Vikingur Olafsson / CONTINUUM As he continues his epic tour of J.S. Bach's equally epic Goldberg Variations, V�kingur �lafsson presents a series of six new Bach singles. Recorded at Reykjav�k's Harpa concert hall in January 2024, the tracks feature piano arrangements of sacred pieces by Bach, four of which have been realized by �lafsson himself. 12" EP, 45 RPM.

For Simon Rattle, Jean Sibelius is "one of the most staggeringly original composers that there is". And indeed, this music has a unique musical language whose many beauties are particularly succinctly conveyed in Sibelius's seven symphonies. There is sonorous warmth as much as there is austere Nordic folklore. Moreover, there is a conceptual boldness that takes the listener on exciting musical journeys of discovery. In 2015, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sibelius's birth, Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker presented the cycle live, which was met with unanimous delight by audiences and critics alike. "The Philharmoniker show that with them and Simon Rattle, Sibelius is in excellent hands," wrote the Berliner Zeitung, "because the orchestra has that astringency and sheer power which is so important for this kind of music." Simon Rattle was familiar with the music of Jean Sibelius from childhood. When, as a ten-year-old, he heard the Fifth Symphony live for the first time, it struck him - to use his own words - "like a thunderbolt". The Berliner Philharmoniker can also look back on a long Sibelius tradition and the orchestra was conducted by the composer himself in 1902. However, the first complete performance of the seven symphonies was not realized until 2010 under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle, with the Third Symphony being performed by the Philharmoniker for the first time. For many music lovers in Berlin, this new encounter with Sibelius was an exhilarating experience, and so it was only natural to repeat the performance of the cycle in Sibelius's anniversary year.

There is hardly a better way to approach Ludwig van Beethoven than through his piano concertos. Beethoven’s own instrument was the piano, and in his improvisations – which made him the darling of the Viennese salons – he merged virtuosity and unbridled expression. The piano concertos give a clear idea of these performances. At the same time, they are prime examples of Beethoven’s ability to create large orchestral works with seemingly endless arcs of tension. One of the most revered artists of our time, Mitsuko Uchida is known as a peerless interpreter of the works of Mozart, Schubert, R. Schumann and Beethoven, as well for being a devotee of the piano music of Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and György Kurtág.

Music friends, that’s how trumpet player Jan van Duikeren puts his relationship to drummer John Engels. Inspired by their friendship, Jan started writing tunes for John and asked him for his favorite compositions to record. Their chemistry lead to the establishment of the quartet JvD4 in 2015 and to the recording of Dear John. Even before the recording of Dear john started in June 2015, the quartet was invited to play at Tokyo Jazz festival and some other Japanese venues. Both Jan and John love Jan. Jan performs in Japan almost every year, with Candy Dulfer, Trijntje Oosterhuis or Jazzinvaders. John, who turned 80 this year, experienced one of this career highlights in Japan in 1987, when he recorded a live record with Chet Baker.

This summit meeting of the two giants of post-war American jazz attracted enormous attention and accolade from the world jazz fans when released in 1974. Jackie McLean (1931 - 2006) and Dexter Gordon (1923 - 1990) who were at their pinnacle of creative aptitude joined forces to thrill the packed fans at Copenhagen’s Jazzhus Montmartre in the summer of 1973. After 49 years this 180g audiophile version may bring back the heat wave of jazz in Europe of the 70s. “…McLean and Dexter are naturals to play together and on this album they are both at their best.” (B. McRae – Jazz Journal) “This LP is a live recording of the best jazz performance from European live scene of 1973. I firmly believe that this document will carry its immortal value for the years to come…” (Teruo Isono – Swing Journal) 180g Audiophile Vinyl

This 3LP set is the reissue of the 1954 box initiated by Walter Legge, EMI's famous producer, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Diaghilev's death. The cover reproduces the original illustration purposely designed at the time by Natalia Goncharova, one of the famous set painters of the Ballets russes. The 32-page booklet, richly illustrated with historical photos, sketches of costumes, and sketches of sets, includes the notes from the 1954 edition by Igor Marketvitch. It is in English and French, and features a short excerpt of 'Le Ballet' by Boris Kochno along with work presentations by the British dance specialist Cyril W. Beaumont.

