From a performance at the 2015 Valletta International Baroque Festival in Malta, this live performance of the engaging Cologne-based choir and orchestra Die Kölner Akademie led by Michael Alexander Willens aims to refocus attention on the little known Malta born Naples based late Baroque composer Girolamo Abos. The engaging performances of these Maltese Christmas masses with Die Kölner’s impeccable attention to detail bring new attention to this seldom recorded composer whose works are characterized by elegantly constructed forms and spirited contrapuntal thoroughbass that on this collection approach a level of revelation.

Isabelle Aboulker is a well published composer and this release coincides with the 2018 score publication of Isabelle Aboulker: M�lodies Pour Voix Et Piano [Alphonse Leduc] an anthology of melodies for voice and piano including some of the Aboulker's most popular songs. The majority of these songs feature on this present recording. There is something for everyone in this collection of Isabelle Aboulker's most beautiful melodies: the passionate vocalises of Je t'aime sit alongside limpid fables by La Fontaine (The Crow and the Fox, The Lion in Old Age and more), while the unnerving eeriness of the merchant of souls in Au March� de Saint-Paul contrasts with the light humor of the Savoir-vivre cycle, and the melancholy accents of Lettre d'amour make way for the irresistible charm of L'Inconstante. Isabelle's prosodic clarity and voluptuous focus on the evocative power of words speak of a deep attachment to the legacy of French song composers. In turn impetuous or melancholy, this thrilling music knows how to aim straight for the heart.

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Classical Music

A fine pianist who is quite literate (and even wrote What Jazz Is, a book on jazz that focused on the Young Lions), Jonny King has strong potential for the future. He started playing piano when he was nine (Earl Hines and Teddy Wilson were early influences) and within a few years as a teenager he was already playing some gigs in New York clubs. In addition to his music career, King graduated from Princeton and Harvard Law School and has been an attorney at a copyright practice!

These young musicians from Egypt, Turkey, Portugal and Italy bridge the distance between the shores and sonic worlds of a rapidly changing region. Their first album, recorded in Paris, blends both timbres and backgrounds in a unique artistic collaboration with Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, supported by Abu Dhabi Festival. Cairo Jazz Station was born from the desire of four friends — from different parts of the world, with different musical traditions and different personal experiences — to establish a personal, inclusive and shareable musical environment. Their music is influenced by the folk music of each country and by much improvisation and jazz, and uses melodies from the European classical tradition blended with rhythms and instruments of the Middle East.

Abracadabra (Suncatchers) was co-commissioned by Aspen Music Festival and School, Robert Spano, Music Director and Oberlin class of 1984, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Abracadabra (Suncatchers) unfolds across 15-minutes a labyrinth of musical interrelationships and connections that showcase the world-class musicians of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and superstar conductor Timothy Weiss.

Ives Lincoln the great commoner, gould Lincoln legend, harris abraham Lincoln walks at midnight, bacon ford's theatre, copland Lincoln portrait, McKay to a liberator, turok variations on an American song: aspects of Lincoln and liberty, persichetti a Lincoln address.

Original score to the 2012 motion picture composed by Henry Jackman.

Hungarian composer Paul Abrahám enjoyed huge success across Europe with his ‘jazz operettas’, not least in Weimar Berlin where his works scored for an orchestra augmented by a jazz band caused a sensation. Ballim Savoy (‘Ball at the Savoy’) has a plot reminiscent of Die Fledermaus and its variety of influences, some European and some reflective of contemporary American popular song, won the kind of acclaim only equaled by Franz Lehár. The premiere, which took place in December 1932, was for some the last major cultural event of Weimar Germany.

Two World Premiere Recordings are making this unusual album very attractive, not only for friends of french horn; the sounds and sound combinations are thrilling. Perfectly high caliber the artist crew: Premysl Vojta is one of the leading french horn player in Europe; Florence Millet is very much part of the contemporary music scene, giving master-classes and organising festivals; Ye Wu is Primaria in the Symphony orchestra of the WDR.

