Hymns on the Crystal Cathedral Organ

Augusta Read Thomas : !HOPE (2017)For SSSAA ChoirDuration: c. 8 minutesFormat: 16-page Octavo ScoreAlso available for TTTBB Choir (NMP1027)An elegant, musical braid of the E.E. Cummings text between the five equally important vocal parts (either SSSAA or TTTBB) starts very delicately on quiet and poetic perfect fifth. Gradually, across its 8 minute duration, the vocal colours and lyric imagery unfold with passionate energy to a radiant and intense climax. This is followed by a peaceful, optimistic coda which brings !HOPE to a still, meditative culmination. Members of the Wellesley College Chamber Singers described the song with these words: “reflective, grounded, ethereal, reminiscent, purposeful at how it takes its time to express the poem, suspension of time and place with a contrast of contradiction and movement, glassy, fluid and efflorescent.” Augusta Read Thomas

Augusta Read Thomas : !HOPE (2017)For TTTBB ChoirDuration: c. 8 minutesFormat: 16-page Octavo ScoreAlso available for SSSAA Choir (NMP1028)An elegant, musical braid of the E.E. Cummings text between the five equally important vocal parts (either SSSAA or TTTBB) starts very delicately on quiet and poetic perfect fifth. Gradually, across its 8 minute duration, the vocal colours and lyric imagery unfold with passionate energy to a radiant and intense climax. This is followed by a peaceful, optimistic coda which brings !HOPE to a still, meditative culmination. Members of the Wellesley College Chamber Singers described the song with these words: “reflective, grounded, ethereal, reminiscent, purposeful at how it takes its time to express the poem, suspension of time and place with a contrast of contradiction and movement, glassy, fluid and efflorescent.” Augusta Read Thomas

... through which the past shines... is a collection of the current complete works for guitar, both solo and in ensemble, by composers Nils Vigeland and Reiko Fueting. The music is emblematic of both composers' sophisticated voices, grounded in the tradition while forward looking in nuanced and elegantly integrated ways. Vigeland, whose mentors included Morton Feldman and Lukas Foss and who directed the influential Bowery Ensemble in the 1980s, is an important link in the "New York School" of composers. As director of the composition department at the Manhattan School of Music for several decades, he had a profound influence on several generations of composers, including current MSM faculty member and East German native Reiko Fueting. All the performances on this recording of music by Vigeland and Fueting by guitarist Daniel Lippel (ICE, Flexible Music), John Popham (Longleash, Either/Or), and Vigeland himself are the byproduct of close working relationships developed over the last 17 years.

This new release contains the Kit-Kat Band’s original LP recordings from 1979, revisited and presented as a new album for a whole new generation to enjoy. The Kit-Cat band was the house band of the Kit-Cat night club in London that first opened its doors in 1924. The 10 piece band was assembled by Britain’s best-known band leader, Jack Hylton, and was directed by Boston saxophonist, Al Starita. Producer Chris Ellis recently rediscovered this album which he produced in 1979. Upon hearing it again, he felt that it was worthy of being represented to a new audience. Ellis kept the original notes by Brian rust, and the cover art was given to Ellis by his friend Margret, Duchess of Argyll.

Schumann wrote 26 songs and called them “Myrten,” which means “Myrtles,” as a wedding gift to Clara Wieck. Schumann, who grew up between piles of books in his father’s bookstore, had developed a diverse taste in literature, and in Myrten his choice of poetry is not only adventurous, but above all remarkable. All texts of the cycle are in German, but three of the poets are English, Scottish or Irish: Lord Byron, Robert Burns, and Thomas Moore. Most English texts Schumann used for his Myrten were translated by Wilhelm Gerhard, a German salesman and poet, who lived in Leipzig and was friendly with many leading poets and composers. The other poems are written by Goethe, Ruckert and Heine, who are each represented in several songs. Only one text, which inspired Schumann to write one of his most beloved songs, was written by Julius Mosen: Der Nussbaum.

