UN is the result of many hours of practice, concerts and a lot of work done, but above all it is the result of five people who, although time has passed and making five very different lives coincide with each other has become difficult, can't wait to meet up to play together, giving life to a project that connects the contemporary Italian repertoire to the American Jazz and Blues ones. Luciano Berio, through the blasts of Call, captures the attention and prepares the listener for the inexorability of the four movements of For Brass by Giuseppe Garbarino; an electric History of Mok by Alessio Manega involves and charges the audience with energy which Corrado Saglietti, with his Blues and Encore from the Any Time Brass Quintet collection, welcomes and transforms into dance, transporting the listener overseas. Who better than Duke Ellington and George Gershwin to squeeze the juice of so much passion? Summertime is just one of the themes that greet listeners with the same warmth felt by the musicians when recording them. Erika is still trying to understand if she is reading an 8 or a B on the score; Michele consolidates his career as Major with the patience that distinguishes him; Marina, extricating herself from the numerous instruments that she inexplicably plays at a level beyond human comprehension, is determined to divide Nicol� and Federico, engaged in their usual umpteenth and eternal squabble: immersed in their very well known calm and relaxed mood, the five members of the Canaja Brass Quintet have never been so proud to wish you happy listening.

The pianist Violina Petrychenko is a tireless and convincing ambassador of Ukrainian music. Through her initiative, numerous works from her homeland have been made known to a wider international public. Together with the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Volodymyr Syvokhip, she presents piano concertos by her compatriots Vasyl Barvinsky (1888-1963) and Viktor Kosenko (1896-1938): Each of them is an important milestone in Ukrainian music history, but unfortunately they have received little attention in the West.

Discovering a masterpiece that is still largely unknown to the music world creates a very special excitement - and is a real rarity. To find three such gems and to capture them in a premiere recording with outstanding artists is a stroke of luck!Even though the first recording of Amy Beach's "Gaelic Symphony" with the Munich Symphony Orchestra under it's new chief conductor Joseph Bastian can now be found time and again in the concert repertoire, Beach's fascinating musical language remains undiscovered territory for many musicians. And that is precisely what makes working with it as an interpreter so beautiful and exciting: getting completely involved in a new world of sound, harmonising the details with the broad lines and learning to understand the subtleties and sophistication of her magnificent art of orchestration is an enriching experience that opens the ears and soul. This music is so rich, so multi-layered and so colourful that you can only love it. The "Gaelic Symphony" is the very first symphony by an American female composer. It's existence is due on the one hand to the creative power and defiant self-confidence of Amy Beach, who did not let go of music even under the thumb of her husband. On the other hand, the influence of Antonin Dvorak, who was living in the USA at the time, as the midwife of a genuinely American music. The three vocal works on this album (all premiere recordings) are imbued with poetry and drama. It was particularly moving for the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Bastian and the singers Angela Brower and Camille Schnoor to bring these sounds back to life for the first time in over a century, as far as is known.

On this 2012 recording, previously available on Decca, Robert Hollingworth leads his celebrated ensemble, I Fagiolini, on a journey unearthing incredible lost works from the late Renaissance and early Baroque, adding to their acclaimed 'Colossal Baroque' series on CORO. 1612 - the death of Giovanni Gabrieli, master of the 'Massive Baroque' and most brilliant of Venetian multi-choir composers but also the publication of Lodovico Grossi da Viadana's very modern four-choir Vespers collection. I Fagiolini's recording remains the only version of these spectacular Vespers as well as of Giovanni Gabrieli's unparalleled military-evoking Magnificat for seven choirs (meticulously researched and reconstructed by Hugh Keyte) and replete with fanfares and canon blasts.

It took almost 100 years for Charles Koechlin's First Symphony to get a proper recording and over a year for Ariane Matiakh to prepare the material. After her highly praised recording of Koechlin's Seven Stars Symphony (C5449), this is a much-appreciated further foray into the largely unexplored symphonic world of this fascinating composer, a French Chameleon of sorts, who felt comfortable anywhere between Bachian counterpoint and the heights of French impressionism. The earlier Au loin, Poeme symphonique and 3 Melodies (orchestrated posthumously) round out the scintillating picture.

