The Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra enjoyed a long and intensive artistic collaboration, which was brought to an abrupt end by his death in October 2021. BR-KLASSIK is now presenting outstanding live recordings of concerts from the past years that have not yet been released. This recording of Shostakovich's Eighth Symphony documents a concert given in September 2006 at Munich’s Philharmonie im Gasteig.

For Shostakovich's contemporaries, educated in the spirit of Socialist Realism, it was clear that the Eighth Symphony had to have a programme and, even more specifically, a topical reference to current events. And at the time, there could hardly have been anything more topical than the recent, decisive turning point in the war in the form of the battle for Stalingrad. It is therefore hardly surprising that the Eighth Symphony, composed in less than nine weeks between July 2 and September 9, 1943, was also referred to as the "Stalingrad". Under the pressure of circumstance, Shostakovich was obliged to develop an aesthetic of ambiguity, secret hidden meanings and abysmal irony that was almost without parallel in cultural history. This work also expresses the sheer compulsion under which a musical language in conformity with the system had to be created.

Haitink first conducted a Munich subscription concert in 1958, and from then on was a regular guest with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra – either at the Herkulessaal of the Residenz or at the Philharmonie im Gasteig. This congenial collaboration lasted more than six decades. The orchestral musicians and singers enjoyed working with him just as much as the BR sound engineers. As an interpreter of the symphonic repertoire, and especially that of the German-Austrian Late Romantic period, Haitink was held in high esteem throughout the world. With him, Dmitri Shostakovich's symphonies were also always in the best of hands. Haitink’s driving principle was to make the sound architecture of a musical composition, with its complex interweaving, transparently audible; extreme sensitivity of sound was combined with a clearly structured interpretation of the score.

With a keen sense of musical poetry, pianist Jurg Hanselmann explores the early piano works of Josef Gabriel Rheinberger. The twelve character pieces for the 'new' piano (1864) present the young Liechtenstein composer as a true master of musical miniatures: from the light, dance-like Duettino to the mysterious Notturno to the brilliant Etude and moments of heartfelt melancholy. The program is complemented by the rarely performed Four Fugues for Piano (1862), which impressively showcase Rheinberger's masterful contrapuntal artistry. All works are world premiere recordings. With rich color, clarity, and heartfelt expression, Jurg Hanselmann opens the door to Rheinberger's previously little-known piano universe.

Petter Udland Johansen has been known for years as an exceptional interpreter of early music. With his distinctive voice and keen sense of style and text interpretation, he has made a name for himself as a specialist in repertoire from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Now he is opening a new chapter: on his album Where Is Love, the versatile singer turns his attention for the first time to the great songs of the American Songbook timeless classics by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and other masters. Johansen is joined by Christian Gutfleisch, his ideal musical partner at the piano. Gutfleisch performs on a Bluthner grand piano from 1910, whose warm, velvety tone forms a poetic bridge between past and present. The instrument seems to carry within it the sound world of the very era in which many of these songs were written - while offering an abundance of color and intimacy that perfectly suits the duo's chamber-like approach.

