Kuniko’s fifth studio recording sees the hugely talented percussionist return to the music of Steve Reich, a composer she has championed since her debut recording in 2011. In Drumming Kuniko delivers a tour-de-force performance of the work which is widely considered minimalism’s first masterpiece. Performing all thirteen parts herself, and adopting the same multi-track approach which was so successful on kuniko plays reich, Kuniko once again displays the technical virtuosity and flawless musicianship for which she is renowned. This seminal work employs Reich’s trademark phasing technique; subtle changes in timing and timbre cause the soundscape to build through a series of rhythmic loops which gradually evolve to create a wholly immersive experience. After hearing her performance on Drumming Reich commented: “The result is like a microscopic close up of the piece where all the finest details are heard with amazing clarity.” Drumming sees the award-winning percussionist once again demonstrate the musical intelligence and flair which makes such a captivating performer.

REVIEW:

This recording is a virtuosic tour de force, one in which Kuniko proves that there is a different way of looking at things, a way that led Reich to say “The result is like a microscopic close up of the piece where all the details are heard with amazing clarity. I found it a remarkable pleasure to hear. Bravo!” This clarity comes partly due to the tempo, Kuniko’s version is nearly a quarter of an hour longer than Reich’s own recording and partly due to the wonderful performance. Despite the length of the recording it in no way drags, rather it is a well-paced and well executed performance. By the nature of how this version was recorded, it does lack a little spontaneity, but as she says in her notes, an ensemble recording, no matter who records it, can be affected by individuals losing or gaining pace during a performance of the piece, whereas here every part is beautifully paced and in line with every other part. This is a highly focussed performance where every detail of each phase is minutely captured with clarity and accuracy, the way Kuniko manages to capture and exploit every ebb and flow of the music is quite mesmerising, even more so than Reich’s own performance. If I miss something from the Reich performance it is the more ethereal vocalisations of Pamela Wood Ambush and Jay Clayton, but this is more than made up for by the perfection of her playing. Yes, it might not be as spontaneous and exciting a performance as Reich and friends, but the way that Kuniko manages to emphasise each, and every, phase shift is wonderful.

The recorded sound is wonderfully clear, something that helps the performance, it has been recorded over three sessions so being able to maintain the clarity and dynamic over the months that it took to record this work is a credit to the engineers and to Kuniko. The booklet notes are excellent, not only do we get Kuniko’s own notes in which she discusses the piece and her approach to it, but you also get three pages of notes on the work by Steve Reich himself. Yes, there is more than one way in which a work can be performed and Kuniko’s incredibly nuanced performance shows this. And there is certainly space on a shelf for when the performance is as compelling as this is.

– MusicWeb International (Stuart Sillitoe)

Time and Place perfectly sums up Claire Martin's jazz roots beginnings and the inventive, forward-thinking repertoire choices that have framed her enviable career. Together Claire and The Montpellier Cello Quartet create a magical sound fusion of jazz-chamber music that encompasses new arrangements from an eclectic group of songwriters including Lennon & McCartney, George Gershwin, David Bowie and Thelonius Monk. With the connections borne of 30 years in the business Claire commissioned imaginative new arrangements, including Joni Mitchell's 'Two Grey Rooms' by renowned composer Mark Anthony Turnage. Pianist Joe Stilgoe guests on his own track 'Lost For Words' and delivers a distinctive arrangement of Lennon & McCartney's 'She's Leaving Home'. There are also echoes of The Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby' on a new arrangement of David Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World'. Claire's long-time partnership with Richard Rodney Bennett is acknowledged with both song-writing and arranging credits; 'Early To Bed' is quintessential Bennett and Claire gives a heartfelt performance. From album opener via Claire's own hugely catchy arrangement of 'Catch Me If You Can' to the album closer, 'Goodbye For Now', Time and Place sees Martin return with renewed vigour to pop-crossover territory, a trend she championed long before Norah Jones and Madeleine Peyroux made this style an accepted genre.

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.

