This album by violinist Christian Tetzlaff and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff, together with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Paavo Järvi, is dedicated in the memory of their longtime artistic partner, pianist Lars Vogt (1970–2022). At the heart of this album is Brahms, one of Lars Vogt’s favorite composers, and his late orchestral masterpiece, the Double Concerto. Brahms himself had admired one of Viotti’s violin concertos so much that he included material from the violin concerto into his work. With Christian Tetzlaff’s recording of the violin concerto, this album finally brings these two works together. Also included is Dvorák’s beautiful Silent Woods for cello and orchestra, a work by another composer that was very close to Lars Vogt’s heart.

The Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia was founded in 1965 by Anshel Brusilow, then concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Brusilow, who studied conducting and played under Pierre Monteux, George Szell and Eugene Ormandy, auditioned more than 1,000 musicians for the 36 full-time positions and conducted the ensemble from 1966 until 1968, when it was disbanded for want of adequate philanthropic support in the city for a second orchestra. But over the course of two-and-a-half 34-week seasons it had already performed more than 200 concerts and made six albums for RCA Victor.

Sony Classical is now issuing all these LP recordings by the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia on CD for the first time. The original LP releases were praised by High Fidelity, which called the Chamber Symphony of Philadelphia “an orchestra of rare quality”. Reviewing its début release, Brahms’s D major Serenade, the US classical music magazine opined: “Brusilow could hardly have chosen a better work to show off the capabilities of his new orchestra – every first-chair woodwind and brass player has his chance to shine (and each does shine, brilliantly).” The Brahms was followed by a series of choice couplings: Tchaikovsky’s “Mozartiana” Suite with Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky (“Brusilow is thoroughly at home in this literature, and his players respond beautifully to his direction” – High Fidelity); symphonies by Haydn and Cherubini; a French programme of Ravel, Ibert and Françaix (“Perhaps a reflection of the Monteux influence … this record … carries true stylistic conviction in matters of phrasing, texture, and timbre” – High Fidelity); and Richard Strauss’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme as well as Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade.

The orchestra also premièred and recorded a new sacred choral work by Richard Yardumian, the Philadelphia-based composer championed by Eugene Ormandy. Come, Creator Spirit for mezzo-soprano, chorus (or congregation) and orchestra was the first mass setting by an established American composer in the English vernacular following the Vatican Council’s 1963 decision. The work was lauded for its integrity, spiritual fervor, and power to communicate the essence of devotion in all its nuances from praise to supplication.

“What I have that is most precious I will preserve in my own name.” This belief likely guided a series of harpists – ranging from Leonardo Mollica, the most renowned virtuoso of the late Renaissance, to Orazio Michi, Marco Marazzoli, and Giovan Carlo Rossi (brother of the better-known Luigi) – to change their names to Leonardo, Orazio, Marco, and Carlo “dall’Arpa” respectively. Although none of the above were actually born in Rome, this was the place where their careers played out. Restoring an identity to these musicians is the express aim of this recording project. The resulting portraits of these virtuosos of the “queen of instruments” are the outcome of lengthy research, study, transcription, and arrangement carried out by Riccardo Pisani and Chiara Granata.

The ensemble La Smisuranza, with its unique formation of three double harps, accompanies the tenor Riccardo Pisani in this exhilarating musical journey. It is characterized by vibrant and ever-changing instrumental textures that alternate moments of intimacy and exuberance in accordance with the poetic text set to music. Pisani, a singer “gifted with a warm, seductive voice” (Diapason), presents the music of his home city after the recent success of "La Cetra di Sette Corde," a recording dedicated exclusively to the 17th-century tenor Francesco Rasi.

Johann Sebastian Bach never hesitated to adapt, rework and truly metamorphose his own music with remarkable aplomb. There is no shortage of examples. It is this model of transcription that the D!ssonanti ensemble has sought to follow in the programme on this disc. With the notable exception of the Ciaccona BWV 1004, originally written for solo violin - and already the subject of countless transcriptions throughout the ages - they have for the most part drawn on the keyboard repertoire, and in particular the great organ, an instrument that is both fascinating and sometimes a little intimidating. The Passacaglia and Thema Fugatum BWV 582, almost always written for four voices, is the culmination of this repertoire. Each of the members of the ensemble, in the course of a busy life spent in contact with Bach's music played on period instruments and with a concern for authenticity in the most prestigious ensembles (Les Arts Florissants, Pygmalion, Freiburger Barockorchester, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Copenhagen...), have acquired sufficient proximity to his musical language to respect, if not the letter, at least the spirit. "Our hope is to use these adaptations to show Bach in a light that is both new and familiar. A protean Bach that we've had a lot of fun imagining - and the treasure chest we've opened is not about to close again...".

