Last instalment in Narratio Quartet revolutionary version of Beethoven's String Quartets. This last 4CD box contains all the likewise revolutionary late Quartets, from opus 95 until opur 135, never premiered until after Beethoven's death. Once more Narratio Quartet conveys a completely unheard account of these masterpieces, an interpretation different from all the others. On volume 2 (Middle Quartets, CC 72981). Fanfare (USA): "This is a truly special release that fully lives up to the promise of the Narratio Quartet's op. 18. It is a necessary purchase for all Beethovenians. " In the�shortlist of the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik DE). On volume 1�(Early Quartets, CC 72969). Recomendaro de Ritmo (SP). BBC Music Magazine (UK): "There is much to enjoy in the quartet's poised and stylish playing".

The Katok Ensemble was formed in 2019 by Paul Serri. For their first album "Le Temps suspendu" (Suspended Time), they have taken up the challenge of bringing together on a double CD Beethoven's String Quartet No 15 and Schubert's Quintet for Two Cellos. These two works complement each other in so many respects and heralded the Romantic Era which would follow. The recording made at the Katok Festival in Ardeche enables us to hear them from a fresh perspective.

Born in Chile, Claudio Arrau (1903-1991) was one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century, an artist who was totally serious about his role in life, a man completely dedicated to the music of the great composers who shared his insights and understanding of their work with his public. Where other famous pianists play the piano for excitement, power or display, Arrau plays to probe, to divine, to interpret. Says Arrau, 'An interpreter must give his blood to the work interpreted.' Arrau is definitely not onesided or without spiritual grandeur. Having won particular fame as a great Beethoven interpreter, he is no less celebrated for his Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms and Debussy. Among the famed peers of his generation, it is a range without equal. Located on the campus of Ambassador College in Pasadena, California, the 1262 seat Ambassador Auditorium was a major West Coast concert hall between 1974 and 1995 presenting around 2500 concerts, and attracted the greatest instrumentalists and orchestras. role in the musical life of our ensemble. It's musical complexity and the depth of expression which Mozart achieves through only three voices are seemingly miraculous: it is one of those pieces which constantly rewards rehearsal. One simply never gets tired of playing it! When the opportunity to record this masterpiece arose, we were faced with the challenge of what to play alongside it. Our dear friend Rob Fokkens had written two short movements for string trio which seemed to fit beautifully with Mozart's music: Rob's translucent harmonic and rhythmic style offers unique expressive possibilities. The chance to commission the great Julian Joseph was not to be missed, and his work, Bring it!, wonderfully demonstrates his brilliance and lyricism, and the subtly of his harmonic language. We sincerely hope you enjoy listening to the music on this album as much as we loved preparing it! to Islamic Iberia or the Al-Andalusian era of Spain between the 8th-15th centuries. Yet the fi rst men? on of Flamenco by name is not un? l 1774, where it appears in an epistolary novel, Cartas Marruecas, by the playwright and soldier, Jose de Cadalso y Vazquez. In collabora? on with soparno Victoria Couper, kanun player, Konstan? nos Glynos, and oud/Flamenco guitarist, Ignacio Lusardi Monteverde, this album seeks to explore this ques? on by tracing the infl uences on Flamenco through Arabic music alongside Sephardic song and the Spanish composers of the late-16th to 18th centuries. What happened in these intervening centuries?

American pianist David Korevaar, a distinguished artist known for his profound interpretations and exceptional versatility, has unveiled his latest monumental achievement: a complete recording of Ludwig van Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas which will be published digitally in six volumes by Fall 2025. To kick things off, David Korevaar is giving his musical Beethoven business card with a double album that will also be available physically: "Heroic to Hammerklavier". In addition to the sonatas Opp. 53, 54 and 57, it also includes the Sonata Op. 101 and the famous "Hammerklavier Sonata" Op. 106. This ambitious Beethoven project not only marks a significant milestone in Korevaar's illustrious career but also offers a fresh and deeply personal perspective on one of the cornerstones of classical music repertoire. Korevaar's interpretation stands apart for it's intellectual depth and emotional resonance, reflecting years of scholarship, performance, and a deep connection to Beethoven's spirit. Recorded over an intensive period, this collection showcases Korevaar's masterful ability to illuminate the nuances of each sonata while maintaining a cohesive narrative across the entire cycle. His performances balance historical sensitivity with a contemporary vibrancy.