In 2014 in Trieste, Italy, the Musica Libera Association started the Festival Viktor Ullmann to bring to life the music of many composers persecuted by the Nazi and Fascist regimes for their Jewish origin and political, cultural, and artistic commitment. Since it's foundation, the Festival has set itself the ambitious purpose of rediscovering those musical pages, forgotten for too long, to revive the creative genius of their composers and reflect on the Shoah from a different point of view. Some of these musicians saved themselves by eventually finding their way into exile outside Europe. In this context, the present project focuses on music dedicated to the clarinet and piano chamber ensemble, with Davide Casali and Pierpaolo Levi performing an interesting and lesser-known repertoire by Italian composers from the historical 20th century.

American pianist David Korevaar, a distinguished artist known for his profound interpretations and exceptional versatility, has unveiled his latest monumental achievement: a complete recording of Ludwig van Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas which will be published digitally in six volumes by Fall 2025. To kick things off, David Korevaar is giving his musical Beethoven business card with a double album that will also be available physically: "Heroic to Hammerklavier". In addition to the sonatas Opp. 53, 54 and 57, it also includes the Sonata Op. 101 and the famous "Hammerklavier Sonata" Op. 106. This ambitious Beethoven project not only marks a significant milestone in Korevaar's illustrious career but also offers a fresh and deeply personal perspective on one of the cornerstones of classical music repertoire. Korevaar's interpretation stands apart for it's intellectual depth and emotional resonance, reflecting years of scholarship, performance, and a deep connection to Beethoven's spirit. Recorded over an intensive period, this collection showcases Korevaar's masterful ability to illuminate the nuances of each sonata while maintaining a cohesive narrative across the entire cycle. His performances balance historical sensitivity with a contemporary vibrancy.

Leading performers of 17th-century music the Magdalena Consort, Fretwork and His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts combine forces under the artistic direction of William Hunt for their third release exploring the English Anthems with instrumental consort for ceremony, reflection and prayer to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Orlando Gibbons. Praise for Chains of Gold Vol 1 5 stars "Subtle, seductively supple and sinuous singing and playing... Volume 2 from this dream-team will be eagerly awaited" - Choir and Organ 5 stars "This is the finest recording of this quintessentially English music that we are likely to have... a real treat, and an impressive master-class in how these texts should be declaimed" - Early Music Review

It's Never Over is a collaborative project featuring British-Nigerian singer-songwriter Ola Onabul�, whose extensive career includes work with major European big bands and critical acclaim for his vocal range and songwriting. The album is recorded with the Hazelrigg Brothers, recognized for their chamber jazz arrangements and technical expertise, and includes seven original compositions by Onabul� alongside a cover of Prince's "Condition of the Heart." The repertoire blends elements of jazz, soul, world music, and pop. The release aligns with Aliud Records' focus on immersive, unembellished audio production and supports cross-genre market reach. It is supported by an official launch concert at the Sendesaal in Bremen, with further tour dates planned. The album's artist lineup and label reputation provide an opportunity for positioning within both the jazz and broader contemporary music markets.

Catalina Bertucci, Georg Poplutz, and Tatjana Dravenau don't just say it "between the flowers" on their new GENUIN album - they gather lieder from the 19th and 20th centuries that revolve around the theme of flowers and trees. Music and poetry speak directly and clearly of the associations between the language of love and the plant world - associations that were clear and unmistakable to people of the Romantic era, but which must be decoded anew for us today. These three remarkable artists uncover that hidden language in the most beautiful and sensuous way: through dreamlike interpretations of lieder from Schubert to Schonthal, Loewe to Faltis, and Kralik to Schumann.

"Le Patron" of the Saxophone

From the outset, Sir Simon Rattle's conducting career has been marked by a spirit of innovation and renewal - and contemporary music in all it's facets continues to play a significant role in his work. So it was only natural that, upon taking up his post as chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra, he should dedicate a concert to musica viva. The programme featured the world premiere of Vito �uraj's "Automatones" as well as Luciano Berio's "Coro". Sir Simon Rattle has conducted the latter piece several times before, but this performance marks the first recording under his baton. This is due to the unique demands that the composition places on recording technology: choir singers and orchestra musicians are positioned in pairs on the podium to overcome the visual and acoustic separation of choir and orchestra voices. This presented a particular challenge to the Bavarian Radio recording team, but they rose to it successfully, as can be heard on the new CD from BR-KLASSIK. Composed between 1975 and 1976, Luciano Berio's "Coro", for forty voices and orchestra, takes anonymous folk poems by the Sioux, the Navajo and the Zuni, as well as song texts from Polynesia, Peru, Croatia, Venice, Piedmont, Chile, and the Song of Solomon - all of them reflecting the deeply human urge for freedom - and combines them with the moving poetry of Pablo Neruda, whose death coincided with the bloody suppression of the Allende democracy in Chile by Augusto Pinochet in September 1973.

