The fruitful partnership between the Alpha label, the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and the Palazzetto Bru Zane continues with this set of chamber music by Anton Reicha, performed by the musicians of the Chapel, young talents of an exceptionally high standard, ready and willing to take up the challenge of this music. A key figure of the early nineteenth century, this Czech composer who became a naturalised French citizen did not leave his contemporaries indifferent. Both his music and his theoretical writings set zealous partisans against fierce detractors. This three-part album, assembling pieces from different genres and periods, gives an insight into the richness of the composer’s extremely prolific output of chamber music, whose originality can still fascinate us nearly two centuries after his death: it illustrates the diversity of the instrumental genres he tackled (sonatas, fugues, études and variations for piano; piano trio, string quartet, string quintet) and a compositional art characterised at once by perfect mastery – as one would expect from someone trained by Haydn in Vienna between 1802 and 1808 – and by the greatest originality.

Ernest Chausson is a most unusual figure in French music, positioned at the crossroads where the romanticism of Berlioz and Franck meet the language of Wagner and the symbolism of the young Debussy. His Poème de l’amour et de la mer is a unique score for the period and certainly his greatest work; simultaneously a profane, naturistic cantata, a monologue, and a song cycle, it was composed between 1882 and 1892 to poetry by Maurice Bouchor, a longstanding friend of Chausson. Véronique Gens is recording this cycle for the first time, although she has already issued ‘Le temps des lilas’ with Susan Manoff at the piano for her album Néère, about which Ernst Van Bek wrote in Classiquenews: ‘Chausson’s “Le temps des lilas” mesmerises with the nuancing of its colors, the allusive precision of every sung word: this ecstatic, depressive prayer represents another peak of French post-Wagnerianism. The song uninterruptedly expresses the profound, accursed languor of overcharged spirits. The tact and sense of style that Gens displays, is proof of her remarkably acute understanding of the veiled references.’ Clément Taillia, in Forum Opera, spoke of ‘all the art of a song that desires to express itself…’ Véronique Gens’ talent is equally on display in this recording too, with the Orchestre National de Lille – an orchestra she already knows well – under Alexandre Bloch, its new chief conductor, whose appointment and first concerts and recordings have already caused a sensation. We can confidently predict that these two artists will be collaborating again in the near future… The Symphony in B flat major completes this programme: a summit of French symphonic writing, for some a milestone as important as the Symphony in D of Chausson’s teacher César Franck!

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REVIEWS:

A performance that ranks, unquestionably, among the finest to date. Superbly sung, and wonderfully well conducted and played by Alexandre Bloch and his Lille orchestra, this is an interpretation of great beauty and insight. Gens’s dark tone and her ability to fuse sound with sense allow her both to encompass the work’s rapturous lyricism and to map out the psychological subtlety of its depiction of the painful end of an affair.

– Gramophone

Lovers of French Romantic music will be in their element with this Chausson album. Eminent soprano Véronique Gens gives a quite stunning performance of the beautiful Poème de l’amour et de la mer and Alexandre Bloch and his players are in impressive form with the Symphonie.

– MusicWeb International

The Chineke! Orchestra return to Signum in a new live orchestral recording from the Royal Festival Hall, London. Drawn from exceptional musicians from across the continent, the orchestra is part of the Chineke! Foundation – a non-profit organization that provides career opportunities to young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Their motto is ‘Championing Change and Celebrating Diversity in Classical Music’. The Chineke! Orchestra is the brainchild of Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, FRAM, who says: “My aim is to create a space where BME musicians can walk on stage and know that they belong, in every sense of the word. If even one BME child feels that their color is getting in the way of their musical ambitions, then I hope to inspire them, give them a platform, and show them that music, of whatever kind, is for all people.” In this live concert recording under conductor Roderick Cox they perform Sibelius’s 2nd Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3, featuring multi-award-winning pianist Gerard Aimontche.