The new Kreuzkantor Martin Lehmann and his Dresdner Kreuzchor present their new recording of Francis Poulenc's "Gloria" for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra (FP 177). Combining it with the liturgically corresponding "Mass" for soloists, choir and orchestra in A flat major (D 678) by Franz Schubert. They performed the two works in the acoustically magnificent Kulturpalast Dresden with a first-class cast of soloist Elsa Benoit, Irike Malotta, Patrick Grahl and Klaus Hager. This album is continuing the Dresden Philarmonic Orchestra and Kreuzchor's long history of recordings and artistic collaboration on Berlin Classics.

Handel's Messiah needs no introduction. This mighty yet majestic masterpiece is the most popular oratorio ever written and includes, arguably, the most famous chorus of all time-the iconic Hallelujah! Handel was a master chorus writer and for Messiah he certainly pulled out all the stops, placing the choir front and centre throughout. Although it has become synonymous with Christmas, Messiah was originally written as an Easter offering, bursting onto the stage of the Musick Hall in Dublin in April 1742. Taken from it's Award-winning 2008 complete recording of Messiah (COR16062), this collection from The Sixteen celebrates the wonderful choruses that have given so many singers, both amateur and professional, such joy and inspired an enduring love for this epic work.

The Choir of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, under the direction of David Skinner, unveils a luminous collection of works by Jacquet of Mantua (1483-1559), a master of Renaissance polyphony. This album features a carefully curated selection of motets and his rare secular songs, showcasing Jacquet's exquisite blend of Franco-Flemish craftsmanship and Italianate lyricism. From the radiant Ave maris stella to the spirited drinking song Canamus et bibamus, these performances reveal the richness and vitality of Jacquet's music. Rarely recorded and steeped in Counter-Reformation fervour, this album offers an intimate journey into the heart of Renaissance musical expression.

This is an album of great American Piano works, spanning a century. Evan Mitchell plays these works with great aplomb.

Transcending the barriers of time, two 20-th century composers dialogue with a genius who lived centuries earlier. An immense painter, sculptor, architect, Michelangelo (1475-1564) wrote poetry expressing turmoil, restlessness, personal and professional anger, written in an energetic and passionate language. Both Dimitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Britten found inspiration in his texts, and by setting them to music they show their own feelings in a highly personal and characteristic way. - This new recording presents the "7 Sonnets Op. 22" by Benjamin Britten, and the Michelangelo Suite Op. 145 by Dimitri Shostakovich, both intensely expressive and dramatic, each in his own unique musical language. - Sung by Mark Milhofer and Mirco Palazzi, Marco Scolastra is their piano partner. Mark Milhofer's recording of the Folk Songs by Britten for Brilliant Classics received many excellent reviews, including a "Recommended Recording of the Month" on Musicweb.

In it's latest release, SOMM Recordings focuses on Ivor Gurney, Arthur Bliss, and Gerald Finzi who, each in their own distinct way, played a pivotal role in the rapid transformation of English pastoralism in early twentieth-century British Music. Ian Venables' music, also included on this disc, draws on a lineage that includes Gurney, Bliss, and Finzi, yet it incorporates modernist elements, creating a style that is uniquely his own. The seven works for violin and piano by Ivor Gurney-appearing here for the first time-come from 1908-1909, pre-dating his studies in London with Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. They include the poignant Elgarian Chanson Triste; In September and In August; a Romance; a Legende; a melodic Folk Tale; and a rare attempt at a lighter mood with a Humoreske. Arthur Bliss was wounded in the Battle of the Somme, and his single-movement Violin Sonata marks a transition in his musical style in response to the emotional and cultural upheaval of the War. Bridging the pastoral warmth of his early influences with the bold innovations that would soon define his voice, the sonata captures the last traces of English pastoral romanticism in Bliss's output. The Elegy for Violin and Piano by Gerald Finzi exudes a pastoral tranquillity, but beneath it's serene surface lies a complex emotional landscape shaped by the personal grief of losing his three brothers and his beloved teacher, Ernest Farrar, in World War I. This present performance also emphasises the Elegy's contrapuntal texture and rhythmic precision, which show the influence of Bach, a cornerstone of Finzi's musical inspiration. The recital opens and closes with works by Ian Venables, widely regarded as one of Britain's most accomplished living composers. His two-movement Sonata from 1989 begins with a melancholic dialogue of introspective lyricism between the violin and piano. By contrast, the second movement exhibits a virtuosic interplay of the instruments. The Three Pieces for Violin and Piano come from 1986, shortly after Venables moved to Worcester, and they capture his response to the Severn Valley landscape. The opening Pastorale conveys a tranquil yet expressive simplicity; the Romance is more reflective and introspective; while the final Dance showcases Venables's ability to inject energy and playfulness into his music. The award-winning Taiwanese violinist Joe Chu-Yu Yang, whose career in Britain is beginning to flourish, is a passionate advocate for British music and founder of the British Music Festival in Taiwan. He performs in recital as a duo with Eric McElroy, described by Musical Opinion as "one of the leading composer-pianists of his generation." Eric's debut CD, Tongues of Fire, featuring his own works for piano and tenor, was released on SOMMCD 0665.

