I have devoted this most recent recording to dance. The pieces that I perform here are all linked to the art of dance from different eras and different cultures. Throughout history and in most people's perception, dance has always been a source of entertainment and joy, but it can also represent more sombre occasions, with pomp and grandeur. The Chaconne, for example, has become both tragic and sublime over time and today it's rhythm has mellowed! Chopin's Mazurkas can be rustic and folkloric, haunting or lyrical, even dramatic. In short, dance can express diametric opposites and unite those opposites at the same time. That's why I also want to pay homage to Shiva's dance, for this god, the symbol of destruction, illusion and ignorance, destroys in order to awaken human beings and lead them to create a new world. Shiva's divine dance, Tandava Nritya, is regarded by Hinduism as the origin of the cycle of creation, preservation and devastation. Vagharshapat Dance is based upon a melody from 'Yerangi' found in "Six Dances for Piano" (1906) by the legendary Armenian composer Komitas (1869?935). Vagharshapat is the location of Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the fourth largest city in Armenia located 11 miles west of Yerevan. My recording ends with Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance", in an arrangement of my own. The duality of this piece's character is obvious, as while the sabers suggest the idea of death, the dance becomes a 'living dance? one that enchants us or, a dance that comes alive. I hope that the current times of wars, destruction and social upheaval will soon be replaced by peace and the joy that comes with it, and I hope that this recording brings a form of respite and quietude and with it lightness, joy and happiness. Vardan Mamikonian "Vardan Mamikonian demonstrates a technique that combines power and poetry... and flashes of interpretive genius." New York Times Vardan Mamikonian has come to the attention of the international press and public thanks to his prestigious technique and extraordinary musicality. He has performed in the United States with such renowned orchestras as the Atlanta, San Francisco, Detroit, Pacific, Houston and National Symphonies, as well as with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. He is a guest at major international festivals such as Verbier and St. Moritz in Switzerland, Ravinia in the USA, La Roque d'Antheron in France, the Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival in Germany, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. He gives recitals in some of the world's most prestigious music venues: Musikverein Vienna, Carnegie Hall New York, Theatre des Champs-elysees Paris, Herkulessaal Munich, Wigmore Hall London, Tonhalle Zurich, Davies Symphony Hall San Francisco and Kennedy Center Washington, to name but a few. Born in Yerevan, Armenia, into a family of musicians, Vardan Mamikonian began studying piano at the Spendiarian School of Music in his hometown, under Arkui Haroutunian. He continued his studies at the Moscow Central Music School and the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Valery Kastelsky, one of the last proteges of the legendary Heinrich Neuhaus. He then went on to perfect his skills at the Piano Academy in Imola, Italy, under the guidance of Lazar Berman. In 1991, Vardan moved to Paris, and in 1992, he won the World Music Masters Competition in Monte Carlo, reserved exclusively for winners of international competitions. Vardan Mamikonian has taken part in numerous recordings for radio and television, as well as for the German label Orfeo. Several of his recordings have been praised by the international press.

It's flawless... it's fearless... I don't know how it gets better than this. It might appear off-the-wall, but Taylor Swift's words to describe a first kiss are also a summation of the new album by Clara Haberkamp, the wonderful German jazz pianist... who just happens to have been born in the same month of the same year as Swift: December 1989. And maybe there is something more than just a simple coincidence of month of birth going on here. As Haberkamp says: "I have changed. My role models these days are women, in music and elsewhere, who combine strength and self-determination with compassion and receptiveness." These reflections don't just feed into her own continuing development and her rising profile on the European music scene, they are also a defining part of the way she plays and leads her trio. Downbeat critic Josef Woodard has called Haberkamp "a commanding presence" and anyone listening to this album, or watching the trio in action live or on video will instantly hear and see how all that works, why it functions so well, and in so many ways and stylistic directions. She chooses to work with strong, infinitely subtle, top-flight players from a slightly older generation: bassist Oliver Potratz is one of the most in-demand players of the instrument in Germany; Jarle Vespestad's vast experience includes several years with both Farmers Market and Tord Gustavsen's trio. Each of them has made the best part of 100 albums. And yet it is the phenomenally adept pianist who is clearly the one in charge, shaping the music in it's many forms, throwing out the rhythmic and harmonicchallenges to her skilful and wise colleagues. This music has everything from the knottiest of counterpoint ("Collage"), achingly intense lyricism ("Enfold me like a poem"), the quiet and reflective ("On a Park Bench"), idealised dreamscape ("Fantasmes") to moments when she brings the music back to simple, heartfelt forms of expression which cannot fail to reach every heart ("If you could read my mind"). And there can be very few singer/pianists since Shirley Horn who have reached the degree of interdependence of piano and voice that Haberkamp brings to her hauntingly reharmonized "Danny Boy", a welcome return to singing for just one track on the album. The album title "Plateaux" comes from a 1980 book whose authors found every way they could to observe and encourage the dismantling of traditional power structures and hierarchies: "Mille Plateaux" by philosopher Gilles Deleuze and psychoanalyst Felix Guattari, both of whom died in the 1990s. The world has moved on since those days, and to witness Haberkamp at the helm of her trio is to understand that there are many better ways to invent and to communicate. How natural, how totally at ease with herself at the piano and in her role as leader she is. It allows her to stand out in the crowded field of piano trios as very special, or "souveran" as the Germans say. The vast armies of Taylor Swift admirers bring sackfuls of glitter and hair accessories to her concerts. All that an admirer of Clara Haberkamp needs to bring is an open mind, ear, and heart. All three will be copiously rewarded by an artist who is increasingly, definably, defiantly, remarkably, herself.

