Henriette Bosmans' mother was a pianist and her father played principal cello in Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra, so it is no wonder that both of these instruments were lasting influences on her musical thinking and sensibilities. Her friendship with cellists Marix Loevensohn and Frieda Belinfante did the rest to guide this Dutch composer's imagination towards the expressive possibilities of the "little violone". In addition to various pieces of chamber music, the somewhat Iberian-spiced Poeme as well as two concertos were written in the early 1920s. Despite their relative proximity in time, Henriette Bosmans succeeded in not repeating herself. The works are marked by imaginative forms, wildly varied tasks demanded of the soloist and a sophisticated treatment of the orchestra. Despite these works' success, they had disappeared into the annals of history for far too long.

It has long been my wish to record both of Johannes Brahms’s piano concertos for CD. In doing so, I have been able to build upon many experiences that allow me at this point in time to open myself up even more to the essence of these works, which move me to the depths of my being. Both works offer me something incredibly great, something that in my conception of things can hardly be further enlarged. Each of the two concertos fascinates me with its vast wealth of sound, its intensity, above all with its simply infinite emotional range. Highly dramatic developments open out into playful lightness of being. Time and again there are sincerely thoughtful moments, marked by deep serenity. The slow movements of these two concertos particularly fascinate me on account of those passages, which give us a glimpse into what is above and beyond the world we know. The Magyar in me senses many Hungarian influences. My engagement with the two concertos in the course of making the present recordings together with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen has enabled me to look at the above aspects with new eyes. These are insights that go ever deeper throughout one’s whole life. The process is never complete. The cathedral is too big for that. Andrea Kauten

Esteemed pianist James Iman releases his highly anticipated album, "Iman III," marking the third instalment in his groundbreaking series. Delving into a diverse repertoire, Iman's latest offering showcases a unique blend of piano works that resonate with the complexities of the human experience. The genesis of "Iman III" amidst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the resilience and creative introspection that defined it's conception. Originally planned for recording prior to the pandemic-induced lockdowns, the project encountered delays, allowing Iman ample time to refine and redefine it's thematic underpinnings. The resulting album is a testament to the profound evolution of artistic vision in the face of adversity. Iman's eclectic program transcends traditional narrative structures, inviting listeners into a labyrinth of musical abstraction where each piece engages in a nuanced dialogue with it's counterparts. From Klaus Huber's haunting exploration of silence in "Ein Hauch von Unzeit II" to Alban Berg's masterful interplay of chromaticism and counterpoint in his Piano Sonata Op. 1, "Iman III" offers a multifaceted journey through the annals of musical expression. In Morton Feldman's "Last Pieces," Iman embraces the freedom afforded by the composer's experimental notation, weaving a tapestry of sound that defies conventional constraints. Emulating the randomness inherent in Feldman's ensemble works, Iman navigates the delicate balance between structure and spontaneity, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in a realm of deliberate and enjoyable ambiguity. Betsy Jolas's enigmatic "B for Sonata" serves as a fitting conclusion to the album, epitomizing the composer's innovative approach to form and rhythm. Through meticulously crafted rhythmic freedoms and evolving tonal landscapes, Iman breathes life into Jolas's introspective exploration of musical minimalism and existential inquiry. "Iman III" attests to James Iman's unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. With each track meticulously curated to resonate with the soulful intricacies of human experience. James Iman is a critically acclaimed pianist known for his innovative approach to repertoire and profound musical insight. With a career spanning decades, Iman has established himself as a prominent figure in the contemporary classical music scene, captivating audiences worldwide with his dynamic performances and meticulous attention to detail. "Iman III" marks the latest chapter in his ongoing quest to redefine the boundaries of artistic expression through the transformative power of music.

