Together with pianist Michael McHale, Michael Collins continues his exploration of the chamber repertoire for clarinet. After exploring French music (BIS-2497) and the Brahms Sonatas (BIS-2557), he now turns to British music with this recital covering a hundred years of music for clarinet and piano which reflects the special relationship between English composers and this instrument. The earliest works on this recording are the Three Intermezzi and the Sonata by Charles Villiers Stanford, who made no secret of his debt to Brahms. As with his Viennese counterpart, Stanford's music is poised yet seductive and, in this case, beautifully conceived for both instruments. Known for the strength of his vocal music, Gerald Finzi also makes the clarinet sing in his Five Bagatelles composed during the Second World War. Light and touching, they appear as a personal reinterpretation of the baroque dances found in Bach's instrumental suites. Not surprisingly, Marcolm Arnold's Sonatina has always been popular with clarinettists, with it's energy and it's nods to jazz and dance music. Last but not least, Joseph Horovitz, the last composer in chronological order, is represented by his Two Majorcan Pieces and his Sonatina. Once again, the music is playful and makes an excellent showcase for the clarinet.

Sir Thomas Beecham had a long association with the works of Richard Strauss, to the extent that Strauss once told him, "What you have done for my works in England cannot be sufficiently appreciated." SOMM Recordings pays tribute to this collaboration between two musical giants of the early twentieth century-and throws in an early nineteenth-century powerhouse for good measure-with the release of Beecham Conducts R. Strauss and Beethoven. This is the 33rd edition of SOMM's long-running and acclaimed series The Beecham Collection, and it marks the 70th anniversary of two remarkable recordings from 1956. Once again, audio engineer Lani Spahr brings his depth of musicality and technical expertise to these newly restored masterworks. In addition to his determined efforts to put Strauss's operas on the London stage-beginning with conducting the British premiere of Strauss's opera Elektra in 1910-Beecham was enthusiastic about Strauss's tone poems. Ein Heldenleben, in particular, became something of a calling card for him. In 1947, he made a studio recording of the tone poem with the recently established Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A few weeks after his death in 1961, his 1958 stereo recording of Ein Heldenleben was released. The present live recording comes from an all-Strauss concert given at the Royal Festival Hall on 17 October 1956. The first half of the programme included MacBeth, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, and the Dance of the Seven Veils, which SOMM released in 2023 (ARIADNE 5021). The second half, heard here, was devoted to Ein Heldenleben. Strauss's eighth tone poem is considered somewhat autobiographical despite his insistence that the hero was "not a single poetical or historical figure, but rather a more general and free ideal of great and manly heroism." It traces the dramatic arc of the hero's life through his adversaries and his companion; at battle and in peace; and it closes with his retirement from this world. Contemporary critics of Beecham's rapturously received 1956 performance were fulsome in their praise, one noting that "the epilogue was played with such tenderness as to bring tears to the eyes," and another that "this is how Strauss can sound when conducted with musical sensibility deepened by experience." Beecham's relationship with Ludwig van Beethoven was rather more ambivalent. Although he performed several of Beethoven's symphonies regularly, his recordings were more sporadic and he never completed a full cycle. SOMM is fortunate and proud to present here Beecham's exciting, fleet-footed interpretation of the Eighth Symphony, recorded at the Festival Hall on 12 December 1956. His performance brings energy and a sense of fun to the work, which musicologist Nigel Simeone describes as the "wittiest of the Beethoven symphonies."

Les Beatles (mais pas que) en jazz. Le duo Sara Longo / Alvise Seggi nous invite dans un voyage onirique et intime qui fait voile au gre des melodies du tandem Lennon/ McCarney. Surprenant et envoûtant. Augustin BONDOUX The Beatles in jazz. Lending sails to the melodies of Lennon and McCartney, the duo of Sara Longo and Alvise Seggi takes us on an intimate, dreamlike tour. The result? A voyage of spellbinding surprises. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (FEAT. MATTEO GALLUS) - ELEANOR RIGBY (FEAT. DUDU KOUATe & MICHELE BONIVENTO) - CAN't BUY ME LOVE (FEAT. NICOLA ANGELUCCI) - TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS - ALL THAT MATTERS IS TODAY - FOR NO ONE - COME TOGETHER (FEAT. NICOLA ANGELUCCI) - LET IT BE - NORWEGIAN WOOD (FEAT. FILIPPO VIGNATO) - AND I LOVE HER - ENDLESS LAWNS - QUE JE T'AIME - ALFONSINA y EL MAR. SARA LONGO VOICE - ALVISE SEGGI DOUBLEBASS AND CELLO + SPECIAL GUESTS: MATTEO GALLUS VIOLIN - FILIPPO VIGNATO TROMBONE - MICHELE BONIVENTO HAMMOND ORGAN - DUDU KOUATe PERCUSSIONS - NICOLA ANGELUCCI DRUMS.

