Jimin Oh-Havenith shines in a compelling Brahms programme - illuminating his profound impact on piano music after Beethoven through variations, character pieces, and his breathtaking take on Bach's Chaconne.

The first of two discs by Pieter Wispelwey that will be released in 2023 is a re-assembling of previously released recordings of works by Schubert. This short series is titled In Memoriam and is inspired by a grave loss Pieter suffered a few months ago. The disc includes Schubert’s masterpieces for violin and piano, transcribed for cello – and the most famous Trockne Blumen, originally for flute. To accompany Pieter on piano is his faithful musical companion Paolo Giacometti.

Ben van Oosten is the superstar of symphonic organ music. His multiple award-winning recordings of almost the entire French Romantic organ repertoire are highly acclaimed worldwide. With this dedication to the German Romantic repertoire with masterpieces spanning from Mendelssohn to Reger, van Oosten takes listeners on a sonorous journey through a century of music history that is inspiring in every way.

The Schwetzingen Festival concerts were dedicated to Chopin in 1999 on the 150th anniversary of his death. Four pianists were invited to the event. Three of them, Lilya Zilberstein, Anatole Ugorski and Andrei Gavrilov were 'stars' of Deutsche Grammophon. The fourth was Idil Biret who had not attained 'star' status as it was only available to those with contracts with the so-called "major" record labels. But, she had been the first pianist ever to record the complete works of Chopin for solo piano and with piano and orchestra for Naxos, received a Grand Prix du Disque Frederic Chopin in Warsaw in 1995 for this and was to be decorated with one of the highest orders of Poland by President Kaczynsky in 2007. Idil Biret did something no other pianist could do. Dr. Peter Stieber wrote: "Your own Chopin evening was then the breath-taking testimony of a great artist. We all could experience together how in your hands the wonderful music of Chopin begun truly to blossom."

It was not until 1884, and the publication of the Prelude, Choral & Fugue, that César Franck would truly begin to develop his personal voice – innovative and ground-breaking whilst at the same time reverent to the greats of the past, and displaying a spirituality both introverted and extroverted. Despite being performed far less frequently in concert than the Prelude, Choral & Fugue, the Prelude, Aria & Finale is no less masterful in its construction, and with it being written in September 1887 it would be the last work he would write for the instrument.

It was not until 1886 that Franck published his first and only Sonata for violin and piano. And it was with this work that Franck finally received the acclaim and admiration that had somehow evaded a man of his talents for so many years. Here van der Velde plays it in the rare transcription for piano solo by Alfred Cortot. The fourth piece of this recording is the even rarer transcription of the Prélude, Fugue and Variations by the great Polish virtuoso Ignaz Friedman.

Jan Von Busch and Johann Blanchard have compiled true highlights from the modest repertoire for the once-so-popular pairing of organ and piano. Recorded exclusively for MDG on the historic W�ldner organ from 1874, the restored instrument harmonises perfectly with the magnificent Bechstein grand piano. The organ's small size creates the possibility of truly balanced music-making with the piano in respect of dynamics, allowing a natural reproduction of French concert halls and salons of the 19th century - a programme of rare value!

Sony Classical is pleased to announce a new batch of reissues from the CBS/Sony and RCA Victor/BMG back catalogs. This latest installment of the popular series showcases Mozart and Chopin along with conductor Robert Craft’s pioneering Webern recordings and the global journeys of that irrepressible musical explorer Yo-Yo Ma.

The Tunisian-born French pianist Jean-Marc Luisada, a prize-winner at the 1985 Warsaw Chopin Competition, has earned an international reputation as a distinctive Chopin interpreter. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Luisada made a series of recordings for RCA: the complete Mazurkas, Waltzes and Ballades, the B minor Sonata and a chamber arrangement of the First Concerto (joined by the Talich Quartet), among numerous other works. MusicWeb International wrote that “the most stunning aspect of his artistry is his exploratory approach to Chopin. He uses every phrase to probe into Chopin’s sound-world and psyche, also displaying a total command of the keyboard’s resources.” As ClassicsToday wrote about Luisada’s Chopin: “The pianist compels you to listen.” All his RCA Chopin recordings are now reissued in a 6-album Sony Classical box.

