The guitar is an expressive harpsichord declared the composer Claude Debussy after a concert by the Catalan guitarist, Miguel Llobet. The classic guitar has benefited, more than most other instruments, from arrangements of music of many genres. Renaissance and Baroque music especially suit the timbre and range of the guitar and keyboard music is ideal for playing on the guitar, often direct from the original score. Debussy's comment may be unjust to harpsichordists, but the expressive limits of the guitar may be said to outweigh those of the harpsichord. Girolamo Frescobaldi was born in Ferrara, one of the most musically stimulating cities in Italy at the end of the 1500s. He was organist of St Peter's, Rome and is said to have also been a magnificent harpsichordist. His influence spread not just through Italy, but also north of the Alps. Gaetano Greco (also Grieco) was born and worked in Naples, notably as Maestro di cappella of the Basilica in Naples from 1704-1720. He was an influential figure, numbering Domenico Scarlatti and Nicola Porpora among his pupils. If we know the name Domenico Alberti nowadays it is probably only through the eponymous bass figuration heard in many classical and pre-classical keyboard pieces. The lively Giga, from his collection of Sonatas Op.1 gives way to a more elegant Allegro from a Sonata da camera. As well as being a composer and a pupil of Pasquini, Domenico Zipoli trained for the priesthood as a Jesuit. He emigrated to Paraguay, where he aimed to complete his training, but died before he could be ordained. With Bernardo Pasquini we bridge the gap between Frescobaldi and Domenico Scarlatti. Pasquini made a close study of Frescobaldi's work, especially his early Fantasie and employed some of these ideas in his variations. Moving forward 50 years from Pasquini, Benedetto Marcello proved to be a real polymath, with interests in politics, law and literature. He left behind a substantial number of sonatas, especially for cello and harpsichord. Like Marcello, Domenico Cimarosa's main musical output was vocal music, mainly operas, of which he wrote more than 80, admired by Mozart and performed by Haydn at Eszterhaza. Cimarosa's Sonatas are a refreshing leap into the early classical style, while acknowledging Domenico Scarlatti's influence. Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard output, 555 sonatas, dwarfs all the other composers on this recording. The similarity in range between the harpsichord and the guitar makes transcriptions relatively easy. Paradies was another composer whose music was valued by Mozart, as well as Clementi and Cramer, both keyboard virtuosi of the late 1700s and early 1800s. Played with great commitment and feeling for the style by Antonio de Innocentis, who also signs for the guitar arrangements.

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) composed two piano concertos that stand as strikingly different yet complementary reflections of his evolving musical and emotional world. The Piano Concerto No.1 in C minor, Op. 35 (1933), written for piano, trumpet, and string orchestra, is a work of youthful brilliance and wit. Shostakovich himself was the soloist at it's premiere, showcasing his virtuosity and sharp humor. The concerto brims with parody, irony, and stylistic playfulness-traits that would define much of his music. The first movement alternates between dramatic, driving passages and cheeky references to classical motifs. The second movement offers a surprisingly lyrical, melancholic interlude before the music veers back into high-spirited satire. The inclusion of the trumpet, often acting as a witty commentator or foil to the piano, adds to the concerto's sense of mischievous dialogue. Beneath the humor, however, lies an undercurrent of anxiety and intensity, reflecting Shostakovich's growing awareness of the political pressures surrounding Soviet artists in the 1930s. The Piano Concerto No.2 in F major, Op. 102 (1957), by contrast, is lighter, more transparent, and more optimistic. Written as a gift for his son Maxim's 19th birthday, it is among Shostakovich's most accessible works. The outer movements sparkle with energy and joy, evoking the vitality of youth, while the slow movement stands as one of the composer's most beautiful lyrical statements-a tender, introspective melody that has become a concert favorite. Although less satirical and complex than the First Concerto, the Second demonstrates Shostakovich's mastery of clear form, elegant orchestration, and emotional directness. Giuseppe Andaloro (Palermo, 1982) is one of the most acclaimed Italian pianists of his generation. Winner of prestigious international competitions-including the Ferruccio Busoni (Bolzano), London World, Sendai, Hong Kong, and Porto-he was awarded the Medal for Artistic Merit by the Italian Ministry of Culture in 2005. He has performed in some of the world's leading venues: Teatro alla Scala and Sala Verdi in Milan, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Konzerthaus Berlin, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Royal Festival Hall in London, Sumida Triphony Hall in Tokyo, Esplanade in Singapore, and Concert Hall in Hong Kong. He has appeared at renowned festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, Ruhr Piano Festival, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, George Enescu Festival, Ravello Festival, and Beirut Al Bustan. As soloist, he has collaborated with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Tokyo), Philharmonische Camerata Berlin, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and Hong Kong Philharmonic, under the direction of conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gianandrea Noseda, and Andrew Parrott.