Santtu conducts Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 is the fifth album from Philharmonia Records. Largely interpreted as depicting Stalin's regime in Russia, the orchestra delivers tragedy, violence and gloom before the brief but triumphant finale. Conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, this performance was recorded at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in April 2024.

Had Alberto Ginastera not been born just three years after the scandalous premiere of The Rite of Spring, he could easily have been considered one of the earliest followers of the "pagan" Stravinsky. Although wild rhythms of ancient dances, volcanic eruptions of complex sound layers, and martyrs of all kinds permeate his works, they are never random in form. His First String Quartet from 1948, for example, follows a traditional path, with some bows losing a bit of horsehair during performance - not unlike his Piano Quintet, premiered in Venice in 1963, which explores the limits of what is possible in seven extremely concise sections that the composer described as "neo-expressionistic". Maurice Ravel's unique String Quartet acts as an "impressionist" antipode and delicate counterpoint in this context.

Wilhelm Furtwangler was born in Schoneberg (now a district of Berlin) in 1886, but spent most of his childhood in Munich, where his father, an archaeologist, taught at the university. He received a musical education from an early age, and soon became obsessed with the works of Beethoven - a lifelong fascination. Furtwangler considered himself to be a composer, and learned to conduct principally to be able to promote his own works. Everyone else saw him as an incredibly talented conductor, but as a composer? - not so much. It is, however, his own individual approach that underscores his entire career - his reputation as a conductor was built on the re-interpretation of each score he conducted, a principle far removed from the then more usual rigid adherence to performance tradition. His whole career was built on his belief in the sanctity of the German artistic tradition - not only of music but of literature and philosophy. Furtwangler rose to the most important conductorships available, replacing Richard Strauss at the Staatskapelle Berlin in 1920, and then, following the sudden death of Arthur Nikisch, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic. Through the 1930s and '40s, his career was defined by his opposition to Nazism, and the determination of the regime to use his international reputation as propaganda to promote their cause. The best known of his three symphonies, the second was composed in 1945 - 46 whilst he was self-exiled in Switzerland.

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of classical and romantic repertoire, Imogen Cooper is internationally renowned for her virtuosity and lyricism. Dame Imogen writes: 'It has taken many years for me to perceive the last three sonatas by Beethoven as the evolving journey I now feel them to be. A combination of wariness of Op. 109 and overawe of Op. 111 kept me solely concentrated on Op. 110, which I can hardly regret. Nor do I regret thereby coming late in life to Opp. 109 and 111. Having come to see the shortcomings of my perception as surmountable, I found that the joys and riches of these wonderful works presented themselves with much more vivid colours than had I tussled with them whilst I was tussling with myself. The case was, incidentally, similar with the "Diabelli" Variations, Op. 120, which I finally approached and embraced in my sixties, with crystal clarity of intention and unadulterated joy. Now it would be hard for me to play any of the last three sonatas alone, so potent is the journey from first to last. And how privileged my hands feel, having wondered and wandered in the heavenly heights of the last pages of Op. 111, to travel down the keyboard and bring this astonishing last sonata, and indeed the whole body of thirty-two sonatas, to a close, with a quiet chord of C major - no long note value, no fermata. Just silence.'

Santtu conducts Shostakovich is the fourth album from Philharmonia Records, featuring Shostakovich's colourful Sixth Symphony alongside his subversive and sardonic Ninth Symphony. Conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, these performances were recorded at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall in 2023.

Ausias Parejo won the 2022 'Alhambra' International Guitar Competition at the age of 17. In this programme he includes works by Leo Brouwer, Ponce and Guastavino, as well as works by Juan Erena, Lorenzo Palomo (a premiere recording) and Ausias's father Ruben.

- Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) was an English composer known for his lyrical and contemplative music, often inspired by English literature and landscape. Born in London, he faced numerous hardships and personal losses early in life, which shaped much of his musical output, often reflecting themes of mortality and nostalgia. In World War II he worked to assist German and Austrian musicians fleeing the Nazis. - Finzi's works are characterized by their deep sensitivity to English poetry and their pastoral nature. His love for literature is evident in many of his vocal works, including settings of texts by Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth, and Christina Rossetti. - The cantata Dies Natalis, composed between 1925 and 1939, is one of Finzi's most celebrated works. It is a setting of texts by the 17th-century poet Thomas Traherne, which explore themes of innocence and the wonder of a newborn experiencing the world for the first time. Scored for solo voice and strings, the work reflects Finzi's delicate and expressive style, with lyrical vocal lines and lush orchestration that evoke a sense of spiritual reflection. - Also presented is Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, a vibrant and melodious work, one of the finest in it's genre. - Performed by Susanna Rigacci, Roberta Gottardi, and the Benedetto Marcello Chamber Orchestra conducted by Flavio Scogna.

"Echos de la Terre," the first album with Cypres by the highly promising Trio O3, is intended as an aural journey into the immensity and immeasurability of the world around us. Each composition resonates with one of the fundamental elements present in nature. However, the element earth, mentioned in the title of the CD, is not directly linked to any of the four pieces. Rather, it is light (Fiorini) that appears as a crucial element alongside air (Kõrvits), fire (Saariaho), and water (Crumb).

Interpreting these complex works as if they were their mother tongue, Lydie Thonnard, Eugénie Defraigne, and Lena Kollmeier, thanks to their mastery of unconventional playing techniques, bring them to life and fuse their distinct instrumental voices into a harmonious whole, lavishing the listener with unexpected pleasures and profound emotions.

Featuring the first recording of BRITTEN's Les Illuminations, Op. 18 sung in English, from a brand new translation by Timothy Ades. Also includes the original French version. Coupled with Samuel BARBER's dramatic masterpiece Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24, written just a few years after Les Illuminations. Among the most personal and powerful music ever written for the human voice, Britten and Barber's masterpiece settings of texts by Rimbaud and Agee continue to resonate intensely. Taken together, they form bookends to the cataclysms of the 20th century, with it's two life-shattering world wars. The colours, verbal and harmonic, of such human drama are a dazzling mix, running the gamut of life in dramatic flux. Mild mannered it is not, though parts are hauntingly beautiful.

Soulima Stravinsky was the third child of Igor and Yekaterina Stravinsky. His career in music encompassed performing as a recitalist and concerto soloist, particularly noted for interpretations of his father's music, musicology, education, and composition. Soulima's performing career was slowly expanded with achievements as a transcriber, editor, author, and composer, although in the later endeavour his work was inevitably overshadowed by his father's towering reputation. Soulima had a particular gift for composing music for children. He made two visits to the Nimbus Studios, in 1975 to record these performances of his father's music, and in 1977 to record his own music for children. This is the first release of these fine performances, fascinating not least for their specific historic significance. © Adrian Farmer

Commissioned by Marc Collet and Ensemble21, Onze Folksongs d'ici et d'ailleurs by Jean-Marie Rens is a complete rearrangement of his Sept chansons traditionnelles flamandes, francaises et wallonnes composed over twenty years ago. This new version calls for a larger instrumental ensemble, since it was rewritten for the lineup of Luciano Berio's famous Folk Songs, to which it offers an original and unprecedented mirror. The challenge here was to preserve the specific character of these Sept chansons while carrying out a massive task of orchestration-arrangement as well as composition.   Luciano Berio is arguably the most prominent figure in contemporary Italian music. He composed the cycle of Folk Songs in 1964 for his wife, the American soprano Cathy Berberian. A remarkable fusion of popular and classical music, they represent a kind of anthology made up of eleven folk songs of various origins that the composer had found on old records, in printed collections or heard directly from friends.   Albane Carrere and the Ensemble21 conducted by Marc Collet approach these two collections with infinite tenderness and a subtle art of evocation. Albane Carrere's mezzo voice weaves the link and travels imperceptibly between these two worlds.

