Born out of a great orchestral tradition, the Streichquartett der Staatskapelle Berlin began its life in 2017, on the judicious advice of Daniel Barenboim. Since then the four string section leaders of the famed Staatskapelle Berlin have been performing on many of the world’s most famous stages. Building on its familiarity with the world of opera, the quartet’s first album highlights three operatic heavyweights. Verdi’s string quartet, his only surviving chamber music work, was composed in 1873 while the composer was at the height of his creative powers. Although written in a matter of weeks, it is a piece replete with beautiful melodies and idiomatic writing. Composed two years earlier, Tchaikovsky’s first string quartet harks back to Schubert and Beethoven and embraces their ideals of beauty and perfect form. Taking its inspiration from the chrysanthemum flowers associated with Italian funeral ceremonies, Puccini’s Crisantemi, dedicated to the memory of Amadeo I of Spain, completes the trio of works.

Classical Music

"Cappella Nova present illuminating performances which perfectly capture MacMillan's profound sense of the sacred, but here the sense of looking back over the centuries is especially strong...[an] essential addition to the rapidly growing discography of one of Britain's most self-assured musical voices."

- Gramophone, February 13, 2012

Aside from being very rewarding to sing, James Macmillan's religious music makes such a refreshing change from what's usually offered in churches today. Approachable without being apologetic, emotional but with a sense of dignity, the best of these works can both delight and challenge. Wonderful surprises, like the string quartet's seagull effects in Who are these Angels?, or the Gesualdo-like harmonic shifts in Pascha nostrum immolatus est, rub shoulders with music that matches the unselfconscious directness of folk or even pop music - MacMillan's early experience in folk bands has done him no harm at all. At the same time, it must be stressed that we are worlds away here from the limply syncopated pseudo-pop that the church often seems to think will entice the people back into the pews.

The backbone of this programme is the second set of Strathclyde Motets, and this is where you'll generally find the most absorbing music. The Mass of Blessed John Henry Newman strikes this listener as a little more functionally liturgical - effective enough in context, but relatively short on the kind of ideas that make you catch your breath. At the other end of the scale is the simple but touching Think of how God loves you, written for the baptism of the composer's granddaughter. (James MacMillan a grandfather? Older readers take a deep breath!) Everything is performed with elegance and the requisite intensity., and the recordings are clear and atmospheric.

- Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine, March 1, 2012

This disc is a follow-up to the very fine 2007 Cappella Nova CD which included the first set of James MacMillan’s Strathclyde Motets. It contains the second and final set of seven motets. Most of the music here is of fairly recent vintage and the majority is designed for use in the Roman Catholic liturgy. That includes the short Mass of Blessed John Henry Newman. This sets the words from the new English translation of the Mass which the Roman Catholic Church brought into use towards the end of 2011. MacMillan says in the booklet that he is “really excited” by this new translation; well, he and I will have to differ there but it’s good that he’s moving quickly to compose some worthwhile music to fit the new words. Listeners should bear in mind that the mainly unison music has been specifically designed for congregational participation. That doesn’t mean that it’s in any way simplistic; I should think the average congregation would need to do a bit of work to master it but the effort would be worthwhile.

The remaining music is specifically to be sung by a choir. I was struck by Tota pulchra es. MacMillan’s response to this Marian text is like no other that I’ve heard. Most are gentle and prayerful or implicitly feminine in tone. MacMillan, by contrast, has composed a surprisingly dramatic, urgent piece. In his setting the devotion to Mary is exciting and fervent and Alan Tavener and his expert choir give it a thrillingly affirmative performance. Another fervent piece is the Easter proclamation Pascha nostrum immolatus est. Indeed, here the fervour is evident even when the music is quieter in tone.

O Radiant Dawn is about the only piece on the disc that I’ve heard previously. It’s become quite popular and I’m not surprised. It’s very attractive and its harmonic language is pretty straightforward. The music has an obvious – and beneficial – indebtedness to O nata lux by Tallis.