Few literary works exerted as strong an influence on European culture in the 19th century as Goethe's play Faust. While several important composers drew inspiration from it, Franz Liszt seems to have had a particularly close relationship with Goethe's masterpiece. He came up with the idea of a symphony 'in three characteristic pictures', each devoted to a key character in the play: Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles. Rather than telling the story of the play, Liszt composed a psychological exploration of these three main figures. He was also a pioneer in his use of leitmotifs, i.e. short musical ideas that underline a trait of character or evoke feelings, a process that his future son-in-law, Richard Wagner, would take even further in his operas. This recording presents the original, purely instrumental version of the Faust Symphony from 1854. This gigantic work is complemented by the first of the Mephisto Waltzes, inspired by Nikolaus Lenau's vision of the Faust myth. These two works offer two very different perspectives on Liszt's intense relationship with the character of Faust, and in particular with that of Mephistopheles, around whom many of his compositions are structured. They are key works for understanding Liszt's aesthetic project and the typical nineteenth-century tendency towards a combination of the arts.

Deutsche Oper Berlin's production of Massenet's four-act version of Herodiade features an outstanding cast, including the Australian soprano Nicole Car and Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis. This live recording from June 2023 is conducted by Deutsche Oper Berlin's principal guest conductor, Enrique Mazzola.

Five of the best brass players in the world united in a chamber music ensemble: The Reinhold Friedrich Brass Quintett was founded in 2022 and presents here its first CD, UNITY.

For this brass quintet's lifelong dream, world-renowned trumpeter Reinhold Friedrich has brought together the best players in their respective fields, musicians who not only get along extremely well with one another in a musical sense but also on a personal level. In their playing, one can feel their mutual appreciation and their joy in making music together, and, coupled with their unique technical and musical skills, as well as their chamber music experience, this enables the musicians to merge into a single unit.

The players that form this top-class quintet come together from a variety of European countries: Jeroen Berwaerts hails from Belgium and as a former principal trumpeter of the NDR Symphony Orchestra is a much-sought-after soloist who now teaches at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media. The Dane, Lasse Mauritzen, who was knighted to the Order of Dannebrog by Queen Margarethe II, is first principal horn of the Copenhagen-based Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra (DRSO). Although Ian Bousfield is British, he now lives in Switzerland and is accustomed to performing around the world as a former principal trombonist with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as being a soloist and a conductor. Fundamental to the quintet is the Norwegian Thomas Røisland, who now lives in Sweden and is principal tuba in the DRSO, as well as playing in other renowned European orchestras.These five musicians are united by their desire to set new standards in brass chamber music for their audiences and to present premiere recordings and commission arrangements of classics that have not yet been recorded at a world-class level.

When Berlioz's revolutionary milestone is paired with ballet music by Toshiro Mayuzumi from 1962, unexpected similarities in sound, power and inspiration emerge. Andrea Battistoni conducts the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in this enigmatic performance

This album features mastered versions of works performed live by the Quatuor Diotima at the Fundacion Juan March on 27 April 2022 and 14 February 2024. It presents the world premiere recordings of String Quartets Nos. 8 and 9 and of the Intermezzo Scherzo on the surname Mi-la-nes by Conrado del Campo (1878-1953), one of the most original but least well-known Spanish composers of the first half of the twentieth century. The concert was part of the Proyecto Conrado, launched in 2021, which involves programming the first complete cycle of his thirteen string quartets. This will go hand in hand with the production of a complete edition of the scores, most of which have never been published, and the release of recordings of the quartets. The aim of this ambitious initiative is to rescue a significant body of works from the undeserved neglect into which they have fallen.