In 1906, Nathan “Tossy” Spivakovsky was born in Odessa. A child prodigy, with his elder brother Jascha, a pianist, they toured Europe as the Spivakovsky Duo. At only 18, Spivakovsky was spotted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, and he became the youngest concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1940, Spivakovsky emigrated to the U.S and made his New York debut at Town Hall. Two years later he became concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra under Artur Rodzinski. Obviously he was one of the top violinists of the Twentieth Century. Since childhood, Spivakovsky had a special interest in the way Bach repertoire for solo violin should be played. Although most violinists arpeggiate chords, Spivakovsky had become convinced early on that this was not what Bach intended. Upon realizing that Bach wanted certain chords in his solo violin works played without arpeggiation, he wrote an article entitled "Polyphony in Bach’s Works for solo Violin," published in 1967 in The Music Review, Vol. 28, No. 4., in which he provided the evidence for Bach’s preference. He later acquired a curved Vega Bach Bow from Knud Vestergaard, of Denmark, which enabled him to perform with increased ease, sonority and smoothness of tone. The New York Times, describing Spivakovsky's performance of the Bach on April 1, 1963, wrote: "Tossy Spivakovsky demonstrated again his impressive artistry, and his use of the curved bow gave his performances unusual interest. ... The violinist's use of the curved bow had its most persuasive results in the great Chaconne." This set contains a distinctive performance: Spivakovsky’s interpretation of the Bach Chaconne using the VEGA BACH-Bow had never been released or available on record until now. We are therefore pleased to present here a brilliant live broadcast by Radio Stockholm from 1969. His playing is simply magnificent and attests to Spivakovsky’s genius as a magical new dimension is added to Bach’s violin music.

Classical Music

Joseph-Marie-Clement Dall'Abaco (1710 - 1805) was an Italian/Flemish composer and cellist. Little is known about his life, but we do know that he travelled and performed as a cellist. He also wrote for cello, and these works clearly show his great mastery. Performing these pieces is Charles Rasmussen. Charlie Rasmussen enjoys an active career as both a modern and Baroque cellist and as a teacher at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Mr. Rasmussen was previously on faculty at the Talent Education Suzuki School in Norwalk, CT where he taught private and group cello lessons, musicianship classes, and coached chamber ensembles. Mr. Rasmussen strives to help his students develop a lifelong passion for music and cello playing. Mr. Rasmussen holds a Masters of Music in Cello Performance from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (UNCG), where he was a graduate assistant and studied with Dr. Alexander Ezerman. He also received a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Music Theory from UNCG. Before his studies at UNCG, Mr. Rasmussen graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in music from Luther College where he studied with Dr. Eric Kutz. Mr. Rasmussen studied the Suzuki Method with Carol Tarr at the University of Denver, and he is trained to teach Books 1-10 through the Suzuki Association of the Americas.

The Antwerp Symphony Orchestra is proud to present it's new album, Religious Tetralogy, featuring four works by the Flemish composer Peter Benoit. This recording of Noel, Messe solennelle, Te Deum, and Requiem, which Benoit thought of as components in a tetraptych of sacred pieces, continues the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra's Benoit cycle, which it launched in 2013 with a recording of the oratorio de Schelde. As an officially recognized Flemish cultural institution, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra has a remit to preserve and disseminate Flemish musical heritage, and this cycle forms part of that mission. Recording for the Religious Tetralogy started in 2015, and continued for four years at various locations in Antwerp. Messe solennelle, Te Deum and Requiem were performed in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp, during the 2015 and 2016 traditional cathedral concerts. Noel was recorded a year later, in 2017, at the Church of St. Charles Borromeo in Antwerp. Each performance was led by a different conductor: Martyn Brabbins (Messe solennelle and Te Deum), Edo de Waart (Requiem) and Jan Willem de Vriend (Noel).

The Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, San Francisco, under the direction of conductor Benjamin Bachmann, present a program spotlighting 20th century composers and choral arrangers in the Anglican choral tradition. The voice of a cathedral choir soaring upward like the great building it fills is a thrill and an inspiration to even the most unmusical listener. Grace Cathedral has had a men’s choir since its founding in 1906, but it was not until 1913 that boy’s voices were added. The centuries-old Anglican tradition of a men and boys choir has since blossomed here, as one of a handful of such choirs in the US. The Cathedral music staff oversees an extensive program of choir rehearsals (including mixed-voice volunteer choirs), music classroom work with the choristers, education for the cathedral congregation, concerts, choir tours, and a wide variety of other musical activities in the life of this cathedral and beyond. The choir tradition continues to flourish into Grace Cathedral’s second hundred years, inspiring those who are privileged to hear it, and bringing back fond memories to old choristers.

Julius Berger writes of his new release: "Johann Sebastian Bach’s suites for cello solo are arguably the purest form of music, works that require no explanation or background knowledge. Johann Sebastian Bach made one of his most profound affirmations, a Gradus ad Parnassum, which in six stages sets out an intellectual and technical challenge that is and will probably remain peerless in the history of music for our instrument. My colleague and friend, Prof. Peter Langgartner from the Mozarteum University of Salzburg pointed out to me that the Prelude of the first suite contains Luther’s chorale “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her” (from Heaven above, from thence I come). I had always presumed so and was grateful for confirmation that the cello suites make allusions to chorales and religious messages. I have therefore found a musical way of opening a spiritual door to the suites and added chorales to Suites 1, 3, and 5 in the mould of sounds from John Cage’s work One 8, chorales that in my opinion are definitely consistent with messages conveyed in the suites. I find that John Cage’s music shares similarities with Bach’s. His music allows for inner reflection, providing a contemplative point of calm. Cage said the purpose of music is “to cleanse the soul and bring it peace, thus making it amenable to divine influences”. My son Immanuel intones the chorales to this special music; each chorale is followed by two Bach suites."

This is an amazing program of piano works by contemporary Italian composer Roberto Piana, brilliantly played by Italian pianist Antonio-Pompa-Baldi, who now has nearly 20 albums on the Centaur label. This album consists of two major works: 25 Preludi Pittorici, and Piano Sonata. Antonio Pompa-Baldi is an award-winning concert pianist and a beloved professor of music at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Maestro Pompa-Baldi’s talent is powered by boundless technical prowess and a genuine love of music. We hope this website gives you a worthy preview of his art. “Pompa-Baldi demonstrated both brilliance and structural insight… He also showed himself to be an ensemble player of considerable sensitivity, seeming to relish the partnership of other instruments.” (The Boston Globe)

This album features a group of contemporary art songs by Korean women composers, all commissioned by The Korean Society of Women Composers. These songs are brought to life by Korean soprano Kyoung Cho, and Korean-Canadian bass Won Cho. Internationally acclaimed Korean soprano Kyoung Cho has established a reputation in diverse regions of Asia, Europe, The Mid-East, and North America. Critics praised her performances as “Sublimely beautiful, transcendent, serene, dazzling, and heavenly” and “Refined tone color and dignified sound, which effectively expressed an appeal that penetrated the heart.” Korean-Canadian Bass Won Cho is in demand in both concert and operatic repertoire worldwide thanks to the unique range and beauty of his voice as well as his outstanding acting ability and strong stage presence, appearing with many of the opera houses and orchestras of the US, Canada, Europe, Mid East, Asia, and his native Korea. Critics hailed Cho’s performances as “expertly played whose deep tones vibrate the seats,” “one wished the score let him sing his overcoat aria twice,” “Won Cho steal(s) the show,” “deep resonant mellifluous sound," "he sang with a grave, classic beauty," “a particularly dark, melodic yet rafter-ringing bass that is worth the price of admission all by itself.”

When Michael Nyman started reinventing the English baroque back in the 1980s, one critic described the result as “pump- action Purcell”. This recording combines these two singular musical styles through the stunning voice of countertenor Iestyn Davies and viol consort Fretwork, serving as the bridge across three centuries. The programme combines bold harmonies, wondrous inventions, and melodies that will haunt your dreams – whether from the 17th century or the 21st. Recorded following a concert tour of the programme, the release includes the premiere recording of a new commission from Michael Nyman, Music after a While – based upon Purcell’s song, or more particularly upon its strikingly original bass-line, with its insidious rising chromatics. This was a near-perfect concert, contrasting two composers whose links are stronger than many people might think and performed by musicians at the top of their profession.” Early Music Reviews, following a concert of the programme.

