Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the indubitably great composers of the 20th century and left works of greatness in every genre, from the symphonies to opera, film- and light music, concertos, and, of course, chamber music. This collection offers a great overview of his contributions to that genre. It features a few favorites, like Rudolf Barshai's Chamber Symphony (arranged from String Quartet No.8), String Quartet No.1, and the Piano Quintet to lesser-known gems and rarely heard works for two pianos like the tiny, witty Tarantella or his dramatic, cinematic Concertino. It is capped with Alfred Schnittke's tribute to the master, the Prelude in Memory of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Rheinberger's chamber music work bears witness to his deep roots in the classical tradition, particularly in composers such as Mendelssohn and Brahms. His compositions are characterised by clear formal structures, melodic elegance and harmonic richness.

Ancient traditions, folklore, landscapes, and the natural world are central themes in the music of the distinguished Chinese composer Xiaogang Ye. This new album, performed by the Fidelio Trio and friends, spans over three decades of Ye's chamber works from 1989 to 2023. Known for his vast range of compositions, Ye's deep connection to his Chinese heritage is particularly evident here. His intricate use of instrumentation, rhythmic and melodic motifs, and dramatic forms come to life in these intimate settings. The album features a variety of ensembles and instruments, including the evocative traditional Chinese instrument, the pipa in Gardenia, highlighting Ye's ability to blend traditional Chinese elements with Western classical music. Each piece, from the lyrical Piano Trio Op. 59 to the vivid Nine Horses Op. 19, showcases Ye's mastery of timbral colour, rhythmic interplay, and melodic expression, offering listeners a fresh perspective on ancient myths and tales through a modern lens.

Van Bree, Rontgen & Coenen: Dutch Chamber Music

Mikhail Volchok was born in 1950 into a family of pianists at the bitter end of the Stalinist era in the Soviet Union. He attended the Moscow Conservatory. Moving to the U.S. many years ago, he concertized as a pianist. He later began composing as well. This album features some of his piano and chamber works.

Frederick Paul Naftel's new album showcases his eclectic compositional style through a diverse collection of works. 3 Premiere Recordings: Aphoristic Impressions, composed in 2023 for American pianist Haley Myles, captures the essence of various landscapes through five short piano pieces. These pieces evoke images of the underwater church at Dunwich, Suffolk, the eruption of an Icelandic geyser, the indigenous wildlife of the Australian outback and Uluru/Ayers Rock, a peaceful night-time portrait of a Japanese garden, and Whirlpool Rapids Gorge on the Niagara River. Naftel's String Quartet No.2, composed during the initial Coronavirus pandemic, reflects the era's tumultuous nature. Unlike his first quartet, this single-movement piece is divided into five sections with an epilogue. The music oscillates between tranquil static passages and furious, violent sections, marked by intervals of a major 7th and minor 2nd. The Lento opening flows serenely but mysteriously, evolving through a relentless Allegro feroce, transitioning to an Adagio Sostenuto reminiscent of plainsong, and culminating in a powerful and enigmatic epilogue featuring recorded cello pizzicato. The Folksong Suite for String Orchestra and Timpani draws on six English and Scottish folksongs, including John Peel, Early One Morning, Ca' the Yowes, Loch Lomond, Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron, and Lincolnshire Poacher. Legacy Recordings: Pascal's Victim for Tuba Quartet, composed for the North West-based Tubalate, features three movements based on the Gregorian Chant Victamae Paschali. Each movement uniquely fragments the theme, particularly in the slow second movement, where a short melodic motive is varied by gently shifting harmonies. Song of Songs: Rhapsody for String Orchestra and Harp is an ethnic-flavoured rhapsody based on Hebraic chants and original material, featuring melodies like "Yigdal" and "Hatikvah." This piece evokes imagery suited for films set in Biblical times or perhaps documentaries about the Middle East. Villancico for Guitar and Small Orchestra bridges the music of the Spanish Renaissance and Joaquin Rodrigo in a charming and lyrical Rondo form, while Aubade Pastorale for String Orchestra is a short tone poem depicting a hazy day in the English countryside, using original themes inspired by the English Pastoral School, particularly Ralph Vaughan Williams. Frederick Paul Naftel, born in Manchester in 1956, is an eclectic composer drawing inspiration from diverse sources such as landscapes, nature, and historical events. His compositions span various styles and formats, creating distinct moods and atmospheres. His repertoire includes Concerti for Orchestra, Symphonies, chamber music, and vocal works. Notable works include the Double Concerto for Bass Tuba and Contrabass Tuba, the Bass Clarinet Concerto, Aubade Pastorale, and the Sanctus for female voices, strings, and piano. He received an award from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in 2020 and was runner-up in the King Lear Arts Competition. Naftel is currently working on his Third Symphony, dedicated to Sir James MacMillan, and future orchestral works. Naftel's music has been praised for it's eccentricity, individuality and distinctive voice in contemporary music.