Encounter brings together two towering works of contemporary chamber music that speak across cultures, histories, and inner worlds. Osvaldo Golijov's The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind and Peteris Vasks' String Quartet No. 6 arise from profoundly different traditions-Jewish mysticism and Baltic spirituality-yet meet in a shared search for truth, memory, and transcendence. Both works are intensely personal, rooted in lived experience and belief, and animated by music's power to give voice to what lies beyond words: longing, suffering, hope, and illumination. In this recording, these worlds do not merely coexist; they listen to, reflect, and transform one another. Performed by the Arethusa Quartet with clarinetist Chen Halevi, Encounter is also a meeting of artistic journeys. Golijov's ecstatic, ritual-like score unfolds as a spiritual ascent through dreams, prayers, and blindness-understood as deeper inner vision-while Vasks' Sixth Quartet traces a life's arc from farewell and remembrance to a final, hushed encounter with transcendence, illuminated by echoes of Beethoven. Across both works, vulnerability and intensity are balanced by stillness and song, darkness by light. What emerges is an album that feels at once intimate and universal: an affirmation of shared humanity, and a reminder of music's enduring ability to connect past and present, earth and spirit, performer and listener. = Curiosa is conceived as a personal "cabinet of curiosities" by violinist Jorge Jiménez, bringing together music that entered his life through years of travel, collaboration, and discovery. The album spans laments, dances, preludes, fugues, and songs from both renowned and anonymous sources, ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque and beyond. Each piece is selected for it's emotional depth, strangeness, and expressive power, forming a living repertoire shaped in rehearsals, late-night conversations, concerts, and recording sessions. Central to the project is Jiménez's fascination with unaccompanied music and historical instruments, particularly the baroque violin and vielle, whose raw and earthy sound transports the listener into earlier sound worlds. Throughout Curiosa, Jiménez weaves together personal heritage, musical memory, and imaginative storytelling. His own arrangements connect Bach, Dowland, Strozzi, Gaspar Sanz, and traditional tunes with vivid images. Joined by Joy Smith on early harps and Daniel Garay on historical percussion, and performing with his ensemble Tercia Realidad, Jiménez blends historical insight with spontaneity and improvisation. The result is an album that feels both intimate and expansive-music passed "between hands, ears, and hearts," constantly transforming while remaining deeply rooted in shared curiosity and human connection. Jorge Jiménez: "These pieces entered my life through the extraordinary musicians and ensembles I've been fortunate to work with across Europe. They form a living repertoire shaped in rehearsal rooms, late-night conversations, recording sessions, and concerts." = During the darkest of the lockdowns, I took my daughter to an open field near our home. In a time when the world felt shuttered and small, walking was our only escape from the suffocating stillness. As we reached the field, a sudden sensation washed over me-a quiet awakening. It wasn't just the spring breeze or the scent of the grass; it was a sudden reminder of what being alive meant. I felt I had been touched by Zephyr, the Greek god of the west wind, sparking a renewed wish to create and perform for the world once more. Liberte´: A piece exploring and searching for emotional freedom. Zephyr: Named after the gentle west wind, this track served as the primary source of inspiration for the entire album. Fushigi no Kuni: Translating to "Wonderland" in Japanese, this piece was inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. A Troubadour in the Moonlight: A composition and improvisation depicting a minstrel serenading a loved one beneath the moon. For Misato: A heartfelt dedication to Misato-san, my dear friend who departed too young. The five songs above are composed by Yukari. Eurus, Suibokuga, Pandora's Box, Don't Follow the Piper, and Au crépuscule are collective improvisations. = "We can imagine some eyebrows being raised at the description of Dora Pejacevic as a contemporary of Brahms; the two composers were born more than fifty years apart, and their lives only overlapped by twelve years. Yet both works by Pejacevic are unmistakably from the same compositional lineage as that by Brahms; and both are works written early on in Pejacevic's remarkable (and, sadly, all-too-short) life. Both pieces belong clearly to the romantic tradition, displaying no hint of the more modernist directions which her later works would take. We were immediately intoxicated by the passionate sweep of Pejacevic's Piano Quartet, but also the tenderness of it's slow movement, and felt it would make the perfect bedfellow for the First Piano Quartet of Brahms, a piece to which Tom has felt particularly close since student days. Brahms's Piano Quartet is justly one of the best-loved of all chamber works, and few works are more exhilarating to perform: the first movement offers an abundance of glorious themes; the second takes us to a mysterious dreamworld; the third luxuriates in expansive lyricism; then the fiery virtuosity of the gypsy finale sends us headlong to the finish line. This album brings us to the end of our recorded journey through Brahms's three piano quartets, and it has been the greatest privilege and joy to record these works, alongside three major piano quartets by composers who deserve to be far better known. However, we are pleased to say that the series does not end here: looking beyond the piano quartets, we have further albums in preparation, pairing Brahms with his brilliant and lesser-played contemporaries." -Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Shura Cherkassky was introduced to Nimbus by Wilfred Stiff, then a director of the London agent Ibbs & Tillett. Wilfred recognised a young label pushing ahead fast at the transition point between LP and CD, one with a fondness for artists whose careers were waning. Accordingly, he dispatched one of his most prestigious names to the Nimbus Studio. Cherkassky was at that time acknowledged as one of the 'great' generation whose undoubted king was Horowitz, but after a long, notable career that began in his mid-teens, his popularity in the concert hall and recording studio had fallen. Shura's late career was in need of a final boost. Cherkassky's first visit lasted four days - 31 January to 3 February 1981; the results of that session were released on LP, but never on CD. They are once again available in Volume 1 of this series (NI 7112). For this second session, once again he stayed in the big house, having taken one look at Monmouth's finest hotel - The King's Head - and declared, 'Oh no, I won't be happy here!'. The studio and piano, a 1969 Hamburg Steinway, were set up as before. It was a studio so completely unlike the characterless spaces he had famously grown to decry. Here there was no sterile barrier to his inspiration. The grand Victorian reception room at Wyastone Leys served as a spectacular performance space, it's full-height windows framing commanding views down the Wye Valley. Shura loved it, signing a copy of his Pictures at an Exhibition LP, 'To everyone in Nimbus with love and the most wonderful feeling of inspiration'.

