Gottfried Grunewald was a successful opera singer in 18th-century Germany, based at the theatre in Hamburg for many years, but a familiar figure in German courts and theatres across Germany. When he died in 1739, the composer Christopher Graupner (his colleague in Darmstadt) destroyed most of Grunewald's music, according to an agreement they had apparently made. Only seven keyboard partitas are known to have survived to modern times, and they receive their first complete recording here in the spirited hands of Fernando de Luca, who has done so much to rescue forgotten names from obscurity with his albums for Brilliant Classics. The loss of Grunewald's output becomes especially regrettable once close attention is paid to these Parititas. They reveal a deep knowledge of the instrument's technique and a refined compositional taste. Stylistically close to German composers of the time such as Kuhnau and Fischer, they also bring to mind the suites composed in Germany by the young Handel (preceding the Eight Great Suites), and the music of the young Graupner. Grunewald shows some skill as a contrapuntalist within the restrictions of the suite genre. The preludes of these partitas are not uniform in form; for example, the Prelude in D minor incorporates broad arpeggiated chords, which begin and end a strict fugue but then dissolves into free motivic play. Another is purely figurative, a third mixes movement with short imitations. Grunewald's allemandes build up like intricate etudes, including one example constructed in an organistically contrapuntal manner. The courantes are interwoven with imitative passages, the sarabandes are melodically appealing, sometimes breathing in the spirit of Handel's nobility of gesture. The doubles and minuets almost give the impression of variations. Some pieces have strongly emphasised French rhythms, others avoid it completely. Potentially incomplete, but certainly striking, is the two-movement Fourth Suite, with it's spacious Allemande followed by an imposing Chaconne, presenting a complete contrast to the nine brief dances of the Fifth Suite, which find Grunewald at his most French-accented. Reviewing the recent set of the harpsichord music by Pierre-Thomas Dufour on Brilliant, Fanfare noted: 'De Luca does a fine job in his performance, with a good sense of phrasing and registration.' - Gottfried Grunewald (1673 -1739) was a German opera singer, harpsichordist and composer. Nothing is known about his youth and training. From 1703 he was a singer and composer at the Oper am Gansemarkt in Hamburg. From the beginning of 1709, he worked as Vice-Kapellmeister at the court of Johann Georg von Sachsen-Weissenfels, where he married Johann Philipp Krieger's daughter. From 1711, he worked as vice-chapelmaster at the court in Darmstadt as Christoph Graupner's deputy. Around 1717, several journeys as a pantaleon virtuoso are documented. He remained active at court until his death. - Of his works, only seven partitas for harpsichord have survived, written in the style customary for the time. The suites consist of the usual order of Prelude-Allemande-Courante-Sarabande-Gavotte-Menuet-Gigue. - "too many performers confine themselves to the standard repertoire. Fortunately, there are artists who look beyond the obvious; Fernando de Luca is one of them and we should be thankful for him. de Luca is a good interpreter; I very much enjoyed his performances, they are as differentiated as possible, also in his treatment of the tempi. He has the advantage of a fine instrument, a copy of a Blanchet of 1754. That is as 'authentic' as one could wish for." Thus wrote Musicweb International about de Luca's recording of harpsichord works by Foucquet.

A unique combination on record of chamber music by the Swiss composer, surveying the development of his voice and career through the medium of the flute. One of music's late starters, Martin grew up as the tenth child of a Swiss pastor and his wife, surrounded by the music of Bach and Mozart. Only once Ernest Ansermet had founded the Orchestra de la Suisse Romande in 1918 did the 28-year-old Martin begin to discover and become captivated by the sensuality of Debussy and Ravel, and this stylistic dichotomy continued to play out in his own music. Among the most polished and individual of his early works is the set of four love-sonnets composed in 1921 to poems by the 16th-century balladeer Pierre de Ronsard. Already the influence of modernism is apparent on the angular and even ascetic shape of Martin's melodic invention, and yet a gentle, atmospheric mood pervades the cycle; this, too, would become a hallmark of his sound-world. In 1939, Martin began what would become a series of instrumental ballades with the competition piece which is still his best-known work for flute. In the same year, he followed it up with a Ballade for alto saxophone which he then arranged for flute; both works are fine examples of Martin's ability to reconcile serialism with tonality. A neoclassical (or rather, neo-Baroque) spirit infuses the Sonata da Chiesa of 1940 with solemn, Protestant gravity, yet the flute part still sings with the lyricism of the early Sonnets. From after the war, the Trois Chants de Noel (1947) distil the mystery of Christmas into three brief settings of texts by the Swiss poet Albert Rudhardt (1894-1944). A trio of Minnelieder (1961) masterfully strips Martin's language to the bone in a distinctive 'late style', where flute and guitar support and punctuate the sung line with an archaically flavoured modernity. Almost all these works have attracted no more than one or two recordings, but gathered together by these expert Italian musicians, they paint a new and compelling portrait of Martin as a spiritually engaged modernist. - Frank Martin (1890-1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived for most of his life in The Netherlands. Hs oeuvre spans orchestral works, oratorios, and chamber music. Martin's style defies easy categorization, blending elements of neoclassicism, serialism, and Gregorian chant. His vocal works reflect his spiritual depth and musical mastery. - Frank Martin wrote a not a large but a significant number of works for flute, including the Ballade for flute and piano (1939), the Deuxieme Ballade for flute and piano (1939) and the Church Sonata for flute and organ (1941). Of these three, only the Ballade is an original work for flute, as the Deuxieme Ballade and the Church Sonata are the author's transcriptions of earlier scores. Also included in this new recording are works for soprano and instrumental ensemble, featuring flute, oboe, harp, viola and cello. - A fascinating collection of a highly original voice in 20th century music! - Played by Daniele Ruggieri, Monica Bacelli and several excellent Italian instrumentalists.

