Three nights of recording this album are behind me. This time has brought me even closer to the instrument of the organ-building company Hermann Eule in the Cathedral of St. Petri in my home town of Bautzen, which has been well known to me since my early childhood. The mystical atmosphere and soul of the house of God are especially palpable at night, when everything is silent and dark outside. The focus of my programme is Johann Sebastian Bach, who is an important guide and inspirer for me. Seb. Bach is for me the beginning and end of all music; on him rests and is based all true progress!" - this quote by Max Reger runs as a common thread through my programme for the recording. The important Leipzig Thomaskantor was also an important creative source for Karl Straube, Max Reger and Franz Liszt. Each of the pieces on this CD finds its own reference to the work and person of the Baroque master: from late Romantic arrangements of Bach works by Karl Straube and Max Reger, to a work by Franz Liszt that quotes thematic motifs from Bach works, to Max Reger's monumental composition on the tone letters B-A-C-H, all the compositions revolve around the person and work of Johann Sebastian Bach. I go in search of the musical expression of the 19th century and trace compositions and interpretations from this period. Numerous recordings on the historic Sauer and Walcker organs already document the tonal and musical influences of the late Romantic period on the way music was made. The Eule organ in Bautzen's St. Peter's Cathedral, with its broad sound spectrum and numerous fundamental voices, offers an instrument directly suited to this repertoire. Already Karl Straube, who performed the organ recording on 8 March 1910, was particularly impressed by the mild intonation of the sound body. The recording is my personal gift on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversaries of Karl Straube and Max Reger, which will be celebrated on 06 January 2023 and 09 March 2023 respectively. The programme revels in Bach interpretations around 1900, the heyday of symphonic organ art. In this epoch, not only were new compositions specifically geared to the instruments of the time created in the field of organ music, but existing works were also arranged. The listener embarks on a journey into the past and experiences with Romantic ears a 100-year-old reception history of Johann Sebastian Bach's music. Each of the recorded works refers in its own way to Johann Sebastian Bach, whose figure and name inspired Karl Straube, Max Reger and Franz Liszt to create new, contemporary late Romantic works."

Christus der Meister is the second of three Christus oratorios from the pen of Friedrich Schneider. After the prelude to the trilogy, Christus das Kind, was performed again by the Kantorei Barmen-Gemarke shortly before Christmas 2019 after more than a hundred years, the work that comes second within the trilogy but was written chronologically first now follows. Schneider's Christus Trilogy, which was originally planned as a series of four full-length oratorios, i.e. as a tetralogy, is of some significance in terms of genre history. Schneider's trilogy is also special in that it ranges from the story of the Nativity to the Passion, thus encompassing the entire life of Jesus. Schneider did not compose the originally intended fourth oratorio, Christ the Glorified.

Trumpet and organ - and yet conceivably removed from the usual of this popular instrumentation: that is "O Mensch, gib Acht!" - is not only an eye-catcher but also a programme, when the world-class trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich and the Essen Cathedral organist Sebastian Küchler-Blessing place contemporary works, which were written as a reaction to the horrors of the Third Reich, in dialogue with arrangements of Romantic works: in addition to the titular slow movement from Mahler's Third, "Kol Nidrei" by Max Bruch and Brahms' "O Tod, wie bitter bist Du" are heard. Zsigmond Szathmáry, who was highly esteemed by György Ligeti, wrote an "...ad memoriam..." about the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin especially for this production. The brother and sister duo Kristina Schoch (recorder) and Andre Schoch (trumpet player with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) also participated in other works, such as four epigrams based on Hebrew songs for recorder and organ pedal by Otfried Büsing from Freiburg. Recorded on the Rieger organ in Essen Cathedral, which was rebuilt after the destruction of the war, war is raging on European soil at the same time. Gib Acht!" has ever been more topical.

