The name Pleyel is chiefly remembered today as a piano manufacturer, but the company's founding figure Ignaz Pleyel, a former pupil of Haydn, was one of the most acclaimed composers of the late 18th century. The success of Pleyel's finely wrought twelve string quintets, three of which are heard on this album, inspired Mozart to compose his own quintets in C major and G minor. Their appeal lies in their well-paced balance between crackling energy and lyrical expansiveness. These highly accomplished works are sprightly, good-humoured, and filled with such an intrinsic lightness and grace that they are guaranteed to delight as much now as they did centuries ago.
Pleyel: String Quintets, Ben. 271–273
$19.99
CD
Naxos
Jul 10, 2026
8574492
Maria Stuarda
Naxos AudioVisual
Available as
Blu-Ray
$37.99
Jul 10, 2026
Gaetano Donizetti's tragic opera Maria Stuarda depicts the merciless rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, who is seen as a martyr facing up to the illegitimate Queen of England. The opera was a victim of censorship at it's premiere and was beset by problems during rehearsals but is now seen as one of Donizetti's great operatic masterpieces. From the flamboyantly lyrical royal confrontations to the poignant final execution scene, this widely acclaimed production by David McVicar features monumental sets and sumptuous Elizabethan costumes, bringing the majesty and stark brutality of Elizabeth I's reign vividly to life.
Maria Stuarda
$37.99
Blu-Ray
Naxos AudioVisual
Jul 10, 2026
NBD0192V
Roots of Rap 1922-1973
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
Rap was born with the art of speaking, and it's Caribbean and U.S. roots were recorded right from the beginning of the 20th century: inflamed utterances, impassioned preaching, negro spirituals, folk, and slam poets on the downbeat. But the amazing recordings included herein first and foremost show how quadrille callers morphed into DJs hosting dancefloors at the mike, laying the fundamentals of hip hop culture. Bruno Blum comments on more aspects of the roots of rap, such as radio DJs, talking blues, and jazz. Patrick Frémeaux
Roots of Rap 1922-1973
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5918
Loop Tales
Fuga Libera
Available as
CD
$20.99
Jul 24, 2026
With Loop Tales, Camille El Bacha and Naghib Shanbehzadeh bring Western classical piano into dialogue with Persian and Middle Eastern percussion. The piano evokes echoes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel, and Steve Reich, while percussion adds a vibrant rhythmic dimension. Each piece unfolds as a looping narrative built on repetition and evolving cycles that gradually transform. Piano and percussion create an immersive counterpoint where musical traditions intersect, shaping a sonic space in which cultures meet and reinvent themselves. Rooted in a shared desire to explore repetition as a living musical material, the album invites listeners into an intimate sound world shaped by subtle variation, resonance, and rhythmic energy. Concert pianist, composer, and improviser Camille El Bacha has developed a personal musical language bridging classical heritage and contemporary creativity. Alongside him, percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh draws on the rhythmic traditions of southern Iran, forming a deeply collaborative musical journey.
Loop Tales
$20.99
CD
Fuga Libera
Jul 24, 2026
FUG861
Milhaud: Salade, Op. 83; Le Pauvre Matelot, Op. 92
DUX
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 17, 2026
A concert performance of Darius Milhaud's "intermedial" ballets, alongside the world premiere recording of the complete original version of Salade. This release brings together all that is most irresistible in the music of the great French master of modernism: jazz, the circus, reimaginings of early music, serenades from Sardinia, and the folkloric colours of Provence. A distinguished cast of young vocal soloists, together with a chamber ensemble of the Poznan Philharmonic, is led by Lukasz Borowicz, an eminent interpreter of unjustly neglected scores.
