Here, at last, is Hildegard sung by Benedictine nuns... living the same life, breathing the same air, and trying to capture the spirit of their great predecessor... they represent really lovely, rather unusual tones, beautifully sung, and with understanding (© Gramophone) "it seems to me absolutely to catch the spirit of her music: this Vespers disc, sung by the nuns of the Abbey of St Hildegard in Eibingen. (Gramophone Critics' choice 1998)

Vanguard's reissues of Purcell, the composer most closely associated with Alfred Deller... The purity of tone, the extraordinary resonance of lower and middle notes, the technical skill and sensitivity of his singing all remain... Stylish playing by George Malcolm and others (including young Neville Marriner)... celebrated not only Deller himself but his generation who did so much to bring Purcell out to reveal his genius (Gramophone)

a deeply felt, thoughtful and, where needed, highly dramatic interpretation of an indisputable masterpiece. (Gramophone) "orchestral textures were sensuously coloured, and the vast symphonic structure flawlessly paced and handled. The choral singing, thrilling in it's immediacy and clarity, can only be described as electrifying from start to finish" (The Guardian) "For Davis, Elgar is a European composer, and the links to Wagner are clear... Davis is the star: guiding shaping, enhancing the beauty and the flow." (The Times)

it is no good having lewd words one cannot hear... so full marks for the City Waites and their swinging dialect style... items are sometimes accompanied, sometimes not, and this nicely provides contrast, but they are made into lively entertainments (Penguin Guide 3*) "a taste of the broadside ballad culture which pervaded the Restoration... The Maid's Complaint is a remarkably spontaneous scene, led by soprano Lucie Skeaping complete with a bunch of drunks who join in, late... Good fun but not very clean!" (Gramophone) "good diction allows particular clarity" (MusicWeb)

Steffen Schleiermacher has often fascinated his public with works by Morton Feldman. Along with Christian Giger, the solo cellist in the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, he is now presenting Patterns in a Chromatic Field - an extensive composition showing us the minimalist master's more entertaining side. Here, highly virtuosic passages alternate with petrified soundscapes; now the instruments seem to melt, now their contrasting nature becomes the point of reference. While avoiding any sort of developmental idea, a tonal process of great suggestive power is produced over the course of some eighty minutes. -- MD&G

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REVIEW:

This is very satisfying and musically highly refined. There is a balance to be struck between enigmatic modernity and romantic affection for an abstract tradition which is in line with both Mark Rothko’s New York and Beethoven’s Vienna, and this is beautifully struck by these musicians. If you are a Feldman fan then this will be a very satisfying addition to your collection. Feldman newbies might find an 80 minute duo for cello and piano on a single CD track more than a little daunting, but, as with his other extended works, if you allow the piece its own space and inhabit it as you would an art gallery, then you will gradually sense your cells and synapses aligning themselves to something rather special.

– MusicWeb International

Ulrich Krieger (born 1962 in Freiburg) is a German contemporary composer, performer, improviser and experimental rock musician based in Los Angeles. Krieger's artistic work spans a broad field from contemporary classical composition and free improvisation to experimental fusion with electronic music, rock, metal and noise. His special interest lies in the exploration of the physical fringes between acoustic and electronic produced sounds. In his music and with his instrument, the saxophone, he developed an original style of playing he calls "acoustic electronics". Acoustic electronics is about using sounds that appear to be electronic but are actually produced on acoustic instruments. His probably best known experimental project with acoustic electronics is the transcription of Lou Reed's guitar feedback opus Metal Machine Music, which he rearranged for chamber orchestra. Composers: Ulrich Krieger Performers: Eric Drescher, bass flute; Christian Vogel, bass clarinet; Ulrich Krieger, tenor saxophone; Ulrich Krieger, electronics; California E.A.R. Unit; Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, cello; Vicki Ray, piano; Amy Knoles, percussion; Sonic Boom; Alex Srameck, contrabass clarinet; Chris Kallmyer, trumpet; Luke Storm, tuba; Robert Allaire, accordion; Ami Tamura, inside piano; Lydia Martin, percussion; Aniela Marie Perry, cello; Jake Rosenzweig, bass; Johannes Uhle, organ; Ulrich Krieger, sopranino saxophone; Ensemble Experimente; Dimitri Jurowski, cello; Maria Lobanowa, flute; Johanna Sponholz, recorder; Nikolaj Abramson, clarinet; Jonas Pieper, saxophone; Stephan Bienwald, electric guitar; Julia Schröder, harp; Alezander Schubert, accordion; Vinzenz Weißenburger, piano; Friedemann Werzlau, percussion; Moritz Colitti, violin; Antje Wunderlich, violin; Arthur Hornig, cello; Felix Eugen Thiemann, cello; Gerhard Scherer, Conductor

New York’s leading early music ensemble Tenet presents The Secret Lover, a program that celebrates music by, for, and about women and pays tribute to the 17th century Concerto delle donne, a trio of extraordinarily gifted professional female singers who were renowned for their performances in the courts of the late Italian Renaissance. Three of Tenet’s own leading ladies – sopranos Jolle Greenleaf and Molly Quinn, and mezzo-soprano Virginia Warnken – honor the spirit of these pioneering women with a recording featuring solos and trios that weave a story thread to create a musical portrayal of three women and their complex emotional lives. As a 21st century tribute, Tenet has commissioned a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, which they perform alongside music by Caccini, Rossi, Strozzi and others.