This unique harpsichord recital by Trevor Pinnock charts two incredible musical journeys four hundred years apart. Inspired by the travels of Antonio Cabez�n, the sixteenth-century organist and composer, Pinnock's programme weaves a path not only through Cabez�n's life but also through his own enviable career. In celebration of his seventieth birthday, Pinnock has chosen a personal selection of works that evoke vivid memories from different stages of his life. Success in their respective careers led both Pinnock and Cabez�n to travel widely; Cabez�n's journeys through Europe resulted in meetings with several of the composers included in this program. Journey sees Pinnock perform repertoire spanning two hundred years (encompassing works by Tallis, Byrd, Bull, Sweelinck, Bach, Frescobaldi, Handel and Scarlatti) on his favorite home instrument, a harpsichord made in 1982 after a model by the mid eighteenth-century French builder, Henri Hemsch. Pinnock's own journey has seen him recognized as one of the finest players of his generation, receiving many prizes and international recognition along the way whilst amassing an exceptional discography; his truly is an epic journey.

For her recital debut the in-demand concerto soloist Katherine Bryan performs a selection of twentieth-century concertos, including the rarely recorded Liebermann Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. The Liebermann concerto has rarely been recorded in it's entirety. Commissioned and originally performed by James Galway, the concerto is considered one of the most substantial and significant additions to the flute repertoire in recent years. Considered 'a flautist's dream composer' (BBC Music Magazine) Liebermann's writing is full of optimistic, audience-friendly and tuneful melodies with rapid-fire fingering passages that showcase the technical prowess of the soloist. Katherine stated: 'I feel that Lowell Liebermann's concerto encompasses all the emotions and colours of which the flute is so brilliantly capable and it is for me, quite simply a twentieth-century virtuoso masterpiece, and thrilling to play.' The inclusion of works by Hu�e, Nielsen and Poulenc in the programme shows the particular diversity of the flute, demonstrating the variety of repertoire composed for the instrument during the twentieth century.

Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill brings her wide range of vocal colors and emotional expressivity to bear in her debut solo recital featuring the seldom paired songs of Gustav Mahler with five of wife Alma’s lesser-known, but equally engaging, songs. +Winner of the 2002 Kathleen Ferrier Award, Ms. Cargill has won many fans through her performances at The Metropolitan, New York, Covent Garden, London and Deutsche Opera, Berlin. +"a voice full of sunny delicacy and warmth." BBC Music Magazine

Amy Duncan is an Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter whose ambient, folk-inspired music is charming crowds across the country with its emotive, ethereal allure. Cycles of Life’ is a deeply personal, honest and ultimately uplifting account of the difficult life experiences Amy has faced and encapsulates the sense of moving from dark to light.

Ticciati cements his reputation as an outstanding Berliozian with his latest recording, L'enfance du Christ featuring the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Ticciati is a regular guest conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, widely considered to be one of Europe's leading orchestras. They are joined by a sterling cast of soloists including: Stephane Loges, Veronique Gens, Yann Beuron and Alistair Miles.

The 2019/20 Season marks the start of Maxim Emelyanychev's role as Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the release of his Linn recording debut. Emelyanychev, an outstanding representative of the younger generation of Russian conductors, discovered an instant rapport with the SCO when he substituted for Robin Ticciati in 2018. It was this performance of Schubert's 'Great' C major Symphony that secured Emelyanychev's appointment and created a fervent anticipation for this recording. The concert prompted The Scotsman to comment: 'Emelyanychev [was] constantly balancing surface charm and vigor with a far darker, more manic undertow -not least in the towering cumulative energy of his propulsive finale.' Schubert's Ninth Symphony was the composer's final major contribution to the genre and his maturity is reflected in it's intensely lyrical melodies and monumental scale. Emelyanychev procures a very precise blend and balance by applying a historical aesthetic similar to the one that has previously seen accolades heaped upon this award-winning orchestra

The Fitzwilliam String Quartet celebrates a remarkable milestone with this special fiftieth anniversary recording of Shostakovich’s last three string quartets. Fittingly, this landmark recording will look back to the music which first propelled the Fitzwilliam to international prominence. Shostakovich entrusted the Fitzwilliam with the western premieres of his last three quartets (Nos. 13, 14, 15), and before long they had become the first ever group to perform and record all fifteen, winning many international awards along the way. The highly innovative String Quartet No.13 is notable for its unique single-movement form and the virtuosic viola writing, which shines a spotlight on founding member Alan George. No.14, despite its twelve-tone structure, is perhaps the most accessible of Shostakovich’s late quartets with a wealth of identifiable melodies. The six movements of No.15 are profoundly melancholic and intimate, with the composer’s obsession with death a clear influence. The Fitzwilliam’s pre-eminence in the interpretation of these works has persisted: Benjamin Britten reported after Shostakovich’s death in 1975 that the composer had told him the Fitzwilliam were his ‘preferred performers of my quartets’.

