On the eve of a vigorous eightieth birthday, the most French of American musicians has chosen the Mus�e de la musique to assemble a host of young artists who are dear to him: William Christie has watched over their budding skills, and they have already become masters. This program celebrates the composers he has so passionately championed and, in some cases, brought back to life.

The musical legacy of the Bach family is inseparably linked to the progress in instrument making of the time, which was dominated by the Silbermann family. Offering a fascinating comparison between the two dynasties-composers vs. Organ builders and fortepiano makers-for this recording, Louis-No�l Bestion de Camboulas and Les Surprises used superb copies of Silbermann instruments, but also a magnificent original: the famous Silbermann organ at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Freiberg, Saxony.

Lovers of Moli�re are often deprived of an essential dimension of his output: the music! Several of his masterpieces, written in collaboration with Lully or Charpentier, regain their full meaning and profundity when heard with the original scores. In this respect, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants have been true pioneers for over forty years now: to accompany such legendary achievements as Le Malade imaginaire, they have recorded other, equally emblematic pieces from Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, George Dandin and Monsieur de Pourceaugnac specially for this new album.

Romain Leleu and his musical partner Julien Gernay, captivated by the sounds of the unique instruments in the Mus�e de la musique, invite us on a whirlwind tour around the land of the French trumpet and cornet. Other musicians have joined them to add a touch of horn and trombone to these pieces, whether originals or transcriptions of emblematic works from a 'Belle �poque' indeed.

Harmonia mundi is proud to welcome the exceptional countertenor Carlo Vistoli as a new exclusive artist. Here he joins the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin to explore some of Vivaldi's finest sacred music. Alongside the famous Nisi Dominus and Stabat Mater, the quasi-operatic motet, In furore, shows the extravert, theatrical side of Vivaldi's genius, for the purposes of edification, to be sure, but also for our greater delight.

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Soprano Sabine Devieilhe's signature operatic role, Lakm�, forms the starting point for her enticing albumMirages. A collection of opera and song in French, it's theme is the exotic allure of faraway - and imagined - places and people. In addition to three numbers from Delibes' opera, it features music by Berlioz, Debussy and Stravinsky and some rarer names: Thomas, Messager, Koechlin and Delage. Devieilhe is joined by mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa, pianist Alexandre Tharaud and the period-instrument orchestra Les Si�cles under it's founder, Fran�ois-Xavier Roth.

O Lungo Drom translates as 'The Long Road' in Romanes. This large-scale work, scored for a chamber ensemble including soprano, baritone, flute, clarinet, cimbalom, piano and string quartet, integrates texts from all around the world into an oratorio to create a Lied of the scattered Sinti and Roma. Members of the minority have lived in Europe for over 700 years. Since that time, they have been subjected to constant discrimination and persecution - punctuated by infernal periods of enslavement and genocide. 'The Long Road' is a road of longing, of yearning, a path that leads to and from remembrance; each step and footprint on this road, imbued with a profound sense of Fernweh, embraces hope and beauty through resilience and consolation. O Lungo Drom sets the words of thirteen different poets and writers from this minority in ten languages and Romanes dialects. Full texts and translations are included.

AGE OF BEL CANTO

ROMANTIC FRENCH ARIAS

This is the first complete recording of MacDowell's art songs. Between 1883 and 1902 he composed a total of 42 songs, which were, however, published out of chronological sequence. The earliest in opus number, the Two Old Songs, Opus 9, were actually the eighth group of songs MacDowell wrote. MacDowell's songs in their order of composition, marked a change in technical style. The earliest, dating from 1883, are full and opulent, but he soon began cutting back the piano score to the merest background for the vocal line. The earliest songs were composed in 1883 and published as Opp. 11 and 12 by C.F. Kahnt in Leipzig. In 1898 Breitkopf & Hartel reprinted the five songs as one set. Heinrich Heine is the author of the poems for Du liebst mich nicht (You Love me Not), Oben, wo die Sterne gluhen (The Skies, where Stars are Glowing) and Mein LiebGhen (My Love and I sat Close Together). The texts for the two songs of Opus 12 are by Emanuel Geibel and Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. MacDowel1 was still very much under the influence of Raff and these five early songs are fairly Germanic in both style and beauty and some biographers have even compared them stylistically to early Richard Strauss.

Limited 14CD box set. The ultimate tribute to Paul Robeson, singer, stage and film actor, all-American football player, lawyer, and advocate for civil rights. Blacklisted and erased from American history, many of Robeson's recordings in the U.S. remained unreleased - until now. Special 14-CD edition, documenting his complete major-label discography, recorded 1925-1947. First release of Robeson's groundbreaking Victor recordings on CD, 16 recordings reissued for the first time, 5 previously unreleased. First restoration of Robeson's famous 1944 Othello stage production with Uta Hagen and Jos� Ferrer from the original 33 master disc sides. His complete remastered Columbia albums (Songs of Free Men, Popular Favorites, Spirituals). First release of his historic 1958 recitals at Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, New York, and Royal Albert Hall, with 30 previously unissued recordings. Richly illustrated 160-page book with essays by Shana L. Redmond and Susan Robeson, a wealth of photos and facsimiles from the archives of The Paul Robeson Trust, the Academy of the Arts, Berlin, and Columbia Records, plus complete discographical notes.

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