This collection of rarely recorded Wagner repertoire, the master’s work for voice and piano, includes the famed Wesendonck-Lieder in both its original German and an Arrigo Boito Italian version. Also featured are the famed ‘Gretchen am Spinnrade’, ‘Melodram’, the complex ‘Dors, mon enfant’ and further works with texts by writers including Hugo, Heine, de Ronsard and Scheurlin. Michela Sburlati - ‘a fine dramatic soprano’ (NYT) and fellow Italian maestro Marco Scolastra perform. Booklet includes liner notes, sung texts and artist biographies.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s stature as a composer of extraordinary talent and widespread influence is so firmly established in Western culture that it is difficult to believe that only 150 years ago his works lay in veritable obscurity, unknown to all but a small group of scholars. It is largely thanks to Mendelssohn, who essentially effected a revival of the composer’s music through his rediscovery and promulgation of the St Matthew Passion, besides other pieces, that his works are today regarded as pinnacles of music expression. That they are among the most performed and widely attended is in no doubt; in Holland alone, thousands of singers and musicians are involved in dozens of performances of the St Matthew Passion in Holy Week, with hundreds of thousands listening in churches and concert halls, or gathered around the radio, to what has been described as ‘the Gospel according to Bach’.

Bringing together all of his works, this dynamic 142-CD set offers a resounding impression of this great spirit of our Western culture, presenting dynamic performances – many period-based, many acclaimed by the international press – that are divided according to genre, thus making for a highly user-friendly compendium. The set draws on all periods of his career, tracing the development of a style that was much influenced by contemporary and past fashions but which was always adapted to Bach’s own purpose, often far surpassing the models on which he drew. The German composer travelled a great deal from city to city, and the different circumstances of his various positions are reflected in the great range of works comprising his output: while his early years are dominated by much keyboard music, on account of the numerous organist posts he held during this period, later positions at various courts accorded him more personal and artistic freedom – in Cöthen, for example, Prince Leopold’s passion for music-making and his renowned resident orchestra resulted in a string of unforgettable works including the great Brandenburg Concertos, the Solo Cello Suites and the Well-Tempered Clavier Part 1, beside many others.

Bach was a master of all genres, whether sacred, secular, instrumental or vocal, and his oeuvre is a rich mixture of severe Baroque craftsmanship and expressive Romanticism. Thomas Zehetmair, Kristof Barati, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, René Jacobs, Peter Schreier and Lucia Popp are just a handful of the first-class performers and ensembles gracing this set. It is a collection not to be passed up.

R E V I E W S:

"Brilliant Classics embarked on a daring project in the year 2000, the year of the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's death: this budget label decided to release a complete set of Bach's works...some 65% of the 155 CDs in this set were newly recorded (the remainder was licensed from other labels), including Bach's almost 200 sacred cantatas...I highly recommend this set. I have recordings of all of Bach's works and yet I was delighted and surprised as I listened to the many pearls that I discovered here...if you like Bach's music, you owe it to yourself to get this - at its super-bargain price, even those recordings you don't like will not cause too much disappointment, but the quality of the excellent ones is such that you will certainly be delighted...If only to have the 60 CDs of sacred cantatas, and to discover what is an incredible collection of moving and memorable music, this set is worth having. Treat yourself to 160 CDs of Bach, then, take a few weeks off to enjoy this music." -- Kirk McElhearn, MusicWeb International, reviewing the original version of this set

"Brilliant's 2006 recordings of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, performed by Pieter-Jan Belder and the Netherlandish original instruments ensemble Musica Amphion, have been reissued several times as two separate discs, though the original release containing all six concertos maintains a separate existence as a budget release. This volume contains the Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049, the Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050, and the Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, BWV 1051, all played in clean and colorful period style and recorded in a resonant church acoustic that gives the music a fresh, lustrous ambience. Because this, like other titles in Brilliant's catalog, has the drab appearance of a poorly produced cost-cutter release, some collectors may pass it by, but that would be a mistake since these are exceptional performances that can give many of the better-known authentic renditions a run for the money. As leader of the group and performer on recorder and harpsichord, Belder offers intelligent and expressive interpretations that closely follow accepted Baroque practices, and though he and his fellow musicians aren't widely known outside the circle of listeners interested in early music, they can be respected for their musicianship and scholarly credentials. While these Brandenburgs may not be everyone's favorite performances in the end, they deserve attention from experienced listeners and newcomers alike." -- Blair Sanderson, AllMusic.com, reviewing the Brandenburg Concertos