To mark the 85th birthday of the renowned Munich composer Wilfried Hiller, master of universal sound art, the CD VERNISSAGE Works for Violin, Piano, North Indian Singing Bowls, Wine Glasses and Tap Shoes will be released now: This unconventional instrumentation creates a synthesis of tradition and experimentation that takes the listener into new dimensions of sound. Several world premiere recordings can also be heard, some inspired by the expressive sculptures of the artist Antje Tesche-Mentzen. Interpreted by violinist Franziska Strohmayr and pianist Laura Pitz, who make the nuanced timbres shine, they also present solo works with virtuoso musicality and technique, interweaving harmonic worlds and percussive elements. This CD is a novelty in contemporary music: innovative, interdisciplinary and astonishing!

Gates presents the Riot Ensemble at the peak of contemporary ensemble performance. The album brings together works by Eric Skytterholm Egan, Eden Lonsdale, Kaija Saariaho, and Bernhard Gander, exploring the tension between order and chaos, structure and excess, historical reference and radical present. Riot Ensemble, one of the world's leading contemporary music ensembles, is renowned for it's precision, stylistic versatility, and close collaboration with living composers. Kaija Saariaho's Gates from her ballet MAA opens a space of fluid transitions, transforming Baroque sonata models into overlapping timbral clouds. In contrast, Bernhard Gander's (2005) channels raw, physical energy inspired by rock, yet retains a structural link to Baroque principles of excess. Gates is an album of thresholds: between past and present, ritual and corporeality, control and collapse. The Riot Ensemble renders these tensions audible with a blend of analytical clarity and visceral immediacy.

Famous horn player Felix Klieser presents Italian arias on his instrument, the follow-up project to the Pop Chart award-winning album "Baroque Arias for Horn". He is joined by the Italian orchestra I Solisti di Pavia, recorded in the famous Teatro Fraschini at Pavia. The album contains well-known opera arias from Rossini, Verdi, Puccini and Italian songs like O Sole Mio and the Nino Rota's film music from "The Godfather". All tracks have been newly arranged for Felix Klieser and the ensemble.

Andrew Wan, Concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal, and Charles Richard-Hamelin, internationally acclaimed pianist and silver medalist at the Chopin Competition, unite their artistic chemistry in a pinnacle of the Romantic repertoire. Through Brahms' three violin sonatas, they unfold a sweeping expressive arc: the intimate lyricism of Op. 78, the radiant warmth of Op. 100, and the dramatic intensity of Op. 108. Their interpretation combines depth, architectural balance, and controlled intensity, supported by a rich and resonant recorded sound. A landmark recording, at once noble, incandescent, and profoundly compelling.

The tracks of this disc contain equally as many sensitive palimpsests (elaborations on an earlier composer's style) through which other emotions vibrate. The transcriptions they present only depart from the letter to better reveal-and revere-it's spirit. Our greatest wish would be that what these admirable pieces lose in authenticity, they recover thanks to the enthusiasm, fervor, and love that have guided us throughout our work. Because, in this field precisely, it is less a question of proving than of experiencing.

