Between pastoral lyricism and modernist edge lies another, richly compelling story of twentieth-century British music. This programme brings together four distinctive voices - Ruth Gipps, Doreen Carwithen, William Alwyn and Elizabeth Maconchy - whose works chart an alternative path through an era often defined by aesthetic conflict. Featuring soloists Alex Mitchell, Alexandra Dariescu and Rachael Clegg, with Manchester Camerata under the inspired direction of John Andrews, these performances illuminate music of remarkable individuality and emotional range. From Gipps' Jane Grey and Carwithen's long-neglected Piano Concerto to Alwyn's Autumn Legend and the searching power of Maconchy's Life Story, this album reveals a British musical landscape far richer, more adventurous and more rewarding than received histories have long suggested.

Selection - Produced by Trio X of Sweden A collection of music from previous album releases Vinyl mastering - Alar Suurna Vid Froso kyrka, Roslagsvår, Lacrimosa - Mastered by Martin Igelstrom Somaoh, Atonement, Nå skrufva fiolen, Naomi - Mixed and Mastered by Lars Nilsson, Nilento Elsas brudmarsch, Månnes polska - Mixed by Hans Surte Norin, Mastered by Martin Igelstrom

Baritone saxophonists Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile reunite their powerhouse quintet for You Are The One, a vibrant follow up to Boss Baritones (SCCD 31963) that again showcases the rare chemistry between two masters of the instrument. Drawing on a mix of classic repertoire - Thad Jones, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie - and newly minted originals by both leaders, the album highlights the duo's deep command of bebop language, contrapuntal writing, and the propulsive blend only two baritones can create. Smulyan's witty muscular swing pair beautifully with Basile's lyrical clarity, while pianist Steve Ash, bassist Mike Karn, and drummer Aaron Seeber provide a responsive, hard driving foundation. You Are The One is a spirited, straight-ahead session that celebrates tradition with unmistakable joy. 'Boss Baritones is a fine example of how jazz praxes originating in the mid-to-late 20th century can-in the right hands-sound fresh and invigorating in the present day.' (David A. Orthmann - All About Jazz on SCCD 31963)

