Johann Sebastian Bach, the newly appointed Cantor of the Thomaskirche, undertook his first official journey from Leipzig to nearby Störmthal in 1723, where he and his Thomanerchor inaugurated the beautiful new organ built by Zacharias Hildebrandt, a pupil of Silbermann. Bach was thrilled by the instrument’s splendid timbres and tonal beauty. A particularly beautiful violin was made by the German luthier David Tecchler in Rome — 1400 km from Störmthal — during that same year. Both instruments have survived and have been excellently restored; now, three hundred years after their creation, they meet for the first time. Nadja Zwiener, leader of The English Concert and Johannes Lang, the current organist of the Thomaskirche here celebrate the 300th anniversary of these two instruments and Bach’s investiture in Leipzig with a florilegium of works by Bach himself, his contemporaries and his predecessors. A splendidly colourful musical firework!

Bach composed ten partitas – three for solo violin, one for solo flute and six for keyboard. As the term partita may mean, to quote from the Oxford Composer Companion to Bach, “a suite of dances or a set of variations” – it is no more precise than many other musical terms. If there is no obvious difference between the partita and the suite, there seems to be no justification for two separate terms. In the sixteenth century partita indicated one of a sequence of variations, but this meaning evolved, coming to signify a collection of movements and later – by the time of Bach's keyboard partitas – a suite of dances. Bach's six partitas for keyboard, BWV 825-830, were published individually beginning in 1726, then, in 1731, as a group entitled Clavier-Übung 1 (Übung may be translated as practice or exercise). Among what may be described as Bach's various sets of dance-suites – also including the English Suites and the French Suites – the partitas are the most technically demanding. Johann Kuhnau, Bach's predecessor as cantor of St. Thomas's Church in Leipzig, had published a collection of partitas under the title Clavier-Übung – two volumes (1689 and 1692), each containing seven works. These two collections by Kuhnau, together with two other volumes which he published during his time at Leipzig, proved to be an important influence on German keyboard music. Bach's keyboard partitas in general mark a further advance on his French Suites – even more adventurous in terms of new handling of the dance-forms, more favouring of galant melody-with-harmony rather than imitative counterpoint, and new types of texture. With eegard to the dance-movements in particular, Bach shows remarkable creative freedom and diversity while departing from the traditional models. On this recording, Norwegian pianist Nils Anders Mortensen presents three of the six partitas for keyboard (nos. 1, 5 and 6). There will be a second CD with the three remaining partitas (nos. 2, 3 and 4).

Read our exclusive interview with Sigiswald, Marie, and Sara Kuijken!

Magnificent and transparent, a recording of the famous masterpiece by J.S. Bach by La Petite Bande and Sigiswald Kuijken. The ensemble has a worldwide reputation of aiming for the most authentic sound possible. Again Kuijken and his group of musicians and vocalists have achieved this the most sublime way! By using authentic instruments and the original way of playing them, both in interpretation and sound quality, La Petite Bande strives to revive baroque music as faithfully as possible without lapsing into rigid academics.

At 76, Wolfgang Rübsam is undoubtedly one of the Bachians of our time, and yet until quite recently his long and distinguished discography has included no recording of the single most central collection to Bach’s output as a keyboard musician, the two volumes of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Rübsam’s chosen instrument for this recording is the lute-harpsichord: a unique keyboard instrument with a unique sound that Bach apparently cherished. It is more forceful than the clavichord but less brilliant than the conventional harpsichord, requiring a touch of its own.

According to Fanfare magazine’s review of the set when originally released, ‘I thought I’d heard it all. I was mistaken, and never, on any instrument, have I encountered a take on these masterpieces that breathes such new life into them.’ This set is now widely available on CD for the first time, and joins Rübsam’s other recordings on the lute-harpsichord for Brilliant Classics, of music by Bach and Weiss, as well as a complete set of the organ works by Louis Vierne.

