Inna Faliks is a spellbinding Ukrainian-born pianist with a glowing international reputation. Her long-standing practice of alternating musical interludes with the spoken word takes the form here of narrative storytelling. And with this unique album - her first for Delos - Inna has a captivating, powerful and very moving tale to tell. Her story chronicles her life's path: her family's emigration to America, her seminal early influences and her evolution as an artist. And it's also her love story, as she is reunited as an adult with the childhood friend who is now her husband. Each episode of the pianist's saga - dramatically narrated by actress Rebecca Mozo - alternates with a beautifully played masterpiece that is closely connected to her life story from childhood onward. Music and words combine to spin a powerful and moving tale.

English Suites is the title traditionally given to Bach's splendid collection of dances, assembled by tonality and preceded by a Prelude, probably dating form the second decade of the 1700's, perhaps before 1717. Forkel states that the suites were composed for an English nobleman, but adds nothing more. Recently, scholars have made various suggestions: some think that the word English, for thes epieces which Bach defined Preludes avec les Suites, BWV 806-811 have always been considered the worthy counterpart of the French Suites BWV, 821-827. Alessandra Artifoni, who already recorded for Dynamic the latter, two years later proposes their twin collection, using an instrument built by Tony Chinnery after Mietke, and Neidhardt temperament.

It was Antje Weithaas’ own idea to jointly record Johann Sebastian Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin in conjunction with Eugene Ysaye’s six solo violin sonatas. “The works by Bach are rather well-known,” she remarks. “But what about the Ysaye sonatas? Ysaye is invariably shoved into the virtuoso corner, but as a composer he is to be taken quite seriously!” These solo works by Bach inspired Belgian violin celebrity Eugene Ysaye to write his Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, op. 27, dedicating each one of them to a great violinist of his time. Ysaye is regarded as the main representative of the Franco-Flemish violin school, closely associated with the fin-de-siecle period when architecture was awash with flowery ornaments. In painting and poetry, meanwhile, symbolism and sensuality abounded. Artists either adored or detested Wagner, who became the main subject of musical discussions throughout Europe. Ysaye is said to have conceived the plan of the Six Violin Sonatas within the course of one day in 1924, when he was 66 years old.

The incomparable, soul-searching playing of the veteran Russian pianist Nelly Akopian-Tamarina is captured in a rare studio recording for PENTATONE with a luminous performance of Brahms’s towering Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24 and the introspective Four Ballades, Op. 10.

In a distinguished tradition of playing stretching back to the great Russian school of Scriabin, Rachmaninov and Medtner through her teacher, the acclaimed virtuoso Alexander Goldenweiser, Nelly Akopian-Tamarina is an exemplar of an exquisitely crafted and poetical style of playing which is subtle, probing, deeply lyrical and utterly spellbinding.

Winner of the 1963 Robert Schumann International Competition for Pianists and Singers and recipient of the coveted Robert Schumann Prize in 1974, her career was nevertheless blocked by official censorship in the Soviet Union during the 1970s such that she made her London debut only in 1983 with a program of Schumann and Brahms. For this new release, Akopian-Tamarina approaches the program with her customary sensitivity and poetic insights to give performances of rare subtlety and perfection. “Classically framed romantic miniature fantasies, intricate, entwining studies in embroidery, decoration and voicing”, she writes of the Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, “the twenty-five variations navigate the theme to a coronation of fugal triumph, immeasurable and immortal”.

REVIEW:

This is something special. Nelly Akopian-Tamarina is a pianist of the Russian old school, part of a tradition stretching back to Rubinstein and Rachmaninoff, and was winning competitions in the 1960s. But since the early years her public performances have been rare, her recordings even more so—this all-Brahms disc has waited over 20 years to be released. It is captivating. The sense of intimacy in the Third and Fourth Ballades is perhaps explained when you read that they were recorded after session hours when she thought she was alone, unaware that the producer had slipped into the studio and turned on the microphone. There’s a feeling of time being suspended throughout, of Brahms’s long spans being masterfully, seamlessly molded with a finely graded, delicate touch. Alongside the four Ballades we hear the mighty Handel Variations, to which she brings a sense of quiet resolve and onward motion that is irresistible.

-- The Guardian (UK)

Toke Møldrup's virtuosic new set of Bach's six cello suites was recorded on a 1697 David Tecchler cello and culminates with a wildly decorated 6th suite performed on a five-stringed Italian instrument. Møldrup is principal cellist of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, and professor of cello at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. The release set also includes Viggo Mangor's charming arrangement of Suite no. 1 for two violins, organ and cello. The Danish cellist Toke Møldrup, 36, recently received Queen Ingrid’s Honorary Award for his achievements on the Danish music scene. In the 20 years of his career so far, he has performed both across Europe and in the United States, South America, Japan and the Middle East at venues such as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall, Vienna’s Musikverein and the Berlin Konzerthaus. A frequent guest at Danish music societies, Møldrup has performed as a soloist with Danish and international symphony orchestras under conductors such as Aldo Ceccato, Sanntu Rouvali, Thomas Søndergaard and Joshua Weilerstein.

Vivaldi’s Gloria is one of sacred music’s most uplifting choral works and a joyful hymn of praise with moments ranging from festive brilliance to profound sadness. Composed in Venice, probably in 1715, for the choir of the Ospedale della Pietà, its wonderfully sunny nature and distinctive melodies and rhythms give it an immediate and universal appeal. Bach was a fierce admirer of Vivaldi’s work, and his extraordinarily inventive Mass in G major complements the Gloria perfectly. The group is well-versed in this program, as they, at the time of this release, prepare for their Orchestral tour featuring Vivaldi’s Gloria and Bach’s Mass in G Major and visiting 10 towns and cities across the UK including London, Lincoln, Worcester, Chichester and Manchester.