Following on the acclaimed 'Where is Home' and 'Hymns of Bantu', two genre-defying albums, 'Four Spirits' is also drawn from Abel's South African roots and seeks to create a communal experience with the audience through cello concerto, percussion, singing & improvisation. His first solo cello concerto and, formally speaking, a concerto cast in four movements - each movement takes an essential aspect of township life: ancestors, children, faith and community. Selaocoe positions himself as chief storyteller, combining cello improvising with lyrics in the Southern Sotho and Zulu languages.

With over one billion streams worldwide, Vikingur Olafsson is one of the most listened-to classical artists of our time. Following the global success of his Grammy-winning recording of the Goldberg Variations, the Icelandic pianist now presents his latest album: Opus 109. At it's heart is Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109, a masterpiece of the composer's late period, which Vikingur Olafsson places in an illuminating and musically thrilling temporal dialogue, tracing the lineages that converge on this beloved beacon of the piano literature. CD Mintpack.

Beatrice Rana combines Clara Wieck-Schumann and Robert Schumann's piano concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin In an interview with the New York Times, Rana, who called the piano concerto by Clara Wieck "a genius work in many ways," said: "I think that it's very, very underestimated - the intellectual value of this concerto in the history of music. It's fascinating to see that she conceived of this music free from any limitations; that as a teenager she composed an uninterrupted concerto with no breaks between the movements. We think of Liszt's First Piano Concerto as revolutionary in that regard, but Clara wrote hers so much earlier, unbroken and with connecting themes linking the movements."

This captivating new recording by violinist Viviane Hagner brings together two composers whose music, at first glance, seems to come from very different worlds-yet reveals striking artistic affinities. Max Bruch, a pillar of German Romanticism, and Alexandre Tansman, a cosmopolitan Polish composer who spent much of his life in France, share a gift for melody and expressive nuance. Hagner, joined by the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Lukasz Borowicz, offers radiant performances of Bruch's Konzertstück and the beloved Kol Nidrei, alongside Tansman's rarely heard Violin Concerto and Cinq Pièces pour violon et petit orchestre. Recorded in July 2025 at the Poznan Philharmonic Hall, the album highlights the rich cultural threads linking German and Polish musical traditions, as well as the composers' shared appreciation for their Jewish heritage. With her luminous tone and keen musical insight, Viviane Hagner brings these works to life with both emotional depth and precision. This album is an invitation to rediscover two remarkable composers-and to experience the beauty and breadth of a repertoire that deserves far wider recognition.

Louis Hayes - Collectables Jazz Classics

Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews' Is a Rare Artist Who Can Draw Both the Unqualified Respect of Jazz Legends And Deliver a High-Energy Rock Show Capable of Mesmerizing International Rock Stars And Audiences Alike. With Such An Unprecedented Mix of Rock, Funk, Jazz, Hip-Hop And Soul, He Had to Create His Own Name to Describe His Signature Sound: Supafunkrock! Andrews Is the Kind of Player Who Comes Along Maybe Once in a Generation, And Backatown Is the Latest, Clearest Proof That His Artistry Is As Singular As His Raw Talent.