The Maxwell Quartet’s recording debut stands out for its innovative approach: each of Haydn’s Op. 71 quartets is paired with a tune, or set of traditional tunes, from the ensemble’s homeland of Scotland. This prize-winning quartet believes classical music has a strong connection to its folk music heritage and aims to marry the two together with this unique and meaningful programme. Interspersing each of the three Op. 71 quartets, are the Maxwells’ own arrangements of traditional Scottish music designed to both celebrate and acknowledge the folk music heritage which influenced both performer and composer centuries apart. Surprisingly there are relatively few recent recordings of the Op. 71 quartets, yet they contain some of Haydn’s most virtuosic writing for string quartet. Each quartet has its own unique quality: No. 1 is overwhelmingly joyful, No. 2 is lyrical and romantic and No. 3 is perhaps the most compositionally innovative of the set. Hailed as superb storytellers and great communicators, the Maxwell Quartet’s inventive debut will add to its growing reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting strings quartets.

Widely acclaimed as one of the finest recordings of Claire Martin's career, Too Much in Love to Care (Claire Martin sings with Kenny Barron) was named 'Best New Album' at the 2013 British Jazz Awards and 'One of the Best Albums of 2012' by Jazz History Online. Upon it's release, Too Much in Love to Care received several five star reviews with Jazz Times describing her vocal talent equal to that of Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Horn, two of Claire's idols. Too Much in Love to Care is a collection of classic romantic songs and beautiful ballads from The Great American Songbook including Gershwin's Embraceable You and How Long Has This Been Going On? and the title track from Sunset Boulevard. Too Much in Love to Care was recorded in New York and guest stars Kenny Barron, 'one of the top jazz pianists in the world' (LA Times) alongside bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. The chemistry was immediate and many of the tracks were recorded in just one take, remarkable as it was the first time Claire and Kenny had played together.

This new recording of Józef Koffler’s arrangement of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations has been widely anticipated since Trevor Pinnock conducted the UK premiere at Wigmore Hall in 2019. The Goldberg Variations were still largely unfamiliar to the musical public when Józef Koffler completed his extraordinary arrangement –for flute, oboe, cor anglais, bassoon and strings –in 1938. Over eighty years on, the Goldberg Variations are ubiquitous. Bach’s encyclopedic marvel of digital gymnastics and musical invention is regularly performed and recorded. Koffler’s arrangement cleverly reimagines the work in a naturalistic and compelling way. In its second transatlantic musical collaboration, the Royal Academy of Music is joined by students from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto. The partnership with the Academy has produced five recordings with Trevor Pinnock, one with the late Oliver Knussen and one with Reinhold Friedrich in collaboration with The Juilliard School.

This recording is the first in a new series with Thomas Søndergård and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. The programme features music by Richard Strauss: the concert suite from Der Rosenkavalier and Ein Heldenleben, a work they have performed together in concert to critical acclaim. The tone poem tells the epic story of an imaginary hero and offers a stirring introduction to the world of the German Romantics. Strauss demands uncompromising virtuosity from both the orchestra and the horn player who is tasked with portraying the bold hero. Following a concert performance of Ein Heldenleben in March 2018 The Scotsman stated: “From the swaggering confidence of Strauss’s bounding heroic theme to the gleefully grotesque carpings of his critics, Søndergård delivered a bold, utterly committed account – this is clearly music that matters to him.” Closing the recording is the concert suite from Der Rosenkavalier in which Strauss’s colourful and evocative orchestration recalls many favourite moments from his most popular opera.

Pianist Malcolm Martineau is the brilliant initiator of this new one-of-a-kind series on Linn. The Brahms Songbook has set the unprecedented goal to record Brahms's lieder by complete opus number. In this second instalment, Malcolm is joined by star mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and bass-baritone Hanno Muller-Brachmann in five sets that were composed and published over a period of thirty years: Op. 72, Op. 105, Op. 43, Op. 48 and Op. 57. In a time when the middle-class was growing, song-writing was both lucrative and pleasurable, offering a myriad of ways to explore perennially popular topics like unrequited love. Yet, in the lieder recorded here Brahms immerses us in a heightened emotional world, distant from the drawing rooms and concert halls of the bourgeoisie.