This is the eighth album in the first complete recording of the 72 cantatas in Georg Philipp Telemann's collection Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst, published in Hamburg in 1726 - the first complete set of cantatas for the liturgical year to appear in print. The cantatas are designated for voice, an obbligato instrument (recorder, transverse flute, oboe or violin) and basso continuo, and generally take the form of two da capo arias with an intervening recitative. Although intended for worship, both public and private, Telemann's cantatas are a masterly blend of tunefulness with skilled counterpoint and vocal and instrumental virtuosity.

In his day the now-forgotten Carl Gottlieb Reissiger (1798-1859) was highly esteemed, both as conductor and composer; indeed, his presence in Dresden from 1826 made it one of the main operatic centres in Germany. He wrote nine operas himself, as well as a huge quantity of vocal music (including at least twelve Masses), and his large output of chamber music boasts no fewer than 27 piano trios. These two early exemplars in this first-ever complete recorded cycle of those trios have a Mendelssohnian elegance and clarity, deepened here and there by a touch of Beethovenian pathos. Schumann was an enthusiast: 'When I think of Reissiger's trios, the words lovely and jewel-like come to mind. These choice and lovely works remind one of a chain of flowers. [...] His music never fatigues the ear, but holds our attention to the very end'.

Pieces of a Dream" by composer Christian Jost is a unique chamber music suite of symphonic proportions for flugelhorn/trumpet, vibraphone, and piano played by Simon Hofele, Frank Dupree, and Christoph Sietzen. This innovative composition transcends the boundaries of traditional music genres, inviting listeners to explore over 50 minutes of intricate melodies, harmonies, and rhythms across it's four captivating movements: "Is It Safe," "Come to Me," "Driven by a Strange Desire," and "In My Dream, It's All Alive." Is It Safe" opens the suite with an elegiac duo of flugelhorn and piano, setting the stage for a sonic exploration of deceptive beauty and emotional depth. The flugelhorn weaves a breath-like melody, creating a vivid and nuanced dreamscape. At the same time, the piano enriches this melody with complex emotional progressions. "Come to Me" introduces the vibraphone in a mysterious and melancholic mood, escalating into a scherzo-like movement filled with virtuosic passages and an ostinato rhythm that propels the music forward. The third movement, "Driven by a Strange Desire," marks the climax of the suite with it's fanfare-like vibraphone solo and a trumpet that soars over hammered piano rhythms and polyrhythmic structures. This extensive movement travels through varied sections, leading to a dramatic and fast-paced finale. "In My Dream, It's All Alive," the final movement, captures the essence of the suite with it's fragile mood and enchantingly tender melodies, wrapping up the musical journey in a transfigured serenity." Pieces of a Dream" stands at the crossroads of genres - not confined to jazz, yet it swings and grooves; nor is it experimental new music, as it embraces atmospheric drifting. This work represents a path untrodden, crafted by a new generation of musicians unbound by categorical constraints. Our heartfelt thanks to Simon, Frank, and Christoph for their commitment to bringing this visionary piece to life. Dive into "Pieces of a Dream" and let it's innovative compositions and emotional depth guide you through a musical journey unlike any other. Discover a world where chamber music meets symphonic scale and experience the beauty of music that defies categorization

How can we live without Mozart's music? It has the power to change our lives and our view of the world. Mozart is a necessity. As children, we already listened to him, and this growing complicity lent itself particularly well to the game of dreaming. Who hasn't whispered to themselves, �What if...�? This is how we imagined Wolfgang travelling to Japan. This uchrony gave us the idea of combining our instruments with the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument, and uniting the two piano quartets with transcriptions of overtures from his operas and pieces written specifically for this project by two great Japanese composers. This journey offers an open view of a Japan so little known in Mozart's time, thanks to five imaginary letters written by the erudite and facetious writer Richard Collasse, author of the Dictionnaire amoureux du Japon and novels set in Japan. Finally, this strange odyssey bears witness to Mozart's infinite source of inspiration for artistic creation, with illustrations by Setsuko Klossowska de Rola and those made by her late husband, the painter Balthus, for the sets of Cosi fan tutte in 1959. What if Mozart had gone to Japan? Let's read and listen.

