I compose music in collections-each containing similar themes and unifying elements that create cohesion of thematic material. The following are contained in this album: Maze of Infinite Forms, Life and Opinions, Shifting Spheres, Wings of the Grasshopper, Sound Louder in Darkness. - Brian Buch
Wings of the Grasshopper Sound Louder in Darkness
$15.99
CD
Centaur Records
Jul 10, 2026
CRC4198
Over My Head
PENTATONE
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 17, 2026
Countertenor John Holiday presents Over My Head, a striking and deeply personal debut that reflects both the breadth of his artistry and the clarity of his artistic voice. Praised as one of the finest countertenors of his generation, Holiday brings together a thoughtfully curated programme spanning spirituals, contemporary works, and art song. From intimate moments at the piano to collaborations with pianist Kevin Miller, the album includes works by Hall Johnson, Robert L. Morris, H. Leslie Adams, world premieres by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon, and arrangements by Holiday himself, highlighting repertoire shaped by curiosity, individuality, and expressive depth. Rooted in themes of resilience, faith, and love, Over My Head offers a heartfelt musical journey that speaks with both intimacy and conviction. Each work has been selected for it's emotional resonance and it's ability to connect across time and experience, forming a narrative that feels both personal and universal.
Over My Head
$19.99
CD
PENTATONE
Jul 17, 2026
PTC5187583
Island Prayers
Azica Records
Available as
CD
$15.99
Jul 17, 2026
Two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet returns with Island Prayers, a deeply expressive new album to be released February 20 on Azica Records. The recording marks a renewed artistic statement for the quartet, bringing together world-premiere commissioned works by founder and artistic director David Balakrishnan, Terence Blanchard, Rhiannon Giddens, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate-four voices that together reflect the evolving landscape of American music.
Island Prayers
$15.99
CD
Azica Records
Jul 17, 2026
ACD-71391
Mahler: Lieder der Jugend - Songs of Youth and Awakening
Signum Classics
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 10, 2026
This album explores Gustav Mahler's early songs, tracing the emergence of his distinctive musical voice. Featuring works from his youthful Lieder alongside the complete Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, the programme reveals the composer's evolving relationship between song and symphonic thought. Performed by an ensemble of distinguished vocal soloists with pianist Joseph Middleton, the recording highlights Mahler's sensitivity to poetry, emotional nuance, and dramatic storytelling. Rooted in folk-influenced texts, these songs reflect themes of nature, love, memory, and self-discovery, offering insight into the formative creative period that shaped Mahler's later orchestral masterpieces.
Mahler: Lieder der Jugend - Songs of Youth and Awakening
$19.99
CD
Signum Classics
Jul 10, 2026
SIGCD1006
Visnoviz: Violin Sonata, Klavierstucke
Brilliant Classics
Available as
CD
$14.99
Jul 17, 2026
Eugenio Visnoviz (1906-1931) belongs to the poignant group of early twentieth-century composers whose promise was cut short by an untimely death. Born in Italy at a moment of intense cultural transformation, Visnoviz grew up in an environment shaped by the late Romantic legacy and the emerging modernist currents that were redefining European music. Although his surviving output is small, it reveals a composer of striking sensitivity and technical awareness. Written at the age of only 17 by Visnoviz, a fragile and tormented musician whose life would end just eight years later, probably by his own hand, the Sonata contains the seeds of genius. Large in scale, in four movements, permeated with a late Romantic spirit but with stylistic features reminiscent of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and especially Brahms (with some harmonic exploration, a legacy of the post-war period), the Sonata presents a language that is both lyrical and dramatic. The program pairs the Sonata, with it's vast proportions, with the light piano aphorisms of the Klavierstücke. Despite his pianistic expertise, Visnoviz the composer did not leave any large-scale works for his instrument, preferring to focus on it's intimate and lyrical dimension. He condenses musical ideas into concise gestures, exploring contrasting moods, textures, and colors. The pieces frequently juxtapose delicate, introspective passages with more rhythmically driven or harmonically bold sections. This new recording is a labor of love by the two musicians Valentina Danelon (violin) and Cristina Santin (piano), who, during their study time, discovered Visnoviz's works in the Visnoviz Collection held by the Tartini Conservatory in Trieste.