REVIEW:

Sony/BMG has gathered together nearly all of Jean-Marc Luisada’s RCA Chopin recordings in a budget box. The set includes Luisada’s RCA cycles of the 14 “standard” Waltzes, the Mazurkas, and the four Ballades, along with some of these works in alternate recorded versions.

Luisada’s Chopin B minor sonata flies all over the place metrically, yet his bottomless pit of local details and ravishing legato hold your attention. My comments about Luisada’s Chopin B minor sonata apply to other larger-scaled works like the aforementioned Ballades, the Scherzos Nos. 2 and 4, the Barcarolle, the F minor Fantasie, and the Polonaise-Fantasie.

Luisada’s creative juices and refined fingers thoughtfully coalesce when collaborating with the Talich Quartet and double bassist Benjamin Berlioz in the most musically satisfying chamber edition of the Concerto No. 1 in E minor I’ve heard on disc.

--ClassicsToday.com (Jed Distler)

The Transcendental Études form a cycle of twelve pieces whose composition began in 1826 and was completed in 1851. Starting from the idea of an encyclopædic collection which, in the manner of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Liszt’s Transcendental Études became something of a seismograph of his compositional aesthetic, first strongly under the influence of Paganini, later more in the style of character pieces. These études are among the most difficult works ever written for the piano. Together with Chopin’s Études, they serve as a basis for piano technique, some of them already prefiguring musical impressionism, and they had a significant influence on subsequent piano music, most notably that of Debussy, Rachmaninov, Bartók, and Ligeti.

In 2009, Haochen Zhang was the youngest pianist ever to receive the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Since then, he has captivated audiences worldwide with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination and spectacular virtuosity. After two releases devoted to concertos (Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky, BIS-2381 and Beethoven, BIS-2581), Zhang returns to the solo recital with this disc devoted to some of the most important works in the repertoire of modern pianists.

REVIEW:

Haochen Zhang’s Liszt Transcendental Etudes are bound to attract intense scrutiny, in light of these works’ recent proliferation in the catalog and Zhang’s growing prominence on the international piano scene. The brief opening Prelude’s individual touches are totally borne out by the score: such as the accented ascending left-hand lines, or how the marcatissimo chords take on a slashing ferocity when played strictly in tempo, as opposed to the broadening one hears from most pianists.

Some may find the second etude too compulsively detailed where inner voices sometimes stick out to a fault, while the upward leggermente triplets are on the careful, studio-bound side. It takes a while for Paysage’s long lines to truly resonate and soar. Mazeppa’s thickets of notes hold no difficulties for Zhang’s technique, yet his clattery, undifferentiated textural layering pales next to the extraordinary three-dimensional perspectives revealed in Yunchan Lim’s 2022 Van Cliburn Competition semi-finals performance.

Happily, Zhang’s fusion of breathtaking speed and felicitous poetry make for a Feux Follets worthy to mention alongside those of Sviatoslav Richter and Minoru Nojima. The pianist builds Vision in steadily moving blocks, and wisely starts out less loudly than Liszt indicates in order for the fortes and fortissimos to make a stronger impact. He takes more than usual dramatic advantage of Eroica’s fermatas, while his muted deliberation in the main section transforms the music into more of a funeral than military march.

To my ears, Zhang’s swiftness and clipped articulation in Wilde Jagd’s broken octaves and rapid-fire chords evokes not so much a royal hunt as a Road Runner cartoon. However, the lyrical Ricordanza features some of Zhang’s most direct, and stingingly proportioned pianism in the cycle. His forthright pacing and wide dynamic scope in Harmonies du Soir convey a similar impression. While it’s impressive how Zhang shapes and controls No. 10 to the extent that he does with little help from the sustain pedal, the effects draw more attention to themselves rather than to the music’s underlying agitato subtext. By contrast, the pianist’s variety of touch and timbre minimizes the tremolo texture’s potential for fatigue and monotony.