Barbara Hannigan, a Grammy award-winning artist at the forefront of creation, leads an ensemble of outstanding young musicians from the Royal Academy of Music and The Juilliard School. Since 2002, the Academy and The Juilliard School, both international leaders in their field, have enjoyed a special and fruitful friendship based on 20 years of performances, exchanges and recordings. In this latest collaboration, Hannigan directs students from both institutions in an all-Stravinsky programme, including the Octet, Dumbarton Oaks, Ragtime and Three Japanese Lyrics. Recently appointed the Reinbert de Leeuw Professor of Music at the Academy, Hannigan conducts this transatlantic group in a wonderfully intelligent and engaging programme of Stravinsky's most iconic ensemble repertoire.

The Hamburg-born Ferdinand Thieriot (1838-1919) not only shared a teacher - Eduard Marxsen - with Brahms; both composers use a very similar musical language, one which is richly melodic and effortlessly contrapuntal. The musicologist Wilhelm Altmann wrote that 'Thieriot's chamber music is without exception noble and pure. He writes with perfect command of form and expression' - as the works on this third Toccata Classics volume prove, in their exquisite balance of depth and beauty.

The exploration of the music of the Swiss composer Richard Flury (1896-1967) on Toccata Classics continues with this first recording of two more of his seven string quartets. Flury was himself a gifted violinist, and these works - written for personal pleasure and for musician friends - observe the classic definition of the string quartet as a conversation between four equal partners, with Flury's many years of practical music-making producing quartet-textures that are thoroughly idiomatic, even masterly. Both works speak a rich late-Romantic language similar to that of composers such as Korngold, Schmidt and Zemlinsky and encompass a gratifying range of emotions, from touching introspection to bucolic cheer.

An album of world premiere recordings of works written to accompany poems by celebrated Irish novelist and poet James Joyce, Desmond Earley and the University Choral Scholars of University College, Dublin release their fourth album on Signum Classics. Following their EP "Ireland is My Home" which was Scala Radio's Album of the Week, this new album aims to encapsulate the influence of singing and music in Joyce's work. A tenor himself, it was Joyce's wish that his words be set to music, and through commissioning new works, the choir are proud of their unique connection to Joyce's Dublin story. "It is a pleasure and honour for us to be the first choral ensemble to wrap James Joyce's 'suite of songs' in an Irish choral voice" - Desmond Earley (Artistic Director)

Our knowledge of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji is based more on his reputation than on his work. A marginal figure in twentieth-century music, he is renowned for the length and complexity of his compositions. After forbidding the performance of his music, he earned a small income through his writings as a critic and essayist of great wit. His best-known works are for solo piano, many of which have been released by BIS. This disc presents first recordings of his music for chamber ensemble and chamber orchestra plus several world premiere recordings of art songs, including a new arrangement and the first completion of a fragment. The American collective Wild Beautiful Orchestra, made up of instrumentalists and singers renowned for their versatility and enthusiasm, and it's founder, conductor Chappell Kingsland, together with flautist Sharon Bezaly in the longest work, present this programme featuring previously unreleased music by the maverick composer. There is no doubt that this extraordinary variety will expand our collective appreciation of Sorabji's genius and that this album will serve as an entry point to his unique musical imagination.

