The Orchestra of the Americas performs Aaron Coplands euphoric Third Symphony and Mexican composer Carlos Ch�vezs rousing Sinfon�a India in a thrilling Linn debut. Carlos Miguel Prieto, known for his charismatic conducting and dynamic, expressive interpretations, directs the orchestra. The Orchestra of the Americas performed both works at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival as part of a European tour, which saw the orchestra perform at the Rheingau Festival, the Elbphilharmonie and the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music. Full of hope, heroism and joyful optimism Coplands Third Symphony is considered the Great American Symphony; it is perhaps most famous for it's finale in which Copland incorporates his Fanfare for the Common Man, an exhilarating conclusion that leaves listeners uplifted. With scintillating indigenous melodies, complex rhythms and highly percussive orchestration, Ch�vezs Sinfon�a India is the perfect piece to end the programme and showcase this passionate, flamboyant and brilliantly incisive orchestra.

The Japanese percussionst Kuniko turns to the cello suites and violin sonatas of J.S. Bach for her fourth solo studio recording with Linn. Arranged for solo marimba, Kuniko gives unique perspective of these hugely famous and intellectually challenging works. Her trademark is her highly sensitive touch, particularly with wooden instruments such as marimba, which gives these interpretations an extremely stripped-down yet natural, organic feel. The beautiful acoustic of the medieval Jaani Kirik in Estonia creates the ideal sound space for Kuniko's arrangements. Kuniko is a solost who is recognized around the world for her astonishing virtuosity, exquisite musical insight and expressive yet elegant performance style. She is renowned for her flawless technique when playing both keyboard and percussion instruments, which blends seamlessly with her profound musical intelligence.

Heinrich Biber’s astonishingly powerful and deeply emotional Mystery Sonatas represent a triumph of Baroque invention. Boston Baroque’s Christina Day Martinson delivers a technical tour de force, as she navigates the virtuosic challenges presented by the fiendishly demanding changing scordatura. Boston Classical Review described her live performance as ‘a flourish of technical complexity and musical wizardry’, whilst the Boston Globe wrote, “Day Martinson…didn't just survive, she triumphed.” The adventurous use of six baroque violins in fifteen different tunings creates otherworldly soundscapes that result in a deeply moving and glorious listening experience. This highly disorientating practice reaches its pinnacle in Sonata XI ('The Resurrection') where the middle two strings are crossed over each other both in the peg box and behind the bridge, so that one can literally see a cross on the violin. The fifteen sonatas have been traditionally grouped into three sets of five: five joyful mysteries, five sorrowful mysteries, and five glorious mysteries. Boston Baroque’s founder Martin Pearlman plays organ and harpsichord, with Michael Leopold on theorbo and guitar and Michael Unterman on cello.

This fascinating transatlantic musical collaboration between the brass players of London’s Royal Academy of Music and New York’s Juilliard School presents enduring masterpieces by Giovanni Gabrieli and his Venetian contemporaries. Under the direction of Reinhold Friedrich, renowned trumpet soloist and Principal Trumpet of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, the players blend modern instruments and intellect with 16th-century technique and tuning to excel in this profoundly challenging repertoire. The beautiful acoustic of St Jude’s, Hampstead results in a gloriously sonorous soundscape; burnished waves of rich, warm trombones alternate with the brilliant, crystalline articulation of trumpets. Academy Principal Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, who produced the recording, states: ‘We’re hoping it will show Gabrieli as the composer of great intimate music as well as wonderfully grandiloquent Venetian polyphony.’ This remarkable recording features some of the most compelling and attractive instrumental music of the late Renaissance era and boasts performances worthy of Gabrieli’s extraordinary legacy and the reputation of these two outstanding institutions.