This album presents some of the music Liz Dilnot Johnson has composed for Ex Cathedra. Other works include the recent orchestral cantata I Stand At The Door, setting words by Greta Thunberg and Kurt Masur, described by Jeffrey Skidmore as 'Johnson's love-song for the planet', and two 'eco-carols' Generous Winter (2023) and Imagine A Winter (2023). These carols are inspired by Prof. Kate Raworth, whose book Doughnut Economics encourages a rethinking of global economics to ensure a "safe and just space for humanity to thrive in." The compser says, "I am now seeking ways of cultivating such a space through musical creativity, together with the Ex Cathedra team." The first half of the album presents some of Johnson's earliest works including O Vos with spirals of sopranos unfurling, defined by the Fibonacci Series, written as part of a collaboration with mathematician Prof. Ian Stewart. More recent pieces that have been commissioned and premiered by Ex Cathedra, with whom Liz is composer-in-residence, include Blake Reimagined, a lockdown work originally composed for remote choir (later released on Youtube) with soloists including Carnatic singer Debipriya Sircar with Jazz and Soul singers Margaret Lingas and Gabriella Liandu. Four of Johnson's carols include the playful eco-carol A Wild Midwinter Carol, the acerbic Magi (her earliest work), the eight-part advent motet Gentle Flame and the tender lullaby For This Babe. The Windhover, setting Gerard Manley Hopkins' extraordinary poemis a tour de force, scored for baritone solo for the expressively powerful voice of Lawrence White with 10-part choir, summoning up the wild kestrel at dawn. The range of choral works on this album spans the enormous output across the composer's life, performed with great flair by Ex Cathedra directed by Jeffrey Skidmore. The second half of the album presents one of Johnson's large-scale choral works, When A Child Is A Witness - Requiem for Refugees, winner of the Ivors Composer Award for community and participation (2022). Setting words from the traditional Requiem Mass, along with words from the English Prayer Book, these choral movements encompass a world of music from a simple call and response song to complex and emotionally driven music that takes the listener on an emotional journey, moving from darkness into light. Liz Dilnot Johnson, initially a dedicated teacher in South London and Birmingham, redirected her career towards composition after pursuing an MA and PhD at Birmingham Conservatoire. Despite plans to return to teaching, mentor Philip Cashian encouraged her to continue composing. Johnson's music has garnered widespread acclaim, performed by renowned artists and ensembles internationally. Her chamber works have earned numerous prizes, including the Birmingham Chamber Music Society Composition Prize and the International Alliance of Women Musicians' Gideon Prize. Larger-scale compositions like "de l'herbe qui s'eveille" have been lauded for their evocative qualities. Notably, her piece "Moon Incantations" was a British Composer Awards finalist, and her Requiem for Aleppo integrates amateur and professional performers, showcasing her commitment to socially inspired compositions. Currently, she is embarking on a significant project with Ex Cathedra, composing new music for period instruments akin to J.S. Bach's cantatas.

Programme music as chamber music? There is an obvious common denominator between Greek mythology and Paul Celan's poetry: mysticism. Whether consciously or unconsciously, this element seems to give my personal cultural roots the appropriate musical expression. If one asks what exactly is meant to be expressed here and whether the titles and subtitles of the two chamber music works should be understood as program music, then a very specific artistic credo will be revealed. Greek mythology and philosophy form the foundation of my world view and at the same time my intellectual background. These myths and legends are not simple stories, but rather a code that needs to be deciphered - just like Japanese haikus, over which one can meditate for years - in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the world and human nature. In this respect, this music can be understood programmatic, but not in the sense of an approximate retelling of stories in mere tones; but rather as music aiming to reveal a deeper level of understanding in giving birth to the meaning of the underlying myth and bringing it emotionally closer to the listener. In this sense, the virtuoso piano work is entitled "The Lost Nereid". The Nereids were beautiful sea nymphs who beguiled people with their songs and could make the sea storm or pacify. In the Greek Kabbalah, the element of water represents the "feeling". How would one of those Nereids sing today, if she had lost herself from that archaic time to the present day? How would her song sound like in the turbulent world of ours, in which aesthetic values - if they exist at all - are entirely subjective? What feeling would it evoke and what lost beauty would it want to remind us of? he sonata for bassoon and piano, entitled "The Horae" deals with one of the three Horae in each individual movement: "Eunomia", "Diki" and "Eirini". "Horae" translates to "hours". These three goddesses were the constant companions of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. Their names thus display qualities that are directly linked to beauty or reveal that divine beauty to us humans, when we fill every "hour" of our lives with them - namely with "Good Law", "Justice" and finally with "Peace". Each of the three movements has it's own musical and formal character and uses the entire range of expression of both instruments as well as their technical possibilities.

