Electric Fields' offers modern arrangements of centuries-old vocal music, as well as new compositions, all involving soprano, pianos, and live electronics. The meditative compositions of medieval polymath Hildegard von Bingen are the point of departure for this album. Hildegard's texts soar to the spiritual realm both in Latin and in her invented lingua ignota. Additionally, the vernacular love songs of two composers from the Italian Baroque, Barbara Strozzi and Francesca Caccini, gave inspiration for this album. Several works from American composer Bryce Dessner complete the eclectic programme. Soprano Barbara Hannigan and pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque are joined by composer/performer David Chalmin in this captivating journey through meditative and ambient musical atmospheres. Together they create an intense and unique cosmos of sound.

Nineteen years after his first recital devoted to the music of Alexander Scriabin [BIS-1568], Yevgeny Sudbin returns to the works of this eccentric Russian composer with a new recital that brings together pieces composed at various points in his career. Of his special relationship with this composer, Sudbin writes: 'I simply cannot think of any other composer who consistently brings out such a primordially raw and physical reaction in me and, with time, his grip has only intensified on me.' Arthur Rubinstein once said that 'Scriabin's music is like a narcotic. It is so intoxicating that it can become dangerous', to which Sudbin adds by way of precaution, 'enjoy responsibly at your own peril.' Carefully prepared by Sudbin, the programme reveals Scriabin's stylistic evolution, from his beginnings when he was still influenced by Chopin and devoted to small forms, through his middle period where the rich, late-romantic idiom is just beginning to cross into darker, more complex realms, on to his late period in which, in Sudbin's words, 'one sometimes feels too close to the edge of insanity'. In his latter works, Scriabin indeed seems to push music to the expressive limits in order to create a climate of spiritual ecstasy.

In the kingdom of Cornouaille on the Breton coast, the war between Prince Karnac and the inhabitants of the town of Ys is finally coming to an end. The condition of the peace treaty is that Karnac will marry Princess Margared. But her love for Mylio, who is betrothed to her sister Rozenn, will provoke a terrible tidal wave fomented by her thirst for revenge. Edouard Lalo found an inspiring libretto here, which he handled with a sense of theatrical urgency rarely achieved. The characters live out their passions, supported by vehement, colourful orchestration. The role of Margared, in particular, deserves to be numbered among the most successful in French Romantic opera. First performed in Paris in 1888, the work scored a triumph that was repeated at every revival in the provinces and abroad. Though barely two hours long, it teems with dramatic situations: Breton festivals, the supernatural appearance of Saint Corentin, a wedding accompanied by the organ, a tidal wave whose tumultuous billows are rendered to great effect. Le Roi d'Ys amply merited an ambitious staging at the Paris Opera, which it was unfortunately denied in Lalo's lifetime.

Justin Taylor has a passion for early keyboards and is always keen to match the works he tackles with the most appropriate historical instruments. Justin has always been fascinated by the music of Frederic Chopin, whose intimate musical world is presented here. We know that Chopin composed some of his preludes during his stay with George Sand in Mallorca, where he used a very special instrument. This was a Pleyel pianino - a small upright piano of six and a half octaves that was only made between 1835 and 1842 - with a beautiful natural resonance and a velvety timbre. Taylor has recorded the preludes composed on this Pleyel pianino along with a selection of etudes, nocturnes and mazurkas, all of which suit the sound of the instrument perfectly. A moving transcription of Bellini's Casta diva, an aria that Chopin much admired, is also included here.

It took almost 100 years for Charles Koechlin's First Symphony to get a proper recording and over a year for Ariane Matiakh to prepare the material. After her highly praised recording of Koechlin's Seven Stars Symphony (C5449), this is a much-appreciated further foray into the largely unexplored symphonic world of this fascinating composer, a French Chameleon of sorts, who felt comfortable anywhere between Bachian counterpoint and the heights of French impressionism. The earlier Au loin, Poeme symphonique and 3 Melodies (orchestrated posthumously) round out the scintillating picture.