Os mutorum is one of the pieces on the disc that’s not specifically for liturgical use. This is an interesting piece which is sung by Canty, a four-voice female ensemble which is a spin-off from Cappella Nova. Rather like Anonymous 4 these ladies specialise in medieval music but they also do quite a bit of music of our own time. Here they sing with a regular collaborator, William Taylor, a specialist in the performance of ancient harp music. MacMillan’s piece is chaste and pure in tone. The textures are spare and the music moves slowly. It’s most effective. And lo, the Angel of the Lord was designed for performance by a group resourced to sing multi-part or antiphonal music; in this case the Birmingham-based Ex Cathedra. The piece sets the passage from St Luke’s Gospel in which the Angels announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds. The writing is imaginative and evocative, especially what I can only describe as the choral fireworks at the words “Glory to God in the highest”. This splendid piece is sung tremendously well by Cappella Nova.

I was intrigued to hear what MacMillan would do with John Donne’s wonderful lines in Bring us, O Lord. Sir William Harris is the exemplar here with his glorious setting of the same words. MacMillan’s music is very different and yet … to my ears he achieves the same ambience of longing and quiet intensity. I admire this piece very much indeed.

I’m not quite sure what I make of Who are these Angels? Although the piece is dated 2009 it appears that elements of it go back to when the composer was just seventeen. The new work into which he’s incorporated that early music is rather strange. There are three strands. The male voices declaim passages in Latin – the teenage music, if you like – while the ladies sing a simpler refrain in English. The third strand is provided by the string quartet whose music is mainly quiet and discreet. The c losing moments feature the quartet alone playing strange, high glissandi which, it is suggested in the notes, sound like bird cries.

This is an absorbing disc. It is full of interest and I admire greatly the way in which the composer responds to the words he is setting. Through his music he enriches and enhances them – as a good musical setting of words always should. We are challenged at times but it’s always accessible. The music is superbly performed by Cappella Nova and the recorded sound is excellent, as you’d expect from this label. As with the earlier release, the booklet notes take the form of a very interesting conversation between MacMillan and Rebecca Tavener. I suspect many of these pieces are receiving their first recordings here.

-- John Quinn, MusicWeb International

The multi-award-winning Scottish Chamber Orchestra gives it's internationally-acclaimed principal musicians a chance to dazzle in Weber's virtuosic and thrilling concertos. Originally released in 2012, 'Weber: Wind Concertos' has been re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalogue. Alexander Janiczek leads Maximilano Mart�n (clarinet), Peter Whelan (bassoon) and Alec Frank-Gemmill (horn) in a thrilling programme. Composed at a pivotal time in the instrument's development the Clarinet Concerto is one of the cornerstones of the clarinet repertoire, performed impressively here by Maximilano Mart�n. For this performance Peter Whelan has reconstructed a version of the 1822 Bassoon Concerto score rather than employing the commonly used 1865 version. In a unique twist Alec Frank-Gemmill performs his own version of the cadenza in the virtuosic Horn Concertino famous for it's chromatic pitches and the requirement of multiphonic chords. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is a world-renowned orchestra whose recordings with conductors such as Robin Ticciati and Sir Charles Mackerras have resulted in multiple accolades and awards. Spanish clarinettist Maximiliano Mart�n is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting and charismatic musicians of his generation. Peter Whelan is one of Europe's leading exponents of historical and modern bassoon and the founder and artistic director of Ensemble Marsyas. Alec Frank-Gemmill, recognised internationally for the beauty of his tone, ranks among the finest of a new generation of horn players.