In 2023 Brilliant Classics released a 9CD box of the complete keyboard music by William Byrd, marking the tercentenary of the composer's death. The set was welcomed as a monumental achievement, and a worthy sequel to Davitt Moroney's pioneering achievement on Hyperion: 'Those who enjoyed Belder's forthright and imaginatively ornamented Byrd performances in his complete Fitzwilliam Virginal Book survey will know what to expect,' wrote Jed Distler in Classics Today. 'He favors less agogic manipulation and more conservative rhythmic continuity compared to Hyperion's Davitt Moroney. However, a palpable sense of controlled freedom informs Belder's subtle placement of cadences and phrase endings and his flexibly articulated ornaments.' Extracted from that critically acclaimed set, the present album presents all the pieces recorded bv Pieter-Jan Belder on the at the Albert Kiespenning organ of the Grote Kerk in Wijk bij Duurstede. The degree to which any of these pieces was written 'for organ' may remain open to question, when they could be performed, with allowance for some imaginative liberties, on any keyboard instrument, and indeed many contemporary pianists have revived Byrd's music for a new generation of listeners. Whether experienced on a Steinway or a spinet, Byrd is the first great composer for the keyboard, even when producing instrumental versions of choral anthems. Belder includes several such pieces here, which find a natural home 'in church' rather than the domestic setting of the harpsichord. Two versions of Salvator Mundi are effectively forerunners of chorale preludes; likewise three versions of Clarifica me. Several voluntaries lie no less idiomatically on the organ despite their highly florid writing, while the assorted preludes or fantasias and their companion fugues also deserve to be regarded alongside notable pre-Bachian models by Frescobaldi and Buxtehude. According to Early Music Review: 'As for performance, Belder's strength is in allowing Byrd to speak through the music rather than inflicting an interpretative regime upon the music... It remains wholeheartedly to welcome and recommend this fine discographical achievement.'

Francesco Molino (1768-1847) was born into a family of violinists in Ivrea, near Turin. There, and for a time in Genoa as well, he made a career as a virtuoso violinist himself, until at the age of 50, he moved permanently to Paris. Once in the French capital, Molino began a new phase of his musical career, which coincided with a significant increase in the number of works he published - almost all of which were dedicated to the guitar, both as a solo instrument and as part of chamber formations. Molino made a significant impact on the Parisian musical world, as is demonstrated by the huge success of the first edition of his Nouvelle Methode pour la Guitare, which had some 400 subscribers both in France and in other European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy). Over the years Molino revised and added to the methos, and various editions of it were published in a number of languages, with a Spanish version even reaching Mexico and Havana. The works presented in this recording were all published as 'sonatas' by Molino, who explicitly stated that they were intended for performance by solo guitar. He uses three main structural types for these sonatas. The first has a romance as a first movement, followed by a rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.1, Op.15 No.2 and Op.51). The second begins with a short maestoso introduction that is characterised by initial chords and octaves in succession, evoking the orchestral colour of certain operatic overtures. This movement ends with an interrupted cadence and is followed by a theme with variations, before a final rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.2, Op.15 No.1 and No.3). The third type begins with an allegro first movement in sonata form (in bipartite 18th-century style, featuring two distinct themes with a tonic-dominant relationship) that is followed immediately by a final rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.3, Op.6 No.1 and No.2). All the sonatas reflect Molino's evident mastery of the art of composition as well as a certain freedom in his approach to musical form. These elements, combined with a refined use of harmony and a deep understanding of the instrument, give the composer a highly personal stylistic language and make Molino one of the most interesting figures in the guitar repertoire of the 19th century. Other information: - Recorded June and October, Rome, Italy - Booklet in English contains liner notes by the artist, along with his biography - Claudio Giuliani plays a guitar by Antonio Mari´n Montero (Granada, 1995) strung with D'Addario Pro Arte EJ46 strings - Francesco Molino (1768-1847) was an Italian guitarist, composer, and violinist, born in Ivrea near Turin, Italy. At the age of fifteen, in 1783, he enrolled in the band of the Piedmont Regiment as an oboist, a post which he resigned in 1793. He dedicated himself to the guitar and built an impressive international career. Later he settled in Paris where he became a famous teacher. - This new recording presents the complete Sonatas for Guitar, characterized by their classical elegance and intricate melodic lines, reflecting the stylistic influences of his contemporaries such as Mauro Giuliani and Fernando Sor. - Molino's sonatas often feature a balanced structure, typically adhering to the classical sonata form with multiple movements including allegro, adagio, and rondo sections. The highly accomplished writing features rapid arpeggios, delicate harmonics, and dynamic contrasts. They form a challenge to the performer but a delight to the audience. - Brilliantly played by Claudio Giuliani, whose previous recordings for Brilliant Classics include works by Diabelli (BC 94614) and Cimarosa (BC 94172).

An unprecedented and critically praised series reaches it's fifth and final volume with richly evocative settings of German and Russian poets, from Pushkin to Nietzsche and beyond. Though born in Moscow, Medtner had partially German ancestry, and nearly half his songs are set to German poetry, which he knew in the original. In previous volumes of their complete survey of his songs, Ekaterina Levental and Frank Peters have concentrated on the Russians; now they conquer the peaks, as Medtner did, of Romantic German poetry, with texts by Goethe, Chamisso and Eichendorff. Rather less well known as a poet was Friedrich Nietzche, but he was a figure who fascinated Medtner, and the settings here speak of deep affinity. In the booklet, Ekaterina Levental reflects on her own sense of affinity with the composer. 'It was love at first hearing. It was as if someone whispered to me a truth for which there were no sounds before. He sounded out for me emotions and feelings, images, associations, a world of felt knowledge and experiences that I had been carrying inside me all along, but had never heard expressed in such a way. Someone from the past spoke to me in a language that I seemed to understand totally instinctively. Passing on this knowledge and wonder and sharing it with the audience became my dream.' This cycle on record has been a passion project for both artists, and Peters also passes on his own insights into Medtner's notoriously complex piano writing. Between them, they have gone further than anyone else in documenting a perennially undervalued Russian song composer, who deserves to be considered alongside Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky in this vein. This final volume closes out the cycle with the Eight Lieder Op.61, which move between Russian and German poets in a quintessentially Medtnerian synthesis. 'All in all, Levental and Peters make the strongest possible case for the repertoire... Levental continues to strike us with the beauty and purity of her voice and the rhetorical sensitivity of her phrasing, unfailingly tied to the affect of the text.' (Fanfare)

