Songbook is the title of French clarinetist Pierre G�nisson's new album, recorded with pianist Bruno Fontaine, and several surprising guests. Featuring a laid-back mix of repertoire taken from the American Songbook and from French popular repertoire. Terrific lineup of artists includes Monica Bellucci on "I Got You Under My Skin", Lambert Wilson on "My Funny Valentine", Thibaut Garcia on Salvador's "Syracuse" and on "Smile", Youn Sun Nah in "La Javanaise", Kimberose on "What A Wonderful World".

Dido's famous lament, 'When I am laid in earth' has long featured in Joyce DiDonato's repertoire - and she has triumphed as the tragic Queen of Carthage in Berlioz's Les Troyens - but it was in early 2024 that she first performed Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas in it's entirety. With Il Pomo d'Oro, conductor Maxim Emelyanychev, and a cast including Fatma Said as Dido's companion Belinda, DiDonato toured extensively in Europe. This recording was made in Essen's Philharmonie, where Michael Spyres took the role of Aeneas. The two stars have been through this all before, as Spyres sang �n�e to DiDonato's Didon in the prizewinning Erato recording of Les Troyens, conducted in 2017 by the late John Nelson.

David Fray stands out as one of today's most distinctive French pianists, widely acclaimed for his profound interpretations of Bach. Each of his recordings is considered a major event, making this new release all the more anticipated, as it marks his return after several years of silence. This new album features masterpieces from Rameau to Scarlatti, including lesser-known composers like Royer, with a strong focus on Bach. The repertoire includes original keyboard works as well as piano transcriptions by legendary pianists such as Siloti, Kempff, Busoni, and Stradal. Additionally, the album also includes the world premiere recording of Monsaingeon's arrangement for piano of Bach's Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BWV 1003: Andante.

With Pianosong, Alexandre Tharaud pays homage to the great French singers and songwriters of the 20th century (Brel, Piaf, Barbara, Gainsbourg, Trenet, Ferr�, Berger) by transposing their songs into a new pianistic and symphonic language. This is not a cover album, nor a tribute in the conventional sense. It is a collection of musical metamorphoses, through improvisation, arrangement, orchestration, and interpretation.

This album, which focuses on arias from Handel's more rarely-performed operas, is the first that Philippe Jaroussky has devoted entirely to the composer - though his Erato discography already includes complete recordings of Faramondo, Partenope and, on DVD, Alcina, and arias by Handel feature on the countertenor's Carestini: A Castrato's Story. Praising Jaroussky in Handel, the New York Times has described him as "incomparable... thrilling of voice." Now, for the first time, Jaroussky brings his impeccable Handelian credentials to an entire album devoted to arias by the composer, who produced thirty-five operas for the London stage between 1711 and 1741. For all Handel's current popularity, comparatively few of his operas are performed with great regularity. Works such as Giulio Cesare, Alcina, Ariodante, Agrippina, Serse, Rodelinda, Rinaldo, Partenope, Orlando, and Tamerlano have achieved varying degrees of currency, but, apart from an aria from Rodelinda, Jaroussky's new album puts the emphasis on operas we are less likely to hear in the theatre or concert hall: Amadigi di Gaula; Arianna in Creta; Flavio, re di Longobardi; Giustino; Imeneo; Radamisto (represented by no fewer than four arias); Riccardo primo, re d'Inghilterra; Siroe, re di Persia and Tolomeo, re di Egitto. A number of these operas were written for the famous castrato Senesino, who created many leading roles for Handel.

For me, the Elgar Cello Concerto is about passion," says Gautier Capu�on, who has now recorded the work with the London Symphony Orchestra - which played at the concerto's premiere in 1919 - and it's new Music Director, Antonio Pappano. The companion piece for the Elgar is William Walton's cello concerto, premiered nearly 40 years later in 1957. "The Elgar is the quintessence of deep emotions, and the cello is exactly the right instrument to transmit them," continues Capu�on. "The Walton Cello Concerto is absolutely gorgeous, a magical piece It's very challenging, very difficult. There are the two cadenzas, which are very demanding on the cellist, and like the Elgar, structurally, the second movement is an extremely virtuosic dialogue with the orchestra." As Antonio Pappano explains, "This is not the first time the Elgar, which is a very strong, dark piece, has been paired with the Walton, and it's a wonderful coupling. Walton uses a richer harmonic palette, a more diverse orchestra, more colourful forces: vibraphone, celesta, harp. The music twinkles and has the mystery of the night about it. But it sings. It sings the way Elgar's concerto sings. At the end of the day it is a mood piece, and I think it shares that with the Elgar. And you can see the history of English music and how it progressed. I believe English music really has a lot to say if it's done with full-on intensity and drama, and the London Symphony Orchestra can produce that like no other.

