This third and final volume of Magnificat's 'Lassus: The Alchemist' series is devoted to Magnificat's based on secular chansons. Courtly entertainment, popular song and everything in between, the chanson provided composers with an inexhaustible source of melodies and ideas, ready to be recast in new guises. Lassus's genius lay not only in the originality of his own chanson compositions, but also in his transformation of such secular models into music of profound expressive and spiritual power. Some of his choices seem entirely natural: Susanne un jour, Beau le cristal and Mort et fortune all resonate with themes that find echoes in their sacred settings. Others, however, are strikingly unexpected. The worldly wit and erotic innuendo of Si vous estes m'amie, Dessus le marche d'Arras and Si par souhait remind us that Renaissance attitudes to parody and borrowing differed greatly from our own. This recording brings together the chansons and the Magnificat's they inspired to offer a vivid portrait of Lassus. As at the Bavarian court where Lassus enjoyed the finest instrumentalists of his age, Magnificat is joined by the distinguished players of The City Musick.
Bartok: The Miraculous Mandarin & Concerto for Orchestra
Linn Records
CD · 1 disc
$20.99Oct 23, 2026
Bela Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin was premiered 100 years ago, on 27 November 1926. The evening ended in chaos and is regarded as one of the most high-profile theatre scandals, certainly the biggest since the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring in Paris a few years earlier. Causing shock among the public - perhaps because there is nothing miraculous in the fairy-tale sense - the work is in Bartok's own words 'hellish with instruments clanging, clattering and blaring'. Today, it's realism, rhythmic melody and harmony still inspire awe. Released to coincide with the centenary of it's premiere, this second album in Cristian Macelaru and WDR Sinfonieorchester's Bartok series pairs the Mandarin with the composer's other major work for orchestra, the Concerto for Orchestra. Unlike the former, the reception was a triumph.
Tallis: Mass "puer natus est nobis", Responsories & Motets
Linn Records
CD · 1 disc
$20.99Oct 16, 2026
Renaissance English composer Thomas Tallis is deeply embedded in the Choir of New College Oxford's DNA, an ensemble founded in 1379, well before the birth of the composer. Tallis lived to a ripe old age, under four different monarchs, and was praised for his impeccable craftsmanship. As well as being beautifully finished, his music is also emotionally expressive: works such as Suscipe quaeso Domine demonstrate intense devotional feeling and dramatic text setting. His mastery of the cantus firmus technique is epitomised in the central piece of this album, the Mass 'Puer natus est nobis', a highly sophisticated seven-voice work that is sung here by children and adults. Other works on the programme showcase Tallis's innovation and variety: O nata lux, Salvator mundi and the extraordinary In jejunio et fletu. Tallis inhabited a sound world of his own - one characterised by the voices and musicianship of boy choristers as well as adult singers - so much so that Byrd could say after his death: 'Tallis is dead, and music dies'.
Mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor and pianist Hamish Brown make their debut recital album with Linn Records. A rising vocal star, Taylor came to international prominence as a finalist of the 2023 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and has since collaborated with both the Berliner Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmoniker. An award-winning pianist, Brown enjoys a highly diverse collaborative career with singers, instrumentalists, orchestras and theatre. The sea-inspired programme showcases the duo's curiosity, with Taylor - equally at home in English, French and German repertoires - demonstrating her formidable technique. The recital exudes a saline atmosphere, starting with the evocative My Lagan Love arranged by Hamilton Harty and followed by Hedwige Chretien's Petits Poemes du Bord de l'Eau, Ethel Smyth's Three Moods of the Sea and Edward Elgar's celebrated Sea Pictures. Placed among these gems are songs by Schubert and Alma Mahler, together with a world premiere recording of Cameron Biles-Liddell's The Breakers.
Alexandria, 48 BC: Caesar lands in Egypt and is handed the severed head of his rival Pompey. What follows is an opera of power, revenge, and seduction; Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy at war for the throne, Pompey's widow and son bent on vengeance, and Cleopatra winning Caesar by disguise, appearing as Virtue among the Muses to sing him into love. The English Concert and Harry Bicket continue their Handel series on Linn with this full, unabbreviated Giulio Cesare, written in 1724 for the castrato Senesino and the soprano Cuzzoni, and rarely recorded complete. Christophe Dumaux sings Caesar and Louise Alder is Cleopatra, with Beth Taylor, Paula Murrihy, John Holiday, Morgan Pearse, Meili LI, and Thomas Chenhall. This recording is the culmination of an international tour. After the ensemble's Carnegie Hall performance, The New York Times wrote: 'This ensemble sets a standard for Handel performance.'