Walk the mountains and the valleys, touch the lakes and rivers, smell the clean air and pine forest, see bleak winter wildness and spring flowers exploding, pause so you don't disturb the wildlife; watch, and be watched! Later inhale the faint smoke from distant warming fires and the food they cook. Embrace the day, and mould your thoughts and creativity. These are some of the life experiences had by Grieg, Rautavaara, Abrahamsen and Sibelius, who form the featured composers on this new recording.

It is magic through transparency. The music of Hans Abrahamsen, dark yet alluringly innocent, exhibits a pure, strong naivete that opens up into a genuine magical world of both the bright and the sombre kind. Performing two of his early works - Six Pieces for horn trio and his first string quartet 10 Preludes - Ensemble MidtVest brings out Abrahamsen's characteristic clear, precise tone. The same clarity inhabits his arrangements of Erik Satie's Trois Gymnopedies and Carl Nielsen's Fantasy Pieces, exploring and evoking the original works in a new, unmistakably Abrahamsenesque way.

Hans Abrahamsen is one of the most important contemporary composers. Numerous productions have already been published by Winter & Winter and have attracted great attention from the public and the press. "Let me tell you" is one of the greatest worldwide successes in contemporary music. With the WDR production "Left, alone" Winter & Winter continues its canon with Hans Abrahamsen. Ten Sinfonias, Left, alone and Two Pieces in Slow Time can be heard on this album. Ten Sinfonias, recorded under the direction of Peter Rundel, Left, alone under Mariano Chiacchiarini with Tamara Stefanovich on piano and Two Pieces in Slow Time with soloists from the WDR Symphony Orchestra, form an exciting and multi-layered album with important key works by Hans Abrahamsen. A production with the WDR Symphony Orchestra.

A Gramophone Editor's Pick, Shortlisted for the 2022 Gramophone Awards

Recommended by MusicWeb International

A Boston Globe Best Classical Album of 2022

Hans Abrahamsen's Schnee (Snow, 2008) is a gorgeous marvel which encapsulates winter. The instrumental cycle, already a classic of the twenty-first century, comprises a set of ten canons making up an hour of ghostly, feathery music. There is no hurrying, but great depth. As Abrahamsen himself says: ‘In Schnee, a single moment is stretched as far as possible. At some point, the music disappears. There is just a breath of air left’. Founded in 1972, Lapland Chamber Orchestra is the most northerly professional chamber orchestra in Finland and indeed in the entire EU. The orchestra has 18 full-time members and its Artistic Director is conductor John Storgårds. The first ever Principal Guest Conductor, for 2019-2021, is Tomas Djupsjöbacka. Based in Rovaniemi, the orchestra is a regional orchestra that regularly tours the Province of Lapland, but also performs elsewhere in Finland and abroad. The orchestra has performed in festivals such as Savonlinna Opera Festival, Helsinki Festival, the Korsholma Music Festival and the LuostoClassic event. The latest tours abroad have taken the orchestra to Canada, Hungary, Austria, Algeria and the BBC Proms in London.

"The sounds Abrahamsen craves...translucent across a large range of actual expression, hugely complex on the page but delectably simple to the ear, are exceptionally realized and recorded here." -Gramophone

Review

...for a number of years after 1990 [the Danish composer Hans] Abrahamsen composed hardly anything, finding himself in a compositional impasse. The present work Schnee (snow), is one of those with he found his way out of this impasse, and it has been widely admired. However, Abrahamsen’s biggest success so far has been with his 2013 song cycle Let me tell you, using the words of Ophelia from Hamlet. This won the Grawemeyer Award and was voted the greatest classical composition of the twentyfirst century by a poll of critics in 2019.