Six virtuoso vocal soloists and the instrumentalists of Les Accents rise to the dramatic and expressive challenges of Serpentes ignei in deserto - 'Fiery Serpents in the Desert' - a biblical oratorio by Johann Adolf Hasse. As the conductor and violinist Thibault Noally explains: "Hasse was probably one of the most famous composers of his time - as famous as Handel, or even more famous than Handel in some countries." Born near Hamburg in 1699, Hasse studied in Italy and was active in such musical centers as Naples, Vienna, Dresden and Venice, where he composed Serpentes ignei in deserto. The central role of Moses is taken by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, who is joined by soprano Julia Lezhneva as an Angel, sopranist Bruno de S�, and three further star countertenors - Jakub J�zef Orlinski, Carlo Vistoli and David Hansen. "The score is demanding for all the singers," continues Thibault Noally. "Every character is very different from the others and each of our soloists has a unique personality and a unique vocal timbre. The result is a huge variety of temperaments and colors."

Terrific debut album for Huw Montague Rendall, showcasing his multifaceted talent and stylistic sensitivity. Contemplation spans three centuries, the idioms of opera, operetta, Broadway musical, lied and m�lodie with arias and songs by Mozart, Thomas, Gounod, Duparc, Messager, Mahler, Korngold, Rodgers and Britten. In a duet from Mozart's Die Zauberfl�te the baritone is joined by Canadian soprano Elisabeth Boudreault.

Luka (violin) and L�o (cello) Ispir (laureates 2023 of Fondation Gautier Capu�on) are two award-winning musicians, trained at prestigious institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. Fondation Gautier Capu�on is dedicated to supporting emerging young musicians, helping them launch their professional careers with mentorship, visibility, and opportunities to perform: fondationgautiercapucon. Com. This album showcases a diverse program, blending masterpieces by Bach and Mozart with a tribute to Ravel's iconic Sonata for Violin and Cello, in the year of 150th's anniversary of the composer's birth. It also features the world premiere recording of Street of Memories, Op. 115 by Turkish composer and pianist Fazil Say.

Gautier Capu�on's cello becomes the voice of the Earth in an inspired album of world premiere recordings: Ga�a. Uniting seventeen world-premiere works by sixteen contemporary composers, this project - which takes it's name from the Greek goddess of Earth and mother of all life - sets out to explore humanity's relationship to nature through a multifaceted lens, drawing from different musical genres, aesthetics, and cultural influences as well as the formidable contrasts of the natural world. The recordings showcase diverse new works by innovative contemporary composers, from luminaries in the field - Max Richter, Ludovico Einaudi, Joe Hisaishi, Bryce Dessner - to brilliant emerging talents. In Gautier's words: "Ga�a is an album dedicated to the Earth, inspired by it's beauty, fragility, and strength."

The string quartets of Debussy and Ravel, composed within a decade of each other, make a natural pairing. The Arod Quartet, celebrating it's 10th anniversary in 2023, sets these two belle époque masterpieces in a present-day context with a third work: Al Asr, by the young French composer Benjamin Attahir. The scope of this Erato release is further expanded with a DVD documentary about the Arod Quartet, entitled Ménage à quatre and directed by Bruno Monsaingeon. His first experience of the Arod Quartet was a revelation: "Had I ever heard such sheer strength of attack, such dramatic power, such a variety of sonic colour or dramatic range - all combined with such prodigious delicacy of phrasing?" It was in 2017 that the Arod Quartet gave the premiere of Benjamin Attahir's Al Asr, a substantial work which takes poetic inspiration from the Muslim afternoon prayer and the intense heat of the moment midway between noon and sunset. "Al Asr is dedicated to my wonderful friends in the Quatuor Arod," says Attahir. "They have brought it to life in a way I would never have dared to dream."

These 16 CDs offer a comprehensive and meticulously curated journey through Bizet's major works, bringing together exceptional performances by top-tier artists. Operas: 9 CDs, featuring two versions of Carmen the legendary 1964 version by Maria Callas and Nicolai Gedda under the baton of Georges Pr�tre, and the original version restored by Fritz Oeser in 1964, recorded in 2012 by Simon Rattle with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Magdalena Ko�en� and Jonas Kaufmann. Orchestral Works: 3 CDs Piano Music, Songs, Choral Music, and Arrangements: 1.5 CDs (including the two Carmen Fantasy his famous opera inspired to both Pablo de Sarasate and Franz Waxman) Historical Recordings dating from 1903 (!) to 1943: 2.5 CDs Booklet includes an extensive biography by French specialist Fran�ois Laurent.

VERDI: DON CARLOS

Le Concert d'Astr�e, a baroque music instrumental and vocal ensemble led by Emmanuelle Ha�m, is currently one of the finest exponents of this repertoire in the world. It was founded in 2000 by Emmanuelle Ha�m, who has surrounded herself with seasoned instrumentalists who share an outlook and artistic vision which is both expressive and authentic. Le Concert d'Astr�e has been in residence at the Op�ra de Lille since 2004 and has rapidly made a name for itself in France and internationally. In tandem with performing, the musicians are involved in educational outreach in the Hauts-de-France region via chamber music and cultural facilitation activities. The orchestra has a residency at the Coll�ge Miriam Makeba high school in Lille and tours the area meeting diverse audiences who share the rich and formative experience of interacting with the artists of Le Concert d'Astr�e.

