Giovanni Battista Martini (1706-1784) was born in Bologna, in that era part of the Papal States. His father, Antonio Maria Martini, a violinist, taught him the elements of music and the violin and he later learned singing and harpsichord playing and the art of counterpoint from Giacomo Antonio Perti. Having received his education in classics from the priests of the "Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri”, he became a priest himself in 1722. In 1725, though only nineteen years old, he received the appointment of chapel-master at the Basilica of San Francesco in Bologna, where his compositions attracted attention. At the invitation of amateurs and professional friends he opened a school of composition at which several celebrated musicians were trained; as a teacher he consistently declared his preference for the traditions of the old Roman school of composition. Martini was a zealous collector of musical literature, and possessed an extensive musical library, estimated at 17,000 volumes. Among his many students was…Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who held him in high regard and always spoke fondly of him. “Padre” Martini, as he was called, wrote an immense oeuvre of more than 2500 works, many of them sacred vocal works. His keyboard works include more than 100 sonatas.

This new recording presents the complete organ works of Martini, consisting mainly of Sonatas, but also shorter pieces like fugues, toccatas and preludes. In his earlier works Martini adopted the style of his illustrious predecessors, the masters of Baroque counterpoint, later he wrote in a less learned, more elegant and “pleasant” style, according to the demands of his audience. Played on a variety of historic Italian organs from the 18th century by Manuel Tomadin, one of the foremost Italian organists of today, a scholar and passionate musician, with an impressive discography to his name.

REVIEW:

Scholar, bibliophile, musicologist, teacher, composer: the life of Giovanni Battista Martini was divided between faith and scores. After brilliant studies, he was admitted to orders at the Monastery of San Francesco in his native Bologna. He became chapel master at just nineteen years old. It was from there that he corresponded with luminaries of the time, where he taught for five decades without asking for remuneration, to students from all over Europe. A certain W.A. Mozart took lessons (a CD by Stefano Molardi from Divox paid tribute to this meeting). A selfless, affable, modest person - revered as such. And prolific: sacred music of course, but also symphonies, and numerous keyboard pages.

Until now, however, the discography had not panicked around the organ work of Padre Martini, sporadically included in the 18th century anthologies of gallant style. Few albums are entirely dedicated to him...As in his box sets covering works by Johann Ludwig Krebs, Hans Leo Hassler and Christian Erbach on the same label, Manuel Tomadin sees broad and dares long-distance running, total immersion: nothing less than an announced complete works edition, here a dozen hours on the clock; a treasure hunt. We do not know according to what criteria the works were distributed over the nine discs, but the fact remains that the allocation optimizes the timings (78'47, 75'15, 77'42, 79'32, 77'41 , 79'09, 75'23, 78'36, 75'41).

The two large collections of sonatas [Op. 2 and Op. 3] are there, except that the fifth of opus 3, dedicated to the harpsichord, does not appear...The rest provides a harvest of sweet Sonata sui flauti, Toccatas, Elevazioni, (simili) solemn Pieni, but also liturgical contributions...

...the exhaustive discovery turns out to be addictive...The recipes never tire (we salute here a certain genius for loquacity), the delicacies are renewed, especially as Manuel Tomadin chooses the registrations masterfully. Another incentive for immoderation in listening: the box set alternates locations from one disc to another. No less than nine historic organs from Northern Italy, including five by Gabriel Callido, all built at the end of the settecento except that of Val di Zoldo (1812, the last of this maker), and the Pescetti of Polcenigo, a bit earlier (1732). The distinguished plenitude of the Principals, the enchanting Flutes, the luscious basses, the verbose reeds which take us to the theater: we swoon, especially when the sound recordings flatter the ear like this.

...the desire for completeness did not compromise the care of the production, carried out over only sixteen months. Manuel Tomadin, who is known to be an expert in the less luminous and more austere regions of Northern Germany, here demonstrates a sonic imagination and a Latin volubility which do more than convince...his marathon approach does not prevent perfectionism or preciousness. In this regard, note that the last page of the booklet details the temperature and humidity of each session.

For this great euphonious work and its lively and colorful interpretation, this inexhaustible candy box erects a powerful bulwark against all gloom.

-- Crescendo

This is the most comprehensive collection ever released of Giuseppe Martucci’s music, in stylish modern recordings by native Italian musicians.

An Italian Brahms is an unlikely idea, but it encapsulates a superficial acquaintance with the music of Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909). Any listener curious to take a deeper dive into the richly Romantic melodies and impassioned large-scale structures of Martucci will find no better place to start than this survey of his major works in every instrumental genre.

Martucci was an accomplished pianist, received with great enthusiasm on tours of France, Germany, and England, and the tremendous sweep of his Piano Concerto loses nothing by comparison with far more familiar examples. Brought to life here by Alberto Miodini, the piano music, too, is intensely wrought, but it never loses a preeminence of melody which was Martucci’s heritage.

In 1888 he conducted the Italian premiere of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde; his song-cycle La canzone dei Ricordi, written a year earlier, is the closest he came to translating the opera’s chromatic eroticism into his own music, and this box affords the opportunity to hear the piece in both its orchestral and piano versions; no less enlightening than (for example) the distinct versions of the Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss.