During his compositional silence, Abrahamsen busied himself with arrangements of the music of other composers, including Bach. He was particularly intrigued by Bach’s set of Canons BWV 1072-8, which he arranged with the aim of repeating them again and again. This gave him the idea of writing his own music using canonic techniques. When he received a commission to write a work for a festival in 2006 he wrote what became the opening two movements of Schnee. The whole work is organised as a set of paired canons, each having an a and a b version. There are also three Intermezzi. Abrahamsen thought of each pair of canons as together forming a third, three-dimensional piece. He also thought of stereoscopic pictures, which two nearly identical pictures give the impression of depth to the viewer.

Each pair of canons is shorter than its predecessor. Furthermore, the ensemble is divided into two groups: sitting on either side of the percussionist on the left we have the strings: violin, viola, cello and one piano. On the right are the woodwind: flute (doubling piccolo and alto flute), oboe (doubling cor anglais), clarinet (doubling E flat and bass clarinet) and a second piano. These are used in contrasting ways. There are also strong contrasts in pace. In the three intermezzi, the wind and stringed instruments are tuned down slightly, creating interference patterns with the pianos, which have normal tuning.

So much for the technicalities of the work, though one could go on a good deal longer about them. What does it sound like? Well, it begins very quietly, so quietly in fact that at first I thought there was something wrong with my equipment. There are very high violin notes and then a melody picked out on the piano. The second set of canons moves rapidly, like walking through swirling snow. The fourth set uses the same sleigh-bells which Mozart used in his Sleigh Ride (Die Schlittenfahrt) from his Three German Dances K. 605. The fifth set uses the device Bach exploited in Contrapunctus 13 from The Art of Fugue of two pieces, one of which is the inversion of the other. At the end, the music just disappears. The work is completely absorbing and gripping and creates a unique atmosphere.

It is beautifully recorded; I was listening in ordinary two-channel stereo, but this is a SACD and should sound even better in that medium. There are helpful sleevenotes, in English and Danish, from which I have borrowed, and altogether this is a memorable disc.

--MusicWeb International (Stephen Barber)

Winner of a 2022 Gramophone Award!

The Snow Queen is Hans Abrahamsen’s first opera, composed to a self-penned libretto, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s eponymous fairy tale. Following an in-depth study of the topic of snow and a life-long obsession with Andersen’s fairy tales, Abrahamsen composed the opera between 2014 and 2018. Hans Abrahamsen’s music, with its smooth transitions and subtly modified repeats, lends the lyrics both depth and lightness. He is keen to point out the range of avenues for interpretation available. ” It’s possible to read the fairy tale in a variety of ways. It contains many mysteries which are open to numerous interpretations.” Accompanying Barbara Hannigan is a top-class ensemble of singers, including Peter Rose, Katarinya Dalayman and Rachael Wilson. Cornelius Meister is the musical director, currently general music director at the Staatsoper Stuttgart. Director Andreas Kriegenburg’s production of The Snow Queen is a touching story by adults, for an adult audience, offering a journey into the innermost regions of the human soul. Recorded during the premiere run in the presence of the composer and in close collaboration with him, this release captures an important work of new musical theatre.

Classical Music

Nordic composer Hans Abrahamsen (b. 1952) has recently come into the public eye for winning the Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2015, and then the Grawemeyer Award in 2016. Two of his earliest works are featured on this recording: Landskaber, composed in 1972, and Walden, composed in 1978. Along with these original works, this programme includes two arrangements by Abrahamsen, of Schumann’s Kinderszenen, and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Among Armenian composers who worked principally in Armenia without seeking to establish any worldwide reputation, the composer E.A. Abramian (1923-86) was one of the most significant and respected. Probably his most important work for the piano is the 24 Preludes (1952/72). The cycle remains within the realm of tonality, although much expanded and enlarged through the use of chromatic elements that often generate harmonies of considerable complexity. Pianist Mikael Ayrapetyan’s repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed Armenian works.

