CLASSIC SONGS OF RODGERS & HART / VARIOUS

AGE VEEROOS: OUTLINES OF THE NIGHT / VARIOUS

To mark the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's death (August 9, 2025), Deutsche Grammophon releases world premiere recordings and rarities by the great Russian composer - most of them recorded at the International Shostakovich Festival in Gohrisch (Saxony), the world's only annual Shostakovich festival. Almost 80 minutes of largely unknown music by Shostakovich, interpreted by renowned artists: a must for every Shostakovich fan!

The hurdy-gurdy is a European string instrument. Its exact origins are obscure but it seems to have developed in the 10th and 11th centuries A.D. as an instrument used in religious music. Most European countries have, or had, a type of hurdy-gurdy. Some are lavish, others very simple but despite the wide variety of shape, size and sophistication they all work on the same principle. A handle turned by the right hand of the player revolves a wooden wheel, the edge of which continuously bows one, two and occasionally three melody strings and various drone strings. The melody (chanter) strings pass over the wheel and through a wooden keybox mounted on the belly of the instrument. Sliding wooden keys are depresssed with the fingers of the left hand to produce the melody. The other strings pass over the wheel in the same way but they continue outside the keybox, straight to the pegbox and provide the drone accompaniment to the melody. The buzzing rhythmic sound, so characteristic of the instrument, is produced by the controlled vibration of a small, loose bridge (trompette) on the soundboard. The buzz is achieved by subtle momentary acceleration of the handle, and thus the bowing of the wheel, causing the trompette string and bridge to vibrate. This is, by far, the most difficult aspect of the instrument to master. In parts of France, particularly the central regions, the hurdy-gurdy continued to be very popular throughout the 19th and into the 20th century when it began to give way to newer instruments, particularly the accordion. Over the last fifteen years there has been a significant revival of interest all over Europe, with contemporary craftsmen perfecting its design, extending the choice of materials and developing new construction techniques. A new generation of musicians are taking to the instrument and exploring a range of musical possibilities that go far beyond its traditional folk dance music role.

“Peaceful Choir” by harpist Lavinia Meijer and chamber choir World Choir of Peace is a relaxing musical journey through the manifold colors and sounds of contemporary choral music. Renown international composers have contributed entirely new works or arrangements for this unique recording project, including Sir Karl Jenkins, Grammy-nominated composer and pianist Hauschka, San Fermin mastermind Ellis Ludwig-Leone, composer icon John Rutter, Estonian pop-violinist Maarja Nuut and German soundtrack composer David Reichelt (8 Days). The album includes 15 world-premiere recordings and music by house-hold names such as Ola Gjeilo, Eric Whitacre, Max Richter, Hans Zimmer and Arvo Pärt. Next to them, critically acclaimed composers of choral music have contributed to the album, such as Grammy-nominated Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen and American composers Dan Forrest, Jake Runestand and Elaine Hagenberg.

For some pieces, the chamber choir is accompanied by an ensemble of additional instruments. Next to harpist Lavinia Meijer, violinist and influencer Esther Abrami, pianist Tim Allhoff or cellist Gereon Theis join the choir. The “World Choir for Peace” consists of 24 professional singers from 15 countries worldwide and was founded by conductor Nicol Matt. Matt has been involved in the production of more than 100 choral music recordings in his career. For this particular recording he collaborates with Grammy-winning sound engineer Gregor Zielinsky.

ACRONYM presents forgotten works from the D�ben Collection. The D�ben archive consists of approximately 2300 music manuscripts, assembled by and named after a family of composers who served in succession as Kapellmeisters to the Royal Swedish Court in Stockholm. Much of the music within the collection is unique, and the vast majority of it has neither been published in modern edition nor recorded. ACRONYM previously scoured the D�ben Collection for sonatas that can now be heard on the ensemble's Paradise (Bertali) and Wunderkammer albums, and for this recording they searched this treasure trove of seventeenth-century music for the most beautiful and fascinating works available. It is likely the first time any of these Cantica Obsoleta have been heard in hundreds of years.

Jazz recordings featuring Stanley Turrentine, tenor saxophone; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Hubert Laws, piccolo; George Benson, guitar; Ron Carter, bass. Recorded in concert at the Hollywood Palladium, July 18, 1971.

CD: 1
1. Impressions
2. Fire And Rain
3. Red Clay
4. Blues West
5. So What
CD: 2
1. Here's That Rainy Day
2. It's Too Late
3. Sugar
4. Leaving West
5. Straight Life

There are two aspects underlying this recording by Raphael Feuillatre, First Prize winner at the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America Competition in 2018: original works for the guitar and transcriptions. Among the former is Villa-Lobos’s Prelude No. 5, part of one of the most evocative and Romantic guitar cycles of the 20th century, the Chopinesque brilliance of the inventive Valse by Barrios Mangore, and the compendium of virtuosity that is Llobet’s Variations on a Theme of Sor. The transcriptions range from Rameau, through Rachmaninov’s pianistic showcase, the Prelude No. 4, Op. 23, to the superbly evocative Alfonsina y el mar by Ariel Ramirez.