For it's first album on Linn, Solomon's Knot performs one of Bach's most fascinating works. Although not a single note of the Kothener Trauermusik survives, almost every other detail of the performance does: we know it's date, the first performers, the librettist and the libretto. Reconstructed by Chad Kelly from various sources, chief among them Bach's first version of the Matthaus-Passion, this work was commissioned for both performance and this live recording by Solomon's Knot. Kelly's reconstruction does not claim to be definitive; such certainty is unattainable and beside the point. Instead, he uses carefully considered creative licence to bring to life two elements central to the original: the sincerity of the text, and the context of the occasion for which it was written. As 'one of the UK's most innovative and imaginative ensembles' (The Observer), the Baroque music collective Solomon's Knot is in full swing in this performance recorded at the Dreieinigkeitskirche during the Tage Alter Musik Regensburg festival.
Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5 "The Egyptian"
Linn Records
CD · 1 disc
$20.99Aug 28, 2026
Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski continues his critically acclaimed piano concertos series on Linn Records with a 'spectacular' (Bachtrack) live recording of Saint-Saens' Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5, both performed at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall with Thomas Sondergard conducting the colourful and energetic Royal Scottish National Orchestra. It took Saint-Saens just seventeen days to compose the Second Concerto and practice for the premiere under the baton of Anton Rubinstein! A feat as impressive as the quality of the work itself whose well-balanced movements look back on Faure and Bach. The Fifth Concerto is the composer's answer to Wagner mania. Indeed, the work can almost be taken as a hint to his compatriots that there were plenty of other sources of inspiration available, such as the Nubian love song that Saint-Saens had heard sung by boatmen on the Nile and the sound of croaking frogs, which feature in the second movement and give the work it's title: 'The Egyptian'. This Concerto is a showcase of virtuosity for both composer and pianist.
In 2006 La Serenissima released it's superb debut recording featuring two world premiere recordings. Now, that album is being reissued. L'Amore per Elvira, written for the Mantuan court around 1716-20, consists of three cantatas, each featuring soprano Mhairi Lawson. In Tremori al braccio, RV 799 the lover, Fileno, trembles at his inability to confess his love to Elvira, only overcoming his reticence in the finale. In the second work Elvira, anima mia, RV 654, Fileno bears the sad tidings to Elvira that he must leave for a while and asks for one last kiss before he leaves. In the final work, Lungi dal vago volto, RV 680, the returning Fileno spies Elvira in the distance and he finally reaches her in the happy concluding aria. The two 'Graz' sonatas, housed in the Diozesanarchiv in Graz, are presented here for the first time. Their brass parts, which were previously missing, have been carefully reconstructed by Adrian Chandler in order to make this recording possible. The final work, the Sonata in C minor for violin and cello, RV 83, represents the only sonata of this type known to have been written by Vivaldi and is notable for it's three-movement concerto layout. Celebrating it's 25th anniversary in 2019 La Serenissima, led by violinist Adrian Chandler, is recognized as the UK's leading exponent of the music of eighteenth century Venice and connected composers.
The twelve volumes comprising The Complete Songs of Robert Burns remain the benchmark of all Burns songs recordings. This groundbreaking series took seven years to complete and involved over 80 musicians. Encompassing ballads and bawdy songs, patriotic and political anthems plus songs which bring Scottish people and places to life, these volumes touch all aspects of human nature and represent a vigorous folk tradition past and present. ‘...a delightful cornucopia of excellent, often hauntingly authentic performances.’ (BBC Music Magazine)
Vivaldi: Concerti, Op. 8 / Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble
Linn Records
CD · 2 discs
$29.99Jun 22, 2018
In its second release on Linn, The Avison Ensemble explores the rich diversity and delights of all twelve concertos in Vivaldi’s Opus 8. It includes the composer’s most famous work, 'The Four Seasons’, which contains some of the most instantly recognizable music ever composed and is today viewed as a pinnacle of musical art. Directed by Pavlo Beznosiuk, The Avison Ensemble presents an insightful and spirited performance of the masterpiece. Each of the twelve concertos is extremely demanding and Beznosiuk’s virtuosity permeates throughout each performance. The thematic elements within each innovative work result in a collection that is colorful, fresh and emotionally charged, and is a true testament of Vivaldi’s ability for invention and variation. Beznosiuk states: ‘The Four Seasons are well-known, well-loved and great fun to play, but let us not forget how richly characterful the other eight concerti are also. Throughout the set Vivaldi’s musical energy vibrates within us, connecting us to him in an irresistible, celebratory collection’.