For many centuries, Georgia has been a country in which different ethnicities and religions have lived side by side: Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Jews, Christians and Muslims. This multicultural environment has influenced Josef Bardanashvili's style in the direction of pluralism, eclecticism and tolerance towards musical cultures. This openness can also be felt in each of the works on this CD.

Thomas J. Woods (b. 1969): The Carnival of the Dinosaurs – A musical fairytale

Tyrannosaurus Regina is the tyrant Queen of the dinosaurs and preparations are underway for the Carnival celebrating her birthday. Always suspicious, she sends out spies to observe her subjects including a melancholy Brontosaurus, partying Triceratops and a tattooed Ankylosaurus. But perhaps the real threat comes from the Pterodactyls above?

“The Carnival of the Dinosaurs” is a musical fairytale that will delight listeners and readers young and old. Narrated and interpreted by Rachel Teear (Narrator), Freddy Kempf (Piano 1) and Natalia Woods (Piano 2).

Thomas J. Woods (b. 1969): The Carnival of the Dinosaurs – A musical fairytale

Tyrannosaurus Regina is the tyrant Queen of the dinosaurs and preparations are underway for the Carnival celebrating her birthday. Always suspicious, she sends out spies to observe her subjects including a melancholy Brontosaurus, partying Triceratops and a tattooed Ankylosaurus. But perhaps the real threat comes from the Pterodactyls above?

“The Carnival of the Dinosaurs” is a musical fairytale that will delight listeners and readers young and old. Narrated and interpreted by Rachel Teear (Narrator), Freddy Kempf (Piano 1) and Natalia Woods (Piano 2).

With his new "lieder" (song) cycle "Kafer toten", composer Alexander Maria Wagner (b. 1995) presents a sonic cosmos that brings a new and surprising variety to the ears, both on the text/vocal level and on the instrumental level. He thus opens up the world of contemporary music in his very own way, excellently and passionately interpreted by Graham F. Valentine (Voice) and the the ensemble Christian Spataru, Florian Moser (Violin), Felix Rosenboom (Cello), Eniko Cseh (Flute), Jake Mann (Clarinet) and Shun Oi (Piano).

Limited Vinyl Edition, 180g (Double LP) - With his new "lieder" (song) cycle "Kafer toten", composer Alexander Maria Wagner (b. 1995) presents a sonic cosmos that brings a new and surprising variety to the ears, both on the text/vocal level and on the instrumental level. He thus opens up the world of contemporary music in his very own way, excellently and passionately interpreted by Graham F. Valentine (Voice) and the the ensemble Christian Spataru, Florian Moser (Violin), Felix Rosenboom (Cello), Eniko Cseh (Flute), Jake Mann (Clarinet) and Shun Oi (Piano).

This album combines Japanese and European art songs - two seemingly distant cultural spheres revealing often impressive affinities, whereby in the direct comparison the respective characteristic profiles of the Western and Far Eastern style traditions are certainly preserved, perhaps even more apparent. All in all, a musical round dance is created through the highs and lows of human emotions and experiences - and regardless of the permanent back and forth between East and West, an invisible bond leads us to the brilliant rising of the Far Eastern sun in the last song of "A magnificent morning" by Yoshinao Nakada. Wonderfully interpreted by Misaki Kobayashi and Matthias Veit.

“From Bohemia’s Woods and Fields” – this is how we might sum up the shared roots of these four composers. Vaclav Pichl (World Premiere Recording) and Johann Baptist Vanhal penned their works in an early classical style, while Bohuslav Martinu and Roland Leistner-Meyer deployed the aesthetic means of expression of their own period to enrich the repertoire while still invoking the ideals of the classical era. This program is the perfect treat for listeners who enjoy discovering new works and expanding their musical horizons!