The first collaboration between John Cage and Scottish traditional music group The Whistlebinkies occured in Edinburgh in 1984. Cage was fascinated by their instrumentation of Lowland pipes, clarsach, fiddle, wooden flute, concertina, drum and voice. This led on to the commissioning of Scottish Circus for the ensemble in 1990, a way of performing traditional Scottish music as individuals of an ensemble together. The September 1990 premiere in Glasgow, in Cage's presence, also included his newly devised version of 4'33" (which lasted 10 minutes!). These recordings showcase Edinburgh's historic Inverleith House as not only the recording venue, but the acoustic of the house as a performer in it's own right. This DVD presents two first recordings of Scottish Circus, demonstrating how no two performances of the piece are the same. Also included are both outdoor and indoor performances of 4'33". Additional features: - Scottish Circus films presented with 5.1 Surround and Dolby Stereo options - Scottish Circus studio version (PCM 24-bit stereo, no video) - John Cage, Scottish Circus and The Whistlebinkies: McGuire and Eydmann in conversation - John Cage in Conversation, Edinburgh 1984 (mono, no video) Includes a 24-page booklet of photos with essays by Eddie McGuire, James Pritchett, Prof. Bjorn Heile and Brian Brandt. Plus interviews with John Cage by Steve Sweeny-Turner and Stuart Eydmann by Neill Martin.

The title ("everything flows") reflects a musical exploration of change, impermanence, and transformation. Francesca Guccione combines neoclassical piano with ambient textures and subtle electronic layers. Each composition feels like a flowing river of sound, shifting between intimacy and expansiveness. Inspired by philosophy and nature, the album invites listeners into a meditative, timeless space.

Virgile Barthe, winner of the 2025 Guitar Foundation of America Competition, presents works ranging from the Baroque to the 21st century performed with his impeccable virtuosity and artistry. This recital takes us from arrangements of Domenico Scarlatti's deeply expressive sonatas and Buxtehude's brilliant Suite, to the lyrical Songs without Words of Mendelssohn and the haunting Music of Memory by Nicholas Maw. The album closes with Dusan Bogdanovic's Third Sonata, a truly virtuoso piece with it's quotes from Stravinsky and musical influences from the Balkans, jazz and the Renaissance.

It was in 1747 that Johann Sebastian Bach received an invitation from King Frederic II of Prussia. Bach travelled with Wilhelm Friedmann - his eldest son - to Potsdam, where Carl Philipp Emanuel, his second eldest son, was accompanist to the king's court. This was the famous visit during which Johann Sebastian improvised a ricercar or fugue in three voices on a theme supplied by the monarch and later led him to compose the Musical Offering. This recording presents sections of Bach's Musical Offering, including the Trio Sonata, side by side with Trios by both Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philip Emanuel. The intention was to shed light on the familial character of Bach's visit to Potsdam and Berlin in 1747 and it's musical consequences. The importance of this gathering between the three most famous members of the Bach family and the impact it had on their respective lives and careers cannot be overestimated. For Johann Sebastian himself, however, this was to be brief: he died three years later in 1750.

Daniel Seminara's Fantasticus is a musical journey through different eras, aesthetics and languages. From the improvisational inventions of the seventeenth century to the experiments of the late twentieth century, each selected piece reflects a common impulse: the desire to explore, to amaze, to go beyond the limits of tradition and to give voice, through the guitar and the lute, to music that is born each time as if it were the first. The repertoire spans from works by Kapsberger, Galilei and Piccinini over Sor and Poulenc to Petrassi and D'Angelo, always with the ideas of 'Stylus Phantasticus' in mind.

Famous for his role as keyboard player in rock band Genesis and as a solo artist, Tony Banks was always fascinated by the idea of writing orchestral music. His Success in composing for films led to the acclaimed Seven - A Suite for Orchestra. The intense orchestral sound pictures in Seven, Six and Five rank among some of Banks's most accomplished recordings marrying experimentation with form and structure, and a trademark melodic character that powerfully conveys both melancholy and joy.

Haydn composed the three symphonies in this volume during the mid-1780s in a spirit of triumph. Though still employed by the Esterhazy family, he had recently been allowed to publish his music himself and to accept outside commissions. A number of symphonies were duly commissioned by a new, large ensemble recently established in Paris. Superficially similar, they reveal Haydn's inexhaustible creativity whether in the astonishingly colourful introduction to No. 84, the rustic interludes in the trio section of No. 85 - a favourite of Marie Antoinette, or in the greatest of the Paris symphonies, No. 86, where the transition from the slow introduction to the main section is unequalled in his music.