Milhaud: Salade, Op. 83; Le Pauvre Matelot, Op. 92
$19.99
CD
DUX
Jul 17, 2026
DUX2142
Chamber Choir 441hz
DUX
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 17, 2026
The programme of the latest recording by the distinguished choir 441 Hz brings together works by composers from a wide range of cultural traditions, from Scandinavia to the Philippines. Their shared expressive thread is a meditation on the phenomenon of light-it's symbolism, radiance, and transformative power. These composers write for mixed choir, enriched here by the subtle colours of violin, Tibetan singing bowls, handbells, and even water-tuned glasses. Yet for all it's imaginative scoring, the programme is far removed from the world of avant-garde experiment. Instead, it unfolds in a language of luminous harmonies, deeply affecting solo voices, and expansive musical forms, creating an atmosphere of serenity and inward reflection.
Chamber Choir 441hz
$19.99
CD
DUX
Jul 17, 2026
DUX2226
Eric Craven: Set Two for Piano
Metier
Available as
CD
$25.99
Jul 10, 2026
July 2026, Divine Art presents Set Two for Piano from visionary composer Eric Craven, the latest in a series of releases showcasing his 'non-prescriptive' method of composition. This unique method features different levels of notation allowing the performer varying degrees of freedom to manipulate choices around a set core. The composer states that his hope is "to reward any pianist with even modest ability with immediate success" (Pieces for Pianists Vol 1 & 2) in creating something beautiful and expressive while also providing a challenge to more accomplished pianists to explore new territory. Irish pianist Mary Dullea is Eric Craven's collaborator on all these recordings and in Set Two for Piano she brings her long experience of realising Eric's music to her wonderfully instinctive performance. This new collection offers 12 hugely enjoyable pieces that are more expansive than the previous SET, each plainly numbered without named titles. They reference a range of different styles, from toccata-like study to jaunty waltz, often with a backbone of jazz, and all varying from low-, middle- to high order notation, the levels of non-prescription with which Craven presents the score. Low-order refers to music that appears with pitch and rhythm plus bar-lines; high-order is only pitches; and middle-order somewhere in between. There are no other details given such as tempo, time-signatures, dynamics, articulation, character, or duration. "... there is a day when the recording must be made with that version of the piece committed to a presence in the world for others to hear! Essentially I am pushed to make decisions about the performances at every moment; one might say that this is part of the spontaneity of the act of performance anyway but what is particular to this is that, apart from pitches and rhythms... I aways have the choice to do something else. So, the journey from first receiving a score to defining one interpretation is a combination of experimentation and control." American Record Guide has previously said of the collaboration between Eric Craven and Mary Dullea: "the result of this artistic input from these two musicians is of true artistic alchemy". "Much of Set for Piano is abrasively wantonly tonal - abrasive in the sense that Craven's tonality is literal and daringly untreated; triads shocking in their nakedness... He cuts across stylistic allegiances, those same old same old allegiances that box so many composers in." Philip Clark, Gramophone. Manchester-born Eric Craven has left little musical footprint. He has composed since his teenage years but has rarely sought to introduce his music to a wider audience through performance or publication. The original SET was the first of his 'non-prescriptive' compositions to be recorded after Craven was persuaded by leading and eminent pianists to make his work available. This was followed by Entangled States, a set of forty-eight short pieces and two volumes of Pieces for Pianists - a collection intended to present more immediately accessible scores to a wider audience of pianists. Also released on Divine Art were his highly acclaimed Piano Sonatas 7,8 and 9, also with Mary Dullea. Mary Dullea enjoys a very busy career as a soloist and chamber musician and regularly performs and broadcasts internationally. Her exceptional discography demonstrates her support and championing of new music, and her pianism, musicality and remarkable virtuosity make her an ideal interpreter. She is currently Director of Performance at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she is also a Professor in Music. She has collaborated with Eric Craven for many years, with a number of releases on Divine Art and Metier.