The Spanish pieces on this CD became famous mainly as solo guitar compositions by the three Catalan master pianists Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Malats and Enrique Granados. I have often played them that way in concerts as well. In 2019, Nicolas and I had the idea to transcribe these works combined with works by Astor Piazzolla for viola and guitar. Since then, we have enjoyed playing this music in numerous concerts. The viola-guitar combination gives these compositions a whole new dimension. Compared to the solo guitar versions, the works appear in a completely new light, allowing the compositions to emit transparency and a variety of tonal colors.

The Spanish music of the CD program alternates with music by one of the most frequently performed works of Manuel de Falla (1876–1946), and the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla (1921–1992). Piazzolla is considered the great innovator of the Tango, the “Tango Nuevo”. He originally composed the “Histoire du Tango” for flute and guitar. The other compositions are short character pieces, all of which we have arranged for viola and guitar. The two movements “Bordel-1900” and “Café-1930” evoke the history of Tango in their respective eras. “Bordel-1900” goes back to the beginnings of the Tango. The new dance form was played in the brothels of Buenos Aires around this time. As “1930” marked a new era, the Tango was no longer danced as it was around 1900, and people limited themselves to listening to it. The Tango becomes more musical and romantic, the movements become slower, new harmonies are added. The music takes on a strong melancholic streak.

The program takes you on a wonderful journey through Baroque Italy, illuminating compositions of different colors written for recorder and basso continuo. Some of the great music centers of the time – Milan, Venice and Naples – are visited and the listener can immerse themselves in a bygone era. Various styles emerged in these centers, which are known today as the "Venetian school" and the "Neapolitan school", and which ultimately lead to the "gallant style". Major influences from Arcangelo Corelli's compositional style can also be heard in some of the sonatas in the program. As soon as the instrument recorder appears, one always asks oneself whether this was a marginal instrument or whether it could have been of great importance within the music scene. What is certain is that there are numerous sonatas composed specifically for this instrument, as well as extensive contemporary transcriptions of the oboe and violin repertoire for recorder. Influenced by the great popularity of the recorder, composers such as the German-speaking oboe virtuoso Sieber also decided to travel to Italy in order to become respected masters of this instrument.

The present program therefore consists exclusively of works that exist in an original historical manuscript. The manuscripts are now scattered in numerous libraries from Europe to the USA - and yet they all have one thing in common: they contain wonderful sonatas for recorder and basso continuo, all of which were composed in Italy within 30 years. And the deeper you finally delve into this program, the more amazed you can be about the variety and also about some mysteries that suddenly open up...

Of the most prolific and world-famous composers from Switzerland, none fell into oblivion faster after his death than Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. With the late Romantic Joseph Joachim Raff, born in Lachen (Canton Schwyz), he shares the multitude of compositions in various genres, with his friend Arthur Honegger the multitude of publishers in France, England and Switzerland. When Emile Jacques-Dalcroze died in Geneva on 1 July 1950, a few days before his 85th birthday, he left behind a life's work of overwhelming abundance as a composer. First and foremost, the long-out-of-print compositions for violoncello and piano deserve to be returned to concert practice. The promising prelude to this album with exclusively world premiere recordings is the "Trois Morceaux op. 48" (Strasbourg 1902). With a dialogue introduced by the cello as a soloist, the multi-part "Lied romantique" in G major begins in a very unusual, free way. In the four "Rythmes délaissés" (Paris 1924), the composer uses rhythmic formulas such as short ostinati to combine them with singable melodic lines. The odd metres with which the first piece (C minor) begins in five-eighth time and with strikingly intoned arpeggios, and the frequent bar changes return in No. II (A major). The "Suite op. 9" is dedicated to his friend Adolf Rehberg, the brother of the much better known pianist and composer Willy Rehberg. For the French-speaking Swiss cellist, who taught at the Geneva Conservatory, Jaques-Dalcroze also suited the "Lied romantique" op. 48 Point 1. The "Pièces faciles" published in 1907 go back to a children's concert performed by six- to sixteen-year-old students of the composer. Most of them are set for piano of two or four hands, those composed for violoncello and piano form an enchanting addition under the title "3 Esquisses".

In the heyday of English Renaissance music, the boundaries of musical forms and instrumental technique were expanded and composers embarked on a search for new, fascinating sounds. Thanks to the outstanding ensemble on this recording - Anna-Lena Elbert, Friederike Heumann (viola da gamba, lyra viol), Evangelina Mascardi (Renaissance lute) and Angelique Mauillon (harp) - this music blossoms again in it's ancient splendor and we can be enchanted by it's beauty, ingenuity and bittersweet melancholy.