A new production by Opera de Lille

On Philippe Jaroussky's new album - dedicated to Schubert - he brings all his elegance, precision and exquisite phrasing to this fabulous repertoire. Accompanist is J�rome Ducros. The album features famous songs such as An Silvia, Du bist die Ruh, Die Forelle, Ave Maria. Opera Today wrote following a Schubert recital from the artists in London's Wigmore Hall: 'Abendstern'... was a masterclass in the art of song which the duo presented with characteristic unassuming eloquence."

Classical Music

Classical Music

Five superb singers - Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine B�nos-Djian, Michael Spyres and John Chest - portray the characters in Handel's Theodora under the direction of Maxim Emelyanychev, Chief Conductor of the instrumentalists and choral singers of Il Pomo d'Oro. An elevated and moving oratorio, Theodora tells the story of Christian martyrs in ancient Antioch under Roman occupation. Handel considered it among his best works. This recording was made at the end of a concert tour that visited Vienna, Milan, Paris, Luxembourg and Essen. "An evening of top-flight singing of a kind that is only rarely experienced," was how one German reviewer summed up the performance, while in France it resulted in "a state of bliss".

Aspiring to Parnassus, the mythological mountain home of the Muses, Jean Rondeau explores the possibilities of the harpsichord in music composed over more than 400 years - much of it for the piano. He pays tribute to the Austrian composer Johann Joseph Fux, who in 1725 published the original Gradus ad Parnassum, an influential treatise on counterpoint, and to Muzio Clementi, whose similarly titled collection of piano studies came a century later. The theme continues with Debussy's Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum, an affectionate parody of Clementi from the Children's Corner suite. The album's scope extends to the renaissance (Palestrina) and to works conceived for the piano by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Rondeau's Gradus ad Parnassum sensitizes us to what repertoire written for the piano can reveal about the harpischord - and to what the harpsichord can reveal about repertoire written for the piano.

Quatuor Eb�ne welcomes a favourite colleague, viola player Antoine Tamestit, for two of Mozart's six string quintets - No 3 in C major, K 515 and No 4 in G minor, K 516. Their last joint album, 'Round Midnight, won a 2022 Gramophone Award for it's thrilling exploration of diverse strands of 20th century music. .When a fifth member joins the ensemble it is always cause for celebration," explains Pierre Colombet, first violinist of Quatuor Eb�ne,.especially if it's an additional viola to bring further roundness and warmth to the middle voices: the sound grows in substance and vibrancy - the quartet gains a marvellous complement. And a musician like Antoine always brings new ideas and wisdom to refresh or expand our vision of a work." Colombet describes K 515 as.radiant and energetic, exuding elegance and grace," a work in the life-affirming vein of Die Zauberfl�te, while K 516 offers.perfection in it's counterpoint and the dialogue between the five instruments... already Romantic in spirit, tragic and sometimes sceptical. We all see it as a peak of achievement in chamber music."

Laurence Equilbey, conducting her period-instrument Insula Orchestra, champions more music by Louise Farrenc, a prominent and pioneering composer in 19th century Paris. This set completes the cycle with Symphony No. 2 in D Major Op. 35 and two overtures: Overture No. 1 in E minor, Op. 23 and Overture No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 24. The Financial Times states,.The score is so well written that it deserves a prominent place in the history of the early Romantic symphony... Equilbey and the Insula orchestra gave it a fleet, fiery performance. Their crusading spirit lived up to the day's billing".

Michael Spyres is a singer who challenges and reshapes perceptions - as his albums BariTenor and Contra-Tenor have shown. Now, preparing for his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in Summer 2024, he searches In the Shadows to reveal more about Wagner and the origins of his music dramas. "Wagner evokes a varying spectrum of emotions - awe, ecstasy, even trepidation," explains Spyres. "This album endeavours to illuminate the composers who languish in the shadows, who formed the foundation of Wagner's compositions and sculpted the framework of vocal writing for the Wagnerian tenor." In the Shadows culminates with three arias by Wagner - from Lohengrin and the lesser-known Die Feen and Rienzi. Preceding them are early 19 th century arias by composers of the French, German and Italian schools: M�hul, Beethoven, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Weber, Auber, Spontini, Bellini and Marschner. Spyres' distinguished companions in his exploration are the players of Les Talens Lyriques and their conductor Christophe Rousset. Michael Spyres's new album seeks to illuminate the composers who "languish in the shadows": those who formed the foundation for Wagner's compositions and sculpted the vocal writing framework of the Wagnerian tenor. In performing and exploring works by pre-Wagnerian composers such as Auber, Bellini, Berlioz, Mehul, Meyerbeer, Rossini, and Spontini, he shines a light on the influences that shaped Wagner into the legendary composer he became. For Michael Spyres, Mehul and Spontini laid the groundwork for Wagner's orchestral and dramatic palette; Meyerbeer, Halevy, and Rossini shaped his understanding of compositional form, overtures, and the structural nuances of storytelling. On the his most recent album, Contra-Tenor, Gramophone wrote: "... it's an enthralling disc as one might expect, and the best of it is sensational indeed."

AGNUS DEI 1 & 2

LA RESURREZIONE