Visnoviz: Violin Sonata, Klavierstucke
$14.99
CD
Brilliant Classics
Jul 17, 2026
BRI70094
Sebastian Fagerlund: Beneath
BIS
Available as
SACD
$21.99
Jul 17, 2026
Sebastian Fagerlund is among Finland's most celebrated contemporary composers, crafting works of vivid narrative and emotional depth across orchestral, operatic, and chamber genres. This recording features four works for various instrumental combinations that demonstrate Fagerlund's skill in linking his compositions through strong spiritual and stylistic connections. Beneath for string orchestra occupies a space between concerto and ensemble piece. The solo violin-a "first among equals"-emerges from and merges with the orchestra, tracing a journey from rising chord sequences through energetic passages to quiet resolution. Remain, a piano trio completed the day Russia invaded Ukraine, weaves quotations from Ravel, Bach, and Brahms into three emotionally charged movements, dedicated to the people of Ukraine. Materie, a solo violin work written for the Kuopio Violin Competition, balances technical brilliance with expressive nuance, unfolding in two powerful waves between contemplation and intensity. Finale Stilla for violin and piano moves from introspective exploration through energetic climaxes to a hauntingly quiet, mysterious conclusion. Intertwined with all four works is violinist and conductor Malin Broman, who appears both as a soloist and part of the Kungsbacka Piano Trio, while also conducting the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra.
Sebastian Fagerlund: Beneath
$21.99
SACD
BIS
Jul 17, 2026
BIS-2682
Moliere - L’Avare (Plus extraits de L’Etourdi et le depit am
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
The Miser (L'Avare) is undoubtedly Molière's most famous play. It is one of his most frequently performed masterpieces and has become a staple of the Comédie-Française repertoire. This box set also includes: L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps (inspired by the commedia dell'arte) and Le Dépit amoureux (a study of feelings and social misunderstandings). The great names of classical theater (Georges Chamarat, Albert Reyval) and popular French theater (Michel Galabru, Daniel Prévost) give us the opportunity to hear these immortal classics of our literary heritage. Patrick Frémeaux
Moliere - L’Avare (Plus extraits de L’Etourdi et le depit am
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5914
Femmes des annees folles 1921-1940 recordings
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
This box set offers an immersion into the vibrant spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Curated by Norman Barreau-Gély and Olivier Julien, it pays tribute to the singers who shaped the musical and cultural imagination of the interwar years. From Paris to Broadway, it gathers the queens of the music hall-Mistinguett, Joséphine Baker-the great "réaliste" singers such as Damia and Fréhel, as well as the muses, including Kiki de Montparnasse (whose complete recordings are presented here). A unique sonic journey where glamour, boldness, humor, sensuality, and irreverence converge to tell, through music, the story of the women who, a hundred years ago, dared to transform their era. Patrick Frémeaux
Femmes des annees folles 1921-1940 recordings
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5917
Schnittke: Complete Works for Two Violins
Naxos
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 24, 2026
Alfred Schnittke's oeuvre carries an unmistakable personal signature that integrates widely differing stylistic worlds. The profoundly compelling works heard in this programme display an extraordinary level of expression and colour. From the haunting sonorities of the prepared piano in his First Concerto Grosso to the playful theatricality of Moz-Art (after the fragment K. 416d), this album brings together all of Schnittke's works for two violins, both with and without orchestra.