CLARINET & HORN QUINTETS

Benjamin Grosvenor - "Liszt" Hot on the heels of his 2020 Diapason d'Or and Gramophone Award triumphs, British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor presents his next album with Decca Classics. The album, Liszt, signifies Grosvenor's most substantial solo recording to date, centered around the works of the Romantic piano virtuoso and composer, Franz Liszt. The release marks Benjamin's sixth album on Decca Classics, following the award-winning Chopin Piano Concertos in 2020.

Rachmaninoff's output of chamber music is small but all the more precious for that. Two absolute gems bear witness to the fact: these ‘elegiac trios’, which were produced by a young composer still indisputably under the influence of Tchaikovsky. However, Rachmaninoff’s personality is already fully present, reaching heights of emotion and expressiveness.

The pieces by Suk and Grieg add a further touch of character to the picture, which is painted with an exceptionally rich palette: the artistry of the phenomenal Trio Wanderer.

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REVIEWS:

The Rachmaninov Trios share not only a sombre soundworld but a clarity of line that’s captured engagingly in these lyrical yet unsentimental performances by the Trio Wanderer. The Wanderers’ performance, a notch faster than many, has an urgency that is highly persuasive. Grieg’s dark and impassioned Andante con moto fits right in after all this, and the disc is rounded off with a sweetly understated Elegie by Suk. – BBC Music Magazine

The Trio Wanderer’s new disc, centred around Rachmaninov’s youthful trios, has all the finesse and subtlety that we’ve long associated with this French ensemble. From the start, though, one thing struck me – how curiously un-Russian these pieces sound in their hands. It’s partly due to their emphasis on clarity of texture, together with a certain Classical restraint.

– Gramophone

Antoine Tamestit and Masato Suzuki, Principal Conductor of the famous Bach Collegium Japan, immersed themselves in Bach's three sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord in order to present this sublime interpretation using a modern viola. The change in instrumentation allows the artists total freedom to rediscover the exquisite qualities of these all too rarely played masterpieces. HARMONIA MUNDI

Trinity Represents The Second Installation In The Unheard Music Series Efforts To Resurrect Joe Mcphee's Early '70's Work On The Cjr Label, Soon To Be Completed With Underground Railroad And Pieces Of Light. This Brilliant Trio Recording Of Blues Inflected Out-Soul From '73 Follows Up On Hugely Successful Nation Time, Recorded A Year Later.

Channeling the linear rhythmic energy of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, the reflective harmonic spirit of Keith Jarrett and Bill Evans, and the romantic spirit of Latin music, pianist Edward Simon presents a comprehensive portrait of his unique musical concept on his first trio album since 1995. Simon is accompanied by the great John Patitucci (Waynte Shorter's bassist) and drummer Eric Harland.

2-CD Set Limited Edition - Includes 16-page booklet. This release contains Jimmy Smith's complete classic Sermon sessions for the first time ever on a single set. These are his only preserved collaborations with Lee Morgan, the formidable trumpet player whose life came to a tragic end after being shot by his girlfriend at the tender age of 33. Tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks is also well featured here. The outstanding reedman would pass away at the age of 42 after a life of drug addiction and self abuse. 2 COMPLETE ALBUMS & MORE - 2-CD SET - CD1/TT: 73:17 CD2/TT: 72:14 - LIMITED EDITION - INCLUDES 16-PAGE BOOKLET

Music has a long history of cultural cross-pollination, where artists draw inspiration from various traditions leading to the evolution of rich and diverse musical genres. Conrad Herwig's current offering is just such a recording. The Latin Side of McCoy Tyner is the latest installment in a critically-acclaimed series that started in 1996 with The Latin Side of John Coltrane. It's the work of a musically gifted, bilingual artist, a master trombonist who grew up admiring jazz's greatest practitioners but, at the same time, cutting his Latin Jazz teeth with legends such as Mario Bauza, Tito Puente, Paquito D'Rivera and others. On the gig here with Herwig, giving the recording and, by extension, the entire "Latin Side of..." project his personal seal of approval, is the great pianist and composer, Eddie Palmieri. Palmieri is surrounded by some of the most respected names in Jazz / Latin Jazz, including Craig Handy, Bill O'Connell, Alex Norris, Robby Ameen and others, all playing imaginative and challenging arrangements by O'Connell and their fearless leader. Here, Conrad Herwig goes directly to the very core of Tyner's compositions and imbues them with the vibrant essence of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean traditions.