Classical Music

Classical Music

This box set assembles the complete Beethoven symphonies, patiently transcribed for piano over a quarter of a century and recorded for harmonia mundi by a glittering array of soloists in the late 1980s. Liszt’s assiduity in this task reminds us of his spiritual, well-nigh religious admiration for the older composer, a genius ‘consecrated in art’ whose ‘conscientious translator’ he wished to be, thanks to the latest pianistic advances. Traduttore or traditore? Judge for yourself: Liszt does not make simple reductions or arrangements, but totally rewrites the works, as if they had been originally conceived for the piano.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Written in 1799, at the same time as the First Symphony, the Septet reflects Beethoven's ambition to gain a foothold in his new Viennese environment. It is an experimental work with six contrasting movements - weighty as a symphony but also influenced by the lighter, more entertaining character of the serenade.�Unlike Beethoven, who clearly indicates his intentions, Kreutzer allows the musicians plenty of room to emerge as soloists.�Combined with Beethoven's masterpiece, the result is a sound document that uncovers a buried path of music history, once more proving that unknown works are definitely worth studying, rehearsing, and performing.

Few conductors of Klaus Tennstedt's generation demonstrated such complete mastery of the Classical and Romantic repertoire from Beethoven to Mahler and Strauss, coupled with an intensity in live performance that was palpable. He was among the finest German conductors to emerge after the Second World War and was in constant demand with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic. In Doremi's 6th volume of live performances conducted by Klaus Tennstedt are three symphonies by Beethoven: numbers 6 and 9 with the Minnesota Orchestra (1989 and 1982), and number 8 with the Boston Symphony (1975).

Violinist Arabella Steinbacher, the Luxembourg Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Gimeno present violin concertos by Beethoven and Lentz. Beethoven's violin concerto may well be the most iconic contribution to it's genre, and to Steinbacher, it is the most "sacred" and sublime in the repertoire, never ceasing to reveal new perspectives. The piece is coupled with Georges Lentz' Violin Concerto '... to beam in distant heavens... ', written for Steinbacher and inspired by her virtuosity. Lentz' concerto is equally inspired by William Blake's poetry, as well as the idea that a future generation will one day look back on us and the way we destroy our planet. Oscillating between violence and angelic visions of love and hope, it places heavy demands on the soloist, and offers an illuminating counterpart to Beethoven's equally searching and idealist work. Luxembourg Philharmonic and Gustavo Gimeno are the ideal partners for this cosmic, adventurous pairing. Arabella Steinbacher is a multiple award-winner with an extensive PENTATONE discography, including Bach & Part (2023), Mozart's complete violin concertos (2014 and 2021), Four Seasons (Vivaldi & Piazzolla, 2020), Mendelssohn & Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos (2015) and many others. The Luxembourg Philharmonic and Gustavo Gimeno released composer monographies of Coll (2021), Franck (2020), Rossini (2019), Debussy, Stravinsky & Mahler (all 2018) as well as Ravel, Bruckner and Shostakovich (all 2017) on PENTATONE.

Julian Jaeyoung Kim, a South Korean-born pianist, is hailed as a marvelous virtuoso. His performances embody a deep sense of commitment and a relentless curiosity about uncovering the true essence of music. "Julian's flexible and intelligent interpretations reflect his command over rhythmic tension and tonal detail, evoking echoes of masterful pianists like Nelson Freire." Gramophone "Julian Kim's technical brilliance shines in every piece as he draws out the full richness of the piano's sound. With style, precision, and sensitivity, he navigates dramatic, heroic, entertaining, and humorous moods with ease and elegance." Klassik Heute

Karel Ancerl in the special company of world-famous soloists. The great success of the 15-CD set Ancerl Live Recordings (2022 - Choc de Classica, Diapason d'Or etc.) and of the series Ancerl Gold Edition (2002-2008) is indicative of Karel Ancerl's firm standing among the most important conductors of the post-war world. The present album tiesin with the boxed set mentioned above; this time, our selection from the Czech Radio archive contains live recordings with the conductor Ancerl in the role of an accompanist. The list of soloists he invited for collaboration is imposing. Predominant among these names are world-famous artists from the Soviet Union, to which Czechoslovakia was allied in those days, with Prague serving as the Eastern Bloc's gateway to the West. The greatest treasures are the two oldest recordings: unique documentation of Dvorak's Violin Concerto with David Oistrakh (1950), which played a major part in the choice of Ancerlas the chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic after Kubelik's emigration, and the oldest recording of Dvorak's Cello Concerto with Rostropovich, issued here for the first time, made two weeks before Rostropovich's legendary studio recording with Vaclav Talich. Often, however, the artists standing to Ancerl's left were stars coming to Prague from the West as well as great Czech artists. The album authentically captures the unrepeatable performances of soloists and orchestra. All of these recordings have been carefully remastered from the original analogue tapes. Lovers of historical recordings will not hesitate.