Bach’s famous and beloved Inventions and Sinfonias continue to captivate listeners, students and teachers today as they have throughout the generations. They are delightful discoveries playable by students of various ages and various stages of pianistic development, and provide an inexhaustible source of new ideas. Bach’s melodies sing, dance, and interact with each other and provide a path to understanding counterpoint, and specifically one of Bach’s favored forms, the fugue. These sparkling classics benefit from Paulina Zamora’s tender interpretations, as does the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. This is the third Delos album for the Chilean-American pianist, described by Gramophone as “a sincere and persuasive musician.”

Since its founding in 2003, the Poulenc Trio has established itself as one of the world’s finest ensembles in the lesser-known domain of double-reed chamber music. The Trio’s members are not only first-rate ensemble players but are also prominent virtuosos of their respective instruments. In the group’s second release on Delos, the idiomatic qualities of double-reed instruments are particularly well-served by the pair of trios by Francis Poulenc and Jean Francais. Both works are delightful models of spare neoclassical structure, spiced with piquant French flavors, lending the music an urbane and witty effect.

In contrast, the album offers winning arrangements of music by Dmitri Shostakovich and Giaocchino Rossini, topped off by an effervescent world-premiere piece, ‘Trains of Thought,’ from contemporary composer Viet Cuong, who originally conceived it as part of a multimedia work combining music and an animated film.

REVIEWS:

Since its founding in 2003, the Poulenc Trio has established itself as one of the world’s finest ensembles in the lesser-known domain of double-reed chamber music. On “Trains of Thought,” the qualities of these instruments are particularly well-served by the trios from Francis Poulenc and Jean Francais. The album also offers winning arrangements of music by Shostakovich and Rossini, topped off by a world-premiere piece from contemporary composer Viet Cuong, who originally conceived it as part of a multimedia work combining music and an animated film.

-- WFMT Chicago

There is musical fun a-plenty in the Françaix Trio, Wang managing to make his oboe positively laugh at one point in the first movement, with Young and Lande ready to follow suit. This is a bubbling, light-hearted work which, as with so much of Françaix’s writing for winds, masks an immense understanding of the potential of the individual instruments with music of such attractiveness and joviality that one forgets the enormous skill involved in bringing it all to life.

These are superbly performed works for oboe, bassoon and piano by the talented Poulenc Trio. I’m delighted to have the opportunity of adding this Delos recording to my chamber music collection.

-- MusicWeb International

Philharmonia of Russia conducted by Constantine Orbelian. Great scenes from 'Queen of Spades' captures the essence of the opera in a one-CD version with scenes chosen to represent the music, drama and characterization that make the opera memorable. Amelia Haygood, Delos label founder & Executive Producer: "I've loved 'Queen of Spades' for most of my life, and have long thought it should be up there among the all-time favorites. So it's a deep joy for me to present the drama and poignancy of Tchaikovsky's music at the high artistic level our singers, conductor and orchestra have achieved here. Unlike 'highlights' excerpts, or a collection of arias, this 'Great Scenes' version is meant to preserve the flow of the opera's story of love, obsession and madness. "

This stellar production features a pair of operatic superstars, namely Grammy-nominated tenor Lawrence Brownlee and soprano supreme Sarah Coburn, who continually appear in the lead roles in top houses worldwide. The remaining characters are beautifully portrayed by distinguished singers from Lithuania and Kazakhstan. Providing brilliant and sensitive choral-orchestral support is the Grammy-nominated Maestro Constantine Orbelian (“the singer’s dream collaborator”) leading the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and the Kaunas State Choir. In June 2021, Orbelian was named Music Director and Principal Conductor of New York City Opera. Bellini’s I Puritani is considered by many to offer the most beautiful music among some of his best-known operas, several of which are sublime masterpieces of the spectacular bel canto style of singing.

REVIEWS:

Bellini’s last opera, I Puritani, gets an excellent outing in this new recording. Sarah Coburn leads the cast as Elvira, and her voice suits the role perfectly. Her colororatura is perfect, her phrasing immaculate. Constantine Orbelian conducts with great sensitivity and detail. It is an all-round idiomatic and very welcome release.