Produced by Philip Hobbs


Tracklisting
1 Filii Syon Exultate 2:37
2 Veni Dulcissime Domine 2:56
3 Paratum Cor Meum 2:12
4 Protector Noster 3:09
5 Ave Stella Matutina 3:30
6 Usquequo Oblivisceris Me Infinem? 2:52
7 Domine, Quid Multiplicati Sunt 3:39
8 Praebe Mihi 2:44
9 O Invictissima Christi Martyr 3:23
10 Sonet Vox Tua 2:54
11 Omnes Gentes, Cantate Domino 3:07
12 Confiteantur Tibi 2:54
13 Amo Christum, In Cuius Thalamum Introibo 3:02
14 O Si Sciret Stultus Mundus 3:16
15 Ornaverunt Faciem Templi Coronis Aureis 2:52
16 O Magnum Mysterium 3:20
17 Domine, Dominus Noster, Quam Admirabile 2:59
18 Domine, Ne In Furore 3:25
19 Exsurgat Deus Et Dissipentur 2:28
20 Omnes Gentes Plaudite Manibus 2:29

In its second release on Linn, The Avison Ensemble explores the rich diversity and delights of all twelve concertos in Vivaldi’s Opus 8. It includes the composer’s most famous work, 'The Four Seasons’, which contains some of the most instantly recognizable music ever composed and is today viewed as a pinnacle of musical art. Directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble presents an insightful and spirited performance of the masterpiece. Each of the twelve concertos is extremely demanding and Beznosiuk’s virtuosity permeates throughout each performance. The thematic elements within each innovative work result in a collection that is colorful, fresh and emotionally charged, and is a true testament of Vivaldi’s ability for invention and variation. Beznosiuk states: ‘The Four Seasons are well-known, well-loved and great fun to play, but let us not forget how richly characterful the other eight concerti are also. Throughout the set Vivaldi’s musical energy vibrates within us, connecting us to him in an irresistible, celebratory collection’.

Dougie MacLean needs no introduction; as a singer, song-writer, composer and instrumentalist, no artist captures the soul of Scotland with more authenticity or emotion. Originally famed for writing the song Caledonia, Dougie has teamed up with conductor John Logan and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to bring a new and beautiful symphonic dimension to his best-loved songs on his debut recording with Linn Records. The hand-picked selection includes Heiland Harry, Ca’ the Yowes, Green Grow the Rashes, This Love Will Carry, Till Tomorrow and of course, his enduringly popular love song to Scotland, Caledonia. Since he wrote Caledonia in 1977, with its lyrics, ‘You’re calling me, and now I’m going home’, it has become the unofficial Scots national anthem, topped the Scottish charts and been covered by Paolo Nutini, Amy Macdonald and Ronan Keating. Recently, in 2013, MacLean was awarded the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Lifetime Achievement for Contribution to Songwriting. This album proves that the honor was well-deserved.

Reviews from the original recordings which make up this set:

The Sun's King's Paradise
The music on this charming CD comes from the time of Louis XIV (1643-1715), often referred to as the Sun King. It is music of dalliance, yet contains great subtlety; and it is music meant to entertain the upper classes while making no particular social statement. Of particular interest is the suite by Jean-Féry Rebel, which is a synthesis of popular dances of the time. This concise nine-and-one-half-minute work presents a time capsule revue of more than a dozen dance forms, including corrente, menuet, sarabande, and gigue, all played without interruption by recorder, violin, bass viol, and theorbo. By contrast, a more melancholy side of the era emerges in Etienne Le Moine's Chaconne, a theorbo solo played with exceptional sensitivity by William Carter. The performances throughout are stylish and sensitive and the recorded sound close up and clear. Those listeners looking for a representative collection of music from this era will find that this CD fills the bill handsomely.

--Rad Bennett, ClassicsToday.com

Les Elemens
This disc is "authentic" in two senses: in the selection of instruments as well as in the arrangement of the works for domestic performance. Actually, as the notes correctly point out, Rebel's full score doesn't really exist, so all versions are arrangements even though we know that he wrote the original for orchestra. Any suspicion that "Le Cahos" (Chaos) is going to lose some of its bite when played by recorder, violin, bass viol, and theorbo will be instantly dispelled on hearing the first chord, which nearly sent me through the ceiling. Still, I miss the tang of brass and percussion in the Tambourins and the silky tone of massed violins in the Air pour les Violins, however expert the playing on offer. This is simply a question of individual taste.

