Duo Gelland was founded in 1994 by the spouses Cecilia Gelland and Martin Gelland, bringing their individual perspectives on contemporary and early repertoire to the ensemble. This recording of their interpretations of four Vivaldi's Sonatas for Two Violins celebrates the Red Priest's physical, virtuosic approach to the instrument. Duo Gelland fills their performances with daring, lithe ornamentation and expressive subtlety and variation not often heard in contemporary readings of these works.

Matilda Lloyd and Richard Gowers, recital partners for more than a decade, present a diverse programme of music for trumpet and organ. Transcriptions of baroque works are interspersed with four world-premiere recordings of new works by British composers commissioned for the album. Matilda writes: 'Welcome to our world of Fantasia - an imaginative exploration of the long-established combination of trumpet and organ. Featuring five types of trumpet in seven different keys and the newly refurbished organ of the Abbey Church at Waltham Abbey, this album explores a myriad of sounds that will ignite the imagination and enchant the ear!'

Written for the wedding celebrations in Venice of Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska, Vivaldi's serenade La Gloria e Imeneo offers a wonderful synthesis of his mid-1720 style and shines a light on two captivating voices, those of Teresa Iervolino and Carlo Vistoli. Truly enchanting! The album will be released exactly 300 years after the work was first released. // Resuming it's exploration of a less well-known side of the Red Priest's music, the Vivaldi Edition again explores the territory of the serenades by entrusting the neglected La Gloria e Imeneo to Andrea Buccarella and his Abchordis Ensemble, already champions of the Serenata a tre, issued two years ago (OP7901). And what a revelation it is! Andrea Buccarella nails the work with his thoughtful phrasing, always full of life, fleet of foot, and expressive (for instance in Ognor colmi d'estrema dolcezza), inspiring the two singers to a level of intensity which stays with one. From the start his quicksilver direction of the Concerto for strings in F major (Allegro) is gripping, reaching unique heights in the two protagonist-heroes' short and ebullient duetto Vedro sempre la pace. And impossible to forget Gloria's aria Alle amene, franche arene, transfigured by the amber-shaded mezzo of the charismatic Teresa Iervolino, or again Carlo Vistoli's utterly sensual decorations in Imeneo's aria Care pupille! Like Vivaldi's other Serenades preserved in the body of volume 27 of the Fonds Fo� collection in Turin - the Serenata a 3 (1718) and La Sena festeggiante (1726) - La Gloria e Imeneo (1725) was written for a French patron, specifically Jacques-Vincent Languet, Count of Gergy (1667-1734) and France's ambassador to Venice between 1723 and 1731. With La Gloria e Imeneo, performed during the course of a splendid feast on 12 September 1725 at the French Embassy in Venice, Languet celebrated the wedding of Louis XV and the Polish Princess Marie Leszczynska, which had taken place at Fontainebleau some days earlier. The two allegorical characters, Gloria and Imeneo compete with each other in praising the royal couple. Written by an unknown author, the tightly knit libretto celebrates the political significance of the wedding and it's impact upon the royal dynasty and the descendants to be spawned by the union, as well as the peace and prosperity it will bring to the kingdom. Far from aping the French style, typified by the dotted rhythms of the Lully overture, with La Gloria e Imeneo Vivaldi rather presents a wonderful synthesis of his mid-1720s approach, and his painting of human emotions remains irresistibly charming.

Please, enjoy one of the most appealing and thought-provoking Baroque discs of the year. It contains a selection of the sonatas drawn from Pisendel's library, the best of Italian and German violin schools. This is the debut album of an outstanding baroque violinist coming from the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The recording is the fruit of an in-depth scholar work, of a virtuoso violinist accompanied by a raising star of the harpsichord - to which the expertise of a top sound engineer and producer is added.

In September 2025 Fretwork return with an album of works for Viol by John Jenkins. Jenkins was a highly active and productive composer who lived through a period of significant transformation in English music, with his lifetime spanning from the era of William Byrd to that of Henry Purcell. He is particularly known for his contributions to the viol consort fantasia, drawing inspiration in the 1630s from a previous generation of English composers such as Alfonso Ferrabosco the Younger, Thomas Lupo, and Orlando Gibbons. His work is distinguished by it's rich lyricism, exceptional craftsmanship, and a unique approach to tonality and counter- point. In 2025 Fretwork commemorate the sudden and untimely death of Orlando Gibbons (My Days, SIGCD897), and celebrate the 90th year of Arvo Part with concerts and recordings. In these last decades, they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music from Taverner to Purcell, made classic recordings against which others are judged, and commissioned an entirely new repertory of music for viols. They will celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2026.

