Carson Cooman is many things musical - organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song. His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to more gritty and substantial pieces such as his organ symphonies and preludes and fugues. The music in this programme, all composed in 2016 and 2017, is varied and consists of concert pieces (though suitable for church use) as opposed to explicitly liturgical works. Erik Simmons is a fine organist, making his seventh Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is playing the Cavaille-Coll organ of the Abbey of Saint-Etienne, Caen, France in a live performance recorded through the Hauptwerk system. This is volume 7 of this highly praised series.

Etienne Cutajar is a star of the future and an extraordinarily gifted horn player. This CD presents music for horn with piano, with harp and solo. Included are two world premiere recordings: The Fantasie Sonata by Charles Camilleri (who attended the recording sessions and was most delighted with the performance!) and Jean-Michel Damase's "Aspects".

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice. The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the ninth instalment, which comprises six works for varying chamber ensembles, and while embodying the composer’s overall wide ranging compositional style, spirituality and mysticism, these pieces express this in a more intimate, lyrical style than his massive symphonic works. ‘Scenes’ was originally written as a ballet score for a film, but as the movie was banned by the Soviet authorities and never shown, the work now stands in its own right as a balletic suite.

ONLY COMPLETE RECORDING. Sir Arthur Sullivan wrote his light opera Haddon Hall when he was at the height of his considerable creative powers. Despite his intention to turn away from writing "lighter" works so that he could concentrate on more serious fare, Sullivan's love of the good-life forced his return to the rather more lucrative stage of the Savoy Theatre, and the world of comic opera. Sydney Grundy presented him with a libretto based on an actual historical incident, namely the elopement of Dorothy Vernon, with her lover John Manners, from Haddon Hall, her ancestral home. The opera was completed and presented at the Savoy Theatre on 24th September 1892. The reception to Sullivan's music (though not the libretto!) was ecstatic. Bernard Shaw thought Haddon Hall to be the very best of the Savoy Operas, and for a while the piece beat even the Mikado in box office receipts. We hope that, after hearing this new recording, you will agree that Haddon Hall is an unjustly neglected work of great charm, fully worthy of Britain's most famous composer of the 19th century, Sir Arthur Sullivan.

Yacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. After the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice. This is one of a pair of related albums and contains a Symphony which is the third of his gigantic symphonic tetralogy “Symphony of the Way” - it was given its premiere by Mstislav Rostropovich to whose memory the disc is dedicated. The symphony is accompanied by another major work, Tristia II, a Fantasy for piano and orchestra with poems and prayers by Nikolai Gogol. The two conductors are among the cream of Russia’s younger generation, both amassing a very fine reputation in their own fields. Overall, this is a release of high importance in the symphonic repertoire (world premiere recordings).

Written to be played by children perhaps, but not all these pieces are as simple as the title may suggest! Miniature modern masterpieces by some of the 20th century's greatest composers. Raymond Clarke is an acknowledged master of the 20th century repertoire and his previous recordings have received immense praise. He has been described as a staggering pianist of exceptional gifts.

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice. The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the eighth instalment, containing three orchestral works, with an over-arching sorrowful cast – remembering, like his Requiem, the suffering of the Russian peoples under Soviet rule (and for In Memoriam, a tribute to the composer’s mother), and all typifying Artyomov’s true genius as a truly individual composer who can make thoroughly modern music listenable and demanding further regular hearings. Three fine orchestras and conductors, and superb soloists, provide a rich and satisfying program of substantial modern orchestral music.

