In April of 1996, Ofra Harnoy entered the venerable Abbey Road Studios in London with the London Philharmonic Orchestra to record Edward Elgar’s great cello concerto. Unfortunately, shortly after this event, the end result did not end up where it was supposed to be and was not released to the public. In fact, the whereabouts of the recording went unknown for quite some time, afterward.

In early 2022, through some diligent searching, the lost recording was located and will now be released paired with Harnoy’s remastered recording of the Édouard Lalo Cello Concerto, on the Sony Classical label. With the help of session notes from and conversations with recording producer Andrew Keener, the 1996 Abbey Road sessions were edited (Mike Herriott) and mastered (Ron Searles). The result is what will likely be lauded as one of the definitive interpretations of Elgar’s great warhorse for the cello.

Described by the New York Times as “born to the instrument”, Ofra Harnoy brings her unmatched passion and virtuoso to Elgar’s masterpiece and final notable composition. Very much influenced by Jacqueline Du Pré’s 1965 recording, and the rare opportunity afforded her to study the work with Ms. Du Pré, in masterclass, Harnoy’s own voice comes to the fore to capture Elgar’s own anguish and heartbreak.

Christian Gerhaher’s new recording of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in a version with piano featuring tenor Piotr Beczala and pianist Gerold Huber.

"This recording of Das Lied von der Erde does not represent a preliminary stage in Mahler’s compositional process but stands alongside it as its equal. […] The piano version of Das Lied von der Erde is more daring and at the same time more intimate, forcing the singers to sing in a different, more subtly nuanced, way than they would with an orchestra, while listeners are obliged to listen more intently and to prolong the abstract sound in their imaginations until it acquires the rhetorical colour that is implied by Mahler’s music."

The second album from the impressive American soprano after her critically acclaimed debut album, "Rachel". Includes Richard Strauss' most renowned song-cycle for soprano plus the final scene from his last opera, 'Capriccio'. Rachel's glistening tone, faultless technique and expressiveness make her the perfect interpreter of Strauss's works and she is joined by fellow "Strauss-aficionados” the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and conductor Andris Nelsons.

Sony Classical is proud to announce the release of the brand-new album from LAVINIA MEIJER, a pioneering and exciting musician and composer, and one of the most important harpists of her generation. Four years in the making, Are You Still Somewhere? sees Meijer combine original compositions with her long stated dream of interpreting modern composers and musicians for harp. Works by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ólafur Arnalds, and Alexandra Streliski all feature, as do collaborations with Dutch pianist Pieter de Graaf and punk legend Iggy Pop.

Lavinia Meijer has always pushed boundaries. Born in South Korea and adopted by a Dutch Austrian couple aged 2, she was only 9 when she stated playing the harp. By 11, she’d already been admitted to the prestigious Utrecht Conservatory, and by 14 was playing with symphony orchestras. Known for her passion in broadening the possibilities of the harp – both in terms of sound and appeal – she’s garnered worldwide critical acclaim for her intelligent, inventive interpretations of both orchestral repertoire and more contemporary music, playing alongside the likes of Philip Glass and Ólafur Arnalds, and performing works by Radiohead in classical venues.

Over the years, she’s been experimenting with electronic music, jazz, theatrical music, and avant rock. It was these experiments that led her to the ideas behind Are You Still Somewhere?, and provided inspiration for her own compositions. “I miss certain elements in the existing repertoire of the harp,” says Meijer, “particularly with regards to bringing the instrument into the new century, making it an instrument of today and tomorrow.”

Exploring different genres – pop and rock, dance and folk, jazz and electronica – led her to discover new elements and new sounds in the harp; to open up possibilities. “Really, it’s a way for me to connect myself to the world,” she says.

Her new compositions reflect this; that musical culture is connected to society, and the world we live in. Inspired by events, large and small, around her and in her own life, Are You Still Somewhere? concerns self-reflection and inner growth, topics that have come to the fore over the last couple of years. Family too; looking back, longing, and living with one’s regrets are raked over in ‘Mom & Dad’, a track that features spoken word poetry from Iggy Pop. Melancholic and sombre, it’s a deeply emotional piece; few works here conjure such raw feelings.

So too ‘Another Lonely Night’, one of Meijer’s own works that confronts the youth suicide epidemic in her native homeland, and the pressure felt by teenagers to conform and succeed. Based mainly on two chords, the music climbs up and up, a sonic visualization of climbing up inside a building all the way to the top. ‘Stay In The Dark’, a work by mysterious neoclassical pianist Lambert, is another work that hues towards the darker end of the spectrum. “He uses very subtle night sounds, making it seem you are captured in the dark,” Meijer explains. The use of ‘lost sounds’ from the last century, discovered in an archive in the Netherlands, add to the moody atmosphere and sense of the nocturnal.