Eric Craven: Set Two for Piano
$25.99
CD
Metier
Jul 10, 2026
MEX77139
A Letter From Helga
Sono Luminus
Available as
CD
$15.99
Jul 10, 2026
Original motion picture soundtrack from A Letter From Helga All music is composed by Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir except "I'm Not The Loving Kind" is composed by John Cale Arranged by Kristín Anna and Davíð Þór Jónsson Accordion, pianos, marxophone, synthesiser and vocals performed by Kristín Anna Cornett performed by Áki Ásgeirsson Cello arrangement and performance on tracks 1, 2, 7 and 15 by Gyða Valtýsdóttir Tuba, trombone, alto horn and euphonium on tracks 1, 10, 12 performed by Ingi Garðar Erlendsson Hammond organ on "I'm Not The Loving Kind" performed by Davíð Þór Jónsson Additional vocals on "I'm Not The Loving Kind" performed by Davíð Þór, Kristín Anna and Ása Helga Hjörleifsdóttir Recording engineering by Úlfur Hansson, Kristín Anna, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Gabríel Ólafsson and Reykjavík Orkestra Mixed and produced by Kristín Anna Mastered by Styrmir Hauksson
A Letter From Helga
$15.99
CD
Sono Luminus
Jul 10, 2026
SLE-70047
Palestrina: Offertoria totius anni
DUX
Available as
CD
$39.99
Jul 17, 2026
This four-disc set brings together the complete Offertories of Palestrina, the supreme master of Renaissance sacred polyphony. Each disc is devoted to works for different seasons of the liturgical year and a range of solemn occasions. Conceived for the adornment of the liturgy at the foremost church of Rome, these compositions have retained their place at the heart of the Christian musical tradition, admired across the centuries for their devotional purpose and their incomparable artistic perfection. In this distinguished recording, Schola Cantorum Gedanensis-one of Poland's most esteemed vocal ensembles, with nearly half a century of artistic achievement-turns to this sublime repertoire with characteristic insight and poise. Laureate of six Fryderyk Awards and two Golden Orpheus distinctions, the choir, under the direction of Jan Lukaszewski, offers an interpretation of luminous clarity, tonal refinement, and contemplative depth, revealing anew the spiritual radiance of these timeless works.
Palestrina: Offertoria totius anni
$39.99
CD
DUX
Jul 17, 2026
DUX2238-41
Theme varie
Chandos
Available as
CD
$21.99
Jul 17, 2026
Conceived as a treasure trove of lesser-known French and Belgian repertoire, the works on this album span a forty-year period, from 1892 to 1932. A number of unifying threads run through the programme, perhaps the most significant of which is the influence of a composer whose music is not heard here at all: César Franck. Franck taught and championed Guillaume Lekeu and Mel Bonis; and Bonis in turn taught Charlotte Sohy, whose principal composition teacher was Vincent d'Indy, one of Franck's most devoted acolytes. The artists decided against including Franck's Violin Sonata in favour of the work by his fellow Belgian Lekeu, much more rarely recorded and hardly ever heard in the concert hall. A number of shorter works surround this sonata to form a uniquely rewarding programme, starting with Charlotte Sohy's Thème varié. Three works by Mel Bonis complement the duo's recording of her Violin Sonata on their previous album (CHAN 20275), whilst the two Élégies by Saint-Saëns have also been unfairly neglected. Fascinatingly, the second Élégie and Messiaen's Thème et variations are separated by just a dozen years, although they inhabit sound worlds seemingly decades apart. Elsa Barraine was Messiaen's contemporary and lifelong friend. Her haunting Nocturne seemed to provide a fitting conclusion to this programme.