In sum, you may not agree with all of Zhang’s interpretive decisions, yet he clearly is a thinking and often stimulating virtuoso who leaves a strong imprint on these oft-recorded works. With that in mind, I prefer the conceptual consistency and more settled musicality of an earlier BIS Liszt Etudes from pianist Laszlo Simon (a/k/a Joyce Hatto, for those who remember the scandal we helped to uncover back in 2007). I also should mention that Yunchan Lim’s stunning Liszt cycle from the Cliburn is imminent from Steinway & Sons, hence its inclusion among the reference versions.

-- ClassicsToday.com (Jed Distler)

The lasting fame of conductor Karl Böhm is based on qualities that were praised by listeners, musicians and critics throughout his long career: his discipline and meticulousness when rehearsing compositions as well as his modesty, his willingness to take second place to work and composer. After many years serving as principal conductor in several opera houses he left his administrative duties behind and embarked on an international career as an acclaimed guest, concert and opera conductor. He was regularly invited by the New York Met and the Deutsche Oper Berlin, to the festivals in Salzburg (as of 1938) and Bayreuth (as of 1962), he gave guest performances from Tokyo to Moscow, from Milan to Buenos Aires, and at the broadcasting corporations in Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart where he was invited whenever there was something important to celebrate.

The Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart (formerly known under a few different names and since 2016 merged with its sister from Baden-Baden and Freiburg to form the SWR Symphonieorchester) not only played in its home region, the Southwest of Germany, but toured extensively all over Europe. It has a catalogue of several hundreds of recordings and accompanied during its history many famous soloists. Branka Musulin was an extraordinary pianist who worked with some of the most important conductors of her time, among them Willem Mengelberg, Hermann Abendroth, Franz Konwitschny, Georg Solti and Sergiu Celibidache.

Greatest ever Danish pianist in concert - His activities as a soloist and his increasingly comprehensive work as a teacher were central to his ?nal years from about 1950 until his death in 1967. Here I am thinking not only of his teaching as a professor at the conservatoire, but even more of his efforts to stimulate and encourage interest in classical music. One of his tools was television. TV was completely new. Many people were interested in it, and in Denmark only one channel was available. This was Danmarks Radio, which only transmitted a few hours daily. It opened up a unique opportunity for Schiøler to gain access to “the general public” in this way. There were many broadcasts which had the title “About the Piano” in common. In this series the sound track of Schubert’s Wanderer Fantasy has already been included in Vol 4. Besides the music, viewers could also hear Schiøler’s eloquent, inspiring and appealing introductions. Volume 6 also includes an example from these broadcasts. Schiøler introduces and talks about Saint-Saëns’ Variations for two pianos on a theme of Beethoven. The theme is the trio from the minuet in the Sonata in E?at, op. 31 no. 3. The variations make considerable demands on the two pianists, who constantly cast little bits of the theme to each other which they then have to grab in such a way that it never affects the pulse and continuity of the music. It demands perfect synchronization between the two players, here Schiøler and his pupil Peter Westenholz (1937 – 2008). And it is a joy to listen to them playing together! The recording was made in Schiøler’s own home on his two Hornung og Møller concert grands.

After recording the sonatas for violin and piano by Ludwig van Beethoven, a triptych that won numerous awards, including the Juno for Classical Album of the Year - Small Ensemble (2022) and an ADISQ award, Andrew Wan and Charles Richard-Hamelin continue their fruitful collaboration by performing the complete sonatas for violin and piano by Robert Schumann (1810-1856). A perfect work to highlight the complicity that has developed between the concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the pianist who won the silver medal at the 2015 Frédéric Chopin International Piano Competition.

