For his 80th birthday, Ton Koopman has chosen some of his favourite tracks from the many recordings he has made for Challenge Classics / Antoine Marchand since 2002. This is a celebratory collection in four parts: music for organ, for harpsichord, chamber music and recordings with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir. Ton Koopman: "It was, of course, an almost impossible task to draw up a selection from all of the CDs I have recorded for Challenge Records, but I have tried to choose works that are very close to my heart."

Osiris Trio 25

MENDELSSOHN, Felix: Organ Sonatas, Op. 65 (Van der Kooy)

Buxtehude, D.: Vocal Music, Vol. 2

Britten: War Requiem

Second and last instalment in Jan de Vriend and Stavanger Symphony Orchestra complete survey of Robert Schumann's symphonies. Such accomplished, high-class music-making makes the imminent follow-up with the Rhenish and Fourth Symphony en enticing prospect. Gramophone - UK (on CC 72958 - Symphonies nos. 1 & 2). de Vriend�strives for a balance between a magnificent orchestral sound and a transparent polyphony that also seeks to illuminate the complex inner life of Schumann's orchestral sound with brisk tempi. Rondo - DE (on CC 72958 - Symphonies nos. 1 & 2). Swagger and elegance. BBC Record Review�(on CC 72958 - Symphonies nos. 1 & 2)

The six trio sonatas recorded on this CD present the largest group of Zelenka's chamber music for a single ensemble. Despite their high quality they were forgotten for centuries; they were only rediscovered a few decades ago.�Our fascination for this rich and profound music has spurred us on to come closer on this CD to the special tonal language, evocative complexity, and audacious invention of Zelenka's music.

First volume of Beethoven's String Quartets survey by Narratio Quartet: the Six Quartets opus 18. Narratio Quartet plays on period instruments. But not only. They assume a radical position towards the performance practice. We experience a brand new listening thanks to the retrieval of long-time neglected attitudes: a more flexible concept of tempo, a restrained and cautious use of vibrato, the portamento as the main expressive tool. ?Two more boxes will follow: Middle String Quartets at the end of this year and Late String Quartets on Spring 2025

The Unknown Beethoven

Chamber Music (17Th Century) - Selma Y Salaverde, B. / Sweel

Hannenheim: Works for Viola and Piano

We are proud to present the fifth disc by Nino Gvetadze on Challenge Classics. After Chopin, Scott, Schumann and Beethoven, we get to Brahms. Nino has selected three masterpieces from three different periods of Brahms's life. Schumann's disc (CC 72855): BBC Music Magazine:"This is, quite simply, gorgeous." Gramophone:"Gvetadze's sensitivity to Schumann's vaunted 'inner voices' is unsurpassed"

The year 1860 represented a turning-point in Brahms's life: he issued a 'Manifesto' in which he distanced himself from the Romanticism of the 'New German School' epitomised by Liszt and their association with Wagner's music-dramas. This aesthetic change of heart placed an emphasis on hard work and craftsmanship rather than the more Romantic conception of inspiration, with Brahms taking a particular pride in being both German and a self-made man. This ethos is reflected in the Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24. Brahms's two Rhapsodies, Op. 79 were composed in 1879 and were dedicated to his friend Elisabet von Herzogenberg. The title may lull the listener into a false sense of whimsy, when in reality these pieces are founded on clear structural designs. Three Intermezzos Op. 117: Brahms wrote of these three Intermezzos to his friend Rudolf von der Leyen, describing them as 'Wiegenlieder meiner Schmerzen': 'lullabies of my sorrow'. Each has the character of a soliloquy or introspective personal reflection.

Nino Gvetadze about this album:"Throughout his life, Brahms was influenced by those he admired: the musicians he idolized, and the women with whom he formed powerful bonds. Clara Schumann represented both, and Nino Gvetadze explores their fascinating dynamic in The Muse. Brahms's Two Rhapsodies Op. 79 were dedicated to Elisabet von Herzogenberg, whose loss he mourned in the Intermezzos Op. 117; and he was inspired by Handel to write a phenomenal set of Variations dedicated to Clara Schumann – whose Op. 21 Romances date from a time that neither she nor Brahms would ever forget."

Accordionist Philippe Thuriot doesn't only play the repertoire that is specifically composed for his instrument. In the past, he has transposed the music of Francois Couperin and Johann Sebastian Bach for his instrument.�Scarlatti's Sonatas are�baroque gems, full of sparkling melodies and Spanish swing. Philippe Thuriot improvises these enchanting sonatas together and breathes new life into them with his accordion.

This new recording sets exceptional standards for the performance of classical works of historical interest Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, in the cello version by disciple Carl Czerny, is coupled with five of Ignaz Moscheles re-compositions of the Bach Preludes from the Well Tempered Clavier with obligato cello. Jelena Ocic concertizes internationally as a soloist with chamber and philharmonic orchestras, and as a recitalist in Eastern and Western Europe as well as the United States and Asia.

Classical Music