On the 40th anniversary of the death of the great John Coltrane, we celebrate his life, with a collection of two blazing Newport Jazz Festival performances recorded for Impulse. While both sets have previously been issued on various separate releases, they're now together for the first time with the addition of newly discovered, previously unreleased material.

Elisabeth Leonskaja is one of the most celebrated pianists of our time, remaining true to herself and to her music, and in doing so, is following in the footsteps of the great Russian musicians of the Soviet era, such as Sviatoslav Richter and Emil Gilels."A kaleidoscopic Mozart with a lifetime's wisdom and experience behind it" according to The Arts Desk after a Wigmore Hall concert

The Beethoven concerto is a piece of overwhelming power," says violinist Vilde Frang. "It is somehow more than music - the dimension of it feels almost cosmic. The force of this concerto takes me by surprise, over and over again." Frang juxtaposes Beethoven's epic, lyrical work with Stravinsky's compact violin concerto, which pays spiky tribute to 18th century models. The conductor is Pekka Kuusisto, himself an adventurous violinist, in his role as Artistic Best Friend of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. "It was the chamber musical qualities of the Beethoven concerto that provided the key for me," says Frang. "The violin is constantly 'feeding' and playing around the orchestra... In it's own way, the Stravinsky too engages the soloist in a constant dialogue with the orchestra. With Pekka Kuusisto and the Bremen players, I really feel in such a comfort zone... There is a feeling of having everything to gain by gathering together, coming together.

Classical Music

Born April 7th 1938, American jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives for modern jazz and bebop. This remarkable collection features the finest music Freddie Hubbard ever recorded, all originally made for and released by the esteemed Blue Note label during jazz music's most fertile era. Containing eight full, original albums in all, presented here in perfect remastered quality on 4CDs, this release will delight both existing fans looking for a reasonably priced collection containing the great man's best music, alongside those new to his playing, wondering what all the fuss is about.

(5-CD set) The Emerald Duets is a crowning achievement among Wadada Leo Smith's many recorded duo collaborations with drummers/percussionists that have previously featured such creative giants as Ed Blackwell, Jack DeJohnette, Milford Graves (TUM BOX 003), Louis Moholo-Moholo (TUM CD 029) and G�nter Sommer, among others. The Emerald Duets features four master drummers who have each, in their own unique fashion, contributed to the way modern drumming has developed in the past six decades and how it is now perceived. Pheeroan akLaff, Andrew Cyrille and Han Bennink are each featured on one disc and Jack DeJohnette on two discs, including Smith's five-part composition "Paradise: The Gardens and Fountains" that fills the fifth disc of this boxed set in it's entirety. The sessions with akLaff, Cyrille and DeJohnette mostly feature compositions by Wadada Leo Smith, including three very different versions of Smith's powerful statement for the protection of freedom and democracy, "The Patriot Act, Unconstitutional and a Force that Destroys Democracy." The session with Bennink includes a combination of Smith's compositions and collectively created tracks.

Roscoe Mitchell - One Head Four People - Roscoe Mitchell (Art Ensemble Of Chicago) was 2023's recipient of an American Society of Arts and Letters award which let to the creation of this work. Mainly a trio and quartet work Roscoe plays Bass saxophone as well as his percussion array.

Vikingur Olafsson / FROM AFAR - From Afar is a new album full of beautiful arrangements recorded on two pianos with the repertoire mirrored on both grand piano & upright piano. Inspired by a meeting with the iconic Hungarian composer Gyorgy Kurt g, this album is a musical response with music from: Kurt g, J. S. Bach, Brahms, W. A. Mozart, AdSs*, Schumann, Birgisson, Kaldal¢ns. With beautifully evocative titles & forgotten melodies, V¡kingur creates a thread of stories within a bigger structure: nature, home, childhood, family.

2022 release. The most unforgettable songs from Disney's iconic films reimagined by the greatest living pianist, Lang Lang's The Disney Book tells the story of a century of magical, joyous entertainment for all. Join him on an uplifting, virtuosic journey to experience beloved songs from Disney films with collaborators from across the globe, including Andrea Bocelli, Sebastian Yatra, and Jon Batiste, performing hits from Snow White, Encanto, Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio and many more.

Classical Music

Classical Music