On the other hand, in the Marais Suite in A minor, drawn from a variety of pieces for one or two viols, the presence of the recorder enhances the music's color and charm, and the program rises to a truly triumphant conclusion with a brilliantly sustained romp through the composer's Folies d'Espagne. Best of all, Linn's sonics perfectly capture both the vivacity and intimacy of the performances, especially in multichannel format, where the players really do seem to be right in the room with you. You really can imagine yourself taking part in a convivial evening of Baroque music making, featuring the greatest hits of the day--and getting a naughty thrill at Rebel's startlingly dissonant representation of chaos. This is music for fun, and the performances fully convey its pleasures and delights.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

•Continuing its exploration of Tudor Latin sacred music, ‘The Tudors At Prayer’ sees Magnificat perform music by Taverner, Tallis, Mundy, White and Byrd. Magnificat is one of the world’s premier vocal ensembles whose recordings have met with huge critical acclaim: Spem in alium was hailed as ‘quite the best performance of Tallis's 40-part Spem in alium that I have heard' by Gramophone and was ‘First Choice’ in Building A Library on BBC Radio 3's CD Review.

The sixth volume in the perpetually popular Linn Sampler series features an appealing selection of tracks from it's catalogue of award-winning artists. From solists like jazz vocalist Claire Martin and Reich-playing percussionist Kuniko Kato to opera, choral and instrumental chamber ensembles, and more, this disc showcases the breadth of talent present in the Linn catalogue.

Two discs from the Palladian Ensemble: Bach Trio Sonatas & Bach Sonatas and Chorales

Renowned for his lyrical poeticism and outstanding virtuosity, pianist Artur Pizarro is the perfect choice to perform the complete piano music of the French impressionist Maurice Ravel. 'Phenomenal', 'scintillating' and 'super-refined' were just some of the superlatives used to describe Pizarro's performance. This challenging programme, including Gaspard de la nuit, well known for being one of the most demanding works in the piano literature, highlights Pizarro as a accomplished Ravel interpreter. Pavane pour une Infante d�funte, one of Ravel's most popular pieces, is played beautifully in it's original piano version. The suite Le tombeau de Couperin pays homage to French music of the eighteenth century whose premiere elicited a warm and enthusiastic reception, a response which continues to this day. Valse nobles et sentimentales is highly stylised and harmonically complex, and is considered of seminal importance for Ravel's future writing. Ravel himself considered the Sonatine too advanced for his supreme pianistic skills; Pizarro's virtuosity is apparent in his notable performance. Pizarro perfectly captures the magic of Ravel's music with a critically acclaimed performance on this spectacular double disc. Artur Pizarro's prize-winning performance at the 1990 Leeds International Pianoforte Competition marked the beginning of an international concert career. Pizarro performs in recital, chamber music and with the world's leading orchestras and conductors. He has performed the complete solo works of Ravel in London, Lisbon and �rhus.