Il Mantovano Hebreo: Italian Madrigals, Hebrew Prayers & Instrumental Music by Rossi / Profeti Della Quinta
Linn Records
CD · 1 disc
$20.99Jun 22, 2018
Profeti della Quinta makes its Linn debut with a unique programme of Italian madrigals, instrumental pieces and Hebrew prayers by Salomone Rossi (c. 1570–c. 1630). The programme encompasses Rossi’s many-faceted talents both as a court composer in the service of the Gonzaga family and as a unique innovator of devotional music for the synagogue. Profeti della Quinta, the award-winning a cappella ensemble comprising five core male singers, is joined for this recording by Katya Polin and Eva Saladin (violin) and Ori Harmelin and Ryosuke Sakamoto (theorbo). The native Hebrew speaking singers specialize in the music of the Italian Baroque and have an immediate connection to Rossi as a Jewish Italian composer. In naming Profeti della Quinta winners of the 2011 York Early Music Young Artists Competition, producer and judge Philip Hobbs commented: “Profeti della Quinta’s stunning authentic performance practice and quality of execution was truly magnificent.”
World-renowned Baroque guitarist William Carter presents an appealing collection of early works by Spanish guitar virtuoso and composer Fernando Sor. Carter believes Sor’s guitar music is some of the finest ever written for the instrument. Fernando Sor: Early Works includes three large-scale works, interspersed with shorter pieces, which are charming and intimate with a strong Spanish flavor. Carter employs a performance practice endorsed by Sor himself- playing without fingernails- making this a truly unique recording. Carter’s use of his fingertips delivers wider dynamic contrasts and a softer, more subtle sound. This is the premiere recording of Sor’s early works to explore this performance practice. Carter’s recording is a blend of his incredible knowledge of the instrument and composer, his extensive research and endless hours of perfecting his technique.
"• Walking In The Sun’ heralded a new direction for Ms. Jungr.
• Originally released in 2006, now re-issued as part of Linn’s ECHO series
• Drawing on influences from a wide range of musical traditions, including gospel and the blues, this album is Ms. Jungr’s most accessible release to date.
• Includes a new song by Eric Bibb, Heading Home, which sees the legendary guitarist make a guest appearance on the track."
Expectations for Dunedin Consort’s recording of Acis & Galatea were high; its release in 2008 followed on from its hugely successful recording of Handel’s Messiah. The combination of Messiah’s award-winning cast and director John Butt’s insights into authentic performance practice ensured it was met with numerous recommendations and outstanding reviews. Acis & Galatea is a beautiful pastoral entertainment; Handel’s first dramatic work in English is a simple yet highly emotional story that encompasses the extremes of love and tragedy. There are notable differences in the original performing version from 1718, including changes in instrumentation and vocal scoring (there is no alto line) made by Handel to suit the forces at Cannons. Butt chose this version specifically because of the small forces involved, since this was one of the aspects that made Messiah so distinctive; although there have been ‘first versions’ of Acis recorded before, Butt felt that there were certain aspects of the original version that had not yet been sufficiently realized.
The twelve volumes comprising The Complete Songs of Robert Burns remain the benchmark of all Burns songs recordings. This groundbreaking series took seven years to complete and involved over 80 musicians. Encompassing ballads and bawdy songs, patriotic and political anthems plus songs which bring Scottish people and places to life, these volumes touch all aspects of human nature and represent a vigorous folk tradition past and present. ‘...a delightful cornucopia of excellent, often hauntingly authentic performances.’ (BBC Music Magazine)
•Continuing its exploration of Tudor Latin sacred music, ‘The Tudors At Prayer’ sees Magnificat perform music by Taverner, Tallis, Mundy, White and Byrd. Magnificat is one of the world’s premier vocal ensembles whose recordings have met with huge critical acclaim: Spem in alium was hailed as ‘quite the best performance of Tallis's 40-part Spem in alium that I have heard' by Gramophone and was ‘First Choice’ in Building A Library on BBC Radio 3's CD Review.
To launch their exciting new partnership Robin Ticciati and the DSO present Debussy’s La mer, Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and the premiere recording of composer Brett Dean’s arrangements of Debussy’s Ariettes oubliées featuring Magdalena KoženA. Following his DSO debut Ticciati chose La mer to perform when he returned as the newly announced Principal Conductor in 2016. Ticciati has conducted La mer and Pelléas et Mélisande across Europe with the LPO, Concertgebouw Orchestra and the Budapest Festival Orchestra receiving excellent reviews. Brett Dean’s orchestration of the Ariettes premiered in Sydney in 2015 and at once displayed Debussy’s music in a new light. Dean’s new arrangements expand on the colours heard in Debussy’s original six songs applying unbelievably delicate orchestration that sounds like gossamer; The Daily Telegraph declared it ‘a revelation’. The all-French programme also includes the prelude to Fauré’s opera Pénélope and his orchestral suite Pelléas et Mélisande in a perfectly judged recording which augurs well for this exciting new partnership.