Are You Still Somewhere? is a record that showcases Meijer’s evolution as an artist and composer, but one that also speaks to her past. Defiantly individual, it brings the full scope of her talent as a harpist to the fore, and marks out new possibilities with her instrument; she pushing boundaries further than ever. “I’ve played with DJs, with pop, rock artists, jazz, and world music; it’s all possible with just one harp,” she says. “I want to show that it’s not just part of ancient history, but it’s contemporary and will keep developing itself. Are You Still Somewhere? is my way to prove that.”

REVIEW:

The album’s title implies loss and loneliness and, yes, much of it does have a feel of sitting in an empty room staring bleakly into space. Aside from brief moments from the likes of Preisner and Sakamoto, most of the material is by Lavinia Meijer herself, who is joined at the end by Iggy Pop.

-- BBC Music Magazine

TRACKLIST:

1. Showing Me (Lavinia Meijer)
2. Saman (Ólafur Arnalds)
3. Plus tôt (Alexandra Streliski)
4. Les Marionettes (Zbigniew Preisner)
5. Are You Still Somewhere? (Lavinia Meijer)
6. Porcelain (Lambert)
7. Another Lonely Night (Lavinia Meijer)
8. Stay in the Dark (Lambert)
9. Born (Lavinia Meijer)
10. DAMnation (Lavinia Meijer) feat. Pieter de Graaf
11. Solitude (Ryuichi Sakamoto)
12. Mom & Dad (Lavinia Meijer, Iggy Pop) feat. Iggy Pop

Sony Classical releases the fourth installment of Christian Thielemann’s complete cycle of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic – the orchestra’s first Bruckner cycle under a single conductor. “The claim that this orchestra is essentially the only genuine original sound ensemble for the music of Anton Bruckner should remain beyond dispute” raves Die Presse. The Vienna Philharmonic premiered four of Bruckner’s nine symphonies and has enjoyed a unique relationship with the Austrian composer’s music since 1873, when it gave the first performance of his Symphony No 2.

Thielemann has come as close as possible to the ideal Bruckner sound with the Vienna Philharmonic: full-toned, warm, with registrations that are full of countless colours, clear without sounding harsh and well-contoured without seeming angular. Thielemann’s interpretations of Bruckner’s music are rooted on deep expertise and sympathy. Few conductors can match the solemnity and patience he finds in composer’s symphonies, or his ability to draw on the unparalleled beauty of the orchestra’s sound and the special acoustic of its home in Vienna, the Musikverein.

Christian Thielemann, Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden and Artistic Director of the Salzburg Easter Festival since 2013, is his generation’s most esteemed interpreter of the Romantic Austro-German repertoire. In the midst of a mutually stimulating relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic, he conducted his first New Year’s Concert with the orchestra in 2019.

The Vienna Philharmonic will issue the final release of the live cycle in 2024, marking 200 years since the Bruckner’s birth.

Raphaela Gromes has received acclaim for her highly virtuoso, brilliant and passionately expressive cello playing. What also distinguishes this exceptional musician is her enjoyment of the musical treasure hunt. With her last Sony Classical releases, she delighted critics and audiences with world premiere recordings of pieces by Richard Strauss and Julius Klengel. Her "Offenbach" album received the Opus Klassik Award 2020. For her new album “Imagination”, Raphaela chose imaginative music, music based on stories, on fairy tales. The wide selection includes a waltz from Tchaikovsky's ballet music "Sleeping Beauty," a "Fairy Tale Narration" by Robert Schumann, the "Evening Prayer" from Humperdinck's popular fairy tale opera "Hansel and Gretel", Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" and other dreamy, magical and highly poetic pieces by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847), Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) and Franz Liszt (1811-1886). "Imagination" also presents less-known works by David Popper, Paul Juon, and rarities like "Märchenstunde" by the composer Margarete Schweikert, and "Forgotten Fairy Tales" by the New Yorker Edward McDowell.

Most of the pieces are newly arranged by Raphaela's duo-partner Julian Riem for violoncello and piano, but also for piano trio and for complementary harp and saxophone quartet. Raphaela Gromes recorded the arrangements with Julian Riem and musician friends such as Daniels Dodds (violin), Arcis Saxophone Quartet and Anaïs Gaudemard (harp). Raphaela Gromes came up with the idea for this album during a hike in the spring of 2020 - when she came across a particularly enchanted place in a forest at dusk. "The sky was reflected in the pond, and the backlighting caused a magic glow to emerge around the reeds and flowers, as if elves and fairies were floating in the light above the water", Gromes says: "The "Dance of the Elves" by David Popper came into my mind. I was immediately inspired and full of energy, and when I got home, I immediately went in search of more music that would take me into the world of magic and fantasy." The album ends with "The Shire" from "Lord of the Rings" and "Leia's theme" from Star Wars are both recorded in a new cover version for cello and piano.