Alessio Elia's (b.1979) compositions are inspired by the acoustic nature of the sounding universe, it's inner laws. Perhaps this is why, from the first moment of listening, these works feel organic natural and euphonic but also ordered, planned and clear. The composition Celestial Keys, which lends it's name to the whole album, does not claim to reveal universal truths in any sense, nor does it attempt to unlock a magic box containing deep secrets. As with the other works on the programme, Elia aims to demonstrate that the world is perhaps wider for perception than for reason. He reveals that each of these compositions represents 'an exploration of other dimensions. In Luminescences, we encounter the phenomenon of light; in Disappearing Rainbows, we explore the residual traces of colours. Dimensioni nascoste delves into the extra, hidden dimensions of string theory. Implicate Inklings unveils the implicate order of the holographic theory of the universe. Finally, Celestial keys transports us to the realm of angels and the supernatural.' Several of these works feature Elia's signature compositional approach: Polysystemism, which involves the simultaneous use of different tuning systems. Other information: Recordings date from August 2005 (Siena), September 2013, October 2015, May 2019 and November 2023 (Budapest). All works are given in their First Recordings. Booklet in English contains liner notes by Szabolcs Molnar, profiles of the composer, the conductors, the soloists, the orchestras and ensembles, as wel as the sung text for Celestial keys. - Alessio Elia is an Italian composer, born in 1979. Described as unicum in the compositional landscape of our times (Il Corriere Musicale) Alessio Elia has gained international recognition thanks to his Polysystemism, the simultaneous use of different tuning systems, discussed in many conferences and lectures, among them the one at "Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine" of the Cite de la Musique in Paris. Articles and essays on Polysystemism have been published by von Bockel Verlag, l'Universite de Strasbourg, the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and the University of Prague. - Elia has received commissions from internationally renowned orchestras, ensembles, festivals, and institutions, such as I Solisti del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Radio Bartok, Ligeti 100 Festival in Budapest, Oggimusica Festival, Chamber Ensemble UMZE, Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition, Stuttgart Kammerchor, Alter Ego Ensemble, and Festival di Nuova Consonanza. - His music has been performed, broadcasted and presented by illustrious institutions worldwide and published by Universal Edition Wien, and Universal Music Publishing - Editio Musica Budapest. - This new recording presents orchestral works by Alessio Elia: Disappearing Rainbows, Dimensioni Nascoste, a Clarinet Concerto, Luminescences and Celestial Keys: fascinating music of great beauty! - Performed by Concerto Budapest (Zoltan Racz), National Hungarian Radio Orchestra (Gergely Vajda), Concerto Budapest Ligeti Ensemble (Laszlo Tihanyi), and Chigiana Academy Ensemble (Mauro Bonifacio).

A fine Danish chamber ensemble brings together a unique compilation of chamber pieces by an overshadowed contemporary of Messiaen. The music of Andre Jolivet (1905-1974) is slowly being revived after decades of neglect, enabling us to discover a distinctive voice in the kaleidoscopic variety of 20th-century French music. Jolivet never followed some of his better-known contemporaries - Messiaen among them - down the path of serialism, yet his harmonic technique exercised a hidden influence on them (including the young Pierre Boulez). The Serenade (1945) for wind quintet, opening this collection of chamber music, casts a mystic air in it's opening Cantilene before breaking off into wild peals of instrumental laughter in the Caprice. The world of Poulenc and Stravinsky is not so far away, but there is a grounded density to Jolivet's writing which is entirely individual. From 1968, the Controversia for oboe and harp finds Jolivet at his most gesturally experimental, drawing on the combined talents and innovative techniques of Heinz and Ursula Holliger. The flurries and confrontations of the Controversia could hardly be predicted from the composer of the reflective miniatures which make up the Petite Suite (1941) for flute, viola and harp, in the mould of Debussy's late sonata. Indeed the collection as a whole serves as an illuminating demonstration of Jolivet's range and his evolution through a career spanning the turbulent aesthetic struggles of the last century. The Pastorales de Noel (1943) for flute, bassoon and harp fulfil a brief for picturesque and festive illustration, whereas the sonatinas for flute and clarinet (1961) and oboe and bassoon (1963) swoop and flutter with unpredictably Stravinskian fluidity between their instruments. Modal and exotic scales, Spanish rhythms, Debussyan sensuality: all these diverse elements and more keep the listener (and musicians) on their toes in this music. The album is enhanced by a new essay from Paul Griffiths, a pre-eminent authority on new and modern music. - Andre Jolivet (1905-1974) is considered one of the most interesting French composers of the 20th century. His vast oeuvre includes nearly all musical genres. Actively open to all musical genres (he never had a proper conservatory education) he developed a personal style that was distinctly avant-garde. - This new recording presents a variety of chamber music in which the flute plays a prominent role: Serenade for Wind Quintet, Sonatine for flute & clarinet, Petite Suite for flute, viola and harp, Pastorale de Noel for flute, bassoon and harp, and other shorter pieces: music of dazzling colours, vivid and vibrant, but also at turns serene and melancholic. - Played with astonishing virtuosity and "joie de vivre" by the Danish Ensemble MidtVest.

