In the early 1960s Goffredo Petrassi's idiom was almost indistinguishable from that of the Italian avantgarde. Completed in 1964, the Seventh Concerto evolves with mounting tension and a sense of underlying menace. The Eighth Concerto from 1972 was commissioned and premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It is a substantial piece of outright virtuosity, with dissonance, trenchant dialogues and a fraught atmosphere. The much earlier Sonata da camera for harpsichord and ten instruments finds Petrassi poised between neo-Classicism and a more modernist direction. This is the third and final volume of Petrassi's complete Concertos for Orchestra on Naxos (Nos. 1-3 are on 8.573702; Nos. 4-6 are on 8.573703).

Berlin is the focus of this eighth volume of the History of the Russian Piano Trio, which features two Russian composers who lived in the city. Nikolai Lopatnikoff's symphonies were premiered by Bruno Walter and Serge Koussevitzky, and he was once ranked alongside Stravinsky. Lopatnikoff's Piano Trio in A minor is an archetypal example of Russian modernism, unparalleled in it's use of allusions, tonalities and form. Paul Juon's Suite in C major is full of elegant and vivid theatrical imagery, while his Piano Trio No. 1 in A minor employs charming stylised folk material influenced by Brahms.

This album portrait of Carlos Simon grew out of a commission, The Best Cuisine, which was funded by a grant from Chamber Music America and composed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The artists on this album presented the work's premiere in Washington, DC in 2022. At it's core is a spirit of collaboration - a coming together of art song and culinary flair, musical styles, and friendships - during a time that was otherwise quite solitary. It's text, written by baritone Carl DuPont, celebrates the craft of cooking that both he and Simon honed during the pandemic. With newfound inspiration drawn from the multifacetedness of Simon's compositional voice, DuPont and violinist Domenic Salerni, cellist Carrie Bean Stute, and pianist Efi Hackmey returned to Chiarina's longtime venue, the historic St. Mark's Church in Capitol Hill, to record The Best Cuisine and additional works for combinations of violin, cello, piano, and baritone. While Simon has more recently become known for his large-scale works, Chiarina seeks to highlight Simon's versatility and poignancy in works for more intimate performing forces.

Inspired by the spirit of Bach, Karl-Andreas Kolly explores traces of Bach in Mendelssohn's piano works and discovers Mendelssohn's deep connection with Bach in his Organ Sonatas, which through Kolly's transcriptions of astonishingly pianistic effect show the great composer in a completely new light.

Award-winning Polish composer, Pawel Lukaszewski, is one of today's most distinctive creators of contemporary sacred music. The Nocturnes for piano, based on some of his own sacred pieces, are inspired by the cosmos, with each nocturne named after a newly discovered bright star in constellations including Vela, Scorpius and the Southern Cross. Lukaszewski takes the listener on a journey through the beauty of the night sky with these intimate and atmospheric sound paintings.

MDG's multi-award-winning Les Six anthology series showcases the entire spectrum of an epoch. This installment is dedicated to Louis Durey, the eccentric outsider of Le groupe des Six. Holger Falk's incredibly agile baritone and tremendous tonal range accompanied by Steffen Schleiermacher's sensitivity, verve and virtuosity on the piano yet again take the benchmark up a notch in art song excellence.

This album features two of the greatest Clarinet Trios, those of Beethoven and Brahms. These are beautiful performances of truly great works.

Their third duo album on Signum Classics, Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson perform Beethoven's Sonatas 2 and 10. Uniquely for the A Major sonata Op 12 No 2 they use a copy of an 1805 Walter (a Viennese fortepiano), and for Sonata No 10 op. 96 they use a copy of an 1819 graf, both by Paul McNulty. Together with violin strung with gut, these instruments are what Beethoven's music craves, giving a rich texture and distinct colours between the registers. ?�"'Optimistic, ebullient and inexhaustibly inventive' is how the pianist Alasdair Beatson describes the three Beethoven sonatas on this disc - and that is exactly how they come across in these performances with the violinist Viktoria Mullova. The sense of rustic abandon they create in this work is infectiously gleeful."�- The Guardian ? Recording ? Performance�"Their dazzling playing captures all the music's wit and brilliance"�- BBC Music Magazine

Continuity. The piece "October" from Tchaikovsky's "Seasons" op. 37 comes from an older recording by Evgeni Koroliov from 1992 (TACET 25). That was the time of the Yugoslav Wars and the collapse of the Soviet Union. I remember that Evgeni Koroliov, who was born in Moscow, spoke during a break in his gentle manner about how this music was for him a reminder of irretrievable times before the Russian revolution. 33 years later, Koroliov speaks as he did then, he has remained true to himself and his playing, the times are just as confused and uncertain. Even the sound is similar. Accordingly, the new recordings on this "Russian" CD are permeated by a similar longing for a better world, which never existed as beautifully as in this music. I am happy and grateful to have been able to accompany this quiet and expressive artist, who enriches the music world so lastingly, on TACET for such a long time. This is already his 26th recording on TACET and the second CD this year, the second of three!