Recorded during this year’s Misteria Paschalia Festival in Poland, Dunedin Consort’s performance of Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day sees them joined for the first time by tenor Ian Bostridge and soprano Carolyn Sampson. Bostridge demonstrates the technical mastery and vocal precision that has seen him win all the major international record prizes in his twenty-five year career. Highly sought-after for her refined Baroque sensibilities and pure intonation, Sampson’s lyric soprano is ideally suited to Handel. Led by John Butt, with singers from the Polish Radio Choir, this rich and colorful tribute to music’s patron saint is the latest in their much-lauded Handel discography, which includes Messiah, Acis & Galatea and Esther, each recording having won widespread acclaim. The recording is completed by Handel’s Concerto Grosso in A minor Op. 6 No. 4, in which Dunedin Consort’s exceptional instrumentalists take center stage.

Classical Music

All around the world, critics cheered the SCO Wind Soloists’ previous album of Mozart Divertimenti: ‘superb in every way’ (Fanfare), ‘a joy from start to finish’ (Europadisc), ‘sparkles with joy and chuckles with good humor’ (BBC Radio 3 ‘Record Review’). Continuing to explore the Harmoniemusik repertoire, the Wind Soloists’ new recording features youthful, entertaining and brilliant music by a young man who took Vienna by storm in the 1790s: Ludwig van Beethoven. The underrated Octet is a technically challenging concert piece in the Mozart tradition, but with the flair and unpredictability of the young Beethoven. In the Sextet, Beethoven exploits the differing characteristics of each instrument to great effect with the SCO’s legendary interplay on full display. Another gem is the short but sweet Rondino, which is full of subtle details, exquisite melodies and exhilaratingly high-speed horn playing.

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Everything here comes from the composer's early years. The lively and light-hearted Sextet is crisply played, finding a happy balance between bucolic vigor and expressive delicacy.

– Gramophone

Described as ‘one of the great new Sibelian teams’ (The Herald), Thomas Søndergård and BBC National Orchestra of Wales continue their shared fascination with the orchestral music of Sibelius. Released one month after BBC NOW celebrates its ninetieth anniversary, this recording includes many of Sibelius’ most famous masterpieces. Sibelius established his credentials early on with the tonally adventurous En saga, which brings to mind the excellence of Berlioz’ orchestral writing. Sibelius’ successful foray into the impressionistic tone world of Debussy resulted in the haunting seascape of The Oceanides. Sibelius wrote it was ‘pure inspiration’ that led to the composition of the perpetually popular Finlandia, with its world-famous hymn motif. The wonderfully descriptive Swan of Tuonela finds Sibelius at his mystical best as he casts the cor anglais as the majestic swan from Finnish mythology. Sibelius: Finlandia is a fitting finale to this Sibelius series which also includes critically acclaimed recordings of four of his symphonies.

Having previously recorded the Baroque greats such as Handel and Vivaldi, Pamela completes her anthology of eighteenth century favorites with Telemann's Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias. Telemann's legacy as a composer of recorder music is among the richest of the age. The warmth and conviviality of Telemann's writing, the easy beauty of his melodies, as well as the knowing playfulness and ingenuity across many national styles are fully explored in this engaging program. Pamela utilizes a range of recorders in many sizes, known to players in the eighteenth century but only recently again perfected by makers for modern use. Accompanying Pamela are Ensemble Marsyas' Peter Whelan (bassoon), Alison McGillivray (cello), Elizabeth Kenny (archlute/guitar) and Marcin Swiatkiewicz (harpsichord/organ). Telemann's virtuosic 'concerto style' writing provides many opportunities for Pamela to further cement her deserved reputation as 'queen of the recorder'. Pamela Thorby has an international reputation as the UK's most stylish and creative recorder virtuoso. Pamela is most regularly heard on Karl Jenkins' fabulous Adiemus recordings making her possibly one of the most listened to recorder players in the world. Pamela's ability to assimilate many genres of music and her love of improvisation has led to collaborations with leading jazz, folk and pop musicians in an influential career in which she has travelled the world as concerto soloist, chamber musician and orchestral principal. Pamela's numerous and diverse recordings include acclaimed chamber music albums with the much admired Palladian Ensemble and a continuing series of highly praised solo recordings for Linn.

