Classical Music

Andreas Haefliger continues his fascinating, thought provoking, and captivating Perspectives series in which he juxtaposes the Piano Sonatas of Beethoven with other composers, casting an enlightening glow on the works which one would not detect if played in isolation. On Perspectives 6, themes of humanity, nature and love run through a program emphatically to be listened to rather than analyzed intellectually. Haefliger opens with Beethoven's early Piano Sonata No. 10, Op. 14,then segues into two of Berio's seldom heard encores, Erdenklavier and Wasserklavier. He emerges to perform Beethoven's late Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109, followed by two more miniatures by Berio, Luftklavier and Feuerklavier. The album culminates with Schumann's great Fantasy in C.

Classical Music

Flautist Marina Piccinini astounds with her virtuosity in her own arrangements for Paganini's devilishly difficult 24 Capricci.

Flautist Marina Piccinini relishes tradition with a twist. Having recorded J. S. Bach's Flute Sonatas with the Brasil Guitar Duo - the first ever recording using this combination of instruments (Avie 2196) - she astounds again with astonishing virtuosity in her own arrangements of Paganini's notoriously difficult 24 Capricci. Piccinini matches Paganini's vision and independence of spirit, explaining, "I was drawn to transcribe and record all the Caprices as a challenge and stimulus for my own development, a path towards pushing the envelope outside my personal comfort zone. What I discovered and fell in love with was a musical voice that demanded a far greater emotional expression through technical perfection of phrasing, flexibility of embouchure, depth of sound, breath control, digital dexterity and precise articulation."

Classical Music

Classical Music

Violinist Augustin Hadelich is one of the fastest-rising stars of his generation. With three critically acclaimed and Billboard-charting releases on AVIE to his credit, he now delivers what promises to be one of the most important concerto recordings of the year, pairing the Violin Concertos by Jean Sibelius and Thomas Adès, the latter only the second recording of the composer's work. He is superbly supported by Hannu Lintu conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Describing his decision to couple Sibelius with Adès, Augustin says, "Programmes I like most are ones where the pieces are connected, but in a subtle way. As we listen to an apparently contrasting programme, we notice similarities--we hear phrase shapes, harmonies, rhythms, and colours in one piece that remind us of something that we heard in the other. The deep, rumbling timpani and low winds in the Sibelius concerto bridge the gap to the Adès, a work which also explores the lowest depths of the sound spectrum, creating chasms over which the violinist performs a tight-rope act. The intensely emotional first and second movements of the Sibelius, and the even more extreme and heart-wrenching second movement of the Adès, create another such connection. Both composers love playing with complex rhythms: Sibelius sticks to polyrhythms, while Adès really pushes the envelope having the solo violin and orchestra play in different meters--or even at different tempi! The dances in the last movement of the Sibelius have a counterpart in the almost tribal-sounding last movement of the Adès. There are many other such comparisons, and, in my view, combining these concertos on one recording makes each one shine in a way that they wouldn't without the other." Augustin rounds out the recording with Three Humoresques by Sibelius. The release will be supported by a major publicity and marketing campaign, and a performance of the Adès with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. critical acclaim for Augustin Hadelich "Here is a young artist with no evident limitations." - The New Yorker

Classical Music

Classical Music

Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort and Choir honour the 400th anniversary of 16th-century Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo with a reissue of their seminal recording of Tenebrae Responses for Good Friday. Honouring the 400th anniversary of Carlo Gesualdo, the harmonically adventurous and experimental 16th-century Italian composer, Prince of Venosa, Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort and Choir offer a newly repackaged reissue of their seminal recording of Tenebae, the composer's final group of sacred madrigals devoted to Good Friday. The Taverner singers navigate Gesualdo's highly symbolic polyphonic structures with idiomatic first-rate performances and incisive scholarship.

Classical Music

Principal Harpist of the Philadelphia Orchestra Elizabeth Hainen's first release for AVIE spanned three centuries of Harp Concertos (AV 2221). Her new Kickstarter-funded release, Les Amis, features a rare pairing of works by Claude Debussy and André Caplet, exploring the composers' friendship through their respective works Danse sacrée and Danse profane, and the evocative Masque of the Red Death, with Michael Stern and the IRIS Orchestra. Rounding out the recording, Elizabeth solos with a transcription of Debussy's Petite Suite, originally for solo piano, and Caplet's Divertissements, and is joined by her own amis, fellow Philadelphia Orchestra principal flautist Jeffrey Khaner and violist Roberto Diaz, President of the Curtis Institute, in Debussy's Trio Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. critical acclaim for Elizabeth Hainen's Harp Concertos (AV 2221) "The entire production has class and great aural resonance, a real delight to add to an otherwise neglected body of music." ¬- Audiophile Audition "Hainen plays with impressive virtuosity." - Fanfare "The tonal range of Hainen's playing, coupled with her technical finesse and sense of style, bring allure to the entire disc." - The Daily Telegraph

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music