Anja Lechner devotes herself to a particularly unique convergence of three composers from vastly different contexts: J.S. Bach, Carl Friedrich Abel, and Tobias Hume. With her distinct perspective on works composed for both violoncello and viola da gamba, Lechner sheds a fresh light on music written within a span of two centuries. Produced by Manfred Eicher

Gramophone Award-nominated artist Martin Fröst uses every recording as an opportunity to look at repertoire and performance through fresh eyes. His latest album for Sony Classical brings the extraordinary alchemy of a specially formed ensemble to the public with highly original arrangements for the first time on record.

With acclaimed pianist Roland Pöntinen and legendary bassist Sébastien Dubé, Fröst’s new album Night Passages charts a nocturnal journey through the mystical and the melancholic, the playful and the profound.

Reimagining favorites from the Baroque, while touching on jazz and folk music the album’s atmosphere carries with it the vibe of late-night improvisation and deep conversation between friends. From Rameau to Richard Rodgers, it invites listeners to eavesdrop on a musical union.

All nineteen tracks on the album were arranged by Fröst and his fellow trio members for their own instrumental lineup of clarinet, piano and bass. Scintillating Scarlatti keyboard mingling with touching Handel, virile Purcell, aerated Bach and works by Rameau that sound with new exotic allure.

Despite the quiet intimacy in works such as Richard Rodgers It Never Entered my Mind and Bach’s Jesu, meine Freunde, there is virtuosity, stamina and athleticism on display too, not least in a strident arrangement of Vallflickans Dans by the Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén – a piece close to the heart of any Swede.

The album further includes the trio’s light-footed take on Chick Corea’s Armando’s Rhumba and Fröst’s own cadenza-like Prelude to the traditional Swedish polka Dorotea, which is full of his trademark improvisatory fluidity. The same qualities appear to stop time in a heart-rending take on Purcell’s Music for a While. The result is a unique fusion of music past and present, and a snapshot of a three-way musical friendship like none other.

Includes:

Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D Minor, K. 32
Chick Corea: Children’s Song: No. 15
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesus bleibet meine Freude BWV 147
Henry Purcell: "Music for a While" Z. 583 (from Oedipus)       
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: "It Never Entered My Mind"
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Air pour les Sauvages
Antonio Cesti: "Intorno all'idol mio"       
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia No. 5 in E-Flat Major, BWV 791  
Chick Corea: Armando's Rhumba
Henry Purcell: Hornpipe in E Minor, Z. 685
George Frideric Handel: Suite in B-Flat Major, HWV 434: IV. Menuet
Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor Kk.1
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Musette tendre en rondeau
Hugo Alfvén: Vallflickans Dans
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia No. 15 in B Minor, BWV 801
Martin Fröst: Prelude to Dorotea
Traditional: Polska from Dorotea
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Tambourin en rondeau
Gordon Jenkins: "Goodbye"

Martin Fröst, clarinet
Sébastien Dubé, bass
Roland Pöntinen, piano

If Bach had written only the Mass in B minor, he would be considered the leading composer of sacred music in the Baroque period. Composed between 1733 and 1749, on the eve of his death, this Great Mass is a musical testament for posterity: the most accomplished synthesis of the aesthetics that Bach mastered to perfection, but also an anthology of his sacred work, with it's perfectly mastered architecture. John Eliot Gardiner delivers a sensitive reading of this pinnacle of Western music, which he has frequented for half a century, with irresistible energy and compelling beauty. The Monteverdi Choir, undoubtedly the best choir in the world, delivers an extraordinary musical performance. This exceptional moment, filmed in the Chapelle Royale at the Ch�teau de Versailles, sumptuously captures the majesty of this masterpiece of sacred art.

Wind Chamber Music 3

Clavier｜ung Dritter Teil

Clavier｜ung Zweiter Teil

8 Suites In French Style BWV 8

4 Toccatas, Aria Variata, Chro

Clavier｜ung Erster Teil

Also available on Blu-ray

Johann Sebastian Bach
ST MATTHEW PASSION, BWV 244

Christina Landshamer, soprano
Stefan Kahle, alto
Wolfram Lattke, tenor
Martin Lattke, tenor
Klaus Mertens, bass
Gotthold Schwarz, bass

Leipzig St Thomas Boys Choir
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra
Georg Christophe Biller, conductor

Recorded live from the St Thomas Church, Leipzig, 5 and 6 April 2012

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles: German, English, French, Korean
Running time: 164 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