The Ukrainian word mrija" means dream. Its very sound is soft and singing. They are dreams that give us wings, as it were, and lift us out of everyday life - they give us hope and bring us joy and happiness. We experience it as painful when an intimate dream is destroyed by violence from outside. I like to dream and I don't want to see the dreams of Ukrainians destroyed either. Since 24 February 2022, no Ukrainian can dream of anything but the end of a brutal, senseless war. Russia has bombed rows and rows of Ukrainian towns and villages and destroyed the largest aircraft in the world in the very first month of the war - this too bore the name "Mrija". In contrast, the Ukrainians only grew stronger in their dreams of freedom, peace and victory - for which they have been fighting at the front ever since. It is a struggle for the preservation of an independent national history and language, a culture that is reflected in the poetry and paintings of master artists as well as in the work of Ukrainian composers of various epochs - a struggle that has become particularly sadly topical since Russia claimed that Ukraine did not exist as a state and will not exist as such. The music on this CD energetically counters this with a centuries-old, independent musical culture. This album brings together unique works of classical Ukrainian piano music. Many of them find their first recording here and it is an honour for me to introduce the listener to such interesting pieces, which - unfortunately - are largely unknown in Europe so far. I have been dealing with the music of my homeland for years. This time I am inviting my listeners to Central and Eastern Ukraine, the part of the country where I was born. The programme includes works by Lysenko, Jedlicka, Stepowyj and Rewuzkyj. All four are in the Romantic tradition and yet - each in their own way - were pioneers who broke new ground with their music. They were also talented pianists and created a variety of brilliant music for the piano. Each of the composers presented was a patriot, striving to develop genuinely Ukrainian music. They were all passionate about the folklore of their homeland and wrote their vocal pieces in the Ukrainian language."

Born in Moscow in the family of musicians, Shorena Tsintsabadze began her musical career in early age with her mother. She graduated the Moscow Conservatory academic music college and Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory in the class of the People's Artist of Russia, professor Z. A. Ignatyeva, who represented the class of outstanding pianist, Professor S. E. Finberg. During this period she became a prize-winner at the International Piano Competitions, such as: the Classical Heritage Association International Competition (Moscow, 1999), the Grand International Piano Competition (Paris, 1999), the Ibla grand Prize (Italy, 2000), where Shorena won the special Jordanian Prize for "Outstanding Musicianship and Talent". In 2000 the American label "Angelok" recorded the works by S. Rachmaninoff as her first CD with the Russian Federal Orchestra lead by Maestro V. Jordania. In 2008 Shorena Tsintsabadze, signed the contract with The World's Leading Classical Music Label "Naxos" and recorded the masterpieces by S. M. Lyapunov with the Russian Philarmonic Orchestra conducted by D. Yablonsky. In 2010 her album with works by S. M. Lyapunov included all his Piano concertos, Rhapsody on Ukrainian Themes, for piano & orchestra, Op. 28. Steven J Haller (American Record Guide, March 2011) stated in it's review of the album that "Moscow-born Shorena Tsintsabadze seems born to play this music; she embraces it like Van Cliburn did the Tchaikovsky, warmly lyrical and impassioned and blessed with a wide-ranging span of the keyboard from full bass register to glittering, yet never clattery top end. ". Also, The Guardian reported "The performances are terrific, with monumental playing from Shorena Tsintsabadze... " "Moscow-born pianist Shorena Tsintsabadze catches the fire and the poetry of the music, meets it's pyrotechnical demands with relative ease and imparts a wonderful sense of imagination to her interpretations. " wrote Robert Cummings (Classical Net, January 2011). Ian Lac (MusicWeb International) mentioned that "... Tsintsabadze brings to bear a light and delicate poetic touch with unbridled passion reserved for the Concerto's climactic passages. " In 2015 HBDirect. Com introduced Tsintsabadze's album in the list of the Best Selling Naxos CDs. In 2013 she made post-graduate studies of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Professor, People's Artist of Russia Sergei L. Dorensky, who has mentioned Shorena as a "Brightly presented pianist with unlimited technical abilities and bright individuality. " During the study in Dorensky's class she had permanent consultancies with such outstanding musicians as Nikolai Lugansky, Andrey Pisarev, Pavel Nersessian and Liza Ginzburg (daughter of outstanding musician and pianist Grigory Ginzburg). She performed at the world's major concert halls and collaborated with renowned conductors and Orchestras. She has appeared in broadcasts on TV and radio of Russia, USA, Canada and Europe, etc. In 2015 Shorena Tsintsabadze has founded "Young Musicians International Association of Georgia. " The primary mission of organization is to help young talented musicians with the motivation, to support in creativity and career advancement, for which the organization is planning various events in the future. In this regard, some of the first and important achievement is the establishment of "Music International Summer Academy" known as "MISA" (misa. #ge) in 2015, Georgian Youth Symphony Orchestra (2017) and "Georgian Orchestra Academy" in 2019. In 2019 Shorena Tsintsabadze has recorded the masterpieces by Schumann, Brahms and Chopin and signed the contract with The Exquisite Classic Label - ARS Produktion.

