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.

Hailed by the magazine BBC Music for it's 'generous and warm-hearted, utterly beguiling playing', the GRAMMY�-nominated Neave Trio has emerged as one of the finest young ensembles of it's generation. For this, their eighth album, they have once again selected a programme of works by female composers. Written in 1846, the Piano Trio of Clara Schumann was considered a great success by her friends and supporters (notably by Brahms) but her lack of self-confidence clouded her own view of the piece. Intellectually curious and a voracious reader from an early age, Dora Pejacevic was largely self-taught as a composer. She composed her first piano trio (in D major) in 1905 (when she was twenty) and the second followed in 1910, by which time Pejacevic's musical language had already evolved into it's distinctive late-romantic style. Chaminade's Piano Trio No. 2 in A minor was published 1887, with a dedication to the great French cellist Jules Delsart. The successful premiere had been given at the Salle �rard on 4 February 1886. Chaminade went on to play the A minor Trio regularly during the 1890s, to substantial critical acclaim.

'Raptly revelatory and deeply communicative' (Fanfare): the earlier volumes of this Beethoven sonata cycle by Giovanni Bellucci have received an enthusiastic welcome in the international press, for the Italian pianist's depth of insight and his individual, dynamic response to this 'New Testament' of the keyboard. Now the newly recorded late sonatas are added to the previous two volumes to present a modern cycle, at a super-budget price, to set alongside distinguished pianists of former generations. The recordings have been made in the superb acoustics of the Salle de Musique at La Chaux de Fonds in Switzerland - the source of several previous and notable Beethoven recordings such as Claudio Arrau's late and magisterial address to most of the sonatas, on Philips. For this recording, Bellucci himself has acted as recording producer, assisted by sound engineering from Fabio Ferri, and the result is a sonata cycle of remarkable interpretative integrity, tracing in the most vivid terms Beethoven's evolution as a composer, from 18th-century rebel to 19th-century visionary. In this way the new set joins Bellucci's recordings of the nine symphonies as transcribed by Liszt, and the piano concertos, as a complete and artistically satisfying portrait of the composer. This box of sonatas is enhanced by an extensive introduction to the oeuvre by Bellucci, who discusses Beethoven in biographical and spiritual as well as musical terms. 'What exactly is the momentous decision that must be addressed by anyone wishing to perform Beethoven in the 21ist century?' asks Bellucci. 'In my view there can be no neglecting the life-giving flexibility of rhythm, a pliancy that eludes codification. Such flexibility calls for a deep understanding of musical syntax as well as perfect psychophysical coordination' - and in this regard he places himself in a distinguished interpretative tradition leading back to Artur Schnabel. The critics have agreed: 'Bellucci has a way through his approach to rhythm that makes the music inhale and exhale, rise and fall, in a totally natural way.. [that] transcended considerations of technical execution, the exquisite tone Bellucci draws from his Model D Steinway, and the exceptionally beautiful recording.,' (Fanfare). - This 9-CD set marks the completion of the Beethoven Piano Sonatas by Giovanni Bellucci. - Bellucci's Beethoven is highly personal, yet deeply searching for the meaning of the notes. His playing is free, with a strong sense of rhetoric and improvisation, adhering nevertheless strictly to the score and it's intentions. The result is fresh, exhilarating and illuminating, letting us marvel at the originality and genius of the music. Bellucci's humane vision of the music relates to Beethoven's own statement: "From the heart, may it return into the heart". - "Exhilarating, brilliant.never a dull moment.grandiosity of vision.", as Fanfare wrote enthusiastically. - Giovanni Bellucci is one of the most interesting and extraordinary pianists of today. Described by Piero Rattalino as "a force of nature, vast and palpitating", his playing is highly original, striving to recreate the original impact of the works he is playing: "he takes us back to the Golden Age of the Piano" wrote Le Monde. - His recordings, notably with works by Liszt, were showered with prizes such as Diapason d'Or, Choc, Editor's Choice, CD Maestro etc.

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The Teatro La Fenice opened in 1792 and is one of the most renowned and most beautiful theaters in the world. First performed in 2004, the New Year's Concert at Venice's Teatro La Fenice celebrates it's 20th anniversary in 2024 with an extravagant program. Conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi, this prestigious event features an exquisite blend of symphonic works and operatic masterpieces, including arias from operas such as Tosca, La traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. Accompanied by beautiful ballet interludes and a lively tribute to the 70th anniversary of Italian television, soprano Eleonora Buratto and tenor Fabio Sartori shine on stage and ring in the New Year with a burst of joyous brilliance.

In a palace at the edge of the Ottoman Empire, Constance, a noble captive, lives under the watchful guard of the powerful Pasha Selim, who longs for her heart. But Belmonte, her devoted lover, braves seas and dangers to find her. With the help of Pedrille, he attempts a daring escape, all under the suspicious eye of Osmin, the brutal yet comical guard. Nighttime intrigues, outlandish disguises, and eternal vows weave an exuberant comedy where emotions are put to the test. The Orchestre de l'Opera Royal, conducted by Gaetan Jarry, blends liveliness and eloquence to bring to life one of Mozart's most spirited works-performed in French!

Delos is thrilled to embark on a new journey with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and it's Music Director Stephane Deneve. What better statement of intent for their first album on the label than releasing the world premiere recording of three works by native St. Louisan and Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy�-winning composer Kevin Puts? Dedicated to the SLSO and Stephane, Concerto for Orchestra was written in response to the horrific school shooting that occurred in Uvalde in 2022. Silent Night Elegy is drawn from Kevin's acclaimed opera, which adapts Joyeux Noel, the award-winning film that tells the story of the spontaneous ceasefires along the Western Front on the first Christmas Eve of World War I. Inspired by Guillaume de Machaut, Virelai was commissioned for the opening concert of Stephane's tenure as Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This album celebrates the SLSO's dynamic partnership with Stephane and demonstrates the orchestra's commitment to artistic excellence and inclusive musical experiences.

The reissue of a glorious recording of Bach�s sacred masterwork, the St. Matthew Passion! This performance from the 70ties brings together two of the most esteemed choirs of Germany: the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Dresdner Kreuzchor, both with traditions going back to the times of the great Cantor Johann Sebastian. The Leipzig Gewandhausorchester and the choirs are conducted by the two brothers Mauersberger, Rudolf and Erhard, both famous for their deep understanding of the Baroque musical language. An excellent line up of soloists: Peter Schreier, Theo Adam, Hermann Christian Polter, Hans Joachim Rotsch. �Deeply moving�, the Gramophone wrote of this performance at the time of release, indeed a set to treasure as the testimony of a deeply felthistorical tradition of Bach performance.

In honor of what would have been Henri Dutilleux’s one-hundredth birthday, this commemorative box set is being released by The Seattle Symphony. This three-volume series is a critically acclaimed overview of all of Dutilleux’s major works for orchestra. This is an essential collector’s item for any lover of 20th century French music. The individual releases included in this box set have been nominated for a number of honors, included Grammy Award nominations for Best Orchestral Performance, Best Engineered Album, Classical, and received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo by Augustin Hadelich.

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REVIEW:

The defining recording project of Ludovic Morlot’s tenure as music director in Seattle, this luscious three-disc set is a compendium of the orchestral canvases of Henri Dutilleux, whose centenary has been celebrated this year. It’s all played with considerable refinement, but there are particularly special results when the poised violinist Augustin Hadelich joins in for “L’arbre des songes” and “Sur le même accord.”

­– New York Times (David Allen)

The present edition contains the complete productions released by cpo between 1993 and 2018 on the subject of Michael Haydn's symphonies and wind concertos. During the course of a quarter of a century, as might well be imagined, a wealth of material accumulated that could not be put to renewed use without considerable cuts. Nine authors had contributed information about the sources and special qualities of the music to the original releases, which necessarily led to duplications, repetitions, and other redundancies that were to be avoided in the compilation. Moreover, it took some time for the numbering system currently in use for the works to be implemented. The authors initially continued to refer exclusively to the �Thematisches Verzeichnis der Instrumentalwerke von Michael Haydn� (to which we have assigned the letter P) that Lothar Perger had presented in the Denkmaler der Tonkunst in osterreich (DTo). The �enumeration� by the American musicologist Charles H. Sherman (1929-2018) later began to Appear in the booklets. Sherman initially compiled a provisional catalogue and then in 1993 published Johann Michael Haydn: A Chronological Thematic Catalogue of his Works in collaboration with T. Donley Thomas. This chronological listing (MH) and the P numbers, which soon will be 120 years old, are used whenever possible for the identification of the works recorded here. Our wish is that this unique edition may bring you great pleasure.

American Tapestry by the Calidore String Quartet weaves together a panoramic portrait of American musical expression across the 20th and 21st centuries. The programme spans Samuel Barber's lyrical String Quartet No. 1, featuring the iconic Adagio; Wynton Marsalis's jazz-inflected At the Octoroon Balls; and John Williams's With Malice Toward None-here in it's world premiere string quartet version. The album concludes with Erich Korngold's radiant String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, written in postwar Los Angeles. Together, these works reveal a vibrant continuum of American artistry-a sound world both richly diverse and deeply unified in spirit.

Composed at the age of 19, Rachmaninov's earliest published cycle of piano pieces, the Morceaux de Fantaisie, contains the Pr�lude in C-sharp minor, destined to become his signature work, and the M�lodie in E major, much loved by Tchaikovsky. The expressive Morceaux de Salon show Tchaikovsky's influence and some of the grief felt by Rachmaninov after his mentor's death. With the inclusion of the melodically rich Nocturnes and the Four Pieces, the earliest to survive in his hand, this collection shows both the young composer finding his voice and the timeless Rachmaninov we recognise today.

No wonder the stellar team of pianists Eric Zuber and Boris Slutsky found Rachmaninoff's works for two pianos irresistible. The two had a shared history: Mr. Slutsky was Mr. Zuber's piano teacher beginning when the latter was a mere 11. Here, instructor and student have now become equal partners with a shared aesthetic. "Like many pianists (and listeners), I've always felt deeply connected to Rachmaninoff's music," says Eric Zuber. "Precisely identifying what makes it resonate so profoundly with so many people is challenging, but for me, it's his sincerity of expression, emotional honesty, and exceptional craftsmanship in writing for the piano. Through his distinctive musical language, Rachmaninoff captures the complexities of human emotion-our joys, loves, and sorrows-in ways words alone cannot fully express.