The Irish-French composer Augusta Holmes (1847-1903) is one of those female composers who knew how to overcome all hindrances with natural elan. "Like children, women have no concept of obstacles and their willpower tears down all walls," said her colleague Camille Saint-Saens. He hit the nail on the head, as the three-movement tone poem Roland Furieux disarmingly demonstrates. Just as the strong emotions of the knight, who temporarily loses his mind in a love frenzy, so too are the surges of Holmes' orchestra, which she masters with awe-inspiring self-confidence in all it's nuances. This artistry is present whether she is writing works with a national flavour or bringing mythical figures to life in song, as in the enchanting Andromede, who is saved from the "Battle of the Titans" by the loving Perseus.

"Highways and Byways: A Double Album of Rarities for Recorder"

A seminal contribution to the canon of recorder music, this recording assumes a pivotal role, enriching the repertoire and captivating audiences with its distinct allure and technical prowess. Serving as a valuable resource for connoisseurs of recorder music and an inviting introduction for novices, Highways and Byways features a diverse array of compositions. Through its discerning curation and expert execution, this recording not only commemorates the recorder's storied legacy but also fosters an appreciation for its enduring elegance and adaptability.

John Turner presents recorder pieces by renowned composers such as Lennox Berkeley, John McCabe, and Thomas Pitfield. Discover rare gems by Igor Stravinsky and Alexander Gretchaninov, alongside a remarkable composition for recorder and two violas by the distinguished American composer William Bergsma.

As a special treat, the album includes two previously unknown pieces by the late Christopher Ball, along with two compositions by John Turner himself, including a homage to Ukraine. It's a veritable feast of rare and captivating music!

Renowned as one of today's leading recorder players, John Turner's illustrious career spans performances with esteemed ensembles like David Munrow’s Early Music Consort of London and recordings with prestigious orchestras worldwide. With over 600 premieres to his credit, including works by Leonard Bernstein and Peter Sculthorpe, Turner's artistry has left an indelible mark on the contemporary recorder repertoire.

Featuring performances by John Turner (recorder), Stephen Bettaney (piano), Laura Robinson (recorder), Catherine Yates (viola), and Alex Mitchell (viola), "Highways and Byways" is a testament to the dedication of these exceptional musicians.

Swedes are proud of Elfrida Andree. She was the first woman that conquered the position of cathedral organist. Even reactionaries that were appalled at having a woman playing from the gallery capitulated at hearing her skill. Critics that reviewed her compositions found positive words for her - even for her first symphony, premiered in 1869, which the composer later disparaged as an "early work". The Fritiof Suite, on the other hand, was an unqualified success. In 1909, Elfrida Andree made a suite of five movements based on her (only) opera Fritiof Saga. Unlike the staged work of 1898, these 'scenes' were once very popular - a fantastic piece of incidental music for the Fritiof epic by the poet Esaias Tegner, which practically every child in Sweden knew.

