Lars Vogt (1970-2022) early recordings collected here provide a document of an artist who always remained authentic, both to himself and to music. Lars Vogt never sought absolute truth, but truthfulness instead meant all the more to him. The man and the artist were always very close, never currying favour and never detached from the world. He was, instead, open and natural. "It's incredibly gratifying when you notice that you can perhaps light a little spark, a little flame for music in people, and when music helps you to find the path to your own soul."
Vilde Frang : "I have wanted to record this concerto for a long time, and Elgar actually has been a very late discovery for me, the Violin Concerto. But it didn't take me a long time to become a very passionate ambassador for this piece. And I really feel that the format of this piece is such a vast piece of music and it's more on the symphonic scale than a violin concerto to me, which is why I take immense pleasure in playing this concerto." The reviews of Vilde's recent Elgar concert performances have been outstanding, media writing about a 'remarkable performance bringing out Elgar's extraordinary beauty'.
Pablo Casals - The Complete HMV Recordings 1926-1955
WARNER CLASSICS
CD
$29.55Aug 25, 2023
The Catalan cellist Pablo Casals (1876-1973) was first to bring to wider notice the works that open this set, J.S. Bach's solo cello suites. Thereafter we hear his celebrated partnership with Horszowski in Beethoven and the groundbreaking piano trio formed with Thibaud and Cortot in Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn. From the symphonic repertoire come the concertos by Dvořák (with George Szell) and Elgar (Adrian Boult). Finally, an enchanting disc of encores and - with Casals's own street-band or cobla - seven examples of the sardana, the national dance of the great artist's beloved homeland.
Belcea Quartet - The Complete Warner Classics Edition
WARNER CLASSICS
CD
$39.32Apr 21, 2023
Today one of the most highly respected string quartets, the Belcea were established in 1994 at the Royal College of Music in London and studied with the Chilingirian, the Amadeus, and later the Alban Berg quartets. Today one of the most highly respected string quartets, the Belcea were established in 1994 at the Royal College of Music in London and studied with the Chilingirian, the Amadeus, and later the Alban Berg quartets. They recorded for EMI Classics across nearly a decade, between 2000 and 2009, bringing about tremendous versions of quartets by Schubert, Britten, Bartók, and Mozart, to name a few.
"The Belcea Quartet throw every fibre of their beings into the most vivid projection of the masterpieces they undertake." - The Independent "These recordings form a crucial part of our life as a quartet and we hope that over the ensuing years they haven't lost their freshness and sense of adventure." - Krzysztof Chorzelski, violist of the Belcea Quartet
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Maria Callas did not make complete studio recordings of Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Bellini's Il pirata (these two operas are both available in the new Callas Live Edition), though, as the queen of La Scala, she enjoyed triumphs in both roles in 1957-1958. The vocally and dramatically demanding final scenes of both operas feature in this recital with Ophelie's mad scene from Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet, another coloratura extravaganza. When this recital first appeared in 1959, Gramophone wrote: 'This is a most remarkable record, not only for it's material... but for it's astonishing vividness and dramatic poetry... It has been a thing of much wonder for me.'
Mozart's special affection for the clarinet found heartfelt expression in one of his last works, the Concerto in A major. Sabine Meyer performs it, as the composer intended, on the deeper-pitched basset clarinet. "The music is so simple, so easy, and let so deep emotionally - like a religion", she has said. Like the Quintet K. 581, the Clarinet Concerto was originally written for basset clarinet, a now obsolete instrument especially designed by Stadler with an extended lower register. Although the autograph score is lost (the earliest surviving edition is a 19th-century adaptation for standard clarinet), many modern-day clarinettists have made guesses as to how Mozart originally wrote the clarinet part, based on the composer's surviving sketches. One of the first to explore the concerto on a modern reconstruction of a basset clarinet was Sabine Meyer. German-born Meyer's successful career as soloist and chamber musician has always had Mozart at it's core. Her many recordings to date include acclaimed accounts of the Clarinet Quintet, numerous serenades, and two versions of the much-loved Clarinet Concerto. Completing the album is the exquisite Sinfonia concertante in E-flat with it's quartet of soloists.
4 CITIES - This bracingly eclectic recital opens with Fazil Say's Four Cities, a musical celebration of four Turkish locations the composer describes as "full of personal memories". Originally a BBC commission, it was premiered in June 2012 during the City of London Festival by Nicolas Altstaedt and Jos� Gallardo. "4 Cities is a dive into the world of poetry, mysticism, into the history, the secrets and passions of the Orient.I have never been more fascinated exploring the miracles and the stories of people's daily life challenging the limits of my own instrument. The cello is transformed into a flute, a fiddle, a percussion instrument until it becomes the voice of the people inviting us to a world that feels closer to us than ever before having encountered it through it's music." - Nicolas Alstaedt
WARNER REMASTERED EDITION: COMPLETE COLUMBIA & HMV
WARNER CLASSICS
CD
$200.17Dec 20, 2024
The release of this 61-disc box (58CDs and 3 DVDs) coincides with the 50th anniversary of the death of David Oistrakh, one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century - and indeed of all time. Born in Odesa (now in Ukraine) in 1908, he died while on tour, in Amsterdam, on 24th October 1974. The box contains - On 27 CDs: the entirety of David Oistrakh's Warner Classics studio catalogue (originally recorded for Columbia & HMV), newly remastered in HD from the original tapes and in packaging that uses the original LP artwork. On 31 CDs: live recordings and studio recordings from the early period of Oistrakh's career and from his post-War years of international celebrity. One-third of these items are world premieres and a number of them are CD premiere releases. All the recordings have been remastered from the best available sources. On 3 DVDs: DVDs 1 & 2: Performances (in the concert hall and radio/television studio), filmed in Moscow, of concertos and recital repertoire; presented for DVD by film/TV director and Oistrakh expert Bruno Monsaingeon. DVD 3: David Oistrakh - Artist of the People? A 1996 documentary, directed by Bruno Monsaingeon, examining Oistrakh's life. It includes interviews with his son Igor Oistrakh, Yehudi Menuhin, Mstislav Rostropovich and Gennady Rozhdestvensky.