Star pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard presents an anthology from Gyorgy Kurtag's Jatekok (Games), recorded in the composer's presence and under his artistic guidance. In his extensive series of Jatekok, Kurtag realizes the spontaneity of a child exploring the piano with the compositional means of his adventurous, avant-garde idiom. Recording such an extensive collection of Jatekok is an important statement for Aimard, who has developed an intimate artistic friendship with the composer over decades. A renowned champion of twentieth-century music, Pierre-Laurent Aimard has released multiple acclaimed albums in his exclusive contract with PENTATONE, including Messiaen's Catalogue d'Oiseaux (2018) and Visions de l'Amen (2022), along with Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata & Eroica Variations (2021). He also joined Tamara Stefanovich in Etudes and Frames (2023), with music by Vassos Nicolaou, and recorded Bartok's Piano Concertos with the San Francisco Symphony and Esa-Pekka Salonen (2023). The miniature nature of Kurtag's Jatekok makes them an unexpected, yet logical successor of Aimard's acclaimed album Schubert Landler (2024), which consisted of dances that the pianist often combines with Kurtag's short pieces in live performances.

Quatuor Diotima celebrates Pierre Boulez' centenary with a recording of his Livre pour quatuor, containing the world-premiere of the piece's fourth movement, which the composer conceived in close cooperation with the members of Diotima, and was completed by Philippe Manoury after his death. This recording adds a fascinating chapter to Boulez's "work in progress", and is a fitting successor to the quartet's acclaimed Ligeti recording from 2023. Quatuor Diotima is one of the most in-demand chamber ensembles in the world today, and has worked in close collaboration with several of the greatest composers of the late twentieth century. Reflected in the mirror of today's music, the quartet projects a new light onto the masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries. The quartet returns to PENTATONE after their acclaimed Metamorphosis Ligeti (2023) and Bruckner & Klose String Quartets (2024), which was awarded a Jahrespreis der Schallplattenkritik.

The most comprehensive tribute ever issued on record to the art of the Italian pianist Sergio Fiorentino. Many recordings here newly remastered and receiving their first-ever issue in the digital age. A landmark set for pianophiles. This set has been curated by the collector Ernst Lumpe, who contributes a lengthy appreciation and introduction to the booklet of the set, alongside an essay by Christoph Schluren & Ottavia Maria Maceratini. It was Lumpe who drew the pianist out of retirement during the 1990s, resulting in an 'Indian Summer' of recordings made in Berlin until not long before the pianist's death in 1998. They are reissued here, alongside much less familiar solo and concerto recordings from the 1950s and 60s - 'The Early Recordings' - and separate sections dedicated to Fiorentino's particular, free-wheeling mastery of Chopin and Liszt. Many of the early recordings were made in the UK for the Concert Artist label under the supervision of Willliam Barrington-Coupe, and some of them issued under pseudonyms (though not attributed to his wife Joyce Hatto, at least not at the time). In 1954 he recorded Mozart's Concerto K467 in Naples; the repertoire from those years otherwise focuses on richly sonorous interpretations of German repertoire, from Bach (and Bach/Busoni) onwards, through Beethoven, into fantastically inventive Schumann and Brahms. Around this time too, however, he recorded several major Chopin collections: the Ballades, Etudes, Polonaises, Scherzos and Waltzes. The sources for all these recordings vary between master tapes (occasionally), and more often the best available LP copies, often of releases issued in very limited quantities, and in compromised engineering, but the artistic value of the performances speaks for itself. Lumpe remarks of his as 'a real aristocrat' of the piano and quotes several of his pupils, who recall a musician without ego, demanding and quietly aware of his own abilities but modest and disinclined to self-promotion or fits of artistic temperament. Alongside some revisiting of this repertoire, late in life in Berlin, Fiorentino turned to Russian repertoire: Prokofiev, Scriabin and especially Rachmaninoff, whom he had always venerated as the supreme pianist. If this set bears witness to anything, it is Fiorentino's place in the canon as one of Rachmaninoff's few worthy successors. - "He is the only other pianist", said the legendary Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli of Sergio Fiorentino. How is it that one of the greatest musical geniuses of the 20th century is still so unknown? - Sergio Fiorentino (1927-1998) was a remarkable Italian pianist whose career combined exceptional artistry with a quiet, almost enigmatic presence in the music world. Born in Naples, Fiorentino exhibited prodigious talent from an early age, studying at the prestigious San Pietro a Majella Conservatory under the guidance of Alfredo Casella and Paolo Denza. His early successes included significant competition wins and promising concert debuts, establishing him as a rising star in the mid-20th-century classical music scene. - However, Fiorentino's trajectory took a dramatic turn following a plane crash in 1954, which left him physically and emotionally scarred. While he resumed performing, his public appearances became sporadic, and he withdrew from the international stage. - Fiorentino's recordings, which gained broader recognition later in his life, reveal a pianist of extraordinary depth, technical mastery, and interpretive insight. Known for his affinity for composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff, Fiorentino's playing was marked by it's clarity, emotional intensity, and lack of ostentation. His interpretations were thoughtful, eschewing showmanship in favor of profound musical communication. - In the 1990s, Fiorentino returned to a more active recording schedule, earning belated acclaim as a cult figure among pianophiles. Tragically, his life was cut short in 1998, but his legacy endures through a treasure trove of recordings that continue to inspire listeners, cementing his status as one of the 20th century's most distinctive pianists. - This set brings together the major part of Fiorentino's recordings, spanning from the 1950-ties to the Berlin studio recordings made in the early 1990-ties. Some of the (Live) recordings inevitably show their provenance and technical deficiencies, but everywhere there shines the unbelievable musical force of one of the greatest pianists of the 20-th century.