As winner of the international conducting competition "Guido Cantelli", Eliahu Inbal was already in demand as a guest conductor with the world's leading orchestras at the age of 26. Over the years, he has been principal conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra del Teatro la Fenice, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI Turino, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. The present album contains recordings from 1971 and 2012.

Ida Presti was a remarkable musician whose extraordinary talent and virtuosity on the guitar left an indelible mark on the world of classical music. Her untimely death at 43 in 1967 left a void in the world of classical guitar and robbed the music community of a true virtuoso. However, her legacy lives on through her recordings, compositions and the inspiration she continues to provide to aspiring guitarists. Today, Ida Presti is celebrated as one of the most influential and accomplished guitarists of the 20th century. Her profound musicality, technical brilliance, and innovative interpretations continue to captivate audiences and inspire guitarists worldwide. She pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible on the instrument, leaving an indelible mark on the history of classical guitar.

"When I wanted to exist, I couldn’t”. Mystical inscriptions on ancient Bosnian tombstones inspired this programme.

Medieval Bosnia fascinates us with its coexistence of religions: Catholics, Orthodox, heretical Bosnian Christians, Jews and Muslims… Their texts and traditions survive in the oral tradition, in mysterious manuscripts in Latin, Cyrillic and Glagolitic script, and on inscriptions from tombstones: monuments through which the dead speak to the living.

As an exploration into ancient pagan and Christian rites from the heart of the Balkans, Heretical Angels bears witness to the traditions of Bosnian Christians, who were persecuted by the medieval Catholic and Orthodox churches alike. Intertwining the tombstone inscriptions with exorcisms and meditations, Katarina Livljanic, Dialogos and Kantaduri have created a story of poignant canticles that comes close to musical theatre and invite us to follow pagan and Christian rites surrounding birth and death. In this programme, after the success of the CD Dalmatica (Diapason d’or in 2016), Dialogos meets traditional cantors – among them one of today’s youngest epic singers in Herzegovina – to seek peace and meaning in a land devastated by wars, at the gateway to the East.

A mysterious opera, an historical piano, two singers, and four instrumentalists. Ensemble Hexaméron presents a rich variety of instrumental and vocal music, thus painting a musical portrait of Paris at the dawn of the nineteenth century; a time when different cultures and genres were at crossroads, and when Mozart was yet to be truly discovered as a composer in France.

Many of the trios featured in this boxed set testify to the composer's new interest in the wind instrument, known instead as one of the absolute masters of the string quartet. They were either originally conceived in this way, or transcribed in his own hand, or were published for the first time in England. Could he have intended this choice to honour the particular taste shown for this instrument by London's aristocratic milieu?... This hypothesis is highly admissible: the transverse flute, in fact, before the great changes in it's construction pushed it out of the catalogues of most of the great composers, had ardent followers, including King Frederick II of Prussia, himself a remarkable flautist... And while the difficulty of performance and the originality of the language of these trios may have baffled some performers of the time, they delighted instrumentalists (and composers) justly renowned for their virtuosity, such as the violinist Gavinies in France and the flutist Tromlitz and the violinist Stamitz in Germany. The music of these nineteen trios is full of wit, verve and agility, tenderness and restrained passion.

Peter Tchaikovsky's Testament: These are the 18 Pieces, Op. 72, which the great Russian composer crafted for the piano just a year before his death – and they transcend any sense of idealism or otherworldliness. They are vibrant, soulful musical character portraits, brought to life anew on a new GENUIN album and under the magical fingers of the internationally acclaimed pianist Evgenia Rubinova. This final, comprehensive piano opus by Tchaikovsky comprises a treasury of miniature masterpieces, unfairly overshadowed by the global fame of works like the "Pathétique" and the "Nutcracker", both of which emerged during the same period: from nostalgic reveries to homages to great colleagues and even to outright miniature ballets!

As 1st prize winner of the 2022 ARD Music Competition, the Barbican Quartet is one of the most sought-after young string quartet formations. The internationally composed ensemble is now releasing it's debut album on GENUIN: "Manifesto on Love", with works by Leos Janacek and Robert Schumann. The contrast between Schumann's expansive musical lines and Janacek's nervous surfaces and ecstatic outbursts could not be greater - yet the Barbican Quartet unites them as expressions of human need for love, for togetherness. Two works of the most intimate musical genre played at a phenomenal level!

