Andras Schiff has been closely associated with Lucerne Festival for 35 years. These live recordings from 1998/99, now released for the first time, present him interpreting two masters of the miniature: Schiff performs the short pieces with a love of risk, a great art of characterisation and a tremendous sense of sound.

Ex Nihilo brings together a diverse palette of music into one continuous flow. Ligeti's Musica Ricercata forms the spine of the programme, interwoven with 20th-century works that resonate with it and new interludes by Brecht Valckenaers. Together, they trace a lineage of invention-exploring how composers reimagine their musical language and the piano itself ex nihilo, "from nothing."

Johann Sebastian Bach, though largely unaffected by the trends of his time, reimagined many older forms with striking originality, shaping the course of Western music. Among his innovations is the sonata for a melodic instrument (such as the viola da gamba) and obbligato harpsichord, where both parts engage in equal dialogue-a model later expanded by his sons and composers like Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Following their acclaimed first album dedicated to Corelli's Sonatas Op. 5, Teodoro Bau and Andrea Buccarella now present their second duo recording: the Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord by J.S. Bach, each revealing a unique stylistic approach within a unified form.

Manuel Blancafort's music has a concise tonal directness that draws on his fondness for French composers. His Cancons are not simply evocative but embody an increasing use of the Noucentist aesthetic: the Catalan cultural movement of the early 20th century that was a reaction against Modernisme. Blancafort rejected the Romanticism and Wagnerian pathos of the modernist Lied in favour of Classicism and beauty - sentiments he shared with his Catalan contemporaries Toldra, Gerhard and Mompou. Intimate, sensitive and playful, his Catalan songs connect both to his country's past and also to a wider European musical culture.

This new album from pianist Peter Jablonski and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra under Lukasz Borowicz, includes the world premiere recording of pianist-composer Andre Tchaikowsky's (1935-1982) 1st Piano Concerto and the first studio recording of the composer's 2nd Piano Concerto together with the Piano Sonata.

David Amram's career as a versatile composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist has spanned more than 70 years. Recorded here in it's world premiere, Voyages for Solo Violin in three movements evokes ancient Egypt, Native American and African roots music and, in the words of the composer, "the tradition of the fiddler as a keeper of the flame." Ranging from prayer-like melodies to blues and polyrhythms, the Piano Sonata is one of the most jazz-influenced of any 20th-century work in this genre, while the Violin Sonata brings classical and jazz idioms together in music that inspired a collaboration with the writer Jack Kerouac.

Magnificent sacred music with trumpets and timpani, crowns and concludes the five-part series dedicated to the music of Gregor Joseph Werner. The album unites four multifaceted world premiere recordings that present Haydn's predecessor at Esterh�zy Palace as a forward-looking master of his time.

What is the likelihood of happening upon an oasis in the heart of Europe? In this debut album, the Trio BECEL seeks to evoke just such an extraordinary curiosity. With their unfamiliar constellation of instruments, the trio reveals hidden treasures of Belgium's musical landscape from the 20th & 21st centuries. You will encounter harmonies from the Old Continent intermingled with the rhythms of America, Hungarian bells responding to Japanese poetry or even a soul on a tightrope - dancing