Ruth Gipps made her musical talents apparent from an early age, and they were encouraged by her very supportive mother. She entered the Royal College of Music in 1937, aged 16, studying oboe and piano, in addition to composition (with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacob). Whilst at college, she performed Brahms's Second Piano Concerto, and her tone poem Knight in Armour (CHAN 20078) was presented by Sir Henry Wood at the Last Night of the Proms in 1942. As the war continued, Gipps left London to become principal oboe with the City of Birmingham Orchestra, where she also performed as pianist and had several of her works programmed. Returning to London after the war, Gipps found fewer opportunities as a performer, and less interest in her orchestral scores. She concentrated on composing more chamber music, alongside a successful teaching career. This album of her chamber music for oboe (and cor anglais) features works composed from 1938 to 1990, representing Gipps's entire compositional life. In demand as a soloist all over Europe, Juliana Koch was appointed Professor of Oboe at the Royal College of Music, London, in 2018 and is Principal Oboe of the London Symphony Orchestra.

It may be a cliche to write of the clarity of Gallic writing for the flute - the kind of elegance found in the music of composers like Debussy, Faure, Gaubert, Jolivet, Messiaen and Taffanel - but French music for flute does indeed have a sound of it's own. The flute works of Nicolas Bacri, born in Paris in 1961, uphold the proud tradition of his predecessors with textures of crystalline transparency and poised, almost weightless, melodic lines - and reserves of sardonic bite and freewheeling energy as required.

Franco Margola (1908-1992) was an Italian composer who was active throughout the 20th�century. During his lifetime, he dedicated himself to composing pieces for musicians in the academic sector, where he found fertile ground and was widely commissioned for both pedagogical and non-educational purposes. His career included various teaching and leadership posts at several Italian conservatoires, not least the Conservatorio di Musica 'Arrigo Boito' in Parma, where he taught composition from 1963 to 1975. Here, thanks to a collaboration with the guitar teacher Renzo Cabassi, he began to compose numerous works for guitar (approximately 250 opus numbers). Margola maintained a close relationship with the historic roots of his art form, and although he experimented with the avant-garde in his youth, he abandoned such tendencies in his more mature compositions. His works are characterised by a 'rhythmic vitality, a "classical" phrase structure, clear diatonicism, and a frequent use of fourths and fifths that recall the elements of his early compositions. ' The aim of this recording is to offer listeners a selection of colourful soundscapes that vary according to the different ensembles. The guitar is the star of this album and takes on new colours in combination with the flute and violin, as well as in guitar duos and trios. Margola's sonatas often provide opening movements that are diatonic and atonal, followed by lyrical cantabile second movements that culminate in sparkling third movements evoking a medieval or baroque feel. The guitar trio configuration features some of the composer's lesser-known works: Sonata (dC�281), the Sonata (dC�228) and Sonata II for three guitars (dC�234). The violin and guitar duo performs the Sonatina (dC 259) and Sonata (dC�754) (first recording). The one-movement Sonata's affinities with the Sonatina indicate that it was probably a preliminary sketch for the latter piece, with which it shares tonalities and several melodic ideas. To the flute and guitar duo are devoted Sonata IV (dC 191) and Sonata II (dC 197). Finally, the last two sonatas on this disc (dC 661 and dC 662) are for guitar duo. The unpublished Sonata (dC 661) was transcribed from an old copy of a manuscript with several parts that were almost illegible, making the transcribers' work a musical challenge that involved balancing notational accuracy with interpretive freedom, guided by a profound understanding of the composer's musical language. Other information: - Recorded September, October, November 2023, Saluzzo, Italy - Booklet in English contains liner notes by the musicians and a profile of the ensemble - The Italian liner notes are available for download at www. Brilliantclassics. com - Franco Margola was a prominent Italian composer who has his musical roots in the 19th century, in particular in the cultural movement which was predominantly interested in instrumental music, as opposed to the opera. Franco's musical language is classicist, with clear formal structures and a leading role for the melody. While his oeuvre encompasses various genres, his works for guitar hold a distinct place in the repertoire, showcasing his innovative approach and mastery of composition. - Margola's compositions for guitar reflect a fusion of traditional Italian musical elements with modernist techniques, using a wide range of expressive possibilities, from lyrical melodies to intricate polyphony, all while maintaining a clear and idiomatic guitar writing style. His use of harmonies, rhythms, and textures adds depth and complexity to the guitar repertoire, earning him recognition among guitarists and composers alike. - This new recording presents chamber music in which the guitar plays a predominant role: from sonatas for three guitars to works for flute/guitar and violin/guitar: wonderfully attractive and expressive music! - Ensemble Counterpoint is a collective of young classical musicians committed to the research on the XX century repertoire, with the aim of rediscovering and revaluing precious gems of Italian music of the 20th century.

