Special concerts reserved for subscribers. Due to the exceptional quality of the concerts and the limited offer, the average waiting time for subscribers is more than 10 years. With this series, these very special concerts are made available for the first time audiovisually to a wider audience worldwide. For this subscription concert, the Wiener Philharmoniker asked a long-time artistic companion to take the podium: more than 140 concerts and a multitude of celebrated recordings connect Christian Thielemann with the traditional Viennese orchestra. The live recording of his debut on the podium at the Vienna Musikverein almost 23 years ago promptly became a reference recording. On the programme then as now: Richard Strauss' monumental Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony). This work, often regarded as the final and climax of the "symphonic poem" genre, is juxtaposed with Arnold Sch�nberg's probably most famous tonal composition, the orchestral version of the string sextet Verkl�rte Nacht (Transfigured Night). Composed in 1899, this highly expressive work by the 25-year-old Sch�nberg reads, in retrospect, like a swan song to the 19th century. "Sch�nberg and Strauss rarely sound so grandiose." Kurier "A truly persuasive performance." The New York Times "The 'Alpine Symphony' under Thielemann has long been a Viennese legend." Die Presse Program: Arnold Schoenberg: Verkl�rte Nacht (Transfigured Night), op. 4 Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), op. 64

Special concerts reserved for subscribers. Due to the exceptional quality of the concerts and the limited offer, the average waiting time for subscribers is more than 10 years. With this series, these very special concerts are made available for the first time audiovisually to a wider audience worldwide. For this subscription concert, the Wiener Philharmoniker asked a long-time artistic companion to take the podium: more than 140 concerts and a multitude of celebrated recordings connect Christian Thielemann with the traditional Viennese orchestra. The live recording of his debut on the podium at the Vienna Musikverein almost 23 years ago promptly became a reference recording. On the programme then as now: Richard Strauss' monumental Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony). This work, often regarded as the final and climax of the "symphonic poem" genre, is juxtaposed with Arnold Sch�nberg's probably most famous tonal composition, the orchestral version of the string sextet Verkl�rte Nacht (Transfigured Night). Composed in 1899, this highly expressive work by the 25-year-old Sch�nberg reads, in retrospect, like a swan song to the 19th century. "Sch�nberg and Strauss rarely sound so grandiose." Kurier "A truly persuasive performance." The New York Times "The 'Alpine Symphony' under Thielemann has long been a Viennese legend." Die Presse Program: Arnold Schoenberg: Verkl�rte Nacht (Transfigured Night), op. 4 Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), op. 64

With light-hearted ease, Chimaera Trio immerse themselves in a fairytale world of goblins, elves, ghosts and mythical creatures. Reflecting much more than just intimate friendships and family ties, these trios by Mendelssohn, his close friend and esteemed colleague Niels Wilhelm Gade and his brother-in-law Emil Hartmann expand into an almost infinite cosmos of Nordic-romantic myths and legends in which everything is interwoven with everything else.

Clarinetist Anthony McGill and violinist Rachel Barton Pine are featured soloists on a new recording of two concertos composed in response to societal injustices by Syrian composer Malek Jandali, performed by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and led by Marin Alsop, a champion of the composer’s work.

Malek Jandali, called “deeply enigmatic” by Gramophone, has been praised for writing “heart-rending melodies, lush orchestration, clever transitions and creative textures” (American Record Guide). His repertoire, which ranges from chamber music to large scale orchestral works, integrates Middle-Eastern modes into Western classical forms and harmony. Rachel Barton Pine, “an exciting, boundary-defying performer” (The Washington Post), performs Jandali’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2014), a work that honors “all women who thrive with courage” according to the composer. Jandali’s concerto is in recognition of the women of Syria, continuing his aim to preserve the cultural heritage of his homeland.

The Violin Concerto incorporates Syrian melodies and idioms into Jandali’s Western-inspired harmonies and forms. Jandali calls upon an array of Syrian and Arabic music forms and folk melodies including multiple sama’i and bashraf (instrumental pieces), and longa (dances), from different maqam (modes). He also makes use of the oud (Arabic lute) in his symphonic scoring to infuse the work with the authentic sound and feeling of Syria. A particularly notable sama’i inspired by traditional Syrian folk music from the area along the Silk Road Is used for a “Women’s Theme.” This theme is representative of the folk music that is a source of comfort and healing for unjustly detained, peaceful Syrian activists and other women and mothers living in fear.