Ever since the foundation of his ensemble in 2009, Damien Guillon has been forging ahead in the (re)discovery of J. S. Bach’s cantatas. ‘Trinitatis’ is devoted to three cantatas for the season after Trinity, for which Le Banquet Celeste has assembled its most seasoned members. Three very different works in which Bach expresses in various ways the emotion that the subject of the prescribed Gospel for the day stirred in him.

- Under the direction of violin virtuoso Midori Seiler, this album presents a very lively musical portrait of the former Köthener Hofkapelle, now revived as Köthener BachCollektiv
- With exceptional virtuosos and composers, Bach went to the limits of what was then playable and experimented with instruments, scorings, sounds and musical forms
- New reconstructions of Bach Concertos BWV 1056R & 1064R by Midori Seiler
- Musical treasures and world premiere recordings by A. R. Stricker (Sonata D major), J. Spiess (Concerto E minor) and G. Linike (Suite D major)

Swedish award-winning percussionist Markus Leoson presents his own and other's arrangements for marimba of favourite composers such as Astor Piazzolla, Erik Satie and J. S. Bach, In addition, two of the Piazzolla pieces are arranged for vibraphone.
Markus Leoson was admitted at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm already at the age of 15, and graduated four years later in 1989. Since then he has performed nationally and internationally as both soloist and as orchestra musician. Besides his activity as a performing artist he is professor at Hochschulzentrum am Horn in Weimar, Germany.

Here is the second volume of Bach’s Sonatas for violin and obbligato harpsichord. Terakado and Bonizzoni offer a thoroughly distinctive account of these famous masterpieces. Their approach combines a deep musical and philosophical insight with a conversational vibe.

Another exceptional debut on Challenge Classics: 28 years old Latvian pianist Georg Kjurdian presents a throroughly mature recital of music by the Three Great B’s. It is really noteworthy the way these over-recorded pieces by Bach, Beethoven and Brahms sound fresh and new under the fingers of Kjurdian His pianism is characterized by a deep knowledge and understanding of the works, a flawless technique, a genuinly natural phrasing, a gift for the melody, an impressive sound power and a subtle capacity of conveying the score nuances.

Introducing Il Gusto Barocco's latest album, a new approach to Baroque music. Each ensemble member is given a platform to showcase their talents as a soloist, choosing their own program and interpreting the selected works in a very special way. Director Jörg Halubek believes in the concept of "extended chamber music," where players must always think and perform as soloists while still valuing the importance of ensemble playing.

The members of Il Gusto Barocco all studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, which has led to a shared aesthetic background. The ensemble's goal is to bring the music to life and not impose their own personal listening habits on the audience. Flautist Claire Genewein performs Johann Sebastian Bach's Flute Partita in A minor on the album, playing it without bass accompaniment, as Bach most likely intended. This recording offers a unique interpretation, especially regarding playing speeds, that sets it apart from others. Il Gusto Barocco's latest album is a must-listen for fans of Baroque music looking for a fresh take on the genre.

In 2023, the Bayerisches Staatsorchester celebrates its 500th birthday with a selection of releases featuring outstanding musical collectives which showcase the stunning breadth of the orchestra and its members. Kicking off the series are the percussionists of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester with their group OPERcussion, founded in 2009. Original Grooves takes listeners on a journey back to the origins and traditions of rhythm. While timpani have belonged to the standard musical equipment of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester since 1600, percussion, the newest discrete group of instruments, was not included until 1925. Since the mid-19th century, percussion instruments have increasingly enriched the overall sound of orchestras with vibrant local flavour. In Latin America, its percussive tradition is notably an integral part of both religious ritual and popular dances, featuring in a multitude of guises and playing techniques: A tango is very different from a bolero, while a samba from Rio de Janeiro is nothing like a Cuban son. This album aims to present the original rhythms of Latin America and the melding of cultures as authentically as possible.

