Spider's Egg is a sextet put together by Brasilian guitar player Pedro Martins specifically for the 50th edition of the SWR NewJazz Meeting. For five days the six young, internationally renowned musicians, who come from very different geographical places and stylistic directions, exchanged ideas. They experimented in the SWR studios and developed a concert program that they then presented in three concerts in Germany and recorded for the present release. Pedro Martins,​ Brazilian musical prodigy, and winner of The 2015 Montreux Guitar Competition is well known for his collaborations with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Yaron Herman, David Binney, Jacob Collier, and Genevieve Artadi (Knower), as well as Brazilian jazz greats ​Hamilton de Holanda, ​Gabriel Grossi, and Léo Gandelman.

Neither Lucrezia Borgia nor any of the female members of the nobility in that time ever had a musical chapel, unlike their respective husbands. However, part of his domestic budget was destined to string instrument players maintenance, singers and, to a very important person: a dance teacher. If being aware of the latest fashion dances was a socially essential issue, so it was musical evenings organization, with the common instrumental group composed by lutes or violas, an instrument that seems to had it's origins in Valencia in the middle of XV century, and from there traveled to Italy. About Lucrezia musical taste nothing is known, but not so her husband Alfonso d'Este, who (perhaps) in homage to his new wife was at the head of six violas consort in the celebrations of their own wedding, reflected in this Capella de Ministrers recording.

Fuoco di gioia -at the beginning of Verdi's "Otello", the compatriots of the victorious protagonist cheer his triumphant return to his home port with a vocal "fire of joy". The opera quote is also the title of this new album recently recorded by the Bavarian Radio Chorus, together with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester under it's chief conductor Ivan Repušic. The opera chorus from "Otello" begins this selection of famous choruses and instrumental pieces from stage works of Italian belcanto (Verdi), Italian verismo (Leoncavallo, Puccini, Mascagni), Russian opera (Borodin, Glinka, Tchaikovsky), and the romantic operas of Richard Wagner. These very recent recordings from January, February and July 2019 contain well-known and enjoyable melodies that are perfect for singing along to (secretly or otherwise)!

Two centuries after the prosperous era of Charles IV, Prague enjoyed its second Golden Age, under the reign of the art-loving Emperor and King Rudolf II, as it became a busy cultural centre, attracting artists from all over Europe. Like in a melting pot, a variety of musical styles mingled together in the city: the Franco-Flemish polyphony, represented by the world’s most accomplished composer at the time, as well as the vigorous tradition of literary brotherhoods with the archaic polyphonic repertoire of the previous generations. The focal point of the album is the recently rediscovered Prague manuscript of polyphonic masses, with the fabulously survived Missa Presulem ephebeatum by Heinrich Isaac, one of the most significant masters of the Franco-Flemish polyphonic style. Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz’s Presulem ephebeatum, whose thematic material inspired Isaac, attests to his mass being connected with Bohemia and Prague. The album contains a number of other extraordinary pieces, including Josquin Des Prez’s celebrated Stabat Mater, with the added sixth voice, which has been uniquely preserved in this form in Bohemia. Cappella Mariana, made up of stellar early music singers (Hana Blažíková, Barbora Kabátková, etc.), have performed Renaissance polyphony to great acclaim at Europe’s most prestigious concert venues and festivals. Vocal polyphony of Renaissance Prague in the perfect harmony of the Cappella Mariana voices.

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REVIEW:

There is an ancient depiction of Bohemia as a rose, with Prague at its center, which presumably is the source of the disc’s title (and stylized cover art), although, from a marketing standpoint, the exclusive Latin inscription on the CD’s front cover is more likely to result in bewilderment for prospective listeners than the ready offer of a credit card number. What exactly is this recording anyway? A line of very small type on the back cover offers a clue: “Music in Renaissance Prague”. Okay, now we’re (sort of) getting somewhere, and yet, with no other information, the list of mostly unfamiliar composer names on the program–Petrus Wilhelmi de Grudencz; Lupus Hellinck; Joannes Sixtus Pragensis; Pierre de Bonhomme; Kryštof Harant; Johannes Tourout; Jacobus Regnart–does little to incite more than curiosity. But wait: there’s a Mass by Heinrich Isaac, a motet by Jacob Obrecht, a Stabat Mater by Josquin, all claimed to be “world-premiere” recordings (as are many of those other pieces). What gives?