From 8.501207 Idil Biret Concertos and Slow Music Edition

The Wiener Staatsoper presents a Wagner classic staged by duo Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, who showcase Lohengrin as a crime thriller with a twist. At the podium is Christian Thielemann, who more than proves his reputation as the Wagner-expert par excellence. On stage, David Butt Philip as the titular Lohengrin is a "heldentenor with radiance and stamina" (Kleine Zeitung), while Malin Bystrom portrays an Elsa who might not be as innocent as the libretto suggests and convinces with "dramatic furore" (Der Standard). Anja Kampe sings her Ortrud "beautifully, yet so expressively, with such diction" (Kurier) and Martin Gantner's Telramund is "flawless in it's precision" (News). / "When it comes to Wagner, Christian Thielemann really is in a class of his own" (Der Standard) / "The choirs were a force to be reckoned with, and the orchestra proved it's outstanding quality in harmony with the great Wagnerian Thielemann" (Salzburger Nachrichten)

Sonya Yoncheva has long been fascinated by George Sand. Writer, dramaturg, and literary critic, a journalist and an intellectual, the lover of Alfred de Musset and then of Frederic Chopin as well as being a friend of Franz Liszt, Pauline Viardot and Marie Dorval, and beyond her remarkable destiny as a woman blessed with the "glorious and complete independence" which in her age was reserved solely for men, Sand embodies the entire spirit, the essence even, of the 19th century. It is in the first place her boldness, approaching the intrepid, which appeals to the Bulgarian soprano. Sand showed daring for all of her life, and what a fount of inspiration her writings are, on all kinds of topics. Whether political, social, cultural, artistic, how pertinent they are, and how their vibrant, trenchant language dazzles! George Sand loved the arts unconditionally. And so this programme opens the doors to us, revealing her artistic universe and bringing her passions to life. Her house, her kitchen, her salon stir into action again, in this soiree in the company of her friends, these artists to whom she was so close and who, respectfully and with tender affection, listened to each other, conversed, laughed, and celebrated in music and poetry. Here, George Sand do not sing, nor do she play an instrument. So Sonya Yoncheva portrays her by reading some of her words. They bear witness to the sparkling, glittering nature of the "Lady of Nohant". What surprises there are throughout this recital! If the passionate urges of Alfred de Musset, fervent or, as so often, disappointed, nourish this journey equally, so the sumptuous Nuit de decembre by Ruggero Leoncavallo, the more hedonistic examples of Pauline Viardot, these two Mazurkas by Chopin transformed into melodies with Louis Pomey's slightly schoolboyish texts, or more obscurely the "medley" of Les Bohemiennes, marrying diverse motifs, of Brahms's Hungarian Dances, also delight heart and mind - a beautiful homage to the innate music that derives from folk and popular traditions, something that George Sands so frequently and tenderly extolled.

The Wiener Staatsoper presents a Wagner classic staged by duo Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, who showcase Lohengrin as a crime thriller with a twist. At the podium is Christian Thielemann, who more than proves his reputation as the Wagner-expert par excellence. On stage, David Butt Philip as the titular Lohengrin is a "heldentenor with radiance and stamina" (Kleine Zeitung), while Malin Bystrom portrays an Elsa who might not be as innocent as the libretto suggests and convinces with "dramatic furore" (Der Standard). Anja Kampe sings her Ortrud "beautifully, yet so expressively, with such diction" (Kurier) and Martin Gantner's Telramund is "flawless in it's precision" (News). / "When it comes to Wagner, Christian Thielemann really is in a class of his own" (Der Standard) / "The choirs were a force to be reckoned with, and the orchestra proved it's outstanding quality in harmony with the great Wagnerian Thielemann" (Salzburger Nachrichten)

Sony Classical releases the fourth installment of Christian Thielemann’s complete cycle of Anton Bruckner’s symphonies with the Vienna Philharmonic – the orchestra’s first Bruckner cycle under a single conductor. “The claim that this orchestra is essentially the only genuine original sound ensemble for the music of Anton Bruckner should remain beyond dispute” raves Die Presse. The Vienna Philharmonic premiered four of Bruckner’s nine symphonies and has enjoyed a unique relationship with the Austrian composer’s music since 1873, when it gave the first performance of his Symphony No 2.