By the mid-19th century, the burgeoning piano industry was in full flower, incorporating many developments and improvements in design. This led to increased consumer demand and mass production. Consequently the piano evolved from being a luxury item to home entertainment center. Until the advent of radio and recordings, this was how you experienced music at home. Apart from traveling to concerts, the only way to get to know, say, a new Brahms Symphony or the latest Wagner or Verdi opera was to play them at the piano, more often than not in arrangements for one piano four hands. Glancing through myriad music catalogs (not to mention IMSLP), it seems that nearly every symphony, string quartet, choral work and opera had once been available in duet arrangements. Most publishers employed staff arrangers for this task; indeed, one could find certain works in more than one or two editions, such as the Beethoven Symphonies. Composers like Liszt, Brahms, Smetana and Dvorak either made their own four hand arrangements or else supervised others to do so. In essence, the piano duet medium represented the most viable way to dissemenate new orchestral works, particularly those for which concert performances were few and far between. One case in point concerns Bruckner's 1877 reworking of his Symphony No. 3. Although it had little success, that didn't stop the 18-year-old Gustav Mahler from transcribing it for piano duet for what is considered to be Mahler's first publication. In turn, Mahler's disciple Bruno Walter arranged Mahler's First and Second Symphonies for four hands. And Alexander von Zemlinsky, another close member of Mahler's inner circle, unveiled his four-hand version of the Sixth in 1906. Born in Vienna on October 14th 1871, Zemlinsky played both piano and organ from a young age, and was admitted to the Vienna Conservatory in 1884 where he studied piano and composition. Brahms apparently was impressed by Zemlinsky's Clarinet Trio (1896), while Mahler himself conducted the premier of Zemlinsky's opera Es war einmal at the Vienna Hofoper in 1900. That same year he made the acquaintance of the 21-year-old aspiring composer Alma Schindler. Their initial teacher/student relationship soon evolved into a turbulent love affair that lasted until the following year when Alma met Mahler, whom she eventually married. Mahler composed his Sixth Symphony between 1903 and 1905, but continued to make adjustments until his death in 1911. He conducted it's world premiere at Essen on May 27th 1906. Out of all of his purely instrumental symphonies, the Sixth is scored for the largest and most varied assortment of instruments. Although Mahler did call this symphony 'Tragic,' he did not designate an official title. Yet the music indisputably embodies the classic Greek idea of tragedy in the futility of one's heroic striving against an inevitable fate. As such, it's the only one of Mahler's symphonies that concludes neither happily nor peacefully. The opening bars introduce the driving march rhythm that loom large throughout the symphony. A chorale-like theme leads into the passionate F Major second theme that Alma claimed to describe her. Not all conductors (nor Faliks and Schlosberg) observe Mahler's indicated exposition repeat, a convention that had long been considered as optional. The development section subjects the themes to elaborate and compact contrapuntal interplay. While one misses the spatial impact of cowbells against soft celesta chords accompanied by high triple-piano violin tremelos, Zemlinsky compensates with equally compelling keyboard textures and pedal effects. Mahler never made up his mind about the order of the two middle movements. His manuscript and first published score places the Scherzo before the Andante, although his performances opted for Andante-Scherzo, which is reflected in the 2003 critical edition. In any event, listeners can program this release to suit their own preferences. In addition to reiterating the motto march motive, the Scherzo stands out for it's quirky and highly original dance sequences. The Trio, marked 'Altvaterisch' ('in an old-fashioned style'), features irregular rhythms and off-beat accents that, according to Alma's memoirs, represent 'the arhythmic games of (our) two little children, tottering in zigzags over the sand. ' Somehow the third section dance's woodwind squeals and col legno string effects prove just as grotesque and menacing via Zemlinsky's piano scoring. By contrast, the Andante provides the Symphony's only sustained point of respite, alternating between two of Mahler's longest and most heartfelt melodies. As writer David Hurwitz astutely explains in his Mahler Symphonies 'Owner's Manual,' the Finale's ambitious dramatic trajectory takes place in four distinct musical zones, each with it's own specific atmosphere: 1) the familiar march elements, 2) the surging lyrical tunes, 3) the introspective pastoral passages and 4) a 'twilight zone' full of terror and mystery. With Mahler's encouragement, both Zemlinsky and Schoenberg founded the Vereinigung schaffender Tonkünstler (Alliance of Creative Musicians) in Vienna in 1904 to promote and disseminate new works. One outcome of the organization was Zemlinsky's four-hand arrangement of the Sixth, which he and Mahler played in Schoenberg's presence. The performance may well have planted the seeds for Schoenberg founding his Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Musical Performance) in 1918. Under Schoenberg's supervision, Zemlinsky's arrangement was performed twice at the Society by pianists Eduard Steuermann and Ernst Barich. In his biography of Mahler, Erwin Ratz wrote that 'The performance. Was a highlight in the concerts of the Society. In about thirty rehearsals Schoenberg had prepared the performance with loving care. In retrospect it may be said that the four-handed rendition bears equal comparison with the performance of the original version. ' Naturally 88 piano keys cannot replicate the visceral impact of Mahler's unprecedented orchestration and his genius for instrumental color. However, since Mahler's orchestral original is ubiquitous in concert and via recordings, one should welcome this opportunity to experience Mahler's Sixth in a relatively unfamiliar yet fresh and authentic light. As Inna Faliks and Daniel Schlosberg cogently reveal in this remarkable recording, the music works well on the piano. In purely keyboard terms, Mahler's contrapuntal acumen and rich harmonic language make a pointed, intimate and idiomatic impact, losing little in translation. Moreover, two pianists sharing one bench can respond with unusual flexibility and immediacy to the music's harrowingly wide emotional gamut, channeling the spirit of Zemlinsky and Mahler hovering over the keyboard when the ink had barely dried on the page. - Jed Distler

For this second album on Alpha Classics (following ALPHA885), Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Fazil Say are not only an extraordinary performing duo, but also composers. They have recorded Szymanowski's magnificent Myths and Prokofiev's sonata, written between 1938 and 1946 amid the violence and fear of war and the Soviet regime- 'Every note says something about today' Kopatchinskaja emphasizes but it is Say's sonata Lost Screams-written for Patricia Kopatchinskaja-that opens this program: 'It embodies the struggles, fears, and silent protests of our times,' explains Fazil Say. Patkop's UniSolo closes the album: she sought to create a musical process without knowing it's outcome: ' At the beginning it revolves around the note A - Situations then developed from this that have surprised even me,' explains Kopatchinskaja, who concludes: 'Composing opens up your ears and dispels any sense of awe. I feel freer, and regard my works as living beings whom I've been conversing with for my whole life.'

