The Japanese harpist Nagisa Tanaka is the winner of the 11th International Harp Competition "Suoni d'Arpa", 2022 edition. The recording of the CD, offered by Tactus to the young artist, features a selection of compositions spanning from the late 18th century to the final echoes of the historical 20th century. The works primarily include opera transcriptions and pieces derived from dance music, enriched by two intriguing explorations: a variation on a popular aria (Paer) and a transcription from piano (Respighi). This diverse repertoire highlights the technical and musical brilliance of the exceptionally talented Japanese harpist, who performs on the exquisite "Iris naturale" model by Salvi Harps, a world- renowned Italian company specializing in the design and craftsmanship of harps.

Notker Balbulus, also known as Notker of St Gall or Notker the Stammerer, was a renowned Benedictine monk at the Abbey of St Gall in Switzerland who made substantial contributions to both the music and literature of his time. These include the Liber ymnorum, which forms an important collection of early musical sequences that celebrate special moments in the liturgical calendar. As the 'very long melodies' of the liturgical sequences were a formidable challenge to memorise, Notker created these texts as an aid to holding the melodies within the mind and memory. They are performed here by the acclaimed and insightful Schola Antiqua of Chicago.

Alexandre Tansman's masterpieces for violin and piano show the evolution of the composer's style as well as his ingenuity and courage in reaching for innovative harmonies and ways of developing the musical dialogue. The interpretations of both artists, known for their solo and chamber music activities, prizewinners of numerous competitions, are almost exemplary creations, captivating with the beauty of sound and the depth of musical understanding. An outstanding album that will satisfy the greatest connoisseurs of violin and chamber music.

This CD contains some of my compositions from the years 2020-2022; the period when I studied composition under Staffan Storm at the Malmo Academy of Music. Some works originate from the period just prior to my studies and some from the period immediately after. The four organ works (tracks 1, 2, 6 and 7) summarise quite well my journey as a composer during these years. They begin with the arrangement of the chorale O giv oss, Herre, av den tro, (O give us Lord, the faith) composed in the summer of 2020. After that I explore O glad dig, Guds forsamling nu (O rejoice, the Church of God) with another type of harmony built on chords by fourths. Here the melody of the chorale is treated more freely than in the first chorale arrangement, using more accidentals. The short Gregorian paraphrase Terribilis est builds on a kind of canon technique alternating with warmer, free-floating sonorous islands as a contrast to the canon parts. Polytonality, i.e. The simultaneous use in the music of several melodious tonalities, has become a significant and characteristic ingredient in my music. In the piece entitled In nomine Jesu I explore this technique both by overlapping chords and a more linear melodic sequence. The last organ work has been performed on the gallery organ in the church and the three other organ works as well as the cantata Tatt intill korset (Close to the Cross) are performed on the choir organ. /Hampus

In Jene lebt sich's bene ("In Jena, life is good") - as students sang in Jena in our great-grandfathers' days, so too does the award-winning vocal ensemble Octavians on their third GENUIN album. The program features the most beautiful melodies from the Saale Valley: folk songs, student songs, and hiking songs - a true homage to the city of Jena and the entire region! From "annchen von Tharau" to "An der Saale hellem Strande," from Franz Schubert to Friedrich Silcher and Engelbert Humperdinck, from humorous tunes to sacred evening hymns, the eight singers revive an entire folk culture!

Steve Swallow who is one of the pioneers of electric double bass in jazz noted that Millhouse "is using it to help define and refine what the electric bass can do to refresh jazz music." Eminent practitioner of this unique six-string instrument Millhouse as bassist and guitarist in one creates again on this second album with the saxophone trio format refreshing and formidable jazz. "With the rich saxophone and drum sounds the 6 strings incorporates chord playing techniques and moves around freely showing the way electric bass should be in modern jazz.' (K. Harada- Bass Magazine on SCCD 31942 Unwinding)

Franz Liszt etudes d'execution transcendante Nos. 1-12, S. 139 from: Grandes etudes de Paganini, S. 141 etude No. 3 in G-sharp minor - "La Campanella": Allegretto Frederic Chopin etude in G-flat major, op. 10 No. 5, "Black Keys" Yunjie Chen, piano Yunjie Chen's new album featuring Franz Liszt's Transcendental etudes is an exceptional addition to any classical music collection. Renowned for his interpretative depth and technical prowess, Chen brings a fresh perspective to these intricate works. From a young age, Chen has been immersed in Liszt's challenging pieces, having first encountered them at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. His deep connection with these works is evident in his performance, which balances technical precision with emotional depth. Chen sees Liszt's etudes not merely as technical exercises but as character pieces, each with it's own narrative and emotion. Yunjie Chen's approach to these pieces is both respectful of Liszt's intentions and uniquely his own. He avoids overromanticizing the music, instead aiming for a balance between rhythmic precision and expressive emotion. His nuanced interpretation brings out the vivid imagery and emotions in each etude, from the wit and sarcasm in "Feux Follets" to the heroic and tumultuous "Mazeppa." Through this recording, Chen invites listeners to experience the transcendental beauty of Liszt's music. He hopes that his performance will not only showcase the technical demands of these pieces but also their lyrical and evocative qualities, allowing listeners to appreciate the profound poetry embedded within each note.