Disc 10 collects Martucci’s other songs for soprano, such as the remarkable Pagine sparse of 1888. Other highlights of the set include Martucci’s deep investment in chamber music, resulting in piano trios, violin and cello sonatas, and a magnificently brooding Piano Quintet, again in the Brahmsian mold.

The journey towards simplicity so comprehensively charted by Jeroen van Veen’s discography over the past decade begins chronologically with the unique world of Erik Satie. In the quietly unique music of this ever-underrated pioneer lies the seeds of so much that was to come to fruition in the latter half of the last turbulent century. Satie belonged neither to the Impressionists nor the Modernists nor any other school, and it took John Cage and the New York modernists of the 1950s to rediscover him as more than a provocateur or a purveyor of salon trifles. Yet, at much the same time on the other side of the Iron Curtain, Soviet-era composers were starting to chafe against both the tenets of serialism and also the requirements of the State for neo-Romantic hymns to labour and triumph. Arvo Pärt was reaching for the same destination as the American triumvirate of Adams, Glass and Reich, only from the other end of the stylistic spectrum. The English critic and composer Michael Nyman first used the term ‘Minimalism’ in print, and it stuck. The last 40 years have witnessed an explosion of popularity and wider interest in a world of music that transcends the four-bar sequences and relentless rhythms of pop, while forsaking the ivory tower of modernism, to offer music that speaks to listeners in search of quiet and stillness, music to meditate by as well as music to stir the blood. And for the last 15 years Jeroen van Veen has recorded much of it in his home studio in the Netherlands, as well as achieving great popular success with performances much farther afield. His recordings have been acclaimed for their nuances of touch as well as their technical command of music demanding formidable reserves of precision and patience.

'Raptly revelatory and deeply communicative' (Fanfare): the earlier volumes of this Beethoven sonata cycle by Giovanni Bellucci have received an enthusiastic welcome in the international press, for the Italian pianist's depth of insight and his individual, dynamic response to this 'New Testament' of the keyboard. Now the newly recorded late sonatas are added to the previous two volumes to present a modern cycle, at a super-budget price, to set alongside distinguished pianists of former generations. The recordings have been made in the superb acoustics of the Salle de Musique at La Chaux de Fonds in Switzerland - the source of several previous and notable Beethoven recordings such as Claudio Arrau's late and magisterial address to most of the sonatas, on Philips. For this recording, Bellucci himself has acted as recording producer, assisted by sound engineering from Fabio Ferri, and the result is a sonata cycle of remarkable interpretative integrity, tracing in the most vivid terms Beethoven's evolution as a composer, from 18th-century rebel to 19th-century visionary. In this way the new set joins Bellucci's recordings of the nine symphonies as transcribed by Liszt, and the piano concertos, as a complete and artistically satisfying portrait of the composer. This box of sonatas is enhanced by an extensive introduction to the oeuvre by Bellucci, who discusses Beethoven in biographical and spiritual as well as musical terms. 'What exactly is the momentous decision that must be addressed by anyone wishing to perform Beethoven in the 21ist century?' asks Bellucci. 'In my view there can be no neglecting the life-giving flexibility of rhythm, a pliancy that eludes codification. Such flexibility calls for a deep understanding of musical syntax as well as perfect psychophysical coordination' - and in this regard he places himself in a distinguished interpretative tradition leading back to Artur Schnabel. The critics have agreed: 'Bellucci has a way through his approach to rhythm that makes the music inhale and exhale, rise and fall, in a totally natural way.. [that] transcended considerations of technical execution, the exquisite tone Bellucci draws from his Model D Steinway, and the exceptionally beautiful recording.,' (Fanfare). - This 9-CD set marks the completion of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Giovanni Bellucci. - Bellucci's Beethoven is highly personal, yet deeply searching for the meaning of the notes. His playing is free, with a strong sense of rhetoric and improvisation, adhering nevertheless strictly to the score and it's intentions. The result is fresh, exhilarating and illuminating, letting us marvel at the originality and genius of the music. Bellucci's humane vision of the music relates to Beethoven's own statement: "From the heart, may it return into the heart". - "Exhilarating, brilliant.never a dull moment.grandiosity of vision.", as Fanfare wrote enthusiastically. - Giovanni Bellucci is one of the most interesting and extraordinary pianists of today. Described by Piero Rattalino as "a force of nature, vast and palpitating", his playing is highly original, striving to recreate the original impact of the works he is playing: "he takes us back to the Golden Age of the Piano" wrote Le Monde. - His recordings, notably with works by Liszt, were showered with prizes such as Diapason d'Or, Choc, Editor's Choice, CD Maestro etc.