This recording with AZICA Records marks the first modern-day capture of the music of Julia Lazarevna Weissberg Rimsky-Korsakov (1878-1942). During her lifetime, Weissberg ascended the heights of cultural life in Russia's "Silver Age", only to be relegated to obscurity in the subsequent era of socialist realism. A prominent composer, critic, and public figure, she was particularly celebrated for her art songs, symphonic poems, and children's operas. Her works, known for their harmonic ingenuity, were widely published and performed during her lifetime in both Russia and Germany. Born to a prominent Jewish family in Orenburg, Weissberg was a composition student of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory and continued her studies in Berlin with Max Reger and Englebert Humperdink. While in Germany, she saw the premieres of many of her songs for voice and orchestra, which received reviews across Germany, France, England, and Russia. By the time of her return to St. Petersburg in 1912, she was a widely-published composer, publishing under the name Julie Weissberg. She subsequently married musicologist Andrey Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai's son. The couple founded the first Russian music magazine Muz�kal'n�y sovremennik (Contemporary Music) for which Weissberg served on the editorial board and was one of the main reviewers. In her lifetime, Weissberg published more than 75 works, including art songs, symphonic poems, symphonies, chamber works, folk songs, and operas for children. Contemporary Russian composer Mikhail Gnesin referred to her as "the first professional female composer in the history of Russian musical art of the 20th century," and contemporary critic Leonid Sabanayeff claimed that she was "a master in the full sense of the word" for her extraordinary musical and text setting abilities. Many of her art songs feature texts by prominent contemporary women creatives from across the globe, including Indian activist Sarajini Naidu (1879-1949), Polish author and activist Maria Knopnicka (1842-1910), German children's author Paula Dehmel (1862-1918), and her close collaborator Sophia Parnok (1885-1933), later known as the 'Russian Sappho'. Weissberg was a leader in the contemporary music community, championing the creation of new works. She died in 1942 with her son Vsevolod Rimsky-Korsakov in the Nazi siege of Leningrad. Soprano Sarah Moulton Faux, an Opera America and America Prize winner, first saw mention of Julie Weissberg's work while researching the art songs of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Intrigued, Sarah began a two year research project into Weissberg's catalogue with the assistance of musicologist Dr. Olga Panteleeva. Together, they found a treasure trove of Weissberg's published manuscripts in the Russian State Library in Moscow. Panteleeva also discovered a doctoral dissertation by Mazur Marina Moiseeva from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Composer Julie Weissberg: Personality and Creative Heritage (According to the Materials of the Archives of St. Petersburg), which proved to be an invaluable resource. Fifteen songs for voice and piano handpicked from that treasure trove comprise this album, featuring Sarah Moulton Faux and internationally acclaimed pianist and composer Konstantin Soukhovetski. Seven-time Grammy-winner for Classical Music Producer of the Year Judith Sherman is the lead producer and sound engineer.

Step into a world of musical elegance with this release featuring solo piano interpretations of the most famous compositions by J.S. Bach. This album is a celebration of Bach's genius, showcasing the intricate beauty and emotional power of his work through the expressive medium of solo piano. Performed by Tim Allhoff who has collaborated with an impressive array of musicians and ensembles, including Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard, Robbie Williams, Jules Buckley, Vision String Quartet, and many more, this collection promises to deliver a rich listening experience that bridges tradition and innovation. Each piece is thoughtfully crafted to highlight the depth and complexity of Bach's compositions, making them accessible and captivating for both seasoned listeners and newcomers alike.

After releasing the complete set of Ennio Morricone's Cinema Suites for violin and orchestra on two�albums�(Cinema Suites, A495 and�Cinema Rarities, A554),�Marco Serino now presents world premiere recordings of the Maestro's own arrangements for violin and piano. Marco is joined by pianist Leandro Piccioni, who, like Marco, brings over twenty years of experience working closely with Morricone in his favoured orchestra, Roma Sinfonietta. These original arrangements, all from celebrated soundtracks,�represent the point of departure for an original anthology in which the two musicians investigate the wider repertoire connected to the cinema.�Cinema Memories�ranges from works that have since become classics such as the�Three Pieces from Schindler's List�by John Williams to Bernstein's�West Side Story Suite, one of the outright masterpieces of musicals on film, and Myroslav Skoryk's Melody in A minor, a jewel of a piece that has since become a sort of national anthem for the Ukrainian people. It is a programme that interweaves memory and imagination, melancholy and light, dreams and reality, making each listening experience a truly multifaceted experience.

