The two composers heard on this album, Giovanni Gabrieli (1553-1612) and Giovanni Bonato (born in 1961) have more in common than their first names: both hail from the Veneto in north-east Italy - there is no documentation of Gabrieli's birth, but he was probably Venetian, and Bonato was born in nearby Schio. Their music, too, is conceived in terms of it's sound in space, with Gabrieli using the cori spezzati that sang from the opposing galleries of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, and Bonato employing cori spazzializati to build a spatial dimension into the music itself. Juxtaposed, their styles offer a striking contrast, with Gabrieli's bold declamations set against Bonato's shifting, timeless suspensions.

A unique collection of both piano solo and concertante pieces by the Boulanger sisters, inspiringly brought to life by the Dutch pianist Duco Burgers. Despite her tragically early demise from tuberculosis in 1918, aged just 25, Lili Boulanger has become almost a household name in classical music during the last generation, through her slender but exquisitely crafted works for choral, orchestral and chamber forces above all, exemplified by her Psalm settings and her tone-poems such as D'un soir triste. Her music for solo piano is less well known, but still distinctive, as Duco Burgers persuasively demonstrates in these new recordings of the Prelude in D, the Trois Morceaux and the Theme and Variations. The Prelude is a work of her prodigious teenage years, while the Trois Morceaux belong to the happiest period in her short life, while she was staying at the Villa Medici in Rome, having won the prestigious Prix de Rome. The Fantaisie affords a fascinating window on to the aesthetic ambitions of the 25-year-old Nadia Boulanger as a creator in her own right, years before she became the renowned facilitator of others' creativity as a teacher of composition, theory and technique. The model of Franck's Symphonic Variations may be evident in the form and scale of the 20-minute work, dating from 1912, but Nadia presents her own, high contrasts of tragic nobility and free-flowing fantasy within the piece. Darker still is Vers une vie nouvelle, a solo piece from 1918, brooding and powerful out of all proportion to it's brevity. In his booklet essay, Duco Burgers weaves together commentary on the life and work of the sisters, entwined but distinct threads of energy, creativity and tragedy shaped by the world around them.

Released on the occasion of the Swedish Radio Choir's centenary, this recording brings together works that testify to the richness and the vitality of the internationally acclaimed Swedish choral tradition. The programme features twelve extremely varied works, demonstrating the openness, versatility and flexibility of the Swedish Radio Choir and it's multi-award-winning conductor, Kaspars Putnins. It also pays tribute to the pioneering work of the choir's long-standing choirmaster Eric Ericson, whose work has influenced and inspired composers from many generations. The older works, by Ivar Wideen, Lars Johan Werle, Lars Edlund and Ingvar Lidholm, draw on ancient, secular and religious traditions, from Gregorian chant and madrigals, and combine clear melodic lines, glissandos, chants, whispers and traditional harmonies to create a language that is both modern and accessible. More modern works by Anders Hillborg, Britta Bystrom and Johannes Pollak and explore the human voice and it's possibilities in every conceivable way. Staffan Storm, Ulrika Emanuelsson and Anna-Karin Klockar pay tribute to the great Swedish Romantic Hugo Alfven in pieces composed for the 150th anniversary of his birth. Finally, Arne Lundmark and Jan Sandstrom adapt existing folk and religious pieces and 'expand' the musical content, offering a vision that is both personal and respectful of the original work. The Swedish Radio Choir and Kaspars Putnins invite you to celebrate a century of Swedish musical history.

Paul Ben-Haim ranks among those leading Israeli composers from his generation. Born Paul Frankenburger in Munich he studied composition with Friedrich Klose and served as an assistant conductor to both Bruno Walter and Hans Knappertsbusch. His extensive catalogue comprises works in all the primary genres apart from opera. Music for or with cello features prominently throughout Ben-Haim's output. Following emigration, he increasingly advocated a specifically Jewish national expression while his own compositions favoured a late-Romantic vein redolent of - though by no means indebted (unlike other contemporaries) to - Ernest Bloch and frequently informed by Middle-Eastern overtones.

Drawing from influences as disparate as the blues, jazz, Broadway, gospel, folksong and the wild west, the 'American vignettes' in this album merge popular idioms into a new canon of the repertoire for cello and piano, in a series of musical snapshots that are as varied as the men and women who composed them and yet all remain quintessentially American in spirit. The distinctive voices of six US composers, from the late twentieth and early 21st centuries, here come together to weave a virtuosic and colourful tapestry of Americana.

At over 80 years old, the ever agile and energetic HK Gruber has become an integral part of the music scene - not only in Austria. As a composer, chansonnier and music educator with constructive depth and his distinctive, ironical jokes, he reliably amazes, moves, and evokes laughter in his audiences, far removed from the contrived, mathematical, contemporary musical art. His genre-spanning works are audible, vibrant journeys through the incredible diversity of music history, thus shaping his own, entirely unmistakable style. In Frank Dupree and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, he finds his ideal partners, who skillfully realize this distinctive musical language.

