Paul Lewis's recording of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas at once took it's place as one of the great modern sets. To celebrate twenty years of collaboration with the British pianist, harmonia mundi invites you to rediscover some of the finest sonatas from this monument, each with it's own unique character. A splendid opportunity to admire Paul Lewis's infinite range of touch, with it's combination of rigor and imagination, which brings out all the poetry of these famous works.

Paul Lewis completes his exploration of Schubert's sonatas, begun almost twenty years ago, with three early masterpieces. The Sonatas D.537 and D.568 display the daring and freshness of their youthful creator, while with D.664, dazzling in it's artless charm, he already opens a window towards new musical horizons.

Vocalist Camille Bertault took her first strides in music under the tutelage of her father, Paul Bertault, a pianist who dabbled in classical and jazz music. From this early inspiration, the younger Bertault took to the music and continued into a successful and celebrated career as a performer. The pair regularly play together at home and for small concerts, leading to a unique musical connection. On their new recording, Song for My Daughter, the Bertaults present a program that celebrates their bond and allows listeners a glimpse. The collaboration between Camille Bertault and Paul Bertault has been the longest and most meaningful of their lives. It is only natural that a father and daughter pairing should evince a special connection and natural but unique communication. The duo's Song for My Daughter is a heartwarming display of heart and love through music between these two.

Limited 14CD box set. The ultimate tribute to Paul Robeson, singer, stage and film actor, all-American football player, lawyer, and advocate for civil rights. Blacklisted and erased from American history, many of Robeson's recordings in the U.S. remained unreleased - until now. Special 14-CD edition, documenting his complete major-label discography, recorded 1925-1947. First release of Robeson's groundbreaking Victor recordings on CD, 16 recordings reissued for the first time, 5 previously unreleased. First restoration of Robeson's famous 1944 Othello stage production with Uta Hagen and Jos� Ferrer from the original 33 master disc sides. His complete remastered Columbia albums (Songs of Free Men, Popular Favorites, Spirituals). First release of his historic 1958 recitals at Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, New York, and Royal Albert Hall, with 30 previously unissued recordings. Richly illustrated 160-page book with essays by Shana L. Redmond and Susan Robeson, a wealth of photos and facsimiles from the archives of The Paul Robeson Trust, the Academy of the Arts, Berlin, and Columbia Records, plus complete discographical notes.

This disc was nominated for the 1998 Grammy Award for "Best Choral Performance."
REVIEWS:
American Record Guide (11-12/97, p.167) - "...James Paul obviously feels this music very deeply; if the pulse occasionally quickens, or the soloists begin to take on near-operatic intensity, it is all of a piece--a youthful ardor and radiant complexion that make the music glow....It is a beautiful recording..."

William Walton's reputation rests primarily with 'Façade' and 'Belshazzar's Feast'. However, Walton was an accomplished composer who felt comfortable in virtually all genres whether it was film scoring or the delightful Concertos on this CD.
The first movement of the Violin Concerto is an extended dreamy andante that is punctuated by a dramatic and virtuosic middle section before revisiting the movement's secondary theme provided by flute and strings. The second movement consists of a nonstop presto of a technical level that must have proved quite daunting for the work's dedicatee, Jascha Heifetz. But it is the bravura and exciting finale that showcases both the felicity and virtuoso skills of Dong-Suk Kang for this recording.
The Cello Concerto, Walton's favorite of his three concertos, was written for Gregor Piatigorsky. Although this is a rather somber (but passionate) work, Walton's preference may have to do with his brilliant combination of harp, vibraphone and celesta in the final movement. And certainly the slow fade of the work's final measures for solo cello (beautifully rendered by Tim Hugh), a revisit to the work's opening movement, is the most stunning moment of all.

CHRISTMAS WITH PAUL PLISHKA

Walton: Symphony No. 2 - Viola Concerto

This disc was Gramophone's "Recording of the Month" for May 1999.
William Walton's 'Spitfire' Prelude and Fugue resulted from a commission for a 1942 film that paid tribute to the designer of the Spitfire plane. Appropriately and exuberantly patriotic, this piece is particularly memorable for the passage for solo violin that rises above a single-note rhythm played by double basses.
Walton's Sinfonia Concertante is a mercurial and stately work that occasionally brings Prokofiev to mind, especially the sparkling final movement, which recalls that composer's third piano concerto. The Andante con modo, an exceptionally beautiful movement, features a lyrical string section against the falling figures of the piano.
Variations on a Theme by Hindemith (drawn from Hindemith's Cello Concerto) was written as a return favor to Paul Hindemith who helped bring about the first performance of Walton's Violin Concerto. The Scherzando is memorable for its percussion while the skittery Vivacissimo is a delight for its carefree spirit. The March was originally intended for the 1959 television series, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. Although this piece (so obviously rooted in Walton's 'Crown Imperial' mode) never made it into the series, it has survived as an occasional concert filler. The English Northern Philharmonia gives it a rousing performance.

Rule Britannia: Last Night of the Proms

LACHNER: Symphony No. 8 / Ball-Suite