This recording is of a very highly regarded production of Wagner's Ring Cycle; the four operas are completely re-staged at Bayreuth every six years. When recorded in 1991/1992 at the famous Bayreuth opera house built by Richard Wagner himself, this version, staged and directed by Harry Kupfer and conducted by Daniel Barenboim, had matured over five years and is still well remembered and much requested. "If a cycle is going as well as the Harry Kupfer/Daniel Barenboim Ring was, the super-test of Gotterdammerung brings out the best in everyone. Barenboim manipulates his orchestra with Furtwanglerian virtuosity, huge rits, pauses and all, tailor-made to the stage drama." Gramophone "All the cast work fiendishly hard. Tomlinson (and Kupfer) illustrate the glorious Prelude that Wagner called "Wotan's last ride", the lasers make a furious fire, and Evans is in streaming form as the awoken Brunnhilde. Aptly weighty, Furtwangler-ish conducting." Gramophone 2006
Shani retains the joy without over-forcing the music's physical impact... The Rotterdam Philharmonic possesses an appealing inner glow and warmth that radiates a strong sense of collegiate endeavour. (BBC Music Magazine) The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and it's chief conductor Lahav Shani open this Mendelssohn album with Mendelssohn's Symphony No 3, the 'Scottish', that was inspired by his first visit to Great Britain in 1829. The overture Meeresstille und gluckliche Fahrt (Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage), first heard in 1828, was inspired by two short poems by Goethe. The album closes with 3 of Mendelssohn's Lieder ohne Worte Op.19b, orchestrated by maestro Shani.
Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem is an extremely prestigious project, the result of a commission from major cultural institutions in the US, UK, and Europe. This world premiere recording features a new composition by the legendary, Grammy-nominated musician, who has collaborated with the who's who of the pop music world. With narration by Meryl Streep, the project will be followed by a worldwide tour starting in January 2025. Written during the pandemic, it's a requiem "for the people we have lost in this crisis, for the past from which we are cut off and for the future to which we do not yet know how to connect, a Requiem for human contact, solidarity and the human voice that have all become dangerous and contagious"; It's also a reflection on environmental collapse and the increase in the number of natural disasters. The text of Dream Requiem weaves together words from the Latin Mass for the Dead - as used by his hero Verdi - with Lord Byron's apocalyptic poem 'Darkness', written after the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 and which brought about "the year without summer".
Aldo Ciccolini (1925-2015) launched his career in 1950 after winning the prestigious Marguerite Long Competition. A child prodigy, he dedicated himself to rigorous study, drawing influence from Busoni, Liszt, and the Bel Canto tradition, which shaped his emotionally charged interpretations-he described himself as a "lirico spinto pianist." His rich discography, largely released by Warner/Erato, includes complete piano cycles by Liszt, Saint-Saens, and Severac, along with acclaimed performances of Debussy and Satie. This enriched collection also features exclusive, previously unreleased recordings, including live recitals at the Nohant Festival and a studio session of his favorite Encore pieces. To experience Aldo Ciccolini through his extraordinary recorded legacy is to be immersed in a masterclass of elegance and humility, struck by the richness of his tone or captivated by the mysteries of an entrancing piano.
This September marks the 90th birthday of Arvo Part, a composer whose music has become a universal language of peace. To honour this milestone, PAX brings together some of his most emblematic works-compositions that invite stillness, reflection, and spiritual clarity. Rooted in simplicity and silence, Part's music offers a powerful path to inner peace, while echoing a deeper call for global harmony. In a time of noise and unrest, PAX is both timely and timeless-an essential listening experience.
Following on the acclaimed 'Where is Home' and 'Hymns of Bantu', two genre-defying albums, 'Four Spirits' is also drawn from Abel's South African roots and seeks to create a communal experience with the audience through cello concerto, percussion, singing & improvisation. His first solo cello concerto and, formally speaking, a concerto cast in four movements - each movement takes an essential aspect of township life: ancestors, children, faith and community. Selaocoe positions himself as chief storyteller, combining cello improvising with lyrics in the Southern Sotho and Zulu languages.