Thielemann has come as close as possible to the ideal Bruckner sound with the Vienna Philharmonic: full-toned, warm, with registrations that are full of countless colours, clear without sounding harsh and well-contoured without seeming angular. Thielemann’s interpretations of Bruckner’s music are rooted on deep expertise and sympathy. Few conductors can match the solemnity and patience he finds in composer’s symphonies, or his ability to draw on the unparalleled beauty of the orchestra’s sound and the special acoustic of its home in Vienna, the Musikverein.

Christian Thielemann, Principal Conductor of the Staatskapelle Dresden and Artistic Director of the Salzburg Easter Festival since 2013, is his generation’s most esteemed interpreter of the Romantic Austro-German repertoire. In the midst of a mutually stimulating relationship with the Vienna Philharmonic, he conducted his first New Year’s Concert with the orchestra in 2019.

The Vienna Philharmonic will issue the final release of the live cycle in 2024, marking 200 years since the Bruckner’s birth.

With an outstanding cast and Jan Philipp Gloger's innovative staging, Bregenzer Festspiele's Tancredi becomes a fresh reimagining of Rossini's opera, set in the world of organized crime and reframing the traditionally heterosexual love story as a queer romance. This bold reinterpretation is brought to life by Anna Goryachova and Melissa Petit, whose performances capture the emotional depth and tragedy of their love. "The two women are sensational... both vocally and dramatically" (Augsburger Allgemeine). Under the baton of Yi-Chen Lin, the Wiener Symphoniker "throw themselves diligently into the opera's multifaceted details" (SWR). "Modern opera at it's absolute finest!" (Kronenzeitung)

Reviewing previous issues of Schumann's piano music played by Constantino Catena, critics in Fanfare have noted the Italian pianist's affinity for the composer's unique sound world, it's peculiar subtleties and idiosyncrasies. 'Catena's playing is a precise balance of fluidity and markedness' (Davidsbundlertanze); 'he plays with wonderful tone and fine sensibility' (Fantaisie). For this new recording, made on a Yamaha CFX instrument in May 2024, he turns to a pair of cycles comparatively neglected within Schumann's pianistic output. While his fellow Italian Dino Ciani made a famous recording of the Novelettes Op.21 back in the 60s, the sequence of eight works has never attracted the attention of works like the Fantaisie or Kreisleriana, yet they embody the composer's inspiration in full spate. Schumann wrote to Clara early in 1838: 'In the last three weeks I have composed an extraordinary amount of music: hilarious things, Egmont stories, family scenes with fathers, a wedding.' True to their title, each Novellette tells a story in miniature, abundant in the poetic division between the heroic Florestan and dreamy Eusebius by which Schumann crystallised his own creative temperament. They also make a satisfyingly progressive sequence which culminates in the longest and most complex work in the cycle, alternately dancing and surging towards a grand apotheosis. By complement, the quartet of Nachtstucke Op.23 is a more introspective cycle, marked by a spirit of obsession which finds expression in piano writing of greater severity, less floridity and exuberance. The cycle was probably conceived in the wake of his brother Eduard's death; No.1 describes a cortege passing and receding from view. On Brilliant Classics, Catena has made premiere recordings of the piano music by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, rediscovered at the Staatsbibliothek in Munich and edited by him, for Edizioni Curci, as well as all the chamber music with piano by the same composer. Also for Brilliant Classics, he recorded Franco Margola's Double Concerto for violin, piano and orchestra. 'Catena's technical facility is astounding. The overall range of dynamics, colour and expression is excellent, and you can hear that he is always in control of the direction of the piece. He is a formidable artist' (Philip Borg-Wheeler, Fanfare). - The Novelletten, Op.21, composed by Robert Schumann in 1838, is a set of eight character pieces for solo piano. Schumann (1810-1856) told his friend and teacher Heinrich Dorn that this music could only be understood with reference to the figure of Clara Wieck, and to the battles he fought on behalf of their love for each other. These works reflect Schumann's literary and imaginative tendencies, as the title suggests "little novellas" or short stories, aligning music with the narrative qualities of literature. Written during a highly creative period in his life, these pieces are imbued with contrasting moods and themes, often shifting between passionate, lyrical, and whimsical styles. - Each piece in the set has it's own distinct character while sharing thematic connections. The Novelletten showcase Schumann's mastery of piano writing, featuring intricate textures, rhythmic vitality, and expressive melodies. There is an interplay of contrasting sections within each piece, often marked by sudden changes in tempo and dynamics, which mirrors Schumann's fascination with duality and juxtaposition, possibly inspired by his alter egos Florestan and Eusebius - representing his fiery and introspective sides. - Also included in the recording are the Nachtstucke Op.23, which Schumann composed in March 1839. They are based on literary works by E.T.A. Hoffmann. - Costantino Catena studied piano under the guidance of Luigi D'Ascoli and then went on to specialize with Konstantin Bogino, Boris Bechterev, Bruno Mezzena and Aldo Ciccolini. Currently a piano teacher at the Salerno Conservatory of Music, he also holds degrees in Philosophy and Psychology. Praise for his previous CDs: 'A pianist in whom the art of singing on the keyboard shines above all with phrasing inventions that demonstrate his exquisite musical intelligence' (Carlo Vitali, Amadeus), 'Catena's technical facility is astounding. The overall range of dynamics, color and expression is excellent, and you can hear that he is always in control of the direction of the piece. He is a formidable artist' (Philip Borg-Wheeler, Fanfare Magazine).

