Jacques Casterede (1926-2014) was a distinguished French composer, pianist, teacher, and musical analyst whose career bridged the traditions of twentieth-century French music and a personal, highly expressive compositional language. Born in Paris on 10 April 1926, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire under influential teachers including Tony Aubin and Olivier Messiaen. His exceptional talent earned him first prizes in piano, chamber music, harmony, composition, and musical analysis, culminating in the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1953. Following a residency at the Villa Medici in Rome, Casterede returned to France and became an important educator at the Paris Conservatoire, where he taught analysis, composition, and musicianship for several decades. Casterede's music combines melodic vitality, modal inflections, rhythmic energy, and rich harmonic textures. Although influenced by French masters such as Debussy, Ravel, Honegger, and Messiaen, he developed a distinctive style that balanced clarity of form with expressive freedom. Among his most significant contributions to the string orchestra repertoire is the Symphonie pour orchestre a cordes No.1 (1952). Written when the composer was still in his twenties, the work reveals many of the characteristics that would define his mature style: continuous melodic movement, energetic rhythmic writing, and a sophisticated harmonic language rooted in both tonal and modal traditions. Another important work for string orchestra is the Prelude et fugue (1960), a composition that reflects Casterede's deep interest in contrapuntal technique. Critics have noted it's combination of neo-Baroque energy with a modern harmonic vocabulary, producing music that is both intellectually rigorous and immediately engaging. Casterede also wrote concertante works featuring string orchestra, including his Concerto No.1 for Piano and String Orchestra (1954), and Trois paysages d'automne (1982) for cello and strings. These compositions further demonstrate his affinity for the sonorities of the string ensemble and his ability to combine lyricism with structural elegance. This recording is the 6th CD on Brilliant Classics of the Ciconia Consort (The Hague String Orchestra), a Dutch string orchestra conducted by Dick van Gasteren, an internationally active conductor, who was Bernard Haitink's assistant during the Mahler Festival Amsterdam in 1995. Critical praise for the Ciconia Consort on Brilliant Classics: 'The Ciconia Consort does Casterede proud, dispatching the counterpoint in the finale with relish I enjoyed this disc greatly.' Fanfare (French Music, 95734) 'The Ciconia Consort, resident at the Hague, are a fine ensemble, and this collection will not disappoint.' MusicWeb International (American Pioneers, 96086).

Dmitri Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony stands as one of the defining orchestral masterpieces of the twentieth century. A deeply personal work that emerged in the wake of Stalin's death and marked the composer's triumphant return to the symphonic genre. Balancing profound introspection with explosive drama, the symphony traces a powerful emotional journey in which Shostakovich's unmistakable musical voice, symbolized by his famous DSCH motif, transforms personal struggle into a timeless statement of resilience and humanity. Daniel Raiskin and the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra bring exceptional insight and intensity to this landmark score. Renowned for it's distinctive Bohemian sound and international acclaim, the orchestra captures every shade of Shostakovich's richly expressive writing - from haunting lyricism to overwhelming orchestral power. Together, Raiskin and the orchestra deliver a compelling interpretation that reveals the enduring emotional depth and universal significance of this extraordinary symphony.

Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) was born in Bonn and moved to Vienna in 1801, where his life became closely related to that of Ludwig van Beethoven (also a native of Bonn...). Ries studied piano with him, copied his scores and was the interpreter of several new works, notably the premiere of the Third Piano Concerto. Ries also wrote the first biography of Beethoven, an invaluable source of first-hand information. Ries' style inevitably is modelled on that of his master Beethoven; he was, however, strong enough to stand on his own. His compositions include symphonies, violin and piano concertos, three operas, and numerous chamber works, reflecting a style that bridges classicism and early romanticism. The compositions presented on this recording - only a small part of Ferdinand Ries' extensive and still largely unexplored catalogue - belong to the genre of salon music: pieces designed for performance and private enjoyment, with brilliant and virtuosic tones. While remaining within conventional forms, Ries infuses these pages with surprising vitality and inventive richness. What is striking above all is the breadth of the structures: traditionally short genres such as polonaises and marches are significantly expanded to accommodate a generous amount of musical ideas. Played with gusto and flair by Gianluca Faragli and Silvia Giliberto. Faragli already recorded successfully a CD with piano works by Ries for Piano Classics.