Between child prodigy and wife: I have selected virtuoso works by four female composers of a generation with very different lives, but all the pieces have in common temperament and often effervescent lightness. In the meantime, many names of female composers are known, their works are played more and more. However, especially in the 19th century, a disproportionate amount of music unfortunately did not find its way into the publishing houses. This was the greatest obstacle to the safe transmission of works for posterity until the end of the 20th century. It was not until the internet that women composers were able to find their own players and audiences. In addition, female musicians' careers were made more difficult or even prevented by social circumstances. Educating a child prodigy was not only a potentially very lucrative business for ambitious parents in Mozart's time, but also in the 19th century many children were educated to stage maturity at a very early age. But after marriage, which was obligatory at some point, the girls had to limit their sphere of activity to salons or charity galas. And studying was not possible for many years anyway, so unfortunately women often received a rather superficial musical education. As always, exceptions confirm the rule. One can see from the exemplary biographies of "my" four female composers that long careers then seemed possible only in tandem with a musician who was also working professionally. And that often different rules applied to foreign women than to the "respectable ladies" of the domestic society.

With György Kurtág (born 1926); György Ligeti (1923-2006) and Péter Eötvös (born 1944); Hungary has produced three of the most important and internationally successful composers of the post-war era. This recording brings together piano works by Kurtág and Ligeti. It shows that the four-hand piano character piece also has musical expressiveness and genre-technical justification in contemporary musical art. Ani and Nia Sulkhanishvili were born as twins in Tbilisi / Georgia in 1988. At the age of 6 they received their first piano lessons from Svetlana Arakelova. The highlight of their career so far was the 2nd prize at the "64th ARD International Music Competition" in Munich in 2015. This was the start of an international career with performances in Europe, America and China. The piano duo has mastered a large repertoire spanning the epochs from classical to modern.

Märchenhaft (Swedish "sagolikt") is a concert program by Nordic Light Duo inspired by the wonderful fairy tale world of the popular children's book author Elsa Beskow. Devotedly and lovingly designed, Beskow's fairy tales and illustrations run like a thread through the musical delightful experiences in it. The program is divided into five sections, each representing a fairy tale: Flower Festival in Täppan, The Story of the Curious Perch, Putte's Adventure in the Blueberry Forest, The Journey to the Land of Long ago, and The Sun Egg. Each section immerses you in an exciting story, enhanced by Elsa's original illustrations. These texts and pictures are then accompanied by songs and piano pieces chosen to match the stories.

Two illustrations are even firsts and can only be seen in this publication, thanks to Daniel Beskow's family ties to Elsa Beskow, his paternal great-grandmother. Because of this connection, the idea for the Märchenhaft project was born in 2018. With it, the two musicians wanted to contribute to the rebirth of Elsa's fantasy world and bring a new musical fairy tale series to life. They firmly believe that this fairy tale treasure belongs to the European cultural heritage and with its re-release in a musical guise, they found an opportunity to pay tribute to Elsa's work in an original way and bring it to a new, larger audience. Fairy Tale has become a huge success in Sweden and the duo has given over a hundred concerts under this name in recent years. The intimate setting, the imaginative mood and the interplay between literature, music and visual arts remain the main features of this exciting project, which we can now also experience on this sound recording.

As early as the 1820s, the Dessau court Kapellmeister Friedrich Schneider conceived the plan to compose a coherent series of four full-length oratorios dealing with the life of Jesus. Although Schneider did not realize his original plan of a tetralogy, three complete oratorios were nevertheless composed, forming a coherent trilogy (Christ the Child, Christ the Master, Christ the Redeemer). With the edition published in 2021 and this first recording of Christus das Kind, a foundation has been laid for the revival of this forgotten trilogy, more than 190 years after its premiere.