Even though the arias have been 'stripped' of their text (using the historical techniques of transcription, of course, which were very fashionable at the time), they showcase Farinelli's artistry and evoke the noble sound and his open-throated messa di voce that inspired composers such as his brother Riccardo Broschi to write such charming arias as "Ombra fedele" or "Son qual nave". And the arias that Hasse and Porpora wrote for Farinelli also bring us very close to his seductive supernaturalism.

L'Orfeo Barockorchester and it's director Michi Gaigg have created an impressive discography through their close collaboration with cpo. Their repertoire spans from Baroque and Classical instrumental works to Schubert's symphonies and includes rarely performed compositions by Telemann and Haydn's delightful Incontro improvviso. New to the cpo catalog is their exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach by this refined, spirited ensemble. Seven sacred solo cantatas form the program, featuring two proven specialists in early music who sing the vocal part: Dutch bass-baritone Peter Kooij, awarded the Leipzig Bach Medal in 2016, and Austrian alto Margot Oitzinger compellingly demonstrate how people in the time of the great Thomaskantor strove to guide Christians on the right path.

Having celebrated his 90th birthday in 2022, Per Nørgård is undoubtedly one of the most important Danish composers since Nielsen. His important production that covers all genres is a highly personal travel document based on his endless incursions through the sonic labyrinths of this world.

Based on material from Nørgård’s viola concerto from 1986, Three Nocturnal Movements for violin, cello and orchestra came about on the initiative of the violinist Peter Herresthal and the cellist Jakob Kullberg, two of his long-term collaborators. The work was creatively developed for two soloists by Kullberg, who decided on the form of the movement after making a selection of musical fragments described as ‘nocturnal’.

Dedicated to the conductor John Storgårds, Symphony No. 8 appears bright, transparent while its atmosphere is somewhat mysterious and filled with tension. This symphony, his most recent work in this genre, can be compared to latter works from other Nordic composers like Sibelius and Nielsen. Finally, Lysning, a short piece for string orchestra, has been described by Nørgård as a ‘glade’ and is made of an alternance of darker and brighter variations of the same musical ideas heard in different instrumental colourings and nuances.

One of the most celebrated pianists of our time performs Schubert's posthumously published works for piano - remixed & remastered for Hybrid SACD.

Ernani was Verdi’s most successful opera until he composed Il trovatore. James Conlon conducts this acclaimed live performance from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino featuring the stellar soprano Maria José Siri. Also available on Dynamic DVD (DYN-37972) and Blu-ray (DYN-57972).

In the 20th Century, as new song forms emerged worldwide, including genres like jazz, rock, and pop, the classical art song of the 19th Century gradually lost popularity. A singer, a piano, poems of love and death, and a romantic tonal language: the leading art form of the bourgeois salon increasingly became a musical niche for lovers and aficionados. The heyday of the European art song, which began in the middle of the 18th century, came to an end at the beginning of the 20th century.

However, composers Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály took a different path: they renewed the art song by returning it to its folk origins. The most fascinating aspect of their work was not just their painstaking ethnomusicological field research. While they preserved Hungarian folk music, recording (as best they could at the time) and notating this music, they also allowed it to inspire their own compositions.

At a time when many musicians appropriated folk music for political reasons, Bartók and Kodály created genuine folk art that did not pander or simplify, but spoke of feelings that directly touched its listeners.