This is an album of superb new works for woodwinds by contemporary American composer Matthew Quayle.

Programme music as chamber music? There is an obvious common denominator between Greek mythology and Paul Celan's poetry: mysticism. Whether consciously or unconsciously, this element seems to give my personal cultural roots the appropriate musical expression. If one asks what exactly is meant to be expressed here and whether the titles and subtitles of the two chamber music works should be understood as program music, then a very specific artistic credo will be revealed. Greek mythology and philosophy form the foundation of my world view and at the same time my intellectual background. These myths and legends are not simple stories, but rather a code that needs to be deciphered - just like Japanese haikus, over which one can meditate for years - in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the world and human nature. In this respect, this music can be understood programmatic, but not in the sense of an approximate retelling of stories in mere tones; but rather as music aiming to reveal a deeper level of understanding in giving birth to the meaning of the underlying myth and bringing it emotionally closer to the listener. In this sense, the virtuoso piano work is entitled "The Lost Nereid". The Nereids were beautiful sea nymphs who beguiled people with their songs and could make the sea storm or pacify. In the Greek Kabbalah, the element of water represents the "feeling". How would one of those Nereids sing today, if she had lost herself from that archaic time to the present day? How would her song sound like in the turbulent world of ours, in which aesthetic values - if they exist at all - are entirely subjective? What feeling would it evoke and what lost beauty would it want to remind us of? he sonata for bassoon and piano, entitled "The Horae" deals with one of the three Horae in each individual movement: "Eunomia", "Diki" and "Eirini". "Horae" translates to "hours". These three goddesses were the constant companions of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. Their names thus display qualities that are directly linked to beauty or reveal that divine beauty to us humans, when we fill every "hour" of our lives with them - namely with "Good Law", "Justice" and finally with "Peace". Each of the three movements has it's own musical and formal character and uses the entire range of expression of both instruments as well as their technical possibilities.

This recording of Corigliano's chamber arrangement of Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan featuring soprano Laura Hynes, is coupled with Vincent Ho's virtuosic and mystical Gryphon Realms for piano trio. World premiere recordings. Corigliano's orchestration of Mr. Tambourine Man can be heard on 8.559331.

I had always heard, by reputation, of the high regard accorded the folk-ballad singer/songwriter Bob Dylan. But I was so engaged in developing my orchestral technique during the years when Dylan was heard by the rest of the world that I had never heard his songs. So I bought a collection of his texts, and found many of them to be every bit as beautiful and as immediate as I had heard – and surprisingly well-suited to my own musical language.