From Renaissance Spain to 21st century Denmark, On a Ground is a musical journey across time and traditions, centered around one of music's most universal elements: the ground bass. Celebrated recorder virtuosa Michala Petri and renowned Japanese baroque harpist Marie Nishiyama unite to explore the expressive power of this timeless form. Recorded, after a concerttour i Japan, including Suntory Hall, and just before the global lockdown at Chichibu Muse Park in Japan, the album presents intimate and evocative interpretations of works by Diego Ortiz, Alessandro Marcello, J.S. Bach, Erik Satie, and contemporary Danish composer Lars Hannibal, among others. The duo's collaboration reveals the meditative beauty and subtle intricacies of their ancient instruments. From the iconic Greensleeves and baroque gems to lyrical modern compositions, On a Ground is a graceful, immersive listening experience rooted in shared artistry and a deep respect for musical heritage. Recorded December 2019, Chichibu Muse Park, Japan in the DXD format by Hironori Kosaka (OMF).

Spiegel i'm Spiegel Celebrating Arvo Part at 90 This album, titled after one of Arvo Part's most beloved works, is a meditative tribute marking the composer's 90th birthday on September 11, 2025. On Spiegel i'm Spiegel, music becomes a mirror: between composers, across centuries, and within the listener. At it's heart are three works by Part-Fratres, Da pacem, and Spiegel i'm Spiegel-each embodying his signature language of stillness and spiritual clarity. They are framed by pieces that resonate with his sensibility: Olivier Messiaen's contemplative Louanges, Johann Sebastian Bach's luminous Sonata for Viola da Gamba, and Alfred Schnittke's brooding Cello Sonata. Performed by Onute Grazinyte and Edward King, with the Aidija Chamber Choir led by Romualdas Grazinis, this collection invites deep listening. From Bach's elegant counterpoint to Messiaen's timeless devotion, each work reflects a shared search for the eternal. A sonic meditation on peace, prayer, and presence-this is music that mirrors the soul. Recorded at Studio Residence Paliesius, May 2025

These are works by Makkonen, Bartok, Bach, Semionov, Lukes, Kovac Galliano, Hermosa, Messiaen inspired by dance and folk music performed by Anna Paulova and Jiri Lukes

Rare Italian Madrigals Composers from the upper drawer number several well-known names (music quality increasing a lot over the century), among them principally Giaches de Wert (1535-1596), Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613), Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), and, not least, Luca Marenzio (1553-1599), to whom the present CD is entirely devoted. In his rather short lifespan, he managed to write about 500 madrigals between 1580 and 1599. In those two decades, his music developed immensely, reaching it's climax in the last ten years of his life. Though continuing to satisfy his great popular following with loads of small, lighthearted songs, Marenzio excelled also in writing ambitious madrigal cycles, of which two are recorded here: Baci soavi e cari (five 6-part madrigals describing several aspects of kissing) and, maybe his magnum opus, Capitolo - Se quel dolor (ten 6-part madrigals delving into one of the period's favourite subjects: melancholia).

At the heart of this album from the Gould Piano Trio is Schubert's Piano Trio in E-flat major, D. 929, a late masterpiece of emotional depth and formal ingenuity. Heard here in it's complete version, the finale restores the haunting B minor passage, it's circling piano figures echoing Der Leiermann, while the Andante's cello theme weaves through the work like a recurring memory. Alongside it is the youthful Piano Trio in B-flat major, D. 28 - fresh, lyrical, and full of promise, whilst Schubert Dances - a charming new suite of waltzes, Landler and Deutscher arranged for piano trio by Brian Newbould, completes the programme and showcases Schubert's lighter side. Together, these works chart a compelling path from teenage inspiration to late-style mastery.

Luminous, sublime, joyful. The soundscapes and emotions captured in the latest disc from Somerville College Choir abound with light. In this curated selection of music from the Indian subcontinent, you will find a vibrant expression of what might be called the living Indian Choral tradition. As plural and changing as light within a prism, the album moves from the fluid harmonies of a Konkani wedding song to deep somatic meditations inspired by the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore, from Hindi secular poetry associated with the changing seasons to a whole-choir explosion of joyful rhythmic syllables in Reena Esmail's virtuosic raga exposition. In this humble tribute to the monumental tapestry of Indian classical music, the Somerville College Choir gives the oldest expression yet of it's aspiration to embrace musical styles far beyond the liturgical canon.