Classical Music

The organ loomed large from early on in Bach’s life. The foundations of his multifaceted career as a professional musician were clearly laid in the careful cultivation of Bach’ prodigious talent as an organist whilst he was still a child. - See more at: http://www.signumrecords.com/catalogue/david-goode/johann-sebastian-bach:-the-complete-organ-works/sigcd800.html#sthash.gfLILMva.dpuf

Classical Music

Bach's 15 two-part Inventions and the 15 three-part Sinfonias played an important role in Bach's teaching. These pieces, although today mainly associated with basic keyboard training, are not at all easy and in fact are sophisticated, small-scale masterpieces. They were not composed simply to provide technical training in keyboard playing but, perhaps more important, to teach keyboard players how to compose. In 1720, Bach's oldest son Wilhelm Friedemann (1710-84) was already of an age appropriate for introducing him into the family trade of musician. So Bach started for him a music notebook: a Clavierb�chlein which included these Inventions and Sinfonias. In learning and playing these works, Bach affirmed, a diligent student would be taught "a clear manner for playing not only in two voices but also in three obbligato parts and, furthermore, not only how to invent good musical ideas [inventiones] but also how to develop these well. And above all, how to achieve a cantabile manner of playing, and additionally to obtain a strong foretaste of Composition. " Wolfgang R�bsam is internationally known as an authoritative Bach interpreter, from recordings of the organ and harpsichord on several different labels. This new recording is played on a lute-harpsichord, an instrument that Bach would have had at home for both music-making in the family and for teaching. The touch required and the sonority produced is delicate, subtly shaded, and closely related in it's effect to the music of Bach's French contemporaries, whose music he knew well, such as Fran�ois Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and Louis Marchand. The sound is warmer, as it has gut strings and no dampers. "These lovely performances memorably showcase R�bsam's sensitive and poetic side. Recommended. Performance: 9," wrote Jed Distler of ClassicsToday. Com about the earlier issue of R�bsam's recording of Bach's French Suites (BC 96227).

At the age of 15, Johann Sebastian Bach attended the Latin school at St. Michael's Monastery in Luneburg for two years. There is also evidence of at least one trip to Hamburg during this time. The young Bach must have been impressed and inspired by the North German music scene with it's large organs and independent pedals, the diverse reed stops, the clear and "sharp" mixtures and, last but not least, his musical experiences in Hamburg's Gansemarkt Opera House. Bach's chorale partitas bear clear traces of the North German environment, for example in the operatic-ariose elaborations with French ornaments or in the very individual virtuoso arrangements of the variations, which suggest the text interpretations of individual song verses. In contrast to this is the Orgelbuchlein, composed in the somewhat later Weimar years, which forms the foundation for Bach's monothematic composition: Here, the sound of a chorale is formed using just one characteristic motif. The roots of this compositional aesthetic can be traced back to Bach's early encounter with Georg Bohm in Luneburg. The history of the large organ in St. Michael's, which can be traced back to the 15th century, is eventful: in 1708 the Schnitger pupil Matthias Dropa built a new organ and extended the existing instrument by Niehoff (1553) - the young Bach may have been able to follow the plans. After numerous alterations, the current specification corresponds to that of 1708, and a precise historical restoration is currently being planned. The tremendous richness of color and the tonal spirit of the Baroque period can be clearly heard despite the equal temperament. The Klapmeyer organ in Altenbruch (1730), on which Dropa also worked from 1697-1700, gives an authentic impression of the sound of this organ landscape in Luneburg thanks to the restoration by Jurgen Ahrend (2004). The specifics of the historical sounds become tangible when comparing the two instruments.

In this album Bach's famous Goldberg Variations are newly arranged for Saxophone, Cello and Accordion. With Asya Fateyeva and Eckart Runge two renowned Berlin Classics artists get together, joined by accordionist Andreas Borregaard. Asya Fateyeva has brought the saxophone into the spotlight through her excellent recordings, new arrangements and concerts for her instrument as well as impressive media attention (including her own TV documentary on ARTE). Eckart Runge was founding member of the Artemis Quartet; he is also an acclaimed soloist and has already released several solo albums on Berlin Classics.

Anyone familiar with Apollo's Fire will recognise the exceptional baroque orchestra's engaging and entertaining principal cellist Rene Schiffer. Featured on dozens of the Apollo's Fire recordings, Rene steps into the spotlight for his solo debut recording with a meticulous rendering of that pillar of the baroque repertoire, J. S. Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello. Deploying different instruments - a 1768 Benoit Fleury cello for the first four suites, an anonymous late 18th century violoncello piccolo with an added string for the fifth (in his own arrangement) and sixth - and multiple tunings, Rene's distinctive interpretations are in harmony with his comprehensive and probing liner notes which abound with theories and intellectual insights.