Few British women composers of the early twentieth century are known today, either by name or by their music. Muriel Herbert is one who should be. ?Songs of Muriel Herbert? features many premiere recordings, each one beautifully delivered by soprano Ailish Tynan and tenor James Gilchrist, accompanied by David Owen Norris on piano.
? Muriel Herbert (1897 ? 1984) studied with Charles Stanford and Roger Quilter at the Royal College of Music, London. Her works consist mainly of songs inspired by poetry and works for violin and piano. This album focuses on her songs.
? Herbert was inspired by the poetry of many including Yeats and Joyce whom she met on many occasions. She was also intrigued by female poets such as Christina Rossetti. These songs have been brought back to life thanks to Herbert's daughter - the biographer Claire Tomalin. The songs are now all housed at the British Library Archive.
? The songs are hugely compelling and delightful and influences of one Herbert's favourite composers Debussy can be heard. Many of these songs are premiere recordings. Among the most popular are: Daffodils, Mirage, Autumn, Lost nightingale and Hips and haws.
? James Gilchristis in demand as a recitalist and chorus member and is a regular voice on BBC Radio 3 and a popular performer at the BBC Proms. He has sung at venues across Europe, America and the UK. His voice has been described as pure and sensitive with an even and beautiful tone. His first two solo albums on Linn Records were very well received; BBC Music Magazine listed ?Oh Fair To See? as a Benchmark Recording, and ?On Wenlock Edge? was a finalist in the Solo Vocal Album category at the 2008 Classic FM Gramophone Awards.
? In 2003 Ailish Tynan won the Rosenblatt Recital Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Other awards include the Maggie Teyte Competition, Miriam Licette Award and the RTÉ Millennium Singer of the Future.
? David Owen Norris has been a featured artist in the Gilmore Festival in Michigan and in the English Music Festival in Dorchester. In 2008 he has given recitals from Edinburgh to Guernsey, including the City of London Festival, the Tate Gallery conference on Vauxhall Gardens, the Three Choirs Festival and Cheltenham.
Track Listing:
1. Loveliest of Trees 2. I cannot lose thee for a day 3. The Crimson Rose 4. I hear an army charging 5. Jour des Morts (Cimetière Montparnasse) 6. She weeps over Rahoon 7. On a Time 8. Have you seen but a white lily grow? 9. I dare not ask a kiss 10. Horsemen 11. To Daffodils 12. How beautiful is night 13. Renouncement 14. I think on thee in the night 15. Faint Heart in a Railway Train 16. Rose kissed me today 17. Lean out of the window 18. Love?s Secret 19. MS. of Benedictbeuern (Carmina Burana) 20. Autumn 21. The Lost Nightingale 22. Jenny kiss?d me 23. Children?s Song 1: Merry-go-round 24. Children?s Song 2: The Gypsies 25. Children?s Song 3: The Tadpole 26. Children?s Song 4: Jack Spratt 27. Children?s Song 5: Acorn and Willow 28. Children?s Song 6: The Bunny 29. In the Days of November (Hips and haws) 30. The Lake Isle of Innisfree 31. David?s Lament for Jonathan 32. Most Holy Night 33. When Death to either shall come 34. Cradle Song 35. Violets 36. Tewkesbury Road Reviews: 04 May 2009 The Observer Fiona Maddocks Your heart doesn't necessarily leap when a scholar announces the discovery of four dozen baroque flute sonatas by someone with a name like Vaporetto. Legions of neglected composers await rediscovery. But on rare occasions, the "lost" talent is real, the pleasure of stumbling across a new body of work exciting and lasting. This is so with Muriel Herbert (1897-1984), brought back to life in this collection of her art songs and performed here by a superb trio of musicians. Their commitment alone endorses the music's quality. Herbert studied music in an era when professional women composers were rare as woodlarks, yet every genteel young woman was expected to play and sing. Born in Sheffield to a musical family, she grew up, in straitened circumstances, in Liverpool, winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Music during the First World War. There she met the great composers of the day - Charles Stanford and the homosexual Roger Quilter, with whom, to no avail, she fell in love. Preferring to work on a small scale, she started writing the elegant songs which would become her main preoccupations. She had some early success. After the war, she lived a bohemian existence, associating with James Joyce and WB Yeats, composing, teaching at a girls' school and singing. But a bad marriage and a pram in the hallway put paid to the bigger career she might have enjoyed. Now her daughter, writer Claire Tomalin, has gathered a collection of her mother's often melancholy songs. She chose texts from a cross-section of poets: AE Housman's "Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now", Hardy's "Faint Heart in a Railway Carriage" (here retitled "Faint Heart in a Railway Train") and Yeats's "The Lake Isle of Innisfree". Piano accompaniments are poignant and skilfully played by David Owen Norris. Ailish Tynan and James Gilchrist sing with open-hearted commitment. I hope the pair incorporate many of these works into their recitals. Steeped in the English song tradition of the early 20th century, they grow on you with each listening. 14 April 2009 Musical Pointers Peter Grahame Woolf You just might have noted Muriel Emily Herbert's name in passing if you'd chanced upon Music Web's 2002 survey Some Women Composers - "Muriel Herbert's titles included Violets, Fountain Court, The Lake Isle of Innisfree, Contentment, Have You Seen But a White Lily Grow? and the familiar Housman words Loveliest of Trees: clearly her taste in lyrics was above the average." That is all... She had studied with Stanford at the Royal College of Music. A few of her songs were published in the '20s and James Joyce thought her settings of his poems were "much too good for the words"! With motherhood, and at a time of disinterest in women composers, her musical career faded into oblivion. This collection of mostly unpublished songs from the '20s and '30's is a treasure trove, re-discovered by her daughter, noted biographer Claire Tomalin, who had packed away all her papers upon Muriel Herbert's death in 1984; no-one was interested in them - ?Everyone's mother wrote songs...' she was told (mine included !). But a little interest surfaced later, first in a radio programme by a former pupil who had been taught by her when he was a boy soprano and who eventually produced this disc... This wonderful CD is the eventual outcome. It is not just Muriel Herbert's taste in poetry that was exceptional; so was her unselfconscious ease in prosody, the setting of words to music, which made me think of Hugo Wolf's. This has been an altogether happy project, with both Ailish Tynan and James Gilchrist in fine voice, supported ideally by David Owen Norris. These are honest songs that should find a welcome in anyone's recital. There is emotion which never becomes mawkish, and wit a-plenty. I greatly regret not having been able to come across Herbert's Children's Songs to Ada Harrison poems when I was trawling the publishers and libraries for repertoire for my boy singer son Simon; they are just as good as Malcolm Williamson's A Child's Garden which he recorded. You can access on Linn's website full information including sound samples of all the songs, two of the shortest Children's Songs, Merry-Go-Round and The Bunny complete. The songs are now archived at the British Library.