Between Lise de la Salle and Franz Liszt, is an affinity, one could say a love story, that has lasted for more than twenty years. For her second album, recorded in 2005 when she was only seventeen, she had him paired with Bach (V5006). Six years later (V5267, 2011), she recorded her first all-Liszt album, a rather dark disc, where the tragic and relentless Funerailles and Apres une lecture du Dante rubbed shoulders with the heartbreaking nudity of Nuages gris and Lacrymosa. Unrolling this Ariadne's thread once again, the French pianist now defends two of the greatest masterpieces, surprisingly complementary, of the most cosmopolitan composer of European Romanticism. A summing up of Lisztian art, the Sonata in B minor, reserved for pianists with wrists of steel and hearts of gold, shines with a particular glow in the piano repertoire of the 19th century. Sensitive to the myriad nuances of this splendid fresco structured as an uninterrupted movement, Lise de la Salle balances here with astonishing ease the dramatic impact of Goethe's Faust and the contemplative lyricism present in the tonal landscapes of the Annees de pelerinage. The assiduous frequentation of the Lisztian universe will have facilitated the in-depth analysis of the Sonata, which quickly became for the pianist an integral part of her artistic persona?and yet, what a maelstrom of sounds! The final part of the Harmonies poetiques et religieuses, the Cantique d'amour, played here as an escape towards the light, introduces the Reminiscences de Don Juan, a fantasy in the form of variations which, through it's overwhelming emotional power, works as an answer to the Sonata. A great admirer of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Lise de la Salle restores the nobility of this now rarely performed work. Liszt takes up famous motifs from Mozart's opera, in an aesthetic full of passion, in which he magnifies his striking art of contrasts and his dazzling virtuoso writing. By placing these Reminiscences as a mirror of the Sonata, Lise de la Salle gets as close as possible to Lisztian genius at the same time as she refines her art of dark atmospheres.

With an outstanding cast and Jan Philipp Gloger's innovative staging, Bregenzer Festspiele's Tancredi becomes a fresh reimagining of Rossini's opera, set in the world of organized crime and reframing the traditionally heterosexual love story as a queer romance. This bold reinterpretation is brought to life by Anna Goryachova and Melissa Petit, whose performances capture the emotional depth and tragedy of their love. "The two women are sensational... both vocally and dramatically" (Augsburger Allgemeine). Under the baton of Yi-Chen Lin, the Wiener Symphoniker "throw themselves diligently into the opera's multifaceted details" (SWR). "Modern opera at it's absolute finest!" (Kronenzeitung)

The Japanese harpist Nagisa Tanaka is the winner of the 11th International Harp Competition "Suoni d'Arpa", 2022 edition. The recording of the CD, offered by Tactus to the young artist, features a selection of compositions spanning from the late 18th century to the final echoes of the historical 20th century. The works primarily include opera transcriptions and pieces derived from dance music, enriched by two intriguing explorations: a variation on a popular aria (Paer) and a transcription from piano (Respighi). This diverse repertoire highlights the technical and musical brilliance of the exceptionally talented Japanese harpist, who performs on the exquisite "Iris naturale" model by Salvi Harps, a world- renowned Italian company specializing in the design and craftsmanship of harps.

For his performance of Johannes Brahms's symphonies, Kirill Petrenko returns to their roots - and to his own: in Meiningen. Hans von B�low was the first to perform Brahms's works there, before Fritz Steinbach succeeded him as court conductor in 1886. Thanks to Brahms's regular visits to Meiningen, Steinbach became extremely familiar with his music during his 17 years at the court - and meticulously recorded the composer's wishes as performance notes in the scores.

Inspired by the spirit of Bach, Karl-Andreas Kolly explores traces of Bach in Mendelssohn's piano works and discovers Mendelssohn's deep connection with Bach in his Organ Sonatas, which through Kolly's transcriptions of astonishingly pianistic effect show the great composer in a completely new light.

A rare jewel among the piano repertoire, Dvořák’s Poetic Tone Pictures, a cycle of piano solo works, is mostly unknown to the public.

Following the great success of his Sibelius album in 2017, Leif Ove Andsnes once again brings lesser known piano music into the spotlight, delivering a treasure chest of accessible and romantic tunes performed with artistic brilliance. With his commanding technique and searching interpretations, Leif Ove Andsnes has won worldwide acclaim, performing in the world’s leading concert halls and with its foremost orchestras. An avid chamber musician, he is also the founding director of Norway’s Rosendal Chamber Music Festival.

For generations, the noble family of the House of Szechenyi have played a decisive role in shaping Hungary's destiny. Katharina Ruckgaber and Tamas Egresi, accompanied by Helmut Deutsch, have compiled a representative selection of songs from the large repertoire of poems and compositions; an impressive testimony to the wide-ranging interests and talents of one of Europe's most important aristocratic families.

During their long collaboration (1997 - 2019) Thomas Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra developed a project they named ‘Opening Doors’, performing orchestral works from the Romantic era with the smaller-than-usual forces of a chamber orchestra. Due to the often revelatory results of this approach, the team went on to present at concerts around the world and on several recordings. This box set brings together an important chapter of the project: Robert Schumann’s orchestral music, symphonies as well as overtures. In addition to his four symphonies - including both versions of No. 4 - this collection presents the Zwickau Symphony, an early, unfinished work from 1832-33, as well as a divertimento-like sequence of movements, Overture, Scherzo and Finale.

Of the six overtures included in the set some are well-known, like the overture to Genoveva, Schumann’s only opera, and the Manfred Overture which Clara Schumann regarded as ‘one of the most poetic and most gripping of Robert’s pieces’. Other, less often heard works will constitute pleasant discoveries. The three albums included in the set were greeted with critical acclaim on their individual releases, earning distinctions in magazines such as Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and Fono Forum. Summing up the cycle, the reviewer in Fanfare described it as ‘close to being the most thrilling Schumann symphony series on the market, with sawing violins smoking down to the bridge and timpani-like rifle shots.’

Past praise for the albums included in this edition:

Symphony No. 1 & Overtures

Right from the opening fanfares, there's a sense of joy and exhilaration, and the openness of the orchestral textures brings freshness and clarity. The ensemble’s lithe flexibility is used to the full by Dausgaard, whose instincts on tempo are persuasive, and the dramatic tension underpinning the work isn't allowed to evaporate.

-- BBC Music Magazine

Symphonies Nos. 2 & 4

The Second Symphony is revealing with keen accents and prominent inner voices, the latter half of the slow introduction biting and muscular, the main Allegro superbly built. In the Scherzo Dausgaard slows and softens the bridge passage appealingly, accentuating the dizzy flight back to the main subject. In the achingly beautiful Adagio, top line and accompaniment seem to lean on each other to ease the pain, and in speeding for the finale's second set Dausgaard intensifies the argument, making fresh sense of it.