This attractive program brings together a fine selection of solo and concertante works for organ, as played by the young and highly talented Czech organist Adam Suk. Probably the best-known and most frequently performed organ concerto with orchestra ever was written by French composer Francis Poulenc. Although several separate parts can be recognized in it's course, it is written as an uninterrupted single-movement flow of music. The mood of the concerto is deep, dark and introspective, yet it bears all the typical hallmarks of Poulenc's music: distinctive melodic invention, a sense of contrast, and subtle irony. Another organ concerto presented here is by Franz Xaver Brixi, a Bohemian who worked at the Benedictine Church of St. George at Prague Castle, where he wrote several organ concertos specifically for this venue - a form that was not at all common at the time. The Organ Concerto in D major retains the classical three-movement structure (fast-slow-fast). In style, it is more of a classical work, light and free of the complex 'Bachian' Baroque polyphony. As a start of the program we here three works for organ solo by Pachelbel and Johann Sebastian Bach, whose Sinfonia from Cantata No.29 'Wir danken dir Gott, wir danken dir' BWV29 whose festive tone is enhanced by three trumpets with timpani and an unusually virtuoso organ part. Adam Suk (born 2005) won several national and international competitions and builds an impressive career both as soloist and with orchestras, like the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice. Vahan Mardirossian leads Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice in the concertante works on this recording.

Francesco Mancini (1672-1732) was an Italian Baroque composer and organist, whose career was closely associated with Naples, one of the most vibrant musical centers of the early eighteenth century. A pupil of Francesco Provenzale, Mancini rose to prominence within the Neapolitan court and church music establishments, ultimately succeeding Alessandro Scarlatti as maestro di cappella at the royal chapel in 1725. Although he composed extensively for the stage and sacred venues-producing operas, cantatas, and oratorios-his instrumental music, particularly his works for the flute, reveals his deep understanding of melody, virtuosity, and expressive nuance. Mancini's Sonate per flauto e cembalo (Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord), published in London around 1724, represent some of the earliest Italian compositions dedicated specifically to the transverse flute, an instrument gaining popularity across Europe at the time. These sonatas blend the lyrical warmth typical of the Neapolitan school with virtuosic passagework that highlights both technical brilliance and expressive depth. The writing often alternates between elegant, songlike slow movements and rhythmically animated fast movements, showing Mancini's mastery of balance between vocal-style phrasing and instrumental agility. Equally notable are his Concerti per flauto, which demonstrate an inventive approach to orchestral color and solo writing. The flute concertos combine Italianate brilliance with a sensitivity to the instrument's timbre, employing graceful melodic lines, clear structures, and engaging dialogue between soloist and ensemble. Mancini's concertos, alongside those of contemporaries such as Vivaldi and Pergolesi, contributed to establishing the flute as a leading solo instrument in eighteenth-century concert life. Played by Lorenzo Cavasanti and Corina Marti, and the Capella Tiberina (Paolo Perrone, concertmaster) and the Ensemble Tripla Concordia.

Among the most distinctive voices in contemporary Irish music, Deirdre Gribbin has established an international reputation for chamber works of striking individuality and expressive depth. The works featured on this recording exemplify a sound world shaped by colour, texture, and an extraordinary sense of time, inviting listeners into spaces of reflection and emotional resonance. Central to this programme is Kindersang, a song-cycle based on the historically significant Kindertransport, a work that gives voice to the experiences of displaced children during the Second World War, while also resonating powerfully with the realities faced by children in the present day. It's dialogue between voice and violin creates an intimate and often haunting exchange, underscoring themes of memory, separation, and survival. Alongside this stands Soul Outsider, a chamber work inspired by the portraits of Lucian Freud, in which cello, clarinet, percussion, and electric guitar engage in a striking and dynamic interplay. Here, contrasting timbres and textures mirror the psychological intensity and layered humanity of Freud's imagery. Rooted in an awareness of history, memory, and landscape, Gribbin's music draws subtle connections between heritage and contemporary experience. Lyricism, connected to folk sources and tradition, emerges through a profound sense of place, atmosphere, and human experience, carefully crafted yet immediately engaging.

Brian Brockless (1926-95), London-born and -bred, was a conductor, organist, teacher and composer whose career embraced orchestral performance, sacred music, musical education and the revival of Renaissance polyphony. After studying with Herbert Howells, Matyas Seiber and Sergiu Celibidache, he taught harmony and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music and served for many years as Director of Music at a City of London church. This album - the first recorded survey of his music - ranges from works for string orchestra and piano to songs, sacred vocal music and music for organ, most of them prepared from unpublished manuscripts. The music as a whole is marked by an essential Englishness, one which looks to earlier traditions and also reflects the modernity of the second half of the twentieth century.