– Opera Now

This performance of Bellini’s old warhorse bids fair to overtake all previous commercial recordings of it, In part this is due to the perfectly-balanced cast, but also to the energetic approach of all singers concerned, the lean but not irritating orchestra, and the fact that this issue finally restores all cuts to the score.

Some bel canto lovers will dislike Orbelian’s straightahead conducting. He does not linger unnecessarily on certain phrases or high notes, and allows only a bit of rubato in the phrasing of both orchestra and singers. Yes, Brownlee is allowed to linger a bit on his high D-flat in “A te, or cara” and Coburn to hold her high note in “Son vergin vezzosa.” Live with it. (Brownlee also sings the written but often inaccessible high F in “Credeo a misera.”) Otherwise, this is a wonderfully taut reading and, unlike José Lopez-Cobos who also conducts taut performances of bel canto operas, Orbelian injects life and feeling into the orchestra musicians. They do not sound like a bunch of automatons playing on autopilot.

Bottom line, I really enjoyed this recording and consider it the finest overall Puritani on the market.

– The Art Music Lounge

This release—the Taylor Festival Choir’s second album for Delos—features original Christmas works by two distinguished American composers: Brian Galante, whose choral works and arrangements have met with worldwide acclaim; and the late, great Stephen Paulus, whose many choral and orchestral compositions have been performed by America’s leading choirs and orchestras. The two multi-movement works presented in this album—Galante’s So Hallow’d the Time and Paulus’s Christmas Dances—are heard here in world premiere recordings. Based in Charleston, SC, the Taylor Festival Choir (Robert Taylor, founder and conductor) has gained international recognition since its inception in 2001 as one of America’s finest professional choral ensembles; and proudly claims Brian Galante as its regular Composer-in-Residence. They deliver truly transcendental performances in this lovely recording.

Rising superstar soprano Dinara Alieva – since 2010 a Bolshoi Opera mainstay – has been entrancing opera and concert audiences throughout Europe and elsewhere, appearing to consistent acclaim in major roles at many of the world’s top houses. This live concert video – following her highly successful prior CD release on Delos, Pace mio Dio (DE 3462) – showcases not only her voluptuous voice, interpretive power and stylistic versatility ... but also (thanks to the visual element) her stunning glamour and charismatic stage presence. The varied and highly appealing program encompasses operatic favorites from such composers as Charpentier, Massenet and Cilea – as well as lighter fare from the Spanish Zarzuela and Viennese operetta traditions plus several beloved popular standards. Woven through the vocal program is a series of scintillating orchestral bonbons courtesy of conductor Constantine Orbelian (per Opera News, “...the singer’s dream collaborator) leading the superb Russian National Orchestra and the vaunted Grand Choir, “Masters of Choral Singing.” “She is a wonder…a singer who possesses the gift of heaven.” (Monserrat Caballé)

Though unknown to many today, Margaret Ruthven Lang was one of America's pioneering woman composers. Distinguished pianist Lucy Mauro brings Lang's remarkable and underperformed keyboard creations to vibrant life with deep sensitivity, touching emotion, and admirable technical facility. These pieces will be exciting discoveries for any pianist or piano fan on the prowl for fresh repertoire.

Classical Music

Delos has the tremendous honor of issuing the first-ever album devoted to the wonderful compositions of Nadia Boulanger: truly a release of great historical importance. None dispute that Boulanger was by far the twentieth century’s most influential composition teacher. Yet “Mademoiselle,” as she has long been known in the music world, dismissed her own works as “useless,” with the result that they are almost completely unknown to the musical public today. But not anymore. Music lovers everywhere can now hear Boulanger’s complete works, published and unpublished (including 13 world premieres), in the genres of the art song, solo piano, cello and piano, and organ, as performed by an all-star array of musicians. Mademoiselle’s music, with its beauty and originality, will amaze listeners everywhere.