Vinyl LP pressing. Mysterious, dramatic and alluring, Luminessence comes from a peak period in the creative association between Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek, recorded in 1974, immediately after their vibrant Belonging album. Here, Jarrett creates shimmering orchestral frameworks to spur Garbarek to some of his most concentrated, impassioned and expressive playing. "The melodies that Jarrett writes sound like Garbarek improvisations, so great is the rapport between the two men," wrote Ian Carr in his Keith Jarrett biography, while DownBeat, in a 5-star review, observed that "probing deep into his own personal musical cosmos, Jarrett has brought back a chilling and singular achievement that promises to stand as a landmark in the musical landscape of the 70s". Produced by Manfred Eicher, the album that gives the Luminessence audiophile edition it's name is augmented with new liner notes providing historical context.

TCHAIKOVSKY: THE SLEEPING BEAUTY; CHILDREN'S ALBUM

Carlo Maria Giulini/Los Angeles Philharmonic -"Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" [180gram Black Vinyl 2xLP ] Beethoven began composing his Third Symphony shortly after his increasing deafness and suicidal thoughts became public knowledge. The 'heroic' style of this symphony can be interpreted as a musical expression of his triumph over personal suffering. But the symphony also has enormous musical significance: with the 'Eroica,' Beethoven expanded the symphonic form and thus changed the expectations of a four-part symphony for the next two centuries. Giulini's recording with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra is highly regarded as reference recording. 2-LP set, 180g viny

Joe Hisaishi - "Joe Hisaishi Conducts The End Of The World; Reich: The Desert Music". Joe Hisaishi's new album blends cinematic sound worlds with the spellbinding power of a live performance experience. Recorded in 2024 at Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Hisaishi's album features the maestro's original piece "The End of the World" and Steve Reich's "Desert Music," performed with the Futures Orchestra Classics and the Philharmonic Chorus of Tokyo. Now in it's seventh volume, the "JOE HISAISHI FUTURE ORCHESTRA CLASSICS" series highlights Joe Hisaishi's signature versatility, precision and passion. 2 LP set, gatefold jacket.

Four-time Grammy Award nominee Scott Colley was first introduced to SteepleChase in 1994 as a young (30 at that time) and up-and-coming bassist of the Harold Danko Quartet. This is Colly’s SteepleChase debut leader album released on CD in 1997, which received numerous accolades from critics the world over. “Devoid of any grandiose ambition or ego-driven solos, This Place succeeds as illustrating Colley’s remarkable talents as a bassist and composer.” (John Murph – JazzTimes) “This Place is a hardy and no-holds-barred type of affair that speaks volumes for Colley’s aesthetics…. This Place will surely reward earnest and mindful listening with its adroit musical conversation.” (Chris Hovan – AAJ) 180g Audiophile Vinyl

The 180g VINYL release of this month Cherryco by Cornetist Kirk Knuffke stands out not only as a creative tribute album but also as the cornetist’s personal testimonial to the legendary Coleman-Cherry Quartet which was the epitome of 60’s avant-garde jazz. Despite generational differences Knuffke was in the inner circle of Ornette Coleman’s life in its later days. To quote from the article by Aidan Levy for JazzTimes – Lessons from Ornette - in 2019 Kirk remarks, “Just playing with him changed who I am and how I play. There was something about being so close to his sound that was really informative…” “Cherryco Is a tribute album in the truest sense. Kirk Knuffke walks a mile in Don Cherry’s shoes.” (Thomas Conrad – NYCJR) “… (Knuffke) puts the emphasis on ensemble interplay, forming an airy, malleable bond with his deft rhythm team while still uncorking one convincing and lyric solo after another. Cherryco feels like a love letter and it’s hard not to share in the ardor.” (Peter Margasak – DownBeat) 180g Audiophile Vinyl

1978 was one of Duke Jordan’s most productive and artistically most fulfilling years. Jordan’s trio with Wilbur Little (bass) and Dannie Richmond (drums) made an extensive European tour that year. This is one of the live recordings from concerts at the Tivoli Gardens. “…The old bopper, Duke Jordan, is another pianist who is perhaps under-appreciated … this man could play and he still can. On Wait And See for SteepleChase, we have the quintessential version of Jordan’s classic along with a lot of fine, not-at-all dated bop lines by the pianist…” (Durham Morning Herald)

American trumpeter Red Rodney (1927-1994) came into the spotlight with his legendary firecracker pace and pitch late 40s and was hired by Charlie Parker to replace Miles Davis in his quintet (1949-1951). In spite of his turbulent life during the 60s and 70s Rodney made a comeback to the world scene in the 80s. For the interesting details, do read Chris Sheridan’s liner notes included in this release. This 1988 studio recording took place in Copenhagen, Denmark where he lived a couple of years. “...this excellent and restrained session will bring more accolades to this little giant of jazz, Red Rodney.” (Jazznews) “Here is one of the most listenable Red Rodney records to come along in years .... It is Rodney’s superbly lyrical work that makes this an essential record.” (Jazz Journal)