Japanese pianist Mari Asakawa has made a beautiful album of the works of Carter and Babbitt. She has the full measure of these works, this album presents these superb pieces in the best possible light. Mari began her piano studies in Japan at the age of five, and in 1980 moved to the United States. At the age of 15, she won the Westchester Competition, performing the Grieg concerto, followed by a performance of the Bach concerto at Alice Tully Hall. She earned a Bachelor's degree at the Julliard School, where she studied with Georgy Sandor, and received a Masters of Music at Yale University. In 1998, she moved to Italy, continuing her studies with Bruno Mezzena at the Accademia Musicale Pescarese, earning a diploma of the highest honor. Most recently, she was appointed to a teaching position at the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, where she teaches piano performance.

This new release features a wonderful programme of art songs from Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil, sung by soprano Carrie deLapp-Culver accompanied by pianist Brian Dykstra. Carrie deLapp Culver, soprano, is an Associate Professor and Director of Vocal Studies at The College of Wooster. She received degrees from the University of Missouri and the University of Northern Colorado in Voice Performance and Pedagogy. An active performer, she has presented recitals of Spanish-language art songs across the United States and in Barcelona, Madrid and Guadarrama, Spain. She has published articles on this repertoire and has produced a recording, Sonidos Sureños, with pianist Brian Dykstra for the Centaur Label. Her performance credits include solo roles in many concert works such as the Poulenc Gloria, Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate and Requiem Mass, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and with the El Paso Opera and the Colorado Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. She has also performed with the Cleveland Chamber Choir and the Cleveland and Atlanta Symphony Chamber Choruses. With colleagues Denise Krain and Peter Mowrey, she performs with Modern Muse, whose chamber music performances highlight contemporary music for soprano, flute and piano.

The Sinfonia Concertante for piano and orchestra, Op.38, was written in 1934-1936 and revised and rescored in 1942-1943. The composer himself was the soloist in the premiere which took place in a Promenade concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult on 10 August 1943. Rubbra also performed it with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Malcolm Sargent on 4 July 1946 at the second Cheltenham Music Festival. The Prelude and Fugue on a theme of Cyril Scott for piano, Op.69, was composed in honour of Scott’s seventieth birthday in September 1949 and premiered by Margaret Good on 5 June 1950 in a BBC broadcast. It is based on three bars from the slow movement of Scott’s Piano Sonata no.1, Op.66. As part of the Northampton concert of Cyril Scott’s music which Rubbra organised in 1918, he programmed and performed four of Scott’s short solo piano works. Nearly fifty years later, he chose to perform another brief solo piano work by Scott to round off his BBC recital on 9 August 1967, Consolation. In his brief spoken introduction to the broadcast performance, Rubbra described this as ‘one of Scott’s maturest pieces’ written ‘at the height of his powers’ and characterised it as ‘a deeply felt ‘in memoriam’ written as a tribute to a close friend’. In 1958 he began work on the Violin Concerto, Op.103, finishing it in the summer of the following year. It was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall on 17 February 1960 when the soloist was Endré Wolf with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by its Principal Conductor at the time, Rudolf Schwarz. This first performance was relayed live and the BBC repeated the work in a Maida Vale performance three days later. A recording of that impressive second performance is presented here.

Jean Doyen is perhaps the archetypal French pianist. Taught by Louis Diemer and Marguerite Long, he went on to become the second longest serving piano professor in the Paris Conservatoire’s history and largely dedicated his career to his homeland. In addition, his repertoire centered on the French classics, with Chopin also taking pride of place. His early recordings reveal a spectacular technique coupled with generous musicality and expression – it’s no wonder he was chosen for this premiere recording of Ravel’s ‘Gaspard de la nuit’. His Chopin Op 2 Variations and the complete Book 1 of Debussy’s Images are also recording firsts, but for sheer virtuoso exhilaration, his rare Sonabel album of Chabrier’s Espana is hard to beat. Surprisingly, none of these marvelous performances have previously been reissued.