This unique programme of four works for cello and piano by significant twentieth-century composers is a reflection of the greater interest in writing for the cello that the inspiration of two highly gifted instrumentalists was to have during that period. Thereby raising the importance of the instrument to a higher level in public appreciation than was previously the case, and bringing to attention music that would otherwise have remained largely unknown.

For elodie Vignon, the decision to record Debussy's complete piano works in chronological order was born of what the Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune was in Debussy's day: a revelation! For her, playing this music is like entering a cocoon that belongs to you alone. This first volume (generous with 2CDs) of the three that will make up the complete works, naturally begins with Debussy's early works, pieces directly inspired by poems by Mallarme and Verlaine and which embrace the mysterious dimension of the sensory imagination. In the years that followed, he increasingly freed music from the polarisation exerted by the tonal note, keeping the sound space open and ultimately initiating spectral music. Debussy liked to draw inspiration from memories when composing, in order to maintain a distance between his own emotions and those he wished to arouse in the listener. Alfred Cortot spoke of evoking sensations rather than feelings, thus rejecting the late-Romantic aesthetic of emotional identification between composer and listener: an obligation that seemed too constraining to Debussy to be able to give rise to an open dialogue with the listeners of his work. Giving the impression of being invented as it is played, Debussy's music invites us to dream, to better understand the complexity of the world.

The composer Peter Gast (1854-1918) - real name Heinrich Koselitz - is best remembered as a friend and posthumous editor of Friedrich Nietzsche rather than for his own music, which was kept under lock and key in communist East Germany for half a century; only recently has it begun to be performed and recorded. 'Il faut mediterraniser la musique', Nietzsche argued, and Gast's Lieder, in a reaction against Wagnerian gloom, do just that, singing of love, life, springtime, drinking and youthful ardour; even the more wistful songs have a spring in their step.

The album's musical material based on the use of chorale and hymn themes as a significant and fundamental element of world musical culture over the past few centuries, especially within the European musical tradition. The solo piano compositions are improvisational; with only the themes are approximate form prepared. In contrast, the pieces for the cello and piano strictly notated and require the most precise adherence to the written text.

Romain de la Haye-Serafini, aka Molecule, is an electronic music composer, DJ and musical adventurer, who has made field-recording his trademark. For several years this Breton has travelled the world, from the tumultuous waters of the North Atlantic or Nazare in Portugal, to a Vendee Globe boat on which he embarked to search for sounds which he then sculpted into their final form. Two years ago, he decided to immerse himself in the heart of a symphony orchestra, a less dangerous but equally fascinating adventure. He captured every sound that the orchestra made, not only those created by Mahler and Beethoven, but also the sounds of the instruments themselves, from which he created a symphonic work which was then transcribed for 83 musicians. The Orchestre National de Lille under Alexandre Bloch accepted the challenge offered by this unprecedented exploration and now presents Molecule's first symphony, titled the Quantum Symphony; it is not only a bridge between the past and the future but also an introspective work by a unique artist.

Leo Warynski and Les Metaboles present two little-known works on this new b-records disc that resonate across the centuries that separate them: the minimalist expressivity of Philip Glass's Another Look at Harmony - Part IV is matched by the cyclical perfection of an unpublished canon by Andrea Basily. The result of a residency at the Cite de la Voix as an associate ensemble, this program offers a resolutely modern and timeless approach to choral music.

Zygmunt Krauze: Konteksty Contexts

Romain de la Haye-Serafini, aka Molecule, is an electronic music composer, DJ and musical adventurer, who has made field-recording his trademark. For several years this Breton has travelled the world, from the tumultuous waters of the North Atlantic or Nazare in Portugal, to a Vendee Globe boat on which he embarked to search for sounds which he then sculpted into their final form. Two years ago, he decided to immerse himself in the heart of a symphony orchestra, a less dangerous but equally fascinating adventure. He captured every sound that the orchestra made, not only those created by Mahler and Beethoven, but also the sounds of the instruments themselves, from which he created a symphonic work which was then transcribed for 83 musicians. The Orchestre National de Lille under Alexandre Bloch accepted the challenge offered by this unprecedented exploration and now presents Molecule's first symphony, titled the Quantum Symphony; it is not only a bridge between the past and the future but also an introspective work by a unique artist.