Favorite Chopin, Vol. 2

Schumann: Piano Music

Portrait of Vladimir Horowitz

Works for solo flute by some of the most respected British composers of the present day - performed with consummate skill on a variety of instruments by the virtuoso flautist Nancy Ruffer, who has been at the forefront of contemporary flute interpretation, giving numerous first performances - including the UK premiere of Ferneyhough's Superscriptio at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - and commissioning new works from composers such as Chris Dench, Michael Finnissy and others.

Italian composer and guitarist Angelo Gilardino has been at the forefront of contemporary classical guitar music for over 40 years. His legacy is fittingly recognized by Cristiano Porqueddu, himself already firmly established as one of Italy's leading guitarists, who pays tribute to the composer with this integral release of Gilardino's works. Recorded in chronological order, starting with compositions from the mid 1960s and ending with works written just a few years ago, Porqueddu delves in to the astonishing variety of music Gilardino has produced. From the 'dreamy' works of his early period - including Estrellas para Estarellas, Abreuana and Trepidazione per Thebit - a more formal style began to take hold from the 1980s, with the composer writing his first series of 12 studies (Studi di virtuosit� e di trascendenza) in 1981. He followed up this success by adding another 48 to the collection, and since the 2000s the 60 Studies have become a central part of Gilardino's oeuvre, having entered the concert programs of several prominent guitarists. Constantly striving to create a new type of dialogue between the guitar and accompanying instruments, Gilardino composed his first concerto for guitar and orchestra in 1996, sealing his reputation as an accomplished orchestral composer with an additional 16 concertos thereafter. During the 2000s, Gilardino returned to writing for the solo guitar, skillfully bridging the divide between atonal chromatic and diatonic modal music. Gilardino's compositions are inspired by music from all areas and epochs; from Mozart, Ravel and Messiaen to Scottish folk tunes and the beauty of the Mediterranean, there are few elements that are not represented in some shape or form in the composer's works. Porqueddu studied under Gilardino at the 'Lorenzo Perosi' Academy in Biella, and under the composer's guidance his compositions have won him international plaudits in his own right. Angelo Gilardino is one of the most important guitar composers of the last half century. His unique style is a blend of the old and new, folk art and contemporary music, from Mozart to Messiaen, all his works are illuminated by a warm and Mediterranean glow, a feeling of humanity and love for life. Included are all the works he wrote for guitar solo & guitar and orchestra. Included are his famous 60 Trancendental Studies. The set includes many world premieres. No better advocate and interpreter could be wished than guitarist Cristiano Porqueddu, a lifelong pupil and friend of the composer, sharing the same musical passions. Recorded in Nuoro, Italy, in 2012-15. Includes world premiere recordings. Contains extensive notes written by the composer especially for this release.

Four CD set. Few great conductors can be classified by just a few characteristics. Although this cautionary remark applies to Dimitri Mitropoulos, it seems safe to say that, among other things, he was renowned for performances of intensity and animation; his willingness, even eagerness, to explore unfamiliar repertory; and his photographic memory. Ample evidence of the first two characteristics can be heard in this collection of live performances, many previously unreleased, with the Philharmonic-Symphony and the NBC Symphony Orchestra in repertoire with which his career was closely associated. The two volumes include works by Busoni, to whose circle he had belonged as a student in Berlin, the Twelve-tone Viennese masters for whom he fought major cultural battles, Prokofiev, Richard Strauss, and Mahler, whose inner landscape he found congenial and helped popularize in his decades in America. Digital restorations in 2008 utilizing the revolutionary harmonic balancing technique.

Paul Watkins, an exclusive Chandos artist, returns to his series of British works for cello and piano, playing sonatas by York Bowen, John Ireland and Sir Arnold Bax. He is accompanied by his brother, Huw Watkins. International Record Review wrote of volume one, “This is a marvelous release: for the intriguing music, the superb performances and the first-class sound.”

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Following the two volumes of the Guide des Instruments, RICERCAR goes further into the knowledge of several instruments and their specific repertoire. It was in 1817 that the instrument maker Halary invented this instrument whose low register prefigures the tuba. Integrated into the orchestra by Berlioz, the ophicleide was also used in church to accompany the plainchant and quite present in military bands. But it also benefitted from a solo repertoire in the concerto genre as well as in chamber music. Patrick Wibart impresses with his total mastery of the instrument and the flexibility of his playing.

Classical Music

HUMMEL POMPA-BALDI (PIANO) PIANO SONATAS VOL. 1- SONATA OP. 2, NO. 3 IN C MAJOR; SONATA OP.13 IN E-FLAT MAJOR; SONATA OP. 20 IN F MINOR

Import Hybrid-SACD pressing.

Oliva, J.C.: 4 Etudes / 3 Instantes De Amor / Sonata Transfi

Classical Music

Includes work(s) for organ by Dietrich Buxtehude. Soloist: Hans Davidsson.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Brouwer: Guitar Music, Vol. 3

Scheidemann: Organ Works, Vol. 3

Classical Music

Greif: The Battle of Agincourt - Quatuor à Cordes No. 2

Classical Music

Classical Music