Famed worldwide as a film composer, Ryiuchi Sakamoto began his career as a pianist, creating patterns, phrases and innovative arrangements before joining his first commercial electronic pop band in 1978, the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Around the same time, he worked on his first solo album, the Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto (1978), which blends up-to-date electronic techniques with an old-fashioned gift for good tunes. Riot in Lagos brought him fame beyond Japan, and he went on to work with many top producers of pop, dance and electro. In 1983, Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence launched Sakamoto's career as a film composer, which has gone from strength to strength with scores for The Last Emperor (1987) and The Revenant (2015). All these pieces feature in Jeroen van Veen's survey, which is based on the best modern edition of these scores and often differs from Sakamoto's own, partly improvised recordings. Classical listeners will appreciate Sakamoto's breadth of reference: to Chopin (Ubi), Bach (Andata, Solari), Glass (Bibo no Aozora), Satie (Opus), Brahms (Intermezzo) and Ravel (Bachata), for example. But his language of minimalist jazz is one enjoyed around the world as music that gives listeners the space to think and work and create for themselves.

'A lush, intricate success - meaningful for Messiaen enthusiasts and enjoyable for those new to his work. I highly recommend it.' This review from Fanfare magazine is one of several in the international press to have recognised the achievement of Ciro Longobardi while in the midst of recording the complete piano music of Olivier Messiaen, in a cycle which is now issued complete for the first time, and at budget price. The piano music of Messiaen spans times and idioms ranging from the Debussyan Préludes of 1928-9, written when the composer was barely out of his teens, through to the jewel-like Petites Esquisses d'Oiseaux from 1985-one of his last works before his death in 1992. While every bar of the music is distinctively and instantly 'Messiaen', that idiom evolved a good deal over the years, and came to a kind of peak as well as a crisis in the Catalogue d'Oiseaux from the late 1950s. This 13-movement cycle is the only one of Messiaen's major works to end in darkness and despair, with the lonely song of the warbler piercing a pitch-black Brittany seascape, accompanied only by the mournful boom of a lighthouse and the endless rolling of waves against a stony shore. Messiaen could 'paint' such pictures in sound as vividly as a Debussy or a Richard Strauss before him, but he could also lift his gaze towards a heaven which was as real for him as the earth below. Hence both the all-encompassing power and tender sincerity of the Vingt Regards, composed during the depths of the Second World War, which retains enduring popularity even among musicians and audiences who are challenged either by musical complexity or by direct appeal to the emotions. This set is thus the fruit of years of living with the music, as well as the years spent recording it. Ciro Longobardi has performed Messiaen in recital and at festivals across Europe, throughout a career spanning three decades, which began with his prize-winning appearance at the International Gaudeamus Competition in Rotterdam in 1994.

Håkon Austbø's highly regarded Grieg collection, reissued with a recent recording of the four-hands repertoire to make the most complete available set of the composer's piano music - and, by extension, an open window onto the soul of this most poetic of Scandinavian romantics. Edvard Grieg was a talented child pianist when the violinist Ole Bull heard him play, and straightaway recognised in him a talent deserving of nurture. While he went on to write a symphony and a few other large-scale works, Grieg found his voice most of all through the piano, and through the songs without words which he called Lyric Pieces. In themselves, these are extensions of the Schumann/Mendelssohn lineage of instrumental tone-pictures, as well as translations of the lyric impulse that made him an equally successful song-writer, especially once he had married his cousin, Nina, and found in her the singer who understood both him and his music best. Nina also played the piano well enough to form a duo partnership with her husband. In that context, we may understand the transcriptions of his orchestral Holberg and Peer Gynt suites as not merely financially expedient hackwork, done to exploit the domestic market for enjoying orchestral classics at home, but as an intimate act of devotion. In the gently tripping neobaroque dances of the Holberg Suite, as brought to life by two pianists sitting side by side, we can eavesdrop on a touching communion. Meanwhile, the ten books of Lyric Pieces came to form a kind of diary to which Grieg returned and confided some of his most intimate and experimental thoughts through the course of his entire career. Whether evoking nature, a solitary thought, or a lover's gaze, the Lyric Pieces go straight to the heart of the matter, often with a disarming simplicity of manner which conceals some sophistication of form and technique. Awarding Håkon Austbø's cycle 10/10 for both performance and engineering, Jed Distler at Classics Today remarked: "Austbø's performances are consistently direct, idiomatic, and as natural as breathing... his virile and dynamically charged traversal matches Grieg's pianism in spirit... You won't find a better Grieg piano music bargain anywhere on the planet."

The history of Scriabin’s piano music is like a condensed history of piano music, for his style changed perhaps more than any other composer during his life. It has been said that young Scriabin kept Chopin’s music under his pillow, and the early Preludes and Mazurkas certainly breathe the same heightened air of ardour and yearning. His journey from the traditional tonal harmony of these Chopinesque beginnings to his atonal ‘Mystic chord’ (based on fourths) is, however, a masterfully smooth one, best appreciated when taking the sum of his work into account. Born in 1947, long resident in London as a professor at the Royal College of Music,

Dmitri Alexeev entered the Moscow Conservatory at six years of age. A string of EMI recordings in the 80s established his reputation worldwide, but they included scant representation of one of his most ardent passions, the music of Scriabin, beyond the concertante Prometheus conducted by Riccardo Muti. Alexeev’s touch emulates the contemporary accounts of Scriabin’s own playing, which did not rely on power because of his slight build. Rather, he ‘captivated the listener through his ability to enhance his sound with an extraordinary range and gradation of color…his fingers seemingly plucked the sound from the piano keys…as if his hands flew over the keyboard barely touching it.’ Made between 2008 and 2019 in London and in the purpose-built Music Room at Champs Hill, home to many superlative modern chamber-music albums, these recordings won broad critical acclaim on their original publication. Their reissue at super-budget price makes an obvious first port of call for any listener looking to immerse themselves in the rich, heady world of Scriabin’s piano writing.