- The 20th century saw an immense and revolutionary development in musical styles and language, some radically parting from the fundamental musical traditions. This CD presents works for flute and piano by composers who adhered to their own, personal musical language, expressing only their own feelings of beauty, emotion and esthetics, without following current trends or theories. - Presented are the following composers: Rhene Baton, Francis Poulenc, Albert Roussel, Darius Milhaud, Ernst Krenek, Paul Hoffer, Samuel Barber, Ferenc Farkas, Franco Margola, Giuseppe Mule, Jean Michel Damase, Luciano Michelini: a very diverse selection of accessible, highly enjoyable music. - Gian-Luca Petrucci has been first flute in several of the top orchestras of Italy. He was professor at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. As a scholar he published monographs on several (Italian) composers: Mercadante, Briccialdi, Gazzelloni, de Lorenzo and Mozart. His previous recordings for Brilliant Classics include works by Frederick The Great (BC 96538), Bohm (96862) and Mercadante (BC 96152).

Regarded today as the embodiment of classical music at it's most lyrical and poetic, composers have entrusted the cello with some of the loveliest melodies every penned. Yet, when it came to writing cello concertos, for most composers it was a "one and done" proposition. One of the major musi-cal monuments in the cello literature is the Schumann Concerto, composed as Schumann himself said because "there are so few works for this lovely instrument." In contrast, Soviet composer Dmitry Kabalevsky is one of the exceptions to the "one and done" rule. For a long time dismissed in the west as a mediocre apparatchik, a more evenhand-ed appraisal of Kabalevsky's work reveals a consummate craftsman with a natural gift for folk-inspired melodies and vivid orchestrations. The Cello Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.77, owes an obvious debt to his colleague and one-time neighbor Dmitri Shostakovich and is fully deserving of be-ing more frequently played and programmed. This album marks the recording debut of the young Norwegian cellist, Theodor Lyngstad. Following studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Morten Zeuthen, Lars Anders Tomter and David Geber at the Manhat-tan School of Music in New York, Theodor has been extremely active as a chamber musician as well as earning more than a few regional and national awards along the way, most signi?cantly, the Leonie Sonning Talent Prize. In 2019, Lyngstad was appointed solo cellist in the Copenhagen Phil., the youngest musicians to attain that honor. Lyngstad is accompanied by the rising conductorial star Eva Ollikainen and the innovative Copenhagen Phil. Producer is the award-winning Daniel Davidsen.