Wilhelm Taubert was a significant composer and teacher in Berlin during a period when the city began to rival Vienna and Paris as a European musical powerhouse. Though it was also a time when the piano had reached it's zenith in size and tonal depth, Taubert's graceful, conservative style was perfectly suited to the instrument. His sonatas fuse Beethovenian elements with those of Weber, and feature slow movements that draw on rich operatic lyricism reminiscent of Rossini or Cherubini.

This album presents orchestral works by three French composers who saw Spain as a paradise of warmth, fragrance and colour, whether real or imagined. From the vivid evocations of Debussy's Images and Ibert's Escales, to the dances and landscapes that inspired Ravel's Rapsodie espagnole, these masterpieces of Impressionism show the considerable impact Spanish culture had on French composers in the early 20th century.

Julius Benedict studied with Hummel and Weber, beginning as a virtuoso pianist and then becoming a conductor and operatic composer. In 1835 he moved to England where he spent the next 50 years as a much-admired composer, teacher and writer. His most famous work is the opera The Lily of Killarney but the music for his own instrument displays a precocious talent. This is most evident in the Piano Sonata No. 1 in E major, where novelty and beguiling modulations co-exist with the influence of his teachers. The smaller pieces exhibit his taste, finesse and maturity, while the Andante and Rondo Brillante is a glittering showpiece.

Francisco Mignone became a leading figure in the Brazilian music scene after his return in 1929 following lengthy studies in Europe. His four Fantasias Brasileiras for piano and orchestra are part of his nationalist phase, with the first in the cycle initiated by soloist Joao de Souza Lima, who asked Mignone for a work with Brazilian flavour. These works share a festive and exuberant style to which the composer would return in his Burlesca e Toccata, which requires acrobatic virtuosity from the soloist in music that surprises by juxtaposing atonality with popular themes.

This new recording from the Diversions label presents a focused showcase of the vocal music of Chicago-based composer Doug Lofstrom. Featuring baritone Ryan de Ryke, soprano Kim Jones, tenor Ryan Townsend Strand, pianist Daniel Schlosberg, and a fantastic session chamber orchestra, the album includes the world premiere recordings of three song cycles-Three Sandburg Songs, All Must End, and Myths and Accidents-as well as the first recorded excerpts from Lofstrom's opera Two Soldiers. The collaboration began in 2014 when Lofstrom met de Ryke and Schlosberg during a guest lecture. Their artistic rapport led to these deeply expressive song cycles, culminating in the revival of Two Soldiers-originally premiered in 1990 and reimagined in 2020 during the COVID pandemic with updated vocal and orchestral scoring. The opera, a sweeping tale of destiny and survival set in WWII, follows two soldiers-one Russian, one German-through a world in upheaval. Doug Lofstrom has been a creative force in American music since the 1970s. A former composer-in-residence for the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra and musical director of Free Street Theater, his works span symphonic, jazz, theater, and dance genres. He has written for the St. Louis, Atlanta, and Oregon Symphonies, Pittsburgh Ballet, and more. Vocal music has increasingly taken center stage in his work, often written for ensembles he helped form or inspire. Ryan de Ryke, praised for his versatility and rich musicality, has appeared at Aldeburgh, Aix-en-Provence, and Edinburgh festivals, with acclaimed roles in oratorio, opera, and art song. He's an alumnus of prestigious institutions including the Peabody Conservatory and Royal Academy of Music. Daniel Schlosberg, GRAMMY�-nominated pianist and composer, is a prominent voice in both classical and contemporary music. Known for championing new music and art song, he's collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and led acclaimed projects across the U.S. and Europe. His release 40@40 with soprano Laura Strickling reached #1 on the Billboard classical chart. This compelling release is a bold presentation of new American vocal music, captured by some of today's most insightful interpreters.

In the discussion on women and classical music, perhaps no other instrument draws such a strong association with feminine stereotypes as the harp. Once the instrument of choice for respectable young ladies, it was considered suitable for the domestic sphere and the world of private salons. And yet, as the harp made it's way out of the home and into the concert hall, it's publicity was championed by male performers, playing the music of male composers. Often overlooked are the women-performers and composers alike-who revolutionized the instrument and gave it a solo voice. Birds of Paradise celebrates the artistic voices of women as both performers and creators. This album showcases living composers Reena Esmail and Angelica Negron and legendary harpist and composer Henriette Renie. Featured works include Renie's Trio, the first major work written for this combination of instruments, alongside the world premiere recording of Negron's Ave del paraiso and the first recording of Esmail's Saans as arranged for harp, violin, and cello. Listeners are invited to experience this dynamic sound world, full of color and warmth, created and performed by women.