This new release from Divine Art is a selection of tracks from the Burkard Schliessmann album ‘Chronological Chopin’ which won a silver medal at the Global Music Awards 2017 as well as glowing reviews from music critics the world over. An audiophile collection recorded and mastered at 24-bit quality, this is a very rare opportunity to obtain new recordings of Chopin’s masterpieces in the best sound and by a compelling interpreter. German pianist Burkard Schliessmann is a performer with a passion and vision – to seek out and interpret the forms, colors and textures, indeed the soul and expression: the poetic impact, of works we believe have already been fully explored. His previous recordings have received worldwide acclaim - “Schliessmann is too good a pianist for anyone to pass on this” – American Record Guide; “without equal” – Fanfare. Chopin is above all his composer of choice to whom he has devoted endless hours of study and appreciation.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Paul Taffanel was probably the most influential figure in the world of flute music, as performer and composer, but more so as inspirer, commissioner and supprter of fine works by a multitude of composers; this set contains many of those, most of which, having fallen out of fashion in the modernist 20th century, have never been recorded until now - indeed many have been unperformed for years. A great shame as these are without exception, exquisite and lovely works, beautifully performed. One or two well known pieces are included too. The artists have put an immense amount of dedication into this, their 'magnum opus'. over 76 minutes on each CD all at less than mid price.

Apart from the regular use of some his works in examination syllabuses, the music of Rebikov (1866-1920) is shockingly neglected - most items on this CD are receiving their first recording - and this is the composer who was once called 'the father of Russian modernism'. One of the first proponents of the whole-tone scale, his music is in a bewildering array of styles, foreshadowing composers as diverse as Debussy, Stravinsky, Copland and Villa-Lobos. The music here, apart from the 20-minute Esclavage et liberte, consists of a number of suites of impressionist music. Modern, but bright, direct and often humorous music makes Rebikov the perfect composer for pianists and piano enthusiasts whatever their preferences in genre.

The final part of Anthony Goldstone's brilliant triptych of recitals including transcriptions, variations, fantasias, and arrangements of music from public 'spectacles' - the first two CDs attracted enormous critical praise and this volume is no less fine, containing perhaps a few more well-known themes, such as those from Swan Lake and the Nutcracker, but in fresh and new arrangements by the performer - indeed most of the music here is receiving it's first recording.

There seems no end to the brilliance not only of the musicianship and pianistic skill of our top piano duo but also their dedication to re-discovering and recording lost or neglected masterpieces. Here we have the very well known Second Piano Concerto of Chopin, in a two-piano version by Chopin himself and his pupil Mikuli - and never before recorded. A host of other rarities and transcriptions complete yet another reference recording.

Above all other periods, the 'roaring' 1920s were possibly the years of greatest carefree feeling in British society; America too, to an extent despite the Prohibition and limitations on personal freedom. The new dance crazes, from the foxtrot to the Charleston, Black Bottom and tango, together with the ever increasing popularity of jazz and blues idioms which created the 'hot dance' number, created a golden era in light music, which was eagerly taken up by 'serious' composers; here we have a parade of gems - major works from Gershwin and Milhaud, to miniatures full of fun. Exquisitely performed as ever by Britain's top duo.

Considered one of the leading early-music specialists in Europe, Terence Charlston introduces a unique instrument in his new release Mersenne's Clavichord, a clavichord built to plans and specifications by Marin Mersenne in his 1636 treatise Harmonie Universelle. This collection includes primarily French compositions of the 16th and 17th centuries, and Charleston vividly demonstrates the now rarely heard sound-world of the instrument which was so familiar to the composers of that day.

This is a very important release for lovers of 20th century music, featuring one of the most fascinating and important piano works of the 20th century. Passacaglia is, first, one of the longest continuous solo keyboard pieces ever written. It has collected almost a cult following. It is also a piece of wide variety, collecting in influences from the music of many places, but based strongly and closely throughout on the initials DSCH (for Dmitri Schostakovich). We are pleased to dedicate this disc to the composer in celebration of his recent 75th birthday. Pianist Murray McLachlan is one of Britain's leading exponents of modern music. He has recorded 2 previous CDs for Divine Art and also for Dunelm and Olympia.

The veteran British piano duo of Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow present two major world premieres: the first recording of the piano duet transcription by lieder-writer Robert Franz of the ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet, and the first recording of the ‘Unfinished’ Symphony in a full four-movement performing edition for piano duet including arrangements by Anselm Hüttenbrenner (Schubert’s friend), Anthony Goldstone, and Friedrich Hermann. It includes a completion of Schubert’s part finished Scherzo and the Rosamunde Entr’acte, widely believed to have been the intended finale.

