This recording was inspired by David Evans’ reconstruction of a Thuringian harpsichord, c.1715, and a desire to find appropriate repertoire. These performances explore the musical heritage of Bach and Handel and recreate the harpsichord sound they and their contemporaries may have heard. The Thuringian in question is a unique instrument, fundamentally different in sound and touch from typical 18th c. harpsichords of the German, Franco-Flemish or ‘International’ schools. Much evidence exists to suggest both Bach and Handel would have been well acquainted with this style of instrument.

‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her’ is a new CD featuring organ music with which to celebrate the Christmas season. + Works by Bach, Brahms and Barber stand alongside lesser-known works by composers including Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911), Otto Malling (1848-1915) and Flor Peeters (1903-86), making for an interesting and diverse holiday listening experience. + Michael Hartmann (b. 1955), organist, lecturer and artistic director, is the featured performer on the Oehms Classics release.

The firm of M. Welte and Söhne’s NYC branch on 5th Ave. lasted from 1865 until 1917, under the name M. Welte and Sons. Established by the founder’s son, Emil Welte (1841–1923) lived in the USA permanently, only rarely visiting Freiburg. A recording studio with a grand piano for making piano recordings and a recording organ as well occupied this fine 5th Ave. address. Piano recordings of the Welte firm were thus not only made in Freiburg im Breisgau from 1905 until 1932, but also in New York. Featuring organists Clarence Eddy, Samuel Atkinson Baldwin, Lynnwood Farnam, Richard Epstein and Edwin H. Lemare.

This recording of recorder sonatas by Handel and an 18th c. transcription of the Royal Fireworks Suite is the work of three Melbournians who have made important contributions to early music performance in Australia for over thirty years. Published By John Walsh c. 1750, this is the only recording of the adaptation of the Fireworks Music (originally for flute, violin or harpsichord) in this arrangement. All instruments are faithful reproductions of authentic originals, historically accurate, carefully researched and tuned to a version of period temperament, giving each key its own character.

The expressive and picturesque music of François Couperin ("The Great"), one of the central figures in French baroque-era music, has had a deep impact on many later composers. One of these is British composer Graham Lynch (b. 1957) whose music covers a wide range of styles. His harpsichord music is not derived from Couperin - he does not copy it's style and ornaments - but is the nearest we have to an equivalent: highly expressive, well articulated and full of imagery. Finnish harpsichordist Assi Karttunen specializes in both baroque and contemporary music. This is her fourth published recording.

The Lord's Prayer is the most universal prayer in Christendom, prayed by believers of all denominations. What would be more natural, then, than to bring together several settings of this prayer on a CD with the outstanding Salzburg Bach Choir? the CD was recorded in a relatively modern church in the Salzkammergut (Salzburg Province, Austria), equipped with interior wooden ceilings and walls, resulting in a very special acoustic. Alois Glassner, choral conductor and Professor of Music, University of Vienna, has been the choir's artistic director since 2003.

Philip Glass has made an immense and stylistically wide-ranging contribution to piano repertoire. The Orphée Suite, a transcription of excerpts from the first opera in Glass’ Cocteau Trilogy, is one of his most distinctive piano pieces, blending virtuosity and melodic richness. In contrast, the hypnotic How Now is structurally influenced by Indian ragas and gamelan music, whilst Dreaming Awake contains one of the most powerful climaxes in all Glass’ works. Performed by Nicolas Horvath, a Scriabin Competition first prizewinner, this is the first release in the complete Glass solo piano edition which will include many premières.

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Reviews:

This disc is important because it demonstrates that Glass’s music works quite nicely alongside other composers of the past and alongside quite traditional approaches to performance generally.

– American Record Guide

Somehow, the objectivity of the sound of a piano suits the music of Philip Glass perfectly. Certainly that’s how it seems in Nicolas Horvath’s expert performances.

– International Piano

The Lutenist Axel Wolf and the Saxophonist Hugo Siegmeth - Who Join Forces Here - Are Two Musicians with Roots in Completely Different Musical Disciplines. A Virtuoso on the Lute and Theorbo, Axel Wolf Specializes in the Renaissance and Baroque Periods, Whereas Hugo Siegmeth, Saxophonist and Composer, Is An Expert on Modern Jazz and Contemporary Music. Although Several Centuries Lie Between the Heydays of Both Musical Styles, with 'Flow', These Two Musicians Both Place Special Focus on Improvisation: Involvement in the Surprising Moment and Spontaneous Interaction.

Following CD releases for Sony Korea and ARS Productions, the first of pianist William Youn’s CD series of Mozart’s piano works was released by Oehms Classics in 2013, and honored with the Pizzicato Supersonic Award (Luxembourg). Now, Oehms Classics and William Youn proudly present the second album in their Mozart series. The press has praised the Korean pianist William Youn (b. 1982) as a “genuine poet” with a “bravura technique of touch”. In 2011 he was honored with the Bavarian Art Promotion Prize in his chosen home city of Munich.

When people speak of Georg Kreisler (1922-2011), a modern-day Schubert in creativity terms, the conversation almost inevitably turns to his superbly well-crafted, exquisite texts. The content may be as strange, nasty, gaga or melancholic as can be imagined, but one can only listen raptly to the content clothed in this elegant, artistic and frequently surprising linguistic apparel. Shortly before his passing, The Singphoniker approached Mr. Kreisler about greenlighting an project to arrange a full album of his work, to which he acceded, with the result being this new CD of Kreisler songs.

"Nicolas Horvath, with precise playing and imaginative interpretation has made Glassworlds 2 an indispensable reference for the serious enthusiast as well as marking an important milestone in the evolution of the music of Philip Glass." -- Sequenza 21

Johann Baptist Cramer made his name in London and Europe as one of the leading pianists of the day. His virtuoso skills at the keyboard can be heard in the florid and playful Variations on an Anglo-Caledonian Air and the ebullient Sonata, Op. 25, No. 2. Matteo Napoli is an honors graduate of the Giordano Conservatory (Foggia). Early in his career he captured worldwide attention winning many competitions, including First Prize in the International Liszt Competition at Lucca in 1986.

The piano concertos of Frédéric Chopin are amongst the greatest and best-known orchestral works of the 19th century. It is thus no wonder that every pianist would like to play them and, of course, record them as well. Joseph-Maurice Weder, winner of the SWISS AMBASSADOR'S AWARD 2013 in London, has achieved this in the unusual ensemble of the piano sextet. Chopin Concertos with Joseph-Maurice Weder and the Berlin Camerata. During the 19th century, the practice of transcribing orchestral works for smaller ensembles was widespread- in the age prior to recordings, this was an indispensible way of helping compositions achieve their breakthrough with the public.

This production of recordings on the Welte Philharmonie Organ in the Museum for Musical Automatons in Seewen is dedicated to the subject of improvisation. During the 19th century, improvisations occupied an undisputed place in piano and organ music. This free, imaginative manner of playing in the era of Classicism and Romanticism also existed during the 20th century, especially amongst organists in their daily practice, but it receded into the background of public musical life and perception in the eyes of the music industry.

In nineteenth-century Portugal, Italian opera was king. During this time, however, instrumentalists still emerged. Piano prodigies Jose Viana de Mota and Guilherme Daddi did considerable work to advance concert life in Portugal throughout their careers. Not only were these gentlemen outstanding pianists, they were also virtuosic composers. Their entertaining and challenging pieces helped to draw Portugal into the scene of European music-making. Performing these works is Sofia Lourenco, an outstanding pianist and educator.

Classical Music

One of Philip Glass’ most glorious themes, this release focuses on the subject of love. From his BAFTA award-winning music for The Hours to his iconic Music In Fifths, the genius of this composer is felt throughout the duration of this album. The Hours is featured here in its entirety, complete with three previously unpublished movements. The release also includes the breathtaking Modern Love Waltz and the world premiere recording of Notes On A Scandal. Performing these works is Nicolas Horvath.

This release is the first of three discs devoted to the piano music of George Enescu. The works chosen for this first album are three significant pieces - Nocturne in D-Flat Major "Hommage a la Princesse Marie Cantacuzene", Pieces impromptues, and Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor. Enescu’s Romanian influences show in these works, which feel strongly of Romanian folk music. Pianist Josu de Solaun performs these works.

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REVIEW:

His technique is excellent here. The concluding Sonata 1 is shot through with harmonic twists and driving rhythms, handled expertly.

