After narrowly escaping the Holocaust, Mieczyslaw Weinberg then faced anti-Semitic hostility in the Soviet Union under Stalin. These existential experiences are reflected in his music which challenges player, instrument and listener alike - at once immensely fascinating and touching.

Stanisław Skrowaczewski is one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. To mark the 100th anniversary of this exceptional musician, MDG, in cooperation with DENON, is releasing a recording of the "Romeo and Juliet" ballet suites, which Skrowaczewski recorded with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra in the 1990s at the Cologne Philharmonic Hall. Genius – Born in Lwów, Poland, (now Lviv, Ukraine), Skrowaczewski's musical talent was recognised and encouraged early. At the age of just 13, he performed Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto. Due to an injury he received during WW2, he had to give up his career as a pianist and instead had great success as a composer and conductor. Internationally sought-after, Skrowaczewski conducted in Europe, East Asia and the USA; he had long-lasting influence on the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra. Drama – "Romeo and Juliet" is one of Prokofiev's most popular works. Yet the ballet was initially regarded by the Bolshoi Theatre as "undanceable". A few years later, it was premiered in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), by which time Prokofiev, aware of its dramatic effect, had already arranged the music into three very effective concert suites. History – In the Tsarist Empire, Prokofiev was considered the enfant terrible of Russian music. And even in the Soviet Union, to which he had later returned after emigrating, his music struggled. His sometimes brusque tonal language with its ferocious dynamics disturbed many a cultural bureaucrat. He died on the same day as Stalin, which was why there were neither flowers nor musicians at his funeral – instead, a recording of "Romeo and Juliet" was played.

Commemorating 150 years after the death of Poland's national composer, Moniuszko's sacred music is performed on original 19th century instruments - a Romantic feast for the ears in high-resolution sound.

Contemporary chamber works inspired by Klee, Trakl, Beethoven & Art Informel

In masterful arrangements, these four saxophone virtuosos explore the golden '20s and early '30s of the last century and give an exceptional and entertaining performance.

18th century solo concertos - incl. extraordinary pieces by long-forgotten masters

Symphonic works by the long-forgotten Russian composer Vasily Kalinnikov

The No. 1 choice for Bach aficionados – The master of subtle and elegant piano playing on the powerful-sounding "Manfred Bürki", a Steinway concert grand from 1901.

The LSQ celebrates Haydn's ideas with wit and charm as well as brilliance in the expansive solo passages which revive the hype of 1790s Vienna and London. This is Haydn at the height of his creative powers and a quartet to the highest performance standards. The natural, unobtrusive recording technique elevates these Classical masterpieces to their rightful pedestal.

In this poignant WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING, Yeseul Moon explores three very different artistic approaches to the horrors of the holocaust from several generations.

An accomplished and enthusiastic rediscovery of a decisive pioneer of modern Russian music of the Fin de Siècle. The sorrowful, sweet melancholy wistfully nods at the Russia of old.

A fascinating testimony to Beethoven's time, these musical treasures area authentically and lovingly performed on historic instruments by ensemble1800berlin with great respect for the original and Hummel's ingenious arrangement.

Flawlessly clear, expressive, richly colored and moving performance by the celebrated, multiple award-winning, versatile pianist. The high-resolution Super Audio CD allows for a true three-dimensional reproduction that puts "Manfred Bürki", a Steinway concert grand from 1901, in your living room at home.

Reissue of celebrated LP by one of the world's leading chamber orchestras which won the German Record Critics' Prize and recieved top marks by British Gramophone.

The music of Mily Balakirev has largely disappeared from concert halls today. The dewy new recording by the Niederrheinische Symphoniker under the baton of chief conductor Mihkel Kütson comes at just the right time: the 1st Piano Concerto with Dinara Klinton as soloist, plus the 2nd Symphony and two highly original overtures attest to Balakirev's special place in music history, not least as the spiritus rector of the so-called "Mighty Group". With the "Mighty Group", Balakirev and his comrades-in-arms wanted to commit themselves to genuinely Russian music, in contrast to their "Westernised" colleagues Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein. Balakirev even founded his own music school, which dispensed with classical studies with lots of finger exercises and counterpoint lessons - not always to the students' advantage... Because of his commitment to young musicians, Balakirev often left compositions he had begun lying around for decades. It is uncertain whether this is why the one-movement piano concerto remained unfinished. However, the virtuoso work is convincing in every respect: wide-ranging passages of free fantasizing hint at Liszt and Chopin as models. The 2nd Symphony, which Balakirev was only able to complete towards the end of his life, is also formally idiosyncratic. Russian themes demonstrate Balakirev's deep knowledge of folk music, which he studied on his travels through the Caucasus. With the Niederrheinische Symphoniker, all this sounds fresh and unspent - and in the high-quality 3D recording, it is also an acoustic delight.