Boulou Ferré (b. April 24, 1951 in Paris, France) is one of the greatest French contemporary virtuoso jazz guitarists of the manouche (gypsy jazz) tradition. He was awarded “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Cultural Ministry in 2012. Together with his younger brother Elios Ferré, also a jazz guitarist, Boulou recorded seven albums for SteepleChase. This album was recorded live at “Slukefter” in Tivoli Gardens. “... In this duo acoustic guitar session, the brothers Ferré grab and hold attention ... they maintain a lively, imaginative interplay ... greatly extend the library for acoustic guitar. This is a worthy follow-up of their earlier album SCCD 31120 Pour Django.” (Ottawa Citizen, May 1, 1981) “…The Ferré trio’s performance is full of European flavour… their emotional play suits very well the tunes selected here…” (Okazaki, Swing Journal)

The 24 preludes for cello solo by Mieczyslaw Weinberg have a particular history. Composed in the late sixties for Mstislav Rostropovich, he never actually played them. Their musical language is aphoristic, often brutal, provocative in it's inner conflict. It contains many different gestures and is very intense. To perform these preludes might have been problematic in the Soviet Union back then. Gidon Kremer has adapted the Preludes for solo violin and this is the world premiere recording of his adaptation. In his concerts, Kremer often plays them to projections of works by the Lithuanian photographer Antanas Sutkus in the background. This album was recorded at Paliesiaus Dvaras in Lithuania in December 2017.

Brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke's music can be likened to an exercise of memory retrieval. All of their four albums explore and pay tribute to their past; growing up in East Berlin in the final decade of the GDR. At it's core, the duo's music can be heard as a dialogue between siblings about their shared upbringings and experiences, a conversation given form through Sebastian's cello and Daniel's piano keys, in the fusion that becomes CEEYS. In 2017, the duo also founded Q3 AMBIENTFEST, a three-day happening for neoclassical and experimental music, which seeks to explore the cultural and musical impact of East German heritage. But the memories rescued through their music are far from only historical, they are foremost emotional recollections. Their 2018 album, W�NDE was as much about the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and it's implications in society, as it was about the thin walls that separated the brothers at home, and through which they heard each other practicing their instruments when young. The same can be said of their latest album HIDDENSEE, which speaks both of a physical place - the picturesque East German island in the Baltic Sea - as well as a place and time of spiritual importance for the brothers. As East Germany opened itself in the 90s, the two brothers would find themselves traveling out of their homeplace to the rest of the world, and while grateful for their newfound freedoms, they would also come to miss their childhood Eden. The duality of east and west, novelty and familiarness, is also thoroughly explored through CEEYS' musical style, which merges influences from the luminaries of classical music such as Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, with the lesser known artists of East Germany and the contemporary musicians Sebastian and Daniel were exposed after the fall of the wall.

The fifteenth volume of the Haydn2032 cycle is entitled 'La Reine'. One might think that this nickname refers to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, queen of numerous territories, but in fact the monarch honoured by the popular title of Symphony no.85 is her daughter, Marie Antoinette. It was said to be the favourite of 'La Reine de France', which is the full nickname of the work. The new volume also includes Symphony no.50, which delighted the Empress's ears when she visited Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy at his 'Hungarian Versailles' in 1773. Symphony no.62, which dates from 1780, the fortieth anniversary of Maria Theresa's accession to the throne and also the last year of a life as eventful as it was glorious, rounds off this latest instalment of the complete recording of the symphonies conducted by Giovanni Antonini, here at the helm of the Basel Chamber Orchestra.

Onute Grazinyte and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra under Modestas Pitrenas play P�rt's music - especially the main work Lamentate - very expressively and communicatively. It is a pure distillate of music that echoes and has an effect long after the last sounds have been heard" wrote pizzicato about the album that was released in September 2020 in honor of Arvo P�rt's 85th birthday and awarded it the "Supersonic." The Gramophone Magazine stated "This is a wondrously thought-provoking anthology of P�rt's work. [...] You cannot buy that kind of innocent beauty but you can, and should, buy this disc." The acclaimed recording of P�rt's "Lamentate" with which Onute Grazinyte marked her recording debut will now be released on vinyl in a limited and numbered 180g edition of 1.000 copies. It will supplemented with Grazinyte's wonderful interpretation of P�rt's piano works "Pari intervallo" and "F�r Anna Maria - Nachdenklich". About her playing, pizzicato added in their review: "The longer you listen to the pianist, the more you feel how well and safely she moves in P�rt's musical universe.