DHD presents a very energetic show loaded with improvisation, joy, and a lot of groove. The group is in constant search for that distinctive sound that reflects the depth of Afro-Cuban rhythms as well as the beauty of the harmonies and colors that come from jazz. All this constitutes a mix of flavors and experiences with which they try to transport the listener to a supernatural dimension. Their repertoire consists mostly out of original compositions, but also a few Jazz and Latin classics which they arrange in their own way. Established in 2015, the band has appeared at the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival and has toured around Spain and the Netherlands. In March 2018 the band won the jury award and the public prize at the Leiden Jazz Award 2018 and the best soloist prize at the Erasmus Jazz competition. The group writes: "With this album, we are trying to expand the boundaries of Latin jazz by using influences like modern jazz, odd meters and classical music. The compositions tell a broad storyline, and they take the listener on a journey where playful melodies come and go. We like to use rhythm and polyrhythms to play with the listener's ear, and to express our interpretation of the music. Abriendo Camino means opening the path or leading the way in Spanish. This album represents the break of a new force, a strong one, full of colors, joy, and love..."

The selections on this disc were recorded live at the Guerrero Foundation's 1994 Prizewinner's Concert.

'The Absence' is the third record from grammy-nominated Melody Gardot. Produced by Heitor Pereira, renowned for his work as a film composer ('Despicable Me', 'It's Complicated', 'From Prada to Nada') and world-class session guitarist (Sting, Seal, Caetano Veloso), the Brazilian-born, US-based artist shared Melody's enthusiasm for driving off the beaten path of western pop, jazz, blues and soul. And he was as adventurous as melody when it came to inventive sonic ideas. From the deserts of Morocco to the streets of Lisboa, from the tango bars of Buenos Aires to the beaches of Brazil, 'The Absence' captures the essence of each of these exotic locales, while at the same time remaining quintessentially Melody Gardot.

John Metcalfe, who arranges songs for big names such as Coldplay, Simple Minds and The Pretenders, has produced albums with Peter Gabriel and has been touring for decades as a member of the Duke Quartet. Now he releases his debut album on the Neue Meister label. Metcalfe has always been surrounded by music. As a child, he would listen to his father sing opera, before a love of Kraftwerk and Joy Division led to a stint as a drummer in a high school band. But it was a move to Manchester that really accelerated his development as an artist, and led to him finding his true calling. Joining cult band The Durutti Column, then signed to legendary label Factory Records, brought him into the orbit of Tony Wilson and the Hacienda, formative events that would help foster his renegade spirit. Unimpressed with the strictures demanded by the classical recording industry, Metcalfe persuaded Wilson to launch the ground-breaking Factory Classical Label, aimed at unearthing exciting - and unconventional - new British talent. It was here that Metcalfe found a home, and the group that would come to define his musical career; the Duke Quartet. For nearly 30 years, they've existed at the vanguard of contemporary British music, innovating and delighting in equal measure. Working with world-renowned artists across the entire cultural spectrum, from pop, dance, film, TV, and theatre, Metcalfe honed his arranging and producing skills; he's now one of the UK's most sought after arrangers, regularly working with some of biggest names in music. As a solo artist, Metcalfe explores electro-classical soundscapes and the boundaries between genres. His finely tuned compositions are neat yet grand in scale, both in terms of sound and the conceptual ideas underpinning them. Absence, the fifth record to bear his own name, is something of a departure for Metcalfe, framing bold images and themes with some of the most conventional song structures he's ever employed. But it's also his most affecting, deconstructing a subject he's been interested in since his childhood in New Zealand: Dealing with loss.

