Intense, passionate, and impeccable in its musical disciplines, the Berlin-based Artemis Quartet "consistently finds a balance between projecting musical structure and conveying immediacy." Confirming that verdict from the New York Times is this 23CD collection, encompassing all the recordings the ensemble made between 1996 and 2018.

The Artemis Quartet began life in 1989 and developed a particular reputation in the central Austro-German repertoire. If Beethoven justly asserts a powerful presence, the scope of this collection extends as far as Eastern Europe and South America and well into the 20th century. Over the period of nearly a quarter of a century documented in this box, there were changes in the Artemis Quartet's lineup, but as founding cellist Eckart Runge explains, this "brought new inspiration - an opportunity to broaden horizons and introduce fresh ideas."

The ensemble suffered a tragic loss with the untimely death of violist Friedemann Weigle in 2015. Just days earlier, the Artemis had completed a recording of Dvořák's lyrical and poignant 'American' Quartet; it is now released for the very first time. This landmark box is completed by a comprehensive booklet which includes reminiscences from members of the Artemis Quartet and from sound engineers who collaborated with them.

"Keywords," the title of this two-part concept album, cleverly plays with the English word "key," which carries a dual meaning, referring to both the piano key and the key itself. With one exception, the album features pivotal words from piano music of the 20th and 21st centuries, curated in a highly personal selection, including some premier recordings. The intention is to delve into a fundamental question of musical interpretation and composition: "how to address people with music." This doesn't imply the notion of making music verbally communicate. Instead, the pieces themselves are "speaking" works – piano compositions containing explicit or hidden messages, referencing poetry, incorporating language, words, or syllables, engaging in dialogues, resembling diary entries, or narrating entire stories. Moreover, the piano itself takes on various "voices" – whispering, stuttering, calling, hesitating.

— Lotte Thaler

Experience a captivating juxtaposition of four distinct and mesmerizing compositions spanning a mere decade on the GENUIN CD recorded by violinist Friederike Starkloff and pianist Endri Nini. The duo has compiled works from 1913 to 1923 by Erwin Schulhoff, Claude Debussy, George Antheil, and Leoš Janácek — echoes of an era characterized by tumultuous innovation and pioneering spirit where artists across all genres laid the foundations for modernity. Starkloff, who embarked on her career as the youngest first concertmaster of a German radio orchestra, and Nini, esteemed internationally as a chamber musician, breathe life into these extraordinary, kaleidoscopic compositions with unparalleled intensity and technical mastery.

Sir András Schiff (born 21 December 1953) is a Hungarian-born British classical pianist and conductor, who has received numerous major awards and honors, including the Grammy Award, Gramophone Award, Mozart Medal, and Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize, and was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honors for services to music. He is one of the most appreciated and distinguished pianists in the world. Magically, he brings life into pieces, makes them breathing and swinging and keeps up almost forgotten ideals of piano playing. He is not only a great pianist, but also a professional whose view is not limited on piano music, but who has wide knowledge of the broad field of macro culture. This enables him to play the piano which always makes sense to his own point of view. This extensive concert recordings for fans and collectors includes Schiff's Interpretation of Bartok's Piano Concertos, Schubert's Piano Trios and Bach's Goldberg Variations among others. András Schiff is particularly appreciated for his Janáček and Schubert interpretations, which are included in this collection. The edition makes rare classical archive footage from the years 1989-2008 available on Blu-ray Disc.

"Keywords", the title of this two-part concept album, uses the English word "key" ambiguously: it stands for both the piano key and the key. With one exception, the album contains key words from piano music of the 20th and 21st centuries, in a very personal selection with some first recordings. They aim to explore a fundamental question of musical interpretation and composition, "how to address people with music." This does not mean the idea of somehow making music speak. Rather, they are themselves "speaking" works, i.e. piano music that contains explicit or hidden messages, refers to poems, incorporates language, words or syllables, conducts dialogues and dialogues, can be read as a diary or tells entire stories. And it is also the piano itself that appears in "voices" - whispering, stuttering, calling, hesitating. Lotte Thaler