Tenor Lawrence Brownlee is largely considered by critics and audiences alike to be the world’s leading bel canto tenor. His previous release on Delos was an enchanting array of Rossini arias which garnered him a Grammy nomination. Brownlee has a rich and varied repertoire, which is evident on this release. He has mixed standards such as Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and L’elisir d’amore and Bellinis’ I Puritani with lesser-performed pieces like Donizetti’s Rita and La Favorite. For this release, as in his previous, Brownlee is joined by Lithuania’s Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and the Kaunas State Choir. The brilliant interpretations and sensitive reading from conductor Constantine Orbelian lend themselves beautifully to Brownlee’s impeccable voice.

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REVIEW:

The tenor’s renown owes much to his breathtaking flair for executing Rossinian fiorature, but the expansive melodic lines of Vincenzo Bellini and the dramatic bel canto of Gaetano Donizetti are equally apt outlets for Brownlee’s prodigious gifts. Avoiding the forcing that compromises many singers’ endeavors in this repertory, Brownlee’s singing on Allegro io son possesses an evenness spanning the full range that, though perhaps easier to control in the recording studio than in the theatre, cannot be faked. As with the sincerity of his expression, the authenticity of his vocalism is remarkable, especially as it is employed in the performances on this disc.

­– Voix des Arts

It's time for Beethoven to be recognized as an important part of the young-of-age or -spirit's musical curriculum. Baby Needs Beethoven is an excellent place to start! This release explores all aspects of Beethoven's more introspective work, with music from his symphonies and chamber works to the solo performances for piano. The pieces chosen may be familiar to many, but there are a few lesser-known gems that will be of interest even to the Beethoven connoisseur.

"When I listen to this recording, it not only brings back wonderful memories of Fred and Kun Woo, but I thoroughly enjoy this charming music. I am so grateful to my dear friend Carol Rosenberger for allowing it to be heard again." - Gerard Schwarz

REVIEWS:

he recording opens with Arthur Honegger’s Intrada, a staple of the trumpet repertoire in which Schwarz demonstrates excellent tone and technique. George Enescu’s Légende is the disc’s highlight for me. Well-known as a virtuoso violinist, Enescu remains underrated in composition… The work’s originality shows in an atmospheric and meditative opening, soft trumpet filigree passages, and a complex yet effective piano part. …I particularly like Senée’s composition for the cornet, especially the Romance movement, whose attractive melody is capped with a sudden pianissimo climax that Schwarz achieves impeccably.

-- The WholeNote

The heraldic character of the trumpet is put to brilliant use in such pieces as Arthur Honegger’s Intrada and André Jolivet’s Air de bravoure, while Henri Senée’s three-movement Concertino is a charmer, especially in a finale of lilting grace. More than a little whimsy is packed into Eugène Bozza’s Caprice and Claude Pascal’s Capriccio, as their titles imply.

Schwarz makes the most of these Gallic morsels, playing with refined and limber stylishness. He is fortunate to be paired with a pianist of equally tasteful artistry, Kun Woo Paik, a high-school chum who also went on to a noteworthy career.

-- Gramophone

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) had a special fondness for the cello. He studied the cello as a child, and picked the instrument up again as a young adult after an accident injured his hand and he was unable to perform as a concert pianist.; Although Schumann held the cello dear, he only composed two works that still remain: Op. 129 Cello Concerto, and the Five Pieces in Folk Style which is performed on this album.; Although many of the compositions on this recording were not originally scored for cello, cellists, in their eagerness to perform Schumann’s music, have made lovely arrangements and transcriptions.

In this, the 2011 Latin Grammy‐winning Brazilian Guitar Quartet’s sixth Delos album, the ensemble pays homage to its rich and varied heritage as exemplified by the music of Spain – which, in turn, gave rise to Latin American music. + The album’s eighteen bewitching selections – mostly dances – are derived primarily from piano works by six of the best-known 20th century Spanish composers. + The BGQ offer the richest sonic depth and range of any guitar quartet thanks to the use of two eight‐string guitars.