REVIEWS:

Absolutely nothing about this record denotes one of the most important classical records of this or any year -- not the venerable but small American label Delos or the French, Israeli, and American musicians involved.

But what you've got here is historic and very great indeed: the first recording of music by one of the most important figures in all of 20th century music but one whose own music has been kept under virtual lock and key since her death in 1979 at the age of 92.

Nadia Boulanger's own compositional life occupied only a small part of her very long life: from 1901 to 1922. She didn't think her own music was worth much. You will differ completely after hearing these two discs. Listen to these songs, piano pieces and works for cello and piano and you'll, in fact, be dumbfounded that it took so long for this music to have its world premiere on record.

– Buffalo News (Jeff Simon)

The performances here range from good to considerably better. Nicole Cabell’s singing of just over half the songs is exquisite: delicately shaded, tonally lovely, and sensitive to the texts. Neither of the two male singers has a voice with the distinctiveness of hers, but both are fine singers and more than do justice to the songs. Tenor Alek Shrader really understands the French style. The usual range of subjects—love, grief, nature, and religion—are all covered in Boulanger’s melodies. Some songs are surprisingly passionate from a composer whom history has painted as a reserved and controlled personality.

The instrumental works, all miniatures, are skillfully crafted (as one would expect from a life-long pedagogue), but also display a spark of ingenuity and inspiration. The third of the three pieces for cello and piano, Vite et nerveusement rythmé, is a vivid depiction of nervous energy, forming a strong contrast to the first piece, which is longingly romantic. There is throughout the disc a great deal of variety of mood and color, which helps to maintain interest. Pianist Lucy Mauro does yeoman’s work as both soloist and as collaborative pianist, though without demonstrating a really strong musical personality. The cellist and organist are quite good as well, and the well-balanced and natural recorded sound is also a plus. Finally, so are Delos’s extensive and informative notes. Everything about this disc combines to make an enthusiastic recommendation easy.

-- Fanfare

For his debut album on Delos, the brilliant emerging virtuoso Sean Kennard has chosen a captivating program featuring solo piano music by two of America’s most iconic composers: Samuel Barber and Aaron Copland. While neither composer’s body of work includes a great many pieces for solo piano, each has left a legacy of superb piano compositions to memorable effect.

Of the five works on this album, Barber’s finger-twisting Sonata for Piano and Copland’s stunning Piano Variations stand as enduring masterpieces of twentieth-century American piano music. Both pieces incorporate broad spectrums of modernist musical language and styles, as well as degrees of difficulty that only the finest and most technically accomplished artists can master. And most of the shorter pieces offer delightfully evocative treatments of musical Americana.

REVIEWS:

A triumphant debut from a brilliant young pianist.

America still produces superb pianists and one is Sean Kennard, whose first recording this is. (He studied at Juilliard with Boris Berman and Richard Goode.) Not only is Kennard’s technique flawless, his understanding of the music’s expressive requirements is second to none… This marvellous debut disc is a triumph.

-- Limelight

Sean Kennard places familiar works by Barber and Copland in a mutually illuminating dialogue. This achievement in programming is matched by very fine playing indeed. His penetrating sense of structure in Barber’s Piano Sonata and Copland’s Piano Variations is balanced by an infectious sense of fun in Copland’s 4 Piano Blues.

-- Fanfare

Named by Musical America as the 2018 Composer of the Year as well as the most-performed composer of his generation, Grammy-winning composer Mason Bates is widely renowned for his pioneering practice of creating music for conventional performing forces enhanced by electronic sounds. Of the two works presented in this remarkable album, Mass Transmission- in its world premiere recording- is a particularly winning example of Bates’ use of “electronica,” blended here with music for mixed choir and organ. ‘Sirens,’ lacking electronica, still achieves mesmerizing vocal effects through its complex scoring for 12-part a cappella choir. Grammy-winning choirmaster Ragnar Bohlin and his superb chamber choir Cappella SF deliver astonishing performances that will not only thrill Bates’ growing legions of fans, but serve as an ideal introduction to Bates’ unique electronics- enhanced music for those unfamiliar with his art.