Rarely heard, Sergei Prokofiev's own transcriptions for solo piano reveal a fascinating new perspective on his orchestral imagination. This collection brings together rare piano versions of symphonic and ballet works, including several world premiere recordings. Far from simple reductions, these transcriptions transform works such as the 'Classical' Symphony, Le pas d'acier or L'Enfant prodigue into dazzling and highly personal creations. Performed by Alexey Zuev, a specialist of Russian twentieth-century repertoire, and enriched by the research of leading Prokofiev scholar Marina Raku, this album sheds fresh light on a little-known but essential facet of Prokofiev's creative world.

Hans Werner Henze is one of the outstanding composers of the 20th century. To mark his 100th birthday, this edition will contain almost all the recordings released on the WERGO label, some of which were produced under his supervision - an extensive collection that does not claim to be complete, yet serves as an impressive testament to a versatility that echoes Henze's open-mindedness and cosmopolitan outlook: in terms of cultural history, politics and society, as well as form and composition. Regrouped and divided into groups of works in this edition, the recordings, some of which are no longer available, will be released in five CD box sets. Following the already published symphonies, the edition now continues with orchestral works and instrumental concertos, chamber music and piano music, vocal music, and concluding with stage works, including the previously unreleased recording of "Der Prinz von Homburg". In addition to the symphonies, Henze wrote a wide range of orchestral works and concertos, from the early 'Kammerkonzert' to the 'Ouverture für ein Theater', composed in the year of the composer's death. Forms and genres alternate in an impressive way; alongside playful compositions for ballet stands the strict formal design of works as it is in 'Antifone', composed for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In this way, the orchestral works and concertos form a varied and lively counterweight to Henze's cycle of symphonies.

Miniatures of musical conversation - inspiration for every hour and every mood. In Duologues, Rachel Podger pairs up with eminent baroque instrumentalists Lucie Horsch, Jane Rogers and Alex Rolton in a delightful programme of duos (and a few trios for good measure), by J.S. Bach, Telemann, C.P.E. Bach and Boismortier. Playing duos was a staple of 18th-century domestic music-making and offers the players a unique chance to 'converse' spontaneously around all the prevailing emotions, in a varied combination of violin plus recorder, viola or cello. From the reflective to the dazzling, Rachel, Lucie, Jane and Alex invite you to be a part of these endlessly pleasurable and resourceful dialogues.

Herve Niquet possesses two constant character traits: he is an indefatigable excavator of forgotten music, and he loves polyphony and 'large forms'. A few years ago, he caused a sensation by exhuming the monumental music of Striggio. To mark the thirtieth anniversary of his ensemble, Le Concert Spirituel, he now tackles a new peak of polyphony: a mass by Orazio Benevolo (1605-72) performed by eight choirs of four singers, accompanied by fifteen continuo players. In concert, the choirs are spread out around the nave, with the audience in the middle. Benevolo was born to a Burgundian confectioner father who had emigrated to Rome. Educated at the choir school of San Luigi dei Francesi, he became one of the greatest geniuses of polychorality, a prolific composer who represented the splendours of French art in Rome. He ended his career as maestro di cappella at the Vatican. This music has been resurrected thanks to the work of the great musicologist Jean Lionnet, who spent many years copying out by hand the music of numerous Italian composers in the Vatican archives, from which it was impossible to borrow documents. As a result of his labours the Missa Si Deus pro nobis has now been recorded, accompanied by vocal and instrumental pieces by Monteverdi, Frescobaldi and Palestrina.