Sinfonia of London's second album of works of Kenneth Fuchs features four world premiere recordings. Two of the works feature soloists: the Bass Trombone Concerto loosely follows sonata form whilst utilising the full range of the instrument, and revelling in it's lyrical side. Eventide, for alto saxophone and orchestra, is a re-working of an earlier concerto that Fuchs wrote for cor anglais. Described by the composer as a set of 'fantasy variations based upon the simple triadic intervals typical of spirituals', the alto saxophone version was composed for this album's soloist, Tim McAllister. Point of Tranquility was originally composed for wind band, but Fuchs then prepared this orchestral version at the request of JoAnn Falletta for her Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. The piece is inspired by Fuchs's reaction to the eponymous painting by Morris Louis. The orchestral suite Light Year is also inspired by a series of paintings, these ones by Helen Frankenthaler. Cast in six movements, the extremely evocative work captures the breath-taking scale and mysterious nature of the universe. Light Year was composed for and dedicated to John Wilson and Sinfonia of London.

I have devoted this most recent recording to dance. The pieces that I perform here are all linked to the art of dance from different eras and different cultures. Throughout history and in most people's perception, dance has always been a source of entertainment and joy, but it can also represent more sombre occasions, with pomp and grandeur. The Chaconne, for example, has become both tragic and sublime over time and today it's rhythm has mellowed! Chopin's Mazurkas can be rustic and folkloric, haunting or lyrical, even dramatic. In short, dance can express diametric opposites and unite those opposites at the same time. That's why I also want to pay homage to Shiva's dance, for this god, the symbol of destruction, illusion and ignorance, destroys in order to awaken human beings and lead them to create a new world. Shiva's divine dance, Tandava Nritya, is regarded by Hinduism as the origin of the cycle of creation, preservation and devastation. Vagharshapat Dance is based upon a melody from 'Yerangi' found in "Six Dances for Piano" (1906) by the legendary Armenian composer Komitas (1869?935). Vagharshapat is the location of Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the fourth largest city in Armenia located 11 miles west of Yerevan. My recording ends with Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance", in an arrangement of my own. The duality of this piece's character is obvious, as while the sabers suggest the idea of death, the dance becomes a 'living dance? one that enchants us or, a dance that comes alive. I hope that the current times of wars, destruction and social upheaval will soon be replaced by peace and the joy that comes with it, and I hope that this recording brings a form of respite and quietude and with it lightness, joy and happiness. Vardan Mamikonian "Vardan Mamikonian demonstrates a technique that combines power and poetry... and flashes of interpretive genius." New York Times Vardan Mamikonian has come to the attention of the international press and public thanks to his prestigious technique and extraordinary musicality. He has performed in the United States with such renowned orchestras as the Atlanta, San Francisco, Detroit, Pacific, Houston and National Symphonies, as well as with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is a guest at major international festivals such as Verbier and St. Moritz in Switzerland, Ravinia in the USA, La Roque d'Antheron in France, the Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival in Germany, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. He gives recitals in some of the world's most prestigious music venues: Musikverein Vienna, Carnegie Hall New York, Theatre des Champs-elysees Paris, Herkulessaal Munich, Wigmore Hall London, Tonhalle Zurich, Davies Symphony Hall San Francisco and Kennedy Center Washington, to name but a few. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, into a family of musicians, Vardan Mamikonian began studying piano at the Spendiarian School of Music in his hometown, under Arkui Haroutunian. He continued his studies at the Moscow Central Music School and the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Valery Kastelsky, one of the last proteges of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus. He then went on to perfect his skills at the Piano Academy in Imola, Italy, under the guidance of Lazar Berman. In 1991, Vardan moved to Paris, and in 1992, he won the World Music Masters Competition in Monte Carlo, reserved exclusively for winners of international competitions. Vardan Mamikonian has taken part in numerous recordings for radio and television, as well as for the German label Orfeo. Several of his recordings have been praised by the international press.