The French composer Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937) came from a modest family of the Parisian petty bourgeoisie. Nothing is known about any musical background on her part: music remains her very personal passion. Immediately enchanted by your sensitive music, I gradually realized how varied the pieces were, both by their technical difficulties and by the richness of the harmonies and the melodies, so profound and sometimes poignant. The immense joy of playing this music has turned into responsibility: the responsibility of showing a jewel and making something shine that should be known as a matter of course, because it's just great." (Myriam Barbaux-Cohen)

Born in Zurich 1988, into a traditionally Jewish family, Anne grew up in Zurich, Washington D.C. and Basel. She started to play the violin at the age of six and was immediately drawn to the beautiful sound of this instrument. After graduating from Music-Gymnasium in Basel, Anne pursued her studies at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ZHdK) with the renown teacher Nora Chastain. Another important influence she gained from an Erasmus year in Munich, studying with Ingolf Turban, famous for his virtuoso violin playing. In 2013 and 2015 Anne finished her Masters of Performance and Masters of Pedagogy with distinction. The album recording 'The Essential Hebrew Violin' with arrangements for violin and chamber orchestra recorded for the first time was inspired by a concert Anne Battegay played in 2020 on the occasion of the European Day of Jewish Culture at the Zwinglihaus in Basel.

The members of the Hegel Quartet grew up in different parts of the 'New World': Australia, USA and Canada. In search of the roots of the musical traditions in which they grew up, each of them made their own way to Europe during their studies. It was pure coincidence that they met in mid-life, having already absorbed so much of the legendary musicians who make the European concert scene so rich. Composers Fritz Kreisler and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, like so many other Jewish artists, escaped the turmoil of the World Wars in the last century and eventually became citizens of the United States. These two great artists, and many others in similar life situations, created a thriving cultural paradise in their new homelands - for example, in South America, Canada, or Australia - that produced generations of artists. Even at the height of his success as a Hollywood film composer, Korngold greatly missed Vienna and its opera houses, and it seems that he died of a broken heart after unsuccessfully trying to re-establish himself in 1950s Europe. The Hegel Quartet’s new recording of these works is also accompanied, in a modest way, by a desire to repatriate, as it were, Kreisler and Korngold to their beloved Europe by four emigrants from the opposite direction.

For every cellist; Poulenc's Cello Sonata is demanding in terms of playing technique. Since he had a great affinity for woodwind instruments; his notation is not really written to suit the conditions of a string instrument. He himself was aware of this fact; so he sought expert advice for the composition from the famous cellist Pierre Fournier; who was also the dedicatee and soloist at the premiere in 1948. "Everything we see; hear and feel is connected with feeling." This is how Leoš Janácek defined his artistic attitude; from which grew an idiosyncratic tonal language hardly comparable with other models or traditions of his time. Pohádka means - translated from Czech - "fairy tale". It is based on a fairy tale by the Russian romanticist Wassilij Shukowskj (1783-1852) about the love of a prince for a princess. Janácek's enthusiasm for Russian culture is evident in this choice of theme. Sergei Rachmaninoff was in the limelight as a generous piano virtuoso; but as a composer he was more of a pensive self-doubter. His first symphony had failed with the public. This experience of failure led him into a depression and creative crisis lasting several years. Three years later; he was released from it through a new type of hypnotherapy; which was tantamount to an artistic rebirth. His second piano concerto arose like a phoenix from the ashes and was enthusiastically celebrated. Shortly thereafter; he created his Sonata for Piano and Violoncello opus 19; which is now considered one of his most brilliant compositions. Thematically and motivically; the four movements lead from darkness into light. It was dedicated to the cellist Anatoly Bradukov.

So you see that I can write as I like, beautifully and wildly, straight and crooked. The other day I had a bad sense of humour, so I wrote beautifully, straight and seriously; today I am well rhymed, so I write wildly, crookedly and merrily; now it all depends on what you prefer, - - you have to choose between the two, because I have no means: beautifully or wildly, straight or crookedly, seriously or merrily, the first three words or the last three. So wrote Mozart in a letter to his cousin, the "Bäsle". The sonatas united in this recording, like the C minor Fantasy, are suitable for showing the two-facedness of Mozart's mind as well as his works.