A famous Beethoven work and a Reicha premiere in the hands of exceptional performers. Just like the well-known drama of Beethoven's life, the biography of Anton Reicha would also make an exciting film, but this recording mainly shows us the friendship of the two great composers at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. They were born the same year, and from their first encounter as 15-year-olds in the Bonn court orchestra, they became close friends. They studied together at the university in Bonn, and they both became friends of Haydn. Their music also shared similarities mainly during Reicha's period in Vienna. It was while Reicha was in Vienna that he wrote his only piano concerto and that Beethoven wrote his fifth and most famous work in the genre. Both concertos are in the "heroic" key of E flat major. While Beethoven's "Emperor Concerto" is a mainstay of the piano literature, this is the first complete recording of Reicha's concerto. Missing pages from the solo part were first discovered in 2018. Jan Bartos is a highly acclaimed interpreter of Beethoven, and here he is following in the tradition of his teachers Ivan Moravec and Alfred Brendl. The wonderful playing of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, which has Beethoven's blood in it's veins, gives the live recording from the Prague Spring Festival the hallmark of authenticity. Playing the meticulously detailed accompaniment in the studio recording of Reicha's concerto is the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. Bartos's partner at the helm of both orchestras is Petr Popelka, today undisputedly a world-class conductor who has the rare ability to breathe meaning and life into every note. The friends Beethoven and Reicha are symbolically reunited after more than two centuries on a single album in special musical company.

An interpreter portrait of one of the most important German organists and composers in the second half of the 20th century

Playing Franz Schubert's music on the unusual instrument known as the "arpeggione" in an ensemble with the combination of Schrammel harmonica and contraguitar known as the "Wiener Packl" (Viennese posse) in traditional Viennese music - as far-fetched as this combination may seem at first glance, on closer inspection it is not so outlandish, given that the inventor of the arpeggione, Johann Georg Stauffer, also made the first attempts to develop the contraguitar. And the Schrammel harmonica was also invented around the same time, also in Vienna! On this album by the title "Arpeggione.200," Peter Hudler, Andreas Teufel and Daniel Fuchsberger perform Schubert's popular Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano in addition to different L�ndler and their own arrangements of songs like "Trockne Blumen," "Du bist die Ruh" or "Sei mir gegr��t," opening a gateway to a very special, distinctly poetic, lyrical sound world which also highlights the close relation of Schubert's works to traditional Alpine folk music.

Michael Dellaira has become one of America's leading opera composers, receiving acclaim and awards for compelling stage works including The Leopard (Naxos 8.669052-53). Based on Elisha Kent Kane's expedition to find the Northwest Passage in the mid-19th century, Arctic Explorations is a study on the human desire to discover what lies beyond the boundaries of our experience. The effects of global warming and the plight of the Inuit in one of the most beautiful but endangered places on earth also forms part of the narrative.

The illustrious French organ tradition is celebrated in this album of Toccatas and Meditations, including masterpieces drawn from across the repertoire. Charles-Marie Widor was the founding father of the French Organ School, and his Toccata from Symphony No. 5 is a cornerstone of the organ repertoire. The Meditation by his contemporary Louis Vierne is among the highlights of Romantic organ works. Durufle, Boellmann and Guilmant are also represented, as is a beautiful Ravel arrangement. They're played on the magnificent Grenzing organ at Bauernkirche Iserlohn by Dariia Lytvishko - a Ukrainian-born virtuoso and one of the most lavishly gifted organists of her generation.

Jerrick Cavagnaro, the First Prize Winner in the 2024 American Guild of Organists' (AGO) National Competition in Organ Improvisation (NCOI), releases his debut solo album with Pro Organo, performing upon the historic, renovated pipe organ of Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston. The program contains both repertoire selections and several of Mr. Cavagnaro's organ improvisations in a variety of musical styles.

Three major works for piano and orchestra by English composers, all eschewing the traditional nineteenth- century model of a bravura virtuoso soloist pitted against an orchestra, in distinctive ways. Together with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under George Vass, Clare Hammond presents an original programme that provides a unique perspective on how the piano concerto reflected musical currents in mid-twentieth-century Britain. William Walton's Sinfonia Concertante for Orchestra with Piano Obbligato began as a ballet score. After it was rejected by Sergei Diaghilev, Walton arranged his score into a leaner, more direct and more effective work that reveals the influences of Stravinsky, Poulenc, Rimsky- Korsakov, Borodin and, at times, Elgar. Benjamin Britten's Diversions was commissioned by the left-hand pianist Paul Wittgenstein. Enthusiastic about the challenge of writing for the left hand, Britten devised a work in variation form; he did not seek to conceal the soloist's one-handedness, but revelled in it while still retaining emotion and grandeur. Michael Tippett's Piano Concerto completes the programme. Inspired by a performance of Beethoven's Fourth Concerto, Tippett was convinced that a contemporary concerto could be written, 'in which the piano is used once again for it's poetic capabilities'. In his work, the orchestra does not merely accompany; the principal players shine when they get their opportunity for solos or close dialogue with the soloist.

Since it's foundation in 2013, the Berlin Opera Group has made a name for itself with Berlin premieres such as Donizetti's Deux Hommes et une Femme and Betly, and other operatic rarities. This album is a Deutschlandfunk Kultur recording of the 2021 performance of Pietro Mascagni's Zanetto from the Konzerthaus Berlin. Yajie Zhang was also heard in the role of Ugo d'Asti (OC989). The orchestra of the Berlin Opera Group plays under the direction of Felix Krieger.