Three extraordinary musical personalities from several nations meet and let the string trio literature blossom in multi-layered sound and intelligent dialogue. When the Leipzig String Trio was founded, violinist Adrian Iliescu, violist Atilla Aldemir and cellist Rodin Moldovan were already internationally successful soloists who had won multiple awards. Their chamber music passion brought them together in 2019. After several joint concerts and chamber music festivals, their first CD is now available, whose repertoire selection (Ernst von Dohnányi, String Trio "Serenade" C major, Op.10 - Jean Françaix, String Trio - Johann Sebastian Bach, Chaconne for solo violin, arrangement for string trio by András von Tòszeghi - Jean Sibelius, String Trio in g minor, JS 210 and George Enescu, Aubade C major, demonstrates the artistic maturity and virtuosity of this ensemble.

Three nights of recording this album are behind me. This time has brought me even closer to the instrument of the organ-building company Hermann Eule in the Cathedral of St. Petri in my home town of Bautzen, which has been well known to me since my early childhood. The mystical atmosphere and soul of the house of God are especially palpable at night, when everything is silent and dark outside. The focus of my programme is Johann Sebastian Bach, who is an important guide and inspirer for me. Seb. Bach is for me the beginning and end of all music; on him rests and is based all true progress!" - this quote by Max Reger runs as a common thread through my programme for the recording. The important Leipzig Thomaskantor was also an important creative source for Karl Straube, Max Reger and Franz Liszt. Each of the pieces on this CD finds its own reference to the work and person of the Baroque master: from late Romantic arrangements of Bach works by Karl Straube and Max Reger, to a work by Franz Liszt that quotes thematic motifs from Bach works, to Max Reger's monumental composition on the tone letters B-A-C-H, all the compositions revolve around the person and work of Johann Sebastian Bach. I go in search of the musical expression of the 19th century and trace compositions and interpretations from this period. Numerous recordings on the historic Sauer and Walcker organs already document the tonal and musical influences of the late Romantic period on the way music was made. The Eule organ in Bautzen's St. Peter's Cathedral, with its broad sound spectrum and numerous fundamental voices, offers an instrument directly suited to this repertoire. Already Karl Straube, who performed the organ recording on 8 March 1910, was particularly impressed by the mild intonation of the sound body. The recording is my personal gift on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversaries of Karl Straube and Max Reger, which will be celebrated on 06 January 2023 and 09 March 2023 respectively. The programme revels in Bach interpretations around 1900, the heyday of symphonic organ art. In this epoch, not only were new compositions specifically geared to the instruments of the time created in the field of organ music, but existing works were also arranged. The listener embarks on a journey into the past and experiences with Romantic ears a 100-year-old reception history of Johann Sebastian Bach's music. Each of the recorded works refers in its own way to Johann Sebastian Bach, whose figure and name inspired Karl Straube, Max Reger and Franz Liszt to create new, contemporary late Romantic works."

The new organ system in Mainz Cathedral, inaugurated in August 2022, is internationally unparalleled in terms of its conception, construction, innovation, quality of craftsmanship and tonal nobility: an absolute centenary project of organ building for the thousand-year-old Mainz Cathedral! The present programme, some of which was produced as a live SACD (stereo and 5.1 surround), was assembled on the basis of the works performed at the inaugural concerts. At its centre is the nearly 30-minute organ sonata in C minor "Der 94. Psalm" by the Liszt pupil Julius Reubke. Cathedral organist Daniel Beckmann, a decisive contributor to the concept of the new instrument, brilliantly demonstrates the new possibilities of this fascinating cathedral organ.

Surrounded by a certain air of mystery and revered as a relic, The Art of Fugue is roundly praised for its complex, mathematical nature. However, these works are also movingly lyrical, and deserve to be enjoyed for their pure beauty, just as one enjoys the rhythms and sounds in the words of a poem, regardless of form and sometimes even meaning. Following the last version of J.S. Bach's autograph manuscript, New Collegium champions in "Lemniscate" the reconciliation and celebration of all these aspects, bringing to the fore both the cerebral brilliance as well as the emotive intensity of this iconic masterpiece, allowing it to be both light and profound. The rich instrumentation of woodwinds, brass, strings and harpsichord allows for expressive characters to be exaggerated, hints at other musical styles, and paints diverse atmospheres, infusing fantasy and life into these twenty fugues and canons.