Jandali’s Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (2021) is dedicated to its performer Anthony McGill (“the total package… stylish, passionate and limitlessly fluent on the clarinet,” Bachtrack), “in memory of all victims of injustice.” McGill says of the work, ”In the midst of the pain and the violence and injustice in the world all we are left with is the ability to pour our hearts and our souls into something more beautiful, into something more powerful, so it can communicate throughout all time and live on.” Like all of Jandali’s works, the clarinet concerto is infused with ancient themes from Jandali’s homeland as a means of preservation. Jandali explores variations on themes from old and traditional Syrian musical forms and modalities, with striking musical effects and wide ranging highs and lows in the orchestral writing.

Watch our Live Roundtable with Marin Alsop, Malek Jandali and Anthony McGill!

REVIEW:

The soloists shine, and Alsop and her Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra accompany them faithfully through every mood.

Jandali’s Violin Concerto has a long and thoughtful opening moment, an introspective middle section and a dancelike finale. He uses the Arabic oud in conversation with the violin, as plaintive voices crying out with dignity and restraint. (Kudos to oud soloist Bassam Halaka.) And maybe that buoyant feeling in the finale represents not exuberance but defiance, as a protest against suppression.

The 25-minute clarinet concerto operates mostly on a mysterious plane, one we associate more obviously with Arabic elements. Some of the subtle, sinuous playing and percussive rhythms would not be out of place in a good Hollywood soundtrack – that’s a compliment – as Jandali slowly brings us into his sound world.

-- WDAV (Classical Public Radio, 89.9FM, Lawrence Toppman)

Thomas Jensen Legacy now at Vol. 20

There was no more unprejudiced or enthusiastic promoter of Danish music than Thomas Jensen. Twelve composers are featured here, in styles ranging from Romantic ballet to modernist oratorio. Nearly all the recordings are issued for the first time ever since they were originally broadcast. Taken together, they present a panoramic picture of Danish music in the 19th and 20th centuries.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Paganini and Giuliani both sought their fortune in Vienna, a city that later consecrated them as great virtuosos and founders of the Italian violin and guitar school. Paganini, AKA the "devil's violinist" was an uncanny idol and heartthrob to countless music lovers and also had a masterful command of the guitar. Giuliani was the premiere guitarist of his day and also had a great understanding of the violin. His nickname, "the Paganini of the guitar" helped intensify the bond between the two and further sealed their friendship and mutual esteem. Two world-class virtuosos, Rainer Kussmaul, on a Stradivarius from 1724, together with guitarist Sonja Prunnbauer, perform a selection of their great virtuosic duos.

Witness first hand the developmental process of one of the most outstanding personalities in the history of music with Dogma Chamber Orchestra's ambitious Mendelssohn Project. In this last instalment of the series, the extremely talented and curious composer has now become a mature artist - at just 14 years of age! With esprit and verve, the 20-strong ensemble led by Mikhail Gurewitsch combines increasing musical demands with youthful freshness to create an impressive feast for the ears.

The two works recorded on this disc both come from a creative period at the beginning of the 1930s. In terms of style, with his works linked to basic tonalities, Weigl drew on the sound realm of late Romanticism, from whose aesthetics he never departed in favour of more progressive contemporary trends. Weigl’s knack for orchestration shows both in the hymnic climaxes as well as the chamber music-like passages. Weigl never lived to hear any performances of either his Third Symphony or the Symphonic Prelude. Like so many of his larger works, these scores were not (re-)discovered until interest in Weigl’s music resurged decades later. This release allows audiences to hear both works for the first time on record.

REVIEW:

Stylistically, the pieces clearly show Weigl’s own voice, even as they remain close to the late-Romantic symphonic style.

The symphony's rich palette of development and treatment leads from intimate moments of chamber music to grand climaxes. The large orchestration of the Symphonic Prelude indicates that it was intended for the concert hall rather than as incidental music. Overall, the works remain rooted in traditional sounds.