"In their fusion of grand rhetoric, sharp technique, and obvious musical intelligence, Baráti’s readings of this bedrock literature recall both the most majestic and the most thoughtful ones from an earlier era. Urgently recommended, especially to those who honor that tradition and who lament its coming to a premature and unfortunate end." -- Robert Maxham, FANFARE, reviewing the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin

"Jaap ter Linden's traversal of the Bach cello suites is exceptionally fine; right across these discs, his playing never falters. His painstakingly researching interpretations are vividly spontaneous, yet unusually acerbic and philosophically probing." -- Classic CD, reviewing the Cello Suites

Today’s conception of bel canto is mainly founded on the beautiful and brilliant virtuoso arias of La Sonnambula, L’Elisir d’Amore, and the like; this recording introduces another, much lesser-known facet: bel canto da camera. Ariettas by two Italian 19th c. composers Mauro Giuliani and Girolamo Crescentini, neither counted among ‘bel canto’ greats such as Bellini and Donizetti, reveal the “subtlety of the human soul much more deeply,” argue the artists, “than in the brightest operas arias.”

Organ 4-hand arrangements of two exceedingly popular orchestral works performed by Emanuele Cardi & Gianfranco Nicoletti. A demonstration recording for the recently built (2011) Mascioni organ, Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano in Vairano Scalo, Italy Booklet contains liner notes and information about the organ specifications.

Brahms: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 3, Composer Johannes Brahms, Artist Gutman Trio, Sviatoslav Moroz violin, Natalia Gutman cello, Dmitri Vinnik piano, Format 1 CD, Here's an opportunity to hear two cornerstones of the chamber repertoire performed by one of today's leading ensembles, the Gutman Trio. The music in question: Brahms' First and Third Piano Trios, works which, separated by 33 years, effectively date from the extremes of the composer's career. A chronological gap such as this automatically invites judgment on stylistic development, and indeed No.1 in B major is a youthful work, one which succeeds in capturing the brave, witty and passionate nature of it's fictional dedicatee, E.T.A Hoffmann's Kapellmeister Kreisler. It's evident sophistication, however, is the fruit of a more mature composer, for Brahms - dissatisfied with the trio he had composed as a 20-year-old - decided to rework the music some 40 years later, seven years after writing his final effort in the form. As a result, this release offers a fascinating juxtaposition of Brahms the young composer and Brahms the master, one that isn't just limited to a comparison of the two works contained on the CD. Founded in 2000 by Natalia Gutman, a former pupil of Mstislav Rostropovich and who often performed with the piano titan Sviatoslav Richter, the Gutman Trio made it's highly successful debut in the international Oleg Kagan Music Festival in Kreuth, Bavaria, and has been thrilling audiences across the world ever since. The group has appeared at such prestigious venues at Geneva's Victoria Hall and the concert halls of the Moscow Conservatory and St Petersburg Philharmonic. This release marks their first recording for Brilliant Classics. Recorded 2012, Muzichi Studio, Kiev, Ukraine. The first of a series of recordings with the Gutman Trio. This recording presents the CD debut on Brilliant Classics of the Gutman Trio, named after Natalia Gutman, world famous cellist, one of the few surviving of the generation of 20th century soviet musicians, like Richter, Gilels, Kogan, Kagan, Rostropovich and Oistrakh. For their debut CD they chose two of the cornerstones of the romantic piano trio repertoire, the first and third piano trio by Brahms. The first trio Op. 8 is a gorgeous work from Brahms' early years, brimming with youthful passion and vitality; the third trio is in C minor mood, dark, grim and powerful.

This double-disc set of new recordings includes the world premier recording of Cello Sonata in A, composed by Britten as a boy of 13 years of age. A culminating release in celebration of Britten's centenary. The booklet's liner notes were written by the artists. 