Welcome to an island where gender roles are radically reversed! Here, Princess Cretidea reigns as a warrior sovereign over submissive men, condemned to vanity and superficial adornment. The unexpected arrival of Roberto and Giannino, castaways from a patriarchal world, upsets the established order in this opera buffa, setting the stage for a delightful clash in which identities collide and reveal themselves. More than a mere historical curiosity, this visionary satire by Baldassare Galuppi and Pietro Chiari offers us an unsettling mirror, urging us to decipher, between the notes, the instability of our own identities and the timeless quest for equality. Under the masterful baton of Vincent Dumestre, Le Poeme Harmonique breathes new life into this forgotten score, revealing it's baroque brilliance and it's astonishing modernity.

Spain is my second musical homeland' - Ravel It is not without irony that prior to the 20th century some of the most famous 'Spanish' classical music was written by the French! Romantic-era intellectuals saw Spain as a seductive and magical attraction, with it's Moorish-style palaces and gardens, festivals, bullfights, costumes, castanets, and flamenco dancing and while Bizet's Carmen carries the greatest weight, pride of place actually goes to Camille Saint-Saëns whose 1863 Introduction and Rondo capriccioso for violin and orchestra already bore a Hispanic flavor (Carmen would not be written for another eight years). In Ravel's case, Spain was already in his blood, thanks to the influence of his Basque mother, but it was a marvel to many, including Manuel de Falla, that he should instinctively have achieved such an authentic sense of Spanish style. The idea for this project was the result of conductor Pierre Bleuse's desire to immerse himself with the musicians of the Odense Symphony Orchestra in the music of Ravel, especially the composer's Spanish-influenced music. The musicians have captured all the colors and details of articulation needed to bring this extraordinary music to life. French conductor Pierre Bleuse has established himself as one of the most dynamic and versatile musicians of his generation. Since 2021 he has served as Music Director of both the Ensemble intercontemporain in Paris, the Odense Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades. Bleuse is particularly admired for his interpretations of the French orchestral repertoire, especially Ravel. As you will hear on his OUR Recordings debut, his performances balance elegance with dramatic intensity, revealing both the brilliance of the orchestration and the expressive depth beneath it's shimmering surface.

SOMM Recordings celebrates the rich cultures of Cyprus with music inspired by this Mediterranean island and the legend of Othello, as conductor-composer Nimrod Borenstein and the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra perform works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Antonin Dvorak, Franz Schubert, and Borenstein himself. Previous Borenstein collaborations with SOMM include his label debut featuring three of his piano compositions [SOMMCD 281], and the release of his Shakespeare Songs, Mandolin Concerto, and Oboe Concerto [SOMMCD 719]. The CySO, is both a strong presence in the musical life of the island and a national symbol that represents the Republic of Cyprus internationally. The album's title work, Legends of Cyprus, composed by Borenstein for the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra in 2025, evokes an entire world of feelings, atmospheres, and magical stories. The composer describes the piece as a continuation of his exploration of richly contrasted orchestral colours and emotional worlds, but within a more concentrated single-movement form-a form akin to 'what the short story is to the novel.' Shakespeare set four of the five acts of Othello on the island of Cyprus, where the tragedy of Iago's manipulation of the Moorish general into believing the infidelity of the innocent Desdemona plays out. The gifted and tragically short-lived Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was commissioned by the actor-manager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to write incidental music for a 1909 production of Othello at His Majesty's Theatre in London. Three years later, Coleridge-Taylor drew from his theatre music a vibrant five-movement orchestral suite.  When Antonin Dvorak arrived in New York 1892 to take up the post of Director of the National Conservatory of Music, he brought with him Nature, Life, and Love, a cycle of three concert overtures. He had composed the third, Othello, earlier that year and conducted the premiere of the trilogy as part of a farewell concert in Prague. Although named a concert overture, Othello is close to being a symphonic poem in it's dramatic musical interpretation of Shakespeare's play and it's frenetic climax of the tragic events. Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus by the German playwright Helmina von Chezy concerns the attempts of the heroine to reclaim her throne despite the efforts of the governor to thwart her. The play closed after two performances in 1823 and is all but lost, though the music written by her friend Franz Schubert-which we know as his Incidental Music to Rosamunde-remains an absolute triumph of the Romantic era. It consists of nine numbers, and included on this disc are the famous Entr'acte No.3 and Ballet No.2.