I chose seven poems for what became a thirty-five minute cycle. A Prelude: Mr. Tambourine Man, in a fantastic and exuberant manner, precedes five searching and reflective monologues that form the core of the piece; and Postlude: Forever Young makes a kind of folk-song benediction after the cycle’s close. Dramatically, the inner five songs trace a journey of emotional and civic maturation, from the innocence of Clothes Line through the beginnings of awareness of a wider world (Blowin’ in the Wind), through the political fury of Masters of War, to a premonition of an apocalyptic future (All Along the Watchtower), culminating in a vision of a victory of ideas (Chimes of Freedom). Several years after composing the vocal/piano score I orchestrated the work, and some years later transcribed it for Pierrot ensemble, a chamber group. This is the first recording of the chamber version. - John Corigliano

Gryphon Realms is a three-movement work, inspired by gryphon mythology, that explores the coloristic, virtuosic and expressive possibilities of the piano trio while highlighting my more personal musical language. - Vincent Ho

Diary of the Bee - A Masterpiece Recorded at Historic Marchmont House, Scotland Composer Helen Leach, known for her enchanting compositions that evoke rich landscapes and deep emotions, releases her album titled "Diary of the Bee." This new collection features a series of rich, tonally traditional compositions. With all tracks being world premiere recordings, the album showcases Leach's remarkable ability to blend lyrical melodies with profound storytelling. "Diary of the Bee" marks a significant addition to the classical repertoire, offering listeners an absorbing journey through Leach's musical landscapes. Each piece on the album unveils a unique narrative, beautifully performed by leading instrumental soloists alongside the esteemed Victoria String Quartet. Reflecting on the inspiration behind her compositions, Leach shares, "Every piece in this album holds a special place in my heart, drawing from personal experiences and the beauty of nature that surrounds me." Indeed, each composition in "Diary of the Bee" tells a story, from the evocative tribute to Prince Philip in "An Edinburgh Farewell" to the introspective musings captured in "Letters from the Owl House." Among the highlights of the album is "Cup of Kindness," a poignant ode to the universal warmth and blessings symbolised by Robert Burns' iconic line, "we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet." With it's tender melodies and thoughtful arrangements, the piece resonates with a sense of harmony and peace. Another standout track, "Tenera Caritate," showcases Leach's mastery in crafting expressive rhapsodies, as she explores themes of love, hope, and healing through the emotive interplay of clarinet and string quartet. Listeners will also be enchanted by "Where Hope Was Sown," a commissioned piece dedicated to Mr. Oliver Burge, of Marchmont Farms, which beautifully captures the essence of the Lapwing bird and it's pastoral habitat through delicate musical motifs. From the haunting melodies of "The Black Rood of Scotland" to the elegant conversations of "A Song Without Words," "Diary of the Bee" offers a tapestry of sound that is instantly appealing. Recorded at the historic Marchmont House in Scotland, where Leach is Composer-in-Residence, "Diary of the Bee" not only captures the essence of Leach's compositions but also the timeless beauty of it's surroundings. With it's richly layered compositions and superb performances, "Diary of the Bee" stands as a testament to Helen Leach's extraordinary talent and her ability to weave intricate musical narratives.

