Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vous n'avez rien � me dire, was written for her friend Adelina Patti, who often sang this as an encore and made a recording of it in 1905.

Soprano Charlotte de Rothschild writes: “I regard Japan as my second home, having visited many times over the 27 years since 1991. This is partly because of the wonderfully warm welcome I get, partly because I love the beauty of the countryside, the culture and the history but also because the songs I sing truly touch my heart. This is my third [release] of ‘kakyoku’ [melody] and Adrian Farmer and I have put together some familiar and some unusual songs within the selection.” Charlotte de Rothschild studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and at the Royal College of Music in London. With her wide knowledge of the song repertoire, from different eras, countries and genres, she has created some wonderful themed programmes; the best known being the "Family Connections" programme which Charlotte has performed all over the world.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vous n'avez rien � me dire, was written for her friend Adelina Patti, who often sang this as an encore and made a recording of it in 1905.

Harriet Mackenzie is an internationally renowned concerto soloist and has performed across five continents. Her recordings include concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Nova and the English Symphony Orchestra. These have received international acclaim, including 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone Magazine, who cited Harriet's "superbly responsive playing... faultless technique and unfailing insight." Broadcasts include BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, Radio London and Hungarian National Radio. She has performed concerts and recitals in the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Budapest Marble Hall, Purcell Room, and Kyiv Hall of Marble Columns. A multifaceted virtuoso, she is also fascinated by world music and composes and improvises in many different styles. Hailed as a rising star by the magazine International Piano, Scottish pianist Christina Lawrie made her debut in May 2009 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Dundee's Caird Hall. Recent engagements have included live BBC Radio 3 broadcasts, a debut at Cheltenham Music Festival, and a recital at the Purcell Room. Christina's debut at London's world renowned Wigmore Hall was praised by Musical Opinion magazine for it's "astute intelligence and warmth of spirit." Here the duo presents works by Edvard Grieg, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Sergei Prokofiev.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1896) absorbed and integrated the musical legacy of his time, as did J.S. Bach before him. The music of Brahms is intimately connected to and rooted in the German-Austrian tradition that he inherited. For Brahms, this tradition was very much alive and relevant; he constantly measured his own efforts against the achievements of Bach, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, trying to live up to and continue their legacy. He was not looking back to the past, but "progressing" (to use the terminology of Schoenberg's essay "Brahms the Progressive") towards a past that was yet to be fulfilled. There is a precious sense of inevitability in great art, as if every masterpiece was meant to be created exactly as it is. The works of Brahms are amazingly organic, meticulously calculated and very human at the same time. This fusion of intellect and feeling, sincerity and reserve, heartfelt emotion and impeccable taste is unique to Brahms. It makes his music inevitable and indispensable. Pianist and conductor Vladimir Feltsman is one of the most versatile and constantly interesting musicians of our time. His vast repertoire encompasses music from the Baroque to 20th century composers. A regular guest soloist with leading symphony orchestras in the United States and abroad, he appears in the most prestigious concert series and music festivals all over the world.

Classical Music

Pianist David Breitman writes of his new release of Beethoven music for piano and cello: “I first became interested in historical keyboards as a piano student in Boston in the 1970s. Boston was then, and is still, an early music centre, and I had frequent opportunities to hear renaissance and baroque ensembles in concert. I eventually decided to take some harpsichord lessons with Robert Hill, freshly returned from Amsterdam where he had been studying with Gustav Leonhardt. The first early piano I encountered was one that Robert’s brother Keith built and brought to Boston. My first reaction after playing a few passages was “Ah! Beethoven’s cello sonatas!” I had been struggling with the G minor sonata, and it became obvious to me that the brilliant passagework for the piano- which drowns out the cello unless played mp instead of ff as Beethoven indicates- would work perfectly if only I had a piano like this.. that finally happened in 1987, when I began doctoral studies with Malcolm Bilson at Cornell University. Since then I have had the rare privilege- with excellent instruments and fabulous colleagues- of rediscovering the monuments of Classical chamber music (sonatas and trios of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven) in historical style.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Frédéric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild’s international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild’s thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hallé told Louisa de Rothschild that ‘no-one can have any idea of your cousin’s rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.’ She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Here, her composition Der Komet is presented.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Here, her composition Auf den Bergen is presented.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vous n'avez rien � me dire, was written for her friend Adelina Patti, who often sang this as an encore and made a recording of it in 1905.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vous n'avez rien � me dire, was written for her friend Adelina Patti, who often sang this as an encore and made a recording of it in 1905.