Beethoven's oeuvre only comprises a small collection of works for cello and piano, but that the composer was an accomplished writer for this combination of instruments is evident from the fact that Jean-Louis Duport, one of Frederick II's court cellists and one of the most revered musicians of his day, incorporated many of the techniques found in the Op.5 sonatas into his instruction manual for cello. The two works each contain only two movements, and the absence of a slow movement was probably to avoid the problem of dynamic imbalance between the instruments (which would have been accentuated in adagio passages) -- something that is also the case with the Op.68 sonatas, composed in 1807. Only with the second Op.102 sonata does the composer finally replace the slow introduction, as found in No.1 and all of the above works, with a full-scale slow movement, one that precedes the massive fugal finale that was to form such an intrinsic part of Beethoven's late-period works.

Also featured are the three delightful sets of variations for cello and piano, each modelled on a different aria from Handel's opera Judas Maccabeus and Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and each (just like the sonatas) placing the piano on an equal footing with the cello throughout. The works are an engaging addition to a collection that marks the return of Israeli/Dutch cellist Timora Rosler and Hungarian pianist Klára Würtz, whose previous Brilliant Classics release 'Cello Rhapsody' (9157) was released to critical acclaim, and which provides a snapshot of the composer's stylistic development over a period of nearly 20 years.

Other information:
- Filling "only" two CD's, the complete works for cello and piano are quintessential and vintage Beethoven. The two youthful Opus 5 sonatas are written in virtuoso concerto style, with an especially glittering role for the piano (Beethoven was a tremendous pianist in his early years), the sonata Op. 69 is in the expansive, sonorous and deep-feeling tonal language of Beethoven's Middle-Period, whereas the two Late sonatas Op. 102 are marvels of originality, experiment, "quirkiness" and humanity.
- The two musicians Timora Rosler and Klára Würtz have been playing together for more than 15 years, having won several chamber music prizes. They performed the Beethoven cycle several times in concert over the years, and their interpretation has ripened to such an extent that the time came to record it. And here it is: every note alive and vibrant, played with gusto and feeling, alternating melancholy and joy, sadness and sheer fun.
- Contains notes on the music and detailed artist biographies.
- Recorded 19--23 January 2013, Sala congressi del Parco naturalistico di Onara, Padua, Italy.

The product of almost 20 years' work, a true fusion of many types of opera, thanks to the buffa elements of Till's trickster personality, the drama of Klaas' death, and the opera engage nature that introduces the characters of Charles V, Philip II and the Count of Egmont. This is the only recording of this significant work. In the title role is Boris Koudriavstev, and Katrina Mazo plays Till's fianc� alongside a native cast that contributes to this 'fascinating, important and inspiring issue' (Gramophone).

Tchaikovsky: Complete Music for Violin and Orchestra, Composer Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Artist Ilya Grubert violin, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Vassily Sinaisky conductor, Format 1 CD, One of the most widely performed works in the violinist's oeuvre, Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto has been the subject of many a release over the years. Here, rather refreshingly, it is joined by a host of other orchestral works written for the instrument: the quiet S�r�nade m�lancolique, created for the esteemed Hungarian violinist Leopold Auer and composed soon after the Piano Concerto No.1 in B minor; the Valse-scherzo, a charming divertissement with a gypsy flavor and strong rhythmic pulse - not to be confused with the much more famous version for solo piano; and finally Souvenir d'un lieu cher, whose middle movement was originally intended as the slow movement of the Concerto and which was later re-orchestrated by Glazunov out of the lesser known version for violin and piano. Interpreting these works is internationally renowned Ilya Grubert, winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition back in 1978 and described as 'a musician of exceptional talent, a violinist in the tradition of the great Russian virtuosos, possessed of a clear unwavering tone and an extraordinary technique.' (New York Times). He is supported by an all-Russian cast: the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Vassily Sinaisky - now Conductor in Residence at the Bolshoi Theatre. Recorded in Moscow, 1997. This CD presents one of the most popular and widely performed concertos, the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, logically coupled with the composer's other works for violin and orchestra, thus showing the two faces of the Russian master: the large scale, dramatic concerto form and the smaller scale genre pieces (Valse Scherzo, Souvenir d'un lieu cher), mildly melancholic and melodious, breathing the atmosphere of Russian aristocratic salons. Excellent performance by Ilya Grubert, prize winner of the 1978 Tchaikovsky Competition, supported by the all Russian forces of the Moscow Philharmonic under Vassily Sinaisky.