This is the 4th album of the New Talents Editions, showcasing young talented musicians and Saint-Saens complete concertos. In this CD it introduces, on the one hand, the Israeli pianist Ariel Lanyi, who performs two concert pieces composed in 1884: highly virtuosic and melodically inspired works distinct from piano concertos. On the other hand, Lukas Hasler takes his place at the Rieger organ in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein - a modern instrument with 86 stops, inaugurated in 2011, which the company from Schwarzach (Austria) fitted into the historic case of the original Ladegast organ.

With this new release, Reinhardt Winkler and his outstanding ensemble present a deeply expressive journey through selected Jazz Standards- performed with elegance, sensitivity, and remarkable musical depth. This is music that breathes naturally. Every note is played with intention, every interaction shaped by mutual listening, trust, and pure musicality. Rather than simply interpreting standards, the musicians celebrate them with warmth, sophistication, and an unmistakable sense of atmosphere. The quartet creates space for one another, allowing the music to unfold with authenticity and emotional honesty. At the center of the ensemble's flowing interplay is Reinhardt Winkler's drumming- combining subtle groove, refined touch, and deep musical sensitivity. With understated rhythmic intuition and an elegant sense of space, his playing guides the music naturally, always serving the collective sound while giving it momentum, warmth, and quiet intensity. The result is an album full of nuanced dynamics, refined interplay, and genuine artistic dedication.

When Christoph Met Christopher A magical, musical meeting of minds occurred when Swiss cellist Christoph Croise and Canadian composer Christopher Tyler Nickel first connected. Christopher already had a cello concerto in the works, and in Christoph he found the perfect partner to interpret his composition. Christoph's passion for new music aligned with his admiration for Christopher's modern yet clear aesthetic. The composer elaborates, 'One of the joys of working with Christoph was that he understood the emotions [of the concerto] right from the start. He's such an intuitive player and I knew immediately that he understood what I was after. What more could a composer ask for?' Christopher is no stranger to the concerto genre, having penned many for winds and brass. But this is his first for a stringed instrument, a challenge he relished and enjoyed - with Christoph's input - as he explored the variety of colours, timbres and harmonic possibilities of the instrument. Their collaboration led Christopher to compose two new works for Christoph, for cello and piano. The intimate, seven-movement Reflections on Requiem draws on melodic themes from the composer's Requiem. The two miniatures Echoes of Tranquility were inspired by a suggestion from Christoph to compose accessible modern music for today's listening lifestyle. Without any artistic compromise, Christopher delivered what Christoph calls 'beautiful little masterpieces'.

Boris Lyatoshynsky is regarded as one of the leading Ukrainian composers of the twentieth century. He developed and established a distinctive musical style rooted in the traditions of nineteenth-century European romanticism and the modernism of the first third of the twentieth century. He held a number of important positions in the various committees and panels of Soviet composers' organisations, and also became professor of Music at the Kyiv Conservatoire. The first String Quartet is a student composition, written whilst he was studying with Reinhold Gliere, whose stylistic influence is clearly discernible in the thematic material. The second Quartet dates from 1922, when the composer, aged twenty-seven, had established his own musical voice. Like the first quartet, it introduces traces of Russian and Ukrainian folk music whilst adhering to the established four-movement form of the traditional string quartet. Founded in Kyiv in 2015, the NotaBene Chamber Group is a collective of musicians of the new generation, whose repertoire focuses on classical and contemporary music.

Jonathan Ferrucci, one of the most exciting young pianists, presents his eagerly awaited second recording for audite. Following his highly acclaimed performances of Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccatas, Ferrucci now turns his attention to one of Bach's best-known and most demanding keyboard cycles: the six "English Suites", a universe of Baroque music comprising concertante preludes and French dance movements.

