Composers' conclave in Leipzig - chamber music by Edvard Grieg, Ethel Smyth and Amanda Maier "An expression of the deep friendship by Maier, Grieg and Smyth may be felt in the linking momentum of their composing: although each of these creative figures embodied their own personal style, each of them draws from the living waters of their country's folk music, which throbs through their works as it's primal impulse."

Shostakovich's Piano Quintet with Julia Fischer, Nils Monkemeyer and the Oliver Schnyder Trio. Shostakovich: 50th anniversary of his death: August 9

Manfred holds a special place in Tchaikovsky's oeuvre, as it is unique: a symphony composed on an extremely large scale around a wide-ranging literary programme. Manfred is the embodiment of several facets of Tchaikovsky's individuality: it presents both Russian and European features, Tchaikovsky's own talents as a psychologist and a shrewd judge of character, his abilities as a writer for the theatre, and his mastery in creating orchestral colours. The score itself dazzles with it's variety of images and sounds - from airy to grandiose and powerful, from pastoral and peaceful to dense and dark. The dramatic concept of the work as a whole, it's psychological portrayal of the protagonists and the vivid expression in their development all come to reveal the characteristic style of Tchaikovsky's late works. What is more, Manfred remains fascinating thanks to the fact that it emerged at the crossroads of various literary, philosophical and musical trends during 19th century. The album was recorded on the eve of the 185th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth.

This symphony is the creation of a giant, and it surpasses all of the master's other symphonies in terms of it's spiritual dimension, it's fearsomeness, and it's grandeur. It's success is almost unprecedented, despite the most ominous warnings of a variety of Cassandras, and that includes several close colleagues. The work was a complete victory of light over darkness, and the storm of enthusiasm which broke out with elemental force when the individual movements had faded away was mighty. In short, it was a triumph that a Roman emperor could not have wished for more beautifully. (Hugo Wolf)

At the highest level VISION. BACH Vol. 8 "Hans-Christoph Rademann as director of the Gaechinger Cantorey implements this in an exemplary manner with his ensembles and the soloists. The choir consists of a small chamber ensemble of up to four accomplished voices per register, including the solos. This potential forms an exceptionally high-quality chamber choir, is technically absolutely unchallenged in the demanding opening choruses, is agile and fresh, at the same time full of vocal power and affective clarity, precise and easily comprehensible in it's diction at all times. The chorales are tackled decisively and with the necessary grandeur, without ever seeming statuesque - however, with the right amount of Lutheran vigor and conviction. " Klassik. Com

Both as a soloist and as a Lied pianist, Ammiel Bushakevitz has a close relationship with the music of Franz Schubert. Together with Hanssler Classics and the Athenaeum Foundation, the pianist is developing a long-term project to record Schubert's complete solo piano works. Vol. 3 includes last works of the composer.

Lieder by Hanns Eisler, Rudi Stephan, Robert Kahn, Charles Ives "The album REMEMBRANCE is intended to convey the hope and desperate desire for peace - born of conscious memory and the lessons from the past. With this, my debut album, I want to encourage listeners to reflect and consciously remember the suffering and destruction of war and it's physical and psychological consequences. It should be a remembrance of those who fought for a better world, or dreamed of it. A memorial to all of those who innocently lost their lives far too early. The message of this music is today, unfortunately, more topical and relevant than ever. It challenges us to reflect on the human consequences of war and reminds us of the unceasing desire for peace and a better future." Marcel Brunner

The program of the CD with the Swiss pianist Gabiz Reichert with works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff and others presents itself as a unity of three parts: Images that convey different facets of the principle of return. They are all inspired by various influences that defy conventional interpretation, as the pianist explains in an accompanying text.

With this vinyl edition, the Xenakis Trio refocuses on two major pillars of it's repertoire: Iannis Xenakis and Steve Reich. Two distinct visions of contemporary percussion, brought together in a dialogue of materials, rhythms and resonances. Taken from their first album Alliages, these works take on a new dimension here: the warmth of vinyl restores all the density of the instrumental gesture, the grain of the timbre, the raw pulsation of the percussive sound. This edition is a field of resonance - a space where the tectonic forces of twentieth-century music combine with the artistic demands of a trio in search of the limits of sound.