Delos International is proud to announce the next release in its outstanding partnership with Dennis Keene and the Voices of Ascension: 'Hear My Prayer'. Voices of Ascension has come to be recognized as one of the world's finest choral ensembles. Its concerts and recordings receive unalloyed critical acclaim. Artistic Director Dennis Keene has assembled a group of New York's finest professional singers and blended them into a richly satisfying ensemble, unqiue in its command of choral music from every period and style. Featuring the renowned soprano soloist Hei-Kyung Hong, 'Hear My Prayer' is perfectly placed for these often difficult times. This timely recording offers the listener an inspiring and soothing collection of sacred works that are appropriate for all audiences. 'Hear My Prayer' covers the choral genre from Mozart to Casals, embracing the traditional and the sublime with singing and direction second to none.

Since Grammy-winning San Francisco Symphony Chorus Director Ragnar Bohlin founded his own topflight chamber choir Cappella SF in 2014, a new dimension of a cappella choral excellence has graced the bay Area’s (and the nation’s) musical scene. Timeless- the ensemble’s third album for Delos- offers choral fans and history-minded classical music aficionados a rare smorgasbord of choral compositions encompassing every musical period of the past millennium. Selections range from the chant-based music of Hildegard von Bingen and Guillaume de Machaut to stunning pieces by such distinguished living composers as Arvo Part, Eric Whitacre, Frank Ticheli and Ola Gjeilo- and all points in between. Any serious music lover who wishes to trace the evolution of Western choral musicfrom its ancient beginnings to contemporary times will find this stunning new album to be a truly ear-grabbing revelation. “I frankly was so captivated by the performances- above all, the beautiful sound and clear articulation of the parts- that I barely noticed the change from one composer to another…” (San Francisco Classical Voice)

This lovely performance from the Taylor Festival Choir presents two very different but both profoundly spiritual arrangements of the Catholic Mass. Both of these works display their composers’ strong Celtic roots. Celtic Mass by Michael McGlynn includes sections in Irish Gaelic between the traditional Latin phrases. Mass by James MacMillan sets the movements in English, and includes other liturgical texts that make the work acceptable for a stand-alone service. The Taylor Festival Choir, conducted by Robert Taylor, has earned itself a strong reputation for being one of America’s most prestigious professional choirs.

A 2021 GRAMMY Nominee for Best Choral Performance!

The wonderful Conspirare chamber choir, known for its interpretive depth and other-worldly sonic lushness, offers another of its captivating programs — this time joined by three superb guitar quartets — in a program remarkably relevant for our time. The choir is joined by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the Texas Guitar Quartet, the Austin Guitar Quartet, and cellist Douglas Harvey for this release featuring compositions by Reena Esmail, Craig Hella Johnson, Nico Muhly, and Kile Smith. Conspirare is a virtuoso choir. The Grammy-winning ensemble comprises distinctive solo artists who are also committed to the highest level of ensemble performance. These professional singers travel to Austin from around the country to perform together, providing their audiences with a rare level of choral music making.

REVIEW:

Conspirare’s new recording featuring the Austin-based choral group and three guitar quartets bookends impressive large-scale works by Nico Muhly and Kile Smith with small jewels by Reena Esmail and founding conductor Craig Hella Johnson.

Smith’s The Dawn’s Early Light features only one guitar quartet but the most beautiful texts, from Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins’s 1883 autobiography, one of the earliest books by a Native American woman.

The participation of three guitar quartets from LA and Texas adds texture and warmth to Muhly’s How Little You Are, a thoughtful 40-minute meditation on the words of American pioneer women in the 19th century, its lovely solos sung by Estelí Gomez.

Esmail’s When the Guitar—inspired by a 14th-century Persian lyric, ‘When the guitar can forgive the past, it starts singing’—uses the intriguing sounds of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet as one of the layers of a fabulous wrap for the chorus. Johnson’s serene The Song That I Came to Sing, which sets a Rabindranath Tagore poem for cello and treble voices, was composed as a framing piece for the program ‘which would reflect aspects of unfulfilled purpose and a longing for intimacy with the Divine’.

-- Gramophone

The Conspirare chamber choir, known for its interpretive depth and otherworldly sonic lushness, offers another of its captivating programs—this time joined by three superb guitar quartets—in a program remarkably relevant for our time. Conspirare’s debut album on Delos, The Hope of Loving, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance in 2020. Here, the combination of guitar quartet and chorus is so successful that one wonders why more composers have not written for it. The works on this album were written by four of America’s greatest living composers: Nico Muhly, Reena Esmail, Kile Smith, and Craig Hella Johnson.

-- WFMT Chicago