Schnittke: Complete Works for Two Violins
$19.99
CD
Naxos
Jul 24, 2026
8574460
Sollima: Orchestral Works (1945-1997)
Brilliant Classics
Available as
CD
$14.99
Jul 17, 2026
Outside Italy-perhaps beyond the shores of his native Sicily-the name of Eliodoro Sollima (1926-2000) has not traveled widely, beyond the accomplishments of his five musical children, and in particular the cellist Giovanni Sollima. On a previous Brilliant Classics album (96287) from 2022, Giovanni paid a touching tribute to his father's memory with a collection of chamber music. "This album is a winner!" reported Fanfare magazine, and noted how the "compositional style of this substantial and serious composer developed significantly" between 1945 and 1995. This new album of Eliodoro Sollima's orchestral music covers a similar period, between the Aria for cello and strings (1945) and Attesa (1997). Attesa ("Waiting") is the most substantial piece on the album, scored for the unusual combination of piano, horns, strings, and percussion: a powerful seven-movement suite inspired by the suffering of a man given the death penalty in the US state of Virginia and executed in 1997. Sollima worked within a tonal framework to evoke, in his words, "the frantic sequence of images, memories and emotions that torment the last hours of a condemned man's life." The pianist and musicologist Anna Maria Sollima (sister to Giovanni) supplies insightful annotations, which trace the course of Eliodoro's life and career through the works recorded here. World premieres on record include the early Ouverture da camera (1948/50) and Rondò burlesco (1951) for piano and orchestra, carried forward by strong, cinematically flavored melodies. From 1968, the Concerto per archi (Concerto for strings) is another work with a political subtext, inspired by the shock arising from the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. But Sollima always stayed true to his Sicilian roots and continued to translate the idioms of local folk music in his own contemporary style: a commitment exemplified by Nenia e recitativo, a concertante piece for cello and strings. Seekers of 20th-century tonal voices will find in Eliodoro Sollima a distinctive and compelling personality, to which these performers do full justice.
Sollima: Orchestral Works (1945-1997)
$14.99
CD
Brilliant Classics
Jul 17, 2026
BRI96725
Margola: Complete Sonatas for Solo Guitar
Brilliant Classics
Available as
CD
$14.99
Jul 17, 2026
Franco Margola (1908-1992) occupies a distinctive place in twentieth-century Italian music as a composer who combined modern clarity with a deep respect for classical balance and lyric expression. Born in Brescia, Margola was trained within the Italian conservatory tradition and soon developed a style often associated with neoclassicism: transparent textures, well-defined forms, and an elegant restraint that avoided both romantic excess and radical avant-garde experimentation. Throughout his career he wrote extensively for chamber ensembles, voice, and solo instruments, consistently favoring intimate musical dialogue and refined craftsmanship. Among his most important contributions to the guitar repertoire are the five Sonatas for guitar, composed over several decades. These works reflect Margola's close engagement with the instrument's idiomatic possibilities while maintaining a strong structural rigor. Rather than treating the guitar merely as a vehicle for virtuosic display, Margola emphasizes musical architecture, motivic development, and subtle harmonic color. Each sonata presents a different perspective on form and expression, yet all share a characteristic clarity of line and balance between melody and accompaniment. Stylistically, the guitar sonatas draw on classical models-especially the sonata principle and dance-like movements-while incorporating twentieth-century harmonic language, including modal inflections and gently dissonant sonorities. Rhythmic vitality and contrapuntal writing are frequent features, demanding both technical control and musical sensitivity from the performer. At the same time, Margola's lyrical impulse remains central: slow movements often unfold in long, singing phrases that highlight the guitar's natural warmth and expressive resonance. Played by Valerio Celentano, who graduated in classical guitar with honors from the Conservatory of Music "Giuseppe Martucci" in Salerno under the guidance of Antonio Grande. He has participated in several masterclasses with famous guitarists such as Alirio Díaz, Pavel Steidl, David Russell, Jyrki Myllärinen, Mario Gangi, and Carlo Marchione. He studied for several years with Oscar Ghiglia and Frédéric Zigante. He won prizes in many international music competitions. For Brilliant Classics, he recorded guitar works by Georges Migot.