– American Record Guide

When it was originally released in 1995, this album was the very first to be devoted to works for cello ensemble, a genre which has since become much more popular. The release includes mainly works of the Romantic school, with gorgeous melodies and rich harmonies from the four cellos, for example in the Mainardi Notturno and the works by Marie Dare. Many of the pieces here were first recordings and these still remain the only recordings for some. Variety is provided by neo-classical pieces by Rodrigo and Aeschbacher, and the classical-period Trio by Cervetto. Cello Spice was an ensemble of four leading cellists from Scottish orchestras, including Gillian Copp, Alison Lawrance, John Davidson and Mark Bailey, now best known for his work with the Edinburgh Quartet.

The sisters Ani and Nia Sulkhanishvili won the outstanding second prize at the 64th ARD International Music Competition in 2015. This release was created in January 2016 as a co-production between Oehms Classics and BR-Klassik.

Josef Still, cathedral organist at the Hohe Domkirche Trier since 1994 and the expert authority on organs of the diocese of Trier, is the successor to the long-time cathedral organist Wolfgang Oehms and has recorded an extraordinary music programme to celebrate the Christmas festivities on the present album. The works of selected Polish composers appear on the recording, together with works of J.S. Bach and Max Reger performed on the Beckerath Organ in the Lebensbaumkirche in Manderscheid. The Beckerath Organ, which was moved to Manderscheid from the former institute of Church Music of the diocese of Speyer and renovated by Mayer Organ Builders, has found a new home in the Lebensbaumkirche. Here it can resound in a new-found brilliance.

Friederike Chylek, born in Starnberg, began playing the piano and the recorder at age seven. Whilst still attending secondary school in Stockdorf and Gräfelfing, she began her artistic education in Munich with the harpsichordist Michael Eberth. Starting in the year 2000, she studied harpsichord and figured bass at the world renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with professors including Jesper Christensen, wtih Rudolf Lutz and Edoardo Torbianelli. She performs regularly in numerous concert halls in Germany and abroad and is a welcome guest at such select festivals as the Cadenza Baroque Days in Berlin, the Handel Festival in Göttingen and the Festival Maj z Muzyka Dawna, Wroclas, amongst many others. With the present album, Friederike Chylek puts an end to prejudices against English music - England was long denigrated as the "Land without music" - bringing time to a standstill with works from the Golden Age of Virginal Music, numerous performance and compositional techniques of which provided decisive impulses for the development of European keyboard music.

Both organs recorded on this album resound optimally within their respective church interiors thanks to the outstanding acoustics there. The very different sizes of these interiors are ultimatley responsible for the diverging interpretations on the two instruments. The recurring long note values of the Gregorian chant in the Mass awaken the feeling of timelessness - here, the tremendous monumentality of the performances can make a maximum effect within the large space of Klosterneuburg Monastery Church. The smaller Gabelbacher organ evokes a nimble, chamber-music orientated manner of playing which conveys to the listener a certain closeness to the events within the much smaller space. Hassler's keyboard music assumes that the player will use a single manual, and this consideration was observed on the present recording; solo registrations were as yet unknown in Hassler's time. Of course, "sparing" registrations were occasionally used on the large organ of Klosterneuburg.

The nineteenth-century witnessed an almost insatiable demand for arrangements and transcriptions to be played on domestic pianos. Brahms himself wrote such works under the names GW Marks and Karl Wurth but friends and colleagues also contributed. The violinist, pianist and conductor Paul Klengel, brother of the eminent cellist Julius (whose three Concertinos for Cello and Orchestra can be heard this month on Naxos 8.573793), made solo piano versions of the Horn Trio and the Clarinet Quintet, transcribing with remarkable fidelity and sensitivity Brahms’ myriad expressive and technical demands. Born in Wales, Christopher Williams is a music graduate of Cardiff University and now leads a busy and varied professional life as a pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and arranger. He is currently assistant director of the BBC National Chorus of Wales and is a pianist for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he has performed at the BBC Proms and recorded for the Chandos and Hyperion labels.

For over fifty years, Britain’s foremost recorder player, John Turner, has composed a carol and sent the score as his Christmas Card. Until now just a personal gift to his friends, John was persuaded to record a selection, which has led to this beautiful album. Presented by the chamber choir Intimate Voices (which also performs as Voces Intimae) and featuring sopranos Sasha Johnson Manning, Eleanor Gregory and Philippa Hyde in solo and duet pieces, with obbligato harp and oboe in some, this is a lovely mixed programme of Nativity carols, composed very much in traditional style, in new settings of ancient texts. John Turner is a fine composer but is chiefly known as a recorder player and champion of contemporary composers, with dozens of recordings to his credit, many from Divine Art and Métier.