With their new release, the VocaMe vocal ensemble explores a unique chapter in medieval cultural history: the previously unrecorded works of the 13th-century Beguine mystic Hadewijch of Brabant. In close collaboration with Belgian scholars, they have created a program that impressively combines historical research with artistic imagination. Hadewijch's Old Flemish texts and songs are surprisingly sensual; the ceaseless quest for courtly love is reflected in nature, in spring and in the movement of the stars. The music ranges from calm and melancholic to lively and stirring, and even rhythmically accentuated. The vocal ensemble is accompanied by a selection of medieval instruments. This album is more than a musical realization - it is a poetic reimagining of one of the most compelling voices of medieval Europe. Hadewijch's vision of Minne emerges not as an abstract idea, but as a deeply human experience: sensual, searching, and timeless.

Between longing and farewell, memory and transformation, Viktor Ullmann's songs unfold as a universe of remarkable poetic intensity. Hard It Is to Leave Beauty Behind offers a richly faceted portrait of a composer whose voice resonates with particular urgency today: rooted in late Romanticism, sharpened by modernism, and indelibly marked by the upheavals of the twentieth century. Soprano Aurea Marston approaches this repertoire with acute textual sensitivity and a voice that balances radiance and fragility. At her side, Cornelia Lenzin shapes the piano part not as mere accompaniment but as an equal partner. The result is a recording that presents Ullmann's songs not simply as historical testimony, but as living art of timeless relevance-music that seeks to preserve beauty, even in the knowledge of it's transience.

Active in the musical milieu of the mid-eighteenth century, Christoph Schaffrath belonged to the circle of composers who shaped the distinctive artistic profile of the Prussian court under Frederick the Great. A highly regarded keyboard virtuoso, Schaffrath served for many years as harpsichordist to Princess Anna Amalia, Frederick's sister and an important musical patron in her own right. His music reflects the stylistic transition of the mid-eighteenth century: while grounded in the structural clarity and contrapuntal discipline of the late Baroque, it increasingly embraces the melodic immediacy, expressive contrasts, and rhetorical gestures characteristic of the Empfindsamer Stil. In this recording, the Polish harpsichordist Anna Firlus joins forces with the period-instrument ensemble {oh} Orkiestra Historyczna, directed by Martyna Pastuszka. Their historically informed interpretation illuminates the elegance, expressive nuance, and vibrant musical imagination that characterize Schaffrath's contribution to the eighteenth-century harpsichord concerto.

After nearly six years of artistic absence from the recording studio, soprano Simone Kermes returns with an album that is both deeply personal and stylistically wide-ranging: La Luce brings together Baroque operatic art, Classical concert arias, and the film-inspired sound worlds of the 20th century, forming a carefully conceived panorama of light and shadow. Kermes is accompanied by the Orchestra of the Warsaw Chamber Opera under the musical direction of Julien Salemkour. La Luce is far more than a stylistic collage. The album unfolds a musical dramaturgy that understands light as a metaphor for hope, transcendence, and emotional revelation. Simone Kermes employs her extraordinary technical mastery not as an end in itself, but as a means of shaping highly diverse expressive worlds - from Baroque affect rhetoric and Classical soul portraiture to modern, film-inspired sound poetry. In the sensitive yet powerful accompaniment by the Orchestra of the Warsaw Chamber Opera under Julien Salemkour, a homogeneous overall sound emerges that respects historical styles while placing them in a timeless context. La Luce thus proves to be an artistically ambitious concept album that brings different musical epochs into dialogue and once again presents Simone Kermes as an exceptional bridge between tradition and modernity.

Brahms' folk-song settings rank among the most poetic miniatures of his oeuvre. Poised between artful simplicity and Romantic inwardness, they preserve the inflection and narrative candour of oral tradition while elevating it into the realm of Kunstlied. By replacing the piano with guitar, this recording moves the songs closer to their vernacular roots: the texture becomes transparent, the timbre warmer, the expressive gesture more immediate. Sopranist Theresa Pilsl and baritone Jonas Muller approach these songs with idiomatic diction, stylistic acuity and compelling narrative presence - tender and lyrical, playfully dialogic and disarmingly direct. Leonard Becker shapes the guitar part with a refined ear for color and resonance. His playing unites rhythmic precision with cantabile phrasing, creating a breathing acoustic space in which the voices unfold naturally.

The six suites for solo cello by Johann Sebastian Bach (BWV 10071012) occupy a singular position within the instrumental canon. At once pedagogical, architectural, and profoundly spiritual, they explore the full polyphonic and rhetorical potential of a single melodic instrument. Their transmission history - preserved only in copies, without an autograph manuscript - already points to a degree of textual openness that has shaped their performance tradition for over two centuries. In this recording, violist Marc Sabbah approaches the cycle not as a transcription in the narrow sense, but as an idiomatic recontextualization. Performing the suites on the viola involves both subtle transpositions and carefully considered adjustments of voice-leading, guided by historical awareness and organological logic.

With this new recording of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Markus Poschner, presents a powerful artistic statement marking the beginning of a new era. Few works could have been more fitting for Poschner's debut as Chief Conductor in Basel in autumn 2025: Mahler's monumental Second Symphony unites existential depth with visionary sonic grandeur, demanding both emotional commitment and structural clarity. At the heart of Poschner's interpretation lies a deliberately streamlined, transparent, and finely balanced Mahler sound. Rather than overwhelming massiveness, he emphasizes precise articulation, subtle dynamic shading, and a clear projection of the orchestral lines. This approach brings out both the intricate layers of the score and the chamber-like moments that give Mahler's music it's distinctive tension. With this recording, Markus Poschner and the Basel Symphony Orchestra not only document a significant artistic beginning, but also set a strong example of a modern Mahler interpretation that unites emotional intensity with structural transparency.

With Seelenfrieden, tenor Martin Platz, the lautten compagney Berlin, and their artistic director Wolfgang Katschner present an impressive recording of 17th-century sacred music. The program combines vocal and instrumental works by Johann Philipp Krieger, Heinrich Schütz, Andreas Hammerschmidt, Dietrich Buxtehude, Johann Rosenmüller, and Johann Theile - composers who sought musical forms of expression for comfort, trust, and inner reflection during a time of profound social, political, and religious upheaval. The album focuses on psalm settings and sacred concertos whose texts touch on fundamental existential questions: fear and distress, lamentation and supplication, but also confidence, trust in God, and hope. Martin Platz, a member of the ensemble at the Nuremberg State Theater, interprets these sacred texts with extraordinary clarity and depth. His tenor voice combines a natural, effortless tone with precise articulation and a fine sense of musical rhetoric. The words always retain their weight; emotions are not displayed, but developed organically from the text. The result is an interpretation that is both emotionally immediate and stylistically reflective. The lautten compagney Berlin accompanies and comments on the stylistically confident vocal performance with the tonal transparency and stylistic sovereignty for which the ensemble is internationally renowned. The instrumental sound remains agile, colorful, and breathing; the continuo sensitively nuanced; the lines clearly contoured. Under Wolfgang Katschner's direction, a dialogical musical performance unfolds in which words and sound interpenetrate and deepen each other.

Tenor Daniel Behle fulfills a heartfelt wish and sings the "great" bel canto repertoire. However, he is not accompanied by a symphony orchestra, but by the renowned Alliage Quintet. The idea is as unusual as it is charming: instead of a full opera orchestra, four saxophones and a piano take center stage - sometimes shining velvety soft like strings, sometimes flashing virtuosically like brass instruments. Behle, one of the most versatile tenors of our time, sings arias that every opera lover carries in their heart-and which shine here in completely new colors. Bel canto with a wink, so to speak

Ravel Reflections not only presents an impressive artistic statement from Anton Gerzenberg, but also a kind of musical self-portrait: the young pianist proves himself to be an interpreter with analytical acumen, playful wit, and a captivating virtuosity that always remains committed to expression. His playing combines clarity and refinement with passion and a fearless willingness to take risks-qualities that made him the winner of the 2021 Géza Anda Competition and which also characterize this album.

With this double CD She Composed - Music by Women Composers, an artistically compelling and culturally significant project comes to life - one that combines musical quality, pedagogical vision, and editorial care in an exemplary way. The album presents piano works by women composers from several centuries and diverse cultural backgrounds, thoughtfully arranged in ascending levels of difficulty: from short, characterful miniatures to large-scale works of considerable technical and expressive demands. At the heart of the project lies it's carefully designed pedagogical concept. The selected works accompany pianists from early stages of learning to an advanced, concert-ready level. The result is a musical pathway that makes both technical development and growing expressive depth audible.

Following the huge success of the album Spotlight on John Williams, the City Light Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Griffiths, returns with an equally spectacular follow-up project: Sound of Adventure. The double CD brings together legendary film themes that embody a spirit of adventure, imagination, and emotional depth in equal measure-a tribute to the great soundscapes of Hollywood. An album that not only delights film music fans, but also impressively translates the orchestral artistry of the great screen composers into concert format.

This double CD brings together two of the most impressive sacred works of the 18th century, composed in different cultural and religious contexts - yet linked by their extraordinary expressive power: Jan Dismas Zelenka's little-known Missa Paschalis ZWV 7 and George Frideric Handel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline HWV 264. In the interpretation of the ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti under the direction of Lukas Wanner, these works unfold their full emotional and dramaturgical depth. Zelenka's Missa Paschalis, composed for Easter, is one of the Bohemian master's most original mass settings. It is juxtaposed with Handel's Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, a work of monumental dignity and haunting simplicity. The ensembles Zeronove and I pizzicanti approach these works with stylistic sensitivity and tonal transparency. Historically informed but never academic, they focus on expressive articulation, lively tempi and clear emotional expression.

With If Love's a Sweet Passion, soprano Arianna Savall, tenor Petter Udland Johansen, and the Freitagsakademieunder the direction of Katharina Suske present a carefully curated selection of vocal and instrumental works by Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel. The album illuminates essential aspects of Baroque affect, stylistic hybridity and dramatic rhetoric. It's program brings together Purcell's distinctly English musical language - marked by rhetorical clarity and subtle chromatic inflection - with Handel's Italianate, operatically expansive melodic writing and his masterful shaping of musical character. This recording unites two central Baroque traditions - the English 'consort style' of Purcell and the Italianate dramaturgy of Handel - within a coherent artistic and dramaturgical framework.

Capella de la Torre, one of Europe's most renowned early music ensembles, is starting a new chapter: future projects will be released on the Prospero Classical label. This exciting collaboration kicks off with the anniversary album 20 Years of Capella de la Torre, which will be released in the form of a high-quality digipack. With this recording, the ensemble celebrates two decades of intensive artistic work, numerous award-winning projects, and tireless curiosity about the sound worlds of the Renaissance and early Baroque, licensed by Sony Classical.

With it's new Dvorak recording, the Merel Quartet presents a vivid and insightful portrait of a composer who remains one of music's great humanists. Antonin Dvorak's chamber works combine direct melodic appeal, harmonic ingenuity, and an unmistakable warmth that speaks across generations. This album brings together key works from his late creative period, complemented by two rare gems in compelling arrangements for string quartet. Mary Ellen Woodside and Edouard Matzener (violins), Alessandro D'Amico, and Rafael Rosenfeld have long been central figures in the Swiss and international chamber music landscape. Their Dvooak interpretations are marked by refined timbre, structural insight, and an ensemble cohesion grounded in deep musical rapport.

The inspiring new album Shapes of Water by renowned pianist Carmen Stefanescu takes listeners on a captivating musical journey. Following her successful debut album with Prospero Classical, The Voice of Piano, the pianist has recorded pieces based on the theme of water for her new release. Water has always fascinated artists as a theme and symbol - it stands for purity and renewal, but also for mystery, movement and the transience of time. In her new album Shapes of Water, pianist Carmen Stefanescu transports her audience into a world of sound in which water itself becomes music: it trickles, glitters, flows - and always comes to rest.

Petter Udland Johansen has been known for years as an exceptional interpreter of early music. With his distinctive voice and keen sense of style and text interpretation, he has made a name for himself as a specialist in repertoire from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Now he is opening a new chapter: on his album Where Is Love, the versatile singer turns his attention for the first time to the great songs of the American Songbook timeless classics by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and other masters. Johansen is joined by Christian Gutfleisch, his ideal musical partner at the piano. Gutfleisch performs on a Bluthner grand piano from 1910, whose warm, velvety tone forms a poetic bridge between past and present. The instrument seems to carry within it the sound world of the very era in which many of these songs were written - while offering an abundance of color and intimacy that perfectly suits the duo's chamber-like approach.

Pianist Natalia Ehwald's debut album on Prospero Classical is dedicated entirely to the composer Franz Schubert. In addition to a selection of his (mainly early) landler and waltzes, the artist has chosen the late piano sonatas in A major, D664, and B flat major, D960. Both sonatas are characterised by their profound emotionality and unusual and pioneering harmonies. Particularly noteworthy is the fusion of lyrical melodies with complex structural elements that emphasise Schubert's singular mastery. They also show a remarkable development in form and expression, making them a high point in Schubert's oeuvre.

Principal conductor Ivor Bolton will bid farewell to 'his' orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra, in summer 2025 with a 'French' album. He will hand over the baton to his successor Markus Poschner for the new season. So as a farewell, here are symphonic and vocal works by Ernest Chausson. The Symphony in B flat major recorded here is characterised by it's lyrical melody and harmonic sophistication, which builds a bridge between romantic expressiveness and impressionistic sounds. In comparison, the vocal works also presented here, such as 'Viviane' or 'Helene', often have a more intimate, vocal quality that emphasises the human voice. These differences illustrate Chausson's versatility as a composer and his ability to combine fascinating instrumentation with profound emotions in both instrumental and vocal music.

In his new CD recording, Swiss pianist Christian Chamorel focuses on four key works for solo piano by W.A. Mozart: the sonatas in C minor, K. 457; B-flat major, K. 333; and D major, K. 576; as well as the expressive Fantasy in C minor, K. 475, which originate from very different creative phases. Chamorel succeeds in creating a subtle interpretation that brings Mozart's music to life from within. Every phrase, every change in dynamics, articulation, and tempo seems like the result of a well-considered artistic decision and, at the same time, like a spontaneous impulse born directly from the moment.

In his finely curated program Serenade, Swiss pianist Benjamin Engeli dedicates himself to the chamber music treasures of the extraordinary composers Agathe Backer-Grøndahl, Amy Beach, and Rebecca Clarke, bringing their lyrical miniatures, poetic soundscapes, and expressive character pieces to life. Engeli, one of the most distinguished pianists of his generation in Switzerland, impressively demonstrates the musical depth and emotional diversity of the work of these often underrated artists.

In this programme, 'Solomon's Knot' is dedicated to the popular hunting cantata BWV 208. Solomon's horn players are also given plenty to do in the 1st Brandenburg Concerto and the F major Mass - the bridge from the sacred to the secular is easily bridged.

Schuberts Divertissement sur des motifs originaux francais D 823 und Moscheles' Sonate in h-Moll fur Klavier vierhandig - sind anspruchsvolle vierhandige Klavierkompositionen, die virtuose Elemente mit melodischem Reichtum verbinden. Zudem zeigen sie eine Affinitat zur franzosischen Musiktradition.

Dvorak's symphonic poems are fascinating works because they offer a perfect combination of colourful orchestration, lively narrative art and deeply rooted Czech folk music tradition. The poems recorded here, 'The Water Goblin' (1896), 'The Midday Witch' (1896) and 'The Golden Spinning Wheel' (1896), in particular, demonstrate the composer's ability to paint musical pictures and tell stories in a haunting way.

August Fryderyk Duranowski (1770-1834) and Antonio Lolli (ca. 1725-1802) were both important violinists and composers of the 18th century. Duranowski was strongly supported by the Polish noble family of the Oginski, who financed his training with the famous violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti in Paris. Despite the temporal overlaps and stylistic similarities, there are no known direct connections between the Duranowski and Lolli, but interesting similarities and possible influences can be identified, such as the fact that both were outstanding virtuosos of their time. Antonio Lolli was known for his technical skills and his innovative contributions to violin playing technique, which laid the foundations for the modern violin style. Duranowski was also a brilliant virtuoso whose playing and compositions significantly influenced the development of violin music. His works are even said to have inspired Niccolo Paganini.

The pianist Alexandra Sostmann is not only known for her polished Bach playing, but also for her concert and CD programmes that trace developments and cross-connections in music history. In her latest CD recording, she remains true to this approach as she spans the period from the Baroque to the present day, seeking to shed light on the concept of music as a medium between immanence and transcendence that can be found in almost every culture. It is above all the transformations and transitions reflected in the music that fascinate the pianist. But silence also plays an important role - as an integral part of music and as a cipher for that which cannot be expressed in words.

The instrument 'flute' is closely associated with the Prussian king Frederick the Great and his residence Sanssouci, as the Prussian king was a passionate flutist and numerous works were composed for him. For the recorder player Isaac Makhdoomi, it is a special challenge to transfer these works, which were actually composed for a transverse flute, to his instrument. The idea behind this was to bring new aspects and facets to the works originally composed for the transverse flute, which he actually succeeds in doing brilliantly.