Margola: Complete Sonatas for Solo Guitar
$14.99
CD
Brilliant Classics
Jul 17, 2026
BRI96856
Lipkis: Pierrot and Friends
Naxos
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 10, 2026
Internationally acclaimed performer, professor, and composer Larry Lipkis has written over 100 works for a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles. Lipkis's love of commedia dell'arte stems from his career as a performer of Renaissance music, and these four concerti are musical depictions of characters from this popular theatre tradition. The impish and impetuous Pierrot is personified by the bassoon, while his love interest Columbina flits and charms through a mercurial violin. The gently youthful Innamorata, or female lover, is expressed through a translucently accompanied flute, and the romantic entanglements and acrobatic humour of Harlequin are a perfect fit for the outsized musical personality of the bass trombone.
Lipkis: Pierrot and Friends
$19.99
CD
Naxos
Jul 10, 2026
8559963
Thomas Fortmann: Lieder Zyklen
Metier
Available as
CD
$25.99
Jul 17, 2026
In July 2026 Metier is delighted to present Lieder Zyklen (Song Cycles) by contemporary Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann. Featuring settings for voice and piano trio of poetry and text by writers including Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Christian Haller, Prolitheus Pfenninger and Fortmann himself, these works demonstrate the composer's eclectic and unusual style that combines postmodern music, serial techniques, rock and jazz. The Swiss tenor Tino Bru¨tsch and Swiss soprano Nuria Richner perform alongside the Trio Accademia Amiata and a Trio of soloists Malwina Sosnowski, Donitille Jordan and Talvi Hunt. The album also includes Fortmann's Hommage to Schubert's Winterreise and his arrangement of this iconic song cycle for baritone and string quartet is given a powerful performance by Florian Prey, son of the great German baritone Hermann Prey alongside the Amar Quartet. Fortmann's setting of the intriguing poem Am Ende des Flurs (At the end of the hallway, 4th floor) by his close friend, Swiss Literary Prize Winner Christian Haller, is followed by The Hofmannsthal Verses. Composed in his early twenties as striking rock songs to poetry by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who became the librettist to Richard Strauss, the lyrics are a collage of Hofmannsthal poems Fortmann found moving for their linguistic power and their social and political statements. Geschichten (Histories) are concise, short songs that intertwine the timeline of a love relationship with that of human history and dimensions of the cosmos. The Prolitheus Songs are based on e-mails from the extraordinary visual artist Prolitheus Pfenninger, complex and often laden with double meanings and wordplays. Schubert was the favourite composer of Fortmann's mother, a well-known soprano - she often sang his songs to him and his sisters, and the music's sensitive emotions resonate deeply. The Hommage an Schubert's Winterreise, Der Su¨sse Ton (the Sweet Tone) is Fortmann's setting of a text collage from Joachim Ringelnatz who often referred to Schubert in his poetry, passages of text from Eduard von Bauernfeld on Schubert's funeral and excerpts from poetry of Schubert himself. The Homage opens with a typical rock riff, reminiscent of how Schubert drew on popular rhythms of his time, and the work refers to the songs of Winterreise in various ways, some of them hidden in contrapuntal forms. Despite the different compositional techniques throughout Fortmann shows his musical-emotional kinship with Schubert. Recreating Winterreise for voice and string quartet was a delicate task of reassembling the work while trying to stay as faithful as possible to the original. Fortmann sought to recapture the mood of the songs, their simplicity and touching directness, and to achieve this with a string quartet some modifications were necessary including extra notes that do not appear in Schubert's original. In the 1970s Thomas Fortmann had a very successful career as a writer of rock music - and also as an international golfing star! At age 26 he abandoned this career to study formal composition which laid the foundation for an extensive body of work that includes chamber music, operas and musical theatre, orchestral, choral, and organ works, as well as several song cycles. Fortmann's distinctly personal style often unites different - and sometimes opposing - impulses of modern music. Lieder Zyklen marks the sixth release of his music on the Metier label.