With my second album, "All Things Will Clear Up, Eventually", I want to encourage people to pause-to take a moment to truly feel the struggles in their lives, reflect on themselves, and engage in introspection. It's like lying on your back and gazing at the clouds, watching them appear, shift, and eventually dissolve. You begin to see shapes and patterns-new things you wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't taken the time to look a little longer. I believe that pausing and "gazing at the clouds" is essential for our mental well-being. It keeps us from fleeing into the rush of daily life and ignoring the difficult parts. Instead, it invites us to slow down and attentively observe what surfaces and moves within and around us. And I believe that pausing gives hope. These are the moments when, even in the midst of difficulty, we slowly begin to notice new possibilities and beauty-the blue sky between the clouds, the childlike images hidden in the darker ones. I believe my music can play a comforting and empowering role in this process.

Returning to the roots of classical masterpieces: this is the mission of Zuzanna Sosnowska and pianist Magi Garcias on their GENUIN debut album titled "I'm Volkston" (In Folk Style). The duo explores the rich diversity of folk music from three distinct centuries and cultures, reflected in three masterworks for cello and piano. The internationally sought-after Sosnowska-Garcias Duo performs Robert Schumann's enchanting "Stucke i'm Volkston", Manuel de Falla's sun-drenched "Siete Canciones Populares Espa�olas", and Fazil Say's powerful musical portraits of Turkish cities, the sonata "Four Cities" (Dort Sehir). This moving collection of significant chamber music speaks from the heart and resonates deeply with listeners.

Michelangelo Rossi (1602-1656) was an Italian composer, violinist, and organist of the early Baroque period, known for his highly expressive and often daring keyboard music. Born in Genoa, Rossi was a pupil of Girolamo Frescobaldi, one of the greatest keyboard composers of the time, whose influence is evident in Rossi's intricate counterpoint and rich harmonic language. Rossi later served as a musician in Rome, including at the court of Cardinal Maurizio of Savoy and at St. Peter's Basilica. There he earned recognition both as a virtuoso performer and as a composer. Rossi's surviving keyboard works include a collection of Toccatas and Correntes, which are remarkable examples of early 17th-century Italian keyboard style. His Toccatas follow the model established by Frescobaldi but push it's expressive boundaries even further. They are characterized by rapid contrasts of tempo, rhythm, and affect, alternating between improvisatory, rhapsodic passages and tightly structured contrapuntal sections. Rossi's harmonic language is unusually bold for it's time, often featuring unexpected chromaticism and dissonant progressions that create moments of intense emotional tension. These daring harmonic experiments make his music stand out even among the avant-garde tendencies of early Baroque Italy. The Correntes, by contrast, are more rhythmically regular and dance-like, reflecting the growing importance of stylized dance forms in instrumental music. Yet even within these seemingly simple pieces, Rossi introduces subtle variations and expressive harmonic turns that elevate them beyond mere functional dance music. Played on organ and harpsichord: Organ G.B. Gavinelli (17th century at the S. Anna Church in Bellinzago Novarese, harpsichord from G.B. Giusti 1681 by Andrea di Maio (2006). Manuel Tomadin is one of the foremost Italian organists of today, a scholar and passionate musician, with an impressive discography to his name: Husumer Organ Book, Alberti's Complete Keyboard Works, Van Noordt, Krebs, L�beck, Hassler, Martini, Erbach and other North German organ masters.

When Anton Bruckner premiered his Te Deum at the Vienna Musikverein in 1886, he later referred to it as the "pride of my life." This rare display of self-assurance is striking, given that Bruckner was otherwise known for his artistic self-doubt and frequently revised his compositions. But in this case, he was certain-and the critics agreed: the Te Deum became one of his greatest successes, surpassing even many of his symphonies in public acclaim. The story of the Mass in F minor unfolded rather differently. Commissioned by the Imperial Court Chapel in Vienna (Wiener Hofmusikkappelle), it was composed nearly two decades before the Te Deum. Bruckner subjected the work to multiple revisions up until 1893-a creative process typical of him. He conducted the premiere himself and even covered the considerable costs, after the Hofkappelle had initially dismissed the Mass as "unsingable." Only gradually did the work establish itself in the repertoire. The recordings on this album were made in 2024 and 2025, bringing together an outstanding cast of internationally acclaimed singers under the direction of a conductor of international standing.

