That Elisa, Queen of Tyre, wishes to marry her beloved naval hero Clearco to protect him from Astarto-the son of the rightful ruler whom Elisa's father killed-sounds manageable enough. That the chosen bridegroom and the opera's title character are identical makes matters considerably more complicated. These baroque entanglements resolve themselves only through protracted, labyrinthine intrigues, seething jealous outbursts, ingenious document forgeries, and perilous conspiracies. The question, however, of why Giovanni Bononcini, the work's composer, was regarded in his time as the very embodiment of grace, and why he was considered Handel's most dangerous adversary on London's stages-this question was answered swiftly and convincingly at the 2022 Innsbruck Festival: he could pull every emotional register for which audiences storm (ed) the opera houses.

Dive into the mesmerizing soundscape of Alex Stolze's latest album, "Raash ve Ruach." This groundbreaking work weaves together the powerful contrasts of contemporary classical music and electronica, where the violin takes center stage, singing in place of words during a time that often feelsspeechless. "Raash ve Ruach," meaning "Noise and Spirit," is more than just an album-it's a call for spiritual reflection. Inspired by ancient Hebrew traditions and the unsettling events of our time, Stolze's music resonates with both the turmoil of the present and the longing for renewal. Crafted in the tranquility of the Uckermark and polished in Berlin's vibrant Neukolln, this album is a unique blend of rhythmic beats and introspective melodies. Perfect for those who crave music that moves both the body and the soul, "Raash ve Ruach" is a danceable yet deeply reflective experience. Let the wind of Stolze's violin carry you through the noise and into a place of solace.

This CD collection features famous classical Christmas pieces presented by the ensemble German Brass

This is the second album of the Saint-Saens series, with young talents?. All recordings were made with the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, conducted by Howard Griffiths. The repertoire inludes: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 in G minor op. 22, Morceau de Concert in F minor op. 94, Romance in F major op. 36, Romance in E major op. 67 and Suite for Violoncello and Orchestra op. 16b?

Following his recordings of Tchaikovsky and Barber concertos (BIS-2440), honoured with a "Diapason d'or", Gramophone's "Editor's Choice" and BBC Music Magazine's "Concerto Choice", and Nielsen and Sibelius (BIS-2620), awarded Gramophone's "Editor's Choice", Swedish-Norwegian violinist Johan Dalene now takes on three of the most popular concertante works for violin in the entire repertoire, composed in three different eras. Felix Mendelssohn's Concerto in E minor needs no introduction: this masterpiece from the composer's mature period is one of the best known and most beloved works in all of classical music thanks to it's freshness, originality of writing, and magnificent themes. Max Bruch's First Violin Concerto, another pillar of the violin repertoire, is appreciated for it's natural lyricism and memorable melodies. In these two works, Johan Dalene is accompanied by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by it's concertmaster Malin Broman (Mendelssohn) and by Gemma New (Bruch). Imbued with a serene, meditative spirit and a sense of communion with nature, Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending concludes the program. However, the work is not performed here in it's well-known orchestral version, but rather with choir in an arrangement by Paul Drayton. The Swedish Radio Choir is conducted by it's director Kaspars Putnins, a musical partnership whose recordings on BIS have earned numerous awards.

Beethoven's works for violoncello and piano are among the first of this genre. Where previously the piano dominated or merely accompanied, now two equal partners appear, complimenting each other in brilliance and virtuosity. The three cello sonatas, which come from different creative periods of Beethoven, allow insights into the development of the celebrated composer. Ludwig Hoelscher and Jorg Demus, two of the most famous and influential musicians of the last century, dedicated themselves to this multifaceted work in 1972. The resulting recordings express the two master instrumentalists' in-depth study of these works, while offering an intimate experience of chamber music performance. The recordings included in these CDs stood the test of time. The original records, released in 1974, are highly prized by connoisseurs and collectors. These recordings have been lovingly remastered and are now, for the first time, available in digital form. The remaster enables a crystal-clear listening experience of the masterful interpretations without losing their historic character.

The music of multi-award-winning composer Vincent Ho has been described by The New York Times as 'brilliant and compelling', not least for his music's beauty and expressive breadth. Ho wrote The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals as a gift for his eight-year-old daughter, to enrich her musical education as she learned the piano and to introduce her to Chinese cultural themes and performance practices in pianistic form. The cycle presents the musical spirits of the animals with captivating musical caricatures in two books, the second of which is a selection of preludes and fugues for more advanced players. They are performed by Tony Yike Yang, one of Canada's finest young pianists and the youngest laureate in the history of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Explore the cutting-edge fusion of tradition and technology with Preludes Tableaux, the latest album by visionary composer Johannes Motschmann. In this groundbreaking work, Motschmann collaborates with a custom-built AI, uniquely designed and meticulously trained to understand and replicate his distinctive compositional style. This is no ordinary AI; it was created specifically for this project, using a vast dataset of Motschmann's previous works to shape it's creative output. Each track on the album is the result of a dynamic interaction between Motschmann's human intuition and the AI's computational creativity, blurring the lines between human and machine-made music. The result is a compelling blend of organic and synthetic artistry that redefines musical collaboration. To enhance the sonic depth, the album was recorded using iconic analog instruments such as the Steinway D, Yamaha CP 70, Rhodes, and Wurlitzer, creating an immersive and rich soundscape. Alongside Motschmann's original compositions, the album features faithful, original renditions of classical works by Bach, Schonberg, Skrjabin, and Alain, offering a journey that bridges the gap between the historical and the contemporary.

Two renowned tenor greats go on a special discovery: Rene Kollo and Jay Alexander sing evening songs by Schubert, Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann. The well-known songs from the Romantic era have all been newly arranged for string orchestra and produced in the studio for the first time in this form. The unique album, which will be released on February 11, 2022, combines two renowned voices that complement each other exquisitely in their diversity. The two singers can be heard in duet and solo, creating a whole new listening experience of these songs. Both tenors have sung an enormous range of repertoire. Rene Kollo is not only one of the most legendary Wagner tenors of the 20th century, he also opens himself to the so-called lighter muse. "Romantic Evening Songs, " recorded with the Central German Chamber Orchestra, delights with songs such as Schubert's "I'm Abendrot, " "An den Mond, " Mendelssohn's "Nachtlied" and "Der Mond, " as well as Schumann's "Mondnacht" and Brahms' "Wiegenlied." For Jay Alexander, the collaboration with the orchestra was particularly intense: "You are able to immerse yourself in these songs in a completely different way and embed your voice; it was a beautiful atmosphere. The orchestra interpreted in such a differentiated and sensitive way - you could feel that the musicians also put their heart and soul into it." The result is an album with music that resembles a dreamlike walk on a starry night

This debut album presents a vivid reinterpretation of Ravel's Miroirs, illuminating the work's resonances within the wider piano repertoire by placing it in conversation with lesser-known miniatures from around the world. From luminous and atmospheric bell textures to incisive dance rhythms, we are guided through a narrative exploring the themes of nature, spirituality, memory, and self-discovery. A compelling artistic statement from a distinctive new voice in classical piano.

After coming to prominence as resident organist of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Iveta Apkalna has most recently been to the Far East, where in 2018 she inaugurated Asia's largest concert organ in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She has now recorded her new album on the organ at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying). It is an impressive instrument: Almost 10,000 pipes in over 120 registers, located in a twin organ. On the right-hand half of the stage is the great symphonic organ, which recreates the aesthetic timbre of the French Romantic style. And on the left there is the smaller "echo organ", oriented on the German Baroque repertoire. On this new album, Iveta Apkalna has compiled a programme that unites the two organs by placing the focus on the French Romantic style and making a brief foray to the father of organ music, J.S. Bach.

This release captures the January 2025 concert from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall. Rapturously received by the capacity audience and acclaimed by the critics, the Halle's performance of this monumental work marks a significant milestone in Kahchun Wong's tenure as Principal Conductor. Thought of as being the composer's most ambitious search for the meaning of life, the Second Symphony is conceived and delivered on an epic scale, featuring soloists, choir and an enlarged orchestra. The music offers a directness of expression which transports the listener through a series of climaxes and reflections, culminating in a Last Judgement in which the composer said, 'an overwhelming love illuminates our being'. The release is accompanied by a personal introduction from Kahchun Wong, reflecting on what the music of Mahler means to him, and a programme note by Mahler expert, composer David Matthews.

The award-winning vibraphonist Pascal Schumacher and the internationally acclaimed pianist Danae Dorken present their new album 'Glass Two' - an impressive musical homage to one of the most influential composers of our time: Philip Glass. Their unusual instrumentation for piano and vibraphone creates an unrivaled sound world that brings Glass' minimalist worksto life in a new and refreshing way. At the heart of the album are original interpretations of Glass' compositions, complemented by Schumacher's own works. These pieces, inspired by personalities who influenced the American composer, such as the poet Allen Ginsberg or the sculptor Richard Serra, form a unique fusion of two musical worlds. This fusion creates a profound and multifaceted, yet reduced and clear atmosphere. Pascal Schumacher and Danae Dorken impressively demonstrate that less is sometimes more: Their artfully crafted arrangements are characterised by a fascinating transparency that captures the essence of minimalist music. The result is a captivating listening experience that allows the colors and textures of Glass' works to shine in a new light and interact harmoniously with Schumacher's own compositions. The album will be released on the Neue Meister label on CD and vinyl on 8 November 2024 and is an indispensable discovery for all lovers of modern classical music. Immerse yourself in the soundscapes of 'Glass Two' and experience a musical journey that inspires both in it's reduction and diversity

The Suite for Two Oboes and Two English Horns (2017), consists of four movements that take their titles from the Christian liturgy. Each movement is an abstract representation of the overall spirit and emotion of each of these prayers. The movements consist of what I find to be four of the most poignant as well as contrasting of the prayers: the Kyrie, the Dies Irae, the Lacrimosa, and ending with the Gloria. Having played the oboe and English horn throughout my formative musical years through to my completion of university, I have an inherent love for these instruments and writing for them. Oboists lack a large selection of serious repertoire for choirs of their instruments and my hope is that this piece will help fill some of that need in additional to encouraging others to write for this fascinating timbral combination. The Symphony for Flute Choir (2017) is a larger scale work for standard flute choir consisting of four movements. In composing this piece, my goal was to give the flute choir a serious piece of music with the emotional breadth that comes in writing a piece of a symphonic scale. As with most of my music, there is no programme or narrative to this piece. Rather, the movements revolve around often angular ideas, many mixed asymmetric metres, and contrasts between slow, sometimes emotionally ambivalent sections and more driving and jagged movements of ever-increasing amounts of tension.

Damian Marhulets, the Minsk-born composer who lives in Hanover, presents "Magic, Madness, Sadness", an extraordinary album that pushes boundaries and unites styles. His works, characterized by classical compositional techniques, combine with electronic and experimental sounds in a fascinating way. Marhulets' unique soundscapes refl ect themes such as identity, culture and memory. Each piece transports the listener into an interplay of magic, madness and sadness - an emotional experience that lingers for a long time. Discover music that opens up new horizons and touches you deeply at the same time.