Thomas Fortmann: Lieder Zyklen
$25.99
CD
Metier
Jul 17, 2026
MEX77214
Folk Baroque - Speculative Music from 18th Century Poland
Brilliant Classics
Available as
CD
$14.99
Jul 17, 2026
When Baroque Meets Folk Energy In 'folk baroque', the music of Georg Philipp Telemann encounters the vibrant dance traditions of central Europe. The program grew out of a collaboration between recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf and the Italian ensemble filoBarocco during the Gottingen International Handel Festival, initiated within the European support programme EEEMERGING+. At the heart of the project lies the fascinating Rostock Manuscript, a historical source long associated with Telemann's fascination with Central European folk traditions. For Bosgraaf and filoBarocco, the manuscript offers the perfect point of departure for exploring the meeting ground between Baroque repertoire and living folk music traditions. The ensemble shares a deep enthusiasm not only for historical performance practice but also for music that retains the energy, spontaneity, and expressive freedom of traditional dance music. Telemann himself was renowned for his openness to musical influences from across Europe. During his travels he encountered Polish and Hanna folk traditions that left a lasting impression on him. In his autobiographical writings, he vividly describes the impact of this music: it's rhythmic vitality, it's improvisatory spirit, and it's powerful melodic expression. These qualities fascinated him and found their way, sometimes subtly, sometimes quite directly, into his own compositions. Yet reconstructing the sound world of the eighteenth century presents a unique challenge. Unlike music from the twentieth or twenty-first centuries, there are no recordings to tell us exactly how this repertoire once sounded. Historically informed performance with this repertoire therefore requires re-composition. Musicians must piece together clues from written scores, historical treatises, instrument research, and contemporary descriptions. On the recording 'folk baroque' the musicians expand this process further by drawing inspiration from living folk traditions. Many rhythmic patterns, ornamentations, and expressive gestures that appear in Baroque music still survive today in Central European dance music. These traditions offer valuable insights into how such musical gestures might function in performance. The goal is not to recreate a supposedly "authentic" past because that would be inherently impossible, but to create a musical interpretation that feels convincing, vibrant, and alive for modern listeners inspired by the timeless melodies of the Rostock Manuscript. For this reason, the program includes elements of improvisation and experimental playing techniques. While this approach may initially seem unusual in a Baroque context, it reflects the spirit of exploration that shaped the music of Telemann's own time. The musical notation in the Rostock Manuscript often provides only a framework rather than a fully fixed sound image. It invites performers to engage creatively with the material and rediscover it's inherent energy. The result is a concert experience that feels both historical and contemporary. The music is rooted in eighteenth-century sources, yet interpreted by musicians who are equally at home in the traditions of early music and in modern sonic experimentation. Ultimately, what connects this repertoire with today's audience is emotion. Instruments and styles may change over time, but the fundamental human passions expressed through music remain the same: joy, melancholy, longing, passion, and the irresistible urge to dance. When listeners begin to grasp the expressive language behind these works, the music suddenly feels remarkably immediate. It ceases to be merely a historical artefact and becomes a living experience, almost as if a sleeping frog had been awakened with a kiss
Folk Baroque - Speculative Music from 18th Century Poland
$14.99
CD
Brilliant Classics
Jul 17, 2026
BRI97412
Der Traum ein Leben & Die Prinzessin von Tragant
CPO
Available as
CD
$18.99
Jul 17, 2026
Nine years before achieving an enduring worldwide success with the operetta A Waltz Dream, Oscar Straus scored a notable success in March 1898 in Mainz-where he was then earning his living as a conductor-with his symphonic poem based on Franz Grillparzer's play Der Traum, ein Leben. As the local press rightly observed at the time, the "very appealing composition, distinguished by it's melodic flow and subtle harmonization... earned the composer, who was present, warm ovations and repeated curtain calls." Today, the work has, quite incomprehensibly, been omitted even from the most exhaustive encyclopedias. Only slightly better was the fate of The Princess of Tragant, a ballet-pantomime that in November 1912 even opened the doors of the Vienna Court Opera to Straus. Although the title has not entirely vanished, the charming tale of a decidedly choosy princess and her suitors-so warmly received by audiences at the time-was soon cast into the impenetrable shadow of A Waltz Dream.