Vlastimir Trajkovic (1947-2017) studied with Olivier Messiaen and was the first Serbian composer to - from the early 70s - structurally apply elements of minimalism to what was a primarily impressionistic harmonic idiom in his music. His 10 Preludes for guitar is a work of refined melodies and subtle harmonies containing the composer's musical reminiscences of Serbian, Brazilian and Spanish traditional music, as well as jazz. Isidora Žebeljan (1967-2020) possesses a musical originality that is the product of an exceptionally authentic capability to organically fuse musical elements from various spheres of influence (from old Balkan folk traditions to rock and pop music) into new, as yet unknown sonic contexts. Her 3 Pieces for guitar are tender and filigreed, like a children's guide through a world of fairy tales, with delicious echoes of the Balkan and Mediterranean. The Intimate Letter from Judean Desert, with it's lonely, distant and almost endless melody, was written as chorale for any combination of instruments or voices. Dusan Radic (1929-2010) studied with both Milhaud and Messiaen and created an authentic integration of musical elements from folk and popular music, together with modal chant and jazz. His joyful Vignettes are derived from his earlier choral music, reusing some old, funny, almost childish folk tunes. Veljko Nenadic (b.1998) is the recipient of multiple international awards. He studied composition as a child prodigy with Isidora Žebeljan and writes music characterised by powerful energy, surprise, humour and emotional delicacy. His Festa na lua (Portuguese for 'Party on the Moon') pays homage to Brazilian composer and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal and the generations of musicians who created post-bossa nova Brazilian jazz. Dragana Jovanovic (b.1963) composes in an eclectic, postmodern idiom, often with baroque motoric rhythms and virtuosic display. Pushc y Me ('Let me go') is her arrangement for double bass and guitar of an old traditional song from North Macedonia. Her composition Pure Energy evokes the energy in tenderness, slightly coloured by elements of blues. Dusan Bogdanovic (b.1955 has developed a personal style combining classical music, folk musical traditions, Byzantine chants and jazz. For his Preamble and Ricercare for violin and guitar he opted for the musical ambiance of the early baroque and renaissance music for lute, with it's delicate modal harmonies. Vuk Kulenovic (1946-2017) combines Balkan folk musical elements with minimalism, as well as the Byzantine modes which he also placed into the minimalistic musical context. His energetic, moving music uses the Balkans' aksak (irregular, additive) rhythms combined with repetition. Toccatina is a virtuosic miniature with a motoric and restless musical flow.

A veteran Bach specialist continues his Bach odyssey on Brilliant Classics with a new recording of the English Suites. Previous volumes in this series have met with wide critical acclaim. Of the French Suites, Jed Distler wrote in Classics Today: 'a splendid new recording... these lovely performances memorably showcase Rubsam's sensitive and poetic side.' While Rubsam has been playing and recording Bach's music for over half a century, he brings a fresh perspective, both to the works themselves and his approach to them, by performing on a lute-harpsichord, known in German as a lautenwerk. Of the complete Well-Tempered Clavier, the Gramophone reviewer remarked: 'Like his other Bach recordings using the Lautenwerk, including the French Suites, the so-called Lute Suites and beautiful arrangements of the Cello Suites and Violin Sonatas and Partitas, these are revelatory... one thing's for certain: you'll never listen to any of Bach's music in the same way again.' Bach himself owned a pair of Lautenwerk, and so Rubsam is returning this music to the scale on which it was conceived: more intimate than nearly all the competition on record, perfectly suited to close studio recording and domestic listening. The Suites themselves are hardly English in character (Bach probably wrote them for an English patron) but rather French, more developed in scale and expression than the earlier French Suites, especially in the Third and Sixth of the set. Movements such as the Overture to No.2 and the Sarabande of No.3 have inspired some of the greatest keyboard musicians - on various instruments - to sound the depths of their artistry. Wolfgang Rubsam does so here, yet with a humility that draws the ear back to Bach himself, to the wondrous intricacy of his polyphony, and his particular genius for embodying the character of a dance through the natural shape of his melodies. - The complete 6 English Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), played on the lute-harpsichord by Wolfgang Rubsam. - There is little "English" about these suites. Their name might have been given as a tribute to Charles Diepart, whose 6 English Suites were very popular at the time. Bach's English Suites follow the traditional sequence of dance movements of the Suite. The writing is mature and technically demanding. The English Suites, along with the French Suites and Partitas, are part of the standard keyboard repertoire. - Wolfgang Rubsam is internationally known as an authoritative Bach interpreter, from recordings of the organ and harpsichord on several different labels. This new recording is played on a lute-harpsichord, an instrument that Bach would have had at home for both music-making in the family and for teaching. The touch required and the sonority produced is delicate, subtly shaded and closely related in it's effect to the music of Bach's French contemporaries, whose music he knew well, such as Francois Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Louis Marchand. The sound is warmer, as it has gut strings and no dampers.