A key figure in the British musical renaissance, Ethel Smyth was critically acclaimed for her music and writing during her lifetime. Smyth’s Sonata in C minor for cello and piano was written in 1880. The idiomatic handling of the instruments, the impressive command of form and the fluency of the melodic lines make this early work the equal, at least, of her later chamber pieces. The creative conviction of the composer Elizabeth Maconchy expressed here so eloquently, reflects her clarity of thought and strength of purpose. Her Divertimento for cello and piano was written for cellist William Pleeth and pianist Margaret Good, who gave the first broadcast performance on the BBC in 1943. The compositions of Elisabeth Lutyens are characterized by textural economy and organizational rigor. She wrote her Nine Bagatelles in 1942. The language of the work is indicative of a composer deeply connected to the music of her own era. Although Rebecca Clarke wrote most of her music in the early twentieth century, it was not until the final decades of that century that her stature was secured. Rhapsody for cello and piano is her longest and most intricate score.

Selmer Paris endorsed artist Cory Barnfield enjoys a busy and successful career. His playing has been described as: “having a warm and expressive sound that speaks melodies easily with complete control of the full range of his instrument. There is a unique intimacy to his playing that is a delight to the listener. His fingers are precise, and rapidly allowing the music to flow unimpeded to the listener’s imagination no matter how difficult or easy. His articulation on saxophone is superb.” (Saxophone Journal) He frequently performs with the Kentucky Opera and the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, and his recordings can be heard on multiple labels. He is a champion of new music and has commissioned several pieces from composers. One such work is included on this album: Peter Felice’s “Shadows of Paris.”

Memos is loosely related to a series of five essays by Italo Calvino, titled Six Memos for the Next Millennium. Composer Erik Lund found this work to be a fascinating read, and he felt that meaningful analogies could be made to sound and music. Erik Lund composes music as analogies and commentaries. As such, his works are usually born of ideas and sources that are not inherently musical, where he takes as his task the process of transforming these ideas into the sound domain. The result has been music which has been described as “dramatic and gripping” (Martin Adams, Irish Times). Erik Lund is professor of music composition at the University of Illinois, a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music, and an active performer of both composed and improvised music. His compositions have won the League of Composers, International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) and ASCAP composition competitions, and he has received grants for his work from the Musik Biennale-Berlin Festival, Meet the Composer, ASCAP, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Research Board of the University of Illinois.

This album features two true masterpieces of the 20th Century for violin and piano, beautifully performed by Wanchi Huang, violin, and Robert Koenig, piano. Wanchi has been praised numerous times ("... her incisive technique and an exceptionally rich and beautiful tone... " Phil's Classical Reviews, Audio Video Club of Atlanta, November 2015) for her recordings and performances in chamber music, solo recitals, and as a soloist with orchestras throughout North America and Asia, including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and numerous music festivals in the world. Pianist Robert Koenig has established a reputation as a much sought-after collaborative pianist and chamber musician. He performs regularly in major centers throughout the world with many of this generation's most renowned musicians. Recent engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and Royal Festival Hall in London.

Long based in the United States, Greek composer Dinos Constantinides has written a large volume of works for a wide variety of ensembles and solo instruments. His piano works are wonderful, probing works that are immediately accessible. The music of Greek born composer Dinos Constantinides (Boyd Professor of Composition) has been performed throughout the world. He is the recipient of many grants, commissions and awards, including first prizes in the 1981 Brooklyn College International Chamber Competition, the 1985 First Midwest Chamber Opera Conference, and the 1997 Delius composition Contest Grand Prize. He also received the 1985 American New Music consortium Distinguished Service Award, the 1989 Glen Award of l'Ensemble of New York, several Meet the Composer grants and numerous ASCAP Standard Awards. In 1994 he was honored with a Distinguished Teacher White House commission on Presidential Scholars