REVIEW:

Single-artist sets such as this are rarely satisfactory with their inevitable troughs and peaks. Here, for two reasons, is an exception: first, for any pianist to play the complete solo piano works of Scriabin (except for works without opus numbers) is a tremendously challenging undertaking; second, the pianist in question is one of today’s keyboard giants. Dmitri Alexeev must rank as one of the most under-the-radar great pianists currently active. Having won the Leeds Competition in 1975 (the first Russian to do so, beating Schiff and Uchida in the process) and enjoyed a high-profile international career for the following decades, Alexeev devotes much of his time to teaching (at the Royal College of Music) and sitting on competition juries. But great pianist he remains.

-- Gramophone

Joining the extensive library of guitar music in the Brilliant Classics catalogue, Franco Cavallone is a worthy successor to Italian guitar composers from Giuliani to Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He is an accomplished performer himself, having studied with the likes of Leo Brouwer and Angelo Gilardino, and the pieces recorded here have been composed with an intimate knowledge of the guitar’s technical and timbral possibilities, which Cristiano Porqueddu exploits to the full, with the composer’s enthusiastic approval: ‘He has managed to create a kaleidoscope of sound and sense that is truly rewarding for the listener. I am convinced that this album set is a benchmark recording for my music for the guitar.’ Cavallone’s mastery of diverse idioms is engagingly broad, making these four albums full of discovery and surprise. The four sonatas on album one are each conceived in homage to a different style: ‘to Ponce and Ravel’, American composers, neoclassicism and to 20th century modernism. While Cavallone embraces rich dissonance and an impressionistic handling of chromaticism in the 12 Studies, he also writes with a moving simplicity in the homage to Tarrega, Di tante lagrime. A collection of six Hebrew melodies – dedicated to Porqueddu – demonstrates how effectively he can embroider and enrich folk and popular melodies, enhancing rather than detracting from their original character. Another ‘homage’ piece dedicated to Porqueddu is a three-movement sonata written with Benjamin Britten in mind, and recapturing some of the English composer’s deft, economical sketching of situation and place in his late music, especially Venice. There are three vivid ‘Suggestions’ inspired by the paintings of Lia Laterza and a haunting set of variations on Monteverdi’s Lamento d’Arianna’. A collection of 12 Short Preludes encapsulates Cavallone’s eclectic language in microcosm, continually delighting and intriguing to the curious listener.

Inspired by their release earlier this summer of Mozart's 'Gran Partita', performed by a Milanese wind ensemble of principals from La Scala, Brilliant Classics here takes the excellent opportunity to combine that brand new recording of the pinnacle of Mozart's chamber music for winds with all the rest of his music in the genre, recorded for Brilliant back in the spring of 2001 by the wind soloists of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. Thus we have the leading players from two renowned orchestras breathing life into the wind music that played such a large role in the career of the Viennese genius. Mozart's chamber music for winds stems from the genre of Harmoniemusik: entertainment music that was in vogue in the second half of the 18th century named for the courtly wind ensemble of pairs of woodwinds plus horns, called Harmonie or Harmonieorchester in German-speaking countries. It's characteristic forms include the Serenades and Divertimenti. This was music that could be performed outdoors (due to the instruments' power of projection) or at informal settings such as meals (where they could be heard over lively conversation) with the musicians entertaining either themselves or an aristocratic dinner party, the so-called Tafelmusik (music for the table). Hence, Mozart was called upon often to write such works, either by wind-player friends (fellow Freemasons) or by his employers for the enrichment of courtly life. Other information: - CDs 1-6 recorded Spring 2001 in Rhoon, Netherlands; CD7 recorded December 2023 in Bernareggio, Italy - Booklet in English contains liner notes by Dr David Doughty - Composed primarily between the late 1770s and early 1780s, Mozart's Serenades and Divertimenti for Wind Instruments were mostly performed for courtly entertainment or social gatherings. In these works Mozart shows a deep understanding of wind timbres and their expressive potential. His ability to create quasi-operatic dialogues between instruments and his sensitivity to sonority make these works timeless treasures. - Among the most famous of these compositions is the Serenade No. 10 in B-flat major, K. 361, commonly known as the Gran Partita. This masterpiece, scored for 13 instruments, showcases a remarkable blend of rich harmonies, virtuosic passages, and expressive melodies, particularly in the renowned Adagio movement. The two Serenades KV 375 and 388 are strong, mature masterpieces in their genre. - Performed by the Soloists Delle Scala, and the Rotterdam Wind Players, directed by clarinetist Henk de Graaf.