A unique recital of 20th-century chamber music, essentially melodic but expressively rich, woven seamlessly together by a Spanish-based duo. In the 20th century, many composers embraced the unique combination of the violin and cello, producing a diverse and captivating repertoire. Deborah Gonsalves and Berthold Hamburger take the listener on an engaging journey from Reinhold Gliere's post-romantic Huit Morceaux for violin and cello (1909), Bohuslav Martinu's folk-influenced Duo No.1 (1927) to Erwin Schulhoff's avant-garde Duo (1925) and Don Jaffe's moving autobiographical suite, The Last Days (2000). These compositions showcase the immense artistic possibilities offered by the juxtaposition of the violin's virtuosity with the cello's depth of sound. Similarly, the duo repertoire of the 20th century shows the evolution of musical language as composers introduced special playing techniques, unconventional harmonies, and rhythmic complexity, pushing the boundaries of tradition. While Gliere, Martinu and Schulhoff are all established names, these works for violin and cello have not received the attention they deserve. They are all products of their composers' full maturity, and perhaps it is only a reluctance on the part of performers and listeners to embrace the possibilities of the violin-cello combination that has prevented them becoming much better known. In each case, the composers demonstrate that no piano is required to anchor the string instruments, when the imagination is fired up, the melodies are firmly shaped and the dialogue engaging. The case of Don Jaffe is different: born in 1933 in Riga, of Jewish descent, he eventually became renowned as one of the foremost cello teachers in the former Soviet Union. However, finding postwar Soviet culture hardly less anti-Semitic than the Nazi regime, he emigrated to Israel and later moved to Germany. He only began composing late in life: this four-movement duo draws on the composer's experience of observing a close friend's painful battle with a terminal illness. Deborah Gonsalves and Berthold Hamburger are colleagues in the Symphony Orchestra of Galicia; as Orphelion, they have toured festivals across Europe and in India, Japan, and South America. - In the 20th century, several composers embraced the combination of the violin and cello, producing a diverse and attractive repertoire for this ensemble. From Reinhold Gliere's (1875-1956) post-romantic Duos for violin and cello "Huit Morceaux", Bohuslav Martinu's (1890-1959) folkloristic Duo Nº.1 to Erwin Schulhoff's (1894-1942) avant-garde Duo (1925) and Don Jaffe's (b. 1933) autobiographic "The final days", these compositions show the artistic possibilities offered by the rich combination of the violin's virtuosity with the cello's depth of sound. Similarly, the duo repertoire of the 20th century shows the evolution of musical language as composers introduced special playing techniques, unconventional harmonies, and rhythmic complexity, pushing the boundaries of tradition. - Played by the ensemble Orphelion, consisting of Deborah Gonsalves and Berthold Hamburger.

A young violinist, paired with one of the most renowned Lisztians of our day, make an illuminating and harmonious partnership in an exquisite body of modern classics for the duo. Very few 20th-century pieces have entered the canon of literature for violin and piano as universally as the Mythes of Karol Szymanowski. Alongside the sonatas of Janacek and Prokofiev, for example, the cycle embodies the style of it's composer at his most characteristic. In Szymanowski's case, the Mythes draw on a sensuous language of impressionism but also a Russian school of violin playing, and a fragrance in the melodies that is unique to him. Italian critics have been extravagant in their praise of Francesca Bonaita. Her repertoire already includes modern classics such as the concertos by Barber, Zimmermann and Schnittke, indicating the kind of affinity with modernist idioms which makes this Szymanowski disc so striking as a demonstration of her musicianship. Having graduated from the conservatoire in Milan as a student of Sergei Krylov, she furthered her studies in Lugano while attracting notice for her performances in many international violin competitions. The pianist Saskia Giorgini is well known as a Lisztian, with several outstanding albums to her credit, and as a sympathetic recital partner to outstanding musicians of our day such as Ian Bostridge and Vilde Frang. The duo have written a note for this new album of Szymanowski which both explains the background to each of the major works - the Mythes, the early Sonata and the composer's late transcriptions of three Paganini caprices - while underlining their intellectual grasp of this music as it falls under their fingers. As they note, Szymanowski was initially inspired by the examples of Franck and Brahms in writing his own, opulent Violin Sonata in 1909. Gradually he found his voice, helped along the way in particular by his friendship with the violinist Pavel Kochanski. It was Kochanski who gave both technical advice and inspiration to Szymanowski as he composed the two violin concertos and the trio of Mythes which are his culminating work in the field of chamber music: 'a mystical synthesis of the sensual and the divine', as they encapsulate it's elusive sequence of moods. Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) was one of Poland's most important and original composers. Szymanowski's style is eclectic, standing in the long romantic tradition. He imbued his works with exoticisms, impressionistic flourishes and a general sense of freedom and imagination. The works for violin and piano were composed for the famous Polish violinist Paul Kochanski. The most important works are the substantial Second Violin Sonata and the cycle Myths, both appearing regularly on concert programs nowadays. Played by rising star Francesca Bonaita with pianist Saskia Giorgini, whose Piano Classics and Pentatone recordings have won many awards (Critic's Choice) and 5 star reviews.