Sony Music announces the release of MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE FILM ROMA, an album of music inspired by Alfonso Cuar�n's award winning film. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The album features songs from BECK, BILLIE EILISH, EL-P, IBEYI, JESSIE REYEZ, LAURA MARLING, PATTI SMITH, UNKLE and more, recorded exclusively for this project. Included is BECK's first musical offering of 2019, entitled "Tarantula". Beck's radical reimagining of "Tarantula," a 1982 B-Side by 4AD artists Colourbox, replaces the minimalist groove of the original with an epic arrangement by Beck in collaboration with his father, David Campbell. Produced by Beck and mixed by Tom Elmhirst, the track features a riveting Beck vocal performance at it's centerpiece with the backing of a 24-piece ensemble. After completing work on ROMA, director Alfonso Cuar�n was struck with the notion of having his favorite musical artists create songs inspired by the film. Interested in hearing what the film might inspire in artists across the globe, Cuar�n and his music supervisor Lynn Fainchtein began exploring possibilities with the help of their friend Randall Poster. They approached artists of all genres and backgrounds, inviting them to contribute either an original piece of music or a cover of one of the songs heard in the film. For some, ROMA inspired new originals, including Billie Eilish's "WHEN I WAS OLDER". Like most of the original songs contributed to the collection, it incorporates various sound elements from ROMA's dense audio tracks. From shouts of student protests to barkings of Borras to the grinding of knives, artists drew inspiration from the sonic landscape meticulously crafted by ROMA, imbuing their compositions with the day-to-day soundtrack of the streets of Mexico City. 16-year-old Bu Cuar�n makes her musical debut with her contribution "PSYCHO," opening with a dramatic audio clip from ROMA before descending into a synth-heavy, electro-pop gem. Elsewhere, British singer-songwriter Laura Marling covers the Mary Hopkin original "Those Were The Days," which is heard in the film as a cover by Ray Conniff & The Singers. The legendary Patti Smith records a new version of her 1996 track "Wing," while French musical duo Ibeyi draws inspiration from the character of Cleo and her story. From hip-hop's El-P to R&B breakout Jessie Reyez and electronic producers UNKLE and DJ Shadow, the remainder of the collection is a diverse tapestry that transcends genre, geography and age. From Sonido Gallo Negro and Quique Rangel's Mexico City roots to singer-songwriter Asaf Avidan's native Israel, and with artists belonging to five different generations, Music Inspired by the Film ROMA is a contemporary touchstone that further reiterates the film's ability to connect with audiences of all ages across the globe. Music Inspired by The Film ROMA is the latest addition to the sonic universe of Alfonso Cuar�n's semi-autobiographical film, following the release of ROMA (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack). Delivering a sonic portrait of Mexico in the 1970s, the soundtrack presents a mosaic of sounds that further encapsulate the sociopolitical transitions of the era.

2020 release. "This is a dream come true. It's the new aspect of my career - maybe even my new face as a singer. I'm saying goodbye to most of the lighter repertoire I've done for 20 years. When I started singing, it was indeed my dream to do this sort of repertoire, but I really did think of it as a dream and I never thought I would actually sing such an incredibly beautiful role as Elisabetta on stage. When I think of the arias on this album, I felt in the past that I would never sing them. I was taught that I'm a coloratura soprano, and that doing characters such as the Queen of the Night ruled others out. But I've been in love with these arias since I first heard opera, and it's very touching for me that I'm now allowed to sing this music." (Aleksandra Kurzak)

Music from Pirates of the Caribbean, the English Patient, Jurassic Park, Shakespeare in Love, Batman, the Pink Panther, Mission Impossible, Love Story, Superman, Romeo and Juliet, the Godfather, the French Lieutenant's Woman.

The best of Eternal Strings accompanied by multiple Orchestra's under the direction of world famous artist bring such classics as Barber's Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 and orchestra) and Tchaikovsky's Serenade in C Major, Op. 48: I. Pezzo in forma di Sonatina to life.

