DOUCE FRANCE: MELODIES & CHANSONS

PARSIFAL

Limited four vinyl LP set. Marking Ravel's 150th birthday and the one-year anniversary of Seiji Ozawa's death, Deutsche Grammophon presents Ozawa's recordings with Boston Symphony Orchestra of the composer's orchestral works. This 4 LP set is limited and numbered. The Original Source Series from Deutsche Grammophon features celebrated recordings reissued on vinyl. All recordings have been newly mastered from the original tapes and mixed by Rainer Maillard and cut by Sidney C. Meyer from Emil Berliner Studios. Pressed on 180g virgin vinyl by Optimal, presented in a deluxe gatefold with original artwork and housed in a rigid slipcase. Featuring photos and facsimiles of the recording documentation on the inner sleeve. Each gatefold also contains a note detailing the technical procedure of the Original Source Series.

In my opinion, film music is one of the rare territories where a composer can write freely, providing that he chooses the films and subjects that suit his personality. This is the ideology that Howard Shore, one of the most innovative film composers, has embraced for more than 40 years. This album provides the perfect synthesis of three Paris concerts, which aimed to define the mysterious contours of the composer's multifaceted output. 2 LP set.

The Canadian star pianist Jan Lisiecki presents his acclaimed cycle of Beethoven's five piano concertos for the first time on vinyl, accompanied by the world-acclaimed Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and conductor Tomo Keller. 5 LP boxset.

Scriabin's 'Le Po?me de l'extase' is representative of everything he produced as a composer. The oversized nature of his compositions virtually overwhelms the listener. Writer Boris Pasternak confessed, "I could not listen to this music without tears. " Tchaikovsky describes much more earthly joys and pains in his fantasy overture 'Romeo And Juliet. ' Balakirev had drawn the composer's attention to Shakespeare's tragedy. In gratitude, Tchaikovsky dedicated the score to him. The Original Source Series is remastered by the renowned Berlin-based Emil Berliner Studios using 100% pure analogue techniques to create versions of the highest possible audio quality. Produced on 180g virgin vinyl by Optimal and housed in deluxe gatefold editions, featuring additional photos and/or recording documentation.

60 years after Luciano Pavarotti's first recording for Decca, the legendary label is re-releasing one of his most popular albums on CD and coloured vinyl: 'O Sole Mio'. 'O Sole Mio' shows a completely different side of the Italian tenor: Pavarotti sings a series of Neapolitan songs, lovingly arranged for voice and orchestra. The album was honoured with the Grammy Award for the best classical solo vocal album in 1980. The impressive range of emotions expressed in the songs - from the passionate 'O Sole Mio' to the exuberant 'Funicul�, Funicul�' - is a delight for listeners new and old. The turquoise vinyl of the new edition reflects the colours of the original LP cover.

MY AMERICAN STORY: NORTH

Bruce Liu, winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition and famous for his distinctive mix of "feline agility and lightness of touch" (New York Times), breaks new ground with the supposedly well known. Following his enormous success with WAVES, a tribute to French composers and nature themes, The Seasons now focuses on Tchaikovsky's and Liu's relationship with music. "For me, this is a moment to explore some personal emotion," the pianist says of his latest album, which envelops the Russian composer's intimate and profoundly poetic language with musical breathing space.

CHOPIN: 24 PRILUDES, OP. 28 (THE ORIGINAL SOURCE)

Dresden-based composer/producer, Sven Helbig, presents 'Requiem A' to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, honoring the victims of war and sending a profound plea for peace. The world premiere performance was recorded on February 9, 2025 at Dresden's Kreuzkirche and performed by the Dresden Kreuzchor, Saxon State Orchestra and celebrated bass-baritone Rene Pape with conductor Martin Lehmann. Released by Deutsche Grammophon, this poignant work seeks to serve as a universal message of remembrance, reconciliation, and cultural exchange.

SCHUMANN

Vinyl LP pressing. For his latest Deutsche Grammophon release, the legendary composer, conductor and pianist Joe Hisaishi turns the spotlight on his work with another leading figure in Japanese cinema, Takeshi Kitano. Recorded as part of the hugely successful collaboration with the Wiener Symphoniker that began with Hisaishi's acclaimed debut at the Vienna Musikverein in March 2023.

SYMPHONY NO. 9, FROM NEW WORLD (ORIGINAL SOURCE)

Julius Asal - "SIENA TAPES". Inspired by the 150th anniversary of Ravel's birth, Asal curates a personal program that combines the French composer's music with his own improvisatory pieces. SIENA TAPES presents Ravel's Jeux d'eau, Prelude in A minor, Menuet sur le nom de Haydn and A la maniere de Borodine, interwoven with Asal's Prelude (3191) and Cascades I-III.

Daniel Barenboim's Bruckner odyssey, recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 1981, proved his credentials as a true Brucknerian, with readings "full of youthful impetus and gorgeously wrought sonorities. Power, sensitivity, and sweep, felt from within" (Gramophone). The set also includes the Te Deum, with powerful soloists, the rarely heard Helgoland for men's chorus and orchestra, and Psalm 150 for soprano, chorus and orchestra. With Yvonne Minton (mezzo-soprano), Jessye Norman (soprano), Samuel Ramey (bass-baritone), David Rendall (tenor), and Ruth Welting (soprano). The 10-CD set includes a 28-page booklet with liner notes by Christoph Schluren.