For Omar Massa, it is important to break new ground to bring the music of Buenos Aires into the 21st century. This task requires him to be creative and searching, without forgetting his roots and the past. This is his passion: to write contemporary tango. In Argentina, tango embodies the so-called "way of life" and apart from the fact that it is not as popular today as it was in the days of his grandparents or in the "Golden Age", many people still gather in the nights of Buenos Aires to surrender to the music, the dance and the poetry of tango. For Omar Mass, the tango is still a hidden treasure of the nights of Buenos Aires. To deal with its mystery, its mysticism, is a very wonderful ritual for him. Together with Markus Däunert and Kim Barbier, Massa presents music that is almost congenial for exploring and exploring extreme ranges of sound possibilities. The classical musicians Däunert and Barbier discover new sides of themselves through the Argentine tango.

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REVIEWS:

The Massa Trio plays their own pieces as well as those of Piazzolla with gripping intensity, with glowing colors and passionate rhythms. Consequently, I rank this outstandingly recorded SACD as one of the most exciting and immersive tango recordings in my collection.

© 2022 Pizzicato

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Lovers of Latin American music will find some interesting things to discover in this release.

The extensive liner notes give full details of each of the works. So, there is no need for me to elaborate on that. Listeners should nonetheless be aware that not all is easy on the ears. Although Massa, in his personal note believes that “Tango is a form of meditation”, some of his dances may arouse powerful emotion. But that is all part of the discovery trip, though I take it that for insiders Piazzolla and Ginastera are familiar ground.

All of it was captured by Manfred Schumacher in Ars Produktion’s notably fine resolution in full (!) surround. Why not try it out?

© 2022 HRAudio.net

When looking at the trusting musical encounter between flute and harp, it appears that a large number of scores have been unjustly neglected. This long list of works that have been hidden in the shadows underscores the perfect match between the two instruments and lends further legitimacy to their amicable bond. The ensemble Les Connivences Sonores was born in 2014 from the meeting between two musicians with inexhaustible curiosity, Odile Renault, flute and Elodie Reibaud, harp. From their common passion is born a whole project of discovery and rediscovery of a rich and magnificent original repertoire of chamber music. At its center is quite naturally the flute and harp duo, of which Odile and Elodie explore the astonishing extent of the repertoire, which goes from the 18th century to the present day, by means of extremely organic playing. The great romantic repertoire allows them to devote themselves to the carnal and virtuoso dimension of their respective instruments. The 20th century, meanwhile, never ceases to amaze them with its diversity of languages. Contemporary creation brings them the wealth of contact with composers and all aspects of research related to creation.

The idea for this recording was born during the Covid pandemic in 2020, when many of us were isolated and unable to communicate with each other in person. It was difficult for musicians during this time, especially because they couldn't make music with others or give live concerts. This situation made us think about how composers, musicians and artists dealt with situations where there was no freedom and how they dealt with chaos, obstacles or persecution. In selecting the works for this album, we looked at different historical periods (which sometimes included pandemics) to understand the impact that oppression and lack of freedom had on the creative process. In the course of our extensive research, we finally became aware of the "positive" aspect of this topic: we were not so much interested in what people could not do due to restrictive situations and adverse circumstances, but above all in what they were able to achieve despite these circumstances. During our research, we came across impressive artistic personalities who have left behind music of great value.

Michael Wessel is a professor for piano playing, song accompaniment and methodology at the University of Protestant Church Music in Bayreuth. He studied piano, composition, music theory and school music in four major courses at the music academies in Detmold and Stuttgart: piano with Hanns-Ulrich Kunze, Jürgen Uhde and Elisabeth Leonskaja, composition with Helmut Lachenmann, music theory and music theory with Martin C. Redel, music pedagogy with Karl Heinrich Ehrenforth. During his studies at Lachenmann, he received a graduate scholarship from the state of Baden-Württemberg. The present release is the fourth volume in his project of recording Mozart’s complete piano sonatas.

