Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 and 18

NIGHT MUSIC, VOL. 1

The Best Of John Williams

CINEMA CLASSICS VOL. 9

CHOPIN: Waltzes (Complete)

LISZT / BRAHMS: Piano Variations

Although Polish-born virtuoso and composer Karol Jozef Lipinski embraced the innovations of Paganini and other 19th century virtuosos, he disdained 'empty' technique devoid of musical depth, preferring the artistic ethos of Spohr, Tartini and Viotti. Described as 'lyrical Slavic folk tunes with elements of the ballad,' the expertly crafted G minor and A major String Trios are notable for their warmly expressive themes to go along with the bravura runs and doublestopping heard in the primo violin part. Adam Roszkowski plays first violin with the National Orchestra of Belgium. As a soloist he has performed with the Gorzow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Bialystok Philharmonic Orchestra, the Camerata dll'arte Chamber Orchestra and the Carloforte Festival Orchestra. Violinist Voytek Proniewicz made his solo debut with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005. Since then he has appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Wroclaw Dzczecin, Rzeszow, Kielce, and Gorzow, as well as the Sinfonia luventus Orchestra and the Sinfonia Viva Orchestra. Polish cellist Jan Roszkowski is a laureate of the 27th National Chamber Music Competition in Warsaw. He completed a master's degree in music performance at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

Wang Lisan: Complete Piano Works

Argentinian pianist, teacher and composer, Graciela Jimenez, continues to be inspired by the landscape and folk melodies of her native country. They infuse her piano music with evocative imagery whether in the colorful fantasia of 'En los ojos de las llamas,' the aphoristic, dreamlike 'Tres piezas para piano' or in the virtuosic dance rhythms of 'En la Quebrada de Humahuaca' which evoke the music of her great predecessor, Alberto Ginastera. Her poetic, impressionist and jazz-inflected 'La luz de enero' is an adaptation for cello and piano of her song cycle, music of exceptional and luminous beauty. Argentinian pianist Dora de Marinis trained in Mendoza, Buenos Aires, and Germany, and has since enjoyed a long and successful career. She has recorded 20 albums, and has been awarded a number of prizes for her performances, recordings, and teaching achievements. Argentinian cellist Matias Villafane is a member of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared at venues in Europe, the US, Mexico, and South America, and is the recipient of many prizes in national and international competitions.

CHRISTMAS BY THE FIRESIDE

Richard Strauss is considered to be both the last 'Classical' composer and a champion of modernity. His wide-ranging output stands as a monument to one of the most successful and influential composers of the 20th century. His spirited and compact First Horn Concerto was the product of his teenage years, while the Second Horn Concerto came six decades later, echoing the expressively lyrical and dynamic character of it's youthful predecessor. Both of these concertos share the chamber orchestra character of the Four Last Songs in it's arrangement by Eberhard Klokes. The Andante in C major and Alphorn in E flat major, originally composed with piano accompaniment, are heard here in arrangements with chamber orchestra by Lars Opfermann.

Eugene Zador's delightful concerto for the accordion - which he called an 'underprivileged' instrument - is tonal, but coloured by a communicative, contemporary vocabulary, and he finds glorious sonority and colour in the Suite for Brass Instruments. The evocative smaller pieces have been arranged by Mariusz Smolij, as has the characterful and wide-ranging Piano Quintet of 1933, all heard here in world premiere recordings.

Classical Music

Richard Strauss's orchestral music includes several works with autobiographical significance, including Ein Heldenleben (Naxos 8.554417). Scored for large symphony orchestra, the Symphonia domestic depicts the joys and worries of married life with Strauss, his wife, child and other family members deftly portrayed in a variety of situations, including a 'cheerful quarrel' in which the father has the last word! The Symphonic Fragment from the opera Die Liebe der Danae, based on mythic themes, was arranged by one of Strauss's great champions, conductor Clemens Krauss.

One of Japan's most influential composers and conductors, Kazuo Yamada rejected the 'facile exoticism' of Japanese nationalism. His influences include Mahler and Strauss. He employees Japanese instruments related to shomyo (the chanting of Buddhist hymns).