An Italian castrato, pianist, voice teacher, and concert impresario, Venanzio Rauzzini was on top of it all a respected and highly accomplished composer of operas. Prior to the beginning of his compositional career, Rauzzini made his professional opera debut at the Teatro Valle in Rome in 1765. He made a good living portraying female characters. He even got the attention of W. A. Mozart, who reacted with delight when he heard Rauzzini singing and offered him the role of primo uomo in his Lucio Silla, in Milan, before composing the motet Exsultate Jubilate especially for him. This album presents some of the finest work from Ruazzini’s operas, beautifully sung, and accompanied by the superb Hungarian period instrument orchestra Capella Savaria, conducted by Mary Terey-Smith. Capella Savaria has been performing together since 1981. They specialize in music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and have performed across Europe in addition to their numerous recordings. They were recipients of the Liszt Prize in 1991.

Andrew Sparrow's Chiaroscuro Suite ranges from John Barry’s inspired rich orchestration and melodic style to classical piano, oboe and harp sonatas. Recorded in Prague in the Czech Republic at SONOS Studios in 2013. Produced and engineered by Pavel Karlik. Stephen Powell Music Services worked with Mr. Powell throughout 2013 on the orchestration of the work and preparation of the full score and parts prior to the recording. Marek Valáŝek (b. 1969), conductor of the Czech Film Orchestra is a Prague Conservatory teacher and principal organist of the Capuchin order in Hradčany, Prague.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Wanchi Huang performs some of the greatest literature for unaccompanied violin with great sensitivity and depth.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Italian organist Manuel Tomadin performs 6 superb sonatas for organ by CPE Bach. The organ is a great instument built in 1984-1985, , at the Church of St. Maria in Arona (Italy).

Ottorino Respighi (1789-1936) earned a special place as a composer of unusually colorful musical works. The Sonata in D minor from 1897 is suffused with the romantic spirit. The later Sonata in B minor (1917) is a more ambitious work that expresses a gigantic emotional range. The three song arrangements fit beautifully into the program from violinist Jameson Cooper and pianist Eli Kalman. Originally from Sheffield, England, Jameson Cooper began playing the violin at age 6. At 13 he joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and later became concertmaster of the National Youth Chamber Orchestra. He studied at The Royal Northern College of Music, where he earned a Graduate of Music Degree with Honors and a Professional Performance Diploma. He is a founding member and first violinist of the Euclid Quartet, with whom he has won numerous national and international chamber competition prizes and performed to critical acclaim across the country. Pianist Eli Kalman has performed extensively in Romania, Israel, Germany, Hungary, Japan, United States and Canada. Hailing from Romania and Israel, he was the recipient of the Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship for Excellence at UW-Madison. Prior to his teaching appointment at UW-Oshkosh in 2006, he has held educator positions on the piano faculty at the Center of Arts, Mizra in Israel and previously at the Lyceum of Arts, Baia Mare in Romania.

James Hewitt was born in Dartmoor, England on June 4, 1770. Hewitt worked as a violinist, conductor, teacher, organist, music publisher, and composer in New York and Boston, with several years in the South toward the end of his life. He left a substantial body of works for piano. All are included on this album, performed by pianist Karen Johnson, who has devoted much to her study of this significant composer's work. Kirsten Johnson is a piano explorer – she has made her name recording undiscovered corners of the classical piano repertoire. A highly skilled pianist with great musical depth, she has made many world premiere recordings and has received rave reviews internationally. Her first album, Këngë: Albanian Piano Music, had the critics marveling, ‘Johnson plays with nuance and color; the recording is rich and resonant.' (American Record Guide) ‘[Johnson] expounds all this repertoire with manifest sympathy and skill. An unexpected delight.' (BBC Music Magazine). She has since recorded more Albanian music, music by Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen and Hermann Goetz, the complete piano music of Amy Beach (Guild) and the complete music of Arthur Foote (Delos).

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music