Phineas Finn, a handsome young man of 23, comes to England to make his fortune in parliamentary politics. But despite all his aspirations, Finn is haunted by ethical questions as his personal convictions conflict with his duty towards his party. Loyalty versus honour, love versus money, and privacy versus prominence: our eponymous hero faces a variety of dilemmas as he navigates his way through the House of Commons. The second installment of Trollope’s celebrated Palliser series, Phineas Finn is a delightful and humorous look at the complexity of human relationships and the politics surrounding the Second Reform Bill of the 1860s.

The Music of...Larry Polansky is a marvelous combination of the mathematical and the expressive. The blend is so seamless, in fact, that it serves to point out the absurdity of regarding those two strains as opposite or even especially different.'' (Joshua Kosman, SFGate) This album of chamber music offers three pieces: Polansky's drifting, shape-shifting freeHorn and his pulsing ii-v-i - each of which consists of a continuous modulation between the three different natural-just harmonic series - and minmaj, Polansky's unusual ''translation'' or Ruggles's Angels. Larry Polansky is a prolific composer, theorist, performer, writer and teacher whose works are performed frequently around the world. Albums devoted exclusively to his music are available on New World Records, Artifact, and Cold Blue, and many of his pieces are anthologized on other labels. Recently, he wrote the score for Stacey Steers' Night Hunter, an experimental animation chosen for the Telluride, Sundance, Rotterdam, and New Films/New Directors film festivals.

Widely recognized as one of the world’s best horn players, Philip Myers also inspired as well as commissioned most of the pieces on this historically significant album with world premieres of horn music by American composer Phillip Ramey, whose works have been performed by such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and whose Horn Concerto (with Philip Myers as soloist) was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for their 150th anniversary. This release presents world premieres of works for solo horn, for two horns, and for horn in different combinations with piano and/or violin, stunningly performed by hornists Philip Myers and Howard Wall, whose long-time partnership as New York Philharmonic musicians extends into fantastic chamber music collaboration, also including splendid contributions by pianist Virginia Perry Lamb and violinist Elmira Darvarova (a former Metropolitan Opera concertmaster). Some of the works are newly recorded, while others are only now receiving their premiere recording after first performances over twenty years ago, with the Trio Concertant recorded live, and the Dialogue, and the Sonata-Ballade restored from archival material. All of the works on this release are magnificently performed contributions to the horn repertoire.

Peter Damm, who is one of the 20th century’s leading horn players, has built up an impressive discography in the course of the last three decades. These naturally focus upon his instrument: the horn. The present Edition brings together many of his recordings for the Eterna label. It illustrates the history of horn music through a large and varied repertoire such as is only rarely to be encountered. From chamber music to the great horn concertos, from the music of the 17th century to twentieth-century works, the spectrum is immense. Peter Damm was born in Meiningen (Thuringia) in 1937. After learning the horn at the College of Music in Weimar he began his artistic career in 1957 as solo hornist with the Gera municipal orchestra. In 1959, Damm was appointed solo horn with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, which at that time was making numerous Gramophone recordings. Damm’s first solo recording was in 1961 with the Gewandhaus horn quartet, playing Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück op. 86 for four horns under the baton of Franz Konwitschny; he first appeared on a chamber-music recording in 1964. In 1969 Damm was appointed solo hornist with the Staatskapelle Dresden. His cantabile style of playing placed Damm firmly in the Dresden tradition and became the hallmark of the Dresden wind section for almost forty years. During those years in Dresden Peter Damm was involved in more than 100 studio recordings with the Sächsische Staatskapelle. Famous international conductors such as Herbert von Karajan, Herbert Blomstedt, Bernard Haitink and Giuseppe Sinopoli were fascinated by Damm’s horn playing at first hearing. Peter Damm would always champion new music and the rediscovery of forgotten works from all eras in his work as a soloist on record releases. This applied in particular to the works of the Dresden court composers. Peter Damm celebrates his 80th Birthday on July 27th, 2017.

Rob van de Laar, 29 years old, is the Principal Horn of the Mozarteum Salzburg. This being his first solo album, he chose the great music of the German Romanticism for horn. Brahms' Trio was composed in 1865, during a peaceful summer at Clara Schumann's house in the Black Forest. The Adagio and Allegro by Schumann was composed in 1849 and is one of a series of miniatures for different solo instruments and piano written by Schumann in Dresden in 1849. Schumann was among the first to explore the expanded possibilities offered by the new valve horn. Schubert wrote his son gAuf dem Strom in 1828, the final year of his short life, to a text by Ludwig Rellstab. It was written for a concert at the Vienna Musikverein, marking the first anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven on March, 26. Schubert, who was a great admirer of Beethoven, saw his opportunity to compose a special song as an ode to the master. He added a dazzling horn part here. The composer Karl Pilss is perhaps best known among brass players, having written concertos for trumpet, horn and bass trombone, as well as a number of works for brass ensemble. The influence of Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and his composition teacher Franz Schmidt can be clearly heard in his music.

What would Wagner’s Tristan be, what would other great opera and orchestral works be without the finely timbred, almost magical sound of the English horn? And yet: has anyone you know ever been to a chamber music concert that featured a solo English horn? Michael Sieg (English horn) and Angelika Merkle are now making up for this musical deficiency: the two multi-prizewinning artists are releasing their first album with GENUIN, and the outstanding arrangements of works from Piazzolla to Rachmaninoff, as well as original compositions by Pasculli and Steinmetz, keep us riveted to our loudspeakers: sweetness and strength, virtuoso gems and plaintive songs – the beginning of a new love.