I could go on, but the point is, even for someone who knows and cares more than a little about “Renaissance music”, this program and its purpose remains something of a mystery, most importantly: what do these composers and works have to do with Prague, and why have we never heard of them before? Nothing on the outside packaging gives us a clue. So, a look at the liner notes should resolve our questions, right? Wrong. There is plenty of information, but the translations (the English ones in my case) are somewhat awkward and sketchy regarding the music’s origins and selection for the recording.

It turns out that “Music in Renaissance Prague” refers to polyphonic music found in manuscripts housed in that city, which was then (and remains) a significant cultural center that attracted musicians from all over Europe. One of the manuscripts was only relatively recently rediscovered, and contains works not necessarily found elsewhere, thus the world-premiere designation for pieces such as the Isaac Mass and Josquin Stabat Mater (in a unique version with an added sixth voice). The recording begins with the very early, and apparently once very well-known piece by Petrus–Presulem ephebeatum, trabeatum, radiatum venustemus sedulo (the first letters spelling the composer’s name)–from which Isaac garnered the cantus firmus for his Mass.

The best part about all of this is, I can assure you that if you do care about Renaissance vocal music, especially in the manner of the Franco-Flemish masters of the mid-15th/mid-16th centuries such as Josquin–and of a comparable caliber–you will enjoy every minute of this excellently programmed and exceptionally well-sung recording. In fact, while the music is uniformly first rate, you may be even more impressed by the performances by the Czech ensemble Cappella Mariana, six singers (two sopranos, alto, tenor, baritone, bass) whose artful interpretations, expert ensemble execution, and vibrant, perfectly tuned sound give well-deserved life to whatever they sing, whether or not we’ve heard of the composer or work in question.

In fact, while the Isaac and Josquin pieces are certainly worthy of a place in the recording catalog, highlights for me also include Hellinck’s In te, Domine, speravi and Regnart’s glorious seven-part tribute to his teacher Jacobus Vaet, Defunctum charites Vaetem (sound clips). What we learn from listening to this hour-long program is that, even if those illustrious Franco-Flemish composers never physically appeared in the Czech capital, their music did, and it had a notable influence on the composers who later worked there, especially in the time of Rudolf II (he became King of Bohemia in 1575 and moved the court to Prague in 1583). You may also, like me, make the happy discovery of this very special vocal ensemble, Cappella Mariana and its artistic director Vojt?ch Semerád, whose careful research and dedication to bringing this music to our attention is much appreciated. If only the packaging had made a more effective and clear presentation of the program’s content–but then, that’s why we have reviews…

– ClassicsToday (David Vernier)

For the musicians associated with the Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki Sarmatian Choir the 450 anniversary of the conclusion of the Act of the Union of Lublin became a good opportunity for a sui generis reconstruction of solemn sacred music from that time. Based on extremely interesting monuments of Polish music of the “Golden Age,” the programme of the album is a kind of “fantasy” on the coverage accompanying the solemn sum that had to be celebrated after such an important event for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wide historical and musical knowledge of the artists, knowledge of the liturgy, customs, and performance style of the early Polish music makes this experiment, carried out under the artistic direction of Robert Pozarski in cooperation with the Schola Gregoriana Silesiensis, Trombastic ensemble, and well-known soloists, very credible and will bring a lot of satisfaction to all music lovers interested in the Old Polish culture.

Danae Dörken wants to show with her production that music is a place where all people are lifted to the same level – no matter what their origin or cultural background is. The focus is on the connecting element of music between all possible cultures and the folkloristic character of the works, emphasizing the peculiarities of each culture that makes it unique. Called “the discovery of the year” by classical music magazine crescendo and “on her way to the very top” by Concerti magazine, German-Greek pianist Danae Dörken is, at age twenty-six, among the elite of internationally acclaimed artists of a new generation, electrifying audiences and peer musicians alike with her stunning technical skills, exceptional charisma and great profundity of her musical thinking.

Recess Music is proud to present Celebrate Earth, the start of a children's music series with an environmental message. The fourteen songs on the disc display quality and commitment to making our planet a better place. Celebrate Earth is sure to entertain and educate kids of all ages. The album also has special features for your computer, including a sing-along, profiles of the musicians, and more!

