This album represents part of Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony's mission to expand the contemporary American concerto repertoire, with each of these three works spotlighting a different facet of the relatively underexplored brass instrument family. Brad Warnaar's Cornet Concerto draws on a rich heritage of 19th-century band music with wit and heartfelt homage, while Chick Corea's Trombone Concerto, his final completed composition, fuses lyricism, jazz spontaneity, and orchestral drama. Jennifer Higdon's Low Brass Concerto honors the spirit of this orchestral section through a majestic single-movement work of clarity and resonance. All of these pieces expand the expressive possibilities of the brass concerto in ways that are both surprising and deeply engaging.

Enrique Granados was one of the leading figures of the late-19th-century Spanish nationalist and impressionist school of musicians. The much-loved Danzas espanolas is a collection of piano pieces that represents Granados's refined blend of Romantic lyricism and Spanish folk imagery. This charming and charismatic journey through Spain is presented here in a colourful transcription for two guitars. Fabio Rizza's 2024 arrangement of the evocative Capricho espanol completes the programme.

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) was a Spanish guitarist and composer often regarded as the "Beethoven of the guitar" for the refinement and expressive range of his music. Trained in Barcelona, Sor first pursued a broader career in opera and instrumental music before turning decisively to the guitar, an instrument that, during his lifetime, was gaining recognition in concert halls and private salons alike. After political upheaval forced him into exile, Sor settled in Paris and later London, where he became one of the most respected guitarists and teachers of his era. His works display a mastery of classical form, elegance of melody, and a distinctive clarity that continues to captivate audiences and players today. Among his many works for guitar, the Pieces de societe hold a special place. Published in 1830 in Paris, this collection was conceived not only for professional musicians but also for the flourishing amateur market. The title itself-literally "pieces for society"-reflects their social function: short, charming works intended to be played in intimate gatherings, where the guitar was often a centerpiece of musical entertainment. The pieces range from graceful minuets and waltzes to lyrical romances, each showcasing Sor's gift for combining accessible textures with subtle sophistication. While technically approachable, the Pieces de societe still embody Sor's characteristic elegance: balanced phrasing, inventive harmonic progressions, and refined voice leading. They illustrate how Sor adapted his art to the tastes of the salon without compromising musical quality. Today, these works provide valuable insight into nineteenth-century guitar culture and remain staples in the repertoire of students and professionals alike. Played by Leonardo de Marchi, one of the foremost guitar players of Italy.

The most comprehensive set ever compiled of instrumental music by Respighi, featuring classic scores such as The Pines of Rome alongside hidden treasures of chamber music. All modern recordings made by native Italian musicians between 2009 and 2015: both an ideal starting and destination point for anyone looking to explore the vibrantly coloured musical world of Respighi. Italy's landscape and history supplied Ottorino Respighi with a deep and seemingly inexhaustible well of inspiration and material on which to draw. Works as superficially diverse as the elegantly neoclassical Ancient Airs and Dances, and the opulently orchestrated extravaganza of the Roman trilogy, are united by Respighi's care for his native heritage, and his curation of it as a living object. He is, in this sense, no less centrally an Italian composer than those of his colleagues dedicated to continuing the opera tradition, from Bellini to Puccini. Yet there is so much more to Respighi than those two collections. There is the hour-long Sinfonia Drammatica which finds Respighi at his most Straussian. There is the pulsating and neoclassical Toccata for piano and orchestra, the contrasting delicacy of the orchestral triptych after paintings of Botticelli, the withdrawn beauty of his Church Windows sequence, and a sequence of concertante works for violin and orchestra, none of which fit neatly into the 'romantic concerto' template. Perhaps the least known and most intriguing work in his orchestral output is his dark and brooding Metamorphoseon, commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky in 1930 and thus long predating Richard Strauss's postwar elegy of (almost) the same name. The piano and chamber works of Respighi illuminate complementary aspects of his identity, such as his feeling for long-breathed melody and drama in the violin sonatas, and the deft turns of phrase in his student-era piano pieces. When these recordings first appeared, they attracted enthusiastic praise from reviewers, especially the orchestral series masterminded by the conductor Francesco la Vecchia. 'La Vecchia directs with obvious affection, and the playing has engaging spirit and no mean grace... Desiree Scuccuglia gives a red-blooded and formidably secure account of the solo part [of the Concerto misolidio]' (Gramophone). 'There is no question that these musicians understand and love Respighi's idiom. La Vecchia negotiates the music with a definite point of view, carefully balancing the composer's unique blend of 20th-century orchestral colours and ancient modal chant.' (Fanfare)