This is a truly first-rate recording of the three Brahms Sonatas for Violin and Piano. This album has the added bonus of the Scherzo in C minor from the Brahms F-A-E Sonata for Violin & Piano, WoO2. Federico Agostini is a violinist renowned as a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has appeared in various international music festivals in Europe, the United States, and Japan and has performed chamber music with many distinguished artists, including Bruno Giuranna, Jaime Laredo, Joseph Silverstein, and Janos Starker as well as with members of the American, Emerson, Fine Arts, Tokyo, and Guarneri quartets. Derek Han is without a doubt among the leading American pianists of his generation. Though he was originally identified with the concertos of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven he possesses a vast repertory that includes the concertos of Mendelssohn, Chopin, and MacDowell, as well as individual concertos by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich, in addition to a large body of solo and chamber works. Han's style is original though fairly straightforward in it's lucid tones, spirited character, and technical fluidity and accuracy.

On this new release, Lilia Boyadjieva presents a programme of works by J. S. Bach, including his famous Goldberg Variations. Born and educated in Sofia, Bulgaria, Lilia Boyadijeva completed her studies at the Moscow Conservatory "P. I. Tchaikovsky," with Professor T. D. Gutman. Her awards at international piano competitions include prizes at Senigallia (Italy - 1979), Vianna da Motta (Portugal - 1983), Maria Callas (Greece - 1985) and more. Lilia Boyadjieva pursues a brilliant soloist career mainly in Europe. Invited by prestigious Festivals (Montpellier, Auvers-sur-Oise, Sofia, Athens, Dublin) she performs in recitals as a soloist, with orchestras and with chamber music ensembles in various countries. Radio and television organizations in different countries often broadcast her concerts. Very appreciated for her teaching abilities, she has taught at the Sofia Musical Academy, in Athens and Paris (CNR, Schola Cantorum). She gives numerous master classes in Greece, France and the U.S.

Glaciers represent some of the most striking examples of nature’s power and artistry, while simultaneously revealing the impact of mankind’s actions. With pieces including a composition for Barack Obama’s 2015 GLACIER Conference in Alaska, Matthew Burtner’s GLACIER MUSIC breaks through the controversy around global warming. With electroacoustic compositions recorded on top of melting glaciers, GLACIER MUSIC makes the issue unavoidable: while we converse and debate over climate change, iconic pieces of natural history are slipping away. Matthew Burtner is an Alaskan-born composer, sound artist and eco-acoustician whose music and research explores embodiment, ecology, polytemporality and noise. First Prize Winner of the Musica Nova International Electroacoustic Music Competition (Czech Republic), a 2011 IDEA Award Winner, and a recipient of the Howard Brown Foundation Fellowship, Burtner’s music has also received honors and awards from Bourges (France), Gaudeamus (Netherlands), Darmstadt (Germany) and The Russolo (Italy) international competitions. He is Professor of Composition and Computer Technologies (CCT) at the University of Virginia, and Director of the environmental arts non-profit organization, EcoSono

With this new series entitled ‘Salon de musique’, Alpha presents recordings made by artists who have enlivened the Fesival of Salon de Provence for some years now: the pianist Eric le Sage, who has made many recordings for Alpha, the clarinettist Paul Meyer, and others. With cellist Claudio Bohórquez, they have now recorded two Beethoven trios. By 1798, the year Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Trio for piano, clarinet and cello op.11, he was already well-known in Vienna as a remarkable improviser and an ambitious young composer. The piece was clearly aimed at the enlightened aristocracy, as well as competent musical amateurs. This did not prevent the critics, though universally positive, from judging the score to be over-complex in places. Dedicated to the Empress Marie-Theresa of Austria, the Septet was published in 1802 by Hofmeister, and upon being well-received it was then rearranged for various combinations. Beethoven himself made a version for clarinet, cello and piano, op.38 in E Flat major – the one recorded here.