La chanson doit donner l'impression d'être nee toute seule. Une chanson doit être intelligente sans qu'on s'en apercoive, sans qu'elle hurle : "je suis une chanson intelligente"... Le parolier ideal est pour moi Charles Trenet. Il fait descendre la chanson dans la rue sans qu'elle se casse la figure en se jetant du troisieme etage. Jean COCTEAU L'integrale Fremeaux & Associes de Charles Trenet realisee sous la direction de Daniel Nevers, puis de Vincent Lisita et Pascal Halbeher, reunit la totalite des enregistrements phonographiques originaux disponibles aupres des collectionneurs sensibilises à l'ambition museographique d'un catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre enregistree du fou chantant. Aux enregistrements choisis et commercialises de l'epoque, le directeur artistique presente les alternates qui proposent d'autres versions des mêmes titres. Cette vocation d'exhaustivite historiographique dediee au patrimoine sonore phonographique s'accompagne (toujours chronologiquement) de documents radiophoniques, de publicites chantees afin d'eclairer la diversite de la production de l'artiste et de reveler retrospectivement les raisons de son appartenance à notre memoire collective. Patrick Fremeaux & Claude Colombini "A song must give you the impression it was born on it's own. A song has to be intelligent without you noticing it, without it having to shout, 'I am an intelligent song'. For me, Charles Trenet is the ideal songwriter. He brings the song down into the street without it falling flat on it's face after throwing itself off the third floor." Jean COCTEAU CD 1 : JULIETTE GReCO ET CHARLES TRENET : PReSENTATION DES SPECTACLES DE CHARLES TRENET ET D'eDITH PIAF À PARIS - CHARLES TRENET - ReCITAL 1961 - THeÂTRE DE L'eTOILE - ORCH. DIR. GUY LUYPAERTS, CHOEURS DIR. RAYMOND SAINT-PAUL : POT POURRI : QU'EST DEVENUE LA MADELON ? - RIEN NE PEUT CHANGER MA JOIE - DIS-MOI, QUEL EST TON NOM ? - BONSOIR JOLIE MADAME - LE PIANO DE LA PLAGE - LA FOLLE COMPLAINTE - DANS LES PHARMACIES - BOUM - RIEN NE PEUT CHANGER MA JOIE - ORPHeE - LA JAVA DU DIABLE - LES VOIX DU CIEL - LE JARDIN EXTRAORDINAIRE - QU'EST DEVENUE LA MADELON ? - LA MER - y A D'LA JOIE ! - CLAUDE CHEVALIER ET SON MUSETTE - FLEURS DE MUSETTE : LES TROIS ROSES - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. MICHEL LEGRAND : NUIT D'HIVER - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. PIERRE SPIERS : LES PETITS REGRETS - LES SOLDATS - DANIELLE DARRIEUX - PRINTEMPS DE PARIS - ORCH. DIR. JO MOUTET : LES VOIX DU CIEL - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. ANDRe POPP : KANGOUROU - LA P'TIT' DIDI - AU FIL DU TEMPS PERDU - LE PAUVRE ANTOINE - PIANISTE NON IDENTIFIe : TU REVERRAS L'ÎLE MAURICE (THIS IS YOU) - TOI QUI PASSAIS - RENe GLANEAU - WSPOMNIENIA Z PARYZ?A - ORCH. DIR. RYSZARDA DAMROSZA : LA MER. CD 2 : CHARLES TRENET : LA CHANSON EST UN ART MINEUR - CHARLES TRENET - ACC. PIANO FREDDY LIENHART : MA PHILOSOPHIE - KANGOUROU - CHARLES TRENET - ACC. PIANO FREDDY LIENHART : AU CLAIR DE LA LUNE - DEAN MARTIN - CHA CHA DE AMOR - ORCH. DIR. NELSON RIDDLE : I WISH YOU LOVE - LUCIENNE DELYLE - C'eTAIT LE BON TEMPS - ORCH. DIR. AIMe BARELLI : LA VALSE À TOUT LE MONDE - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. CHRISTIAN CHEVALLIER : L'HORRIBLE TANGO (VERSION GOMINA) - JARDIN DU MOIS DE MAI - SI LOIN DE TON AMOUR - LUNDI AU LIT (LES BRUITS DE PARIS) - DUKE ELLINGTON - MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - ORCH. DIR. DUKE ELLINGTON : I WISH YOU LOVE - JANINE WOLF - LES TANGOS TERRIBLES ! - ORCH. DIR. DIDIER BOLAND : L'HORRIBLE TANGO - CHARLES TRENET - ACC. PIANO PAUL DE MARGERIE, PReS. GEORGES ULMER : AU FIL DU TEMPS PERDU - RETOUR À PARIS / HELLO PARIS - QUE RESTE-T-IL DE NOS AMOURS ? / HOW MUCH REMAINS OF ALL OUR LOVES ? - LE PIANO DE LA PLAGE - EN CE TEMPS-LÀ - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. PIERRE SPIERS : DIS-MOI, QUEL EST TON NOM ? - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. INCONNU : EN SEINE-ET-OISE - CATERINA VALENTE - ORCH. DIR. eTIENNE VERSCHUEREN : VOUS OUBLIEZ VOTRE CHEVAL - CATERINA VALENTE - GREAT CONTINENTAL HITS - ORCH. DIR. STANLEY BLACK : WHY DO YOU PASS ME BY ? - CHARLES TRENET - CHANSONS À LA UNE - ORCH. DIR. CHRISTIAN CHEVALLIER ET LES ANGELS : LE GRAND PARTAGE - JEUNESSE PLUMeE - ADIEU MES BEAUX RIVAGES - ANNIE-ANNA - COLETTE RENARD - ORCH. DIR. RAYMOND LEGRAND : LE GRAND PARTAGE - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. INCONNU : SIMPLE ET LeGeRE - MARIE MARIE - L'INQUIET - CHARLES TRENET - ORCH. DIR. PIERRE SPIERS : JEUNESSE PLUMeE - LE GRAND PARTAGE - JE TWISTE. DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : PASCAL HALBEHER ET VINCENT LISITA