These three facets in the prism of Mozart’s operatic genius shine in Glyndebourne’s typically thought-provoking productions, featuring skilled singer–actors buoyed by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s luminous period sound. Nicholas Hytner’s beautiful, ‘shockingly traditional’ production of Così fan tutte frames artful performances teased by Ivan Fischer from an outstanding international cast of convincing young lovers. Michael Grandage’s staging of Le nozze di Figaro is Glyndebourne’s seventh in a line stretching back to the company’s 1934 début production. Marshalled by the ‘ideal pacing’ of Robin Ticciati, a youthful cast of principals has ‘no weak link’ and ‘looks gorgeous’ (The Sunday Times). David McVicar’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail offers a ‘mesmerising, sensitive ... outstanding’ portrayal of Enlightenment-era fascination with the East that is both ‘exquisitely acted and sung’ (The Guardian), and Ticciati leads the OAE through a restored, authentic rendition of the critical score with ‘lovely fizz’ and ‘poignant gravitas’. (The Independent). "Glorious orchestral playing and magnificent singing under Iván Fischer" ( Cosi fan tutte - BBC Music Magazine) "Finely conducted by Robin Ticciati, McVicar’s production of Mozart’s Turkish comedy is a vocal and visual treat." (Die Entführung - The Stage) "... this is a Figaro of rare grace, naturalness and charm." (Le Nozze di Figaro - The Daily Telegraph)

Percussion instruments have only recently become the last members of the symphonic family to be used fully and sensitively by composers, long after strings, woodwinds and brasses have been effectively exploited. Creative interest in the symphonic percussion section began in earnest in the late 1940s and has not yet abated, with rather impressive musical results thus far achieved. It is safe to say that the skillful use of a liberated percussion section has changed the very sound of contemporary symphonic music. One of the by-products of this welcome development has been the emergence of the percussion ensemble as an independent performing entity throughout the US and all over the world. These ensembles have programmed new works by some of our most gifted composers and they are responsible for adding a new dimension to America’s listening experience. The four composers whose works have been adapted to create this program are all quite different from one another, yet, they have been approached as a single musical organism, with the hope that, even after transfer to the same sound source, they would coexist with one another without giving up or cancelling outany of their respective original characteristics of style, color, or content.

The history of writing music for the piano is linked to the creation, in 1711, of the prototype of the present day piano and to its evolution from the pianoforte- an instrument suited for salon music-making- to the modern concert grand. The tradition of home music-making dates back therefore to the middle of the 18th century, with piano-playing for four hands very soon becoming its all important element. This gave rise to the development of a repertoire that lent itself to arrangement and performances in such a chamber environment. Compositions of this type had already been penned by Johann Christian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. By the end of the 18th century, compositions for piano four hands had achieved extraordinary popularity. However, only a small amount of the output by Polish composers was published. Thanks to the interest of present-day Polish publishers these forgotten pieces, several of which are presented here, can now be enjoyed by performers and enthusiasts alike.

Dutch flautist Frans Bruggen (1934-2014) was one of the main discoverers and champions of the recorder during the twentieth century, and is considered to be one of the artists that made this instrument popular and accessible to young people. His virtuosity and technique were unique, and made his performances of music from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries unforgettable, showing his audiences that the recorder could be an expressive and evocative instrument. This IDIS release collects a series of very rare recordings of this great artist taken from his archives- none of these recordings have ever been released on modern mediums. This album features the first recording of the Giuseppe Sammartini Concert in F major- a masterpiece of the recorder literature- that was recorded by Bruggen with the Amsterdam Chamber Orchestra when he was only twenty-eight years old.

Bethany Beardslee is renowned as one of the great lyric sopranos of the twentieth century, and the inspiration for dozens of composers who wrote specifically for her voice. Born in Lansing, Michigan, she trained first at Michigan State College, and later at the Juilliard School. Accompanied by pianists Richard Goode and Lois Shapiro, Ms. Beardslee's performances of lieder by Brahms, Schumann and Schubert display her exquisite artistry. USC Professor of Music and Journalism Tim Page writes: "Her flexible, expressive voice, with its silvered timbre and warmly caressing middle range, was suited not only to the premieres and first American performances she sang (by composers ranging from Schoenberg to Stravinsky to Milton Babbitt) but also to the Romantic repertory." While she retired officially in 1984, she performed and recorded a number of times in the decade that followed. These recordings, from 1984 and 1986, have been remastered by Grammy award winning engineer Adam Abeshouse.

Bridge's new Complete Mozart Flute & Orchestra album features the Odense Symphony Orchestra and their principal flautist, Rune Most, performing on a wooden flute. The recording, made in the acoustically superb Carl Nielsen Hall, includes the two flute concertos, the rondo, and perennial Mozart favorite, the Concerto for Flute and Harp. Rune Most began his studies at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense with Karl Lewkovitch. Later came studies with Professor Lóránt Kovács in Budapest, and in 1990 he made his debut from the soloist class of the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, where he had studied with Toke Lund Christiansen. Today Rune Most is solo flautist with the Odense Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense. Over the years music has taken him to South America, China, Russia and many countries in Europe as a chamber musician and soloist. As a soloist and chamber musician he has recorded several albums of, among other things, Danish and South American music.