Theme varie
$21.99
CD
Chandos
Jul 17, 2026
CHAN 20380
Keys to the Beautiful Game
Reference Recordings
Available as
CD
$16.99
Jul 17, 2026
A new album of world premieres from GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Nadia Shpachenko! Compositions from nine of the best contemporary composers, all with the theme of the challenges and excitement of soccer. Remember the joys of the 2026 Soccer World Cup forever! Nadia Shpachenko enjoys bringing into the world things that are outside the box - powerful pieces that often possess unusual sonic qualities or instrumentation. An enthusiastic promoter of contemporary music, Shpachenko has premiered more than 150 works by many important composers. The composers featured on Keys to the Beautiful Game are Tom Flaherty, Pamela Z, Ian Dicke, David Sanford, Dana Kaufman, Harold Meltzer, Christopher Cerrone, Oliver Dubon, and Adam Schoenberg. Born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Ms. Shpachenko is a Steinway Artist, Schoenhut Toy Piano Artist, and professor of music at Cal Poly Pomona University. Reference Recordings is proud to present her 6th album on our label.
Keys to the Beautiful Game
$16.99
CD
Reference Recordings
Jul 17, 2026
FR-766
Olivier Hutman & Lamine Cissokho: The Following
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$20.99
Jul 17, 2026
A jubilant dialogue between Mandingo music and acoustic jazz, «The Following» was born from the collaboration between French jazz pianist Olivier Hutman and Senegalese kora player Lamine Cissokho. Each track, which blends modern improvisation with elements of traditional music, acts as a bridge that enriches the global musical heritage. This exceptional project is enhanced by the participation of the legendary American bluesman Eric Bibb. Essential for all lovers of jazz, blues, and world music. Augustin Bondoux / Patrick Frémeaux
Olivier Hutman & Lamine Cissokho: The Following
$20.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA8626
Mikrokosmos
Tyxart
Available as
CD
$19.99
Jul 17, 2026
London-based German pianist and composer Bruno Heinen draws on classical compositions of the twentieth century and the jazz tradition in his works. Heinen's work has been described by The Guardian as eclectic, eccentric, and unobtrusively sophisticated. This album is inspired by Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos and uses cells and ideas from Volume 6 of Bartók's work, as well as lyrics in the form of Bartók quotations, to create a new suite. Bruno Heinen's quartet, The W, is a newly formed contemporary jazz combo featuring the charismatic British jazz singer Heidi Vogel. On drums is New Yorker Gene Calderazzo, who plays a leading role in the international jazz scene. The double bass is played by Italian Andrea Di Biase, who has performed with such greats as Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler. Like the four even lines that form the letter 'W', the four members of the group become 'one' to create a perfectly balanced and captivating new sound!
Mikrokosmos
$19.99
CD
Tyxart
Jul 17, 2026
TXA26211
60 ans, Amazing Grace !!
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$20.99
Jul 17, 2026
For 60 years, Les Haricots Rouges have been tireless ambassadors of à la française New Orleans jazz, celebrating their remarkable journey with undimmed camaraderie and youthful vitality. True living legends, they have spent six decades sharing their love of swing and joyful jazz with audiences worldwide. Blending timeless classics with original compositions, this album proves that the band's heart still beats as fast and as fiercely as ever. Patrick Frémeaux
60 ans, Amazing Grace !!