Classical Spanish sonatas in the mould of Scarlatti, infused with colour and drama by a native pianist. Born in Madrid in 1750, Manuel Blasco de Nebra died at the age of 34. He wrote around 170 keyboard works, only 30 of which survive. Some were published in his lifetime. Others are preserved in manuscript in the monasteries of Montserrat and La Encarnacion (Osuna), amounting to twenty-four sonatas and six pastorelas. The sonatas are all one- or two-movement works, quick pieces with or without a slow introduction. Pablo Piquero compares this music to innovative pop albums of our own time, 'albums that have taken a decisive step forwards, but which nobody has followed; albums with no sequels. Blasco breaks a new path in Spain, like Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in Germany, but it has no continuity. He sets out as a precursor to the Sturm und Drang movement, a pre-Romantic, astonishingly original for his time.' Piquero made these recordings - the only complete survey of Blasco de Nebra's keyboard music in 2008-2010. They are reissued in a single set for the first time with the present issue, accompanied by an essay on the life and work of the composer by the scholar Roberto Montes. The pianist's efforts on behalf of Blasco de Nebra have elicited enthusiastic praise from international critics. The Melomano reviewer remarked: 'This young musician surpasses himself, not least in the bipartite form of each sonata, evoking a contrast between the meditative calm of the slow first movement and the gentle revelry of the second. Piquero caresses the piano with the same humility with which Manuel Blasco de Nebra imbued these intimate pieces, apparently ethereal in texture, fragile or delicate, yet well-constructed. He plays with intuitive and unpretentious subtlety, and conjures up, as if through a time-machine, the worlds of Mompou, Debussy, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Scarlatti, Beethoven or Clementi.' - Manuel Blasco de Nebra was a Spanish composer and virtuoso pianist whose keyboard music remains a hidden gem of the Classical era. Born in Seville, Blasco de Nebra was deeply influenced by the rich musical heritage of Spain, blending it's lyrical and expressive traditions with the emerging classical styles of the late 18th century. His surviving piano works, though limited in number, show a combination of technical brilliance, harmonic sophistication, and emotional depth. These compositions, primarily intended for harpsichord or fortepiano, consist of sonatas and pastorellas. They are characterized by elegant melodic lines, intricate ornamentation, and an innovative use of texture that foreshadowed Romantic tendencies. - Blasco de Nebra's music often features sudden dynamic contrasts, suspensions, and a poignant lyrical quality, reflecting the influence of Domenico Scarlatti and the Spanish folk tradition. The Sonatas are especially notable for their emotional range, moving seamlessly between introspection and exuberance. Meanwhile, the Pastorellas, with their pastoral character and light-hearted charm, offer a glimpse into his ability to create vivid and evocative atmospheres. - Although he passed away tragically young, Blasco de Nebra's work provides a valuable bridge between the Baroque and Classical eras, with a distinctively Spanish flavor. - Played with intense concentration, eloquence and charm by Spanish pianist Pedro Piquero. Born in Seville in 1976, he received his musical training in Spain with Esteban Sanchez and in the United States with Caio Pagano. The pianist Maria Jo�o Pires invited him in in 2002 to reside in the Belgais Center for Arts in Portugal. He has won several awards and the following has been written of him: �Piquero exceeds himself... a glorious blend of Glenn Gould and Carlos Kleiber� (Melomano); �this is a genuine recording landmark... The very highest quality� (El Pais). Pedro Piquero is also a Soto Zen Buddhist monk, disciple of the Japanese Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima.

Multiple Grammy-winning Third Coast Percussion (TCP), praised by NPR for championing "borderless music" and "blurring musical boundaries, " celebrates it's 20th anniversary in 2025 with Standard Stoppages, an album inspired by pioneering conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp's idea of twisting standardized units, with works that redefine rhythmic structures and sonic possibilities. Reflecting on two decades-or a "score"-of music-making, the anniversary gives TCP the space to reflect on their many milestones, collaborations, and steps along the journey that have shaped their work over the years, inspiring the group to commission new works for the occasion. This diverse set of commissions makes for a colorful sonic palette of percussive ensemble works, ranging from Zakir Hussain's traditional Hindustani influence to Musekiwa Chingodza's Zimbabwean song to Jessie Montgomery's western contemporary approach. This project brings together both new and past collaborators; with commissioned works from Jlin and Zakir Hussain, alongside fresh contributions from Jessie Montgomery and Tigran Hamasyan. The late Zakir Hussain and the rich Hindustani and tabla traditions were strong sources of inspiration for Third Coast Percussion, most notably through the commissioned work Murmurs in Time. His unexpected passing between the album's recording and release moved TCP to dedicate this project to his memory and enduring legacy. Drawing from Duchamp's Three Standard Stoppages, TCP's 7th recording for Cedille Records invites reflection on the varying paths that lead to unique creative expressions, both for themselves and their collaborators. Standard Stoppages was produced and engineered by Judith Sherman, Colin Campbell, and Bill Maylone. Tracks 1-4 and 7-10 were recorded November 4-8, 2024, and tracks 5-6 October 1-2, 2024, at Narwhal Studios, Chicago, IL; Track 11 was recorded November 15, 2024, at Rax Trax, Chicago, IL.