The lively and rich musical culture of the German High Baroque was shaped by many composers who have been partially or even completely forgotten today. However, this is often due more to chance than to the quality of the music. Astrid Knochlein and her ensemble have searched archives and libraries for such forgotten gems of German baroque music and present a selection of oboe and recorder sonatas on historical instruments in this recording - quite a few of them in world premiere recordings!

Telemann remains a paradox: The deeper one delves into his oeuvre, the more boundless his legacy seems - like entering a mysterious treasure trove where the eyes gradually adjust to the wealth amassed within, yet never fully grasp it's true extent. The sheer abundance of his orchestral works and concertos seems to grow exponentially with each new publication. When previously lost compositions unexpectedly resurface - such as these six overtures from 1736, of which only a single printed copy had survived - we are left speechless. Suddenly, an exquisite assortment unfolds before us, featuring "classical" Baroque dance forms interspersed with exotic elements such as the Polonaise and Murky, imaginative character sketches, and various fashionable pieces, all presented in a kaleidoscope of colors. How effortlessly time flies by!

The fruit of a unique collaboration between a brilliant musical polymath and one of the world's leading vocal ensembles specializing primarily in medieval and Renaissance polyphony-the composer Mehmet Ali Sanlikol and Blue Heron-Lessons from Nightingales presents the world premiere recordings of two new pieces inspired by the two principal Turkish traditions of Sufi mysticism. The Triumph (composed in 2024 for Blue Heron's twenty-fifth birthday) sets a poem by the Bektasi Sufi dervish Edip Harabi (1853-1917) in a dazzling sound world created by an ensemble of voices, bowed tanbur (long-necked lute), ney (end-blown flute), and an array of percussion, weaving together elements of Turkish songs, modes, and rhythmic cycles; Renaissance counterpoint; and the Japanese court music called Gagaku. Devran (composed in 2017) honors pluralism within Islam by setting texts by Mevlevi Sufi dervishes in a two-movement a cappella piece like a motet-a staple of Renaissance European Christian music-in which the imitative style of sixteenth-century counterpoint is the main influence, while Middle Eastern makam (mode) tradition and elements of Turkish Sufi music contribute substantially to the musical effect. A distinctly jazz-influenced harmonic palette lends it's glamorous color to both pieces. Blue Heron applies it's signature intensity, expressivity, and mastery of polyphony to Sanlikol's bewitching twenty-first century polyphony, joined in The Triumph by the virtuoso instrumentalists of Sanlikol's ensemble DuNYA.

Gunter Raphael's Symphony No. 1, composed in 1940, is characterised by it's melodic richness and expressive depth, which is strongly influenced by the late Romantic tradition. The masterful orchestration and the dramatic, almost poignant character of the music, which is wonderfully expressed in the interpretation by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Fabian Enders, is particularly noteworthy. Although it was composed during the National Socialist era, it does not reflect any ideological instrumentalisation, but rather shows an artistic expression that is characterised by human feeling and inner reflection. It's harmonies are rich and complex without drifting into the radical modernism of the time, making the symphony a unique work in the context of 20th century music.

Hailed by The Daily Telegraph as 'a voice of real distinction', Nicky Spence possesses unique skills as a singing actor and a rare honesty of musicianship, all of which has earned him a place at the top of the classical music profession. Admired in particular for his interpretation of the music of Jan�cek, he has appeared worldwide in the composer's operas. Performing here with the outstanding pianist Dylan Perez, he presents a varied programme of Czech and Slovak art song. Bela Bartok found his lifelong enthusiasm for folk music sparked whilst on holiday in Slovakia in 1904, when he heard a nursemaid singing. Village Scenes sets five folksongs from a large Slovakian collection published in 1915, and depicts various aspects of a country wedding. Jaroslav Kricka became a central figure in Czech musical life, occupying the posts of chorus master of the Czech Philharmonic and professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory, amongst others. His Three Fables are settings of traditional fairy tales. Vitezslava Kapr�lov� was a composer of great promise who died of TB in 1940, aged just twenty-five. She studied conducting with V�clav Talich and composition with Vitezslav Nov�k before moving to Paris where she was taught by Bohuslav Martinu. Her song cycle Sparks from Ashes deals with themes of love - found, flourishing, and lost - as do the eighteen numbers of Dvor�k's song cycle Cypresses. Written by Kapr�lov� four years later, the haunting Waving Farwell was inspired by having to leave Prague for her new life in Paris.