Named a 'Choice' recording by BBC Music Magazine upon release, this popular recording of seventeenth century vocal music features mezzo-soprano Catherine King and lutenist Jacob Heringman with tenor Charles Daniels. Originally released in 1999, 'Airs de cour' has been re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series which offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalogue. The listener is transported to the French court in a program of courtly airs and solo lute pieces, the latter a suitable complement to the airs and the lost ideals of the courtly society they reflect. Both the self-indulgent texts of these songs and their suave and rhythmically evasive melodies, reflect a society rich in excess, intrigue and dissembling, all the more fascinating for being so distant, no less impressive for being so introverted. Well schooled in period performance, all the performers pay due attention to the authenticity of pronunciation and ornamentation for which scant records remain. 'O dieux je ne s�ais pas' is a rare example where an ornamented variant of the melody is included in the manuscript revealing a further level of riches in these songs. Catherine King is acknowledged as one of the most versatile mezzo-sopranos of her generation with an impressive breadth of repertoire. Jacob Heringman has established himself as one of the world's most respected and most innovative solo lute players. Catherine King and Jacob Heringman have made numerous appearances together in festivals throughout Europe, as well as broadcasting frequently for the BBC and for WDR in Cologne. Charles Daniels is an English tenor, particularly noted for his performances of baroque music. He is a frequent soloist with The King's Consort, and has made over 25 recordings with the ensemble.

William Carter's exemplary musicianship is showcased to its fullest on this new recording of Bach's own transcriptions for the lute. Almost unplayable in parts, many musicians take certain liberties with the music so that it glows more naturally but William Carter's determined approach to authenticity sees the lutenist achieve the near impossible: playing the music as it was originally written. Carter very subtly enhances BWV 1001, originally for unaccompanied violin, in keeping with Bach's own perceived style, namely to only add "as much harmony as he found necessary". The final piece undergoes the most extensive reimaginging as Bach expertly transforms the Fifth Cello Suite into a "new" lute work: so successful is it that Carter considers it to be, interms of understanding the essential nature and expressive qualities of the lute, "the most perfect piece of lute music in existence".

Classical Music

Featuring ambitious and accomplished music for voices and viols, ‘Ward: Fantasies & Verse Anthems’ offers a privileged glimpse of a special moment in English music history. The four-part viol fantasies show a fluent and skillful style exemplifying Jacobean consort fantasy at its best. The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, Emily Ashton and Christopher Terepin join Phantasm to perform Ward’s verse anthems that contain an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of textures and generous word painting amidst a polyphonic swirl of viols. This recording is a fitting tribute to John Ward, whose efforts have been rediscovered in our own time and whose mellifluous music deserves a closer look. The award-winning ensemble has been applauded across the globe for its moving performances and is recognized as the most exciting viol consort active on the world scene today. Critics have described their performances and recordings as 'intoxicating', 'revelatory', 'electrifying', and ‘interpretations pervaded by a truly burning spirit'.

Originally released in 1996 and now re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series, 'Years Apart', Martin Taylor's second recording with his Spirit of Django band, featured a star-studded guest list that included legendary violinist St�phane Grappelli, Britain's leading jazz vocalist Claire Martin and pianist Brian Kellock. Released to critical acclaim and public popularity, the album won two British Jazz Award categories: 'Best Guitar' and 'Best Small Group'. 'As revivalists go, Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django rank among the more ingenious.' (The Guardian)

Classical Music

In 2006 the Scottish Chamber Orchestra celebrated Mozart’s 250th birthday with this special release of Wind Concertos performed by the section principals of the Orchestra. Austrian conductor Alexander Janiczek was the ideal choice to lead the orchestra in the well-loved repertoire of his fellow Austrian. Alison Mitchell performs the Flute Concerto; its charming melodies and elegant phrasing belie Mozart’s claim to dislike the instrument. Written when Mozart was just eighteen, the Bassoon Concerto allows soloist Ursula Leveaux to showcase the full range and expressivity of her instrument. Maximiliano Martín gives a virtuosic performance of arguably the most famous of these three showpieces, the Clarinet Concerto. Written in 1791 for a Stadler clarinet, which extended the instrument’s lower range by four notes, Martín has adapted the text of the first edition (published with the solo part adapted to suit an ordinary clarinet) to make the best use of the clarinet’s lowest register as Mozart intended.