Berlin is the focus of this eighth volume of the History of the Russian Piano Trio, which features two Russian composers who lived in the city. Nikolai Lopatnikoff's symphonies were premiered by Bruno Walter and Serge Koussevitzky, and he was once ranked alongside Stravinsky. Lopatnikoff's Piano Trio in A minor is an archetypal example of Russian modernism, unparalleled in it's use of allusions, tonalities and form. Paul Juon's Suite in C major is full of elegant and vivid theatrical imagery, while his Piano Trio No. 1 in A minor employs charming stylised folk material influenced by Brahms.

25-year-old rising American violinist Karisa Chiu, noted for her "easy virtuosity... humor, nuance... [and] playful[ness]" (Cleveland Classical), and renowned Chinese-American pianist Zhu Wang ("a thoughtful, sensitive performer" -New York Times) unite for Chiu's debut album, HOME. Influenced by her Chicago upbringing, pandemic discoveries, and Korean and Chinese family roots, the recording reflects on the various interpretations of "home" in Chiu's life, with works by Jean Sibelius, Claude Debussy, Augusta Read Thomas, Cyril Scott, and Gabriel Faure. A finalist in Cedille Records' inaugural Emerging Artist Competition in 2021, Chiu earned her Bachelor's degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and her Master's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein. She is the first new solo violinist to record for Cedille in 20 years. Although raised in a Swedish-speaking family, Jean Sibelius chose to root his artistic identity in Finnish culture. Written between 1915 and 1918, his Five Pieces blend Finnish folk influences with the elegance of salon music, reflecting a personal and creative claim of Finland as home. Composed in wartime exile and performed at his final public appearance, Debussy's Violin Sonata (1916-1917) is both a farewell and a return. Intended as part of a larger French sonata cycle, the work reaches toward distant tonalities and Iberian influences, yet remains anchored in a deeply personal language - a reflection on home as something both fragile and enduring. A lyrical, chant-inspired solo for violin, Thomas' Incantation unfolds with patience and quiet intensity. Chiu first encountered the work years before recording it, eventually collaborating with Thomas during her time as composer-in-residence at Curtis. With Thomas's deep ties to Chicago, the piece became a personal emblem of home - bridging Chiu's roots in the Windy City and a new sense of belonging at Curtis. In Kreisler's arrangement of Cyril Scott's dreamy Lotus Land, Chiu's violin floats above Zhu Wang's shimmering textures, rich with whole-tone and pentatonic color. Inspired by Tennyson's The Lotos-Eaters, the piece offers a brief, sensual escape, where lyricism and stillness evoke a world apart. Discovered by Chiu during the pandemic - a strange yet meaningful chapter in her life - the work recalls a fleeting but formative anchor amid uncertainty. Faure's Violin Sonata No. 1 balances classical structure with sweeping emotion and introspective calm - a work of youthful maturity. Chiu performed it during a return trip to Korea with her mother, reconnecting with family and cultural roots. The sonata evokes not only Faure's early voice but also a powerful emotional link to memory and belonging.

Their third duo album on Signum Classics, Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson perform Beethoven's Sonatas 2 and 10. Uniquely for the A Major sonata Op 12 No 2 they use a copy of an 1805 Walter (a Viennese fortepiano), and for Sonata No 10 op. 96 they use a copy of an 1819 graf, both by Paul McNulty. Together with violin strung with gut, these instruments are what Beethoven's music craves, giving a rich texture and distinct colours between the registers. ?�"'Optimistic, ebullient and inexhaustibly inventive' is how the pianist Alasdair Beatson describes the three Beethoven sonatas on this disc - and that is exactly how they come across in these performances with the violinist Viktoria Mullova. The sense of rustic abandon they create in this work is infectiously gleeful."�- The Guardian ? Recording ? Performance�"Their dazzling playing captures all the music's wit and brilliance"�- BBC Music Magazine

Statistics reveal a bleak picture of the limited impact of female composers in all areas of classical music. Yet there are so many treasures to be unearthed! We aim to rediscover this wonderful music, which was thought to have been forgotten, and to perform as much of it as possible. The fact that these works also enrich the constantly growing yet comparatively small body of repertoire written for cello and piano is, of course, a bonus.