Many masterpieces have been composed over the centuries for the cello, that member of the string family whose timbre is said to most closely resemble the human voice. Scores of monumental works, both in the chamber and concerto genres, have been created for this attractive instrument: from Bach to Bloch, Boccherini to Britten. Dutch composers have also shown interest in the instrument, especially in the 20th century, composing works that feature not only the cello but also the abilities of virtuoso cellists they admired, whose playing breathes life into the Dutch music of this century, adding it's melodious voice to the music history of all nations. Henriette Bosmans (1895-1952) at first studied piano with her mother, only taking up composing at the age of 17. She sharpened her abilities in this art through lessons with Cornelis Dopper and Willem Pijper. Bosmans performed in various chamber music ensembles, appeared as a soloist and gave lessons, and as a pianist she championed contemporary music. She is particularly remembered for her art songs, chamber music and concertos. Her work evolved along her career from a Germanic style to one influenced by French impressionism, her Poeme for cello and orchestra being a fine example of the latter. The work is dedicated to Marix Loevensohn, principal cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, with whom she often performed. Willem Pijper (1894-1947) studied composition with Johann Wagenaar, and his progress was astounding: within a few years (from 1918 to 1922) he became one of the most advanced composers in Europe, each successive composition of his going a step further. Although considered a proponent of atonality, Pijper's harmonic complexity is always in service of musical expression. His Cello Concerto is also dedicated to Marix Loevensohn, who performed it at his own retirement concert as principal cellist of the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Feeling that the orchestra overshadowed the soloist at times, Pijper revised the Concerto's orchestration in 1947. The pianist and composer Leo Smit (1900-1943) studied composition at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Bernard Zweers and Sem Dresden. He taught analysis and harmony at the Amsterdam Conservatory from 1924 to 1927, after which he resided in Paris until 1933. There he came under Darius Milhaud's influence, which introduced a French aesthetic to his music, and he was exposed as well to Igor Stravinsky's neoclassicism. He returned to Amsterdam in 1937, establishing himself as a music pedagogue, and remained there until he was deported to Auschwitz in 1943, where he perished. His lucid, intelligent and subdued style is most clearly apparent in his chamber music. Smit also composed several orchestral works and concertos for various instruments, among them his Concertino for cello and orchestra. Hans Kox (1930-2019) studied piano with Jaap Spaanderman and composition with Henk Badings. His debut as a composer came in 1953, and he went on to receive numerous commissions from the Netherlands and abroad, with many of his works appearing on CD. He taught at the Conservatory in Utrecht. His Cello Concerto (1969) was commissioned by the Eper Muziekkring (the erstwhile Music Society of the eastern Dutch municipality of Epe) in honour of it's fifth anniversary. Other information: - Recorded December 1993 at the Concertgebouw Haarlem - Trilingual booklet in English, German and Dutch contains liner notes on the composers and the works - The Cello concertos by 20th-century Dutch composers reflect the dynamic evolution of classical music during this period, marked by a blend of modernism, neoclassicism, and unique national character. - This CD presents 4 Cello Concertos by Dutch composers: the late romantic language of Henriette Bosmans (1895-1952), the Neo-classical and sometimes jazzy idiom of Willem Pijper (1894-1947), the vibrant Concertino by Leo Smit (1900-1943), who tragically died in 1943 in the Sobibor extermination camp, and the Cello Concerto by Hans Kox (1930-2019). - Played by 4 outstanding cellists: Heinrich Schiff, Quirine Viersen, Pieter Wispelwey and Dmitri Ferschtman. The Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra is conducted by Ed Spanjaard. Another gem from the NM Classics catalogue, the label of music from The Netherlands.

The masterpiece 'beyond Time' that is the Quatuor pour la fin du Temps first saw the light of day in Barrack 27 of the World War II prisoner-of-war camp Stalag VIII-A in Gorlitz, Silesia, performed by it's composer Olivier Messiaen on piano along with fellow prisoners Jean Le Boulaire on violin, Henri Akoka on clarinet and etienne Pasquier on cello. The unusual ensemble forces were dictated by what musicians were available in that environment of deprivation, and the prisoners' coping mechanisms in response to it played a part: Akoka's clarinet and the singing of birds during dawn watches with Pasquier inspired the 3rd movement, Abîme des oiseaux for solo clarinet. As Messiaen himself explained before the concert, it is the first six verses of the Book of Revelation Chapter 10 that inform the piece as a whole. Starvation in the camp had provoked in him vivid, colourful dreams of the Angel's Rainbow, and the End of Time represented eternity in the face of the mortality confronting the internees. The sensory deprivation he experienced while imprisoned caused (or exacerbated) his synaesthesia, such that his hearing of harmonies and his vision of colours became blended in his mind. The work's difficulty is well known; in Gorlitz, from musicians already unbalanced by Messiaen's unconventional rhythms, the composer demanded extreme and unusual instrumental effects: dynamic extremes, unheard-of force and maximum precision. Clarinettist Akoka complained about overly high notes and long phrases; violinist Le Boulaire about wide, inhumanly slow string melodies. But Messiaen's serenity at the piano instilled confidence, making the impossible possible and raising everything to a higher level. On a formal level, the eight movements of the Quatuor, linked by symbolic correspondences, reflect the biblical perfection of the number seven: the six days of Creation followed by the day of Rest, which is prolonged into Eternity becoming an eighth of indefectible light and unalterable peace. 'I composed this quartet to escape from snow, from war, from imprisonment and from myself,' Messiaen said. But the religious silence that enveloped the premiere demonstrated the Quatuor's ability to raise everyone in it's first audience along with him, above the barbarity, hunger and cold. Today, hearing this music that is 'alien to earthly beauty and pervaded by the idea of God', we perceive it's essence 'beyond Time', imbued with faith and religiosity. Other information: - Recorded February 2018, February 2019 and December 2023 in Perugia - Booklet in English contains liner notes by Donatella Meneghini and biographical information on the artists - Italian liner notes available at brilliantclassics. Com - Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) composed his Quatuor pour le fin du temps" (Quartet for the End of Time) 1940-41. The work was written during Messiaen's internment at Stalag VIII-A, a German prisoner-of-war camp, where he was held during World War II. Despite the harsh conditions, Messiaen composed this eight-movement piece for a unique ensemble: clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, which were the instruments available in the camp. - Inspired by the biblical Book of Revelation, particularly the angel's proclamation of the end of time, the Quatuor explores themes of eternity, divine grace, and apocalyptic vision. Messiaen, a devout Catholic, saw time as transcended by divine love, and the piece reflects his fascination with spiritual and mystical concepts. - The music is known for it's otherworldly beauty, complex rhythms, and innovative use of modes of limited transposition, which create a timeless, suspended feeling. The movements range from intense, fiery expressions of divine might to serene, meditative reflections on eternity. Premiered within the camp before an audience of prisoners and guards, Quatuor pour le fin du temps remains one of the most important and profound chamber works of the 20th century. - Played by Davide Bandieri, Francois Sochard, Joel Marosi and Maria-Liisa Marosi. - Davide Bandieri has already successfully released numerous recordings for Brilliant Classics, including the Complete Chamber Music Works for Clarinet by Von Weber (BC 95531) and, together with Joel Marosi and Maria-Liisa Marosi, Clarinet Trios by Fruhling and Zemlinsky (BC 95394).

- Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) was an English composer known for his lyrical and contemplative music, often inspired by English literature and landscape. Born in London, he faced numerous hardships and personal losses early in life, which shaped much of his musical output, often reflecting themes of mortality and nostalgia. In World War II he worked to assist German and Austrian musicians fleeing the Nazis. - Finzi's works are characterized by their deep sensitivity to English poetry and their pastoral nature. His love for literature is evident in many of his vocal works, including settings of texts by Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth, and Christina Rossetti. - The cantata Dies Natalis, composed between 1925 and 1939, is one of Finzi's most celebrated works. It is a setting of texts by the 17th-century poet Thomas Traherne, which explore themes of innocence and the wonder of a newborn experiencing the world for the first time. Scored for solo voice and strings, the work reflects Finzi's delicate and expressive style, with lyrical vocal lines and lush orchestration that evoke a sense of spiritual reflection. - Also presented is Finzi's Clarinet Concerto, a vibrant and melodious work, one of the finest in it's genre. - Performed by Susanna Rigacci, Roberta Gottardi, and the Benedetto Marcello Chamber Orchestra conducted by Flavio Scogna.

This recital offers a fine mix of Bach's organ works, at larger and smaller scales, on the renowned historical instrument made by Alsatian organ builder Johann Andreas Silbermann of Strasbourg, a master of French baroque organ construction. It follows in a distinguished line of recordings of Bach made in the extraordinary acoustic of the Arlesheim Cathedral, by such luminaries as Walter Kraft, Karl Richter and Lionel Rogg. Situated just outside the city of Basel, the village of Arlesheim grew up around it's Cathedral, which was the church of the displaced cathedral chapter of the Diocese of Basel from 1679 to 1792. The first three years of this tenure saw the Bishop build not only the cathedral, but also a complete town centre with houses for the advisors and the administration of the See, using architect Franz Demess. A total refurbishment and enlargement of the Cathedral was begun in 1759, culminating in the installation of the Silbermann organ two years later. The organ builder was included in the renovation's planning from the start, such that modifications to the Cathedral's architecture were made with a view to enhancing the nave's musical acoustics. The instrument was restored by Metzler in 1959-62 and then again in 2005 by Gaston Kern. It is an example of the fusion of French and German organ building styles. Other information: - Recorded July 2012 in Arlesheim (Switzerland) - Booklet in English contains liner notes by the organist, a description of the organ with stop list, and a profile of the artist - This 2-CD set presents organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach, played on the Silbermann organ in the Dom of Arlesheim. - This organ in the Dom of Arlesheim is a masterpiece of Baroque organ building, built by Johann Andreas Silbermann in 1761. Located in the Arlesheim Cathedral (Dom) near Basel, Switzerland, it is one of the finest examples of Silbermann's work and one of the most historically significant organs in Europe. The organ is known for it's rich tonal qualities, combining both French and German influences, typical of Silbermann's style. It's elaborate case, decorated with gold leaf and intricate carvings, complements the interior of the Dom, enhancing the spiritual atmosphere during services and concerts. Despite restorations over the centuries, the organ retains much of it's original pipework and mechanical structure, ensuring an authentic sound. - The program includes favorite organ works, including the famous Toccata & Fugue BWV565, 3 Concerto transcriptions by Vivaldi, the Trio Sonata BWV 530 and several Choralvorspiele. - Played by Italian master organist Ivan Ronda, internationally acclaimed by guest appearances in such venues as Westminster Abbey and King's College Cambridge.

Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) is still best known for the early period in his career when he studied with Beethoven and then became his secretary; copying scores and handling correspondence for a composer whose relationship with the outside world only became more unpredictable with the onset of deafness. However, Ries (like his master, born in Bonn) fled Vienna in 1807 and thereafter embarked on a well-travelled career - in Paris, then Vienna again, venturing as far as St Petersburg and London, before settling in Frankfurt. Within a prolific output, he wrote 30 separate works scored for a solo flute, almost all of which date from his period in London (1813-24), where he won a reputation as a piano teacher to the well-to-do while producing his own music for London's vibrant concert life. The three Quartets Op.145 for flute, violin, viola and cello were composed in 1814-15 and published in 1826, while the trio of Quartets WoO35 belong to Ries's later period in Germany. Ries dedicated Op.145 to Charles Aders, a wealthy amateur flautist, who likely commissioned him; there is no sign of the composer 'writing down' to accommodate any limitations in his dedicatee's playing, from the poignant and tumultuous emotions that pervade Quartet No.2, and the vibrant spirit of the finales, such as the Allegro all'espagnola of Quartet No.1. As Ginevra Petrucci remarks in her booklet essay, 'Ries masterfully balances diversity of form with captivating expression. The writing's density and variety are remarkable, marked by thematic abundance, rich modulations, rhythmic contrasts, and variations.' This is true even more of the later Quartets WoO35, which were probably written with the flautist Anton Bernhard Furstenau in mind. The expression is notably more refined and Romantic in spirit than the earlier set, sometimes softer-edged, often with more sophisticated dialogue between flute and strings, 'bearing a near-Beethovenian character.' Italian born, Ginevra Petrucci graduated from Stony Brook and Yale. Based in New York, she performs across the US while continuing to return to Europe for projects such as this recording. She is joined here by Trio David, a trio of Italian musicians who came together in 2020 and since then have given concerts across Italy as well as recording the string trios of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari for Brilliant Classics. - Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) was born in Bonn and moved to Vienna in 1801, where his life became closely related to that of Ludwig van Beethoven (also a native of Bonn.). Ries studied piano with him, copied his scores and was the interpreter of several new works, notably the premiere of the Third Piano Concerto. Ries also wrote the first biography of Beethoven, an invaluable source of first-hand information. - Ries' style inevitably is modelled on that of his master Beethoven, he was however strong enough to stand on his own. His compositions include symphonies, violin and piano concertos, three operas, and numerous chamber works, reflecting a style that bridges classicism and early romanticism. - Ries' Flute Quartets stand out for their concertante qualities. The flute shines in brilliant passages, while the themes and developments are shared by all four instruments. The expressive individuality of these pieces, with original and consistent dialogue between the protagonists, places them among the best in the genre, after Mozart's works. - Played by Italian flutist Ginevra Petrucci, who already brilliantly recorded chamber works for her instrument by Beethoven (BC 96494), Kuhlau (BC 94769), Briccialdi (BC 95767), Haydn (BC 94620) and Muczynski (BC 95433).