This delightful and lighthearted album features virtuoso clarinetist David Shifrin performing Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto in a newly arranged accompaniment for chamber orchestra. The dramatic work unfolds unpredictably in short, contrasting episodes that allow the soloist to explore a range of moods and colors. We are then treated to Nielsen’s charming Six Humorous Bagatelles, written for his children. From the simply put “Hello, Hello” to the final “Musical Clock,” these endearing pieces radiate good humor and adventure. Nielsen’s early Fantasy Pieces with their varying moods and harmonic twists reveal Nielsen’s romantic side, and his Serenata in Vano for wind quintet shows off Nielsen’s affinity for wind instruments and his quirky, playful sensibility. “If there is a bel canto school of clarinet playing, Shifrin is surely its finest exponent.” (The Los Angeles Times)

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton burst upon the global opera and concert scene in recent years after having won many of the world’s most prestigious prizes for vocal excellence and accomplishments. Delos has scored a major coup in releasing her debut album. Jamie’s well-chosen program of late-Romantic repertoire begins with eight of Gustav Mahler’s finest lieder- including his wonderful Five Ruckert Songs- before treating us to the rare delights of Antonin Dvorak’s song cycle Gypsy Songs. Her album concludes with even more seldom-heard selections from the many lovely Swedish-language songs of Finnish master Jean Sibelius. This sublime release- further graced by pianist Brian Zeger’s peerless collaboration- will take your breath away, and leave you hungry for more from Jamie Barton, considered by many of the world’s top vocal and operatic experts to be the rising mezzo of our time.

Founded in 2013 by composer Chad Cannon, AANMI is a consortium of some of the finest young Asian and American composers and performing artists who have joined forces to unite an often fragmentary international music scene by reaching beyond geographic, musical, and cultural boundaries with their new music. This exciting Delos release, the first from AANMI, features Asian members and composers Sayo Kosugi (Japan), Xiaogang Ye (China), Sun-Young Park (Korea) and Narong Prangcharoen (Thailand) as well as participating American members: composers Matthew Aucoin and Chad Cannon, and conductor Yuga Cohler. Solo artists featured in this choice selection of new music are Japanese violinist Ryo Goto and American bass-baritone Davone Tines, performing with the accomplished musicians of the AANMI Los Angeles Ensemble under Yuga Cohler's deft direction.

Now celebrating his twentieth year of distinguished operatic achievements, this collection of arias from mostly “Verismo” operas features tenor Marcelo Alvarez delivering high-impact accounts of both popular and lesser-known selections by masters such as Puccini, Leoncavallo, Giordano, Mascagni and Massenet. + You will also hear – possibly for the first time – a fascinating array of choice rarities by Verismo-era composers (Gomes, Cilea, Zandonai, and Halévy) who were prominent in their day, but whose music has since fallen into comparative neglect. + Maestro Constantine Orbelian – leading the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra – provides the necessary and important support. + “Marcelo Alvarez gave his usual passionate and thrilling performance ... taking advantage of his beautiful voice by phrasing the musical lines with elegance.” - Ingrid Haas

With this release, distinguished Korean pianist Klara Min brings her special touch a seventeen-piece survey of her favorite Mazurkas - a unique “composer genre” from Frédéric Chopin. Widely regarded as the most intimate, heartfelt, emotional, and personal music that the “poet of the piano” composed, the mazurkas fairly shine under Min’s fingers. Her tone has been called “ravishing” and “out of this world” (American Record Guide), and her rare interpretive acumen, technical wizardry, and intuitive musicianship make Chopin’s music a perfect fit.