Johannes Brahms's soul shines through in his chamber music. Following in the footsteps of Mozart and Schubert, Brahms wrote two string quintets that rank among his greatest chamber music masterpieces. He took up this genre rather late in life, but in it he was able to express both the joy and the nostalgia he carried with him into his maturity. The Quintet in F major, Op. 88, held a special place in the composer's heart, and he considered it to be his finest work. A bucolic spirit and a gentle joie de vivre pervade the work, sometimes referred to as the 'spring quintet'. A majestic, pastoral first movement testifies to this cheerfulness, followed by a melancholy movement before the spirited finale. The Quintet in G major, Op. 111, also radiates vigour, expressing the composer's strength, nostalgia and exuberance. With echoes of Viennese folk music, the piece has been referred to as the 'Prater quintet', a reference to the famous Viennese park.

These two deep and melancholic works are played by the Gringolts Quartet, whose previous recordings for BIS, particularly those devoted to Arnold Schoenberg's quartets, have won high praise, and who are joined by sought-after Finnish violist Lilli Maijala.

REVIEWS:

There’s a wealth of characterization within this richly unified, bronze-dark ensemble. A deep-dug, chunky tone, often quite rugged, is offset by moments of intense sweetness, as well as great delicacy and refinement.

— BBC Music Magazine

The players adapt effortlessly to the disparate range of styles Brahms melds into a coherent unity.

— MusicWeb International

Luigi Cherubini is one of the most interesting artistic personalities in a historical period of great changes that straddled two centuries, the eighteenth and the nineteenth. His musical career met the best possible conditions in a city, Florence, that was extremely rich in culture and dotted with important events, ranging from the performance of Handel's Messiah in Italian and the staging of operas by Hasse, Gluck, Paisiello, Piccinni, Rutini and Traetta, to Mozart's performance in 1770. The Luigi Cherubini sonatas performed by Chiara Cattani in this recording can be defined as 'galant' without depleting their meaning as compared to the great compositions of the previous period. The eighteenth century is a very prolific century for the cembalistic literature, particularly for the Sonata form, affected by various influences and changes that will bring it to it's apogee in the period of the Classicism. The taste of the Italian society goes through a profound mutation: it is now more pleasing with melodic expansion, clarity, transparency and lightness, characteristics that permeate the art of this century at 360 degrees. Simplicity and proportion are the pillars of the structure and together favor the emanation of a sense of vividness and fervor that makes writing energetic and never obvious.

The concept of recording this CD was born during the uncertain times of the pandemic in 2020, when musicians were facing a great deal of instability and personal connections became restricted. As live music came to a halt in the UK and Europe, trumpeter Oscar Whight found himself taking on the role of Principal Trumpet in the Cairo Symphony Orchestra for a period of 10 months. This unexpected journey became the backdrop for the first piece commissioned for this recording, Winter Journeys by Martin Butler. On his return to the UK, Oscar collaborated with other renowned British composers and these exciting new works for trumpet and piano are now showcased in this album. This project provided a wonderful opportunity to bring together a diverse programme of fresh and exhilarating music which is uncompromising in it's ambition, yet can connect immediately with the listener. The programme encompasses a wide range of styles and techniques, showcasing the trumpet's versatility. From technically demanding passages that push the instrument to it's limits, to simple melodies that highlight it's inherent vocal qualities, each piece requires a unique approach. The title Nexus not only symbolises the desire to present music that connects, but is also representative of the various connections that brought this CD to fruition. Artistic working relationships create friendships and Oscar was fortunate to collaborate with the talented pianist Zeynep ozsuca for this recording, who also happens to be a neighbour. Two of the composers featured on this recording are contemporaries of Oscar's father Michael: Martin Butler was a member of the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra with him, and Mark Anthony Turnage studied at the Royal College of Music at the same time as Michael. The artwork for this disc, titled Pathways, was created by Stuart Hartley, a family friend whose work perfectly complements the theme of connections explored in this album.

Mandy Fredrich's album brings together a series of art songs that create coherent arcs and longer storylines like a kind of mini-opera. The composers' songs were used to put together four stories about lovers, all of which revolve around the theme of dream happiness in all it's different facets! After her breakthrough in the role of the Queen of the Night at the Salzburg Festival under Nikolaus Harnoncourt, engagements followed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the New National Theatre in Tokyo, the Zurich Opera House, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the State Operas in Munich and Hamburg and at the Bregenz Festival. Matthias Samuil has been Mandy Fredrich's accompanist for many years.