This powerful live recording from the Philharmonie Luxembourg brings together the choir of the renowned Gaechinger Cantorey and the Luxembourg Philharmonic under the musical direction of Hans-Christoph Rademann for an emotionally charged interpretation of Johannes Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem. Featuring acclaimed soloists Katharina Konradi (soprano) and Konstantin Krimmel (baritone), this performance offers a deeply human and musically refined experience of one of the most important choral works of the 19th century. Unlike the traditional Latin Requiem, Brahms' German Requiem focuses not on the dead but on the living - on comfort, compassion, and hope. Drawing on texts from the Lutheran Bible, Brahms crafts a spiritual and emotional journey that speaks directly to the human condition, transcending religious boundaries and remaining timeless in it's message. Rademann, a master of choral conducting, shapes the work with clarity, warmth, and expressive nuance. Under his direction, the Gaechinger Cantorey delivers a performance marked by rich tone, articulate phrasing, and emotional intensity. The Luxembourg Philharmonic adds glowing orchestral color and transparency, perfectly complementing the vocal forces. The synergy between choir, orchestra, conductor, and soloists is palpable throughout, offering a fresh yet profoundly respectful interpretation of this beloved masterpiece.

This CD on the ARS PRODUKTION label features no fewer than eleven world premiere recordings from the pen of the great Belgian violinist and composer Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881), presented by five young violinists together with the Vogtland Philharmonic Orchestra under Simon Edelmann. The miniatures were written for personal use in concert, often as a supplement to large concertante forms. Some were published, but always in more easily marketable arrangements for violin and piano, with the violin part sometimes being toned down.

Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonaten und Partiten Vol. 1 (BWV 1003, 1004) Denis Goldfeld, violin Johann Sebastian Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin are among the most important works in the violin literature. Probably composed in Kothen around 1720, they combine profound musical expressiveness with technical brilliance. The collection consists of three sonatas in the traditional church form (four movements: slow-fast-slow-fast) and three partitas, which vary the dance movements. The Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor is particularly well-known, a monumental work that is considered the pinnacle of Baroque solo violin art. In these compositions, Bach demonstrates a masterful combination of polyphony, structure and emotional depth - on an instrument that seems barely capable of polyphony.

Musical Life in 19th-Century St. Petersburg: Works for Russian Seven-String Guitar and Fortepiano by Vladimir Morkov This recording is based on a little-known manuscript for guitar and fortepiano held at the Glinka Museum of Music in Moscow. On one level, the album aims to support the revival of the Russian seven-string guitar, an instrument with it's own distinctive tuning (D-G-B-d-g-b-d'), rich history, and unique repertoire. On another, it uses this important archival source as a window into the broader musical culture of mid-19th-century St. Petersburg. To present a fuller picture, we have supplemented the manuscript selections with solo works for both fortepiano and guitar.

For fifteen exciting years the manuscripts of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's keyboard concertos have held me in their thrall. Both delightful and challenging at the same time, a hitherto unpublished and therefore completely unknown world revealed it's hidden beauties. With an eighth CD, my series comprising around half of all the available keyboard concertos now comes to an end. This musical form - according to Emanuel Bach himself his 'most personal' - occupied the composer repeatedly throughout his lifetime. From the astonishingly self-confident concerto Wq1 by a 19-year-old to the cheerfully ironic Wq47 from the year of his death, a long and very fruitful career is illustrated by the search for distinctive new means of expression. As later with the symphonies composed in Hamburg, Emanuel Bach here also took 'all the liberties he needed'. We find bold innovation as well as exuberant kinetic joy, exquisite chromaticism and demanding virtuosity alongside profound contemplation. Michael Rische

Reference Recordings presents our second collaboration with the Grand Teton Festival Orchestra, in a spectacular live recording of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5. This richly emotional work was written in 1901 and 1902 while Mahler was recovering from a near-fatal illness. The fourth movement is probably Mahler's most famous composition and is the most frequently performed of his works. The premiere performance was October 18, 1904 in Cologne, Germany. This symphony is the composition that inspired producer Victor Muenzer's career in music! About this new album Mr. Muenzer writes: "Once again, we bring you the dream team of the beautiful acoustics of Walk Festival Hall, the unparalleled musicians of the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra, and the unrivaled present-day Mahlerian conductor, Sir Donald Runnicles."