$20.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA8627
Songs For Chet, Songs For Now
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
This box set brings together three major albums by Riccardo del Fra, an essential double bassist and composer on the European jazz scene. From the intimacy of the duets on A Sip of Your Touch, a sensitive and deeply personal tribute, to the ambitious orchestral writing of My Chet My Song, Riccardo del Fra explores the legacy of Chet Baker while reinventing it. With Moving People, he anchors his approach in a resolutely contemporary language: open, committed music inspired by the upheavals of today's world. Through these three complementary facets emerges the portrait of a complete musician, exploring and reshaping memory while always looking to the future, for whom sound, silence, and precision remain essential. A reference box set for understanding the aesthetic of the great Italian double bassist. Augustin Bondoux / Patrick Frémeaux
Songs For Chet, Songs For Now
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA8628
Francois Mitterrand - Le dernier monarque republicain, une b
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
Les Presses Universitaires de France and Frémeaux & Associés present this biography of François Mitterrand, written by Judith Bonnin, a specialist in political history and the history of international relations, and Pierre-Emmanuel Guigo, a specialist in the history of political communication and the history of the media in the contemporary era. François Mitterrand, an iconic figure of the Fifth Republic, left a lasting mark on France. This biography, presented by historians Judith Bonnin and Pierre-Emmanuel Guigo, explores the many facets of this complex man: his political rise, his controversial choices, his passions, and his contradictions, revealing the man behind the president in a rich and nuanced biography. The authors draw on the abundant existing literature as well as unpublished archives to recount the life and political actions of the man who was twelve times minister under the Fourth Republic, deputy, main opponent of de Gaulle, first secretary of the Socialist Party, and president for fourteen years. Through precise and well-documented analysis, this audiobook reveals the behind-the-scenes story of a life dedicated to power and the transformation of French society. Claude Colombini Frémeaux
Francois Mitterrand - Le dernier monarque republicain, une b
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5593
Emmanuelle Morau: Deux histoires, une Terre
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
The notion of protection highlights contrasting realities: on one hand, Palestinians, deprived of security guarantees; on the other, Israelis, marked by the fear of a constant threat. These situations fuel tensions, particularly annexation, settlement expansion, and international recognition. Emmanuelle Morau underscores, through these issues, a broader inability to guarantee and acknowledge the fundamental rights of peoples-a failure illustrated by what the West refers to as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her work raises an essential ethical question: that of our collective difficulty in recognizing all human beings as equal. It thus invites reflection on the possibilities of coexistence and sharing between peoples who stem from a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Audiobook, in French.
Emmanuelle Morau: Deux histoires, une Terre
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5919
Guillaume Apollinaire: Alcools - La Chanson du mal aime - Le
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$20.99
Jul 17, 2026
This CD, produced by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol, offers a thoughtful journey through the poetic works of Guillaume Apollinaire, a founding figure of 20th-century literary modernity. Through historical recordings, it highlights the oral reception of his texts by great interpreters of theatrical heritage: Jean Negroni, Jacques Duby, Maurice Escande, and Jean Topart. From La Chanson du mal-aimé to the poems of Alcools, from Bestiaire to texts from the war period, this anthology captures the diversity of a body of work that combines lyricism, experimentation, and memory. In addition, there is an exceptional archival document: Guillaume Apollinaire reciting Le Pont Mirabeau on cylinder in 1913, a rare testimony to the poet's voice and the history of recorded works. Patrick Frémeaux
Guillaume Apollinaire: Alcools - La Chanson du mal aime - Le
$20.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5923
Marc Ogeret chante Aragon, Beart, Bruant, Ferre, Villon,… In
Frémeaux
Available as
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
From his early days in Parisian cabarets to his first recordings, Marc Ogeret embodied the art of interpretation with rare intensity and intelligence. Singing Léo Ferré, Guy Béart, Aristide Bruant, François Villon, and Pierre Seghers, he united poetry with commitment. This 2-CD set, curated by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol, highlights his earliest recordings, spanning traditional and popular songs to contemporary hits, and reveals a generous interpreter of unmatched nuance. French song in it's most authentic, committed form. Patrick Frémeaux
Marc Ogeret chante Aragon, Beart, Bruant, Ferre, Villon,… In
$32.99
CD
Frémeaux
Jul 17, 2026
FA5921
La Festa
Fra Bernardo
Available as
CD
$22.99
Jul 17, 2026
Live recording of a concert from St. Georgen am Längsee Abbey in Carinthia on June 28, 2003: La Festa presents virtuoso Italian Baroque music with works by Monteverdi and Caccini, combined with traditional tarantellas. Passionate and extraordinarily lively, the Accordone ensemble, led by singer Marco Beasley and harpsichordist Guido Morini, conjures up the spirit of a 17th-century festival. A rousing recording full of improvisational flashes of genius!