Out of a mutual love of spontaneousness and raw emotions, Belgian guitarist Julien Tassin and Finnish guitarist Heikki Ruokangas decided to start creating music together. As two guitars aiming to sound like one.�In their music, the concrete and the abstract can co-exist at each moment. Melodic lines are combined with atonal sounds for an organic and exploratory approach to the acoustic guitar. Just like life itself, the music of this duo is full of both beauty and beast. And, just like the players, it has a playful sense of humor to it.

Three Violin Sonatas - Medtner, Grieg, Franck

Antonio Soler enjoyed high prestige at Spain's royal palace, the Escorial, where his contributions to keyboard technique, harmonic innovation and his Spanish musical identity served to bridge the stylistic gap between the late Baroque and early Classicism. Soler's innovations have often been overlooked but the intricate modulations and rhythmic vitality found in his sonatas offer compelling evidence of their importance. Sonatas Nos. 99-111 offer a wealth of entrancing features, which include sophisticated ornamentation, a synthesis of contrapuntal and Iberian folkloric traditions, and humorous cadences.

Using different settings and combinations of saxophone, modular synths, EWI, drums and electronics, Jeroen and Stephane experience live music in an interactive context. The multiple horns, overdubs, drums and electronics are the platform for exhilarating dialogues about themes and metrics. The result is both heady and groovy, music that can be analyzed or danced to.

Prof. Erich Beurmann donated 70 instruments to the Hamburg Museum of Arts and Crafts. Among them are a large number of harpsichords, clavichords, and fortepianos: from an Italian harpsichord dating from 1540 to a Steinway concert grand piano from 1871. A significant portion of these instruments are kept playable so that the music of various eras can be reproduced on the instruments of the time. Susanne Von Laun regularly plays instruments from this collection in concerts and on guided tours. The artist, who was awarded the Muzio Clementi Award in 2005, selected five instruments for this CD (a square piano from 1777, three fortepianos from 1795 to 1820, and a Broadwood grand piano from 1841), which can now be heard on CD for the first time.

Storyville Records proudly presents the previously unreleased album, Michel Petrucciani Trio - Jazz Club Montmartre - CPH 1988 on two separate vinyl LPs containing the first and second set, by the legendary French pianist Michel Petrucciani. Recorded during a memorable performance at Copenhagen's Jazzhus Montmartre on July 3rd, 1988, the albums capture Petrucciani in the company of two jazz icons, Gary Peacock on bass and Roy Haynes on drums. While the trio only came together for a brief European tour in the summer of 1988, the chemistry they shared on stage was undeniable. The trio, propelled by a studio session the previous autumn, radiates synergy, as they explore six of Michel's original compositions with a sense of grace and spontaneity. On these recordings, listeners will rediscover Petrucciani's unique lyrical universe, as well as his reverence for modern jazz icons, paying tribute to Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Paul Bley with special arrangements of classics like Someday My Prince Will Come, Mr. K.J. and Turnaround. From the explosive energy of She Did It Again to the introspective beauty of Autumn Leaves, Petrucciani's virtuosic playing reveals a rare sense of urgency, joy, and an unrelenting passion for life. As Gary Peacock and Roy Haynes were at the height of their careers - Haynes playing with Chick Corea and Peacock with Keith Jarrett - they were drawn to Petrucciani, recognizing the greatness of his artistry. Together, they formed a trio, bound by a shared intuition and respect for one another, and this performance at Montmartre is a testament to that fleeting moment of jazz brilliance. This concert took place at the midpoint of Petrucciani's meteoric career, 12 years after his Paris debut and 11 years before his untimely passing. Despite the physical challenges posed by glass bone disease (osteogenesis imperfecta), Petrucciani's fierce determination, boundless love for music, and infectious laughter inspired all who knew him. Now, more than 35 years after that magical evening in Copenhagen, we invite listeners to close their eyes and step back in time. July 3rd, 1988 it could have been last night, or it could be tomorrow morning! A monument over one of the most creative and joyful pianists in jazz ever! BIOGRAPHY Michel Petrucciani (1962-1999) was one of the most brilliant pianists to emerge from Europe's jazz scene. Despite his short stature due to glass bone disease, he rose to international acclaim, performing with the likes of Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, Tony Williams, Stephane Grappelli and many other greats. Known for his lyrical style, rhythmic power, and infectious joie de vivre, Petrucciani's legacy continues to enchant listeners around the world.