Zebeljan: The Horses of Saint Mark

Our grand Herzogenberg edition would not be complete without his songs. In '99 our interpreters chanced upon a volume of music with a little selection of songs by Herzogenberg and found them to be very appealing. The marvelous intimacy of expression and the melodic designs combining rich invention with folk character in his songs are uniquely Herzogenberg.

Grieg, E.: Cello and Piano Music

Apart from the opera and the symphony, Max Reger made substantial contributions to almost every musical genre, and within chamber music his compositions for violin and piano formed the largest complex. These works are technically and musically demanding and, for one reason or another are rarely ever heard in the concert hall.

Halt's Maul und mach was - Ein Konzert für Arno Schmidt

Brahms, J.: Piano Quartet No. 1 (Orch. A. Schoenberg) / Clar

Evergreens

•The idea to focus on the chamber music of Tchaikovsky's most important pupil goes back to Anna Zassimova, the pianist on our new production. Along with assorted occasional works and duos, Taneyev's chamber catalogue consists of these three late, great piano chamber works. Overall, they demonstrate great architectonic design and melodic-rhythmic material of great beauty. The high demands placed by the pieces on the interpreters involve not only playing technique but also tonal balance.

Bach, J.S.: Organ Works, Vol. 21 (Weinberger) - Art of the F

Mozart, W.A.: Zaide [Opera]

Lena Neudauer attracted international attention when at the age of fifteen she not only spectacularly won the Leopold Mozart Competition in Augsburg but also was awarded practically all the special prizes. And Matthias Kirschnereit has long enjoyed international renown, even though he eschews the glamorous world of stardom. We have now brought together these two most highly talented musicians for a recording of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy's Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Orchestra, a work with a tradition extending from Bach and Baroque music by way of Mozart and Haydn to early romanticism. In the second early work heard on this album, the Violin Concerto in D minor, the legacy of classicism and that of Bach's highly regarded son Carl Philipp Emanuel, are clearly audible. For Mendelssohn's teacher Zelter and contemporary audiences the musical aesthetic of the late eighteenth century continued to dictate taste. Both of these early concertos attest to an authentic boy genius and an acclaimed public favorite!

Matthias Kirschnereit performs Handel's Six Concertos for the Organ and Harpsichord, op.4 on piano. It is only now that the depth and beauty of these concertos can be heard in full, and you can look forward to the six concertos of op. 7!

Classical Music

The present recording spreads out before us the rich musical panorama covered by Pachelbel’s Magnificat compositions. We do not know what we should admire more about these works: the complexity of the contrapuntal and concerto textures or the naturalness and cantability of the part writing. In addition, we have Pachelbel’s great variation artistry, which constantly brings forth new formal designs, instrumental combinations, and focal points on the basis of one and the same text. Moreover, the natural flow of Pachelbel’s music includes a steady stream of musical rhetorical interpretations, and the richly pictorial Magnificat text offers plenty of opportunities for them. On this recording two sacred concertos and a Mass in three movements complement the four very different Magnificat settings and serve as contrasts to them.

This release marks the launch of a new recording of the complete symphonies of composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978). Aram Khachaturian is considered to be one of the leading Soviet composers. He is known for his concertos, three symphonies, and 25 film scores. His style is dazzling, and features colorful harmonies and driving rhythms as well as improvisations. The second symphony is the cornerstone of this release. Unlike the first and third symphonies, this work has a classical structure with four movements and an easy-to-follow language. It is popularly known as the “Bell Symphony” for its forceful opening measures.