'A single motif is enough to identify the composer,' is howfriends have described the work of the composer Anatolijus senderovas (1945-2019). A distinctive artist who balanced the rationality of contemporary music with an innate emotionality in his work, he left a special mark on Lithuanian musical culture in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, continuing the Litvak thread that is inseparable from Lithuania's cultural history. This album, marking the 80th anniversary of the composer's birth, features three works: the Concerto in Do (2002), the Concerto No 3 for cello and symphony orchestra (2012), and 'The Songs of Shulamith' for cello and symphony orchestra (2000). These works are performed by Gleb Pysniak, one of the most prominent cellists in Lithuania and the Baltic States, and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robertas servenikas. ' Text: Rasa Murauskaite-Juskiene English text editor: Joseph Everatt

Nicola Fago was a composer and a teacher (he was a teacher of counterpoint and composition at the Sant'Onofrio Conservatory and at the Pieta de'Turchini, where his pupils included composers such as Leonardo Leo, Francesco Feo and Nicolò Jommelli) and had a leading role in the musical life of Naples in the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, that period known as the 'Austrian Viceroyalty' spanning from Francesco Provenzale to Alessandro Scarlatti, leading composers of his era. Il Faraone sommerso is the only one of the six oratorios composed by Fago between 1705 and 1711 whose music has survived; it has been preserved in two manuscripts, both hand-copied: one is held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, bearing the date 1709; the other in the Library of the Florence Conservatoire, held in the Basevi collection. The libretto has not survived and the name of the librettist is unknown; he was most likely a high-ranking prelate who adapted one of the many librettos of 'sacred dramas' dedicated to the episode of the liberation of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery through the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. Even the time of composition is currently merely a hypothesis: if the date of 1709, as recorded in the Bodleian Library manuscript, is indeed the date of composition, the work was probably commissioned from Fago by Cardinal Francesco Pignatelli (Senise, 6 February 1652 - Naples, 5 December 1734) - a figure linked to the curia of Taranto - as part of a cycle of oratorios on biblical themes to be performed in the chapel of his palace in Naples during Lent that year.

A central figure of the organ in the first half of the twentieth century, Marcel Dupre (1886-1971) brought the French symphonic organ to international prominence and trained several generations of leading organists. In this recording, Olivier Latry pays tribute to this composer and arranger through works that place particular emphasis on the dialogue between the symphonic organ and the orchestra in it's fullest expression.

Written for the bass Luigi Lablache, the tenor Giovanni David and the soprano Josephine Fodor-Mainville, Amazilia premiered on 6 July 1825 at the Teatro San Carlo In Naples and was well received, although the local press reported a 'brilliant opening, which the rest of the performance did not quite live up to'. Restaged the following year at the San Carlo, Amazilia was definitively a 'highly praised score'. In the same year, outside the San Carlo, it was also performed in Palermo and Milan. Amazilia was subsequently performed in Rome, again in Naples and Palermo, in Messina and in Livorno, either in the one-act version or the two-act version, both of which were published in reductions for voice and piano in 1831. Amazilia remains an opera that Pacini must undeniably have considered significant: he even named one of his daughters Amazilia, and the opera enjoyed great popularity as a source of popular arias. Almost all the pieces can be found incorporated into operas by other composers, and Pacini himself consented to the grand rondo from Amazilia being sung within Gli Arabi nelle Gallie. This practice continued for a long time, ensuring the success of pieces from Amazilia well into the early 1850s, thanks in part to certain performers' fondness for specific arias from the opera. Zadir's cavatina, for example, became a signature piece for the tenor Mario de Candia, who incorporated it-adapted to his own needs-into operas such as Rossini's La donna del lago and Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia. A few decades earlier, to give another example, Lablache introduced Cabana's cavatina into some performances of Rossini's Mose in Egitto in Paris. The French press still had Pacini's melodies ringing in their ears when, a few years later, they accused Bellini of plagiarism, claiming he had copied passages from Amazilia, which may well have had some influence on works such as Norma (1831). Even in the 20th century, Beverly Sills inserted the cabaletta 'Parmi vederlo ahi misero' into the 1974 New York production of Rossini's Assedio di Corinto, unaware of the aria's origin.

La Dolce Stravaganza reimagines Antonio Vivaldi's celebrated violin concertos through the expressive voices of the recorder family. Recorder virtuoso Thomas Triesschijn breathes new life into these masterpieces with a series of elegant transcriptions, showcasing not only the familiar alto recorder but also rarely heard historical instruments such as the voice flute, sixth flute, third flute, and E-flat alto recorder. The result is a richly coloured musical journey that expands the recorder's repertoire while revealing new dimensions of Vivaldi's melodic brilliance and theatrical imagination.  Performed with the vibrant period ensemble The Counterpoints, this recording captures the irresistible contrasts at the heart of Vivaldi's music - from dazzling virtuosity and infectious rhythmic energy to deeply lyrical, aria-like slow movements of remarkable intimacy. Inspired by the musical world of eighteenth-century Venice and Vivaldi's legacy at the Ospedale della Pieta, La Dolce Stravaganza is both a tribute to Baroque creativity and an invitation to rediscover familiar masterpieces through fresh ears and the uniquely sweet voice of the flauto dolce.