Christlieb Siegmund Binder (1723-1789) was a German composer, organist, and harpsichordist active in Dresden during the mid-18th century. He belonged to the musical circle surrounding the Saxon court, which at the time was a major cultural hub, closely tied to both German and Italian traditions. Though not as widely remembered as his contemporaries Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach or Johann Adolf Hasse, Binder's works reflect the stylistic shift from the late Baroque to the empfindsamer Stil and early Classicism. Among his surviving works, the Six Harpsichord Sonatas stand out as his most notable contribution to the keyboard repertoire. These pieces display a balance between contrapuntal craftsmanship and a more galant, expressive style. Unlike the ornate fugues and suites of the earlier Baroque, Binder's sonatas emphasize clear melodic lines, graceful ornamentation, and a lighter texture, qualities that aligned with the taste of Dresden's aristocratic audiences. Each sonata reveals Binder's sensitivity to expressive nuance. The slow movements often highlight a singing quality, echoing the influence of opera, while the faster movements showcase rhythmic vitality and elegant figurations well suited to the harpsichord's brilliance. Though less technically demanding than some of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas, they nevertheless require finesse and attention to articulation, as the musical interest lies in subtle contrasts of mood and character. Binder's sonatas also provide a window into the transitional aesthetic of the 1740s and 1750s. They combine traces of learned counterpoint-expected from a Dresden organist trained in the Lutheran tradition-with the charm and immediacy of the galant style. In this sense, his music bridges the world of J.S. Bach with the more modern sensibilities of Haydn and Mozart. Played on a Mascheroni harpsichord by P. Taskin, 1769, by Paolo Gazzola. Born in Piacenza in 1992 he obtained a Master of arts in music performance in Organ at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana with Stefano Molardi.

Timothy Corlis is a JUNO-nominated composer hailed for his music's depth, passion and colour. His Missa Pax, a major work, reinterprets the liturgical tradition giving it new expression and vitality. Corlis is also devoted to social change, with activism at the core of his creativity. In Loveliest of trees, a setting of A. E. Housman's poem of the same name, he celebrates nature's beauty and bounty. The place of the divine feminine in the birth of Christ is reflected upon in O magnum mysterium; the dynamism of New York City is the inspiration behind Immortality; and In paradisum reminds us that paradise is often experienced on earth.

The first instalment in an exploration of the German Romantic repertoire for piano trio, this double album recorded by the Trio Zadig, now on the na�ve label, offers an utterly thrilling journey between darkness and light. It groups together the two essential Trios for violin, cello and piano (Op. 49 and Op. 66) by Felix Mendelssohn and the Op. 11 Trio, by Fanny, his immensely brilliant sister so beloved by her brother. In the Trio Zadig's hands, the sister's work, composed between 1846 and 1847, a few months before her premature death, impresses with the singular structural balance. Notably the Allegro molto vivace is a real pearl which alternates moments of subtle nostalgia with an elegant drama, among some tempestuous and thoughtful writing. Impossible not to be captivated, moreover, by the freshness of the Andante espressivo. Here the three players reveal a theme of majesty and tenderness, slightly reminiscent of Beethoven. The following Lied will remind us that the Mendelssohn household was nourished by J. S. Bach's protestant spirit. In truth, the same creative lifeblood flowed in the veins of both sister and brother. Having grown up in a household where one learned music like another language, Felix and Fanny were each other's first audiences, first critics, and eternal confidants. These exciting yet reflective performances by the Trio Zadig (violinist Miclen Laipang, cellist Marc Girard Garcia and pianist Guillaume Vincent) in the first place pay due respect to this common ground. From Felix's famous first Piano Trio, likewise in D minor, gushes in effect the same fundamental warmth, the same calm mastery, and the second Piano Trio, with it's subtly measured storms and it's gently restless flavour, recalls Fanny's contemporaneous work of 1845. In a nod to the culture of reciprocal inspiration which of course was at the heart of Mendelssohn's Berlin home, and which recalls their own life as rehearsing, travelling and performing chamber musicians, sharing almost everything together, the Trio Zadig completes it's programme with two of Felix's more intimate works; one taken from the second volume of the Lieder ohne Worte, transcribed for piano trio by Cyrille Lehn, and the other the Notturno from A Midsummer Night's Dream, in a rare nineteenth century transcription. And - surprise, surprise! - a mouth-watering encore, the extremely touching Trio composed by Felix at the age of eleven, a somewhat Haydn-like pastiche, and an utter marvel.

Known primarily as a prolific opera composer, Gaetano Donizetti also wrote nearly 300 songs, which were destined for intimate gatherings of friends, professionals and wealthy amateurs. Though Donizetti was seemingly blase about his songs, they contain much of interest. Their melodic beauty and structural surety are invariably captivating, whether in ballades or canzonettas, theatrical ariettas, or poignant love laments. Setting poets from Pietro Metastasio to his contemporaries allowed Donizetti full rein to explore a wide variety of subject matter with wit, sentiment, long vocal lines, and quasi-orchestral piano accompaniment. A digital-only single of Lamento per la morte di V. Bellini is also available to stream and download (9.70399).