This very interesting monographic recording is dedicated to the figure of Federico Bufaletti, a forgotten artist and main exponent of that Neapolitan piano school that at the end of the nineteenth century moved to Turin. The album is based on an in-depth investigation into the dual role of the Bufaletti composer and pianist: in addition to presenting his complete piano works, we have the recovery of rare recordings of the early twentieth century with the artist performing pieces by Scarlatti, Debussy, Mozart, Liszt, and others. The album also includes works dedicated to Bufaletti by exponents of the Italian piano school such as Alessandro Longo, Costantino Palumbo, Gaetano Foschini, and Pietro Floridia. The interpreter of Bufaletti's music is pianist Massimiliano Genot, already appreciated for having brought to light the piano works by Giuseppe Unia (on TC812101).

Xiaogang Ye's interest in mysterious and beautiful plants has led him to write many pieces inspired by subtropical flora - The Faint Gingko, the oldest tree species in the world, represents an expression of Ye's care and concern for nature. Heard here in a version without words, Song of Farewell is an opera with exquisite textures, beautiful melodies and refined orchestration. World premiere recordings.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Cultural Revolution did everything in their power to destroy the influence of religion in the Russian Empire. Sacred music was publicly forgotten in the process. Although Schnittke, whose German-born father emigrated to the Soviet Union in 1926, was atheistically influenced by the state education system, he believed spiritually in "something greater". In 1982, he was baptized a Catholic, and shortly before his death he was accepted into the Orthodox Church. The search for a religious identity can also be traced in his works. Vedel and Berezovsky are among the most important composers of Ukrainian classical music of the 18th century. Little is known about Vedel's life. The works attributed to him, including 31 choral concertos, are all set to liturgical texts or Bible verses. In these works, the traditions of the Orthodox church music of his homeland, Ukrainian baroque tradition and folk songs merge with a new Western European operatic and instrumental style. Bortniansky is highly credited with bringing the genre of the sacred concerto to fruition. Consisting of psalm verses set to music, which were sung during the Eucharist in church services, it's purpose at the time was far-reaching: as a universal genre, it was the highlight of the Orthodox liturgy, an adornment of the state ceremony and also intended for a kind of domestic music-making. In the Western repertoire, it comes closest to the instrumental concerto grosso, with the difference that no instruments are permitted in the Orthodox service.

Nikita Volov's new GENUIN album, "Out of Place", features vibrant, complex, and often outcast characters from famous novels. Volov's innovative program includes an imaginative arrangement of Edvard Grieg's "Peer Gynt" Suite, Erich Wolfgang Korngold's pieces about the mad idealist "Don Quixote", and Robert Schumann's "Kreisleriana", a portrayal of the tragicomic conductor Kreisler from E.T.A. Hoffmann's books. These unique "out of place" individuals continue to inspire the world. With masterful interpretation and deep understanding, Volov brings these fascinating characters to life, showcasing their timeless relevance.

The Seattle Symphony releases live performances of Olivier Messiaen's Des canyons aux �toiles... ("From the Canyons to the Stars..."), which takes inspiration from the rock spires, birdsong and night sky of Utah's national parks. With Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot on the podium and guest Steven Osborne on piano, the Symphony presents Messiaen's starry-eyed journey through nature and the divine, recorded before a live audience in the stunning acoustics of Benaroya Hall alongside video projections of inspiring national parks and monuments.

Beethoven’s music has always lain at the heart of Gianluca Cascioli’s research into interpretation. What distinguishes the present work is above all the choice of instrument: a fortepiano modelled on an 1805 Anton Walter built by Paul McNulty, an instrument equipped with both a moderator and the una corda stop, like the one that Beethoven asked the same builder to make in 1802. The recording is in fact dedicated to works composed and published between the years 1796 and 1802.

The interest in historical performance practices and original sources, which has increasingly become a defining mark of Cascioli’s performances, is another evident characteristic of this new recording, which features, among other things, arpeggiated chords, embellishments, ornamented fermatas and the use of rubato. All decisions on such matters, however, are always firmly founded on the sources, methods and treatises of Beethoven’s own day, as the artist himself explains in the interview included in the liner notes. Cascioli has now arrived at his twelfth recording of works by the great composer – the first for Arcana, after many issued on distinguished labels like Deutsche Grammophon and Harmonia Mundi.