His playing flashes with summer lightning... His reflexes are nervy and rapid, and he dispatches every outlandish difficulty with an astonishing ease and fleetness.' (Gramophone), 'Exhilarating, and a real revelation' (Guardian), '"larger-than-life swaggerunflinching technique,..thrillingly demonic." (Guardlian). Vincenzo Maltempo's recordings for Piano Classics have consistently been praised with the highest superlatives, for both his uncanny technical facilities and his deep musical insight. His first Alkan recordings established him as first class virtuoso, while his further recordings with works by Liszt, Scriabin, Schumann, Dukas, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms showed a musician with a keen sense of emotional depth. This extraordinary CD presents a wildly varying selection of encore pieces, short works of either intimate lyrical character or of dazzling virtuosity, a true extravaganza of pianistic fireworks!

Star conductor Herbert von Karajan is best known today for his studio recordings. However, although as a media pioneer he recognised the technical possibilities for creating recordings, he always considered the live concert to be the ideal. The radio recordings with the Berliner Philharmoniker, which were made in Berlin between 1953 and 1969 and which we present to you in this edition - mostly as first releases - represent an exciting paradox in this respect: they are snapshots that capture the spontaneity of the live performance, the magic of the unique musical moment. Never before has it been possible to experience Karajan the live artist and his joint work with the Berliner Philharmoniker as vividly as in this comprehensive edition.

This Pure Analogue Vinyl Edition combines Richard Strauss's An Alpine Symphony with a consistently analogue production process. The live performance by the Wiener Symphoniker under their Chief Conductor Petr Popelka, recorded in the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna on 26 February 2026, was captured on analogue tape using a reel-to-reel process and mastered directly from tape to vinyl without any digital intervention. The result is an exceptionally authentic listening experience, preserving the natural dynamics, spatial depth, and tonal warmth of the live performance in all it's immediacy. Strauss's monumental tone poem unfolds in all it's orchestral splendour-from the mysterious colours of night and the ascent to the summit to the elemental force of the storm and the serenity of the closing pages. With commanding musical insight and a finely judged sense of the work's architecture, the Wiener Symphoniker and Petr Popelka guide the listener through a musical journey that reaches far beyond the depiction of Alpine landscapes, emerging as a profound reflection on the human experience. An insightful essay on the work by Thomas Leibnitz offers fresh perspectives on Strauss's final tone poem. The edition is further enriched by Martin Hoffmeister's specially commissioned essay, "Melancholy, Contemplation, and Quiet Happiness: Vinyl as a Mark of Distinction", an exploration of the long-playing record as a cultural artefact, a collector's object, and a uniquely mindful way of experiencing music.

The only violin concerto written by Richard Strauss, at just 18 years old, is a beautiful, energetic, brilliantly structured work with so many clues and features of his later style., says Alena Baeva. With her long-standing collaborator Paavo Jarvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, she has found the ideal partners to record this relatively rarely performed concerto, as well as another early masterpiece, Bartok's First Violin Concerto, which is essentially a love letter to the violinist Stefi Geyer, nine years his junior. The 'Stefi theme' (D - F? - A - C?) forms the basis of the first movement but she never played it, as she broke up with him a few days before he finished his concerto... Bartok's First Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra rounds completes this programme. Just a few days after it's premiere, the composer travelled to Bremen for his next concert in the Glockensaal, where, 94 years later, this recording was made.

Also available on Blu-ray

Valery Gergiev, fresh from his appointment as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, takes his new ensemble to the BBC Proms for a concert of the utmost in drama and vivid musicianship. The brilliant young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov performs Rachmaninov’s thrillingly virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 3, while the Russian stage and film actor Alexei Petrenko recites the text in Galina Ustvolskaya’s resonant and profound Symphony No.3 ‘Jesus Messiah, Save Us!’. The programme also features a hypnotic Ravel Boléro, an alternately tender, florid and witty Rosenkavalier Suite, and the rousing Hungarian March by Berlioz.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Valery Gergiev, fresh from his appointment as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, takes his new ensemble to the BBC Proms for a concert of the utmost in drama and vivid musicianship. The brilliant young Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov performs Rachmaninov’s thrillingly virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 3, while the Russian stage and film actor Alexei Petrenko recites the text in Galina Ustvolskaya’s resonant and profound Symphony No.3 ‘Jesus Messiah, Save Us!’. The programme also features a hypnotic Ravel Boléro, an alternately tender, florid and witty Rosenkavalier Suite, and the rousing Hungarian March by Berlioz.