The largest collection of piano nocturnes on CD, celebrating the art of the romantic piano song without words. Over a century of repertoire in all modern recordings, plus a new booklet essay exploring the history and context of the nocturne. Composers of the 18th century such as Haydn and Mozart wrote notturnos as serenades to be sung and played at night time, both on an operatic stage and as independent pieces for entertainment. The early 19th century saw a rapid evolution in the technological, the cultural and the musical development of the piano - as an instrument of longer sustaining power and greater volume than before, offering a broader palette of tone-colours, presenting composers with the potential to write quasi-orchestrally for a single instrument, as Baroque composers had done for the organ. At the same time, musical forms were becoming looser, more shaped by extra-musical inspirations in literature, poetry and the natural world. The Irish composer John Field was the first to publish nocturnes for the solo piano as standalone works, rather than as poetic interludes within larger pieces such as suites or sonatas. Having inherited the form from Field, Frederic Chopin then raised the nocturne to new heights of inward expression. As much as the salon became a place for pianistic display of technique, it also became a space for quiet soliloquy through the course of the 19th century, accessible to the rapidly expanding bourgeoisie with access to an instrument at home and to the education required to play it. Thus publishers commissioned nocturnes from both greater and lesser composers to satisfy an ever-growing market. The nocturnes in this box cover all the great names of Romantic-era piano writing, and many lesser-known ones too. Many of the performances are played on instruments of the period, enabling listeners to immerse themselves into a 19th-century world of softer and more gentle colours and expression. This new box also features an essay by Peter Quantrill outlining the history of the nocturne and it's lasting hold upon our affections and imaginations.

Franz Schubert's chamber music occupies a vital place in the Western classical canon, demonstrating both his lyrical genius and emotional depth. Though he is widely known for his lieder and symphonies, his chamber works represent some of the most profound and innovative compositions of the early Romantic era. The String Quintet in C major, D. 956, written just weeks before Schubert's death in 1828, stands as one of the towering achievements in chamber music. Scored for two cellos instead of the more common two violas, the work is known for it's rich, warm textures and emotional contrasts. The slow movement, in particular, is a masterclass in stillness and poignancy, often cited as one of the most sublime moments in all of chamber music. Schubert's string quartets trace his compositional development and deepening expressiveness. The Death and the Maiden quartet (D. 810) is especially significant, combining dramatic intensity with variations on his earlier song of the same name. The juxtaposition of lyrical beauty with stark fatalism reflects Schubert's own grappling with mortality and human vulnerability. His piano trios blend lyricism and formal sophistication. The trios are notable for their expansive melodies, rich harmonic language, and a sense of narrative continuity that hints at the symphonic. The violin sonatas (often referred to as "sonatinas") are earlier works, more modest in scope but filled with charm and grace. While not as emotionally profound as his later chamber works, they already display Schubert's melodic gift and innate sense of dialogue between instruments. The Trout Quintet (D. 667) is perhaps Schubert's most popular chamber work. It's unusual instrumentation featuring piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass and the famous set of variations on his song "Die Forelle" make it instantly appealing. Yet beyond it's surface charm, the work demonstrates Schubert's brilliance in crafting color and contrast, blending joy and depth seamlessly. Altogether, Schubert's chamber music reveals a composer capable of exploring the most intimate corners of the human soul. These works remain essential listening, offering profound insight into the expressive potential of small ensembles. Excellent performances by the Diogenes Quartet, the Amsterdam Piano Trio and the Berlin Philharmonic Octet.

EARLY RECORDINGS

Christophe Moyreau (1700-1774) was born and spent most of his life in Orléans. He became organist at Orléans Collégiale Saint-Aignan in February 1719 and at Orléans Cathedral in January 1738 and occupied this position until around 1772. In French music of his era (secular and also religious), an important place was reserved for the rhythms and structures of the dance. In 1753 Moyreau published his “Pièces de clavecin”, 124 pieces grouped in 6 books. The dances Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Rigaudon, Menuet are part of Suites, while these books also include concertos and sonatas. Some of the pieces bear titles (in the style of Couperin and Rameau) like La Flotante, Le Baccante, Le Jaloux, La Coquette, Le Preludant, L'Euridice, La Comique, L'Orphée and Le Caprice. Book 6, uniquely for French harpsichord music, consists of several three-movement keyboard simphonies written in Italian style.

Played by Fernando De Luca, one of Italy’s foremost harpsichord players, who recorded to great critical acclaim the complete keyboard works by Graupner, published by Brilliant Classics. The first-ever survey on record of the complete surviving output by a significant contemporary of Rameau: a missing piece in the jigsaw of the French Baroque.

BEDRICH SMETANA 200 (1824-1884)

The most complete collection available of music by the father of Czech nationalism in music. Ma Vlast, The Bartered Bride and the String Quartet ‘From My Life’: all written within a decade of each other, all so fundamental in their different genres in forming a Czech national identity in music that it can seem incredible they were the work of a single composer.