This collection provides a complete account of Robert Schumann's works for viola and piano. Schumann was a real innovator, who would often explore new instrumental combinations, sometimes bringing neglected or forgotten instruments back into the limelight. The works on this recording show just how many different moods the composer could evoke using the unusual combination of viola and piano, from the changeable nature of the Fantasiestücke Op.73 and the array of emotions portrayed in the Märchenbilder Op.113 to the passion of the Adagio and Allegro Op.70 and finally the intricacies of the Märchenerzählungen Op.132, with a little help from the clarinet.

The successful partnership of violist Lorenzo Falconi and pianist Sara Bacchini has been described by acclaimed performer, Pier Narciso Masi, as 'a real Duo, in the most complete sense of the word. Their profound understanding of chamber music is supported by considerable talent, sensitivity and personality, and they are great communicators.' They are joined for the recording by clarinettist Darlo Goracci.

Other information:
- New recording, recorded 31 October & 1 November 2012, Chiesa di Santa Cristina, Bologna.
- This disc brings together all Schumann's music featuring the viola as solo instrument.
- Robert Schumann, visionary Romantic, was also a very practical man, who wrote works which could be played on various solo instruments. For instance his Adagio and Allegro Op. 70 may be played on clarinet, oboe, cello or viola.
- These relatively late works of Schumann are on an intimate scale and present idyllic musical landscapes, the world of legends and fairytales.
- Beautifully performed by the Italian duo Lorenzo Falconi and Sara Bacchini.
- Contains liner notes on the pieces and biographies of the performers.

In the most complete edition possible, this recording features Mozart's horn concertos including the unfinished movements and the first movement of K412 in which Mozart wrote some scandalous text. Herman Jeurissen did all the research and is one of the top horn players in the world. The Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is conducted by an inspired Roy Goodman.

Musica ad Rhenum has earned a special place in the early music world, with critics describing the ensemble's performances as "cutting edge" and "exhilarating." the group are joined by a fantastic set of vocal soloists, with Johanette Zomer assuming the role of Aminta and Alexe Gregoriev playing Alexander the Great.

Recorded in the beautiful acoustics of the Villa Contucci in Montepulciano (2011 - 2012), by Eleonora Contucci, soprano, and veteran forte pianist Costantino Mastroprimiano, playing a superb Graf piano from 1826, since it's build, in the possession of the Contucci family. - Norbert Burgm�ller's early death in 1836 at the age of 26 was greatly lamented by his famous contemporaries Mendelssohn and Schumann, the latter comparing the tragedy of his death with that of Schubert. He was considered a major talent, and he left a substantial oeuvre of orchestral, vocal and instrumental works. This CD features his songs, and the grand scale Piano Sonata in F minor Op. 8 in the style of Weber and Hummel. His songs remind us of Schubert in their freshness and naturalness, though not without personal touches in some of the more daring modulations.

This release is centered around four cantatas taken from the composer's Harmonischer Gottesdienst ('Music for Religious Services'), a collection of cantatas for solo voice, flute, oboe or violin, and harpsichord that, on account of it's idiomatic writing for voice, it's relation to the instrumental parts and the many indications concerning interpretation, rests among the great achievements of the period. One of Telemann's characteristic skills was his ability to imbue the arias with the sort of brilliance that we normally associate with solo concertos (consider the radiance of the initial aria in Deine Toten werden leben), and this extends to his often virtuosic use of the recorder in the works - an instrument with which he was obviously familiar. Indeed, that Telemann was a more than competent player himself can be seen from the quality and quantity of music that he wrote for the recorder, and it is two of his lesser-known creations for the instrument - the E minor Partita and the Trio Sonata in G minor - which form the remainder of this highly engaging disc. Gemma Bertagnolli is widely considered to be one of the leading sopranos in Early Music. She is a favoured soloist of such celebrities as Rene Jacobs, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Fabio Biondi, Diego Fasolis, Trevor Pinnock, Ton Koopman, Ottavio Dantone and many others. Her voice is powerful, lyrical and passionate, always conveying the emotional message of the text. On this new recording (2012) Gemma joins the Early Music group of Stefano Bagliano, also a specialist in the field, in Cantatas for solo soprano, recorder and continuo, drawn from Die Harmonische Gottesdienst, brilliant works displaying vocal and instrumental virtuosity of a high level.

Costantino Mastroprimiano is once again our guide, creating an absorbing programme that effectively encapsulates the achievements of Clementi’s distinguished career. His consummate performances provide a fitting end to the series, one that confirms the Classical composer’s status as among the greatest innovators of the keyboard.