Renaissance English composer Thomas Tallis is deeply embedded in the Choir of New College Oxford's DNA, an ensemble founded in 1379, well before the birth of the composer. Tallis lived to a ripe old age, under four different monarchs, and was praised for his impeccable craftsmanship. As well as being beautifully finished, his music is also emotionally expressive: works such as Suscipe quaeso Domine demonstrate intense devotional feeling and dramatic text setting. His mastery of the cantus firmus technique is epitomised in the central piece of this album, the Mass 'Puer natus est nobis', a highly sophisticated seven-voice work that is sung here by children and adults. Other works on the programme showcase Tallis's innovation and variety: O nata lux, Salvator mundi and the extraordinary In jejunio et fletu. Tallis inhabited a sound world of his own - one characterised by the voices and musicianship of boy choristers as well as adult singers - so much so that Byrd could say after his death: 'Tallis is dead, and music dies'.

The Cardinal and the Roller, in all it's storytelling and collaboration, captures the power of music to bridge worlds and connect to the shared humanity within us all. At it's heart is the coming together of two ensembles: an American choir led by Dr. Cameron LaBarr and a South African choir led by Dr. Michael Barrett. The Missouri State University Chorale and the University of Pretoria (TUKS) Camerata are both highly respected choral ensembles, yet they differ in many ways. By all expectations, the distinct cultures and sounds of these choirs should not seamlessly work, yet from the very first note they sang together, it was unmistakably clear that this would be an extraordinary project. The album features sixteen tracks, equally representing musical traditions from the United States and South Africa. Ultimately, The Cardinal and the Roller encapsulates the spirit of this album. It reminds us that at the core of humanity lies in a deep longing for connection, integrity, and purpose-to live meaningfully and in harmony with one another. It is our hope that this album creates space for reflection and emotion, and that it leaves you with a renewed sense of hope and joy.

Of this unique recording of a father-and-son team, Chicago Tribune of June 8, 1980 summed up quite eloquently, 'Duets is an unassuming title for one of the loveliest recordings of this or any other year - a SteepleChase album on which guitarist Jimmy Raney joins his guitarist-son, Doug Raney, in a musical dialog so closely knit that often it is hard to tell which Raney is taking the lead...' Originally released in 1980, now newly remastered in 24 bit/96 kHz and pressed on 180g vinyl this edition reveals the warmth, nuance, and subtle interplay that make Duets one of the most distinguished entries in the Raney legacy and a timeless SteepleChase classic. 'In closing I would like to say that I feel that this album and »Stolen Moments« are unquestionably some of my best work to date.' (Jimmy Raney December 1979 - liner notes)

This recording celebrates the Christmas season and it's music, but above all it offers an opportunity to discover a little-known Catalan composer, Jose de San Juan, one of the most famous of his time in Spain, born in Olot (Girona) in 1687 and who died in Madrid in 1735. The works featured on this album are villancicos, Christmas carols performed in churches, mainly during Christmas Matins (December 24) and Epiphany (January 5). This music is brought back to life by Cantoria, a vocal ensemble specialising in the performance of the Iberian vocal repertoire of the Renaissance and early Baroque periods - their first album, recorded at the Centre culturel d'Ambronay in 2022, won the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik - and by it's founder, the singer Jorge Losana. Born in Murcia and now based in Barcelona, he is deeply committed to promoting the Spanish repertoire and cultural decentralisation through his extensive artistic and educational work.

Vivantes brings together the Katok Ensemble, led by Paul Serri, and the Belgian composer Patrick Leterme for a programme conceived at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Charleroi. Spanning works by Maurice Ravel and Guillaume Lekeu, alongside a new composition for string quintet - Racines, Ailes, Brises - the music explores an organic connection to life, nourished by immersion in nature and the resonance of texts by George Sand, Romain Gary and Vinciane Despret. Leterme deploys a particularly precise style of composition, whose deliberate fragility transforms sensitivity itself into a form of resistance.