John Metcalfe, who arranges songs for big names such as Coldplay, Simple Minds and The Pretenders, has produced albums with Peter Gabriel and has been touring for decades as a member of the Duke Quartet. Now he releases his debut album on the Neue Meister label. Metcalfe has always been surrounded by music. As a child, he would listen to his father sing opera, before a love of Kraftwerk and Joy Division led to a stint as a drummer in a high school band. But it was a move to Manchester that really accelerated his development as an artist, and led to him finding his true calling. Joining cult band The Durutti Column, then signed to legendary label Factory Records, brought him into the orbit of Tony Wilson and the Ha�ienda, formative events that would help foster his renegade spirit. Unimpressed with the strictures demanded by the classical recording industry, Metcalfe persuaded Wilson to launch the ground-breaking Factory Classical Label, aimed at unearthing exciting - and unconventional - new British talent. It was here that Metcalfe found a home, and the group that would come to define his musical career; the Duke Quartet. For nearly 30 years, they've existed at the vanguard of contemporary British music, innovating and delighting in equal measure. As a solo artist, Metcalfe explores electro-classical soundscapes and the boundaries between genres. His finely tuned compositions are neat yet grand in scale, both in terms of sound and the conceptual ideas underpinning them. Absence, the fifth record to bear his own name, is something of a departure for Metcalfe, framing bold images and themes with some of the most conventional song structures he's ever employed. But it's also his most affecting, deconstructing a subject he's been interested in since his childhood in New Zealand: Dealing with loss.

Mikrokolektyw Kuba Suchar and Arthur Majewski continue to explore a vast terrain of post jazz soundscapes. These shifting limitless ideas, merging electronic sounds with complex melody and rhythm, push them to the forefront of contemporary jazz. As with their critically acclaimed debut Revisit and it's follow-up live DVD Dew Point, Absent Minded is a stark and brilliant reminder that jazz is a living language, constantly expanding into new horizons. Mikrokolektyw reveal a facet of jazz whose sonic palette is both diverse and challenging yet astoundingly beautiful. A boundary erasing excursion into the range of emotions that is possible when we speak in multiple tongues.

The Cracow Harp Quintet was founded in 2019; it consists of an unusual set of instruments: flute, harp, and a string trio. As the only such professional chamber ensemble in Poland, it promotes music that has been forgotten or has not been published yet. Thanks to the joint initiative, the members of the ensemble share many years of experience of concerts, festivals, and competitions in Poland and abroad. The album Hommage is a tribute to the output of the composers associated with the Quintette Instrumental de Paris – a formation whose 100th anniversary of the foundation falls this year. The album will feature compositions by artists who were closely related to the ensemble, such as Jean Absil, Jacques Pillois, Aleksan der Tansman, and Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur. The repertoire is distinguished by its diverse nature: French Impressionism, medieval monody motifs, fascination with East Asian culture as well as the 20th-century idiom of Polish music. The album will feature the world recording premiere of Jacques Pillois’s suite 5 Haïkaï and the Polish recording premiere of Sonatina da camera by Aleksander Tansman.

- The centuries' long historical tradition of flamenco and it's evolution shows a diverse background of cultural roots and influences including Indian, Jewish, Byzantine, Arabic and South American. - Taught to play guitar and sing by his father Juan el Minelva, at the time the best-known guitarist in the region, Andres Fernandez Amador, a gitano from the province of Almeria in Andalusia, southern Spain, sings and plays modern flamenco in the style of Paco de Lucia, Pata Negra and the Gipsy Kings, as well as traditional 'classical' flamenco ('cante jondo') and original compositions.

Pianist Andreas Feith and saxophonist Markus Harm present their second duo album "Abstract Truth", a deeply connected and artistically evolved follow-up to their debut "What's New". Over years of collaboration-from early days in Rebecca Trescher's ensemble to intensive duo sessions-their musical bond has grown into a rare and expressive synergy. Unlike their spontaneous first recording, this album is the result of careful composition and preparation, reflecting a new level of artistic freedom grounded in jazz tradition. Their interplay is intuitive, multilayered, and emotionally rich, balancing improvisation with melodic sensitivity. "Abstract Truth" showcases this connection through original compositions and reimagined standards, culminating in a diverse and emotionally resonant statement. Tracks like "Calm", "Tune For K", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" reveal a duo in perfect harmony-free, expressive, and rooted in shared musical trust.

ACAPULCO 22

Classical Music