Clarinet Music - MOZART, W.A. / WEBER, C.M. von / SPOHR, L.

Classical Music

Dessau, P.: Songs

Bach & Sons: Piano Concertos

LANDSCAPES

When talent is passed on from generation to generation, it often happens in an unpresuming way. Such is the case with Daniel Rohn- one of the most remarkable and talented violinists of the present day. What is so fascinating about him and his playing is his natural approach to great traditions and his clear perspective on them. On this recording, Daniel Rohn brings out all the captivating traditional Viennese wit of the character pieces by the great violinist Fritz Kreisler, endowing them in virtuosic manner with his very own charm. Ruggiero Ricci, one of the most distinguished violin virtuosos of the 20th century, said of Daniel Rohn: “His playing is reminiscent of the old masters.” Indeed, to this day, the young man often augments such compliments by adding with irony: “I took most of my inspiration from all these Kreislers and Heifetzs. My enamoured teacher was my parents’ LP cupboard.” As a result, Daniel Rohn not only plays the great Classical and Romantic concert repertoire, he also breathes new life into the traditional wit and charm of these character pieces by Fritz Kreisler in a way that hardly any other violinist alive today can do.

Having enjoyed great success with the Christmas Oratorio and the B minor Mass, the Chamber Choir and ensemble Frauenkirche Dresden under the direction of Frauenkirche music director Matthias Grunert now continue their series of great works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Their St John Passion live from Dresden's Frauenkirche enthralled audience and critics alike at Passiontide 2017. Release on a double album not only makes this great work readily accessible at home, it transports you directly into an unforgettable evening of drama. Matthias Grunert, the Frauenkirche's Erster Kantor since the church's rededication, is the seasoned Bach expert who leads the Chamber Choir and ensemble Frauenkirche Dresden through the Passion. These experienced musical partners are complemented by a group of internationally renowned soloists: Camilla Nylund (soprano) and Andreas Scheibner (bass), both Kammersanger of the Land of Saxony, Nicole Pieper (alto), Falko Honisch (Vox Christi) - and at their head Tilman Lichdi (Evangelist), one of the great recitative tenors of our day. Bach's Passio secundum Johannem is the later of the two Passions of his that have come down to us complete. It portrays the dramatic turns of events and fateful inevitability of the last hours of Jesus, the Christ, "intensely, and altogether with genius, notably in the choruses," or so Robert Schumann concluded. The city's Frauenkirche provides the perfect backdrop to the intense drama of the Passion music, having a direct link to Bach: it was in this church, in the year 1736, that the great Thomaskantor played the newly dedicated organ in that sacred place where his "Passion according to John" was to be enacted almost three hundred years later.

Following on from their highly acclaimed first album featuring three quartets by Haydn, the Munich-based Goldmund Quartet now celebrates its debut on the Berlin Classics label. Florian Schötz, Pinchas Adt, Christoph Vandory and Raphael Paratore take a leap – not just in time, but from a musical point of view. Their programme here features Shostakovich’s String Quartets Nos 3 and 9. Since making its debut at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, this young and ambitious quartet, described by the Süddeutsche Zeitung as possessing “decidedly appealing musicality with a truly individual signature”, has become popular on the music stages of Europe and further afield. The four musicians, who have known each other since their school days, gained significant musical impetus from members of the Alban Berg Quartet, as well as from the likes of Günter Pichler in Madrid and the Artemis Quartet in Berlin. Winning second prize and the Special Prize at the 2018 International Wigmore Hall String Competition for the best interpretation of a 20th-century quartet is proof that these four musicians know what they are doing when it comes to performing Shostakovich: “The greatest challenge is that this music is so extreme. Elation, incredible downs, unbelievable sadness. You need to immerse yourself in these different emotional moods.”

Danish cellist and composer, Josefine Opsahl, joins the Neue Meister roster with her debut album, "CYTROPIA". This album showcases Opsahl's innovative fusion of acoustic and electronic soundscapes, navigating the delicate balance between tradition and renewal, virtuosity and intuition. "CYTROPIA" features Opsahl's brand new electroacoustic compositions alongside her unique reimaginations of material from J.S. Bach's majestic Six Suites for unaccompanied cello, offering a fresh and compelling listening experience.

On Nature's Trail: Classical Music for Children

Schumann: Fantasie - Liszt: Piano Sonata in B minor

Voices in the dark - are they to be feared or should we follow them? This 2-CD collection explores dark emotional terrain with some of the most solemn and moving vocal and choral music ever written.

Mozart: Requiem

Lustige Geschichten (Funny Stories): Classical Music for Chi

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, "Choral"