Classical Music

A tireless explorer of territories off the beaten track, Gaetano Nasillo has already addressed Venetian music with a memorable album devoted to composer and 'musico di violoncello' Antonio Caldara (A356). This new album brings us back to Venice to discover cello virtuosos and sonatas between Vivaldi and Tartini. 'In the late seventeenth century the bass member of the violin family underwent an evolution to become the instrument we know as the violoncello. Within a few decades, Venice and it's republic became an important centre of composition for the new instrument, whose popularity steadily increased, reaching a peak in the 1730s and 1740s. In his recorded anthology of sonatas for the instrument the cellist Gaetano Nasillo has selected eight works by eight different composers with a connection to La Serenissima. One composer, Antonio Vivaldi, is extremely well known; two, Benedetto Marcello and Giovanni Benedetto Platti, are slightly known; the remaining five - Girolamo Bassani, Diogenio Bigaglia, Antonio Martinelli, Antonio Vandini and Michele Stratico - are hardly known at all, and this premiere recording of their sonatas reveals the high quality and simple enjoyability of their music.' - Michael Talbot

This album is a journey through seventeenth-century Rome, the rough and magnificent city where Caravaggio and Stradella lived. Strict counterpoint and learned polyphony in the lute and keyboard pieces by Kapsberger, Pasquini and Frescobaldi mingle with light dances and popular songs for guitar. Improvisation is the feature linking both sound-worlds: the high culture of church chapels and noble palaces, and the lore of streets and taverns. A careful study of the original sources guided our choices as to instruments and interpretation. According to historically informed practice, the celebrated Antidotum Tarantul� and further early specimens of tarantella, as written down by the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher, are played on bagpipes, drums and guitars. While on their first album 'Alfabeto Falso' I Bassifondi refreshed the image of the Baroque guitar and it's harmonic extravaganzas, with 'Roma 600' the ensemble brings the music of seventeenth century Rome back to life with inspired and imaginative improvisation. Soprano Emoke Barath and violinist Enrico Onofri are the distinguished guest artists who join I Bassifondi in this new adventure.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Few things small enough to fit in the palm of the hand can inspire wonder about the limitless potential of human creativity. A collection of early Renaissance devotional objects- elegantly precise boxwood carvings of miniature rosaries, prayer beads and altarpieces, on display as part of a major international exhibition- served as the direct inspiration for this musical program. These objects draw viewers into a private and intimate world of meditation; religious scenes carved with precision and poetry evoke a bygone world of intense spiritual devotion- sometimes tormented, sometimes luminous, but always fascinating. The music in this program is designed to elicit similar sensations in listeners. Originating in northern European circles, contemporary with those who produced these boxwood carvings, these spiritual pieces are not intended for grand cathedrals or public ceremony, but for personal meditation, private chapels and rooms, family houses and assemblies. Like the beads and rosaries, their craftsmanship is precise, superb; rich in subtle details, they lead us to wonder, and to contemplation.

Quite by chance Georg Philipp Telemann became godfather for the title of this album. In the year of his 250th anniversary, the Pfeiffer Trumpet Consort concentrated on the oeuvre of one of the most prolific composers of music history. A variety of his compositions are still unpublished until today, an incentive for us to perform works which have never before been heard in this way. Telemann was an outspoken friend of the trumpet, who used this instrument in many of his pieces- whether it be his spiritual and secular oratorios, cantatas, orchestral works, chamber music, or solo concerts. Another special attraction for the ensemble was the adaption of music of the English renaissance originally written for keyboard instruments, which we consider suitable to present here with trumpets, organ, and timpani in an all new sound. Splendid arrangements emerged, giving the listener the chance to discover the richness of this centuries-old music in a new and entertaining way. The Pfeiffer Trumpet Consort presents with this album a varied program with many unknown treasures, making an important contribution to the Telemann Year.

The Hollywood Flute

Until well into the second half of the eighteenth century it was the harpsichord which served at the very forefront as a sounding body for experimental and avant-garde. At the latest with the generation around Beethoven, the “modern” fortepiano had become the key instrument for this task. With the renaissance of the harpsichord toward the end of the 19th century, the interest of living composers in this instrument gradually awoke. A first peak was reached in the 1920s, when Manuel de Falla and Francis Poulenc created the first significant works with their respective concert pieces. Fortunately, music continues to be diligently composed for this “old” instrument. The performance of a recital on this release in 2004 is intended to document the liveliness and timeliness of new harpsichord music, even if the most recent piece from 1999 was written at that time.

Following the international success of their first album on Resonus, Venice 1629, Jamie Savan with his acclaimed period group The Gonzaga Band continue their exploration of lesser-known music in the Venetian orbit. Here they uncover a forgotten masterpiece by Amadio Freddi, maestro di cappella of Treviso Cathedral during Monteverdi's tenure at St Mark's in Venice. Luminous vocal textures and sparkling instrumental writing, together with harmonic originality and melodic invention combine to reveal a fascinating composer with a unique voice, heard again for the first time in this world premiere recording. The Gonzaga Band was formed by cornettist Jamie Savan in 1997, with a mission to explore the intimate relationship between vocal and instrumental performance practice in the Early Modern period. The ensemble takes it's name from the ducal family of Mantua: the Gonzagas were powerful and influential patrons of the arts in the late Renaissance, who employed Claudio Monteverdi as their maestro della musica at the turn of the seventeenth century. Monteverdi wrote some of his most innovative music for the Gonzagas: his third, fourth and fifth books of madrigals, the operas Orfeo and Arianna, and of course the Vespers of 1610.