Hungarian violinist Kristof Barati has established himself as one of the most captivating voices on the contemporary classical scene. Born in Budapest in 1979 to a violinist mother and cellist father, he spent much of his childhood in Venezuela, where by the age of eight he was already appearing as a soloist with major orchestras. His formative studies took him back to Hungary at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and later to Paris, where he studied with Eduard Wulfson-a pupil of legends such as Yehudi Menuhin, Nathan Milstein and Henryk Szeryng. Barati's artistry is defined by a compelling blend of technical precision and poetic expressivity. Critics have praised his "vast expressive range and impeccable technique," as well as his ability to let the music shine above all. He performs on the exquisite 1703 "Lady Harmsworth" Stradivarius, a tool of rare power and beauty, loaned to him by the Stradivari Society of Chicago. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded Hungary's highest cultural honour, the Kossuth Prize, in 2014. While Barati's discography is impressively broad (encompassing Bach, Ysa�e, Paganini, Mozart, Korngold and more), his relationship with Beethoven is especially noteworthy. Although his recorded output emphasizes the violin-and-piano sonatas (with Klara Wurtz) rather than only the concerto, his mastery of Beethoven's voice carries over beautifully into his concerto performances. His interpretation of Beethoven's concerto is marked by clarity of line, purity of tone, and a sense of respectful freedom. In the Allegro ma non troppo he finds an elegant balance between classical poise and Romantic impetus; in the Larghetto he offers a deeply lyrical calm; and in the Rondo he embraces spirited vitality without ever sacrificing musical integrity. Reviews of his performances emphasize how Barati "treats music with the greatest respect... knowing his instrument very well so that he can give himself as much freedom as he would want." For listeners seeking a fresh take on this cornerstone of the violin repertoire, Barati brings an interpretation that is both grounded and revelatory: one rooted in tradition, yet vividly alive for today's audiences. Bovenkant formulier This recording presents Barati with the Concerto Budapest, conducted by Andras Keller, one of Hungary's best orchestras and conductors.

Winner of the 2024 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, the trio Ayres Extemporae make it's recording debut on Linn Records with a programme that explores various colours and textures made available by the group's unusual combination of violin, five-string cello and cello. Erbarme dich! Represents a spiritual journey from torment to redemption built around the instrumental transcriptions of arias and sonatas by J. S. Bach, interwoven with the expressive depth of works by Biber and Locke. It is a profound reflection on these universal themes, tracing the full spectrum of human emotion from anger, guilt or remorse to acceptance and, ultimately, peace. The aria from the cantata BWV 55 lends it's name to this programme: a plea for mercy of touching vulnerability, signalling the beginning of the journey towards absolution.

This is an album of what might best be described as nicely funky classical and tango music of the 20th Century, performed by chamber clarinet ensembles.

Mel (Melanie Hel�ne) Bonis was born in Paris in 1858, and showed a prodigious talent for music from an early age, attending the Paris Conservatoire from the age of sixteen, studying alongside Debussy and Pierne under Cesar Franck. Her passionate relationship with the singer Amedee-Louis Hettich was frowned upon by her parents, who pressured her to marry edouard Domange, a twice-widowed industrialist with five children. Bonis threw herself into her role as wife and stepmother, until a reunion with Hettich in the 1890s reignited her serious interest in composition. She composed more than 300 works, including pieces for solo piano, chamber music, and over forty melodies for voice and piano. As Bonis was too modest for self-promotion, and a victim of gender-bias, her music fell into obscurity after the First World War, and she became bedridden from arthritis. She continued to compose until her death, in 1937. Her orchestral output dates from two decades, between 1891 and 1912, and is well represented on this album.

A collection of classical greats conjuring up the thoughts of Water & Fire.

A tireless adventurer and eclectic soul, Joseph Bologne de Saint-George is revisited here through a unique portrait that reveals the many facets of his talent. A true polymath born in Guadeloupe, he combined the arts and arms: an outstanding fencer, military adviser and violin virtuoso, he was even Marie Antoinette's teacher. Theotime Langlois de Swarte and the Orchestre de l'Opera Royal thus shine a light on this flamboyant personality who rose above the societal constraints of the 18th century.