The Pacifica Quartet presents The Korngold Collection, a landmark recording of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's complete string quartets and rarely heard chamber works tracing the composer's extraordinary evolution from prodigy of post-imperial Vienna to pioneering film composer in Hollywood. Described by The Daily Telegraph as "nothing short of phenomenal," the multiple Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet brings more than three decades of acclaimed artistry to this sweeping portrait of Korngold's chamber music. The three string quartets, written between 1923 and 1945, chart Korngold's artistic journey: the First Quartet pulses with adventurous harmony; the Second, composed just before his emigration from Austria, overflows with lush melody; and the Third, finalized after WWII, draws on themes from his iconic film scores, including The Sea Hawk and Between Two Worlds. Complementing the quartets are two early chamber gems: the radiant Piano Quintet in E major (1920), written in the wake of his operatic triumph, Die tote Stadt and performed with pianist Orion Weiss; and the vibrant String Sextet in D major (1914), a youthful work that helped establish Korngold's early reputation, featuring violist Milena P�jaro-van de Stadt and cellist Eric Kim. Praised for their "remarkable expressive range and tonal beauty" (The New York Times), the Pacifica Quartet has distinguished itself through a deep commitment to complete composer cycles, including The Soviet Experience, their celebrated survey of Shostakovich's 15 string quartets, plus quartets by his contemporaries.

The Miro Quartet invites you to gather around the warmth of the holiday Hearth-a deeply personal and joy-filled album that celebrates the spirit of the season through the voices of today's most compelling composers. Whether your traditions include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or simply quiet reflection by the fire, this album captures the essence of holidays as a time of connection, memory, and hope. Featuring works by composers such as Anna Clyne, Clarice Assad, Gabriel Kahane, Reena Esmail, and Paola Prestini, each piece is a musical keepsake-an imaginative reworking of a holiday tune chosen by the composer and infused with personal meaning. From Renaissance hymns to familiar carols like Jingle Bells, and from West African rhythms to tender string lyricism, this vibrant collection reflects the rich diversity of how we celebrate, remember, and come together. Hearth follows the Miro Quartet's acclaimed PENTATONE release Ginastera String Quartets (2025), honoured as a Gramophone Editor's Choice, one of The New York Times' '5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now,' and recipient of Pizzicato's Supersonic distinction. Also available are the GRAMMY-nominated Home (2024) and Beethoven Complete String Quartets (2021). With this release, we are proud to share these musical stories - each one a gift, wrapped in sound, from our hearts to yours.

Singaporean composer and conductor, Darius Lim, incorporates theatrical elements into his choral compositions, taking audiences on an emotional journey. The 14 works in this album attest to his belief in the passion, joy and transcendence of the human spirit, whether as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, or to the beauties of nature and imaginary fantasy worlds. Lim's music embraces the mystical, the magical and the ethereal in ways that stir the imagination and touch the heart.

Reginald Smith Brindle served with the Royal Engineers in Africa and Italy during the Second World War, and later returned to Italy in 1949 to further his compositional studies with Pizzetti and Dallapiccola. The influence of Italian landscapes and culture can be found in many of Smith Brindle's works, including an extended combination of nostalgia and melancholy in November Memories dedicated to the poet Margherita Guidacci, and an evocation of the spirit of Gesualdo in The Prince of Venosa. The sheer variety of his guitar music is further represented in the expressive Preludes and Fantasias, the technical demands of the �le-de-France Variations, and the pedagogical but intriguingly atonal Ten Simple Preludes.

Paris was the musical destination for many Russian emigre composers between the two World Wars, with both Grechaninov, from an older generation, and Tcherepnin, from a younger one, living in the city. Grechaninov's Piano Trio No. 2 in G major is a brightly decorative work, whereas Tcherepnin's concise, refined orientalism in the Piano Trio, Op. 34 is influenced by French modernism and the Russian avant-garde. Daniele Amfitheatrof moved to Rome where he wrote his beautiful, sunlit Piano Trio, richly imbued with the aura of Puccini and Mascagni. The dazzling Piano Trio on Hebrew Themes by New York-based Jacob Weinberg incorporates synagogue and Russian tunes, quotations from Bizet, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann, as well as tango rhythms.

Leo Weiner was one of the most important of all Hungarian pedagogues as well as being a distinguished composer. The success of his Serenade, written when he was 21, was immediate - it's light, intimate and richly melodic qualities, some of which derive from stylised Hungarian dances, are still captivating today. The Divertimento No. 3 and Variations on a Hungarian Folksong mine joyful music from a collection in Budapest's Museum of Ethnography. The Violin Concerto No. 1 is a masterly orchestration of his Violin Sonata, Op. 9, alternating between the playful and the dramatic. The performance heard here restores 115 bars that were cut from the fourth movement, making this the first complete recording.

Michael Dellaira has become one of America's leading opera composers, receiving acclaim and awards for compelling stage works including The Leopard (Naxos 8.669052-53). Based on Elisha Kent Kane's expedition to find the Northwest Passage in the mid-19th century, Arctic Explorations is a study on the human desire to discover what lies beyond the boundaries of our experience. The effects of global warming and the plight of the Inuit in one of the most beautiful but endangered places on earth also forms part of the narrative.