For his excellent new album, master accordionist Alexander Sevastian proposes a program of several masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach transcribed for the accordion. The “Chaconne” and major organ works such as the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, and the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor – have a certain dramatic character. Balanced by the lighter “Badinerie” from Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor and the more meditative “Air on the G String” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major and the chorale prelude “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” this program simultaneously showcases Sevastian’s virtuosity and sensitivity. Alexander Sevastian has a Master’s Degree in Performance from the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow, and an Advanced Certificate in Music from the University of Toronto. He commissions and performs contemporary music on a regular basis, and has for the past two years been performing alongside world-renowned clarinetist Julian Milkis.

Classical Music

As Rameau wrote in his treatise on harmony, “A good musician should surrender himself to all the characters he wishes to portray, and like a skillful actor, put himself in the speaker’s shoes.” Regardless of the means used to achieve this, the composer uses music and the interplay of harmony to convey feeling. This album on the Analekta label features bass-baritone Philippe Sly and soprano Hélène Guimette accompanied by musicians from Clavecin en concert under the direction of Luc Beauséjour.

Bach: Orchestral Suites Nos. 2 & 4

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Bach, J.S.: Goldberg Variations, Bwv 988

This new album by Charles Richard-Hamelin presents two important works from Frederic Chopin’s repertoire, 24 Preludes, Op. 28 and Andante spianato & Grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22, and confirms that he is one of the world's elite pianists. Writing about Richard-Hamelin, BBC Music Magazine characterized his playing as “fluent, multifaceted and tonally seductive… a technician of exceptional elegance and sophistication.” Qualities that are made evident on this brilliant new album. Charles Richard-Hamelin is well known on the international music scene as a “highly sensitive” pianist (Gramophone), driven by “a great depth of feeling without the slightest pretense” (Le Devoir). He is recognized as “fluent, multifaceted and tonally seductive… a technician of exceptional elegance and sophistication” (BBC Music Magazine).

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Mahler: Orchesterlieder

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RED ARMY CHORUS: The Best of the Original Ensemble

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Encount3rs is an unprecedented project, event and recording which has resulted in remarkable new one-act ballets and original orchestral scores. This new album consists of the music from this landmark NAC commission which pairs three of Canada’s outstanding choreographic talents with three of the country’s most exciting composers. Alberta Ballet’s eminent and prolific Jean Grand-Maître joined forces with multiple award-winning new music visionary Andrew Staniland; Ballet BC’s trail-blazing Emily Molnar met her musical match with innovative composer Nicole Lizee; and Guillaume Côte, gifted dancer and choreographic associate with the National Ballet of Canada, was perfectly paired with noted emerging composer Kevin Lau.

Luc Beauséjour, a highly sought-after musician for his virtuosity and the subtlety of his playing on the harpsichord and organ, is never short of ideas when it comes to offering concert programs imbued with refinement. The repertoire heard on this recording, originally written for the harpsichord during the Baroque period, is being played here on piano. If many pianists have played Bach, Scarlatti, Handel, Rameau, and even Couperin and Froberger, few harpsichordists have come to the defense of the harpsichord repertoire on the modern piano with such conviction and audacity. Fascinating!

Classical Music

Classical Music

The works on this beautiful recording are transcriptions for flute and piano of Franz Schubert masterpieces, from "Heidenr�slen," a lied he composed as a fresh-faced 17-year- old, to "St�ndchen," written just prior to his premature death at the age of 31. The exquisite and expressive playing of flutist Nadia Labrie and pianist Mathieu Gaudet is seductive. "I have always found this music inspiring, so I wanted to perform a flute and piano version of some of my favourites. Schubert's music is so uplifting, so inspiring, so passionate - it taps into the soul, the voice, the breath of life." (Nadia Labrie) Nadia Labrie is a graduate of the Conservatoire de musique du Quebec and the Universite de Montreal. She received the Medal of the Governor General of Canada for the excellence of her college studies, and was awarded the Citizenship Lifetime Achievement Award by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec and Celebrations Canada President Marc Garneau.

THE AZRIELI MUSIC PRIZES were established in 2014 by the Azrieli Foundation to offer opportunities for the creation, performance and celebration of high quality new Jewish music. New Jewish Music, Vol. 2 – Azrieli Music Prizes features the world premiere recordings of works by composer Kelly-Marie Murphy, winner of the 2018 Azrieli Commission, and composer Avner Dorman, winner of the 2018 Azrieli Prize. In addition to those, the album also features Seven Tableaux from the Song of Songs composed in 1992 by Srul Irving Glick, arranged for soprano, piano and string orchestra by François Vallières. These wonderful works are performed by the Orchestre classique de Montréal under the direction of Boris Brott, with soloists Sharon Azrieli (soprano), Lara St. John (violin) and the duo Couloir, which consists of Ariel Barnes (violoncello) and Heidi Krutzen (harp).