Helmut Lachenmann, who celebrates his 90th birthday in the music year of 2025, has composed several milestones in contemporary classical music. Sir Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra are dedicating themselves to some of these exceptional works. In his tuba concerto Harmonica, Helmut Lachenmann explores the limits of sound - with music that oscillates between eruption and silence, by means of "strictly constructed denial" (Lachenmann) and by deliberately disrupting the familiar, and eludes socially preformed listening expectations. This appeal to the audience's self-awareness remains as relevant as ever. The soloist is Stefan Tischler, principal tuba player of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the live recording with the BRSO conducted by Sir Simon Rattle was made on March 22, 2025. Klangschatten - mein Saitenspiel by Helmut Lachenmann deals with the "verso" of sound, it's suppressed and "unwelcome" components. The spectrum here ranges from toneless or muffled sounds to differently coloured noise and clear tones. Lachenmann himself described the piece as " an offer of expressive intensity that reflects the bourgeois longing for beauty and seeks to fulfil it, that is, to overcome it." The work was performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Matthias Herrmann on May 23, 2025 in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residenz. Helmut Lachenmann, born in Stuttgart in 1935, is one of the most renowned German composers of contemporary music. He studied piano, music theory and counterpoint in Stuttgart and composition with Luigi Nono in Venice. The first public performances of his works took place in 1962 at the Venice Biennale and at the Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music. He taught composition in Hanover (1976-1981) and in Stuttgart (1981-1999), and has given numerous master classes in Germany and abroad. His works are performed by internationally renowned players and orchestras all over the world. Helmut Lachenmann has received numerous awards, including the German Music Authors' Prize of GEMA (2015) for his lifetime achievements and, most recently, for his compositional work, the 'President of the French Republic Prize' from the Academie Charles Cros (2025).

After the suites by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early 18th century, nothing happened for a long time in the genre of works for solo cello. But the work that put an end to this period of no production was a weighty one: the almost monumental sonata by Zoltan Kodaly of 1915 set high standards for other composers. Indeed, subsequently not only many works were written, but also highly differing ones, among which the half-hour work by the Hungarian composer stands there like the “Mount Everest” (Daniel Muller-Schott). Together with works by Prokofiev, Hindemith, Henze, Crumb and Casals, Daniel Muller-Schott here introduces a work composed by himself for the first time: the “Cadenza” is to be understood in the tradition of those compositions that other cellists have always added to their recital programmes.

“Here, you can recognize influences of the solo works that have influenced me over the years. In the Cadenza, the contrasting elements of the world of my instrument appear in the closest space – the cello in pure lyricism, just as sequences catapulting themselves into the highest registers in rhythmical savagery and immediately concluding the movement after a final culmination.” (Daniel Muller-Schott)

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REVIEW:

Müller-Schott ends this formidable unaccompanied recital with Pablo Casals’s Song of the Birds, played with the intense focus, the sense of line and the gleaming purity of tone that characterises the whole disc. Müller-Schott’s ability to inflect a single line of music makes even works such as Prokofiev’s slightly dubious reconstructed Sonata and his own entertainingly eclectic Cadenza repay re-listening. He certainly has something to say.

– Gramophone

The horns are let loose! In their fifth GENUIN release, the german hornsound brass ensemble has brought together their favorite works and those of their fan community. And we’d be hard-pressed to find a single work in the Western musical literature that doesn’t sound at least as beautiful arranged for four horns as it does in the original. What’s more, there’s no need for troublesome singers, meddlesome conductors, and big stages for massive orchestras! In these splendid renditions, Handel’s "Rinaldo", Dvorák’s Ninth Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s "Midsummer Night’s Dream" are both glorious and groovy, exquisite and ethereal, sophisticated and sexy.