Two Trios by Darin Tysdal These works were written because I was playing in the said ensembles. That was a way that I could hear what I had written and go back and revise them. They have never been performed in their entirety live, so these are the first complete performances of both pieces.

The renowned trumpeter Matthias Hofs performed and then recorded the concertos by Fazil Say and Wolf Kerschek during his artist residency with the Munchner Rundfunkorchester.? Both concertos were originally written for Matthias Hofs?. Fazil Say is one of the most important and successful contemporary pianist and composers whose works continue to reach a wide audience?. Wolf Kerschek is a Hamburg composer, arranger, conductor and jazz musician as well as a professor of jazz theory, composition and film music. His new concerto "The four elements" is a world premiere recording on this album.

A luscious pair of late-Romantic chamber works by a little-known pupil of Giuseppe Martucci, in new recordings by an Italian ensemble with a notable track record of success in reviving such rarities. Born in 1875, Guido Alberto Fano emulated the model of his teacher Martucci in pursuing a multi-faceted career as composer, conductor, pianist and teacher. At the age of 30 he became director of the conservatoire in Parma before transferring, in 1916, to the Sicilian city of Palermo. A year later he wrote this powerful and turbulent Piano Quintet, which sets out in a broad, contented and Brahmsian vein of expression before venturing into more troubled and chromatically contemporary harmonies, to which a finale brings resolution via a noble chorale theme. At the Quintet's climax, this theme soars over the texture on a solo trumpet, in a stroke of instrumental imagination which anticipates Honegger's Second Symphony by two decades - and indeed the 45-minute Quintet has the dimensions of a 'veiled symphony' in the manner of Brahms's early chamber works and sonatas. Wistful, major-minor Brahmsian motifs and harmonies still permeate the String Quartet which Fano composed in 1941 - another distinctively 'wartime' work - but whether through age or experience they are suffused with a late-style radiance which brings the style of the Quartet closer to Richard Strauss and Debussy. The Ensemble Mark Rothko is a flexible line-up of Italian musicians who specialising in reviving forgotten chamber works of the late 19th and early 20th century. Their discography includes albums dedicated to Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Karl Weigl, and this collection of Guido Alberto Fano marks their debut on Brilliant Classics.

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most universal figures in Western history, venerated not only by the Catholic tradition but also by Protestant and Orthodox communities, as well as by many non-Christians drawn to his message of poverty, fraternity, and love for creation. This recording offers a sonic journey through the 13th and 14th centuries, focusing on the spiritual and intellectual context of the Order of Friars Minor on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of his death (1226-2026).

This new recording celebrates the Arp Schnitger Organ in the Martinikerk in Groningen, The Netherlands, one of the most famous Baroque organs in Europe. Built by master organ builder Arp Schnitger between 1691 and 1692, it showcases his characteristic North German style, known for it's brilliant, articulate sound and richly layered pipework. Over the centuries, the instrument has been expanded and restored, yet it's original tonal structure remains remarkably intact. Today, it features an impressive array of stops, three manuals, and a powerful pedal division. It's majestic sound and historical significance continue to attract musicians, scholars, and visitors from around the world. The program presents works by Johann Sebastian Bach, in connection with Bach's predecessors, composers who influenced and inspired him: Girolamo Frescobaldi (Capriccio XI), Nicholaus Bruhns (Praeludium in E minor), Dietrich Buxtehude (Ciacona in E minor), and Georg Bohm (Choralvorpsiel, Preludium in C major). A beautifully compiled program, offering a journey over the musical path which ultimately led to the towering genius of Johann Sebastian Bach! Organist, composer, and conductor, Nicola Dolci has an active international concert career, both as a soloist and as an organist, conductor, and continuo player with various European ensembles. He is professor of Organ at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and at the "Scuola Diocesana di musica Santa Cecilia" in Brescia. Among his various national and international awards are the Second Prize at the prestigious International Martini Organ Competition 2022 in Groningen.