Luminous, sublime, joyful. The soundscapes and emotions captured in the latest disc from Somerville College Choir abound with light. In this curated selection of music from the Indian subcontinent, you will find a vibrant expression of what might be called the living Indian Choral tradition. As plural and changing as light within a prism, the album moves from the fluid harmonies of a Konkani wedding song to deep somatic meditations inspired by the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore, from Hindi secular poetry associated with the changing seasons to a whole-choir explosion of joyful rhythmic syllables in Reena Esmail's virtuosic raga exposition. In this humble tribute to the monumental tapestry of Indian classical music, the Somerville College Choir gives the oldest expression yet of it's aspiration to embrace musical styles far beyond the liturgical canon.

After a first album (Because, Alpha 936) devoted to Afro-American spirituals that won several awards (Opus Klassik, Edison Klassiek, GRAMMY� Award nomination), the American countertenor Reginald Mobley devotes this new recording to English repertoire with a simple combination of primarily voice, lute, and viola da gamba. Solitude opens with Henry Purcell's moving 'Tis Nature's Voice and other famous Purcell melodies, sails through John Dowland's deeply melancholy waves, and also reveals the declamatory charm of the 17th-century English composers who surrounded Samuel Pepys. We then travel to America, where contemporary composers Jonathan Woody and Douglas Balliett explore "the indomitable resilience contained in the tale of a runaway slave" as told by the brilliant African-American haiku poet Crystal Simone Smith. With Brandon Acker on lute, theorbo and baroque guitar and Douglas Balliett on viola da gamba and double bass, Reggie completes this intimate journey with songs arranged in the 19th century by the black American guitarist, composer and abolitionist Justin Holland.

Australian pianist Rob Hao makes a striking debut with an album that explores how music from different times and styles can interact and inspire new ideas. At the heart of the recording is the premiere of Palimpsest 571, Hao's original work completing Franz Schubert's unfinished Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, D. 571. Rather than trying to imitate Schubert's style exactly, Hao embraces the gap between past and present, creating a continuation that respects the mood and mystery of the original fragment while adding a fresh, modern voice. The album also features a set of piano etudes by British composer Alison Kay, whose minimalist and atmospheric pieces invite listeners to experience sound and silence in new ways. Alongside these contemporary works are carefully chosen pieces by Chopin, Schubert, Schubert-Liszt, and Michael Finnissy's challenging English country-tunes. Chopin's final nocturnes showcase his gift for blending long, flowing melodies with delicate harmonies, revealing the emotional depth he reached late in life. Schubert's impromptu and Liszt's piano transcription of Der Muller und der Bach bring vocal storytelling to the piano, highlighting the instrument's expressive power. Finnissy's English country-tunes is a powerful and intense piece that explores English folk traditions with virtuosic energy, moving between moments of lyricism and dramatic intensity. This mix of works demonstrates how composers and performers continue to build on musical traditions, layering new ideas over old, and keeping classical music vibrant and alive. This album offers a rich listening experience that invites reflection on how music evolves -shaped by both history and the creative present.

Most of Beethoven's ten violin sonatas were composed within a time span of no more than 6 years (1797-1803), with the exception of the last one, op. 96, which he began in 1812, taking probably a further 3 years to revise to his satisfaction. This means the set as a whole represents a relatively young Beethoven, though his development from the early Op. 12 sonatas to the "Kreutzer" Op. 47 clearly demonstrates a formidable inner creative force. His cello sonatas, string quartets and symphonies are more evenly spaced throughout his life, but the violin sonatas lack nothing in invention, range of expression and feeling. As so often in Beethoven's early works the intensity of the slow movements stands out.

