The all-female vocal ensemble Papagena makes its debut on SOMM Recordings with The Darkest Midnight, a sublime collection of songs for winter from the Middle Ages to the modern era embracing the secular and the sacred. Described as “a stunning addition to the vocal music scene” and “la crème de la crème in the crowded a cappella space”, Papagena’s three sopranos (Elizabeth Drury, Abbi Temple, Suzie Vango) and two altos (Suzzie Purkis, Sarah Tenant-Flowers) look certain to add to their fast-growing reputation with this beautifully sung compendium. Casting a dark glamour all of its own, the bleakness of winter has prompted some of the most bewitching, brittle and bright songs. Alongside traditional Christmas anthems can be found legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell’s ‘The River’ in an achingly melancholic arrangement and American composer Don Macdonald, whose When the Earth Stands Still is movingly poignant and still, twilit and shining. Celebratory songs marking the Christmas season – the exuberant In dulci Jubilo, burnished, glowing harmonies of Angelus ad virginem, sublimely serene Es ist ein Ros entsprungen and infectious Shchedryk/Hark How the Bells from Ukraine – are heard alongside lilting Irish songs from antiquity and the charming Scottish lullaby Balulalow. Songs from England, Germany, Norway and ‘Toi le coeur de la rose’ from Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges round off a recording that includes first performances of eight arrangements and is marked by sheer beauty of sound.

Songs old and new, standards and rarities, all make up this delightful new album for the Christmas season. A quartet of New York cabaret favorites led by the legendary Steve Ross sing their way through some of the oldest carols as well as some of the newest. It's Almost Christmas Eve is a nostalgic, cozy, smart, sophisticated and sometime even wistful journey through the Great American Songbook. Here you'll find great songs from Broadway and popular song favorites including Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Sondheim, Jule Styne, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Charles Strouse, Cy Coleman, Sammy Fain, E.Y. Harburg, Carolyn Leigh and also Richard Maltby and David Shire. Plus a bevy of newer composers taking a crack at Christmas cheer and goodwill toward men.

Since 1833, the research and study of Gregorian Chant by the Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes, France, has focused on making this sung form of prayer the finest possible offering for God, to whom it is addressed six times a day at the Abbey. In ‘Christmas- The Night Office Vigils’ we hear the beautiful Gregorian chants of Vigils that the monks sing to celebrate the birth of Jesus at the same time of night he was born in Bethlehem. In ‘Christmas- Midnight Mass and Mass of the Day’ the monks include Introits, Graduals, Alleluias, Offertories, Communions, Responses, Sequences, Hymns, and Tropes from the Midnight Mass and the Mass of the Day. Previous releases by the Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes have been well received. “Paraclete Press offers a superb list of outstanding Christian music which is magnificently performed by the monks of Solesmes. Each of these highly recommended exceptional recordings is flawlessly produced and showcases centuries of devotions, chants, celebrations, and the glorification of God.” (Bookwatch)

“The most famous and ‘authentic’ recordings of Gregorian chant for generations have been those made by the Solesmes monks.”      
—The Boston Globe

“The music is utterly magnificent and the singing of this great choir is thrilling beyond words…it’s better to starve to this music than to live without it.”       
—Classic CD

“Supremely ethereal.”        
—USA Today

Spectra 2 unveils the works of six composers, each of whom tells a unique, memorable story. First up is Elizabeth R. Austin's 'B-A-C-HOMAGE,' an intricately constructed tribute to the German Baroque composer. Based on Bach's name and his "Air on G" respectively, the first and second movements reflect upon the clarity of his work through the lens of Austin's decidedly modern tonal language. John Alan Rose's 'Sleepy Hollow Suite' for piano mesmerizes with a timeless appeal that bridges centuries: aesthetically gratifying and inventive all at once, Washington Irving could fittingly have imagined this as a soundtrack for his eponymous story. 'Bells and Grass,' composed by Juliana Hall, brings five poems by Walter de la Mare to life with only a soprano and an oboe. A related theme could be discerned in Ryan Jesperson's 'Icarus,' a riveting duo for alto saxophone and piano. Like the eponymous mythological character, it starts out soaring, but undergoes a considerable transformation, culminating in a spectacular fashion. There is nothing random about Frank Vasi's saxophone quartet 'Random Thoughts': the four-movement work is so refreshingly tonal, as well as rhythmically and harmonically engaging, that it wouldn't be out of place in an upscale jazz venue. The quirky 'Picasso's Rag' sounds exactly how one would imagine it according to the title - only better. Nancy Tucker brings the album to a close with two of her playful, upbeat compositions. 'Escape of the Slinkys' imagines the life of named perennial childhood toy with bewildering depth of imagination. 'Grasshopper's Holiday,' an unapologetically catchy guitar piece, evokes images of road trips and carefree summers with such cheerful drive that one might find it difficult to stop listening to it on repeat. With it's variegated selection, Spectra 2 packs a veritable punch in just about one hour of music - music composed in Connecticut, but with an artistic appeal that easily transcends the borders of the Constitution State.

“La Santa Allegrezza,” a tradition of the heart .. From the tradition of Advent and the Novena, the nine days before the birth of Christ, Letizia Fiorenza and David Sautter have collected songs from Campania and Sicily. Striking in these songs are the simplicity and the directness of the lyrics and the music. The story of Jesus' birth, for example, as narrated by the blind Cantastorie in Palermo, is dramatically staged with the same intensity as the famous Rider epics portrayed on the streets of Palermo with the gold-brained Pupi. These songs depict the human side of the Christmas story that is comprehensible to everyone, a dimension that appeals to the heart. We suffer with Mary, fear the shepherds and rejoice with the kings when they finally discover the promised child. A special position is given to Mary, who is shown as a dignified expectant mother, who commands over the water and the serpent, who in her paces the way, crushed with his foot. The selected classical pieces for guitar in contrast to the drama of the songs a contemplative pause.

This recording has selected almost all of the piano-voice songs by Ángel Barja, based on ancient Galician folklore, where the melody tames a very accomplished popular style, slenderized in a subtle and coloristic piano accompaniment that scrupulously observes the conventions of popular roots voice writing. Barja preserves the syllabic nature of the melodies and insists on maintaining the accentuations against the verse. He alternates in them the strophic song, with turns and repetitions, with the simplicity of the popular tune, in many cases with medieval roots, as happens in the Cantiga “Those who know how to love” with a 13th century melody. Another bloc groups exuberant Christmas songs and, last, a third and eclectic group, assembles songs of different styles and subjects. The poetic anthology used by Barja in his songs is very successful regarding the rhythm and musicality of these verses. It is no coincidence that, despite the apparent aesthetical and geographical remoteness of Galicia and Granada, our composer chose Federico García Lorca to compose five of his songs. José María Pemán was the poet chosen by the composer to set two of his most beautiful and brilliant songs. This sample of the best of his legacy clearly showcases his music, his talent as melody composer, and his mastery to combine sonorities and tradition.

Edita Gruberova – her very name is melodious. The Slovak soprano is undoubtedly one of today’s most well-known interpreters of coloratura opera singing, and especially of Italian bel canto. She made her debut in 1970 as Queen of the Night in Mozart's "Magic Flute" at the Vienna State Opera and, ever since her performances in the same role at Glyndebourne and Salzburg in 1974, she has been a regular fixture on the world’s leading operatic stages and concert podiums. Flattering epithets such as "the Queen of Coloratura", "the Slovak Nightingale" or "prima donna assoluta" are hardly exaggerated, for they really do represent what Edita Gruberova has embodied for almost half a century. She is celebrated all over the world for her perfect mastery of vocal technique, her astonishing ability to master even the most difficult coloraturas and highest notes, her clear and precise intonation and, most importantly, for something that overshadows and transfigures everything else: the seductive and beguiling timbre of her voice. This album, released by BR-KLASSIK to celebrate her 50th stage anniversary, presents nine recordings made between October 1983 and June 2000 at Bayerischer Rundfunk concerts. In addition to well-known as well as lesser-known arias from operas by Handel, Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, and also the Couplet of Adele from Johann Strauss' operetta "Die Fledermaus", Edita Gruberova can also be heard in interpretations from Mozart's "Exsultate, jubilate", his “Laudate Dominum” from the “Vesperae solennes de confessore,” and also Michael Haydn’s far too rarely performed Christmas cantata “Lauft, ihr Hirten, allzugleich.” This album is more than a historical portrait – it offers a representative musical cross-section of Edita Gruberova's wide-ranging repertoire, and also includes several surprises that complement and enrich her comprehensive discography.

The world-famous mezzo-soprano Magdalena Ko�en� decided to leave the world of classical music behind for a while and embarked on a gentle flirtation with the 'light muses'. She chose a truly soulful and immensely witty author for her excursion into the world of classical American musical - Cole Porter. She sings here his renowned, jazz-inspired hits with the accompaniment of Ondrej Havelka and His Melody Makers, an orchestra which ranks among the world's leaders in authentic interpretation of jazz, swing and dance music of the 1930's and 1940's. "I fell in love with Cole Porter's songs and the music of that period during the years when I was a student. I am a great admirer of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and other jazz legends. Their recordings are still amongst my favorites. I did not dare take on this repertoire for a long time, however, because I am of the opinion that each artist should stick to his or her own style. However, I was inspired by listening to the songs of Cole Porter performed by Frederica von Stade, whom I admire greatly. Without in any way endeavoring to alter her singing style, she gave Porter's songs great charm and brought them into a different, interesting dimension. So, I decided that I would try and present my own take on these timeless melodies to audiences." (Magdalena Ko�en�)

The pianist and composer Beata Hlavenková is a respected authority on the Czech musical scene. She has been known above all as a musical partner of the famous singer Lenka Dusilová – in the Baromantika and Eternal Seekers projects – and as co-author of a great number of Dusilová’s songs, but also thanks to her own albums and collaboration with various local and international artists. The author’s new project, “Bethlehem”, mostly comprises new arrangements – or re-compositions – of traditional Christmas songs of the Czech, British, Polish, German and French provenience, but also a handful of Hlavenková’s own compositions, all in the author’s solo piano performance. The Christmas carols recast into new original form and combined with the author’s clearly discernible style bring profound aesthetic experience.