Sandrine Piau and David Kadouch are reuniting for a project that the French soprano conceived as the second part of a diptych begun with Voyage intime (Alpha 911). This time we enter the world of childhood, but even though this album is called Contes, 'these aren't stories for children,' says David Kadouch. Actually, these stories might even present themselves in a way that provokes anxiety-dark and menacing Sandrine Piau continues: 'Folk tales and legends often serve as an initiation, and they also act providentially as pebbles that guide us through the forest of our most secret atavistic fears.' With their well-known and recognised expertise, Piau and Kadouch bring together composers from a variety of linguistic and artistic backgrounds-Hahn, Debussy, Ravel, Wolf, Strauss, Zemlinsky, Poulenc, Shostakovich-and introduce us to fascinating female composers such as Jeanne Bernard (1895-1965), Wally Karnevo (1914-2015), Louise Didier (1872-1955), and Ilse Weber (1903-1944).

In this album two Swiss musicians - the cellist Andreas Graf and pianist Evelyne Grandy - transform what is essentially a song recital into a programme of lyrical miniatures for cello and piano. They thread their own arrangements of melodies by five fellow Swiss composers through some unfamiliar versions of well-known tunes, casting some long-standing favourites in new light and setting them alongside new delicacies.

I never truly believed in inspiration through natural beauty; in the Roman ruins I was taught otherwise, there the ideas just come flying in.' With these words Richard Strauss describes his work on his Symphonic Poem 'Aus Italien' (From Italy), which besides these Roman places also depicts scenes 'At the Beach at Sorrento' as well as 'Neapolitan Folk Life', setting these impressions to colorful music. In addition to this work with the Munchner Rundfunkorchester under the baton of conductor in residence of the Richard Strausstage festival in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Remy Ballot, selected songs for orchestra and soprano were performed by German soprano Joo-Anne Bitter, who made a name for herself internationally with her acclaimed Richard Wagner interpretations.

I wanted to put together a little bouquet, and this is what we've put together from 21 songs.' In addition to 'floral' songs like the one just mentioned and 'Madchenblumen, Op. 22,' the young Austrian soprano Miriam Kutrowatz and the Munich-born pianist, Lied accompanyist and cabaret artist Andreas Froschl draw from the vast repertoire of Richard Strauss's numerous song compositions. Here, on the one hand, there are more youthful, carefree, and lighthearted emotions, as in 'Rosenband,' 'Amor,' or 'Sausle, liebe Myrthe'; on the other hand, there are also heavy, expressionistic songs that express pain, confusion, despair, or even anger, such as the title track 'Three Songs of Ophelia, Op. 67.' Miriam Kutrowatz who is a regular guest on Europe's principal concert and opera venues presents these and other songs, such as 'Allerseelen,' 'Standchen,' and 'Nichts,' on her debut CD.