Weigl was unable to experience performances of these works. The new interest in his music is also reflected in these premiere recordings. The Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and conductor Jürgen Bruns illuminate these works with successful commitment.

— Pizzicato (Uwe Krusch)

His renown as an interpreter of Scandinavian composers has obscured Thomas Jensen’s excellence as a conductor of the central-European classics. On this collection of newly remastered recordings, most of them issued for the first time since their original broadcasts, he brings authority and a forthright pulse to bear on Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms, in excellent sound from the 1950s and 60s. Note the first ever release of the Brahms Violin Concerto with Isaac Stern from Copenhagen 1961.

Broadcast performances of the Fifth and Sixth symphonies complete a Sibelius cycle within the Thomas Jensen collection on Danacord. Their dramatic sweep and control demonstrate the conductor’s special affinity with this music, which he played under the composer’s direction as a cellist. Jensen worked tirelessly for Danish composers throughout his career; this volume includes newly published performances of works by three composers, now almost unknown outside their home country, who emerged from the shadow cast by Carl Nielsen to write in a distinctively individual but still quintessentially Danish idiom.

On this new recording, the Klenke Quartett enter a unique and fascinating musical field of contrasts between compositional avant-gardism and a return to folk melodies and native roots with string quartets by Maurice Ravel, Erwin Schulhoff and Ulvi Cemal Erkin. All three composers were very aware of their musical origins and incorporated them into their works in their own unique way. All three combine sounds and dances from very different countries and cultures in a marvelous way and draw listeners and players alike into a whirlwind of musical rhythms and melodies. In Erwin Schulhoff's "5 Pieces for String Quartet", you can hear echoes of waltzes, as well as tangos, and tarantellas. In his string quartet, Ulvi Cemal Erkin creates a cosmos of Turkish tradition paired with cosmopolitanism and combines the rhythmic-melodic elements of Turkish folk music with classical Western European compositional art, as he had studied it in Paris. With his string quartet, Maurice Ravel creates an innovative work within traditional forms that is unparalleled in it's richness of detail, luminosity, and variety. A program of the heart for the musicians of the Klenke Quartet, for whom the music of the early 20th century has always exerted a great attraction and which they regularly present in their concerts. "It is the personal, sensitive, intimate level of the compositions that inspires us and infuses our very own approach to this music," says Annegret Klenke. A passion that shines through in every note of this recording.

Not only for the young but also for the young at heart, "The Little Prince Meets You" is a music theatre piece for chamber ensemble and narrator based on the timeless tale by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. The author's experiences as a pilot led him to inspire others with descriptions of his fascination with flying and the vastness of the world. His world-famous story, "Le Petit Prince", still touches readers to this day, encouraging people to ponder the meaning of life, and values such as love, humanity, love of nature, peace and the importance of friendship.

The Swiss-Franco-American virtuoso, Celeste-Marie Roy, elevates the sonorous splendour of the bassoon to vibrant new heights, dispelling many a preconception about her instrument. Roy's flexible tone, technical finesse and striking interpretation ensure this solo programme in high-resolution 3D reproduction is a dynamic listening experience!

Whenever Gustav Mahler spoke of Beethoven, he did so with an air of reverence: "Among poets and composers of more recent times we can, perhaps, name but three: Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Wagner." And yet, Mahler the conductor considered Beethoven's scores primarily a challenge; material that needed adapting and adopting to the orchestras and concert halls of his time. Richard Wagner had already prepared Beethoven's scores and written about it in great detail. The balance of sound of the classical orchestra was off, and a return to previous states was out of the question, given the increased size of the concert halls. People knew of their existence, but it was not until 1927 that Erwin Stein, the composer, pianist, and music journalist active in Schoenberg's circles, was able to report that all of Mahler's conductor's scores, replete with his "Retuschen" (retouchings), had in fact survived.