“Choral Music for Christmas” presents the very best of Advent and Christmas choral music from the Carus catalog. Contemporary arrangements of popular Christmas carols by composers such as Fredo Jung and Giacomo Mezallira feature alongside works by well-known composers including Handel, Bach, Heinichen, and Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The performers, including the Calmus Ensemble, the Kammerchor Stuttgart conducted by Frieder Bernius, the Dresdner Kammerchor conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademann, and the ensemble L’arpa festante, guarantee an absolute choral treat.

New chamber compositions by Telemann made available to the concert world by intensive research and in modern score editions form the focus of the Magdeburg Sunday Concerts, in German: the "Sonntagsmusiken." klassik. com described our first album with Advent and Christmas cantatas as "A treasure trove of brilliant sacred arias!" The arias on the second portion of this series involve pieces taken from "complete" sacred compositions and performed in Hamburg’s principal places of worship during the church year 1726-27. The two arias contained in a particular sacred composition were removed from their context for the purposes of publication. The Eisenach court secretary Johann Friedrich Helbig was the author of the texts for the church compositions and the arias included in them. Telemann packed a great deal into the concentrated aria space. We might say that he balanced the minimum of the ensemble with compositional intensity and complexity in respect of melodic formation as well as with the thematic design of the basses, forceful declamation and rhythmic scheme, and the large spectrum of keys and harmonic manifoldness.

This new release from ArcoDiva features the music of Czech composer Petr Fiala. Born in 1943 to a family with thirteen children, the composer, choirmaster and musician began his musical studies in 1960. From then until 1966 he studied piano, composition, and conducting at the Conservatoire in Brno. Afterward, he continued to study composition at the Janacek Academy of Performin Arts under Jan Kapr. Since 1971 he has worked as a professor of music theory, composition and conducting at the Brno Conservatory. He has written approximately 180 pieces, including a number of vocal and instrumental cycles for children and teenagers, a number of solo pieces for the piano, accordion, guitar, violin, cello, trumpet, and trombone, five string quartets, numerous chamber works, organ concertos, and a number of choral cycles, song cycles, oratorios and cantatas. This album features The Czech Christmas Mass, The Marian Mass, and Maria, Mystical Rose.

For the first time in the history of music the incredible history of the people from Viggiano is ‘revealed’ on a recording: wandering musicians that in a time span of four centuries represent a real unicum, both musically and anthropologically. Immortalized in the Neapolitan Christmas cribs of the eighteenth century, the wandering music specialists perfectly integrated themselves into the musical needs of the kingdom of Naples, from which, taking advantage of the Bourbon dynamism, then started spreading around the world with many of them becoming top musicians in major orchestras. Through their talent, existential need, great adaptability and versatility, the musicians from Viggiano - almost all of them belonging to the same family circle - with their harp, identifying symbol of their land, became the promoters of the great Italian musical tradition (Southern in particular). From the “Scuola d’Arpa di Viggiano” (Harp School of Viggiano), young artists led by specialists Sara Simari and Lincoln Almada implement the rebirth of this extraordinary tradition, elaborating the main sources of the historical repertoire from Viggiano.

SOMM celebrates Christmas this year with Carols from Chelsea, a delicious offering from the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea under their Director, William Vann. The Royal Hospital, founded in 1682 by Charles II, is the home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army. The Chapel Choir sings for the Sunday morning Matins service in the Royal Hospital's Wren Chapel during the year, but in December provides the music for carol services and other Christmas-themed events almost every day. This recording showcases some of the Choir's most cherished carol repertoire, alongside solo organ music performed by the Royal Hospital's Organ Scholar, James Orford, and a very special performance with Chelsea Pensioner and George Hatton. Many of the Royal Hospital's carol services begin wtih Franz Gruber's spine-tingling carol Stille Nacht, an especially moving carol to hear in the original German, given it's celebrated performance in the trenches on Christmas Day, 1914. Once in Royal David's City is the first of three carols that are usually sung with the full congregation, opening with the famous solo that captures the mood of Christmas like nothing else.

Sing Noel with Gloriæ Dei Cantores is a Christmas treat from beginning to end! The album opens with Sing Noel - a colorful set of carols moving seamlessly from one to another. From Caroling, Caroling to My Dancing Day and The Holly and the Ivy - this recording brings the listener a traditional Christmas experience that will brighten Christmas cheer and warm hearts.

"Exudes professionalism and emotion from every pore."
—Carol Swanson, Christmasreviews.com
". . . And so I listened – The First Noel came and went as did I Wonder as I Wander. . .lush, rich and – well, was it my imagination or did I see the ghost of Jimmy Stewart, eyes twinkling. . . "
—Jonathan Woolf, Musicweb.uk
"The choral artistry for which Gloriae Dei Cantores has become known can be heard in each selection. The ageless and profound wonder of Christmas comes alive with the singing of each word and the playing of each note."
—Wallace Cheatham, Christianity and the Arts