It is quite impossible to imagine today's violin heritage without the absolute musical genius of Perlman. Daniel Barenboim. Over the past 60 years Itzhak Perlman has become established as one of the great violinists of history - a player on a level with such legendary figures as Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz and David Oistrakh. Providing a treasurable memento of his art, this is a newly assembled 5LP collection of masterworks for violin and orchestra in what have become legendary recordings. They bear witness to his collaborations with the world's greatest orchestras, and feature an array of superlative fellow soloists and conductors: Carlo Maria Giulini, Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma and Eugene Ormandy.
Long acknowledged as one of the great pianists of our time, Elisabeth Leonskaja shares her wealth of experience of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 5, the 'Emperor', with the players of the Orchestre Francais des Jeunes, aged between 16 and 25. She describes it as "the supreme piano concerto... "Nothing transcends the connection it creates between the soloist, conductor and orchestra." Belgium's Crescendo magazine, reviewing a live performance of the concerto, admired "the perfectly disciplined orchestra and the sureness of Michael Schønwandt gestures," writing: "The young instrumentalists... showed flexibility in following the marvellous Elisabeth Leonskaja, who... with the absolute 'rightness' of her playing, immersed everyone present in a moment of true grace."
Itzhak Perlman, born in 1945, is the supreme violinist of his time. Over the past 60 years he has become established as one of the great violinists of history - a player on a level with such legendary figures as Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz and David Oistrakh, and an influential musician admired around the world by a broad and varied public and by students of his instrument. Presenting his art in all it's warmth, generosity and brilliance, this comprehensive 78-CD edition features all the recordings Perlman made for EMI Classics, Teldec, Erato and Warner Classics over a period of more than 40 years. The recordings document his collaborations with the world's greatest orchestras and feature an array of superlative fellow soloists and conductors, including Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Lynn Harrell, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, Andre Previn and Pinchas Zukerman.
Georgian pianist Mariam Batsashvili's Influences features works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven-the three giants of the sonata form. Mariam has selected her favourite sonatas, leading to the final piece on the album: Liszt's Fantasia quasi sonata. The album includes Liszt's famous Liebestraum No. 1 & 3 and Campanella, along with other beautiful solo works.
Perlman already had a recording of the Brahms Double Concerto to his name - on that occasion sharing the bill with Mstislav Rostropovich, conducted by Bernard Haitink (1979). He creates an equally sumptuous dialogue here with Yo-Yo Ma. The two performers match one another for brio and lyricism, their playing informed by the same sense of joyfulness, as their enthusiasm and generosity of spirit combine. Indeed, the coherence of sound, vibrato and intonation of these two soloists, each at the peak of his powers, reveals a fellowship both instrumental and spiritual. The vigour of the attacks and power of the phrasings, sustained by dazzling playing from the orchestra, add a rarely achieved Romantic dimension to this performance, transforming it into a veritable feast for the ears.
Following on the acclaimed 'Where is Home' and 'Hymns of Bantu', two genre-defying albums, 'Four Spirits' is also drawn from Abel's South African roots and seeks to create a communal experience with the audience through cello concerto, percussion, singing & improvisation. His first solo cello concerto and, formally speaking, a concerto cast in four movements - each movement takes an essential aspect of township life: ancestors, children, faith and community. Selaocoe positions himself as chief storyteller, combining cello improvising with lyrics in the Southern Sotho and Zulu languages.
Second of two LP releases devoted to the legendary Martha Argerich, the first being a best of her Concertos recordings, the second a best of her Solo piano & Chamber music albums (a day after her 84th anniversary). The term 'living legend' is genuinely apt to Martha Argerich, whose dazzling amalgam of virtuosity, insight, eclecticism, generosity and mystery makes her a pianist of unrivalled fascination. Argentinian-born, Viennese-trained, and winner of the 1965 Chopin Competition, she became a sometimes elusive figure whose every appearance and recording aroused eager anticipation.
For more than six decades, Adrian Boult was at the forefront of British music-making. He was the most skilled British conductor of his era, with the widest musical sympathies. Known for his conducting style characterized by it's clarity, discipline, and objectivity, his recordings are highly regarded for their integrity and musical insight. This edition includes all his mono recordings made between 1920 and 1957 for HMV, Pye Nixa and Parlophone labels. More than half of this box set is available for the very first time on CD, in HD remastering made from the original sources, and it includes several previously unreleased recordings. This first box devoted to the Mono recordings will be followed in January 2026 by another box devoted to the complete Stereo recordings by Adrian Boult on Warner Classics. The albums are presented as original pairing programs with original cover artwork.