Encores are works with strong expressive power. Here original music and own arrangements. At the age of 48, Hervé Joulain has already performed concerts of Haydn, Saint-Saëns, Strauss, Britten... In the year 2000 he made his debut in America and Canada with Strauss and Mozart with 110 different orchestras. The French hornist performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (1987–1997), with the Orchestre National de France (1997), and with the Orchestre de Paris under the direction of renowned conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Metha, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Eliahu Inbal, Kurt Mazur, Charles Dutoit, Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Abbado. Since December 2002 he has been the solo French hornist in the Symphonica Toscanini (Italy).

Elena Denisova is recognised as one of the most charismatic personalities of the international violin elite and sees herself as an ambassador of the magic of sound. She realises this as a passionate motto in all her interpretations of classical and 21st century works. It also applies to Bach's three sonatas for solo violin, which she performs here entirely in this spirit.

Few works from Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht (1722-1794) can be found these days, which is unfortunate as this German composer, flutist, and Kapellmeister composed a large catalog of chamber music and symphonies that put his skill at the same level as his more famous contemporaries. Ensemble La Cantonnade (Miho Shirai, Zsuzsa Csige, Marie Colombat, and Niklas Heineke) sets out to change that with this new release of Trio Sonatas for two flutes and basso continuo. Each of these works is receiving here its world premiere recording.

Fantastic worlds - Organ transformations - Bach organ Regensburg The human imagination opens up worlds full of enchanting beauty, threatening dreams, night and sun - and the organ is the ideal companion for this! From Frescobaldi to Saint-Saens, this CD follows capricious and passionately winding paths in "Fantastic worlds". Roman Emilius on the versatile Ahrend organ (2020) of the Trinity Church in Regensburg takes us into the fleeting realm of fantasy. Imagination is a special human gift. Fantasizing about things and making up stories is the basic requirement for all art. The words 'fantasy' and 'fantastic' have positive connotations today, but that wasn't always the case. "Fantastic" in the sense of imagined, invented, without plan or purpose was not reconcilable with the regularity of art. Yet "fantastic worlds" are often responses to the overly ordered, constructed, and lifeless, always focussing on depicting humans with all their mood swings. The organ as an instrument of the church has to transform itself for this because anything too human was to be kept out of the church. That is why this CD is subtitled "Organ transformations". "Stylus phantasticus" was the name given in the 17th century to a style of music that called for boundaries to be crossed and rules to be broken in favour of increasing expressiveness. This goes hand in hand with freedom of presentation. Two masters of this style are Frescobaldi in his toccatas and Buxtehude in his major works. The famous "Air" by Bach is an encore that, at the end of the recording, leaves the reconciliatory word to the namesake of the Ahrend organ in Regensburg's Trinity Church, known as the "Bach organ". Roman Emilius was born in Nuremberg in 1963. He studied church music at the Frankfurt/Main University of Music with Edgar Krapp (organ), Wolfgang Schafer (choral conducting), Irina Edelstein (piano), and Jiri Starek (orchestral conducting). Following the church music exam, he completed the organ graduate degree course (Konzertexamen) and the Diplom degree in orchestral conducting. He was awarded the cultural study award (Kulturforderpreis) of the city of Erlangen in 1988. After one year as an assistant in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, he received a scholarship from the Bavarian Ministry of Culture in 1992 for the "Cite Internationale des Arts" in Paris. In addition to his position as cantor at the Auferstehungskirche (Church of the Resurrection) in Furth, he was the pianist with the ars-nova-ensemble in Nuremberg from 1994 to 1998. In 1997, he became cantor at the Christuskirche (Christ Church) in Munich, where he was subsequently appointed church music director and started to teach choral conducting in the church music ? eld of study at the Munich University of Music. Since 2008, he has been the Protestant city and deanery cantor in Regensburg and director of theRegensburger Kantorei and the Raselius-Chor church choirs. Together with a panel of experts, he designed the Ahrend organ (Bach organ Regensburg) for the Trinity Church in Regensburg, which was inaugurated in 2020.

Franz Schubert, who hardly ever owned a violin of his own, created music of wonderful inwardness for this instrument. Not a virtuoso in the conventional sense, he was a master of emotional sound speech. Like his piano works, his pieces for violin and piano also open up that sphere of the 'there' in which the earthly merges into transcendence. In their dialogue, the opposing worlds of the violin - the 'torn tone' - and the piano - the 'bound melody' - meet to form a lyrical unity that does not 'represent' anything, but simply 'is'. Ingolf Turban and Tomoko Sawallisch are the ideal performers for these works!