British born composer Lydia Kakabadse enjoys a multi-cultural heritage (Greek/Austrian mother and Georgian/Russian father) which deeply informs her musical output. Her new album, recorded in London, features an even more diverse range of music than her previous albums, incorporating ethnic instruments into Western music. Making much use of the 'alternative string quartet' (violin viola, cello and double bass), the title track Kefi also introduces the Greek Bouzouki and 'Greek oud' or politiko laout. While demonstrating a wide diversity of textures and styles, overall the music is coloured by use of the double harmonic scale. As well as a number of chamber works the highlight of the album is the choral work Thirty Steps commissioned by the Hellenic Institute at Royal Holloway whose choir, widely regarded as among the best mixed-voice choirs in Britain today, perform the work here. The other performers here are all experienced and very well regarded in their own fields. Lydia Kakabadse, celebrated for her diverse music, specialises in choral, chamber, and vocal compositions. Influenced by her multicultural background and upbringing in Greek and Russian Orthodox traditions, she draws inspiration from Orthodox Church music, medieval melodies, and Greek and Middle Eastern dance. Trained in piano and double bass from a young age, she pursued music studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her works, including string quartets, choral pieces, and concert requiems, have garnered critical acclaim and have been featured on recordings by labels such as Naxos and Divine Art. Notable commissions include "I Remember" for Forest Preparatory School and "Odyssey" for The Hellenic Institute. Her compositions have been performed internationally at festivals and by esteemed ensembles, and her string quartet "Russian Tableaux" has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Currently pursuing a PhD in ethnomusicology, Lydia continues to enrich the musical landscape with her distinctive and vibrant creations.

The Liverpudlian George Loughlin (1914-84) was appointed professor of music at the University of Melbourne in 1958, remaining in that post for 21 years. That he was also a composer was generally unknown - a former colleague, hearing one of the pieces on this album, exclaimed: 'That's George?' The earliest works here are audibly by an English composer, one who knew his Vaughan Williams, and blend an honest sincerity with fleet-footed wit. The approach of the later pieces is more philosophical and searching, the harmony more at ease with dissonance and the melodic lines more angular - in both peppy counterpoint and long-breathed lyricism.

Dr. Joseph Sonnabend: A Musical Journey Reflecting a Life of Compassion and Innovation Renowned AIDS researcher and clinician Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, who was known for his groundbreaking work in HIV/AIDS research, had a hidden facet of his extraordinary life - as a composer. Despite his illustrious medical career, Joseph Sonnabend's passion for composition remained largely concealed from the public eye. However, with this album, we are invited into his world of instrumental and chamber works, showcasing his exceptional talent and profound musical sensibility. The collection of pieces featured on offers a glimpse into Dr. Sonnabend's rich musical landscape. From piano solos to chamber works, each composition bears the mark of his deep appreciation for chromatic melodies and harmony, influenced by composers such as Alban Berg and Arnold Schoenberg. Collaborator Dr Andrew Toovey, who played a pivotal role in bringing Dr. Sonnabend's compositions to life, reflects on the process: "Working with Joseph on his compositions was certainly a fascinating journey for both of us." Together, they meticulously curated a selection of works, refining unfinished pieces and even commissioning new ones, resulting in a cohesive representation of the Sonnabend soundworld. Listeners can expect to be delighted by the diverse range of compositions, each offering a unique musical experience. Highlights include the Piano Trio, which weaves a chromatic melodic line throughout it's entirety, and "Fluctuations," a mesmerizing solo violin piece that oscillates between reflective and virtuosic passages. In addition to instrumental works, the album features poignant vocal pieces such as the Three Songs for soprano and piano accompaniment, which set a collection of haiku poetry to melodic and emotive music, creating a deeply resonant listening experience. Reflecting on his late-in-life debut as a composer, Dr. Sonnabend's journey comes full circle, encompassing a lifetime of compassion, innovation, and artistic expression. His compositions serve not only as a testament to his musical talent but also as a poignant reminder of his profound response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which he tirelessly battled throughout his career. This album is not only a celebration of Dr. Sonnabend's musical legacy but also a tribute to his unwavering commitment to humanity. As listeners embark on discovering this music, they are invited to experience the depth of emotion and the enduring legacy of a remarkable individual. Dr. Joseph Sonnabend (1933-2021) was a pioneering AIDS researcher and clinician, widely respected for his compassionate approach to patient care and his groundbreaking contributions to HIV/AIDS research. In addition to his medical career, Dr. Sonnabend was a prolific composer, whose debut album, "Thoughts and Programme Notes," offers a glimpse into his remarkable musical talent and creative vision.