Malcolm Martineau follows up his acclaimed complete song collections of Duparc, Poulenc and Faure with a double album celebrating the complete songs of Maurice Ravel, performed by a bumper roster of singers: Lorna Anderson, Julie Boulianne, John Chest, Sarah Dufresne Dafydd Jones, Simon Keenlyside, Paula Murrihy, Nicky Spence and William Thomas. French composer Maurice Ravel known for his musical craftsmanship and clear style drew on elements of baroque, neoclassicism, modernism and later on, jazz in his compositions. His vocal works span 4 decades, from 1893 to 1933. Scottish pianist Malcolm Martineau is recognised at the highest international level as one of the UK's leading accompanists, performing worldwide alongside the world's greatest singers and with a discography of over 100 albums, including a number of award-winning recordings.

Following his exploration of Spain with the music of Federico Moreno Torroba (BIS-2725), Franz Halasz now takes us to Brazil with the complete works for solo guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos. The music of this extremely prolific composer often combines the influences of European classical music with the popular and traditional music of his homeland, which he played from an early age. The twelve etudes, thoroughly modern, are to the guitar what Chopin's etudes are to the piano. Andres Segovia put it perfectly: 'They present, at the same time, formulas of an amazing efficiency for the development of two-handed technique, and disinterested musical beauty.' In contrast, the Suite populaire bresilienne and Choros No. 1 reflect the composer's youthful experiences as a 'choro' musician playing Brazilian street music, and offer a fusion of the characteristics of traditional music. Finally, the five Preludes return to Brazilian folklore, of which they offer a synthesis in the form of five tableaux inspired by the popular repertoire. This recording also features two rarities: the recently discovered Valse-Choro and the unfinished Valsa Concerto No. 2, completed by Debora Halasz. An evocative blend of syncopated rhythms, exotic harmonies, sensual melodies... and guitaristic flamboyance!

This recording showcases three new evocative works by GRAMMY Award-winning American composer Michael Daugherty, exploring the triumphs and tragedies of flight. Blue Electra is a dramatic violin concerto inspired by the sensational life and mysterious disappearance of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart in 1937. Last Dance at the Surf is a one-movement dance symphony for orchestra that reflects upon rock 'n roll legend Buddy Holly's final performance in 1959 at the Surf Ballroom in Iowa and his tragic death in a plane crash just hours after his show. To the New World for orchestra celebrates the triumphant Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969 and Neil Armstrong's historic moonwalk. Under the baton of GRAMMY Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller, the Albany Symphony is joined by GRAMMY Award-winning violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who performs Blue Electra with electrifying musicality and emotion.