This extensive collection contains the complete orchestral works, the two passionate and highly personal string quartets, the dramatic Piano Trio, a generous selection of piano music, including the complete Czech Dances, and the opera The Bartered Bride, sung in German.

Performers include the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Theodore Kuchar (Classics Today writes: “Performance: 9. Theodore Kuchar and his forces tackle Ma Vlast with plenty of enthusiasm and vigor; indeed, from Sarka onward this is one of the best versions available.”), the Czech Stamic Quartet, Czech pianist Antonin Kubalek, Roberto Plano, and the Staatskapelle Dresden/Otmar Suitner.

The performances here all won enthusiastic reviews on their original release; gathered together here, they make an ideal introduction to Smetana’s world.

‘One of the most dramatic sets of the tone-poems that I have ever encountered.’ Rob Cowan, Gramophone, September 2019

‘Wonderful conducting and playing of both familiar and unfamiliar Smetana.’ Fanfare, November 2008 (Orchestral works)

‘The Stamitz Quartet are one of the most impressive [Czech quartets]… Their performance of the E minor is on the grandest scale.’ Gramophone, March 2005

Legnani: Complete Music for Guitar Solo

Spanning 6 CDs and featuring many a consummate performance, this release celebrates the genius of Schubert through detailing all of his late chamber music. The compilation begins with the two piano trios, works of immense virtuosity whose fluent melodies betray the composer's affinity for song. Moving on to the quartets, we encounter expressive depth, melancholy and drama; while the Quartettsatz movement in C minor displays all the hallmarks of Schubert's late style - including dark lyricism and shifting chromaticism - D810 'Der Tod und das Mädchen' takes the idea of tragedy to a whole new level, it's second movement's melody lifted directly from the identically titled song. The String Quintet follows, a work written just two months before Schubert's death and which replaces the conventional second viola part with that of a cello. Last, but by no means least, the Octet; composed in 1826, this piece was conceived in a response to a commission by the renowned clarinetist Ferdinand Troyer. Recorded 1995-2009. In his last years (though he was only in his late twenties...) Schubert achieved a unique musical form in which structure and content fuse into an inseparable unity. His later works present a soul in anguish, darkness and light alternate, terror and happiness go hand in hand. The three late string quartets (counting among the best and most famous quartets ever written), the two piano trios, the string quintet of heavenly proportions and the octet all reveal grand musical structures, laden with a depth of feeling which belies the comparative youth of the composer. Excellent performances from the Klaviertrio Amsterdam (Spanish classical magazine Scherzo: "The best recording available"), the German Brandis Quartet and the famous Berlin Philharmonic Octet.

This 6 CD set contains a wealth of chamber music and songs. Bohemian composer Georg Benda achieved great fame in his time but is little remembered today, hence ripe for rediscovery. The booklet contains detailed notes, biographies and a full track list. The song texts are available via the Brilliant Classics website.

The Concerto Grosso is a popular Baroque form, in which two instrumental groups complete against each other: a small group of soloists and the tutti of the orchestral group. It is the forerunner of the solo concerto form, which features only one solo instrument. This set present the complete Concerti Grossi by Pietro Antonio Locatelli, modelled on the popular concerti grossi of his teacher Corelli. The writing, as might be expected from Locatelli the devil violinist, is highly virtuosic and brilliant, inventive in harmony and counterpoint, written to impress and entertain. This set is part IV of the Locatelli Edition, the complete works by Locatelli, as performed by Igor Ruhadze and his early music band Violini Capricciosi, playing with great gusto, zest and dazzling virtuosity. Virtuosity, showy improvisation and stratospherically high violin playing are the characteristics of Baroque composer Pietro Antonio Locatelli's theatrical concerti grossi for soloists and ripieno. While concerti grossi from this time could usually be divided into two types, 'da camera' and 'da chiesa' - with the former containing more dance movements - Locatelli went down his own distinct path, creating a new model more like that of Torelli. His ripieno section was larger than the traditional accompanying group, and his slow movements contained drawn-out notes over which the first violinist or harpsichordist was free to improvise. Indeed, one harpsichord passage in Op.7 is so extraordinarily virtuosic that Locatelli labelled it 'ad libitum', presumably to avoid frightening the amateur musician. Only the most consummate and accomplished musicians can perform works of this calibre. Igor Ruhadze and his ensemble Violini Capricciosi have spent years recording Locatelli's works, having previously released his violin concertos and trio sonatas, described by Gramophone magazine as 'brilliantly and at times breathtakingly performed'. They bring their expertise to this release once more, with a tight and supple ripieno section supporting the sumptuous, virtuosic solo playing.

The Ukrainian composer Thomas De Hartmann (1885-1956) had undertaken a classic musical training with Anton Arensky and then Nikolai Taneyev before the death of his mother in 1912 prompted him to begin searching for a spiritual teacher. Four years later he made the encounter that would change his life, with the Armenian philosopher and mystic George Gurdjieff (1877-1949). Gurdjieff had his own musical training, as well as a sharp ear and retentive memory for the folk melodies which he heard on his long travels through central Asia and the middle East. De Hartmann and his wife joined Gurdjieff’s circle of followers, and the two men began to write music to accompany their spiritual exercises. This body of music eventually amounted to around 300 short pieces, of which the indefatigable Jeroen van Veen has recorded the entire published corpus of 170 divided into four volumes.