James McVinnie brings Johann Sebastian Bach's monumental Clavier-ubung III to life in a recording that captures both it's technical brilliance and profound spiritual depth. Bach's 1739 collection, his first published volume of organ music, is a masterful synthesis of compositional technique, theological meditation, and musical expression. With twenty-seven works, including chorale preludes, duets, and the majestic opening Prelude and closing Fugue, the collection is a rich musical exploration of Lutheran faith, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and the artistry of counterpoint at it's most sublime. From the intricate contrapuntal pairs of the Catechism chorales to the flowing bass lines of Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam, and the transcendent final Fugue in E flat, McVinnie navigates Bach's towering architecture with clarity, precision, and sensitivity. This recording highlights the cosmopolitan textures, theological symbolism, and emotional resonance that make Clavier-ubung III a pinnacle of the organ repertoire. With insight drawn from decades of study and performance, McVinnie offers a journey into Bach's musical universe, where faith, intellect, and artistry converge in works of extraordinary beauty and enduring power. James McVinnie made his PENTATONE debut in January 2025 with the album Dreamcatcher.

Baroque mastermind J�rg Halubek finishes his journey around the great historic organs of Germany. The final installment of his series Organ Landscapes on vinyl. Halubek plays the Silbermann organ (1710-1714) in the Dom St. Marien Church in Freiberg, the Hildebrandt organ (1746) in St. Wenzel Church in Naumburg, and in the St. Johannis Church in L�neburg.

With Organ Landscapes X (Leipzig), renowned organist and Baroque specialist J�rg Halubek concludes his acclaimed album series Organ Landscapes. The tenth and final chapter of a fascinating journey of discovery to Germany's great historic organs. The crowning finale takes us to what is probably the most important place in organ history: St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked and made music history. Here, the magnificent Sauer organ (1889/1908) resounds-an instrument of unique tonal depth, which Halubek brings to life with masterful sensitivity and Baroque expressiveness. This album is not only a musical highlight, but also a worthy conclusion to an ambitious project that celebrates the diversity and beauty of the German organ landscape.

The soundboard is painted with flowers, fruits, and animals and decorated with a typical light-blue ornamental border. Around the soundboard, the walls are adorned with block-printed wallpaper. The lid contains a landscape painting, which was added later, an idyllic stream landscape with four staffage figures: The observer watches a boy gazing intently into the water, a young woman carrying provisions or something similar home, and a couple, who are also only visible from behind. A bridge and a mill enliven the rural scene. If the corresponding technical terms "soundboard," "ornamental border," or "lid" were missing, the reader would hardly associate this vivid, florid description with a keyboard instrument. In such a manner, the renowned harpsichordist and expert in historical performance practice and basso continuo, Wolfgang Brunner, describes the instrument dated 1628 by Andreas Ruckers, from the Flemish harpsichord-making dynasty of the Ruckers family, which is heard on this recording featuring the six French Suites by J. S. Bach.

Completed: The first Leipzig cantata cycle. "Hans-Christoph Rademann's interpretation with the Gaechinger Cantorey combines precision with emotional depth, transforming each cantata into it's own little magical world full of sensually charged spirituality. The choir is agile, precise, confident, balanced and has a beautiful sound." FonoForum

Music that transcends the bounds of time. "For me, the finest music exists in an abstract spiritual world that is inspired by the instruments at hand, but by no means determined by them. Bach had few qualms about rewriting pieces for other instruments as he saw fit, and with many musical ideas, in contrast to virtuosos of the Romantic era, for example, one gets the impression that they were hardly influenced by the constraints of the instruments available. It's like a spirit realm, a large white hall of tones, sounds and voices. That's another reason why I found it so interesting from the outset to collaborate with you on this recording and turn this dream project into reality." - Yorck Kronenberg

Following the success of Bach: Tenor Arias (2020), tenor Leif Aruhn-Sol�n and G�teborg Baroque under the direction of Magnus Kjellson return with a new recording: Bach: Tenor Arias, Vol. 2. This album presents twelve more tenor arias from Johann Sebastian Bach's vast cantata output-a repertoire rarely heard in concert halls. With these carefully curated selections, the recording sheds new light on Bach's extraordinary vocal writing for the tenor voice and highlights gems that, despite their brilliance, have long remained in the shadow of his more familiar works. For over 25 years, Leif Aruhn-Sol�n has been in demand internationally with a special focus on baroque repertoire, and G�teborg Baroque has established itself for more than 20 years as one of Sweden's leading baroque ensembles. Together they continue their exploration of Bach's endlessly rich musical universe.

Bach: Tenor Arias Johann Sebastian Bach wrote more than 200 cantatas. This recording explores a selection of 12 tenor arias from his cantatas, ranging in instrumentation from rich tutti orchestra to intimate obbligato instruments. Leif Aruhn-Sol�n has been in demand internationally as a tenor in the field of early music for over 20 years. He is an acclaimed Evangelist and tenor soloist in Bach's oratorios and cantatas with both modern symphony orchestras as well as some of the world's foremost baroque orchestras: the Camerata of St. John, Brisbane; the Netherland Bach Society; the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Concerto Copenhagen; the Oslo Philharmonic; New Trinity Baroque, Atlanta. G�teborg Baroque has established itself as one of the leading Scandinavian baroque ensembles. Founded in 2003 by it's artistic director Magnus Kjellson, who conducts the ensemble from the keyboard of an organ or a harpsichord in a historically informed way, the ensemble regularly performs important and well-known works as well as re-premiering works that have been ignored or forgotten for hundreds of years. The recording was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Alfred Hagen and through the joint generosity of more than 160 individuals in an unprecedented Swedish crowdfunding campaign for a classical music recording.

The tracks of this disc contain equally as many sensitive palimpsests (elaborations on an earlier composer's style) through which other emotions vibrate. The transcriptions they present only depart from the letter to better reveal-and revere-it's spirit. Our greatest wish would be that what these admirable pieces lose in authenticity, they recover thanks to the enthusiasm, fervor, and love that have guided us throughout our work. Because, in this field precisely, it is less a question of proving than of experiencing.

Daniel Muller-Schott ranks among the most distinguished cellists of our era, captivating audiences on the world's leading concert stages. In this remarkable recording, Daniel Muller-Schott blends masterful cello artistry with a deeply personal musical journey. Together with Irina Zahharenkova and Anderson Fiorelli, he brings works by Bach, Vivaldi, Geminiani and Boccherini to life - performed on the very harpsichord his mother played, whose sound has accompanied him since childhood. The sonatas unfold with a captivating mix of Baroque elegance, emotional warmth and technical brilliance. Each interpretation reflects intimacy, nostalgia and the timeless power of music. An album that resonates: authentic, poetic, and radiant with Baroque expressiveness.

Winner of the 2024 York Early Music International Young Artists Competition, the trio Ayres Extemporae make it's recording debut on Linn Records with a programme that explores various colours and textures made available by the group's unusual combination of violin, five-string cello and cello. Erbarme dich! Represents a spiritual journey from torment to redemption built around the instrumental transcriptions of arias and sonatas by J. S. Bach, interwoven with the expressive depth of works by Biber and Locke. It is a profound reflection on these universal themes, tracing the full spectrum of human emotion from anger, guilt or remorse to acceptance and, ultimately, peace. The aria from the cantata BWV 55 lends it's name to this programme: a plea for mercy of touching vulnerability, signalling the beginning of the journey towards absolution.

This new recording celebrates the Arp Schnitger Organ in the Martinikerk in Groningen, The Netherlands, one of the most famous Baroque organs in Europe. Built by master organ builder Arp Schnitger between 1691 and 1692, it showcases his characteristic North German style, known for it's brilliant, articulate sound and richly layered pipework. Over the centuries, the instrument has been expanded and restored, yet it's original tonal structure remains remarkably intact. Today, it features an impressive array of stops, three manuals, and a powerful pedal division. It's majestic sound and historical significance continue to attract musicians, scholars, and visitors from around the world. The program presents works by Johann Sebastian Bach, in connection with Bach's predecessors, composers who influenced and inspired him: Girolamo Frescobaldi (Capriccio XI), Nicholaus Bruhns (Praeludium in E minor), Dietrich Buxtehude (Ciacona in E minor), and Georg Bohm (Choralvorpsiel, Preludium in C major). A beautifully compiled program, offering a journey over the musical path which ultimately led to the towering genius of Johann Sebastian Bach! Organist, composer, and conductor, Nicola Dolci has an active international concert career, both as a soloist and as an organist, conductor, and continuo player with various European ensembles. He is professor of Organ at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and at the "Scuola Diocesana di musica Santa Cecilia" in Brescia. Among his various national and international awards are the Second Prize at the prestigious International Martini Organ Competition 2022 in Groningen.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations