MELODIES FOR THE POLISH PSALTE

PIAZZOFORTE

Another album presenting the output of Pawel Lukaszewski (DUX Lukaszewski Collection). The characteristic stylistic language of Lukaszewski is close to artists such as Arvo P�rt, John Tavener and Mikolaj G�recki, and at the same time it strongly refers to the pre-modern traditions of the Renaissance vocal music and Gregorian chant. "Among Polish composers younger than Penderecki and Lutoslawski, Lukaszewski has become by far the best known. Although he has composed orchestral and chamber music, his reputation is based on his sacred music. He is an ardent Roman Catholic and sets texts mostly in Latin, which, whatever it's difficulties, is for English-speaking listeners more accessible than Polish. He has accumulated an extensive discography and this latest album is listed as the fifth in a series called Musica sacra - though the earlier albums are not in fact all of sacred music." (Stephen Barber, MusicWeb)

In 2016 the Witold Lutoslawski Chamber Philharmonic in Lomza organized the educational campaign “Colors of Music” for the second time. It has been realized under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The campaign is interdisciplinary; as it combines visual arts and music of representatives of various periods. By developing musical-plastic imagination, the organizers wanted to make young receivers of art sensitive to its multidimensionality. The artists of the Philharmonic unraveled the mystery of the musical world, performing concerts enriched with a lecture, presentation of musical instruments, and recordings. An art competition addressed to the oldest kindergarten groups and pupils up to 11 years of age, educational centers in Lomza and its surroundings concluded those activities. The current album constitutes an integral element in the campaign Colors of Music. Its founders and organizers assume that appropriately presented classical music is a great tool for developing imagination, creativity, and sensitivity. The campaign pursues a continual objective of promoting culture in its universal character, particularly among young listeners, by means of experiencing music with many senses, as well as by the influence of music on aesthetic and emotional tones. This release in the campaign presents music for two flutes, performed by flutists Lukasz Dlugosz and Agata Kielar-Dlugosz.

Five works for string orchestra of composers, fellow countrymen and contemporaries Paweł Łukaszewski (b. 1968) and Mikołaj Górecki (b. 1971) are featured on this Dux release. +Mr. Łukaszewski has received numerous commissions for new works, and his discography runs to over 90 CDs. +Mr. Górecki's works have received performances in Europe, Canada and America. +The Baltic Neopolis Orchestra is a chamber string orchestra founded in 2008 by violist Emilia Goch.

Another album presenting achievements of Pawel Lukaszewski (DUX Lukaszewski Collection). The characteristic stylistic language of Lukaszewski is close to artists such as Arvo P�rt, John Tavener, and Mikolaj G�recki, and at the same time it strongly refers to the pre-modern traditions of Renaissance vocal music and Gregorian chant. The key feature of this release is the cycle titled Beatus vir, composed in 1996-2007. It consists of eight songs recalling - successively in this recording - the following characters: Saint Adalbert, Saint Martin, Saint Stanislaus, Saint John of Dukla, Saint Paul, Saint Anthony, Saint Zygmunt Szczesny-Felinski, and the Venerable Servant of God Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski.

This is how Dvorak described his first encounter with the Third Symphony by Johannes Brahms: "I can say without exaggeration that this work surpasses his first two symphonies; if not in grandeur and power of conception, then surely in beauty! It's mood is not often found in Brahms. What glorious melodies are there! It is pure love, and the heart soars as one listens to it!" And in the same vein, we may add that the last two movements perfectly match Dvorak's Symphony No. 8, even if Brahms once said that Dvorak's Eighth was very well crafted as a symphony, but lacked the "most important thing." This contradictory viewpoint makes the present combination particularly informative. Another aspect of this concept album lies in the character of the two works, such as for instance the last movements: Brahms ends with a farewell song- anticipating Mahler, where after solemn, comforting chorales the music falters and dies away... and the audience, overwhelmed, remains silent, too. The contrast with Dvorak's last movement is extreme: this is a turbulent movement which begins with fanfares that almost bring us to our feet, and ends triumphantly, showing that Dvorak has entirely freed himself from the shackles of tradition.

MODERN LULLABIES is an original album created on the initiative of an outstanding flautist, Agata Kielar-Dlugosz. She invited renowned harpist Carlos Pe�a Montoya to participate in the project. The album contains premiere recordings of works by outstanding Polish and foreign composers for a rare combination of instruments, a duo of flute and harp. The presented collection of miniatures includes lullabies only, i.e. pieces derived directly from the utilitarian tradition of folk song, which over time, permanently and quite seriously, became part of world music. The most famous and well-established compositions in the history of music in the form of a lullaby include Johannes Brahms's Wiegenlied, Op. 49 No. 4 for voice and piano, Fryderyk Chopin's Berceuse in D-flat Major, Op. 57 for piano, or Gabriel Faur�'s Berceuse for violin with piano accompaniment.

Classical Music

This release presents 18 arias by Italian authors of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, all taken from the famous Alessandro Pasotti collection and performed on horn and piano. The Pasotti collection Ancient Arias was published for the first time in 1885 and for a very long time has been the main source for the knowledge of operistical music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These were times where musical philology was just at its beginning. The horn player Nilo Caracristi and the pianist Giancarlo Guarino perform eighteen arias chosen by themself with any changes from the original text published by Pasotti showing to the the audience both their cleverness and the exceptional communicative force of this music. This is an enjoyable release from the first to the last note.

Winfried Zillig arranged this recording in 1948 with a unique cast. The young Christa Ludwig, in one of her first recording sessions, gives an excellent interpretation of this opera.

Performance of works from the age of Henry Purcell have changed considerably since this 1960 live recording from Aix en Provence given the exponential growth in all things historically-informed, but there is still enormous pleasure to be gotten from listening to great singers sing the great stage works of any age, even if they fall on today's ears as at least somewhat dated in style. Conductor Pierre Dervaux leads a cast featuring Teresa Berganza as Dido, Hanny Steffek and the great Gerard Souzay as Aeneas in Purcell's Dido & Aeneas, in good sound, 24bit/96kHz remastered.

Drama, surprise, humour and still life - with a bubbling undertone of anarchy. Composer Ib Nørholm (b. 1931) presents us with a delightful twist on Danish nocturne and condensed music drama for two in Tavole per Orfeo. This world premiere recording by soprano Else Torp and guitarist Per Pålsson unfolds as a fascinating testimony to an inspired encounter between words and music and a meeting of strong artistic personalities. Else is a core member of Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices, with whom she has performed around the world.

American tenor and actor Mario Lanza (1921-1959) is the featured star on this two-disc set of newly re-mastered recordings from 1940-50, encompassing a time prior, on the whole, to his becoming a famed Hollywood star. +Features a varied menu of music from the Italian, French and American operatic and stage repertoire, including previously non-published recordings and rarities such as “Hallowen Suite”, “In A Persian Garden” and more.

The unforgettable passion and intensity that soprano Leonie Rysanek and baritone George London brought to their most famous pairing in Wagner's Der fliegende Hollander is well-represented here as well on this recording of a 1955 live performance of Tchaikovsky's Eugen Onegin, starring Ms. Rysanek as Tatyana and Mr. London as Onegin. Though already becoming less common at the time, the opera is sung in German translation rather than Russian for the Austrian audience in attendance. This historic recording has been remastered in 24bit/96kHz sound.