Alice Sara Ott - JOHN FIELD: COMPLETE NOCTURNES - CD - A visual and auditory exploration of a performer's journey through the music of a nearly forgotten composer. Praised by his contemporaries (Chopin, Liszt, Schumann), John Field left the world one of it's most beloved musical forms: the Nocturne. In a complete first for classical music, the album will be accompanied by a series sophisticated music videos uniquely crafted in a cutting-edge LED studio, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON

Vikingur Olafsson - "Philip Glass: Piano Works" [Crystal Clear 2 LP] Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson pays tribute to the master of minimal music, Philip Glass. Olafsson was one of a handful of young pianists selected by Glass to perform all his Etudes together in London, and the reviews were ecstatic. The Financial Times claimed, "Best of all was Olafsson in the supersensitive stillness of Etude 5." In addition to the Etudes for solo piano, Piano Works (originally released in 2017 around Philip's 80th birthday) includes reworks of the originals for piano and string quartet. 2 LP set on crystal clear vinyl. Limited Edition.

Itzhak Perlman - "Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon" [25 CD] Between 1968 and 2001, Itzhak Perlman recorded a remarkable series of albums for Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, partnering with some of the greatest conductors, pianists, and ensembles of the era. To celebrate his 80th birthday, this 25-CD edition gathers these recordings in one definitive set. The collection highlights Perlman's unmatched versatility, from concertos and sonatas to chamber works and song accompaniments. It includes his celebrated collaborations with Daniel Barenboim, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Pinchas Zukerman, Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, and Zubin Mehta, among others. The set also contains a special "favorites" disc, evocative session photographs, new liner notes by Tully Potter, and reflections from Perlman, Barenboim, and Zukerman. Verve Label Group; Deutsche Grammophon; Classical; Catalog.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Chopin's 4-movement Cello Sonata op. 65 dates from 1845/46 and combined the attractions of his ornamented writing for piano, here free from reminiscences of his native folk music. With an understanding of the individual character of the cello, one forgets that his creative concepts had been wholly pianistic in origin. Schumann wrote few works for cello and piano, but those are of considerable importance. The Adagio and Allegro op. 70 for cello and piano of 1849 is characteristic of Schumann's blend of eloquent melancholy with spontaneous naturalness, while the piano part is marked by brilliant virtuosity. Perfect understanding and harmony mark this recording by Argerich & Rostropovich. The Original Source Series features 4-track recordings from the '70s. Remastered using 100% analogue techniques to create the highest possible audio quality. Produced on 180g vinyl by Optimal and housed in deluxe gatefold, featuring additional photos and/or recording documentation.

The English Concert/Trevor Pinnock - "Bach: Overtures BWV 1066, 1068 (The Original Source Series)". Bach's Overtures (or "Orchestral Suites") are joyful suites of dance movements. The two recorded here, No.1 and No. 3, are especially flamboyant works of Baroque splendor, while also featuring the famous "Air" (in Suite No. 3), a peaceful piece of utter beauty and serenity. Hardly any ensemble has influenced our listening attitudes to "early music" as much as "The English Concert, " which came into being over 50 years ago. The founder and long-time conductor Trevor Pinnock led the musicians with an articulate tone from the harpsichord and thus formed the sound from the heart of the ensemble. The Original Source Series from DG features celebrated 4-track recordings from the '70s reissued on vinyl. Remastered by the renowned Berlin-based Emil Berliner Studios using 100% pure analogue techniques to create versions of the highest possible audio quality. Produced on 180g vinyl by Optimal and housed in deluxe gatefold editions, featuring additional photos and/or recording documentation.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. It took Claudio Abbado and the Boston Symphony Orchestra two sessions in February 1970 to record their interpretations of Debussy's Trois nocturnes", Ravel's suite Daphnis et Chloe", and his Pavane pour une infante defunte - soon became classics. THE ORIGINAL SOURCE SERIES is presented on 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold edition with original cover and lyrics", the copies of this series are limited and numbered. They are accompanied by additional photos and facsimiles of the recording logs and tape boxes", plus an article which explains the exact technical background.

Double 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Of the many recordings of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem", Herbert von Karajan's 1972 recording is among the most admired. Alongside the Berlin Philharmonic and the Wiener Singverein", he is joined by Mirella Freni", Christa Ludwig", Carlo Cossutta and Nicolai Ghiaurov - four of the finest Verdi interpreters of his time. THE ORIGINAL SOURCE SERIES is presented on 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold edition with original cover and lyrics", the copies of this series are limited and numbered. They are accompanied by additional photos and facsimiles of the recording logs and tape boxes", plus an article which explains the exact technical background.

Sarah Willis/The Sarahbanda -"Cuban Christmas" [LP] Sarah Willis, horn-player of the Berliner Philharmoniker, teams up with the Sarahbanda for a a celebration of the vibrant Cuban Christmas rhythms. The album injects the colorful, contagious energy of Cuban music into a selection of timeless holiday classics - some featuring vocals from Carlos Calunga, of Buena Vista Social Club fame. Verve Label Group; Deutsche Grammophon; Holiday

Double vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. For the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra conclude their award-winning, decade-long Shostakovich Project by presenting the Shostakovich symphony cycle, featuring Yo-Yo Ma's performances of the two cello concertos. Introducing the latter work to the audience, Ma said, "This piece is as relevant today as it was then. I think Shostakovich's artistic truth was to represent the voice of the voiceless."