Classical Music

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.
All tracks have been digitally mastered using HDCD technology.

Linn Records is thrilled to introduce soprano Rowan Pierce in what promises to be a sensational debut recording. The Cares of Lovers comprises songs from across Purcell's brief career from She loves and she confesses too, one of his very first published pieces (1683), to Sweeter than roses from his final months (1695). Although they all display the same matchless ingenuity and uncanny ability to set English words to music, a highlight includes Tell me, some pitying angel - a triumph of dramatic composition and the equal of any Italian cantata of the period. Since winning the President's Award at the Royal College of Music in 2017, Pierce has won acclaim for her performances at The Barbican, Royal Festival Hall and at the BBC Proms. Her performance in Purcell's The Fairy Queen, with the Academy of Ancient Music, won praise for her 'expressive' (Financial Times) and 'heart-piercing' (The Independent) singing. Richard Egarr and William Carter, two baroque music heavy-weights, join Pierce for this recording, made in Haarlem, Netherlands.

ALBÉNIZ Iberia. GRANADOS Goyescas • Arthur Pizarro (pn) • LINN CKD 355 (2 CDs: 146:25)


Goyescas and Iberia are generally considered, and not without some justice, to be the two pinnacles of Spanish piano music. Messiaen, who was obviously influenced by it, once wondered if Iberia might not be the greatest piece of piano music ever written. Seriously. It is divided into four parts, each consisting of three pieces that attempt to evoke Spanish scenes and landscapes, mostly in Andalusia and vicinity, often by using characteristic dances and rhythms. It presents the would-be performer with a cascade of finger-twisting difficulties and a barrage of notes that sometimes require three staves (this is also true, to a lesser extent, of Goyescas ). Albéniz once considered destroying it because he suspected that it was unplayable and Blanche Selva, the pianist who eventually gave the first performances of all four books, initially agreed with him.


I have not heard any of the several previous recordings that Artur Pizarro has made for Linn Records but, judging from his recordings of these Spanish favorites, I would guess that he’s someone who marches to his own drummer. In his interesting annotations, Pizarro says that the composer himself could not play all of the 12 pieces that make up Iberia . Pizarro obviously can but he sometimes tries to make his points with tonal shading and restraint, eschewing flashiness. This is a dangerous strategy in Iberia , which is surely one of the most extroverted collections of piano music going. Many of the pieces invite virtuosic brilliance and, if recordings are typical, usually get it. I think that the music benefits from a more aggressive approach than that taken by Pizarro in, at least some of the pieces. I am not claiming that this is a dull performance—it is not and it does not lack vitality and color. Speaking of tonal color, he uses a Blüther piano because he believes it has a sound that Albéniz and Granados would have recognized—in his words, “a piano with the sound of the beginning of the century with the build quality and strength of a new piano and a very, very fast action.” This is no problem at all and what emerges from the Blüther bears no resemblance to the tinny sound of a fortepiano.