First of the World Brodcasting series, w. Rex Stewart-cornet, Dizzy G.-tpt, Joe Nanton-tmb, Johnny Hodges-as, Sonny Greer-dms, Betty Roche', Al Hibbler, Ray Nance-voc+, includes previously un takes, 1943 in NYC, 25 tracks.

Second of the World Broadcasting series, w. Rex Stewart-cornet, Wallace Jones-tpt, Dizzy Gillespie-tpt, Jimmy Hamilton-tmb, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick-reeds, Fred Guy-gtr, Ernest Myers-bs, Sonny Greer-dms, Taft Jordan-voc+, 1943 in NYC, 26 tracks.

Fourth of the World Broadcasting series, w. Rex Stewart-cornet, Ray Nance-tpt, Joe Nanton-tmb, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney-reeds, Fred Guy-gtr, Sonny Greer-dms, Al Hibbler-voc+, 1945 in NYC, 23 tracks.

Fifth of the World Broadcasting series, w. Rex Stewart-cornet, Ray Nance-tpt, Joe Nanton-tmb, Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney-reeds, Fred Guy-gtr, Sonny Greer-dms, Al Hibbler-voc+, 1945 in NYC, 24 tracks.

After years of playing with every major artist from Miles Davis to Mzariah Carey, Sammy Figueroa makes his recording debut on Savant Records with AND SAMMY WALKED IN.

Classical Music

Classical Music

The title of this album comes from the Thelonius Monk piece, Round Midnight. At the time of the song’s publication, Monk was labeled an outsider. His intense harmonies and the complexities in his music put others off. The virtuosic performances on this recording, however, present an acceptable medium for such elaborate polyphonies.; Alongside this composition from a jazz great, this album also includes a wide range of moods, from the gloomy Saint-Saens Dance Macabre, to Purcell’s Fairy Queen. This album of “nighttime” themed music is performed with ease, agility, and fervor.; Performers are Falk Maertens and Raphael Mentzen, trumpet, Paolo Mendes, Horn, Andreas Klein, Trombone, and Johannes Lipp, Tuba. All are members of the Deutschen Symphonie-Orchesters Berlin.

Most of the songs on this record were composed in the first half of the 20th century, not a few between the two wars. This has been an era surprisingly neglected by singers, yet many English composers produced some of their best vocal works during this period. Recently the combination of voice, clarinet and piano has proved more and more popular with composers, but it would appear that with Holbrooke’s Tame Cat, he must be counted amongst the first of English composers to write for this medium. Tame Cat is a setting by Joseph Holbrooke to words by Ezra Pound. This remarkable song, composed in 1923 is the fifth of his ‘Six Socialist Songs’ a set fully redolent of the times. It is paired with works by Gustav Holst, Arthur Bliss, Alan Bush, Benjamin Britten, and more.

Classical meets Christmas in this latest offering from the Burning River Brass. Beautifully arranged Christmas favorites from this tremendous group of brass and percussion! Since 1996, Burning River Brass has been dazzling audiences from Alaska to Taiwan with "power and virtuosity," "harmonious blend," and "consistently stirring performances." Composed of twelve of the finest brass and percussion players in the country, Burning River Brass is an ensemble on fire! The original inspiration behind Burning River Brass was to give great players who were also good friends a chance to play together on a consistent basis. Soon after the first rehearsal in May 1996, BRB began to grow rapidly. The ensemble made its debut in September of 1996 in Tremont, Ohio under the auspices of Arts Renaissance Tremont and by 1998 was touring nationally.

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REVIEW:

The centerpiece is Burning River Nutcracker, swinging arrangements of six selections from the ballet. I admit to curmudgeonly skepticism when it comes to this sort of thing, but these readings won me over with lively, skillful, and tasteful playing.

– American Record Guide

A collection of anthems of (former) socialist countries. Some of them changed the anthem after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact with the result that they changed the political system.

(Indian) Native Flute Ensemble: Spirit Wind - Native America

Classical Music

(re)Conception