Frederieke Saeijs' Linn debut has enabled her to realize her lifelong ambition to take the walk that all aspiring violin maestros do and put her personal stamp on Ysaÿe's canonical Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27. Brimming with poetry, imagination and a quicksilver energy, Saeijs playing is well suited to Ysaÿe's sonatas with their thrilling dynamic pyrotechnics along with the lyrical expression that defines these pieces.
Kuniko’s eagerly awaited second album includes world premiere recordings of the percussionist’s new arrangements of popular works by contemporary composers Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, and Hywel Davies. Kuniko gave the world premiere performance of Reich’s New York Counterpoint version for marimba in 2012, and the composer praised her performance saying, “Kuniko Kato is a first rate percussionist.”
This new recording captures the magic of the season as the RSNO and its Junior Chorus deliver a perfect selection of classic festive favourites in A Christmas Festival. These charming performances show why their joyous, fun-packed Christmas concerts, conducted by the inimitable Christopher Bell, are always a highlight of the Scottish seasonal calendar. The well-chosen programme finds traditional favourites, such as Jingle Bells, In A Cottage In A Wood and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, sitting harmoniously alongside contemporary tunes from Michael Head and Howard Blake (The Snowman, The Bear). An unexpected but brilliant instrumental mash-up up of The Little Dummer Boy with Ravel’s Bolero gives centre-stage to the award-winning RSNO. Two fantastic medleys provide a one stop shop of Christmas tunes both old and new which you’ll be hard pressed not to join in with! At turns rousing, sentimental, cheering and familiar this is the perfect present this Christmas.
Purcell: Twelve Sonatas in Three Parts / Retrospect Trio
Linn Records
CD · 1 disc
$20.99Oct 26, 2018
This is the follow up Retrospect’s debut recording, released to celebrate the 350th birthday of Henry Purcell, and reunites four Baroque instrumentalist superstars. Continuing the composer’s trio sonata texture found in Ten Sonatas in Four Parts, Purcell’s later set is much more forward-looking to the later Baroque rather than taking inspiration from the old style contrapuntal models found in the earlier set. These sonatas display the composer’s innate ability at blending influences from French, Italian and English music; exotic dissonances can be heard alongside the unique use of counterpoint. This recording was nominated for a BBC Music Magazine Award and an International Classical Music Award and was named a ‘Choice’ recording by Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and International Record Review. Recorded at St George’s, Chesterton, the recording beautifully captures the timeless beauty of Purcell’s most highly regarded instrumental works.
For his second recital harpist Sivan Magen performs some of the greatest French masterpieces written for harp at the turn of the last two centuries, by Fauré, Caplet, Tournier, and others. Praised by the press as ‘a magician’ (New York’s WQXR), whose ‘virtuoso playing conjures astonishing color and dynamic range’ (The Daily Telegraph), Sivan Magen is the only Israeli to have ever won the prestigious Int’l Harp Contest in Israel. Sivan Magen’s Britten recital was listed in the New York Times’ ‘Best Recordings of 2012’, whilst his Linn debut ‘Fantasian’ was awarded five stars by BBC Music Magazine.
Rory Macdonald conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the premiere recording of three orchestral works by 'the father of Scottish music,' composer Thomas Wilson. Wilsonw as an important figure in Scotland's musical renaissance, whose exceptional output established him as a composer of particular significance. Wilson completed five symphonies of which two are recorded here: Symphony No. 3 and Symphony No. 4 'Passeleth Tapestry,' both of which were premiered by the RSNO. The Third Symphony, a RSNO commission, was described in The Guardian as "one of the most impressive works written by a Scottish composer in recent years." The Fourth Symphony, written to mark Paisley's 500th anniversary, features masterly orchestration throughout and Wilson's treatment of the strings is especially fresh and inventive. Carillon was commissioned by Glasgow city council in 1990 as part of it's European City of Culture celebrations, as the inaugural work to celebrate the opening of the city's new Royal Concert Hall, where the RSNO is now based. This recording is a fitting tribute to the leading Scottish composer of his generation by an orchestra who inspired and premiered his work.