My own favorite among Iberia s remains that of Nicholas Unwin on Chandos, which I would place in a virtual tie with those of Marc-André Hamelin (Hyperion) and Alicia de Larrocha (Decca). These are all more conventionally “brilliant” performances and tend to be faster than Pizarro’s. Unwin’s has two advantages over theirs: (1) it’s on one CD and (2) it’s still available. Larrocha’s EMI recording (originally Hispavox), a wonderfully vital, animated performance, suffers from what seems to be sympathetic vibration that imparts an unpleasant ring to many loud notes. It has also been reissued on the “Great Performances of the Century” series but I doubt that the problem has been cleared up; by my recollection, it also existed on the Epic LP. There are also perfectly good recordings by Martin Jones (Nimbus) and Guillermo González (Naxos). I have not heard Aldo Ciccolini’s recording in many years. My (possibly unfair) recollection was that some of his “interpretive” touches were dictated by the difficulty of the pieces. On the other hand, in 1947 Claudio Arrau recorded Books 1 and 2, only, with such technical facility and power that he actually made the pieces sound easy. Grab that one if it ever turns up. Too bad Arrau didn’t record it all, but he apparently had little interest in Spanish music. Jorge Bolet would probably have made a knockout recording but he only recorded one Spanish music collection, for the Boston Records label (I wonder who owns the rights). José Iturbi was interested in Spanish music and played it with flair but he only recorded a few pieces by Albéniz and Granados for EMI, none of them from Iberia or Goyescas . It is possible that he recorded some for his own label but I’ve never seen any of those recordings. His sister, Amparo, made a fine LP recording of Goyescas for RCA Victor but I’ll bet that never shows up on CD.


Speaking of Amparo Iturbi, when she was a child, she played Goyescas for Granados and was told that he wished performers would use El pelele , which is not part of the set, as a prelude to Goyescas . In fact, when he wrote the opera that is based on the piano suite, he actually did use El pelele as the prelude. The only recordings I know of that follow this procedure are those of Iturbi and Ralph Votapek, the latter of which, fortunately, compares with any that I’ve heard and, happily, is still available. Like the six pieces that make up the body of Goyescas, El pelele is inspired by a painting by Goya. The only piece he did not use when he wrote the opera is the final one, The Specter’s Serenade.


In his annotations, Pizarro says that Alicia de Larrocha once admonished him not to imitate her. That some young pianist who was taking on Spanish repertoire might be inclined to do so would be understandable, given her authority and proficiency. It appears that she need not have been concerned; his take on Goyescas is not only different from hers, it’s actually different from the other nine recordings I auditioned. In four of the pieces, Flattery, Conversation at the Window, The Maiden and the Nightingale, and Love and Death (I assume that the English titles will mean more to most Fanfare readers), his is the slowest tempo, sometimes significantly so, but he brings it off. There is a kind of yielding elegance to his playing that strikes me, at least, as appropriate for the music. On the other hand, Granados’s recording of the first four pieces is much faster but he probably never played it the same way twice in a row and his Welte-Mignon piano rolls seem improvisatory. He takes the pieces at quite a fast tempo and certainly demonstrates that reports of his prodigious technique were not greatly exaggerated. He also, for some reason, makes a cut in Flattery . In any event, Pizarro joins the ranks of those who have done recorded justice to Goyescas, which, to my taste, include Votapek (my first choice), Alicia de Larrocha (any of the four I’ve heard), Cristina Ortiz, Eduardo del Pueyo, Benita Meshulam, Douglas Riva, Martin Jones, and Amparo Iturbi. When (what I assume to be) Larrocha’s earliest recording of Goyescas was issued in the U.S., on American Decca, it was, for some reason, divided between two LPs, with the last two pieces on the second LP along with some piano music of Mompou. When MCA issued it on CD, they only included the first four pieces, as if they were unaware of the other LP, a really dumb error. Tape damage would have been no excuse since I wasn’t the only person in the country to own the second LP. Fortunately, her subsequent recordings for Hispavox/EMI, Decca/London, and RCA Victor more than filled that gap.


FANFARE: James Miller

There is a degree of self-effacement and self-absorption in his playing that I find appealing: it's as though we are eavesdropping on an intimate and private dialogue. A fine set, beautifully recorded.

– BBC Music Magazine

With no shortage to choose from, it's easy to imagine why listeners might be overwhelmed when choosing a recording of Bach's Sonatas & Partitas for solo violin. Baroque violinist Pavlo Beznosiuk throws his hat into the ring with this 2011 Linn Records set. His playing does seem very conversational, even drawing listeners into the discourse. His effortless technique shines through in the much more animated, vivacious fast movements.