This project tells of European-American musical exchange at the beginning of the 20th century, the golden era of the transatlantic liners. Through concert tours and emigrations, the chosen composers toured and emigrated across the Atlantic, experiencing foreign impressions and recalling traditional themes. They were inspired by folk music, poetry to blues. I present these facets in original and arranged works for harp. “In the Atlantic crossings and the mutual influences of European and American composers, I felt my own family history with changing migration across the ocean.” (Anne-Sophie Bertrand)

Pianist Elena Margolina enjoyed an excellent musical education. She completed her studies at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory with a concert diploma. In 1996 she completed her concert diploma at the Detmold Conservatory of Music with distinction. Elena Margolina is a laureate of several prestigious piano and chamber music competitions. These include the 1st prize at the V. International Schubert Piano Competition in Dortmund in 1995. The artist has successfully taught at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts, and has been active in international master classes (in Germany, Italy, South Korea, Canada, China, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Great Britain, among others). Since 2014, Elena Margolina has been a professor of piano at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold. Elena Margolina completes her Schubert recordings with ARS - the two sonatas D 850 and D 958 can be heard here in a very personal interpretation.

Despite their young age, Zala Kravos and her younger brother Val are outstanding pianists performing all over the world since many years. They regularly impress professionals and the audience by their talent and musical maturity. They are soloists but often play together the repertoire for piano duo and their fusional relationship is particularly striking. In 2019, they obtained a diploma in chamber music as a piano duo at the Conservatory of the City of Luxembourg. The present release is their first on Ars Produktion. The album with music for piano duo, including a composition written by a contemporary French composer especially for them.

Less is more: true to this motto, nine orchestra musicians who were friends founded the Ensemble Minui in 2016. Active in renowned orchestras such as the Carinthian Symphony Orchestra, the Slovenian National Opera, and the Vienna State Opera, they devote themselves here to exquisite minimalism with elegance and sophistication. Homogeneous and balanced, the five string players and four wind players offer previously unheard, sonically differentiated perspectives on large-scale operas such as Wagner's Die Walk�re, Puccini's Manon Lescaut, and Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten.

With Reflections, Swiss pianist Joseph-Maurice Weder presents his new studio recording on ARS - an intense musical self-portrait featuring masterpieces by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. These sonatas are more than just repertoire: they are personal lifelines, grown from decades of experience and worldwide concert practice. The recording combines interpretative clarity, emotional depth, and artistic maturity - a listening experience that oscillates between intimacy and expansiveness.

Esquisses opens up a fascinating soundscape for horn and piano, in which rare musical miniatures engage in a new dialogue alongside familiar masterpieces. The selection brings together finely drawn sketches from late Romanticism, modernism, and contemporary music-including forgotten gems from the Russian-Ukrainian repertoire, early works by great teachers such as Glazunov and Tcherepnin, as well as pieces written especially for the performers by Swiss composers such as Daniel Schnyder and Th�ring Br�m. This recording shows how rich, colorful, and virtuosic the literature for horn and piano can be-beyond the beaten track.

2020 - a time when travel was not easily possible - gave rise to this unusual journey in the mind, traversing the country and leading us to a variety of places. The guitar is our guide. But it doesn't travel alone; it joins mandolin, double bass, and accordion, inviting us to make music together in duets. The music originates from Spain, often from the pen of the famous composer and pianist Enrique Granados, who lived from 1867 to 1916 and wrote for the piano. His compositions vividly capture the atmosphere of the country. In the arrangements with guitar and partner instruments, new chapters are opened, the sounds leading us to new places. The central work is the "Valses Poeticos," which illuminate a different scene in each of it's ten short movements. In this "Spanish Journey," the guitar is not only the guiding thread of the production - a specific instrument is the protagonist: a 1955 concert guitar from the workshop of the Guitar maker Ricardo Sanchis-Carpio from Valencia. The accompanying musicians-Jochen Ro� on mandolin, Florian Dohrmann on double bass, and Alexander Pankow on button accordion-are all longtime and cherished collaborators and fellow musicians. The electric guitar finds it's place alongside the accordion, keeping pace with it's volume and tonal range. The "Spanish Journey" is a free-flowing exploration that began in the mind and has now become audible, with impressions of Spain, hints of jazz and classical music, and subtle emotionality.