.

Capriccio Encore is a series of re-releases of the most famous recordings from Capriccio’s back catalogue, fully re-mastered and competitively priced. The legendary recordings of artists such as Sandor Végh, Ton Koopman, Sir Neville Marriner and the Vienna Boys’ Choir also contain repertoire highlights that have a particularly special appeal, from the baroque to the present day. This Encore release features William Boyce's 8 Symphonies, performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, lead by Sir Neville Marriner.

This re-release is one of CAPRICCIO’s most famous recordings which has been remastered for optimal quality and offered at a special price. Henry Purcell is considered to be one of the finest English composers to have ever lived. He wrote a number of operas, and is heralded as composing the first English opera. Featured on this release are suites from four of his most popular operas, The Fairy Queen, Dioclesian, King Arthur, and The Indian Queen. Neville Marriner, who is featured as conductor on this recording, founded the Academy of St. Martin In the Fields along with John Churchill. The ensemble was a monumental part in the revival of Baroque performance in England.

The Doppler brothers played a dominant role in the K&K Monarchy’s musical life as composers, conductors, musicians and as orchestral soloists. They were on good terms with acknowledged artists of the era, such as Ferenc Liszt, Ferenc Erkel, or Jozsef Bajza. This is the fifth release in a set of 10 albums comprising the Dopplers' complete music for flute(s), including various arrangements. Flautist Claudi Arimany spent decades researching this project, inspiring many famous musicians to become involved in its realisation. Flutists Walter Auer, Shigenori Kudo, and Massimo Mercelli are heard alongside Claudi Arimany on this volume. Internationally renowned flautist Claudi Arimany is considered the direct heir, both in style and concept, of Jean-Pierre Rampal, his mentor and colleague. He has been performing alongside leading international orchestras as a guest soloist as well as teaching and studying flute pieces.

The Doppler brothers played a dominant role in the K&K Monarchy’s musical life as composers, conductors, musicians and as orchestral soloists. They were on good terms with acknowledged artists of the era, such as Ferenc Liszt, Ferenc Erkel, or Jozsef Bajza. This is the sixth release in a set of 10 albums comprising the Dopplers' complete music for flute(s), including various arrangements. Flautist Claudi Arimany spent decades researching this project, inspiring many famous musicians to become involved in its realisation. Flutists Janos Balint, Shigenori Kudo, and Maxense Larrieu are heard alongside Claudi Arimany on this volume. Internationally renowned flautist Claudi Arimany is considered the direct heir, both in style and concept, of Jean-Pierre Rampal, his mentor and colleague. He has been performing alongside leading international orchestras as a guest soloist as well as teaching and studying flute pieces.

Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (1804-1857) was one of the first Russian composers to gain fame within his home country. His works are influential among Russian composers who would follow, especially The Five, who pioneered the distinctive Russian Style. Glinka studied for a brief period under Irish composer John Field. Field’s style remained engrained in Glinka throughout his life, and can be especially seen in the “brilliant style” of his piano works. Ton Nu Nguyet Minh has performed across Europe, and won several international piano competitions. Since 1985 she has been a professor at the Academy of Music “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin.