'Raptly revelatory and deeply communicative' (Fanfare): the earlier volumes of this Beethoven sonata cycle by Giovanni Bellucci have received an enthusiastic welcome in the international press, for the Italian pianist's depth of insight and his individual, dynamic response to this 'New Testament' of the keyboard. Now the newly recorded late sonatas are added to the previous two volumes to present a modern cycle, at a super-budget price, to set alongside distinguished pianists of former generations. The recordings have been made in the superb acoustics of the Salle de Musique at La Chaux de Fonds in Switzerland - the source of several previous and notable Beethoven recordings such as Claudio Arrau's late and magisterial address to most of the sonatas, on Philips. For this recording, Bellucci himself has acted as recording producer, assisted by sound engineering from Fabio Ferri, and the result is a sonata cycle of remarkable interpretative integrity, tracing in the most vivid terms Beethoven's evolution as a composer, from 18th-century rebel to 19th-century visionary. In this way the new set joins Bellucci's recordings of the nine symphonies as transcribed by Liszt, and the piano concertos, as a complete and artistically satisfying portrait of the composer. This box of sonatas is enhanced by an extensive introduction to the oeuvre by Bellucci, who discusses Beethoven in biographical and spiritual as well as musical terms. 'What exactly is the momentous decision that must be addressed by anyone wishing to perform Beethoven in the 21ist century?' asks Bellucci. 'In my view there can be no neglecting the life-giving flexibility of rhythm, a pliancy that eludes codification. Such flexibility calls for a deep understanding of musical syntax as well as perfect psychophysical coordination' - and in this regard he places himself in a distinguished interpretative tradition leading back to Artur Schnabel. The critics have agreed: 'Bellucci has a way through his approach to rhythm that makes the music inhale and exhale, rise and fall, in a totally natural way.. [that] transcended considerations of technical execution, the exquisite tone Bellucci draws from his Model D Steinway, and the exceptionally beautiful recording.,' (Fanfare). - This 9-CD set marks the completion of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Giovanni Bellucci. - Bellucci's Beethoven is highly personal, yet deeply searching for the meaning of the notes. His playing is free, with a strong sense of rhetoric and improvisation, adhering nevertheless strictly to the score and it's intentions. The result is fresh, exhilarating and illuminating, letting us marvel at the originality and genius of the music. Bellucci's humane vision of the music relates to Beethoven's own statement: "From the heart, may it return into the heart". - "Exhilarating, brilliant.never a dull moment.grandiosity of vision.", as Fanfare wrote enthusiastically. - Giovanni Bellucci is one of the most interesting and extraordinary pianists of today. Described by Piero Rattalino as "a force of nature, vast and palpitating", his playing is highly original, striving to recreate the original impact of the works he is playing: "he takes us back to the Golden Age of the Piano" wrote Le Monde. - His recordings, notably with works by Liszt, were showered with prizes such as Diapason d'Or, Choc, Editor's Choice, CD Maestro etc.

In the year 2007 pianist and composer Alexander Warenberg reworked Rachmaninoff's second symphony into a full scale piano concerto. Ever since this works gained popularity and recognition as a new repertoire work, having been performed by acclaimed soloists and orchestras all around the world. Alexander Warenberg tackled the seemingly ludicrous task of changing the iconic second symphony into a work with an important piano part. Warenberg has meticulously reworked the four movements of the symphony into the regular three movements of Rachmaninoff's concertos. In this process the piece has been reduced by some 40% and several necessary re-orchestrations have been carried out. The result is more than just an interesting experiment, this spectacular, virtuoso concerto shows off Warenberg's unique talent as a 're-composer', and it conquered the hearts of those who love their Rachmaninoff. Pianist Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy took it upon himself to familiarize himself with this entirely new score. And so did conductor Theodore Kuchar with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra. Their brilliant performance is a truly romantic one. The score is published by Boosey & Hawkes. A treat for any Rachmaninoff and piano lover!

Inspired by their release earlier this summer of Mozart's 'Gran Partita', performed by a Milanese wind ensemble of principals from La Scala, Brilliant Classics here takes the excellent opportunity to combine that brand new recording of the pinnacle of Mozart's chamber music for winds with all the rest of his music in the genre, recorded for Brilliant back in the spring of 2001 by the wind soloists of the Rotterdam Philharmonic. Thus we have the leading players from two renowned orchestras breathing life into the wind music that played such a large role in the career of the Viennese genius. Mozart's chamber music for winds stems from the genre of Harmoniemusik: entertainment music that was in vogue in the second half of the 18th century named for the courtly wind ensemble of pairs of woodwinds plus horns, called Harmonie or Harmonieorchester in German-speaking countries. It's characteristic forms include the Serenades and Divertimenti. This was music that could be performed outdoors (due to the instruments' power of projection) or at informal settings such as meals (where they could be heard over lively conversation) with the musicians entertaining either themselves or an aristocratic dinner party, the so-called Tafelmusik (music for the table). Hence, Mozart was called upon often to write such works, either by wind-player friends (fellow Freemasons) or by his employers for the enrichment of courtly life. Other information: - CDs 1-6 recorded Spring 2001 in Rhoon, Netherlands; CD7 recorded December 2023 in Bernareggio, Italy - Booklet in English contains liner notes by Dr David Doughty - Composed primarily between the late 1770s and early 1780s, Mozart's Serenades and Divertimenti for Wind Instruments were mostly performed for courtly entertainment or social gatherings. In these works Mozart shows a deep understanding of wind timbres and their expressive potential. His ability to create quasi-operatic dialogues between instruments and his sensitivity to sonority make these works timeless treasures. - Among the most famous of these compositions is the Serenade No. 10 in B-flat major, K. 361, commonly known as the Gran Partita. This masterpiece, scored for 13 instruments, showcases a remarkable blend of rich harmonies, virtuosic passages, and expressive melodies, particularly in the renowned Adagio movement. The two Serenades KV 375 and 388 are strong, mature masterpieces in their genre. - Performed by the Soloists Delle Scala, and the Rotterdam Wind Players, directed by clarinetist Henk de Graaf.

M�tier presents a landmark 4-disc box set from pianist Ian Pace in commanding performances of music by composer Michael Finnissy (b. 1946). Finnissy is widely regarded as one of Britain's most important living composers. Pace, one of the leading interpreters of Finnissy's work, presents an album focused around Finnissy's epic cycle for piano, The Verdi Transcriptions, alongside the second complete recording (after the composer's own) of the iconic English Country-Tunes, and works inspired by music of the late-18th and 19th centuries. The result is a broad view of Finnissy's extensive output of piano music in relation to Romantic aesthetics. The album is released in anticipation of the M�tier label's upcoming celebrations of Michael Finnissy's 80th birthday in 2026. Finnissy's four-book cycle of Verdi Transcriptions reimagines Verdi's operas through a modern lens. As Finnissy states in his liner notes: "Transcribing sound into a written form (notation) involves making significant choices. The choices can color the ongoing exploration of that sound as 'composition.'" The result of those choices is a monumental, late-Romantic epic. Finnissy's English Country-Tunes has long been considered one of his signature and most technically demanding cycles. There is a similar line of composition through transcription as The Verdi Transcriptions, only in these works the source material is English folk music. Written in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee, the work can also be seen as a commentary on the spirit of British patriotism at the time. Ian Pace's readings reflect decades of study: he first performed English Country-Tunes in the 1990s and has played Finnissy's complete piano oeuvre in cycles (1996 and 2016). The set includes extensive liner notes by both Pace and Finnissy, offering rare insight into the compositional ideas and performance choices behind these demanding works. In Pace's recording of Michael Finnissy's other epic piano cycle, The History of Photography in Sound (MSV 77501), BBC Music raved: "Pace's intimate acquaintance with the totality of History is apparent in his commanding performance... this is a magnificent achievement for both composer and performer," and Gramophone hailed Pace as "Finnissy's David Bailey, each note shaded to perfection, structures translucently and sharply lit, defining sonic images of our time." Incomparable virtuoso, called the Paganini of the harp, F�lix Godefroid was also a composer and teacher. This recording, performed by Sophie Hallynck, highlights the composer's studies in high virtuosity. Designed for his own use and that of professionals, they partake of both "absolute music" - as with the deservedly famous �tude in B-Flat Minor, Op. 193 - and the character piece, picturesque or sentimental. These musical miniatures are pieces overflowing with musicality in a refined style, but they express a pedagogical program first and foremost. Godefroid conceived of his �tudes as a true school for harpists. Each technical problem becomes the medium for a musical expression - an approach that gives these �tudes exceptional richness and relevance. Often based on one of those melodies for which Godefroid had such a knack, each one is set apart by a strongly marked expressive character, ranging from laughter to tears, as well as by it's structure, rhythm, novel sonorities, and harmonic surprises not lacking in audacity. Sophie Hallynck has risen to the technical challenges specific to each �tude while staying faithful to the spirit of the era, with the aspiration to achieve a subtle balance between virtuosity and expression. Her essential objective has always been to make technique live through music, without ever obscuring that emotion that emanates from it. Shostakovich composed music for film throughout his life, from his teenage years as a pianist accompanying silent films in Leningrad until the early 1970s. New Babylon provoked a political and artistic storm upon it's release in 1929 but remains one of Shostakovich's finest film scores, performed here complete and uncut. Popular favorites The Gadfly and Hamlet are heard in premiere recordings of the complete scores. Also included is the music for Alone, The Girlfriends, Love and Hate, and The Fall of Berlin in premiere recordings that have garnered international critical acclaim. "This composer of the New Complexity movement admires avant-jazz. He also digs 19th-century classics. So, when adapting Verdi, he does it via the spirit of Cecil Taylor. Near the midpoint of Finnissy's "La Traviata" potpourri, you'll find dense fireworks as well as tenderness deriving from a motif Verdi once assigned to Violetta." - Seth Colter Walls, NYT

This substantial set dedicated to the vocal music of Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) features the great cycle undertaken (to date) by Krijn Koetsveld and the singers of Le Nuove Musiche: all nine books of madrigals, the music in Monteverdi collections such as the Selva Morale e Spirituale (1641) and the posthumous Messa a quattro voci ed salmi (1650), and the individual works by Monteverdi that were compiled in the collections of others, the so-called Fragments. To this is joined the cycle of operas directed by Sergio Vartolo and sung by casts of Italian early music specialists, including the first recording of the five-act version of Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria. These thoroughly researched, historically informed interpretations demonstrate Monteverdi’s pioneering and transformative role in the emergence and development of staged, dramatic vocal music. Also featured are the grand Vespers – sacred music in the Gregorian plainchant tradition but on an operatic scale – in a fantastic recording with fine Italian soloists and authentic period instruments including the early brass of La Pifarescha. Federico Bardazzi and Ensemble Felice make scrupulous interpretative decisions about the order of movements, interpolating the choral motets within the prescribed sequence of psalms to great effect. Finally, there are Monteverdi’s youthful three-part canzonettas, written when the composer was 17. They are rather simpler than the madrigals, both to sing and to appreciate, but their musical worth is amply demonstrated by the largely female voices of Armoniosoincanto joined by a mixed period-instrument ensemble of flutes, violas, theorbo and harpsichord. They impart just the right light-hearted mood and dramatic impact to the playful, folkloric secular strophic poetry. Genius innovator - inspiring past and present! Claudio Monteverdi lived in Italy during a very turbulent time and was one of the great designers of the new style in music. As a young man, he learned the ancient laws of composing, especially from Marcantonio Ingegneri. Under his inspiration, he wrote his first book of madrigals. We can follow his life closely through the final 9 books of madrigals. Each book is a new moment in his development as a composer. Ultimately, he gets his dream job in Venice as maestro di cappella, but he writes operas and other musical spectacles for other courts, including Mantua, Milan, Turin, and Parma. He enjoyed the recognition that finally came for that little boy from insignificant Cremona. The book consists of 9 chapters, one per madrigal book, and has 128 pages in total. Looking from Monteverdi’s perspective, and also from the perspective of the performer, the contemporary enthusiast. Mesmerized by the beautiful courtly poetry, but also intrigued by the innovator Monteverdi, who is always looking for other ways to express emotion in music in a special way. Each chapter focuses on one characteristic madrigal. The book comes with a CD so you can listen to all the wonderful works.

Piazzolla: La Calle 92

Klara Wurtz Celebration

Johann Sebastian Bach's stature as a composer of extraordinary talent and widespread influence is so firmly established in Western culture that it is difficult to believe that only 150 years ago his works lay in veritable obscurity, unknown to all but a small group of scholars. It is largely thanks to ohn, who essentially effected a revival of the composer's music through his rediscovery and promulgation of the St Matthew Passion, besides other pieces, that his works are today regarded as pinnacles of music expression. That they are among the most performed and widely attended is in no doubt; in Holland alone, thousands of singers and musicians are involved in dozens of performances of the St Matthew Passion in Holy Week, with hundreds of thousands listening in churches and concert halls, or gathered around the radio, to what has been described as 'the Gospel according to Bach'. Bringing together all of his works, this dynamic 142-CD set offers a resounding impression of this great spirit of our Western culture, presenting dynamic performances - many period-based, many acclaimed by the international press - that are divided according to genre, thus making for a highly user-friendly compendium. The set draws on all periods of his career, tracing the development of a style that was much influenced by contemporary and past fashions but which was always adapted to Bach's own purpose, often far surpassing the models on which he drew. The German composer travelled a great deal from city to city, and the different circumstances of his various positions are reflected in the great range of works comprising his output: while his early years are dominated by much keyboard music, on account of the numerous organist posts he held during this period, later positions at various courts accorded him more personal and artistic freedom - in Cothen, for example, Prince Leopold's passion for music-making and his renowned resident orchestra resulted in a string of unforgettable works including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Solo Cello Suites and the Well-Tempered Clavier Part 1, beside many others. Bach was a master of all genres, whether sacred, secular, instrumental or vocal, and his oeuvre is a rich mixture of severe Baroque craftsmanship and expressive Romanticism. Thomas Zehetmair, Kristof Barati, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Rene Jacobs, Peter Schreier and Lucia Popp are just a handful of the first-class performers and ensembles gracing this set. At the bargain price of �100, it is a collection not to be passed up. Other information: - 142 CDs representing the entirety of Johann Sebastian Bach's oeuvre in historically informed performances. This includes all 200 sacred cantatas recorded for Brilliant Classics on period instruments and sung by the Holland Boys Choir. - For reasons of completeness, pure musical enjoyment, scholarly research, attractive, spacesaving design and price, you cannot afford to be without Brilliant Classics' Complete Bach Edition. - Extensive liner notes, sungs texts and complete tracklisting with performers available for download, by clicking on 'Download booklet' below the cover.

Mozart may have died heavy in debt, having encountered much fickleness on the part of the Viennese audiences and struggled to find suitable permanent employment for most of his career, but today his music is celebrated the world over; he is considered one of music history's greatest names, the vast majority of his works enjoying regular performances and being constantly reinterpreted by amateurs and top professionals alike. Stretching from his earliest years (Mozart started composing at the age of five) right through to his final days, this wonderful compendium traverses the full gamut of his output, covering the time spent in Salzburg working for his employer, the Archbishop Colloredo, the extensive travel he undertook during the 1760s and 1770s (which was in part to showcase his prodigious talents on the keyboard and violin, together with his talented sister Nannerl), and his later years in Vienna, to which he escaped in 1781 - against his father's wishes - to pursue a freelance career and where he married Constanze Weber the following year. What becomes evident from this set is that Mozart packed a phenomenal amount into his 35 years, a life that was often dominated by obsessive overwork, particularly towards the end. Moreover, there was not a genre akin to the period that he neglected nor did not achieve success in (in this collection the works are ordered as such, traversing orchestral music, chamber music, solo instrumental music, sacred music and vocal music), and in many cases he effected transformation, attaining new artistic levels - this is particularly evident in the piano concertos that begin the compendium, remarkable for their diversity of character, and the concluding mature operas, works that achieved new depths of characterisation. A more varied, colourful output you could not find, one that is enhanced in this release by the multitude of talented performers assembled. At the bargain price of �110, this 170-CD box set is not to be missed, affording hours of pleasurable listening that will satisfy both Mozart aficionado and novice. Other information: 170 CDs representing the entirety of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's oeuvre in historically informed performances. This includes all the concertos, chamber music, divertimenti, sonatas and of course the operas. For reasons of completeness, pure musical enjoyment, scholarly research, attractive, space-saving design and price, you cannot afford to be without Brilliant Classics' improved Complete Mozart Edition. Featuring numerous period-instrument and award-winning recordings. Extensive liner notes and sungs texts available for download, by clicking on 'Download booklet' below the cover.

The master of Italian Baroque music is indisputably Antonio Vivaldi. Throughout his life, he composed hundreds of works, and is remembered perhaps second only to J.S. Bach, ranking as one of the most popular composers of all time. His oeuvre crosses an extraordinarily wide range, from instrumental compositions of all types to sacred cantatas and operatic works, a vast number of which are presented in this comprehensive box set. Vivaldi composed a large part of his works while working at the Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, where he was employed as a composer, teacher and violinist. The aim of the foundation was to provide an education and home for orphaned children. Vivaldi remained in the post on and off for over 30 years, and was under obligation to compose a new cantata for every feast day. His reputation, however, grew thanks to his instrumental skills rather than his compositions at first; as a violinist, he was known for his extraordinary cadenzas and virtuosic playing style. He became better known as a composer when Dutch publisher Etienne Roger brought out L'estro armonico in 1711, a hugely popular collection of 12 violin concertos, included on this release in full. J.S. Bach was particularly enthused by the manuscript, and his transcriptions for organ have gained popularity on their own merit - his version is also to be found in this edition, a fascinating point of comparison, and a testament to Vivaldi's reputation in his lifetime. During the 1720s and '30s, Vivaldi began to travel widely, while still sending compositions to the Pieta in Venice when required: despite being unable to teach, he was clearly still a major asset, as he was asked to send two concertos a month by post, adding up to over 140 in his absence. His operatic works grew vastly in number, and he began working closely with soprano Anna Giro, who was rumoured to be his mistress. Vivaldi died in Vienna, and, incredibly for such a famous and wealthy man, was given a pauper's burial. His last few months in Vienna had been frustratingly lacking in work, as concert houses were closed to mourn the death of Charles VI; however, his last opera was eventually staged posthumously there in 1742. Vivaldi was a divisive figure during his lifetime, well known for being vain and conceited. His vanity, though, is certainly deserved; we are left with the overwhelming evidence. More than 50 operas (21 of which survive), 500 concertos and 90 sonatas are no mean feat for a man who by all accounts was also a superb teacher and virtuosic violinist. This release draws attention to the diversity of his oeuvre, starting with his instrumental music and moving on to feature his sacred cantatas and operas. It is the most comprehensive edition of Vivaldi's music yet, bringing together 66 CDs showcasing hundreds of different performers and ensembles, many of them performing on period instruments as they strive to recreate the sound of the composer's timbre through their research-led contemporaneous playing styles. Brilliant Classics is proud to offer a new release to add to it's growing collection of authoritative composer editions. This box set is excellent value for money, at only �65 for an astonishing 66 CDs' worth of music, interpreted by some of Baroque music's most celebrated artists today. An excellent gift idea for any lover of Baroque, it spans the length of Vivaldi's illustrious career, and celebrates the best of his innovative and beautiful music. Other information: A new, extended, improved and upgraded Vivaldi Edition on Brilliant Classics! A feast of Historically Informed Performances by leading soloists and ensembles, this new Edition offers the best of today's Vivaldi playing! 66 CDs brimming with vitality, passion, instrumental brilliance and Italian sunshine, as played by mostly Italian forces (yes, they do know the secret of their "red priest" Antonio Vivaldi..). The complete Opus number 1-12 are newly recorded by L'Arte del'Arco, led by the eminent Federico Guglielmo (with numerous record awards to his name), a new recording of the complete Oboe Concertos, Juditha triumphans by Modo Antiquo/Sardelli, the famous Gloria by the Virtuosi Saxoniae, and new recordings by Early Music specialists Stefano Bagliano, Paolo Pollastri, Lorenzo Cavasanti. Contains extensive notes on Vivaldi

An exact contemporary of Bach, George Frideric Handel was one of the most important composers of the Baroque era, carving out a career for himself which was equally as impressive as his fellow countryman's. Born in Halle, Germany, to parents who were initially opposed to his devotion to music, Handel soon moved from his hometown to the great operatic centre of Hamburg. The opportunity to meet people from around Europe led to a rapid development of his skills, and, influenced by the Italian style that was gathering pace around him, the composer took the opportunity to travel to Italy, staging La Resurrezione in Rome in 1708. Handel's reputation soon picked up, and in 1710 he became Kapellmeister to the Elector of Hannover, Prince George, who would soon become King George I of England. The connection with England had been established, and Handel moved there permanently in 1714, helping to found the Royal Academy of Music five years later. When the new Covent Garden Theatre was established in 1736, Handel celebrated the opening night with a performance of Alexander's Feast (included in full on this release). Following his operatic success, the composer turned to oratorios, starting with the biblical Saul and Israel in Egypt, and premiering Messiah in Dublin in 1742. The next year, despite suffering paralysis in his hand, he completed Samson and the Dettingen Te Deum, with Semele appearing in February 1744. Five years later came one of his most popular works, Music for the Royal Fireworks; up to 12,000 people attended the first performance, an indication of just how popular the composer was in his own lifetime. After staging a performance of Messiah to benefit the Foundling Hospital in 1749, Handel was made a governor, beginning a relationship with the institution that would last the rest of his life. Although he was most famous for his opera and oratorios, Handel composed a large amount of keyboard music; among the works featured on this compilation are the Suites de pieces pour le clavecin, the first volume of which appeared in 1720. His chamber music (mostly solo and trio sonatas) also makes up an important part of his oeuvre, with his best contributions to this genre contained in the Opus 2 collection (included in full on this release), which comprises sonatas for oboe, flute, recorder or violin and represents the perfect summation of the composer's wealth of invention and expressivity. Handel was also an expert orchestral writer, composing purely orchestral music alongside music for his dramatic works. The Water Music, justly some of his most celebrated music today, was the first in England to be scored for horns; and the Music for the Royal Fireworks was a massive project, with three horns and three trumpets combining forces to create the sound necessary to carry outdoors. Both these works and an array of other orchestral pieces are included on this substantial box set. A wealth of artists - both established and emerging - make up this Brilliant Classics release, once again representing astonishing value for money. Handel's orchestral music is performed by a variety of German chamber groups, including the Handel-Festspielorchester Halle, and the ensuing oboe and organ concertos are played by Baroque experts City of London Sinfonia. The trio sonatas feature L'ecole d'Orphee, which boasts players drawn from some of the leading British Baroque orchestras, including the Academy of Ancient Music. The consistently high quality of playing continues with Roberto Loreggian performing Handel's harpsichord music, and legendary soprano Arleen Auger singing his German arias. Sir David Willcocks conducts the Holland Boys' Choir in the Coronation Anthems, including the ever popular Zadok the Priest, and arguably Handel's most famous oratorio, Messiah, is performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, conducted by Stephen Cleobury. An excellent gift idea, this release represents superb value for money and hours of listening pleasure. The most comprehensive Handel Edition on the market! Brilliant Classics continues it's famous Composer Edition series with one of the giants of the Baroque, George Frideric Handel, the celebrated German who settled in London. Having absorbed the German and Italian styles of his time he formed his own distinctive musical language, which, while following the current fashions and audience preferences, retained his own deep humanity and inner power. Handel embraced all musical genres of his time, and this Edition, while not "Complete", presents a substantial and representative oeuvre: 12 complete oratorios, cantatas, Odes, Anthems, Arias, Duets, the complete chamber music, the complete keyboard works, the complete organ concertos, oboe concertos, the complete Concerti Grossi, the Water Music and Fireworks Music: a musical feast of grandeur and intimacy, of joy and sorrow, of pomp and grace, of instrumental and vocal brilliance and of every emotion a human being is capable of. excellent performances by leading ensembles, soloists and choirs: Concerto Koln, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum, English Chamber Orchestra, King's College Choir and many others.

The renowned French painter Jean Ingres proclaimed Haydn's music to be the alpha and omega: 'Whoever studies music, let his daily bread be Haydn. The first, who created everything, discovered everything, taught everything to the rest!' Hailed as the father of both the symphony and the string quartet, Haydn was both pioneering and prolific. This box is an update of Brilliant Classics' acclaimed Haydn Edition, with an additional 10 CDs of content including classic performances of the Trumpet and Horn concertos (Philharmonia Orchestra) and the Cello Concertos (Jan Vogler). The set of Haydn's Masses is now complete, with renditions of the 'Nelson', 'Creation' and 'Little Organ' Masses and the Heilig- and Theresienmessen by New York's Trinity Church Choir and Rebel Baroque Orchestra. Also new in this edition is Haydn's final opera, L'anima del filosofo, performed by the Bavarian Radio Choir and Munich Radio Orchestra, along with world-famous sopranos Arleen Auger and Emma Kirkby in Haydn's Songs and Cantatas. The Buchberger String Quartet add to their already monumental catalogue of 'Papa' Haydn's quartets with readings of Op.50/4-6, Op.54 and Op.76/4-6, while Federico Guglielmo, Ginevra Petrucci et al. #contribute new recordings of the duos for violin/viola and 2 flutes. Finally, all 8 of Haydn's ingenious Nocturnes grace this updated box, as performed by the Wiener Concert-Verein. As before, the complete keyboard works (including all sonatas) feature here in vibrant performances on fortepianos, the keyboard instrument of Haydn's day. Reissue of the successful Haydn Edition, the only substantial Edition in the market. Extended version, now 160 CD's, with the addition and completion of the Masses, the String Quartets, the Notturni, and the opera L'Anima del Filosofo. Includes Award winning performances by Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra/Adam Fischer, Buchberger Quartet, Emma Kirkby, Frieder Bernius, Bart van Oort, Haydn Trio Vienna, and many more. The greatest celebration of one of the greatest and not yet fully appreciated composers of all time: craftman and genius, creator of a musical world of wonder, surprise, wit and sentiment, forever to be explored and marveled at.

An audiophile-grade LP transfer of another hit album of contemporary chillout from the master of piano minimalism, Jeroen van Veen. Perhaps the most influential composer of his generation (certainly among the most successful), electro-acoustic polymath Max Richter defies definition: composer, pianist, producer, remixer, and one of the most prolific of contemporary musical artists. Inspired equally by Bach, punk rock and ambient electronica, Richter has built a unique sonic world, which blends the rigour of a formal classical training with the production wizardry of modern technology. Richter came to fame in the classical sphere with his recomposition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. He has shown an unerring feel for the chillout vibe which many listeners seek in the contemporary classical genre, resulting in commissions for dozens of television and film soundtracks, ballet scores, and a number of long-form original works, including Sleep, an "eight-hour cradle song" influenced by Mahler. In making this survey of Richter's output on and for the piano, Jeroen van Veen has chosen 18 pieces from Richter's earlier work. His selection includes all of Richter's published music for solo piano, plus Waltz with Bashir: an arrangement by Richter of a Schubert sonata movement, further rearranged for solo piano by Van Veen himself. Each of the pieces is illuminated in the sleeve note with commentary from Richter himself. The aesthetic of Richter's soft melodic swirls is complemented by the medium of LP, which gives a gentle, moody vibe to this recording originally made in 2016. When first released, it received enthusiastic critical recommendations: 'Van Veen knows exactly how to play this music, and I am talking about both his fingers and his head.' (Fanfare) - Max Richter (born in 1966) is one of the most influential composers of his generation. Electro-acoustic polymath Max Richter defies definition: composer, pianist, producer, remixer, and collaborator, and beyond argument one of the most prolific of contemporary musical artists. Inspired equally by Bach, punk rock and ambient electronica, Richter's sonic world blends a formal classical training (he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, and was a pupil of renowned composer Luciano Berio) with modern technology. - This recording presents Richter's solo piano music up to date. - Dutchman Jeroen van Veen is one of the leading pianists of today focusing on Minimalism and championing a new generation of composers, easily crossing borders between musical styles.

Part 1 of a prog rock-minimalist classic, in two contemporary transcriptions, on an audiophile-grade LP transfer. At the age of 19, the guitarist/composer Mike Oldfield could hardly have anticipated the enduring legacy of his debut album. Tubular Bells fused the instrumental rock style of Cream and Rick Wakeman with the experimental minimalism of Terry Riley. It also established the new label of Virgin Records as a home for innovative British artists in many genres. More than half a century on, the album has influenced countless musicians as one of the best-selling ever albums by a UK musician, selling 15m copies worldwide. Side A of the original album had a life of it's own from the beginning, designated by Oldfield as 'Opus One'. Marcel Bergmann traces influences of South American & Latin, Balinese, Irish, Celtic, rock and minimalist sources in the work. A conversation with Jeroen van Veen in 2005 was the catalyst for him to put his long-time love of the album at the service of a transcription for four pianos. This work branched into a separate version for pairs of pianos and synthesizers, which seemed to present more practical prospects for performance. As well as immersing himself within Oldfield's original album, Bergmann went back to a live-recorded version of the album and the orchestral version scored by one of the musicians on the original, David Bedford. Bergmann's arrangement thus retains all the multi-layered rhythmic and textural richness of the original Tubular Bells, while orienting the feel of the piece in the direction of the classical minimalism for which van Veen has become known as an authoritative exponent. This new LP transfer on high-grade vinyl is designed to take advantage of the special immediacy and richness available on high-end analogue equipment to bring Tubular Bells to life as never before. - The LP version of a highly successful CD issue of the arrangement for 4 pianos of the iconic Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. - Tubular Bells, released in 1973, is the groundbreaking debut album by British multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield. Blending progressive rock, classical, and folk music, the album became famous for it's experimental structure, with it's two parts spanning nearly an hour in total. The music is entirely instrumental. - What makes Tubular Bells unique is it's layered composition, with Oldfield playing all the instruments himself -over 20 in total- including guitars, keyboards, percussion, and, of course, tubular bells. The opening piano motif, featured prominently in the 1973 film The Exorcist, became iconic and contributed to the album's commercial success. - The arrangement for 4 pianos recorded here is by Marcel Bergmann, who is joined by Elizabeth Bergmann, Jeroen van Veen and Sandra van Veen.

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What would it mean to 'compose like a woman'? The present collection answers the question, in a literal sense, while undoing the premise on which the question was asked in the first place. In social and historical terms, it means enjoying privileges of upbringing, education, and/or wealth that were historically denied to the vast majority of women. It means, on the part of the women represented here, a single-minded determination in pursuit of their vocation, helping them to overcome prejudice and sexism in a cultural, social and political milieu that has consistently denied women the opportunity to find and express their own voice in music. Only with movements of emancipation in the last century, and much more rapidly in the last 50 years, has this situation begun to be addressed and corrected. What composing like a woman does not mean - as the music in this collection makes clear - is a definable set of qualities or characteristics to the music itself which would distinguish the work of female composers from the music composed by men.

This remarkable set gathers many individual recordings of music by women composers, which Brilliant Classics has quietly yet actively championed in their catalogue for decades, uniting it with exciting new outings, so that a comprehensive historical picture of the highly varied struggles and successes of women composers through the ages to our present time are chronicled and celebrated.

Other information:

- Recordings date from 1994-2024

- Booklet in English contains liner notes by Peter Quantrill

- The revival of interest in female classical composers reflects a growing recognition of their overlooked contributions to music history.

For centuries, women composers were marginalized, their works overshadowed by their male counterparts. However, recent efforts by musicians, scholars, and institutions have brought these composers into the spotlight, highlighting the richness and diversity of their compositions.

- This renewed focus stems from a broader movement toward inclusivity in the arts, challenging traditional narratives that have historically excluded women. The rise of feminist musicology has also played a key role, offering fresh perspectives on these composers' lives and works.

- This comprehensive box set offers a wide spectrum of works by female composers, from the Medieval mystic Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179), through the Renaissance Isabella Leonarda (baptized 1620-1704), Francesca Caccini (1587-1640) und Barbara Strozzi (baptized 1619-1677), traversing the Baroque and Classical eras, and arriving in the contemporary field, with composers such as Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006) and Grazyna Bacewicz (1909-1969).

- A long due homage to the art and voice of female composers, spanning nearly a thousand years!

A monumental collection of German-Baroque keyboard literature, presented complete for the first time on record, and coupled with dance suites by an unfamiliar name of the late German Baroque. The modern-day reputation of Christian Petzold (1677-1733) is almost wholly based on a single, modest minuet. Known to generations of young pianists as 'the Minuet in G', it was included by Bach in one of the notebooks of pieces he gave to his wife, Anna Magdalena, for her instruction. In turn this led to the minuet itself being mistakenly attributed to Bach himself. Yet much more of Petzold's output has survived, and only now is it coming to light. Having recorded complete sets of many unsung heroes of the German Baroque, Fernando de Luca now turns to the collection of no fewer than 25 'Concertos' for solo harpsichord by Petzold. Published in 1729 as 'Receuil des XXV', the collection first appeared in Dresden, where Petzold was organist to the royal court. The form of these concertos is Italianate, and their heavily ornate soundworld is recognisable from the better-known example of Vivaldi and Corelli. There are dance movements here and there - including minuets - but the predominant genres are determined by tempo: Allegro, Larghetto, Presto and so on. They make such an immediately attractive effect that it is surprising they are not better known, and this release will attract the attention of all adventurous listeners to Baroque rarities. Fernando de Luca pairs the 25 concertos of Petzold with a collection of three 'Parthias' - partitas by another name - from an even more obscure figure, Isfrid Kayser. Known as 'Concors digitorum discordia', this collection was published in Augsburg in 1746 and conforms to the conventions of a Baroque suite with it's graceful sequences of dances, prefaced by a grand overture and concluding with a dashing Presto movement. As so often, Fernando de Luca demonstrates his abilities to revive this music with lucid phrasing, lively registration and an unfailing sense of Baroque style. Scholarly background on both composers is provided in the booklet with an essay by Francesca Scotti. Christian Petzold (1677-1733) was a German organist and composer, holding court positions in Dresden. From 1703, he was organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden and from 1709 also chamber composer at the Saxon court there. Extensive concert tours took him to Paris in 1714 and Venice in 1716.

Brilliant Classics have celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Reger’s birth last year by expanding their Reger Collection of a decade ago from 11 to 18 CDs. Added to the original set, which presented Reger’s best known works – the glorious orchestral Böcklin Suite, the Mozart, Beethoven and Hiller Variations, the mighty piano and violin concertos, the beautiful clarinet quintet (not in the least inferior to Brahms’ masterpiece), the complete Chorale Fantasias for organ (Reger, an organist himself, wrote extensively and superbly for his instrument) and a fine selection of choral music – is a new set of chamber music including the Piano Trio, Flute-Violin-Viola Serenades, Clarinet–Piano Sonatas and other works, and Reger’s compositions for solo viola and for solo cello. The transparency of the chamber music genre particularly highlights the composer’s absolute mastery of counterpoint. Also new is an expanded keyboard section, with more works for the organ – so associated with Reger – including the Sonatas and Fantasy–Fugues, and a new solo piano CD recorded in 2023 by Eden Walker featuring Dreams by the Fireside and the Bach Variations and Fugue.

Legnani: Complete Music for Guitar Solo

Monteverdi: Messa a quatro voci, Messa in illo tempore

Italian Violin Sonatas

Masterpieces of Baroque piano literature, in critically acclaimed recordings by pianists with a fine sensibility for the 18th century. Recordings made between 2005 and 2023; new booklet essay; an ideal budget introduction to the world of the Baroque keyboard, full of elegant dances and virtuoso playing. This survey of Baroque composers ranges from the high-point of 18th-century keyboard writing, the Goldberg Variations of Bach, to little known gems such as the sonatas by Espona, Galuppi and Giustini. It places the three great masters of the Baroque - Bach, Handel and Rameau - in the context of their influential predecessor, Sweelinck, and then those composers such as Galuppi and Espona who write in a new, galant style which overlaps with the Classicism of Mozart. Some of the artists on these recordings are still in their 20s, having grown up with a culture of historically informed performance practice which they then bring to their handling of a modern piano. Others, such as Yuan Sheng and Wolfram-Schmitt Leonardy, have been playing these pieces for many decades, and bring to them a career's worth of experience in teasing out the meaning and rhetoric of 18th-century phrasing and harmony on an instrument which none of the composers ever encountered. Handel is represented not by the familiar Eight 'Great' Suites but by an imaginative collection of earlier suites. Scarlatti's fertile invention is generously celebrated with 35 of his sonatas. Bach predominates, naturally, with the Six Partitas and the Italian Concerto as well as the Goldbergs, thus representing the stylistic range of his output. Keyboard styles from all over mainland Europe make an appearance, in the Dutch/Italian nobility of Sweelinck, the Hispanic-Italian flavour of Scarlatti, the French accents of Bach and Handel, and native French of Rameau, and the exuberantly Italian flourishes and proto-operatic gestures of Galuppi and Giustini. There is something here for everyone.

A substantial survey of a modern landmark in French organ literature, full of colour, mystery and joy. If any organ music anticipates the explosion of lush harmony, unified musico-theological ideas and radical innovation with which Olivier Messiaen renewed the long tradition of French organ music, it is L'orgue mystique by Messiaen's one-time teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, Charles Tournemire. In a Bachian spirit of comprehensiveness, Tournemire wrote 51 suites for nearly every Sunday and select feast days of the church year. Gregorian chant permeates Tournemire's music, with motives drawn from the appointed proper chants for the day. On this 5CD collection, the Dutch organist presents 23 of the suites, in whole or in part, and arranges them according to the church year, with individual discs dedicated to the Sundays around Christmas and Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost and the Assumption. Each suite consists of five movements: a 'Prelude � l'Intro�t', 'Offertoire', 'elevation', 'Communion' and 'Piece terminale'. This final piece is no spectacular display piece: as one commentator has written, 'Tournemire seemed to have envisioned a period of meditation for the devout at the conclusion of the Mass rather than the usual noisy and hurried movements of the congregation toward the door.' Tournemire had himself been a pupil of Cesar Franck, and wrote, as Franck had done, for the full disposition of Cavaille-Coll organs which became synonymous worldwide with the musical equivalent of the Gothic revival. Tjeerd van der Ploeg made this recording in 1995 on the Mutin organ of the Eglise Saint-Pierre in Douai, France. This reissue makes an attractive sequel to his extensive 4CD collection of Tournemire's organ works outside L'orgue mystique (95983). The technical specifications of the organ is included in the booklet, which also features an essay on Tournemire by van der Ploeg. 'Tjeerd van der Ploeg plays the Mutin organ in the Saint-Pierre in Douai in an extremely imaginative manner and although he does not originate from the "Roman" tradition, he knows how to evoke the mystique of incense and pointed arches' (Luister). 'An excellent interpretation of Tournemire's subtle Impressionism, thanks to the clear recording and the tone-colours: enthusiastically recommended' (Nederlands Dagblad). - Charles Tournemire was born in Bordeaux in 1870. A child prodigy he became organiste-accompagnateur at age 11 at the St. Pierre in Bordeaux. At the Paris Conservatory he had lessons from de Beriot and Cesar Franck, after whose death he continued with Charles-Marie Widor. In 1891 he became organist of the famous Basilika St. Clotilde in Paris, a post he held till his death in 1939. - As a composer Tournemire was influenced by his teachers Franck and Widor. He expanded their harmonic system even more, using Gregorian Chant and even exotic elements from India to create a truly symphonic sound fresco of unprecedented scope and richness, evoking the mystical aspects of the Catholic faith. - This recording presents a wide selection from the liturgical cycle L'Orgue Mystique. This work consists of paraphrases of Gregorian melodies for Sundays and principal feasts of the liturgical year in three cycles: the Christmas Cycle, the Easter Cycle and the Cycle after Pentecost, divided into 51 offices, each having the same structure. It took Tournemire five years to complete this 'magnum opus' (from 1927 to 1932). In this cycle, he merged the symphonic, impressionistic style of organ music with liturgy. - Played by Dutch organist Tjeerd van der Ploeg at the great Mutin organ of the Collegiate Church St. Pierre, Douai, France, an impressive instrument built in 1922, one of the finest symphonic organs of France. - Tjeerd van der Ploeg's previous set of organ works by Tournemire on Brilliant Classics (BC 95983) received enthusiastic reviews in the international press.

Vivaldi was one of the first composers to focus on the transverse flute as a viable solo instrument, and he may have even been the first to dedicate a whole publication to the flute family. His Opus 10 was published by Michel-Charles Le Cene in around 1728, though in reality many of the works in the collection were revised versions of earlier compositions, with Vivaldi capitalising on the popularity of the flute and rewriting material previously used for other instruments. Adding descriptive elements to the movement names, often connected to natural phenomena - such as 'La tempesta del mare' - was another way of boosting sales, something the composer had already discovered with his publication of The Four Seasons some years earlier. Vivaldi wrote over 500 concertos during his lifetime, and his expertise in this field is particularly evident in the exchanges between the ritornello and the orchestral tutti: while the ensemble comes together perfectly in the tutti, the soloist is really given a chance to fly in the soaring ritornelli, showcasing the instrument to it's fullest. Performing these works is Italian flautist Mario Folena, principal flautist of the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto since 1982. He has previously collaborated with many prominent ensembles, including I Solisti Veneti and I Filarmonici di Verona, and is a respected teacher of the Baroque flute, having given summer courses at the Fondazione Cini in Venice and the conservatoires of Padova and Parma. He is joined by L'Arte dell'Arco, led from the front by violinist Federico Guglielmo, whose exuberant and thoroughly researched Vivaldi performances have previously garnered high praise. - The LP version of one of the most successful Vivaldi recordings in the Brilliant Classics catalogue. - Vivaldi's six Concertos for flute Op.10 nearly attain the same popularity as the Four Seasons. Published in Amsterdam in 1728 they contain some of Vivaldi's most famous concertos: Il Gardellino, La Notte and the Tempesta di Mare. Music of wonderful invention, drama, tone painting and instrumental virtuosity. - Played on original instruments by soloist Mario Folena, a pupil of Jean-Pierre Rampal and Rene Clemencic, principal flutist of the famous Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, and veteran of the Historically Informed Performance Practice. Federico Guglielmo leads his ensemble l'Arte del'Arco, lifelong champions of the Red Priest from Venice. - Performance is based on the new Critical Edition of Vivaldi's works, revealing many new details and insights.

Blind from the age of two, a prodigiously gifted student, Jean Langlais (1907-91) produced an immense quantity of music. His organ works alone exceed in number those of JS Bach. Many have hardly ever been performed. Perhaps not more than half a dozen works are regularly played or recorded today, which is what makes this new complete survey of his organ music so invaluable, as the authoritative document of a high point in the distinguished lineage of the French organ heritage. The second volume of this complete survey opens with the third and last of his organ symphonies, among the most imposing and yet overlooked of his major works. More familiar are the Gregorian-inspired Suite medievale, the Triptyque, and the Triptyque Gr�gorien, whose flowing melodies share a spirit of Catholic mysticism with briefer meditations such as the Pri�re des Mages, the Incantation pour un Jour Saint and the Palm-Sunday voluntary Dominica in Palmis. As a collection of character pieces, Mosaique shows off Langlais's versatility, by turns solemn and joyful, songful and stormy. This sheer variety of form alone makes him stand out among French 20th-century composers for the organ. Throughout his life, Langlais wrote in many different styles and, true to his ideal, still retained the ability to surprise. This major project has been undertaken jointly by the Italian organists Giorgio Benati, Fausto Caporali and Alessandro Perin. Benati is a former student of Langlais, and Caporali has a string of successful French organ recordings to his credit. They have made these new recordings on Italian instruments, lending Langlais an 'Italian accent' while faithfully observing his expressive and registration markings in his scores. Booklet notes for each piece have been written by Giorgio Benati.