The album SZINERGIA celebrates the interconnectedness of composers who, despite leading different lives, found common ground in the dance rhythms and folk traditions that inspired their music. At the heart of this album is Karl Amadeus Hartmann's Kammerkonzert for clarinet, string quartet, and string orchestra, a poignant homage to Zolt�n Kod�ly. Hartmann's work epitomizes the synergy of musical ideas, blending the spirit of Hungarian folk music with a modern, introspective voice. Zolt�n Kod�ly's K�ll� Double Dance and Epigrams Nos. 3 & 6 showcase his profound connection to Hungarian traditions. These pieces, reimagined through contemporary arrangements, reveal the timeless nature and the vibrant energy of his melodies. L�o Weiner's Divertimento No. 1 "Old Hungarian Dances" adds a nostalgic yet lively dimension to the album. The expert arrangements by Lajos S�rk�zy and Istv�n V�rdai breathe new life into these classic dances, highlighting the enduring appeal of Hungarian folk music. Paco de Luc�a's Callej�n del Muro brings a touch of Andalusian passion to the collection. Pablo Barrag�n's arrangement seamlessly integrates the fiery flamenco rhythms into the album's narrative, illustrating the universal language of dance that transcends cultural boundaries. B�la Bart�k's Romanian Folk Dances, arranged for clarinet, cimbalom, and strings by Jonas Dominique in dedication to Swedish clarinetist Martin Fr�st, further enriches the album's tapestry. Bart�k's dedication to preserving folk music traditions shines through in these lively, evocative dances, demonstrating his deep connection to the musical heritage of Eastern Europe. Performed by clarinetist Pablo Barrag�n, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra under the musical direction of Istv�n V�rdai, and the S�rk�zy Trio, SZINERGIA presents a rich, multifaceted soundscape. Each piece highlights the unique voice of it's composer while uncovering the profound connections that link them. SZINERGIA is a celebration of the unity found in diversity. Through the lively rhythms and evocative melodies, listeners are invited to experience the harmonious dance of parallel lives, bound together by the shared threads of musical inspiration.

A famous Beethoven work and a Reicha premiere in the hands of exceptional performers. Just like the well-known drama of Beethoven's life, the biography of Anton Reicha would also make an exciting film, but this recording mainly shows us the friendship of the two great composers at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. They were born the same year, and from their first encounter as 15-year-olds in the Bonn court orchestra, they became close friends. They studied together at the university in Bonn, and they both became friends of Haydn. Their music also shared similarities mainly during Reicha's period in Vienna. It was while Reicha was in Vienna that he wrote his only piano concerto and that Beethoven wrote his fifth and most famous work in the genre. Both concertos are in the "heroic" key of E flat major. While Beethoven's "Emperor Concerto" is a mainstay of the piano literature, this is the first complete recording of Reicha's concerto. Missing pages from the solo part were first discovered in 2018. Jan Bartos is a highly acclaimed interpreter of Beethoven, and here he is following in the tradition of his teachers Ivan Moravec and Alfred Brendl. The wonderful playing of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, which has Beethoven's blood in it's veins, gives the live recording from the Prague Spring Festival the hallmark of authenticity. Playing the meticulously detailed accompaniment in the studio recording of Reicha's concerto is the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. Bartos's partner at the helm of both orchestras is Petr Popelka, today undisputedly a world-class conductor who has the rare ability to breathe meaning and life into every note. The friends Beethoven and Reicha are symbolically reunited after more than two centuries on a single album in special musical company.

The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra can with justification be regarded as ‘Sibelius’s own orchestra’, as it was this orchestra, usually conducted by the composer, that premièred most of his major works. On this disc of three such pieces, the orchestra is conducted by Susanna Malkki; the recording follows on from their three acclaimed albums devoted to the music of Bartók.

Although they were all later revised, the three works on this recording all originated within a very short period in Sibelius’s career: the years 1893–96, a time when he was beginning to establish himself as a composer and a time of national awakening.

One of his most popular works, the Karelia Suite is drawn from a series of tableaux that evoked events in the history of Karelia, the region where Finland and Russia meet. In late 19th-century Finland, the promotion of Karelian folk culture was both fashionable and politically relevant. The short suite Rakastava [The Lover] is a subtle reworking of a work for male voices based on lyrical poems from the collection Kanteletar; Sibelius often conducted it in concert. Sibelius often drew inspiration from the Finnish national epic Kalevala, and episodes from this poem provide the subject matter of Lemminkainen, a substantial four-movement suite (including the captivating Swan of Tuonela) that recounts the adventures of a daredevil hero, a sort of Nordic Don Juan.