Nur zwei Mal hat der japanische Dirigent Seiji Ozawa (1935-2024) das Symphonieorchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Munchner Konzerten geleitet - doch beide Male wurde nichts weniger als Musikgeschichte geschrieben! I'm Juli 1983 dirigierte Ozawa i'm Herkulessaal der Munchner Residenz Strawinskys Le sacre du printemps und Beethovens Egmont-Ouverture sowie dessen Erstes Klavierkonzert mit Martha Argerich als Solistin, das als CD bereits erschienen ist (CD 900701). Und i'm Januar 1990 prasentierte er sich in der Philharmonie i'm Gasteig mit dem hier erstmals auf CD vorgelegten Programm - mit beispiellos beeindruckenden Interpretationen von Beethovens Funfter Symphonie und Strauss' Tondichtung Ein Heldenleben. In Beethovens funfter Symphonie bestaunte bereits der erste Rezensent E. T. A. Hoffmann das in jener Musik zum Ausdruck gebrachte dramatische Ringen des Menschen durch Nacht zum Licht', das auf rein musikalische Weise gestaltet ist, in struktureller Dichte und auerster Stringenz. Erst in der zweiten Halfte des 19. Jahrhunderts wurde das Werk dann zur Schicksalssymphonie', i'm Sinne jenes heroischen Bildes des Menschen und Kunstlers Ludwig van Beethoven, das sich mittlerweile eingeburgert hatte. Demnach sollte die Symphonie das Leiden und uberwinden des titanisch mit dem Schicksal ringenden Beethoven, insbesondere mit dem personlichen Schicksal seiner Ertaubung behandeln. Eine romantische Anschauung vom Kunstler als leidendem Auenseiter wurde nachtraglich dem Leben und Werk Beethovens aufgepfropft, vor allem seiner funften Symphonie. Um das Leben eines Helden geht es auch in Richard Strauss' Tondichtung, die entstand, als er das Amt des Berliner Hofkapellmeisters antrat. Auch mit diesem Werk wollte er (wie etliche seiner Zeitgenossen) an Beethoven oder die von jenem geschaffene musikalische Ausdruckskraft anknupfen - mit den Mitteln seiner Zeit. Die Tondichtung Ein. Heldenleben, die ihre Urauffuhrung am 3. Marz 1899 in Frankfurt am Main erlebte, liee sich einem Brief Strauss' zufolge als moderne Variante der Eroica deuten, die auch formal auf die klassische Sonatenhauptsatzform zuruckgreift. In der Partitur fehlen die programmatischen Erlauterungen; die uberschriften der sechs Abschnitte wurden erst unmittelbar vor der Urauffuhrung formuliert - vermutlich nicht einmal von Strauss. Trotzdem machte man dem Komponisten, den man als Personalunion seines Helden' sah, den Vorwurf tonender Selbstdarstellung.

The gala concert to celebrate the 475th anniversary of the foundation of the Sachsische Staatskapelle Dresden on September 22, 2023 After the introductory tones of Carl Maria von Weber's festive 'Jubel' Overture have died away, conductor Christian Thielemann turns round and addresses himself to the audience: not an official pronouncement with an edited manuscript but a spontaneous, deeply felt expression of commitment. The principal conductor praises the 'wondrous way' in which the orchestra's sound has remained true to itself over the centuries, recalling the great succession of it's Kapellmeisters 'from Hasse through Weber and Wagner to Busch and Bohm' and relating it to the exceptional artistic depth of the city. With a nice touch of irony he quotes Rousseau, who praised Dresden's 'splendid orchestra' at a distance in 1763, and Beethoven, who wrote half a century later: 'It is said to be the best in all Europe.' Finally Thielemann finds words that sound like a gentle reminder in this splendid hall: 'Take care of this orchestra of mine the way you take care of Meissen porcelain and your art collections! It is an appeal and an avowal of love too - for the musicians, for the city, for a 475-yearold tradition that never gathers dust but is constantly renewing itself. The gala concert of September 22, 2023 is more than a celebration of the past: it is an affirmation of what remains present - that Dresden light that streams forth from this recording.