A sense of distance links all five of these pieces, composed between 2011 and 2016. In the music, worlds, real and imaginary are encapsulated, touched and experienced. Occasionally, we feel tangibly close to the action, but often we are mere onlookers from afar- now locked in the icy waters of 'Zustande,' where we find ourselves aurally trapped within the cracking ice, now isolated on the banks of 'On the Other Shore,' calling across the water to a loved one where distance is felt most longingly. Inspired by Marco Polo's depictions of Venice, water again is the fundamental element within 'Invisible Cities.' Distance, in 'The Sun was Chasing Venus' is felt from above, flying high in the skies, where movement and proximity are perceived very differently. 'Beyond' also relates to this realm, outside the limitations of the world we inhabit. A principal fascination of composing for Charlotte Bray is creating a journey through music, a secret, abstract narrative, where the listener is transported to another place, one that is not fixed, but varies from listener to listener.

Simon Majaro writes: “When I decided to mount a memorial concert for Pamela it was clear to me that chamber music had to be the basis upon which to plan the event. Chamber music pervaded her life for many years and it was appropriate to use it as the vehicle for projecting her love and dreams. The other decision I reached very quickly was that the best ensemble to perform the whole programme was the Wihan Quartet from Prague. Pamela looked after them with great affection ever since they won the First Prize as well as the Audience Prize of the London International String Quartet Competition in 1991. The Wihan Quartet always referred to her as ‘our English mother’.” In every generation one encounters a few individuals, who through their dedication, steadfastness and creative determination have left an indelible mark on the community at large. The late Pamela Majaro was one of those individuals. She adored chamber music and its vast repertoire from an early age. She harbored a nostalgia for the days when chamber music in the more enlightened western world was performed in homes in front of invited friends. She was determined to remove the notion that chamber music was an elitist genre of music. Any group of players, including enthusiastic amateurs, she felt, could form an ensemble and play for their own pleasure and their friends. That was what she viewed as the essence of chamber music.

Hannah Mathilde von Rothschild was born in Frankfurt on the 5th of March 1832 and showed her musical talent early, being an excellent pianist and composer. Mathilde spent her childhood between Vienna and Frankfurt, and was greatly encouraged in her musical studies by her mother who brought her children up to be trilingual and to have a deep appreciation of art and music. Fr�d�ric Chopin was a frequent performer at the salon of James and Betty de Rothschild, in rue Laffitte in Paris, and taught various Rothschild ladies, including the 16 or 17 year-old Mathilde who would have taken lessons from him during one of her frequent visits to her cousins. Rothschild's international lifestyle results in a rich and varied collection of songs; the genre of song provided the ideal vehicle for Rothschild's thorough understanding of languages with sympathetic yet astute settings of French, German and English texts. In 1867 the esteemed musician Sir Charles Hall� told Louisa de Rothschild that 'no-one can have any idea of your cousin's rare and delightful talent; her compositions are charming, full of tender grace and sparkling originality.' She was asked by many leading singers to compose for them, including Christine Nillson, Selma Kurz and Adelina Patti. Her most famous song Si vous n'avez rien � me dire, was written for her friend Adelina Patti, who often sang this as an encore and made a recording of it in 1905.

In my new album, the sixth of my collection for Nimbus Records, you can hear throught he music of a continent the joy of the dances alongside the historical suffering product of the social struggles that have endured, today and for the last 500 years, the concentration of different cultures on the American soil. These works are born from an ancestral knowledge and a concern to understand the roots and amalgam of the many musical and cultural variety present in our societies. Composers and performers alike rejoice in the richness and beauty of the magnificent blend of three ubiquitous cultures, and Amerindian, the European and the Black African, which form our ''terrestrial rainbow'' as Eduardo Galeano calls it. This multiculturalism makes us Americans, without frontiers. All the composers here present have explored in depth the music of their countries creating their own musical languages. Each piece has a story to tell; Also local poetry has had great influence as names like those of Atahualpa Yupanqui and Alberto Arvelo Torrealba, among many others, have been invoked in different ways in them. For several years now, I have tended to create my recital programmes, playing solo piano works and others with special guests that enhance the music with their impressive knowledge of genres and styles. In this case Carlos ''Nene'' Quintero, Carlos Rodriguez, Manuel Rangel and Edwin Arellano accompany me in six of the tracks. I hope you will like this collection that encompasses so many feelings; Fromt he hoyous rhythms to remembrance, nostalgia and the tragedy of suicide passing also through childhood songs and stories plus the subtlety and smooth swing of the music of a continent.'' (Clara Rodriguez)