Featuring music created in the spur of the moment, straight from the heart, and inspired by a deep connection to New York life and scenery—this collection contains some of Gjeilo’s most soulful and passionate music; ranging from the introspective wistfulness of Dark Blue to the serene joyfulness of Snow in New York, and to fantasies around his own choral works.

The Deep brings a surprise. It's mostly about the tone of a number of the ballads on it, adding something romantic to his approach, with a gratifying affinity for melody that still feels safe in his own very personal interpretation. And always with that swing. Intelligent but never intellectual, with no pretentious pathos and none of that 'you just gotta listen to this!' feel. In a nutshell, pure.

They are among the most striking recordings of classical music ever made: the radio recordings with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Wilhelm Furtwängler, made between 1939 and 1945. Made at the height of the collaboration between orchestra and conductor, Furtwängler’s artistic personality is conveyed here as vividly as nowhere else. You can experience performances whose immediate expressive intensity arises from the moment of performance – and in which not least the existential experience of the Second World War reverberates. In a limited vinyl box with 8 LPs, Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings is now releasing a selection of all the surviving radio recordings that have already appeared on the CD/SACD Wilhelm Furtwängler: The Radio Recordings 1939-1945. With the enclosed code you can also download all the recordings of this edition in studio quality. When he was elected chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1922, Wilhelm Furtwängler impressed the musicians with his unique charisma. It was based on an intriguing interpretative principle: his baton technique avoided very precise gestures and deliberately relied on the blurring of tonal contours. For the remastering of the radio recordings, the best available material was used, in particular original tapes that were taken to the Soviet Union after the end of the war and only returned to Germany in the early 1990s. The recordings were carefully restored before vinyl mastering, digitally scanned using state-of-the-art technology and remastered in 24-bit resolution.

Back in April 2014 at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, Augustin Hadelich's performance of David Lang's 'mystery sonatas' was praised by the New York Times as a riveting display of “magisterial poise and serene control.” That same magic penetrates this starkly beautiful recording of the work, played by Hadelich on the exquisite 1723 “ex-Kiesewetter” Stradivari, on loan to him by its current owners since 2011. Lang based his 'mystery sonatas' on the famous pieces by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, but with a modern twist. “I decided to make my own virtuosic pieces about my most intimate, most spiritual thoughts,” he explains, “[but] mine are not about Jesus, and the violin is not retuned between movements. I did keep one of Biber's distinctions. He divides Jesus's life into three phases—the joyous, the sorrowful, and the glorious. The central pieces of my mystery sonatas are called 'joy,' 'sorrow,' and 'glory,' but these are all quiet, internal, reflective states of being.”

Caprice presents the luxurious double vinyl re-release of Jazz Furniture's classic debut album from 1994. Jazz Furniture was the name of a jazz group that spoke for themselves. They did this by, among other means, winning the 1994 Jazz i Sverige (Jazz in Sweden) award, which included a recording on Caprice Records. Jazz Furniture included: Magnus Broo, trumpet; Per ”Texas” Johansson and Fredrik Ljungkvist, saxophones; Esbjörn Svensson, piano; Dan Berglund bass; and Magnus Öström drums. Originating with the ambitious project, ”Swedish Jazz Future,” the group took the playful name, Jazz Furniture. The cover art shows what it is all about – Jazz Furniture crushes the old jazz furnishings, with great respect and finesse. With roots in the 1950s and 1960s, they set their very personal stamp on the music through their expressive playing style – reminiscent of the feeling one finds in rock music. Using rock’s terminology, it can be said that Jazz Furniture played a kind of ”trash jazz.”

A journey into the heart of the Danish soul. Kim Larsen (1945-2018)-the much-loved Danish rock musician and multifaceted artist-captures in music and words the Danish soul. With his 500 recorded songs and 40 albums he is known by all Danes of all ages. Guitarist, and head of guitar department at The Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Jesper Sivebæk, had 2 heroes in his youth: Andrés Segovia and Kim Larsen and they have followed him ever since. For more than 10 years Jesper Sivebæk has worked on the pieces on this album. With his great experience he uses the possibilities of the guitar to the utmost, and follows the classical tradition of making instrumental versions of folk songs as in Miguel Llobets arrangements of Catalan folksongs, Benjamin Brittens English and Chinese folksongs arrangements, and Bela Bartoks Hungarian folk songs. Sivebæk is true both to the beauty and the simplicity of Kim Larsens songs, and to his instrument the classical Spanish guitar. In these arrangements classical guitar players around the globe now have 12 new pieces to discover and put on their concert programs.