This anthology of Bernard de Vienne's work is a musical portrait of the composer and demonstrates the diversity of the ensembles for which he writes. From his birth in Tunisia and his studies in ethnomusicology, he developed a keen sensitivity to all the world's music, and part of his output bears the mark of this. His interest in philosophy, literature, poetry and the sciences is evident throughout his works. His constant search for new ways of playing, and the pleasure he takes in playing his instrument (the flute), inspire him to compose colourful, imaginative and dynamic works. With the exception of his Fourth Quartet, recorded for this box set, all the pieces on these two discs are live concert recordings and bear witness to his artistic affinities.

The publication Der Seele Innerstes ward offenbar on Walther von Goethe brings together exclusively world premiere recordings with a comprehensive accompanying book (edited by Ulf Bastlein and Ariane Ludwig). The compositions of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's eldest, almost completely forgotten grandson are characterised by a wide stylistic range: from delicate 'miniatures en musique' through sarcastic and ironic scenes to sweeping ballads. A pupil of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Carl Loewe, he set to music, amongst other things, texts by his grandfather, by Heinrich Heine, by poets largely unknown today, and also his own poems. Compositionally, he forged his own, often experimental path. Central to his work is his aesthetic of inwardness. Some elements (harmonic breaks, surprising modulations) sound almost 'modern'. Goethe repeatedly explores the boundaries between sung melody and declamatory speech. As he conceives the song in terms of vocal melody, many of his songs are instantly memorable. The performers are Ulf Bastlein (baritone) and Silke Evers (soprano). Their musical partners at the grand pianos - five historical instruments, including the Goethe family's Nannette Streicher grand piano - are Christoph Ritter and Hedayet Jonas Djeddikar. Contributions on biographical, musical and cultural-historical aspects were written by, amongst others, Ulf Bastlein, Dieter Borchmeyer, Jochen Golz, Peter Gülke, Christian Hain, Karsten Hein and Ariane Ludwig.

The elegant and courtly world of Bach's chamber music, explored through his longstanding affection for the intimate sound of the viola da gamba. Bach owned a viola da gamba and may very well have played it himself, along with the violin and the keyboard family. While the instrument was already becoming obsolete during his lifetime, to be replaced by the stronger and more reliable sound of the cello, Bach evidently enjoyed writing for it, and perhaps for the virtuoso instrumentalists with whom he came into contact, firstly as Capellmeister at the court in Cothen, and then as Cantor of St Thomas's Church in Leipzig. The measured eloquence of the gamba is heard at it's most affecting in the St John and St Matthew Passions, where Bach used it as an obbligato instrument at points of most inward contemplation. His writing for it as a chamber-music instrument, in the three sonatas BWV1027-1029 which have come down to us, is less florid, though at points no less challenging. The quick movements engage in lively discourse with the continuo, while the slow sections draw out the gamba's potential to sustain a long singing line. What makes this new recording unique is the transcriptions of other chamber-music pieces: the Sonatas BWV527, 1019, 1023 and 1030. BWV527 is more familiar as a trio sonata (for organ or chamber group); BWV1019 and 1023 are drawn from the collection of six sonatas composed for violin and harpsichord; 1030 is more familiar as a flute sonata. However, the melody line of all four works fits sympathetically onto the wide register of the gamba. Through these new recordings, Rainer Zipperling and Pieter-Jan Belder draw us into Bach's domestic circle with their unforced and gently persuasive accounts. Zipperling has played with many of Europe's most renowned early-music groups such as the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, La Petite Bande, Ricercar Consort and Camerata Koln. He has regularly performed with Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists as principal cellist and gambist. He also worked with Claudio Abbado and his Orchestra Mozart, performing the Brandenburg Concertos. He is joined here by Pieter-Jan Belder, who has made so many first-class recordings of Baroque repertoire for Brilliant Classics, as both instrumentalist and conductor.