Gentle classics: A dependable and psychologically effective way to soothe body, mind and spirit. The calmest creations of top-tier composers like Bach, Mozart, Brahms and Debussy; and peerless performances by proven and popular Delos recording artists.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Master clarinetist David Shifrin partners with the Dover and Harlem String Quartets in an album that blazes with excitement. The three new quintets showcase the clarinet’s many moods and tones and explore the expressive capabilities of the string quartet as well. First on the album is Ducal Suite, featuring arrangements of compositions by Duke Ellington, one of the twentieth-century’s greatest and most influential composers. David Schiff’s arrangements make the most of Shifrin’s virtuosity and deep feeling for this music. Chris Rogerson’s Thirty Thousand Days explores three stages of life, divided into increments of ten thousand days (approximately twenty-seven years). The music constantly changes and evolves throughout the three movements of the piece.Valerie Coleman’s Shotgun Houses is a tribute to Muhammed Ali. The first movement is a portrait of the West Louisville, Kentucky neighborhood where both she and Ali grew up. The middle movement is a love ballad, and the final movement depicts the boxing match in which Ali won an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960.

The legendary late American organist, composer, and pedagogue McNeil Robinson was especially prized for his skill at improvisation: a rare discipline largely restricted to European masters of the organ. Many distinguished composers of his day—including Marcel Dupré, Ned Rorem, Lukas Fossand Vincent Persichetti—were his regular collaborators, providing thematic materials for his peerless improvisatory events. Robinson himself regarded this revelatory March 21, 2006 performance of improvisations on the fourteen Stations of the Cross—a treasured ritual of sacred Christian liturgy—as the finest of his improvisatory efforts. His dying wish was to have it released to the musical public as the pinnacle of his storied legacy, hence this marvelous live recording of the event.

On Haik Kazazyan's first album for Delos, Opera Fantasies, the brilliant American violin virtuoso demonstrated the fiery, passioante, and technically astonishing sides of his artistry. And the same musical virtues are certainly on display here, in his glowing rendition of the three violin sonatas by the Norwegian master Edvard Grieg. In this new album - with dazzling and soulful collaboration from the rising young Russian piano wizard Philipp Kopachevsky - he also applies the sensitivity, subtlety, and interpretive insight needed to bring these three chamber masterpieces to vibrant life. Composed across a period ranging from Grieg's early twenties through middle age, these comparatively unfamiliar pieces not only confirm the composer's winning ways with melodic invention and nationalistic impulse, but also serve as a revealing guide to Grieg's evolution as a composer.

Clarinetist Danny Granados was a remarkable musician as well as a passionate arts administrator. While serving as chief financial officer of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, he made this recording with the Fidelis String Quartet (all orchestra members) and friends. But the album was put on hold when Danny became ill with cancer. After he passed away last year, the recording’s remaining players resolved to release it as a memorial tribute to their dear friend and colleague. Hence this very moving and attractive album of masterpieces by Johannes Brahms, Astor Piazzolla and Osvaldo Golijov: a program that explores common threads between the works of three prominent, yet very different composers. The result is a release that will both ravish listeners’ ears and touch their hearts.

The Mighty Handful, also known as The Five, were a group of prominent nineteenth century Russian composers who strived to produce a specifically ‘Russian’ style. The group consisted of Mily Balakirev, Cesar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alexander Borodin. The Russian Guitar Quartet has chosen works by The Mighty Handful for this new release, reviving the lost tradition of seven-string Russian guitar quartet. These accomplished performers, all with solo careers of their own, perform these arrangements with purpose and passion, leading the listener on a journey through nineteenth century St. Petersburg.

Cellist Jonah Kim and pianist Sean Kennard have been making music together since they were teenagers at the Curtis Institute of Music and together they have played almost every sonata in the standard repertoire. The Rachmaninoff Sonata and the Sonata by Samuel Barber hold a special place for them: The Rachmaninoff was the first sonata they worked on together, and Kim’s teacher at Curtis was Orlando Cole, who premiered the Sonata with Barber himself at the piano. Both Sonatas shine as big, romantic works with broad, rhapsodic strokes and superb melodies. Kim and Kennard give stunning performances, putting these young performers at the top of their generation for technique and interpretation.