The great Italian conductor Carlo Maria Giulini (1914-2005) was acclaimed for his interpretations of the Romantic and early 20th-century repertoire. He recorded a lot for EMI Classics, including landmark versions of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Verdi's Messa da Requiem, Brahms' 4th Symphony, Rossini's Overtures, or the Debussy's masterpieces which are featured on this vinyl. Known for his profound musical insight and sensitivity, Giulini's conducting style emphasized clarity and emotional depth. His recordings, particularly of works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Verdi, are regarded as definitive interpretations. Giulini's legacy endures through his masterful performances and enduring influence on generations of musicians. "La Mer was a Giulini signature piece, and this is his finest recording of it, capturing the music's capricious sense of flow, perfect in transitions, and with climaxes that preserve the music's clarity and balance without ever sounding excessively restrained. " CLASSICSTODAY. COM
For much of his life, Otto Klemperer carried a note written by his hero Gustav Mahler, in which the composer praised the young Klemperer as 'an outstanding musician [...] predestined for the career of a conductor.' Klemperer's interpretations of Mahler's work, famous for their 'big outlines' and 'rock-like rhythms' (Musical Times) became world-famous. This collection showcases Klemperer's Mahler, including works such as the Ninth Symphony and Das Lied von der Erde.
Being someone who is rather awful at dancing, the only way I can explore the medium of dance is through music making! This programme idea came about from two contrasting elements: my love of Rameau's Gavotte & Doubles and Ravel's La Valse.... Seeing as dance is often collaborative I am thrilled to have been joined by the wonderful pianist Alexandre Tharaud in some eclectic, lesser known works by Reynaldo Hahn. I am thrilled to release this project!" -Martin James Bartlett Ravel leads the dance with three works in Martin James Bartlett's enticing programme of French piano music. The perspective of La Danse extends back from the 20th century to the 18th century, also encompassing works by Rameau, Couperin, Debussy and - with the participation of guest artist Alexandre Tharaud - Reynaldo Hahn. "This programme idea came about from two contrasting elements," explains Martin James Bartlett, "my love of Rameau's Gavotte et six doubles and Ravel's La Valse. Both these French masterpieces, from different ends of the musical timeline, led to this programme of music inspired by the dance." Welcoming Martin James Bartlett's previous Warner Classics album, Rhapsody, Gramophone wrote: "This showcases an outstanding keyboard talent at the top of his game," while the Sunday Times enthused that, "Throughout, Bartlett's touch is alternately carefree and rigorous. A delight.
Tchaikovsky stands as the central figure of 19th-century Russian Romanticism, embodying it's widespread and vibrant vitality alongside a profound and sincere depth. This collection seeks to encapsulate the epic and intense qualities inherent in the genius of his compositions.
LEONARD BERNSTEIN 1918-1990 Wonderful Town Ruth Sherwood Kim Criswell Eileen Sherwood Audra McDonald Bob Baker Thomas Hampson Wreck Brent Barrett Guide/First Editor/Frank Lippencott Rodney Gilfry Second Editor/Chick Clark Carl Daymond Lonigan Timothy Robinson... Birmingham Contemporary Music Group London Voices Sir Simon Rattle conductor STEREO � RECORDED IN 1998 An enormous success at the time, with a Broadway run of 559 performances, Wonderful Town shows off the talents of Bernstein, Comden and Green, who wrote the songs against the clock in just four weeks. Whether it's jazz, cod-Irish, ragtime, ballad or conga, there's the sound of creativity working at full stretch.
Riopy TITLE: Riopy "This album has been my catharsis since the music started coming to me almost ten years ago. It's the world seen through my eyes, or rather, through my piano. It's evolved into a patchwork of emotions, experiences, beliefs - music that put an end to struggle. From On a cloud to Old soul, the pieces here came to life and brought hope when I thought nothing could save me. They each have their place in my development; they became my language. For me, a single chord can evoke a symphony of emotions. With solo piano, everything is exposed and we have to catch what passes through our fingers, which starts as raw emotion and translates as music in it's purest form. I feel that sharing these emotions through music helps us to reconnect; these aren't fingers double tapping to like or swiping away - these are fingers pulsing across the keys of a piano. The world changes and the music will always be tuned with the world; perhaps that is why I never seem to play a piece exactly the same way I did the last time. My insecurities and weaknesses find their way into my music, but also the landscapes and the people that inspire me. I hope the music on this album can reach the soul of listeners the very same way I feel it when I play"- Riopy