REVIEWS:

Mälkki and the orchestra remarkably conjure the dark, swirling soundworld of ‘Lemminkäinen in Tuonela’ (the Hades of Finnish legend). And the concluding ‘Lemminkäinen’s Return’ canters along in roistering style.

-- BBC Music Magazine

Susanna Mälkki and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra produce wellcrafted, beautifully detailed accounts on a par with rival versions – including the Helsinki orchestra’s own with Segerstam (with warm Ondine sound) from the mid-1990s.

-- Gramophone

Previous albums on Piano Classics by Leonardo Pierdomenico have won enthusiastic praise from the international critics. Of his debut Liszt recital including the Csardas macabre (PCL10151), Fanfare noted: 'scrupulous performances, featuring exceptional textural clarity and rhythmic resilience, coupled with an often striking attention to harmonic nuance.' Gramophone awarded it Editor's Choice: 'His highly developed technique and cultivated sound, both adaptable to a variety of effects, are wedded to those twin essentials for artistic Liszt playing: imagination combined with thoroughgoing, scrupulous musicality.' Such qualities illuminate his new recording of the Piano Concerto by Dvor�k, made in the Czech Republic with an orchestra who live and breathe the composer's music. One of his most neglected works, the Piano Concerto requires particularly devoted advocacy as well as formidable virtuosity to overcome the technical shortcomings of Dvor�k's piano writing, but the effort is rewarded with episodes of no less ardent lyricism than the high points of his concertos for violin and cello. The Piano Concerto, however, burns with a ferocity all it's own, more similar in that regard to Schumann's impassioned writing for soloist and orchestra. The unusual pairings draw on the talents of the Pardubice orchestra's front desks, with two equally unfamiliar concertante miniatures by Dvor�k, the Mazurek for violin and orchestra (dedicated to Pablo de Sarasate) and the Rondo for cello and orchestra intended for Hanus Wihan, who would in time inspire Dvor�k to compose the Cello Concerto. Thus the album will complete a Dvor�k concerto collection on CD as well as offering a further demonstration of Leonardo Pierdomenico's artistry.

With universal themes such as love, loss, happiness, oppression, suffering and defiance, Gustav Mahler's songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn are some of the most profound ever written for the voice. Katharina Kammerloher and Arttu Kataja, acclaimed performers from the Berlin State Opera, plumb the depths and shallows of this music with vocal power and striking presence. Eric Schneider accompanies them, transcending the formidable piano part with great drama and expression.

DANCES Music by Ye, Bartok, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, de Falla Arranged by Shen Ye and Dai Weiyi Zhi-Jong Wang, violin Ensemble Epoch Experience the captivating artistry of Zhi-Jong Wang and her innovative chamber orchestra, Ensemble Epoch, with their latest album release, "Dances". Founded in 2021 by graduates of the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Ensemble Epoch is redefining the boundaries of classical music performance. "Dances" brings together an eclectic mix of compositions and arrangements, showcasing the ensemble's remarkable versatility and unity. From the ethereal beauty of Shen Ye's "Prelude" to the vibrant rhythms of Bartok's "Romanian Folk Dances," this album is a testament to the ensemble's dynamic range. The imaginative arrangements by contemporary composers Shen Ye and Dai Weiyi breathe new life into beloved classics such as Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" and Brahms' "Hungarian Dances". The album culminates in a breathtaking rendition of Manuel de Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance," demonstrating the ensemble's exceptional skill and passion. Zhi-Jong Wang's visionary leadership and violin artistry paired with the ensemble's cohesive performance style create a unique listening experience that transcends traditional classical music forms. Each track on "Dances" is a journey into a world of musical exploration, where the intimate connection between musicians and audience comes alive.

More than almost every other 21st century composer, Jorg Widmann can write music that is both immediately moving and highly complex in structure. The versatile and highly talented pianist Yubo Zhou delves deep into Widmann's world of sound. With these four stirring piano cycles, Zhou reveals a whole cosmos of allusions and associations.

With a sure instinct for the extraordinary the Baroque orchestra caterva musica, formed by renowned soloists, release the final installment of their "L'arte del virtuoso" series in time for the ensemble's 25th anniversary. Once more they showcase their virtuosic artistry with distinctive solo concertos by J. C. Bach, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Telemann and Walther, inspiring 18th century masterpieces that still connect with today's audiences emotionally with their cheerfulness, solemnity or sensuality.