-- Gramophone

Dausgaard is not the first conductor to use the 1841 version of the D minor Symphony… but… this performance, given by an orchestra of the size of Schumann himself would have known brings it vividly to life.

-- BBC Music Magazine

In this interpretation of Verdi's MacBeth, stage director Christof Loy skillfully navigates the interplay of light and dark, infusing the opera - based on Shakespeare's work - with remarkable depth and drama. The outstanding vocal ensemble vividly captures the psychological nuances of the characters, featuring Ludovic Tezier as the paranoid MacBeth and Martina Serafin as Lady MacBeth, the mastermind behind the crimes. Giampaolo Bisanti pours his passion into the score, while The Symphony Orchestra and the Liceu Choir deliver exceptional performances in response. Consequently, the audience experiences a flawless blend of lyrics and music, crafted by the Milanese composer, librettist Francesco Maria Piave, and poet Andrea Maffei. "It is a unique scenography." El Pais

In this interpretation of Verdi's MacBeth, stage director Christof Loy skillfully navigates the interplay of light and dark, infusing the opera - based on Shakespeare's work - with remarkable depth and drama. The outstanding vocal ensemble vividly captures the psychological nuances of the characters, featuring Ludovic Tezier as the paranoid MacBeth and Martina Serafin as Lady MacBeth, the mastermind behind the crimes. Giampaolo Bisanti pours his passion into the score, while The Symphony Orchestra and the Liceu Choir deliver exceptional performances in response. Consequently, the audience experiences a flawless blend of lyrics and music, crafted by the Milanese composer, librettist Francesco Maria Piave, and poet Andrea Maffei. "It is a unique scenography." El Pais

Christian Ferras will most likely be remembered as the violinist who was filmed shedding tears at the end of the slow movement of Sibelius’s Concerto in 1965, and who, after a dramatic downturn in his career, took his own life at the age of 49. And, of course, as the child prodigy from the French provinces who became – at the height of his fame – Herbert von Karajan’s favorite violinist.

His artistic personality was shaped by his utter, though humble, devotion to the music, demonstrated by his appropriate yet lively tone, elegant bowing, effervescent, energetic fingering and considered phrasing. The recordings of Christian Ferras with pianist Pierre Barbizet are of the utmost importance, with the musicians forming an inimitable partnership. The concertos in this collection showcase the violinist as a captivating soloist – Müller-Kray follows his every move in the Beethoven and Tchaikovsky with dynamic sensitivity, Gielen’s analytical expertise within the Berg is unrivalled and Ferras’s partnership with Blomstedt results in a profound interpretation of the Brahms.

REVIEW:

Ferras had a chameleon facility of adapting his style and affect to the composer in hand, a quality most noticeable when we move from the overtly assertive Kreutzer to the dreamy, ethereal little Debussy sonata, to the wild, Romany Ravel display piece, whose recording is notably vivid.... Ferras was a champion of modern, contemporary music and considered himself to be a student of the Romanian composer and the pair’s empathy with this strange, haunting music is not in doubt. Schumann’s powerful, impassioned Violin Sonata No. 2 was premiered by Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim – who rated it very highly - and it is easy to hear its influence over Brahms. Its performance here is masterly.

-- MusicWeb International

The new album of the world-renowned horn player Radek Baborák, released on Animal Music, brings compositions by three romantic authors in arrangements for the French horn and string quartet. These include Radek Baborák and Alexei Aslamas’s arrangement of Brahms’s legendary Quintet in G major, Op. 111, two shorter pieces by Alexander Glazunov (Idylle and Serenade No. 2), and a Quintet in G minor, “Käyrätorvi” (French horn in Finnish), which was created by Baborák by extending the original score of Jean Sibelius’s famous String Trio. This album by Baborák Ensemble – Radek Baborák (French horn), Milan Al-Ashhab and Martina Bacová (violin), Karel Untermüller (viola), and Hana Baboráková (cello) – features the world premiere recording of the works by Brahms and Sibelius.