Busoni's operatic masterpiece, Doktor Faust, was left unfinished on his death in 1924. A DVD (37998) and Blu-ray (57998) of this performance was released on Dynamic in March of this year, receiving much critical acclaim. Cornelius Meister conducts the orchestra and chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino with Dietrich Henschel in the title role. This release marks the 100th anniversary of the composer's death. May 2025 will be the 100th anniversary of the opera's premiere performance.

What Dreams May Come features music spanning more than a century, beginning with Gustav Holst's Suite No. 1 in E Flat, composed in 1909, and ending with Omar Thomas's Come Sunday that premiered in 2018. Also included are Steven Bryant's Suite Dreams, first performed in 2007, and David Maslanka's A Child's Garden of Dreams, described by the composer as "a symphonic suite for one-on-a-part wind ensemble."

For its final concert of the 2021–22 season and Osmo Vänskä’s last as artistic director, the Minnesota Orchestra chose to present Mahler’s mammoth Eighth Symphony, which calls for one of the largest complement of performers in the history of music, a symbol of the communitarian spirit of collective cultural, social, and religious-philosophical endeavor in what has been referred to as a ‘Mass for the Masses’.

Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, unlike his others, reveals no contrary despairing voice. It is instead a monumentally affirmative expression of human spiritual achievement achieved through the union of two seemingly incompatible texts: the Latin hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and the conclusion of the second part of Goethe’s Faust. Its première in Munich in September 1910 gave rise to the greatest triumph of Mahler’s career, and a rollcall of European royalty and the artistic élite attended the final public rehearsal and the performances.

The Minnesota Orchestra and Osmo Vänskä are here joined by Carolyn Sampson, Jacquelyn Wagner, Sasha Cooke, Jess Dandy, Barry Banks, Julian Orlishausen, Christian Immler as well as the Minnesota Chorale, the National Lutheran Choir, the Minnesota Boychoir and the Angelica Cantanti Youth Choir.

The distinctive instrumental instrumentation of two pianos and harmonium, Rossini's charismatic melodic arcs blossom in this highly-acclaimed firstever MDG recording lovingly remastered for CD

Hardly any Russian composers in the 19th century who helped develop the national Romantic musical language were able to make a living from their artistic activities. They were civil servants, officers, professors of chemistry or even master builders such as Victor Ewald (1860-1935), to whom composition was purely a hobby. He hardly wrote a dozen works during the course of his life. Among these are four quintets for brass instruments, which were among the most original publications of their time. It is unmistakably Russian in every melodic nook and cranny. Three of them can be heard on this recording by the highly virtuosic Italian Gomalan Brass Quintet, who also interpret the 1970 quintet by Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) - an effervescent and clever homage to an unforgotten homeland.

We at Challenge Classics are proud to present the complete edition of Schubert's symphonies in the interpretation offered by Jan Willem de Vriend conducting the Residentie Orkest Den Haag.�-� Even among experts, these symphonies were regarded as second-rate copies of the great Viennese classics. de Vriend's exceptionally fresh and pulsating interpretation, however, decisively corrects the old prejudices and points to Schubert's own emerging symphonic concept (Crescendo - DE - on CC 72739, vol.1 I soon became accustomed to the sheer brio of de Vriend's approach, which included striking variations in volume, decisive accents and many lickety-split finales... combination of delicacy, decisiveness and drive (Fanfare - USA - on CC 72802, vol.2) ... The feeling is of musical values leading at every point. (BBC Music Magazine - UK - on CC 72863, vol.3) The enchanting opening theme of Symphony No. 5 sets what will be the preponderant tone, vigorous and elegant, and that agreeably bracing idiom is maintained throughout both symphonies. (BBC Music Magazine - UK - on CC 72803, vol.4)

For many centuries, Georgia has been a country in which different ethnicities and religions have lived side by side: Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Jews, Christians and Muslims. This multicultural environment has influenced Josef Bardanashvili's style in the direction of pluralism, eclecticism and tolerance towards musical cultures. This openness can also be felt in each of the works on this CD.