During lockdown, Jeroen van Veen found himself with the time to immerse himself in this music, which ranges across Asian, Arabic and European systems of rhythm, harmony and tuning, so that he could capture its perfumed mysticism and improvisational character. There are solemn hymns of an Orthodox nobility, atmospheric tone poems such as the ‘Night Procession’, freely pianistic transcriptions of melodies from early-Christian sects such as the Essenes, modal-pentatonic melodies to accompany a ‘Sacred Reading from the Koran’ and to aid an awakening of consciousness in an elevated state of awareness, and then pieces simply titled after their date of composition. While overall meditative in mood, there is a tremendous variety to the Gurdjieff/De Hartmann collection, and Jeroen van Veen’s new recording is an ideally comprehensive way to dive into its riches.

REVIEW:

One can approach these pieces as being parallel to the Magyar folk music that Bartók and Kodály collected in the early 20th century and used as a basis for their own music, except that for the most part Gurdjieff and de Hartmann tried to keep the tunes intact as they stood and didn’t try to develop them in a standard Western classical manner.

Taken a few pieces at a time, the music isn’t bad to listen to, but prolonged exposure to the whole six CDs can bore the more imaginative listener. Despite the intriguing Eastern harmonies, the music is repetitive and tiresome. This is not van Veen’s fault; he is a splendid pianist who plays the slow pieces with great atmosphere and the quicker ones with a lively rhythm; he does his best to engage your interest, and there are certainly some very cute and interesting pieces in this collection, but the lack of any development and the unvarying rhythm of each piece eventually take their toll on the listener. If there is such a thing as high quality background music, this is it. I would also recommend this music in the main as an aid to meditation so long as you realize that every so often there are upbeat numbers in the set and this may spoil your getting deeper into yourself (CD 2 has the most uptempo music).

Of course, the real value of this set is to give a pianist, professional or amateur, who may wish to play some of these pieces the chance to hear them performed. There are other recordings out there of some of this repertoire, but having it all in one place is clearly helpful. A second pianist, Daff by Van Veen, plays with Jeroen on nine numbers if Series II of the Asian Songs and Rhythms, five pieces in Music of the Sayyids and Dervishes First Series, and a few other pieces thereafter.

-- The Art Music Lounge (Lynn René Bayley)

Joaquin Rodrigo's songs span the whole of his long creative life, and like much of his output is inspired by Spanish traditional music and ranges over intimate settings for piano (or guitar), chamber ensembles and full orchestral accompaniments. This set is a huge treasure trove of delightful, picturesque responses to Spanish poetry: all marked by Rodrigo's ready gift for melody and ear for instrumental colour.

Italian Violin Sonatas

One of the most important vocal projects of recent years: the complete songs on 5 CDs by Nikolai Medtner, performed by Ekaterina Levental and Frank Peters. Nikolai Medtner was born in Moscow in 1880. After piano lessons with his mother he entered the Moscow Conservatory where he had lessons from Pavel Pabst and Sergey Taneyev. He won the prestigious Anton Rubinstein Prize at age 20. A younger contemporary of Scriabin and Rachmaninoff he was destined for a brilliant pianistic career but he chose to concentrate on composition. In 1936 he settled in London where he spent the rest of his life teaching and composing till 1951. Medtner's style is rooted in the 19th century, full-blooded romantic, with a highly personal harmonic and melodic language, often complex and dense, but hauntingly beautiful. His vocal works fuse intricate piano accompaniments with expressive melodies and poetic texts, often by Goethe, Pushkin, or Tyutchev. Ekaterina Levental was born in Uzbekistan. She settled in The Netherlands where she studied at the Conservatory of The Hague. She embarked on a successful career as singer, dramatist and theatre producer. Pianist Frank Peters is a highly respected Dutch pianist, both as soloist and chamber music partner. He is an indefatigable champion of the piano works of Medtner. 'Levental's soft high notes are truly exquisite, and she can do things with the voice that most modern singers cannot, such as to drain the voice of vibrato for expressive effect. All things considered, she is a virtuoso vocalist of the old school, and such artists are extremely rare nowadays... "We are very lucky to have a pianist like Peters, who fully understands this dichotomy, as the pianist on this album. " (Artmusiclounge. Com). "Levental has a dark, rich voice, but her pure tone is never burdened by excess vibrato... She couldn't ask for a more responsive partner than Peters, who reveals an astonishingly deft touch and an uncanny ear for detail. " Fanfare (Volume 1, 96056). "The phrasing is so perfect, the sense of line so keen, the rubato so natural sounding, that this seems the only way to sing them... this lucidity is due to the purity of Levental's voice, which she employs with sure intonation and minimum vibrato, as well with an exquisite (but always controlled) play of colour... This is a major release. " Fanfare (Volume 2, 96061).