Divine Art is delighted to present Made in Germany, from Texas-based Olmos Ensemble, the first in an exciting series of albums catalogued by country, presenting rarely performed and unrecorded works for mixed chamber instrumentation. Originally formed by the principal players of the San Antonio Symphony, Olmos Ensemble has established itself as one of the premier chamber music organizations in Texas, and features leading musicians from across the United States. Made in Germany will be released as they open their 32nd Season. Each album in the series will feature a works of varied instrumentation, creating a unique collection of recorded chamber repertoire that only an ensemble like Olmos - through their remarkable access to top musicians around the United States - could bring together. The Ensemble's concert programming has won great acclaim for it's focus on showcasing neglected works by female composers, and Olmos is thrilled to bring this to their recordings as well, with each album in the series featuring works by women composers, including many premieres. Made in Germany features three composers of German origin: Richard Strauss, Rudolf Tillmetz, and Ruth Schonthal. The album includes the first recording of Laszlo Varga's highly regarded arrangement of Strauss' Don Quixote for six instruments: clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, cello and piano, which includes every core member of Olmos Ensemble apart from flute. As the original primary voices in the larger orchestrated work (all but piano), these six instruments work wonderfully together in recreating the thrilling tale of Don Quixote. Also included is the first professional recording of Rudolf Tillmetz's only chamber work, the Nocturne for Flute, Horn, and Piano, Op. 31. One of the few Romantic-era trios for this unusual instrumentation, the piece reflects the salon music tradition of late 19th-century Germany, emphasizing lyrical writing and equal interplay between instruments, and although not widely known is a valuable work in the horn and flute chamber music repertoire. German-born Jewish composer, Ruth Schonthal fled Nazi persecution early in her life, first moving to Mexico and later America to study with Paul Hindemith. Completing the album is a rare recording of her late-career Theme and Variations for Solo Flute, which distills her lifelong commitment to melodic expressiveness and emotional narrative into a unique work for solo flute. Future albums in this series will focus on the Czech Republic, America, Italy and Austria. 'We are excited to record music that has never before been paired together on an album and present to the classical music loving public a unique set of all-encompassing recordings that will range from solo works through nonets and possibly larger. With the group consisting of people living in entirely different parts of the US, Olmos Ensemble is unique in it's ability to maintain 31 (and soon 32) seasons of existence, all while presenting lesser known works in addition to insightful interpretations of the great standards.' Members of Olmos Ensemble on this recording are: Artistic Director Mark Teplitsky, Assistant Principal Flute of the Naples Philharmonic, previously second flute at Houston Symphony; violinist Eric Gratz, a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and Artistic Director of the American Chamber Music Society in Chicago; Ilya Shterenberg, Acting Principal Clarinet of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Canada), and Principal Clarinet of several orchestras across the US; cellist Julian Schwarz, first prize winner at the inaugural Schoenfeld International Competition 2013 and a founding member of the Frisson Ensemble; Jeff Garza, principal horn of the Oregon Symphony and the Bellingham Festival of Music; violist Colin Brookes, a founding member of the award-winning Ulysses Quartet, and award-winning soloist; soloist and chamber musician Elizabeth Dorman (piano), a regular guest Keyboard at the San Francisco Symphony, and faculty member of the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music.

Don Quixote' and 'Ein Heldenleben' are two large-scale tone-poems that Richard Strauss composed in Munich and Berlin during the final years of the 19th century. Whilst the first work was inspired by Cervantes' tragicomic novel hero, in the second work he effectively stylised himself as a successful (artistic) hero. Similar characters make an appearance in the two other works on this album: Shakespeare's tragic hero 'MacBeth' in an early overture, and another domestic Strauss hero (named 'Stork') in the opera 'Intermezzo', from which four symphonic interludes are featured here. As General Music Director of the Zurich Opera Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda has conducted these compositions by Strauss, some of which feature a huge orchestra. They are now released together on this album.

Volume seven of Hyperion's Complete Strauss Songs cycle focuses on the juvenilia. But the mysterious TrV references obfuscate compositions of a beauty hard to reconcile with the facts behind their genesis (Strauss was just six when he penned the first of them - his mother had to write in the words for him). Three new singers - Ruby Hughes, Ben Johnson and Gunter Haumer - join Roger Vignoles in this most unexpected of recitals to relish.

The collaboration between Armenian violinist Nikolai Madojan and Danish pianist Elisabeth Westenholz produced a series of outstanding CDs starting with the Prokofiev Sonatas and Five Melodies (32185) in 1994. The Madojan/Westenholz duo has since been performing and recording to critical and popular acclaim. The world’s press wrote of their performances: “…Madojan…has a natural feel for the right inflexion…his is the more thought-provoking…Westenholz refreshingly tender-hearted and imaginative.” (Gramophone) “…Madojan is superb in capturing the expressive, genteel nature of the music. …His intonation is superb as well as timbre, and carefully balanced with the partnership of Westenholz.” (Intune) “…Madojan and Westenholz are a strong, articulate, well-proportioned and mutually reciprocal partnership.” (Gramophone)