Der Traum ein Leben & Die Prinzessin von Tragant
$18.99
CD
CPO
Jul 17, 2026
555532-2
Mendelssohn: 6 Organ Sonatas, Op. 65
First Hand Records
Available as
CD
$21.99
Jul 24, 2026
Following a successful concert series of Felix Mendelssohn's complete organ works at St Paul's Cathedral in 2021, Samuel Bristow marks the 30th anniversary of the installation of the Mander organs at Chelmsford Cathedral by recording Mendelssohn's revolutionary set of Organ Sonatas, Op. 65. The sonatas contain such a wide breadth of moods and textures that an equally wide range of colours can be explored on both contrasting yet complementary instruments. This album acts as a testament to the completion of a unique musical vision, with Mendelssohn's music a perfectly fitting vehicle to celebrate their strengths.
Mendelssohn: 6 Organ Sonatas, Op. 65
$21.99
CD
First Hand Records
Jul 24, 2026
FHR180
A Pocket Full of Tunes
Metier
Available as
CD
$18.99
Jul 24, 2026
July 2026, Metier presents David Hackbridge-Johnson's A Pocketful of Tunes, a collection of fascinating works for solo violin and viola written for and performed by internationally acclaimed violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved, resulting from their friendship and hugely creative collaborations. All the works are inspired by, written for and recorded on great historic instruments, bringing the past vividly alive. There are joyful dances and elegant suites evoking dance movements of the Baroque and Roccoco eras alongside works responding to modern life, a showcase of David Hackbridge-Johnson's wide range of techniques. Hackbridge-Johnson started attending Peter Sheppard Skaerved's London Church Concerts in 2019 and the two soon formed a friendship around shared passions of literature, history, and railways. Many pieces emerged from these concerts which stem from Peter's deep interest in violin composers, their lives and instruments and the buildings they played in. There are three works for solo viola, all recorded on the oldest known English viola, the extraordinary Rayman 1641: the sonic commentary on abandoned railways Three Disused Stations, the dance based Seven Versets and Three Preludes. All of these showcase the instrument's glorious dark woody tone. The Rayman was made in Southwark in 1641 at the time the 'south bank' became London's entertainment hub. Peter felt that "this instrument is a direct link, a portal even, to London's greatest theatrical age, to the thunderous musicks of Shakespeare, Webster, and even... Marlowe.." Six Preludes for Charles II were inspired by a London violin, the Charles II '1664', after hearing Peter play it at St Margaret Lothbury, the medieval church rebuilt by Wren after the fire of London. The 'Six Preludes' balances these various pasts and the present, forming a suite that could have been written by a composer of that time. On this recording the Preludes are played on a 1629 Girolamo Amati violin, as are all the works for violin on the album. Inspired by Peter sharing a comic story of 18th century violinist Will Rosin, who like Peter resided in Wapping, David wrote the Will Rosin of Wapping suite, with extracts from the Tatler Volume 1709 story read by David in between each movement. Some works were written in the span of less than 24 hours, including Alleyway, Pastoral, River Falls. On a visit to Wisconsin Peter shared a photo with David in the morning to which David spontaneously responded with a new work that Peter performed that night in a concert! Divisions on Mr Simons' Prelude was inspired by hearing the exquisitely melancholy F minor Prelude (1700) by the mysterious 'Mr Simons' at one of Peter's City Church concerts in 2021, after emerging from 18 months of lockdown. David felt "That beautiful F minor thread reaches out to us over the centuries" and he used the prelude as the basis for a set of variations. Playing for dancing was always a key function of the violin and was driven by developments in the ballroom, country-dance and hop. A Pocket Full of Tunes was inspired by a French dancing-master's piccolo violin, played here on a 'full-size' Amati. Violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved is acclaimed internationally for performances and recordings of a vast range of solo repertoire from the late 16th century to hundreds of works written for him by major composers to the many young composers with whom he collaborates worldwide. David Hackbridge-Johnson is a multi-instrumentalist, conductor, recitalist and writer as well as composer. Among his 600 or so compositions are eighteen symphonies, over a dozen tone-poems and concertos, and hundreds of songs and chamber pieces. His most recent commissions have been operatic including Blaze of Glory!, written for the 75th anniversary of Welsh National Opera.