When the 18-year-old Georg Friedrich Handel arrived in Hamburg to immerse himself in the dazzling world of opera, he sat in the violin section as though he could not count to five, according to his friend Johann Mattheson. A year later, he presented his first stage work, and by the age of 21, he had already won the hearts of the Italians - a prodigy of boundless versatility to whom no task was too difficult. Even where the clergy prohibited opera performances, the "dear Saxon", as they called him, ignited dramatic sparks. The two cantatas - one about the sorceress Armida, abandoned by her beloved, and the other about Emperor Nero's mother, condemned to death - are intense monodramas that continue to spellbind audiences today, especially when staged by an artist like Amanda Forsythe. One is grateful for the instrumental interludes that provide moments of respite between these captivating "pocket operas".

Marking 70 years since Enescu's death, celebrated violinist Charlie Siem returns to Signum Classics performing the Brahms Violin Concerto, and works by George Enescu with previous collaborators, conductor Oleg Caetani and the Philharmonia Orchestra. This release features a world premiere recording of the Brahms Violin Concerto cadenza written by George Enescu. PRAISE for Siem, Caetani and Philharmonia on Signum Classics: "Terrific performance there from Charlie Siem and the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor, Oleg Caetani"� - Classic FM Album of the Week

Mozart's piano concerto in E flat KV 271 has long been known as the 'Jeunehomme' - but it was discovered in 2004 that it was actually composed for Louise Victoire Jenamy; Mozart misspelled her name as 'jenomy' in a letter to his father in 1778 and so created a misunderstanding that lasted for over two centuries. Mozart composed his piano concerto KV 414 in Vienna in 1783; Evren Ozel, the soloist in these two works, says that this work "is more carefree and allows the performers to explore a gentler and more tender side of Mozart". It was only two years after his first violin concerto that Mozart - then 19 years old and concertmaster to the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg - composed his second, KV 211; two more followed within the year. "The art of performing Mozart's music is to play it with simplicity and life while remaining true to the Classical style", says Jan Mracek, the second soloist on this, the twelfth volume in the Next Generation Mozart Soloists series conducted by Howard Griffiths.

Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hebra�que is the most celebrated part of Ernest Bloch's Jewish Cycle, and although originally conceived for voice, Bloch determined that only the cello could adequately embody the character of Solomon. The Suite for Viola and Piano was composed between February and May 1919, and the cello version is the work of the pianist and composer Adolph Baller and cellist Gabor Rejto, who recorded their version in 1969. This album sees the World Premiere Recording of the cello version for orchestra, with cellist Parry Karp, who studied with Rejto "getting to record these two masterpieces with conductor Kenneth Woods and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a dream come true" - Parry Karp.

Pacific Triptych for piano was completed in August of 2019. It is based on an earlier unperformed version for full orchestra completed in 2006. So, the piano version recorded here acts as a premiere. As implied by the title, it's a three-movement score based on contrasting sections that reflect the majesty of the Pacific Coast, especially the drama of the ocean and the endless sky above. Seven Nuggets was completed on April 25, 2023. It was inspired by a group of uncut, yet brilliant gemstones. Each "nugget" or movement ends with a low bass note. Those same notes are then played in sequence - at mid-range - at the end of the seventh nugget before being resolved into a sixth chord in the final nine bars. An American Travelogue (Book 1) was completed on May 3, 2023. This four-movement piano suite was inspired by various American locations in the western, southwestern, and Gulf Coast of the United States. (Book 2 continues this exploration in locations in the rest of the country.) - P S L Peter Scott Lewis is a San Francisco based, yet internationally active composer of modern classical music. His music has been published by Lapis Island Press and Theodore Presser Company and includes an extensive catalog of solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral music. His numerous recordings have been released by Sono Luminus, Naxos - American Classics, New Albion, and Lapis Island Records. He also plays the piano and has recorded as both a conductor and guitar soloist. Blair McMillen is a prominent soloist, recording artist, new music specialist, ensemble leader, music festival director, and educator. He is known for his passionate advocacy of living composers and contemporary music, as well as championing very early keyboard music and more recent neglected masterpieces. McMillen has toured and recorded with, among others, The Knights, International Contemporary Ensemble, the New York Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony. Blair McMillen, piano Peter Scott Lewis, composer Recorded at Oktaven Audio, Mount Vernon, NY May 19-20, 2024 Producer: Peter Scott Lewis Recording, Mixing, & Editing Engineer: Ryan Streber Mastering Engineer: Daniel Shores Piano Technician: Brigitte Sims Cover Art: Collin J Rae & Joshua Frey Layout: Joshua Frey Photo of PSL: Thomas Heinser � 2023 Instrument: 1987 Hamburg Steinway D 9' concert grand. Rebuilt by Klavierhaus and Arlan Harris in 2009. Published by Lapis Island Press (Subito Distribution)