Silver Bow sees flautist Katherine Bryan present a fresh view on some much-loved works originally written for violin, together with the RSNO conducted by Jac van Steen. All the solo violin parts have been transcribed and adapted for flute by Katherine herself. Ms. Bryan is a rising star, appearing as a concerto soloist with leading orchestras worldwide, including the Helsinki Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National and New York Philharmonic Orchestras. Katherine balances her solo career with her role as RSNO Principal Flautist, a position she has held since the age of 21.

These performances of the Second and Seventh Symphonies are impressive–particularly the case with the Second. Despite the work’s popularity, or maybe because of it, no other Sibelius symphony has received so many disappointing recordings, some by very major conductors (think: Karajan, for example). Søndergård gets it right. The first movement moves swiftly and purposefully. Usually it’s taken too slowly, its pastoral freshness compromised. Not here. The second movement’s turbulent climaxes have plenty of the necessary ferocity, and the scherzo is simply stunning at the swiftest possible tempo. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales strings really do themselves proud. Søndergård paces the finale perfectly, and only a certain timidity in the trumpets prevents its heroic opening theme from projecting with sufficient brilliance. Otherwise, this is certainly one of the better recent versions.

As for the Seventh, there are no issues at all. At just twenty minutes, again, Søndergård reveals his understanding of the idiom and mastery of large scale architecture. The transitions, from the opening adagio to the initial allegro and back again, and then on to that sunny pastoral interlude, all proceed with the inevitability of fate itself. The orchestra’s woodwinds and solo trombone do some particularly excellent work throughout the symphony, and the closing pages have that warm glow of fulfillment that seems completely unique to the work. Again it’s a question of timing, particularly those final “amen” chords. Sonically the engineering is warm and well balanced, but the soft timpani and brass have a tendency to vanish into the texture and lose presence. Still, if this is the first disc in a planned cycle, it looks like it’s going to be a very good one.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com