– All Music Guide

In this pioneering recording Dunedin Consort presents a brand new performing version of one of Handel’s greatest dramatic works, Samson. For the first time listeners can enjoy an authentic Handelian chorus, comprising both solo sopranos and boy trebles – a sonority largely unheard in the modern age. The singers available to Handel for the work’s first set ofa performances in 1743 varied considerably, leading many researchers to speculate upon the composer’s own preferences. But new thinking by director John Butt has led to the evolution of this recording and to what he considers to be the definitive performance in line with Handel’s intentions. This powerful oratorio – an opera in all but name – features soloists Sophie Bevan, Matthew Brook, Mary Bevan, Hugo Hymas and Jess Dandy, with Joshua Ellicott in the title role. Matching the revelatory historical practice begun in its award-winning recording of Messiah (Dublin Version, 1742), the soloists lead their sections to unite the solo and choral forces, creating a highly effective and cohesive sound. With rich orchestration and highlights such as ‘Let the bright seraphim’ and ‘Total eclipse’, Samson is Dunedin Consort’s most ambitious undertaking to date.

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REVIEW:

This new Samson now becomes the top recommendation: for its uniformly excellent soloists, its excitingly ‘present’ choral singing and, above all, its more urgent sense of theatre. Sophie and Mary Bevan, both natural Handelian stylists, are well-nigh ideal. Jess Dandy, a true contralto, is the oratorio’s voice of balm, singing the sublime prayer ‘Return, O God of hosts’ with warm, even tone and broad phrasing.

– Gramophone

Ars longa see theorbo specialist Elizabeth Kenny perform a typically inventive recital of diverse repertoire spanning five centuries. The theorbo's eccentric appearance and tuning belies it's expressive and delicate qualities; it's versatility extends to beautiful melodies, experimental harmonies and a wonderfully resonant bass. The recital takes the listener from the early avant-garde repertoire for the instrument of Kapsperger and Piccinini to the new and imaginative sounds explored by today's composers. Taken from his 2011 work Since it was the day of preparation... James MacMillan's motet is a haunting and melancholy piece in which the theorbo acts as an emblem of human fragility and sadness. Benjamin Oliver wrote Extending from the inside specifically for Kenny, who relishes the unique challenge of combining elements of funk guitar with the Baroque tradition of ground bass. Kenny also inspired Nico Muhly's Berceuse, a piece which exploits the unconventional tuning system and expressive possibilities of the theorbo to powerful effect.

Phantasm adds to its critically-acclaimed repertory of English viol consort music with the first recording in what will be a series exploring the music of Matthew Locke. A turbulent musical personality, Locke has much to endear him to ‘lovers of consort music’; his ceaseless and obsessive quest for variety ensures music of maximum breadth and diversity. Director Laurence Dreyfus has created an intriguing programme that showcases Locke’s rule-bending approach featuring music that is in turn quirky and humorous, lyrical and sweet. Most excitingly, this release reunites the partnership of Phantasm and lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, whose last album together, Dowland: Lachrimae or Seven Tears, won both a Gramophone Award and a Diapason d’Or de l’Année. Locke’s part-writing, and the oftentimes orchestral dimension of his approach, are both highlighted by the opulent realization of the continuo part, devised here with supreme inventive powers by Kenny.

Cantiones sacrae is the long-awaited follow up to Magnificat’s critically acclaimed 25th anniversary recording, Scattered Ashes. The Cantiones sacrae is an unusual work that stands quite apart from Schütz’s other published sacred music in both scale and style. The collection comprises forty Latin motets for four voices, plus a figured bass for continuo accompaniment (realized on this recording by lute, violone and organ), which was added later by the composer. The perfectly crafted works are composed in a learned, contrapuntal style rich in dissonance and range of expression. Schütz cleverly mirrors the intensely intimate nature of the texts using a musical language that looks to inward expression rather than to external effect. Schütz takes every opportunity to exploit vocal timbre and technique in the service of word-painting, with the virtuosic vocal lines ranging from a conservative imitative style to the most avant-garde, chromatic style of the Italian madrigal. Magnificat’s performance of the Opus 4 motets reveals Schütz to be a composer with an imagination of extraordinary variety.