This recording is a witness to the last passage of a rich musical heritage that fascinated figures such as Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly: the last masters and the first disciples are reunited, who will be the reference for subsequent generations in a completely different social context. Numerous styles of dance and song - often accompanied by the recorder, bagpipes, reed, hurdy-gurdy, zither, tambura lute, violin, cymbalum, gardon viol (with struck strings) or spoons- form the basis of traditional Hungarian music: songs of the old style linked to weddings, traditional quests, winter and summer solstice bonfires...; and the new style nourished by contributions from Serbian, Swabian and Slovakian neighbouring cultures...; As for the Gypsies, dance and a cappella songs play a predominant role, in a style that is often spectacular and whose vocabulary, sometimes very bold, is that of everyday life, mixed with the most delicate poetry.

Baritone Florian Boesch and pianist Malcolm Martineau continue their successful collaboration on Linn with a recital pairing two geniuses who hated each other. Exploring the rivalry between Johannes Brahms and Hugo Wolf, the album showcases some of their most compelling songs which express deep emotion and philosophical themes. Brahms's Vier ernste Gesange, written in memory of Clara Schumann, contrasts melancholy with transcendence, whilst lieder like Sehnsucht and Die Trauernde evoke poignant pain and unresolved longing. Wolf, in his Goethe and Michelangelo songs, captures profound existential reflections, contrasting fame with love and weaving harmonies that echo the complexities of human emotion. The album concludes with Wolf's Prometheus, a tour-de-force of maximum power befitting Florian and Malcolm, two giants of the lieder scene.

The Turkish pianist Emre Yavuz studied in Ankara and Vienna. After his final recital, he was the first piano student at the Vienna Conservatory to graduate with top marks. After a Rachmaninoff album, the multi-award-winning artist's latest recording for TYXart is dedicated to piano works by Maurice Ravel, whose 150th birthday the music world will be celebrating in 2025.

When the Arts Council's Welsh Committee approached Grace Williams in the summer of 1959 with the offer of a commission to write a one-act opera, this was an opportunity to realise a long-cherished ambition. For her libretto, the composer turned to the French satirist Guy de Maupassant's savagely funny short story en Famille in which the apparent demise of a cantankerous matriarch uncovers the greed of family members. She wrote her own libretto for The Parlour, embellishing and refining Maupassant's story for dramatic purposes and transferring the setting from the banks of the Seine in France to the living room of a house in a Victorian seaside town. Structured in two scenes framing a brief interlude, the drama unfolds during a summer's day in 1870. The Parlour reveals Grace Williams as a natural composer for the theatre, with a flair for character delineation and development. The fast pace means there is no time for a formal overture and the drama begins without preamble. The compact arias, ensembles, recitatives and choruses arise naturally from the music, which is continuous, and there are no long numbers to inhibit the flow of the narrative. As the composer admitted, 'There's quite a lot to say in a short time. So whatever else I'll be accused of, I hardly think anyone could say that the opera drags'. At it's first performance, The Parlour was given a sustained ovation by an enthusiastic audience and there were some very good press notices. Writing in The Sunday Times, Felix Aprahamian was profuse in his admiration, describing The Parlour as 'hilarious' and 'an undoubted hit', going on to remark that 'the piece progresses with perfect clarity and a fine sense of musical contrast'. He concluded his observations by commenting that 'Miss Williams shows a remarkable feeling for musical proportion in her very first operatic essay'. � Paul Conway

A fundamental characteristic of Manuel Ponce's music is the range of styles and techniques he used throughout his career. The expressive Romanza de amor is a sublime example of his Romantic phase, while his huge contribution to Mexican nationalist music is represented in the folk music that appears in Rapsodia mexicana I and II. Moods of melancholy and nostalgia are evident in the Mazurkas as well as more modernist works such as the Intermezzo (No. 3). This is the fourth volume in alvaro Cendoya's critically acclaimed series of Ponce's complete piano works.