Jill Crossland - Live at Restoration House

In 1930s Britain, the biggest "pop star" was Henry Hall, leader of the BBC Dance Orchestra, whose daily broadcasts were heard by millions. Now tunes he made famous are introduced in brand new recordings by Mart Sander and the Swing Swindlers! This is a great way to hear the fine soft swing in super sound and fine performances.

The seventh Divine Art CD from the critically acclaimed flute and piano duo of Kenneth Smith and Paul Rhodes, now celebrating almost 30 years of partnership, includes some of the finest flute and piano works to come from Britain and Ireland in the 20th c. - Featured as a part of the dozen composer program are two works by composer Peter Lamb, including the world premiere recording of Lamb's Sonatina. - Mr. Lamb died in 2013 almost unnoticed, so this is dedicated to his memory. - Most of the remaining works are still not easily available elsewhere, further highlighting the value of this release.

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia's greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few - but melded into a unique voice. The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the eleventh album, containing a selection of studio and live concert performances of chamber works for slightly unusual combinations: flute quartet, and saxophones much to the fore. Apart from 'Hymns of Sudden Wafts' and Clarinet Sonata these are all premiere releases. The works are performed by some of the best of Moscow's orchestral and chamber musicians and represent a somewhat lighter (though the term is relative) side to Artyomov's work than his massive, granitic symphonies.

Three major organ works: one from Liszt, one of the masters of high Romanticism and bubbling virtuosity; the powerful Heroic Sonata of Jongen and the first commercial recording of the delicately figured piece 'The Dancing Pipes' by Jonathan Dove, one of today's most appreciated composers. This superb program is titled 'Transformations' as each piece contains musical transformations of themes; it also reflects the transformation of the fine Norman & Beard organ at Cheltenham College Chapel - this is it's first recording since a full restoration in 2017. Alexander Finch studied at the Royal College of Music and was organ scholar at Keble College Oxford. He gave over 100 recitals as resident organist at Lancaster Town Hall and continues to undertake a busy concert and broadcasting schedule (sadly his planned August 2019 debut at Notre Dame Paris is 'on hold'. Alexander was appointed College Organist at Cheltenham in 2004 since when he has played daily in the Chapel as well as giving regular recitals; he oversaw the 2017 restoration and manages the work of both students and visiting recitalists.

Santiago Mantas leads the European Union Chamber Orchestra Wind Octect on this release of Mozart's Wind Serenades. These Serenades are among Mozart's most joyful and melodious compositions and this fine performance by the young musicians of the EUCO Wind Octet certainly displays the exuberance and high spirits of the young composer. Santiago Mantas has toured over thirty countries as both conductor and concert pianist and is also a successful composer of music for feature films and documentaries.

This recording of recorder sonatas by Handel and an 18th c. transcription of the Royal Fireworks Suite is the work of three Melbournians who have made important contributions to early music performance in Australia for over thirty years. Published By John Walsh c. 1750, this is the only recording of the adaptation of the Fireworks Music (originally for flute, violin or harpsichord) in this arrangement. All instruments are faithful reproductions of authentic originals, historically accurate, carefully researched and tuned to a version of period temperament, giving each key its own character.

• Carson Cooman (b. 1982) is one of America's most prolific and talented composers; his work appears on over twenty labels. music has been performed worldwide in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to a hot air balloon basket. This is the third CD of Coomans music to be made by Erik Simmons. Tfeatured instrument is the Main Organ of Laurenskerk, Rotterdam, Netherlands built by & Son in 1973,the largest entirely mechanical action instrument in Europe.

Carson Cooman is many things musical–organist and Composer in Residence at the Memorial Church, Harvard University; writer, critic and consultant, concert organist, and above all a highly prolific composer of music in a wide variety of genres, from orchestral to song. His organ compositions come in many styles, from liturgical models, to substantial secular pieces such as his organ symphonies, preludes and fugues. On this album a range of works, most composed in 2017-9, which are ideal for the rich and atmospheric sound of the chosen instrument. Erik Simmons is a superb organist, making his 13th Cooman organ album for Divine Art. He is again playing the wonderful ‘Sun Organ’ of St. Peter &Paul, Görlitz, recorded through the Hauptwerk system.