A Pocket Full of Tunes
$18.99
CD
Metier
Jul 24, 2026
MEX77148
2x33 fur Piano - Works by Franz Hummel
Tyxart
Available as
CD
$22.99
Jul 17, 2026
Each part in this double album presents one work of 33 variations by Franz Hummel. Initially, Hummel felt challenged by Beethoven's Diabelli Variations to compose another 33 variations on the same theme. At a memorial concert following Hummel's death (August 20th, 2022), his three master students, Yojo Christen, Christoph Preiss, and Alexander Maria Wagner, performed and reinterpreted these variations so powerfully that the desire arose to record this experience for the album. The second album features the Hercher Variations, which Franz Hummel composed between 2017 and 2019, interpreted by Christoph Preiss. A special feature is that, apart from these two works by Hummel, there are only a few cycles with 30 or more variations in well-known piano literature, e.g., Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations.
2x33 fur Piano - Works by Franz Hummel
$22.99
CD
Tyxart
Jul 17, 2026
TXA25199
Saxophobia - Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920's
Chandos
Available as
SACD
$21.99
Jul 17, 2026
Famously invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s, the saxophone quickly became an established part of French and British military bands, but remained a novelty instrument elsewhere until it gained a foothold in vaudeville and ragtime bands in 1920s America. From there, it became an essential part of dance bands and a prominent solo instrument in jazz. A great deal of this early development can be attributed to one musician-Rudy Wiedoeft. Born into a musical family, Rudy became a virtuoso clarinettist at an early age before becoming obsessed with the saxophone in 1914. Coinciding with the start of the dance craze, he was convinced he could make a better living as a saxophonist than as an orchestral clarinettist and spent the following years forming and running bands for nightclubs and cabaret, and writing and recording his own virtuosic pieces for saxophone. Concentrating on recording over performing, he became a household name, but the emergence of the jazz era and it's new star musicians eventually overshadowed his work, and his achievements and influence slipped into obscurity. Multi-instrumentalist, educator, and virtuoso saxophonist Chad Smith instigated this album both as a tribute to, and in order to shine a light on, this largely forgotten innovator. A veteran of Broadway since 2002, Smith has made an astonishing career which spans live and studio work at the highest level, featuring in a diverse range of soundtracks from Star Wars to The Simpsons. He has appeared as a soloist with most of America's premier symphony orchestras and has collaborated with innumerable artists such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Lady Gaga.
Saxophobia - Celebrating the Sax Craze of the 1920's
$21.99
SACD
Chandos
Jul 17, 2026
CHSA 5390
Chen Yi: Works for Violin, Viola and Piano
Naxos
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 24, 2026
The four works on this album by the esteemed Chinese-American composer Chen Yi are all premiere recordings, two of which - The Soulful and the Perpetual and Three Bagatelles - she has adapted specifically for violinist/violist Patrick Yim and pianist Kiu Tung Poon for this recording. Admired for bridging Eastern and Western traditions, Chen Yi draws on authentic folk music from the west of China, evoking the sound of the bawu and lerong in Three Bagatelles. Originally composed for saxophone and piano, The Soulful and the Perpetual is characterised by two opposing movements - the first lyrical; the second a perpetuum mobile. Spring in Dresden is a vivid and energetic work with erhu-inspired sliding tones, while the Chinese Folk Dance Suite is colourful, virtuosic, and brilliantly conceived.