On her solo debut album Indomita, soprano Eleonora Buratto pays tribute to the greatest composers and most insurmountable heroines of Italian nineteenth-century opera, together with the Orchestra & Coro dell'Opera Carlo Felice Genova under the baton of Sesto Quatrini. For Buratto, these scenes from Bellini's Il pirata, Donizetti's Anna Bolena and Lucrezia Borgia, as well as Verdi's I due Foscari and Aroldo, constitute a core repertoire for any soprano moving into the dramatic post-1850 operas in which she is currently thriving onstage. The combined demand of agility and power of the indomitable women portrayed fit her voice like a glove, and the combination of pieces offers an illuminating perspective on the development of Italian opera during the nineteenth century. Eleonora Buratto is one of the most highly acclaimed lyric sopranos in the world. Besides the Orchestra & Coro dell'Opera Carlo Felice Genova and conductor Sesto Quatrini, Indomita contains contributions by mezzo-soprano Irene Savignano, tenor Didier Pieri and bass Giovanni Battista Parodi. All artists make their PENTATONE debut.

Sinfonia of London and John Wilson start a new series of recordings of works by Sir William Walton with this album featuring Charlie Lovell-Jones as soloist in the Violin Concerto. Lovell-Jones has soloed with major orchestras internationally, broadcasting on radio and television. As leader of the multi-award-winning Sinfonia of London, he has performed at the BBC Proms and recorded numerous albums, and is the winner of a number of significant international competitions. Commissioned by Jascha Heifetz, the Concerto was premiered in 1939, in America, and was enthusiastically received. Inspired by Walton's friend and lover Alice Wimborne, the work is extremely lyrical and passionate in nature, sporting a wild, virtuosic Tarantella as the second movement. Alice was also a driving force behind the inception of Walton's first grand opera, Troilus and Cressida, composed over almost a decade, largely after her untimely death. Here we hear the four-movement orchestral suite compiled in 1987 by Christopher Palmer, at the instigation of Lady Walton and his lifelong publisher OUP. Walton's overture Portsmouth Point is the earliest work on the album, premiered in 1926.

Pablo de Sarasate was born in Pamplona, Spain, and became an acclaimed virtuoso of the violin by the tender age of twelve. The child prodigy was sent away to study at the Paris Conservatoire, and Sarasate spent the rest of his life in Paris. In demand nationally and internationally as a soloist, he was the dedicatee of a large number of important concertos by composers ranging from Max Bruch to Henryk Wieniawski. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole was composed for Sarasate, who gave the Paris premiere, in 1875. The work is laid out in five movements and bristles with Spanish themes, rhythms, and influences, which were very much the vogue in France at that time. Also composed for Sarasate, Saint-Saens' Third Violin Concerto was composed in 1880. Written in his usual clear, refined, almost classical style, the work has endured as the most played of his three violin concertos. The album is completed with Sarasate's own fantasia on Bizet's Carmen - a virtuosic tour de force for the soloist, brilliantly played here by James Ehnes.

In an age of resurgent conflict and frenetic demands on our attention, Angel of Peace offers a slice of tranquillity in many forms courtesy of luminous, purifying music traversing six centuries. This album centres on the power and beauty of poetry in music, bringing together the exquisite simplicity of the songs of 12th-century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen with John Taverner's joyous large scale antiphons composed some 400 years later. Leap forward to more recent times and we hear new settings by Will Todd and Anna Clyne of words by Cardinal Newman and Rainer Maria Rilke. Commissioned for solo violin with choir, both works heighten the intensity of the poetry through the fascinating musical dialogue between strings and voice. Arvo Part, marking his 90th birthday, brings us full circle with his serene clarity. These timeless voices resonate with our deepest need for stillness and with each work we hope to share a moment of peace and connection through the timeless language of music.