The accomplished and versatile piano sextet Sestetto Classico are renowned for their superb performances of both well-known and rare works of chamber literature. These masterpieces by Bertini and Hummel are like miniature piano concertos in terms of their form, scope and virtuosity. "The Sestetto Classico players are absolutely first-rate, bringing off both pieces with fire and affection. Strongly recommended." (Fanfare)

It took C.F.E. Horneman almost 30 years to realise his vision of a Romantic opera based on the young hero from A Thousand and One Nights. Rich in fantastical character and orchestral colour, his score for Aladdin holds ready appeal which has rarely translated into performances. In 1953, Launy Grondahl led a first-rate cast of native Danish singers in this radio-friendly adaptation, which has been newly remastered from the original tapes. This is the penultimate release of the Launy Grondahl Legacy with the last volume 11 in preparation for an autumn 2025 release. All the previous volumes from Volume 1 to this present volume are available DACOCD 880 - 889

Advena: liturgies for a broken world, featuring world premieres of choral music from composer Mark Buller performed by GRAMMY� Award-winning choir Conspirare and Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson. Releasing digitally on August 29, 2025 and on CD on September 5, 2025 on Divine Art Records. Born of personal reckonings with inherited faith and culture, Mass in Exile and Requiem for the Light are liturgies in forms reimagined through the lens of our present moment. Composed by Mark Buller with librettist Leah Lax, these works reimagine ancient forms through the lens of our present moment. Buller's vibrant musical language combines with mystical choral textures to create an emotional intensity that feels both intimate and urgent. These works are presented between two companion works - Introit: Fruit of Your Heart and Communion: A Questioning - with texts by British poet and librettist Euan Tait which offer chant-like settings that extend the project's core themes, anchoring the whole in a wider human arc. Artistic Director and conductor Craig Hella Johnson is passionate about the power of Buller's music in this moment, saying: "We find ourselves in a pivotal cultural moment-one that calls for expressions of beauty and truth, offered both for inspiration but also as acts of resistance. This collaborative art-Mark Buller's music and the words of Leah Lax and Euan Tait-creates a space of welcome where we are reminded of our shared humanity, our urgent need for bold truth-telling, and our capacity to heal and grow." Conspirare is at their finest in this music and singers Simon Barrad, Emily Yocum Black, and Michael Hawes can be heard in solo roles. Conspirare is joined by dynamic instrumental collaborators Patrice Calixte, Mariama Alc�ntara, Bruce Williams, Douglas Harvey, Jessica Valls, Marc Garvin, and Thomas Burritt.

Soprano Rowan Pierce joins Florilegium and Ashley Solomon in Tra le fiamme - a new recording of secular cantatas by G. F. Handel and J. S. Bach. Tra le fiamme is one of Handel's Italian style cantatas, combining vocal virtuosity with deep emotional expressivity. Bach's cantata Ich bin in mir vergnugt is an elegant example of one of his secular cantatas. This cantata stands out for it's reflective exploration of themes of inner peace, contentment, and stoic philosophy - qualities that reflect Bach's interest in moral and philosophical themes outside of his sacred music. Also included here is the final virtuosic Alleluia from Vivaldi's motet In furore iustissimae irae together with instrumental concertos by Vivaldi and Handel.

No one redefined the limits of contemporary keyboard writing in the 18th century more radically than Domenico Scarlatti, whose formal innovation, harmonic daring and virtuosic brilliance set him apart from his contemporaries. In this selection of sonatas Martin Cousin presents a multifaceted portrait of Scarlatti's full creative range. Along with scalic runs, extended trills, dramatic dynamics and playful syncopations, we also meet the impish, quasi-improvisational and introspective composer capable of great nobility and lyrical beauty, one who bridged Baroque traditions with the new Classical style.