With "New Mozart," conductor Reinhard Goebel, the "tireless discoverer" (Rondo), once again shows what treasures continue to be discovered in the music archives: For his new project "New Mozart" with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, he deals with musical treasures that revolve around the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The first album already presents a world premiere recording: the orchestral version of the the serenade "Gran Partita" KV 361 by Mozart. The "Gran Partita" for large wind and string ensembles was arranged by the Bavarian composer and Mozart expert Franz Gleissner (1761-1818) into an orchestral version and published in 1800 as "Sinfonia concertante" Op. 91. Also worth discovering on "New Mozart" is the rarely recorded Violin Concerto in E-flat Major K. 268, which was attributed to Mozart. In the meantime, it is certain that the Violin Concerto in E-flat Major was written by an unknown Mozart contemporary, despite many musical parallels to Mozart. Whoever the true author may be, the new recording under Reinhard Goebel with violinist Mirijam Contzen as soloist is in any case a repertoire enrichment, since there is still a lack of attention for the violin concertos of Mozart's contemporaries. Whoever wrote this work during Mozart's lifetime succeeded in creating a concerto that is highly demanding in terms of playing technique and at the same time shines with a cantabile quality that is reminiscent of Mozart from afar.

After his highly acclaimed recordings of the complete Mozart piano sonatas, pianist William Youn, who was born in South Korea and has been living in Munich for many years, began a cycle of piano sonatas by Franz Schubert. The first volume received fantastic reviews: "For the program alone, Youn's selections each offer a characteristic example of Schubert's various stages of compositional development. The playing is of exquisite beauty and simplicity. And in doing so, Youn expands the interpretive spectrum of Schubert's sonatas to include an intimate tone all his own. He leaves room for the music to unfold in a completely unpathetic and unforced manner, while maintaining a constant flow and soft but clear outlines. Youn's playing convinces [...] through flawless, perfectly realized naturalness." (Fono Forum, Album of the Month, 5 Stars)

The second album features the Sonatas nos. 4 (D. 537), 18 (D. 894), 19 (D. 958) and 20 (D. 959). The latter three are among Schubert's final major compositions for solo piano. No. 18 was the last of Schubert's sonatas published during his lifetime and was later described by R. Schumann as the "most perfect in form and conception" of any of Schubert's sonatas. Schubert composed the Sonatas Nos. 19 and 20 during the last months of life, between the spring and autumn of 1828; they were published ten years after his death and are now considered mature masterpieces. The album also includes the Adagio in E major, D. 612. "I chose this movement as a link between the two sonatas D. 537 and 959, because the music sounds like an improvisation to me", Youn explains.

With his recordings for Sony Classical and outstanding engagements in the operatic world, Antonello Manacorda has become one of the most interesting conductors of our time. The Sony Classical recordings of the complete Schubert symphonies with Kammerakademie Potsdam have received numerous prizes and are considered reference recordings. The Mendelssohn symphonies with this ensemble were also enthusiastically praised: "Great phrasing, rousing Romantic élan and a well-balanced plasticity of the overall sound [...] Manacorda and the Potsdam Chamber Academy know exactly how to use listening alternatives offers without going too far or even relying on the pure effect. [...] Here you can tell what a pleasure it gave them to play this music. " (Rondo)

Antonello Manacorda is a recognized Mozart expert, especially in the opera world, and so it stands to reason that the new album also presents an exciting corner of Mozart's output: his last three symphonies (1756-1791). Symphonies 39, 40 and 41 were all written in the summer of 1788 and completed in just two months. Mozart completed the Symphony in E-flat major KV 543 (No. 39) on June 26th, followed by the G minor symphony KV 550 (No. 40) on July 25th, and the famous "Jupiter" Symphony in C major KV 551 (No. 41) on August 10th. Many believe that Mozart conceived of these three as a unit; this recording presents them as such.

Sony Classical releases the second installment of Christian Thielemann’s complete cycle of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic – the orchestra’s first Bruckner cycle under a single conductor.

Christian Thielemann, Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden, Artistic Director of the Salzburg Easter Festival since 2013 and Music Director of the Bayreuth Festival, is his generation’s most esteemed interpreter of the Romantic Austro-German repertoire. In the midst of a mutually stimulating relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic, he conducted his first New Year’s Concert with the orchestra in 2019.

Thielemann’s interpretations of Bruckner’s music are rooted on deep expertise and sympathy. Few conductors can match the solemnity and patience he finds in composer’s symphonies, or his ability to draw on the unparalleled beauty of the orchestra’s sound and the special acoustic of its home in Vienna, the Musikverein.

Bruckner conceived the Symphony No 3 as a tribute to his musical guiding light, Richard Wagner. The result is a monolithic memorial that manages to convey deep intimacy – the first symphony in which Bruckner properly revealed his own musical voice. The work heralded a sense of breadth and awe new to symphonic music.

REVIEW:

The Viennese players give Thielemann everything he commands, elegantly shaping and sculpting the bigger structural pillars and bringing crafted nuance and color to the shorter phrases. The sound of the Vienna Philharmonic is nothing less than beautiful, most noticeable in the more complex textures.

– The Classic Review