Classical Music

Transcribed for Guitar.

The soprano performs live with accompanist Martin Katz at the Finnish National Opera, Helsinki, October, 2004, in a concert of works by Duparc, Saariaho, Rachmaninov, Dvorak, Young, and a Finnish traditional work. The bonus CD includes songs by Beethoven.

Aleksis Kivi, who died in 1872 at the age of only 38, is Finland's national writer, the first notable author of plays, poetry and novels in the Finnihs language.

MARJATTA THE LOWLY MAIDEN (WOR

This CD features Finnish star soprano Soile Isokoski and her longstanding duo partner Marita Viitasalo, piano, with a selection of Lieder by Richard Strauss. Soile Isokoski is hailed as one of the finest singers in the world whose recordings have been praised as top-choice and garnered the highest distinctions at the BBC Music Magazine Awards, Gramophone Awards and MIDEM Classical Awards.

This CD features the acclaimed Finnish pianist Olli Mustonen with piano works by Alexander Scriabin, which have become his signature pieces in concert. Olli Mustonen has been hailed by The Sunday Times as, “a living dream of pianism, having broken through an expressive barrier that other players do not know exists.”

For their second release on Ondine, the acclaimed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under chief conductor Daniel Reuss perform Psalm settings by Felix Mendelssohn and Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek. The first release of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir was given an ‘Editor’s Choice’ accolade by Gramophone. Cyrillus Kreek, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and a collector of folk songs, laid the foundation for Estonian professional music. The unique coupling highlights the familiarity between Mendelssohn and Kreek in terms of vocal and harmonic setting.

Ondine is pleased to announce the debut release of charismatic mezzo -soprano Virpi Räisänen. Following her recent career change from a successful violinist to a concert and opera singer, Virpi Räisänen has already appeared at the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Netherlands Opera, and the Salzburg Festival. Virpi Räisänen is admirably multifaceted being equally at home with contemporary as well as with baroque music, her beautiful timbre seems to fit well in all genres.

Ondine is pleased to announce the first release with Austrian violinist Benjamin Schmid with a performance of Reger’s Violin Concerto and the Chaconne for Solo Violin. This release invites to listen to a captivating performance of Reger’s Violin Concerto, a hugely charming big romantic work with broad sentimental gestures.

With this new release the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Daniel Reuss pay tribute to Max Reger (1873-1916) and Rudolf Tobias (1873-1918), a composer of the classical-romantic tradition and associated with the beginning of professional composition in Estonia.

Ondine proudly presents two world premiere recordings: the guitar concertos by Kimmo Hakola and Toshio Hosokawa, featuring the dedicatee, guitarist Timo Korhonen, and the Oulu Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Having performed worldwide Timo Korhonen is one of the most acclaimed artists on his instrument.

Featuring Midori, the NDR Symphony Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach, this release commemorates the anniversary of Hindemith's death 50 years ago. Midori is an extraordinary artist, a devoted and gifted educator and a community engagement activist. Her enthusiasm for playing music of different times is seen on her CDs and concert repertoire. This recording is her first for Ondine.

Ondine proudly presents a release of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin with Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch. On the present disc Kaakinen-Pilch performs Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas on a violin from the 17th century. This collection of works for solo violin was the pinnacle and culmination of the violin’s 200-year history in its day.

Ondine proudly presents a release featuring violist David Aaron Carpenter, “the hottest violist of the 21st century” according to Norman Lebrecht, and “stunningly talented” by The New Yorker, and member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Dreamtime features the titular solo viola work by Robert Mann (1920). Frank Bridge (1879–1941) is one of the most outstanding composers for viola. The longest work on the disc is Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet Op. 114 in the version for viola and string quartet.