Composer Helge Burggrabe presents his release entitled HAGIOS as an album for reverie and reflection. The musical spectrum of this collection of songs ranges from devout silence to powerful songs of jubilation. Memories of Romantic songs are often recalled when the Elbcanto vocal ensemble and the pianist Christoff Fankhauser sensitively immerse themselves in the compositions, some of which are in canon form. With a lightness that summons the music of the spheres, the musicians open up an imaginary space, a sonorous prayer that encourages pause for thought, reflection and participation. "My personal memories all lead back to the voice of my mother. The songs she sang me in the evenings when I went to bed, and as I fell asleep, gave me comfort and a sense of audible security," recalls Burggrabe. His HAGIOS song collection is meant to convey precisely that "audible security"; moments of personal devotion that are perceived as sacred and curative. With those childhood memories in mind, Burggrabe went in search of the secret power of song for his HAGIOS album. What he has found are melodies that in some cases are centuries old: monks of all faiths have always cloaked themselves in song in order to find peace and quiet. Consequently, for HAGIOS Burggrabe has arranged Gregorian chant alongside Taize hymns, as well as the eponymous Hagios ho Theos (Holy is God) from the Orthodox liturgy. Helge Burggrabe was born in Magstadt in 1973 and sang to his heart's content as a child. After studying in Hamburg, he quickly established himself throughout Europe as a composer of contemporary church music. He achieved his career breakthrough in 2006 with the oratorio to the Virgin Mary Stella Maris to mark the millennium celebrations for the cathedral at Chartres. His work Lux in Tenebris, a commissioned work to mark the 1200th anniversary of the diocese of Hildesheim, was premiered very recently.

Damian Marhulets, the Minsk-born composer who lives in Hanover, presents "Magic, Madness, Sadness", an extraordinary album that pushes boundaries and unites styles. His works, characterized by classical compositional techniques, combine with electronic and experimental sounds in a fascinating way. Marhulets' unique soundscapes refl ect themes such as identity, culture and memory. Each piece transports the listener into an interplay of magic, madness and sadness - an emotional experience that lingers for a long time. Discover music that opens up new horizons and touches you deeply at the same time.

Catalina Bertucci, Georg Poplutz, and Tatjana Dravenau don't just say it "between the flowers" on their new GENUIN album - they gather lieder from the 19th and 20th centuries that revolve around the theme of flowers and trees. Music and poetry speak directly and clearly of the associations between the language of love and the plant world - associations that were clear and unmistakable to people of the Romantic era, but which must be decoded anew for us today. These three remarkable artists uncover that hidden language in the most beautiful and sensuous way: through dreamlike interpretations of lieder from Schubert to Schonthal, Loewe to Faltis, and Kralik to Schumann.

Whether melting away like a singing gondolier on the Grand Canal or tumbling about like a Eulenspiegel, whether clucking melancholically in the depths like a brooding hen or bouncing acrobatically across the high wire: after the clarinet had outgrown it's infant shoes, it was soon "on everyone's lips" thanks to it's rapidly expanding possibilities-praised by enthusiastic advocates like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, technically advanced by new virtuosos, and entrusted with the most varied tasks by experiment-loving composers. In the front ranks of these pioneers stood Carl Stamitz, one of the first second-generation Mannheimers, who wrote nearly a dozen concertante works tailored to the instrument's slender body, thereby leaving the guild of clarinetists a precious little catechism that can now be heard complete on recording for the first time.

APR's landmark issue on three CDs of Nicolas Medtner's complete solo recordings, which included fifteen 78-rpm sides of previously thought lost Columbia recordings from 1931 and an unpublished HMV recording of his Violin Sonata No 1, are here reissued as a set. Medtner was a magnificent pianist, and these are definitive performances of many of his most important compositions. We can also hear him in Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata, the only music other than his own, he was to record. For this issue we have added a track - his recording of the Russian Round Dance for two pianos where he is joined by Benno Moiseiwitsch - and made some further refinements to the sound quality of the transfers.

In memory of the great tenor Peter Schreier, Berlin Classics released a reiussue of the 4-CD box "Vom Knabenalt zum lyrischen Tenor", which was originally released in 1995. The CD box contains recordings of lieder, opera arias, arias from cantatas and oratorios and also from his time as a boy alto in the Dresdner Kreuzchor. A cross section of the entire career of a singer whose enormous talent was already discovered and supported in his childhood by the former conductor of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, Rudolf Mauersberger. Additionally the CDs are accompanied by a short biography, which gives an exciting overview of Peter Schreier's career stages.