Explore the cutting-edge fusion of tradition and technology with Preludes Tableaux, the latest album by visionary composer Johannes Motschmann. In this groundbreaking work, Motschmann collaborates with a custom-built AI, uniquely designed and meticulously trained to understand and replicate his distinctive compositional style. This is no ordinary AI; it was created specifically for this project, using a vast dataset of Motschmann's previous works to shape it's creative output. Each track on the album is the result of a dynamic interaction between Motschmann's human intuition and the AI's computational creativity, blurring the lines between human and machine-made music. The result is a compelling blend of organic and synthetic artistry that redefines musical collaboration. To enhance the sonic depth, the album was recorded using iconic analog instruments such as the Steinway D, Yamaha CP 70, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer, creating an immersive and rich soundscape. Alongside Motschmann's original compositions, the album features faithful, original renditions of classical works by Bach, Schonberg, Skrjabin, and Alain, offering a journey that bridges the gap between the historical and the contemporary.

This new album by Gavle Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jaime Martin includes two perhaps finest orchestral works by Max Reger (1873-1916) written towards the end of his life, the Four Tone Poems after Bocklin and the Romantic Suite, both sensous and poetic works suggesting a loose connection with Debussy. Reger's 150th anniversary of birth was celebrated in 2023. Yet, much of Reger's music appears on concert programmes only very occasionally. During his own lifetime Reger was highly admired: Paul Hindemith described Reger as "the last giant of music," and when Schoenberg founded his Society for Private Musical Performances in 1918, Max Reger, along with Debussy and Bartok, was one of the most frequently performed composers. Admiring Reger as an important innovator, Schoenberg promoted his music because "he still remains unfamiliar" and "I consider him a genius". Reger's Four Tone Poems after Bocklin and the Romantic Suite are sufficient to prove that Schoenberg was totally right.

This anthology of sacred works - all of which could be used in the liturgies of the Christmas festivities - features some of the leading musicians active in Venice in the 16th and 17th centuries. They range from the earliest, Andrea Gabrieli, who died in 1585, to the most recent, Francesco Cavalli, who died almost a century later, in 1676. At the centre of this broad chronological span we encounter not only veritable giants like Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi, but also prominent musicians connected to them, such as the Saxon composer Heinrich Schu�tz, Giovanni Bassano and Alessandro Grandi. After three successful albums on Arcana, Natale veneziano inaugurates a new series by Il Pomo d'Oro. This recording shines a spotlight on the choir of Il Pomo d'Oro, which has accompanied the orchestra's activities under the direction of specialist Giuseppe Maletto since 2021.

Debut album by a young talented Russian guitarist. Well constructed programme based on Leo Brouwer and Agustin Barrios. An engaging listening from start to end, thanks to the Kurenchakova's prowess and eloquence and to the warmly resonant recording.�"Lux Amoris Aeterni" ("The Radiance of Eternal Love") is an album about divine love in the language of music, expressed through the gentle timbre of the classical guitar.

Explore the cutting-edge fusion of tradition and technology with Preludes Tableaux, the latest album by visionary composer Johannes Motschmann. In this groundbreaking work, Motschmann collaborates with a custom-built AI, uniquely designed and meticulously trained to understand and replicate his distinctive compositional style. This is no ordinary AI; it was created specifically for this project, using a vast dataset of Motschmann's previous works to shape it's creative output. Each track on the album is the result of a dynamic interaction between Motschmann's human intuition and the AI's computational creativity, blurring the lines between human and machine-made music. The result is a compelling blend of organic and synthetic artistry that redefines musical collaboration. To enhance the sonic depth, the album was recorded using iconic analog instruments such as the Steinway D, Yamaha CP 70, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer, creating an immersive and rich soundscape. Alongside Motschmann's original compositions, the album features faithful, original renditions of classical works by Bach, Schonberg, Skrjabin, and Alain, offering a journey that bridges the gap between the historical and the contemporary.