Beau Soir - a beautiful name for a beautiful trio with the unique combination of pan flute, harp and piano. Popular Impressionist masterpieces shine in a completely new light in these highly original interpretations for the trio's debut album. Virtuoso panflutist Sebastian Pachel is a pioneer on his instrument, breaking new ground, both with his performance style and his artistically sensitive arrangements. Together with solo harpist Nora Koch and the fabulous chamber music pianist Johann Blanchard, he has found like-minded musicians who know how to inspire audiences with their powerful new versions of classical favourites by the French composer trifecta - Debussy, Faure & Ravel.

Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen (1932-2016) managed to unite every faction of progressive Danish music in admiration. After their acclaimed first volume in this new chronological cycle of the composer's complete string quartets, the Nordic String Quartet arrive at the works that reveal the composer's musical imagination in all it's unbridled joy, brilliance and eccentricity. Works spanning 27 years, including three written for the world-famous Kronos Quartet, see the composer toying with form, sparring with nature and grappling with seemingly irreconcilable opposites.

New recordings of large-scale but little-known works by one of Beethoven's most influential students. Born like his teacher-to-be in the German city of Bonn, Ferdinand Ries studied with Beethoven in Vienna for several years during the first decade of the 19th century. He also worked for Beethoven as a copyist and secretary, and in 1838, shortly before his own death at the age of 53, published the first authoritative account of his master's life. But Ries was far more than a mere amanuensis, as a series of releases on Brilliant Classics has documented, with valuable modern recordings of solo, chamber and instrumental music. Ries's own instrument was naturally the piano, and his catalogue of works for the instrument spans light-hearted miniatures and ambitiously scaled, dramatic sonatas, much as Beethoven's did. In the latter category falls the Grande Sonata Fantasia which Ries composed in 1811 (the same year as Beethoven's Seventh Symphony). It is easy enough to hear the turbulent textures and melodic shapes of his teacher's famous 'Pathetique' Sonata in the background, but Ries could exercise his own imagination, which in any case was shaped by travel far beyond the lands around Vienna, unlike Beethoven. The weight of the sonata's singular form falls on the huge Presto finale, making considerable demands on the artist, which Gianluca Faragli conquers with the aid of a superbly conditioned modern Fazioli piano. The sonata's designation as a 'fantasia' indicates that Ries was anticipating the Romantic era's preoccupation with personal expression as the over-riding concern of creative art, and Faragli has coupled Op.26 with three more fantasies. Two of them are based on themes from Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro': display pieces, but by no means frivolous, any more than the darker subject of Schiller's poem 'Resignation' which inspired Ries to compose one of his most inwardly affecting works, written in the south London suburb of Clapham in 1821. In a lighter vein, Faragli adds the gypsy-style Introduction and Rondo composed once Ries had returned to Vienna with his English wife and three children. Thus the album surveys the course of Ries's creative life, as the pianist Alessandro Taverna elucidates in a detailed booklet essay. - Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) was born in Bonn and moved to Vienna in 1801, where his life became closely related to that of Ludwig van Beethoven (also a native of Bonn.). Ries studied piano with him, copied his scores and was the interpreter of several new works, notably the premiere of the Third Piano Concerto. Ries also wrote the first biography of Beethoven, an invaluable source of first-hand information. - Ries' style inevitably is modeled on that of his master Beethoven, he was however strong enough to stand on his own. Ries also enjoyed a brilliant career as a virtuoso pianist. "Ries is rightly celebrated as one of the finest piano performers of the present day", a London reviewer declared. "His hand is powerful and his manner confident and often surprising. But it is his way of playing that makes him stand out from all the others, above all for his romantic wildness". - This new recording presents original piano works by Ries: the substantial "Grande Sonata Fantasia "L'Infortunee", Op.26, a Fantasia on Schiller's pem Resignation, a Fantasia on Mozart's Nozze Di Figaro and an exciting Introduction and Rondo Zingaresco. Music of great pianistic invention and instrumental brilliance! - Played by the young Italian pianist Gianluca Faragli on a modern instrument.