Composers do not usually make conscious choices about the music they write: they write in accordance with the talents given to them. For this reason I do not write complex or experimental music: I have no gift for such things. Instead, my music is lyrical, rhythmic, economical, clear cut in texture and, as far as I can make it, direct of utterance. This incisive assessment by Georffrey Bush of his own output is indicative of his lucidity on the printed page as well as on the stave, both accomplishments the result of a compulsive urge to communicate effectively. (Geoffrey Bush) Though composition was foremost among his many gifts, Bush was something of an all-rounder. He performed as both pianist and organist, made regular broadcasts for the BBC and was also a successful writer. His eminently readable guide to music, Musical Creation and the Listener, first appeared in 1954. His wide-ranging catalogue includes music for the stage, choral works, church music, orchestral pieces, chamber music and songs. Of his two symphonies, the first, which has at its core an elegiac blues in memory of Constant Lambert, was premiered at the Cheltenham Festival in 1954 and performed at the Proms four years later, whilst the second, subtitled "The Guildford", was commissioned for the 700th anniversary of the City of Guildford in 1957. He wrote a number of works for chamber orchestra in which his understanding of the intimacy and inherent reciprocity of the medium resulted in scores that are eloquent and conversational, epitomising his credo quoted at the head of these notes.

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.

Classical Music

It is common to date the beginning of the Renaissance to the mid-14th century. From the ashes of the Black Death emerged a society that was fundamentally changed , and to a large extent saw itself as re-born - formed a new. It cannot be a coincidence that this transformation first took place in the very parts of Europe that had been at the centre of the Roman Empire when at it's strongest, in Italy. Florence became the main powerhouse of the new Europe, and from there the Renaissance spread rapidly, bringing an intense cultural flowering to France, England, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. It is in these countries that Nordic Brass Ensemble has assembled the repertoire for "European Tour" - music arranged specially for this ensemble by Hans Petter Stagnes and Stian Aareskjold. Modern brass instruments have a hsitory going back to the Jaissaries, the Ottoman sultan's special military corps. Contact between Renaissance Europe and Islamic culture helped determine how European culture, and in particular it's music, would develop in this period. Nordic Brass Ensemble is made up of musicians from symphony orchestras and wind ensembles in the Nordic countries, and it has always played early music.

The spectacular sound of trumpet and organ playing in a generous acoustic is captured in this concert. The “infamous” is represented by the wickedly difficult Jericho: Battle Music, by William Albright, written as a virtuoso piece for both players. More famous tunes include the timeless Prince of Denmark’s March by Jeremiah Clarke and Trumpet Tune by Henry Purcell, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and Cesar Franck’s Chorale in E Major. The concert ends with the encore Rondeau by Mouret, more famously known as the theme of Masterpiece Theatre. A soloist with an international career including Principal Trumpet positions with several major orchestras, Fred Sautter’s performance on this recording is both authentic and engaging. Roger Sherman is Associate Organist Emeritus of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, and host of the popular radio program, The Organ Loft. He is also the president of The Gothic Catalog.

The new album by two-time ECHO-Award winner Gábor Boldoczki presents virtuosic, contemporary trumpet concertos by composers from Armenia (Arutiunian, Khachaturian, Penderecki [Polish by birth but with Armenian roots]) and Turkey (Fazil Say). The album includes 2 World Premiere Recordings: Say's Trumpet Concerto, Op 31 - written for and dedicated to Boldoczki in 2010 and Penderecki's Concertino per tromba e orchestra - written for and dedicated to Boldoczki in 2015, being his first independent piece for this instrument. At Boldoczki's invitation, the Hungarian composer Péter Erdélyi has arranged Khachaturian's piano miniature "A little song" for trumpet and orchestra.

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REVIEW:

Gábor Boldoczki is a figure respected world-wide in the field of trumpeting, and his reputation is confirmed by the fact that two of the works here, those by Say and Penderecki, were actually written for him. He plays throughout not only with technical mastery, but also with an unaffected musicianship, which makes the performances all the more pleasing. His only blemish is occasional sharpness of pitch in the high register; but this never lasts too long, nor is too painful, and is generously offset by his many other qualities.

All in all a rewarding and enjoyable CD. Fine playing, and music which is challenging but far from inaccessible.

– MusicWeb International

The Kentucky Baroque Trumpets formed in 2004 after Don Johnson was inspired at the Historic Brass Society Festival. The band performs a wide-ranging repertoire on both baroque and modern trumpets, keeping it's music accessible to a variety of audiences. This release captures the essence of great music before 1700, including composers such as Jean Baptiste Lully and Giovanni Battista Ferrini.

Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra has been called the “newest trumpet revolution,” In the competitive world of Balkan brass bands, this 11-piece group is legendary. This fast-paced, passionate program features 14 tracks of outstanding Balkan music, some composed by the ensemble and some traditional tunes. The Dzambo Agusevi Orchestra has an impressive list of awards to their name, including first prize winners at the Fanfare World Competition in Dole, France, and first prize winner in the Balkans’ “Kumanovo Trumpet Fest” every year between 2006 and 2011. In fact, the ensemble was banned from the festival to give other competitors a chance.

GIA Publications has produced some of the very best brass ensemble arrangements throughout the years, several of which are featured on this new release. This album offers all sorts of brass ensemble varients, such as traditional quartets, antiphonal trumpet duos, trumpets with handbell accompaniment, and others. Thematically, this release is a brilliant overview of songs for all occasions and seasons, and includes Renaissance motet transcriptions, fantasies on German hymns, and Christmas and Easter celebrations as well.