One of the great modern versions of Puccini's most celebrated opera. Angela Gheorghiu embodies an incandescent Tosca of rarely seen dramatic power and vocal flawlessness, and Roberto Alagna is an ideal Mario Cavaradossi, also at the peak of his art. Supported by a great artistic complicity, the warm and ample voices of these two star singers can flourish without restraint and unleash all the fires of passion. Ruggero Raimondi, masterful, portrays the infamous Scarpia as a model of perversity and darkness. Antonio Pappano, leading the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, once again proves himself one of the greatest operatic conductors of our time, preserving the slightest nuances of this multi-coloured score.
This piano journey reimagines classical masterpieces as the ultimate sophisticated lounge soundtrack, it seamlessly blends the timeless romance of the past with the contemplative calm of the present. From the shimmering moonlight of Debussy's Clair de lune and the tranquil depths of the Beethoven Pathetique slow movement, to the introspective warmth of Brahms's Intermezzo and Grieg's Notturno, the selection flows like a late-night conversation. The most popular neoclassical composers of our century like Joep Beving, Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi, Johann Johannsson and Yann Tiersen contribute their hypnotic, cinematic textures, creating a mood that is both deeply relaxing and intellectually engaging. A perfect accompaniment for unwinding, offering a journey through elegant, meditative solo piano music.
Born in 1626, John Dowland was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer, often regarded as one of the greatest masters of the lute song. His melancholic music, filled with deep emotional expression, perfectly captures the mood of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. His famous works include the Bookes of Songes or Ayres and Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares, featuring pieces like "Flow my tears" and "Come heavy sleep". Dowland's compositions are characterized by their exquisite balance between poignant vocal melodies and intricate lute accompaniments, as well as his virtuosic solo lute pieces, which are still staples in the repertoire today.
Two years after his first solo-piano album, JB Dunckel has reimagined it's delicate melodies for string quintet. On Paranormal Music Chamber, the ten dreamy, moody tracks blossom into a warm palette of colours through minimalist yet sophisticated arrangements and production. First and foremost a "reveur d'harmonies" ("dreamer of harmonies"), JB has teamed up with composer and pianist Harry Allouche to create these arrangements for a string quintet, specially formed by five musicians from the Orchestre de l'Opera national de Paris. Double bass, cello, violins and viola-sometimes joined by flute-significantly broaden the tonal spectrum of the pieces, while preserving or even amplifying their original sensibility, freedom and momentum. Whilst simple and accessible, Paranormal Music Chamber is nonetheless a very sophisticated album, the result of rigorous work at every stage of it's conception. It is no easy feat achieving a work that is at once modern and complex, yet uncomplicated-a showcase of heartfelt and deeply human aspect.
Nikolaus Harnoncourt was one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century, a pioneer who redefined how we listen to music. A cellist by training, he first revolutionised Baroque performance with his own Concentus musicus Wien, before seeking an ensemble that could bring the same spirit of discovery to the Classical and Romantic repertoire. His encounter in 1986 with the young Chamber Orchestra of Europe was the beginning of a unique artistic partnership. Harnoncourt demanded extremes of colour, tension and risk, challenging the musicians to abandon routine and rediscover the radical force of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert or Schumann. What began as a trial evolved into decades of groundbreaking concerts, operas and recordings, from revelatory Beethoven cycles to Schumann and even Gershwin. Their collaboration not only transformed the orchestra but also left a lasting mark on performance history, setting interpretative standards that continue to inspire musicians worldwide.
In May 2002, in a series of live concerts in the Golden Hall of Vienna's Musikverein, a journey unique in the Wiener Philharmoniker's long and distinguished history reached it's conclusion. This thrilling set of symphonies is the fruit of that journey. The recordings were made 'live', Sir Simon Rattle believing that a live performance has it's own rhythm. "A superbly played account... Rattle's must now be the strongest recommendation amongst modern Beethoven cycles." BBC Music Magazine