This unique album of chamber music by Patrick Stoyanovich features performances by the composer's daughter, the violinist, Sophia Stoyanovich. Ms. Stoyanovich's intense connection with her father's music can be gleaned by a brief sample of her liner notes: "In the fall of 2019, on a visit to Paris, my father walked down the Rue de Paradis. A year later, while working on his second Sonata for violin and piano, the memory of that street inspired the closing theme of it's final movement. This theme seems to reach out it's hand, consoling the listener after a monumental journey. I find wisdom in my father's music in a moment like this, in which an intimate honesty of sentiment answers music of struggle, addressing our emotional need as listeners." Ms. Stoyanovich is partnered by pianist Derek Wang and cellist Aaron Wolff in these deeply felt recordings.

The Venetian musician Ettore Bonelli has always been known as a violinist, a teacher and revisor, but less so as a composer. Precisely the conspicuous amount of revisions, over a hundred, (the famous version of the Concerto for Oboe by Benedetto Marcello, in fact, composed by Alessandro Marcello, published by Zanibon in Padua) to which Bonelli mainly dedicated himself after World War ii, had over-shadowed his rich activity of composition which had occupied him since 1918. He had abandoned this for thirty years and had taken it up again only in the '70s. With pieces with a didactic aim dedicated to the violin, oboe, double bass, and the flute- harp duo. This recording promoted by Alessandro Curri (violist, nephew of Ettore Bonelli, and son of the harper Ilde Bonelli) represents a first glance to the composer's chamber music production focused on works for violin and piano and for viola and piano. With Giuliano Fontanella on the violin and pianists Tania Salinaro and Giovanni Dal Missier, this world premiere recording is revealing a solid and decisive craftsmanship, which inherits and reworks the styles in vogue in the first half of the twentieth century in Italy, without excessive experimentalism yet with skilful refinement.

Since 2004, the lost world of the former “Buchenland” (Beech Country) with its Jewish-Christian culture, which was expelled and destroyed by Naziism, has played a special role in Alexander Kukelka’s oeuvre – his ancestors came from Czernowitz (Chernivtsi) and the former Bukovina. The album “Call to the Highest Vision” is a follow-up to the production “Czernowitzer Skizzen” released in 2008, and stands as a further attempt to pay compositional tribute to this historically unique “multi-ethnic mosaic” on the edge of the Carpathians with its capital Czernowitz, also known as “Little Vienna” or “Jerusalem on the Pruth”. The selected works combine most diverse styles of composing, with works ranging from the concerto for nai (pan flute) and string quintet, songs for bass baritone, bass clarinet and piano, Meditations for solo clarinet and Klezmore Orchestra, works with ironic titles such as “About a March That Set Out to Learn How to Dance – Humoresque for Wind Quartet” or “Requiem for a Dead End – Farce for Flute, Cello and Piano”. However, no “historical distance” or compositional employment can relativize or explain the irretrievable loss of this unique linguistic and cultural landscape, in which half a dozen ethnic groups dreamed of a better world in peaceful coexistence on the eve of the Shoah.

Widely recognised as the leading Welsh composer of his generation, Huw Watkins is an increasingly prolific writer of works for chamber ensembles, alongside his distinguished career as a pianist. Composed between 2009 and 2022, the five works featured on this disc take the listener on a fascinating journey through Watkins’s recent musical evolution. The acclaimed Leonore Piano Trio begin with the earliest of these works – the 2009 Piano Trio No. 1 – whilst conductor George Vass’s Orchestra Nova brings us the Little Symphony for strings and exquisite Concertino for violin and strings, performed here by trio violinist Benjamin Nabarro. The trio is joined by violist Rachel Roberts for Watkins’ luminous Piano Quartet, while the programme concludes with the 2022 Piano Trio No. 2 – written for the fortieth anniversary of the Presteigne Festival and premiered there by the Leonore Piano Trio.