Prokofiev first attempted to write an opera at the age of nine. His mature operas include The Love for Three Oranges, written in 1919, The Fiery Angel and War and Peace, the last based on Tolstoy's novel. His later ballets include Romeo and Juliet, and Cinderella. Both ballets as well as the first mentioned opera are known to concert audiences from orchestral suites based on them. Prokofiev wrote seven symphonies. Of these, the Classical Symphony, a work written in 1916-17 with the work of Haydn in mind, is the best known. Of Prokofiev's five piano concertos the third is best known, written in the composer's instantly recognizable musical language, from the incisive opening to the motor rhythms that follow, in a mixture of lyricism and acerbic wit. More overtly romantic in feeling are the two fine violin concertos. His early Cello Concerto was followed in 1952, fourteen years later, by a Cello Concertino, completed by the cellist Rostropovich and the composer Kabalevsky after Prokofiev's death. Prokofiev, himself a formidable pianist, completed nine piano sonatas out of a projected eleven. His music for piano also includes piano versions of music from the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella.

Danacord continues it's tribute to the Danish cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson. For this volume of recordings emanating from Danish Radio Bengtsson plays two staples of most cellists' repertoire, masterworks by Shostakovich and Richard Strauss, spicing things up with music by Berio and Ligeti, such choices opening up our perceptions of Bengtsson's repertoire, and then going further by including his sympathy for concertos written for and dedicated to him. Thus, this programme adds up to a revealing portrait of Bengtsson's versatility and virtuosity.

At the end of the 1920's and the beginning of the 30's, the German gramophone company Polydor issued a number of much sought after Brailowsky recordings, and even today the technical quality of these recordings as regards to resonance and tonality is astonishing. These old Berlin recordings, the matrices of which were unfortunately destroyed during the 1940-45 bombardment, must surely be some of the most inspiring; here the commercial 78 rpm pressings are presented in brand new digital transfers preserving the art of the "Keyboard Giant" Alexander Brailowsky, a Chopin player of rare distinction renowned for his prodigious technique and beautiful tone. The noted Russian-born French pianist, Alexander Brailowsky, studied first with his father, a professional pianist; then continued his training at the Kiev Conservatory, graduating with a gold medal in 1911. Following advanced studies with Leschetizky in Vienna from 1911 to 1914, and Ferruccio Busoni in Zürich, he completed his training with Francis Planté in Paris. To this day his Chopin Waltzes are considered authoritative and have seldom been outdone since he recorded them in the 1960s.

The Sofia Vocal Ensemble invites you to step into paradise, courtesy of ten of the most beautiful choral works written by composers of our time. For nearly 25 years, Bengt Ollén has fashioned his chamber choir Sofia Vocal Ensemble into one of the finest and most distinctive ensembles of it's kind in Sweden and the world. Here, the choir presents a selection of it's favourite works of the last half century - music that has inspired and shaped it's sound. We hear works by Swedish, Estonian, Russian, Scottish and Welsh composers, separated by contrasting traditions but united by striking beauty. These masterpieces include Alfred Schnittke's hopeful Three Sacred Hymns, James MacMillan's keening Miserere, Arvo Pärt's meditative Nunc Dimittis, Karin Rehnqvist's shimmering Jag lyfter mina hander, Paul Mealor's consoling Beatitudes and Sven David Sandström's radiant In Paradisum. The works are more than personal favourites. They are each, in different ways, highly suited to Sofia Vocal Ensemble's warm, lyrical sound (and in some instances tailored to it) - a meeting of Swedish choral discipline with Ollén's longstanding work to widen the group's dynamic and expressive range. The sound is embracing and alluring, rooted in finesse of blend and perfection of diction.

Initially released in the year 2000, Karl Zéro's first album, a little pop gem, reached cult status. Inside this tribute to extreme cocktail music, space age pop and late Fifties' exotica, audiences discovered thirteen deliciously 'vintage' acid drops, cha cha chas and other ritmos locos... Produced by Karl Zéro and Alexandre Desplat, the album, recorded in Karl's own inimitable, singer/talk-show presenter style, contains a mischievous mix of poetry and humour that takes Henri Salvador, Daisy d'Errata and Eric Laugérias for a ride in the wake of Marino Marini, Xavier Cugat or Mikis Theodorakis. A kind of musical U.F.O., this record adorned one of the most remarkable X-Files episodes and met with international success.