Jean Langlais was born on February 15, 1907, in La Fontenelle, Brittany, France. He became blind from the age of two. Sent to the Paris National Institute for the Blind Youth in 1918, he studied piano, violin, harmony and organ with great blind teachers (among others Albert Mahaut and Andre Marchal). Later on, he entered the Paris National Conservatory of Music in the Marcel Dupre's organ class, obtaining a First Prize in 1930. In 1931, after studying improvisation with Charles Tournemire, he received the "Grand Prix d'Execution et Improvisation des Amis de l'Orgue". He completed his studies obtaining a Composition Prize in Paul Dukas' class at the Paris Conservatory in 1934. In 1945, he became the successor to Cesar Franck and Charles Tournemire at the prestigious organ tribune of Sainte-Clotilde in Paris. He gave countless concerts worldwide, and was a prolific composer. He died on May 8th, 1991 in Paris. Langlais' distinctive style combined traditional harmonies with contemporary techniques. His compositions often feature intricate organ textures and colourful harmonies, influenced by his background as a church musician. Langlais was also known for his use of modes and complex rhythms, which added to the unique character of his music. His works often have a strong emotional intensity and sense of drama, with frequent shifts in mood and dynamics. This is the third volume of the complete organ works includes sonatas, suites, Noels, the Symphony "Alla Webern", and many miscellaneous shorter works. Played by 3 excellent Italian organists: Giorgio Benati, Fausto Caporali and Alessandro Perin. The extensive booklet includes information on the organs used on this album.

A substantial survey of a modern landmark in French organ literature, full of colour, mystery and joy. If any organ music anticipates the explosion of lush harmony, unified musico-theological ideas and radical innovation with which Olivier Messiaen renewed the long tradition of French organ music, it is L'orgue mystique by Messiaen's one-time teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, Charles Tournemire. In a Bachian spirit of comprehensiveness, Tournemire wrote 51 suites for nearly every Sunday and select feast days of the church year. Gregorian chant permeates Tournemire's music, with motives drawn from the appointed proper chants for the day. On this 5CD collection, the Dutch organist presents 23 of the suites, in whole or in part, and arranges them according to the church year, with individual discs dedicated to the Sundays around Christmas and Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost and the Assumption. Each suite consists of five movements: a 'Prelude à l'Introït', 'Offertoire', 'elevation', 'Communion' and 'Piece terminale'. This final piece is no spectacular display piece: as one commentator has written, 'Tournemire seemed to have envisioned a period of meditation for the devout at the conclusion of the Mass rather than the usual noisy and hurried movements of the congregation toward the door.' Tournemire had himself been a pupil of Cesar Franck, and wrote, as Franck had done, for the full disposition of Cavaille-Coll organs which became synonymous worldwide with the musical equivalent of the Gothic revival. Tjeerd van der Ploeg made this recording in 1995 on the Mutin organ of the Eglise Saint-Pierre in Douai, France. This reissue makes an attractive sequel to his extensive 4CD collection of Tournemire's organ works outside L'orgue mystique (95983). The technical specifications of the organ is included in the booklet, which also features an essay on Tournemire by van der Ploeg. 'Tjeerd van der Ploeg plays the Mutin organ in the Saint-Pierre in Douai in an extremely imaginative manner and although he does not originate from the "Roman" tradition, he knows how to evoke the mystique of incense and pointed arches' (Luister). 'An excellent interpretation of Tournemire's subtle Impressionism, thanks to the clear recording and the tone-colours: enthusiastically recommended' (Nederlands Dagblad). - Charles Tournemire was born in Bordeaux in 1870. A child prodigy he became organiste-accompagnateur at age 11 at the St. Pierre in Bordeaux. At the Paris Conservatory he had lessons from de Beriot and Cesar Franck, after whose death he continued with Charles-Marie Widor. In 1891 he became organist of the famous Basilika St. Clotilde in Paris, a post he held till his death in 1939. - As a composer Tournemire was influenced by his teachers Franck and Widor. He expanded their harmonic system even more, using Gregorian Chant and even exotic elements from India to create a truly symphonic sound fresco of unprecedented scope and richness, evoking the mystical aspects of the Catholic faith. - This recording presents a wide selection from the liturgical cycle L'Orgue Mystique. This work consists of paraphrases of Gregorian melodies for Sundays and principal feasts of the liturgical year in three cycles: the Christmas Cycle, the Easter Cycle and the Cycle after Pentecost, divided into 51 offices, each having the same structure. It took Tournemire five years to complete this 'magnum opus' (from 1927 to 1932). In this cycle, he merged the symphonic, impressionistic style of organ music with liturgy. - Played by Dutch organist Tjeerd van der Ploeg at the great Mutin organ of the Collegiate Church St. Pierre, Douai, France, an impressive instrument built in 1922, one of the finest symphonic organs of France. - Tjeerd van der Ploeg's previous set of organ works by Tournemire on Brilliant Classics (BC 95983) received enthusiastic reviews in the international press.