Transcending the barriers of time, two 20-th century composers dialogue with a genius who lived centuries earlier. An immense painter, sculptor, architect, Michelangelo (1475-1564) wrote poetry expressing turmoil, restlessness, personal and professional anger, written in an energetic and passionate language. Both Dimitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten found inspiration in his texts, and by setting them to music they show their own feelings in a highly personal and characteristic way. - This new recording presents the "7 Sonnets Op. 22" by Benjamin Britten, and the Michelangelo Suite Op. 145 by Dimitri Shostakovich, both intensely expressive and dramatic, each in his own unique musical language. - Sung by Mark Milhofer and Mirco Palazzi, Marco Scolastra is their piano partner. Mark Milhofer's recording of the Folk Songs by Britten for Brilliant Classics received many excellent reviews, including a "Recommended Recording of the Month" on Musicweb.

- Jean Langlais (1907-1991) was a French composer and organist famous for his sacred music and his role as organist at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris. - He was born on 15 February 1907 in La Fontenelle, Brittany, France. He lost his sight when he was only two years old due to untreated glaucoma. His disability did not prevent him from following his passion for music. He attended the National Institute of the Young Blind in Paris, where he studied piano and organ under Andre Marchal, and later the Paris Conservatoire, where he was a student of Marcel Dupre, Paul Dukas and Charles Tournemire. - In 1931, Langlais began teaching at the National Institute of the Young Blind, a position he held until 1976. His career as an organist took a major turn in 1945 when he was appointed titular organist at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Montmartre, a position he held until 1987. - Langlais was also a prolific composer. His musical output comprises over 250 works, including masses, motets, organ pieces, and chamber music. His compositional style combines elements of Gregorian, Baroque and modernism, characterized by a strong expressiveness and rich harmonic texture. - This new recording presents Langlais' complete works for trumpet and organ, a happy combination of s strongly melodic and a harmonic instrument. Presented are a set of Chorales, a Sonatina and series of small character pieces. - Played by Nicolas Bernard and Tommaso Mazzoletti, playing the Brondino Vegezzi-Bossi organ at St. Paul protestant church in Gland, Switzerland.

- The 20th century saw an immense and revolutionary development in musical styles and language, some radically parting from the fundamental musical traditions. This CD presents works for flute and piano by composers who adhered to their own, personal musical language, expressing only their own feelings of beauty, emotion and esthetics, without following current trends or theories. - Presented are the following composers: Rhene Baton, Francis Poulenc, Albert Roussel, Darius Milhaud, Ernst Krenek, Paul Hoffer, Samuel Barber, Ferenc Farkas, Franco Margola, Giuseppe Mule, Jean Michel Damase, Luciano Michelini: a very diverse selection of accessible, highly enjoyable music. - Gian-Luca Petrucci has been first flute in several of the top orchestras of Italy. He was professor at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. As a scholar he published monographs on several (Italian) composers: Mercadante, Briccialdi, Gazzelloni, de Lorenzo and Mozart. His previous recordings for Brilliant Classics include works by Frederick The Great (BC 96538), Bohm (96862) and Mercadante (BC 96152).

- Coming from a family of musicians, guitarist and composer Bruno Battisti D'Amario (Rome, 1937) received his artistic training at the Conservatorio Musicale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where he studied under Maestros Benedetto Di Ponio and Mario Gangi. - In 1960, he met Ennio Morricone, who involved him in many collaborations as lead guitarist (classical and electric) in the soundtracks of his films. He also took composition lessons from him, thus creating a solid working relationship that lasted more than 20 years. He has collaborated with composers such as Nino Rota, Armando Trovajoli, Luis Bacalov, Nicola Piovani and others. - D'Amario knows the guitar perfectly, exploring all it's timbres and colours, creating fantastic soundscapes, sophisticated harmonies and flowing melodies. - Guitarist Adriano Sebastiani is a pupil and now close friend of D'Ammario, his playing shows deep knowledge and close affection for the idiom of this wonderfully original music. Riccardo Bini joins him in the works for guitar duo.

- An original and highly enjoyable program of works for bassoon and piano by romantic composers: the bassoon sonata Op. 9 by Gustav Schreck (1849-1918), the bassoon sonata by Anton Reicha (1770-1836), the Grande Sonate by Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) and the brilliant Introduction & Polonaise by Jules Demersseman (1833-1866). - Strongly melodious music of great beauty, a valuable homage to that neglected but highly expressive and versatile wind instrument, the bassoon! - Played by Paolo Carlini, bassoon and Fabrizio Datteri, piano. Paolo Carlini is one of the foremost bassoon players of his generation, he recorded extensively as a soloist for labels Sony Classical, CPO, CHANDOS, Brilliant Classics, Stradivarius, Naxos, Tactus, EMA Records.