Following Great American Sonatas, his admired debut on SOMM RECORDINGS, pianist Nathan Williamson turns to British piano music of the 20th century in Color and Light, a revealing exploration of how the past influences the present and the new. A century-spanning programme from Delius's quixotic 1887 Nocturne (more familiar as An Nacht, the Florida Suite's finale, here in Robert Threlfall's 1986 transcription) to Anthony Herschel Hill's combustible Toccata of 1985 also lights on three other distinctive but highly contrasted composers. Modernity makes itself felt in Elisabeth Lutyens' The Ring of Bone (1975), which strikingly employs the use of spoken text in what Williamson describes in his booklet notes as "a bold and heartfelt gesture". William Alwyn's Twelve Preludes (1958) pay a glancing nod to Lutyens' serialist techniques even while displaying "a peculiarly English combination of both tonality and modality" characteristically his own. Peter Dickinson's "postmodern, poly-stylistic" Paraphrase II (1967) is the work of a composer open to the broadest influences, it's seven sections inventively re-working an earlier three-part motet and receiving here their first studio recordings. Slowly emerging into the light, Anthony Herschel Hill's Litany (1992) and Toccata (1985) - heard here in first recordings - are the product of a wholly individual compositional voice, boasting, says Williamson, "some of the most gorgeously idiomatic and exhilarating piano writing of any late-20th century composer". Delius's Prelude and Duet from his one-act opera Margot la Rouge, composed in 1902 yet un-performed until 1983, are distinctive for their delicate harmonic textures and colors, masterfully transcribed for piano by Maurice Ravel. Featuring music by Bernstein, Copland, Charles Ives and Lou Harrison, Great American Sonatas, Nathan Williamson's 2017 SOMM Recordings debut was hailed by Gramophone as "a release of distinction".

The Danish King Frederik IX's preoccupation with music must be described as atypical, in fact, unique for a member of a royal house, since it is hardly possible to cite other examples of ruling monarchs whose favorite pastime was orchestral conducting. As a conductor Frederik IX, although self-taught, favored technically difficult challenges in the great symphonic repertoire, in particular music from Wagner's operas, gave the King's unusual musical activities a certain aura. This limited edition set celebrates two very unique King/orchestra relationship, namely King Frederik IX's close affiliation with the Royal Danish Orchestra and Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

Louis Kaufman was born on May 10, 1905 in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania who were very interested in the arts and took their son to concerts. Kaufman gave his solo debut in the New York Town Hall in 1928 under the auspices of the International Naumburg Competition, which he proceeded to win. He then went on to play with such acclaimed musicians as Pablo Casals (cello), Mischa Elmann (violin), Jascha Heifetz (violin), Gregor Piatigorsky (cello) and Alfredo Rossi (piano). He also played classical music in ensembles, such as the Musical Art Quartet, the Kaufman Quartet, the Westwood String Quartet, the Bach Chamber Symphony Group. In 1932 Kaufman married the pianist Annette Leibole and performed frequently with her in public. In 1956 Louis Kaufman and his wife returned to Los Angeles. The violinist continued to give wonderful concerts until the late 1970s. After an eye operation he decided to retire from active performance. Louis Kaufman died on February 9, 1994. He was probably the violinist who had recorded the most works in the twentieth century. In addition to building up this huge body of recordings he was also the inventor of the Kaufman chinrest for the violin. The recordings featured on this historic CD album are predominantly from the 1940s and 50s.

SOMM RECORDINGS announces the first release of never before available performances by one of the defining partnerships of modern American music in the specially priced two-album set George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra: The Forgotten Recordings. Long considered one of America’s “Big Five” orchestras, the Cleveland Orchestra entered its second century in 2018 and earlier this year was hailed by The New York Times as “America’s finest [orchestra] still”.

The Forgotten Recordings features eight historic performances made for the Book-of-the-Month Club in 1954 and 1955 – seven of which are first releases – that have been restored and remastered by the multi-award-winning audio restoration engineer Lani Spahr, who also provides extensive and informative booklet notes. Three works – Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite (BWV 1068), a revealing engagement by Szell with a composer he is not usually associated with, Smetana’s The Moldau and Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel (with an early spotlight on legendary horn player Myron Bloom) were recorded in mono in a remarkably productive session on Christmas Eve, 1954.From October 1955 in stereo recordings are two works by Brahms – his Haydn Variations and the Academic Festival Overture, two symphonies – Mozart’s No.39 and Schumann’s Fourth – and a Stravinsky Firebird Suite that “crackles with energy”. “Here”, says Spahr, “we can appreciate that the orchestra was well on its way to becoming, in Szell’s words, ‘this glorious instrument... that perfectly reflects my musical ideals’.”

REVIEW:

George Szell’s tenure as music director of the Cleveland Orchestra began in 1946 and ended with his death in 1970. He can be credited for transforming the orchestra into a first class ensemble, with its own characteristic sound and style. When he first accepted the position, he vowed to "dedicate all [his] efforts…to make The Cleveland Orchestra second to none in quality of performance." Musicians were hired and fired in an effort to achieve this goal – a warm, refined sound, clarity and technical perfection, demanding total commitment from the players. His lofty goal was eventually achieved.

These ‘Forgotten’ recordings were made for the Book-of-the-Month Club (BOMC), a mail order outfit that dealt with popular books sold by subscription. In 1954 it made the decision to branch out into classical LPs, with accompanying analysis of the works by such noted writers as Thomas Scherman and Deems Taylor. Many of the issues were licensed from labels such as Vanguard, Vox and Decca, conducted by some notable names - Max Rudolf, Alfred Wallenstein, Fritz Stiedry and Leonard Bernstein. George Szell was also approached by the company and was happy to accept, considering it a means of supplementing his musician’s income.

On December 24 1954, the first recording session took place at the Masonic Auditorium, Cleveland, with the Bach, Smetana and Richard Strauss works, music that had recently featured in subscription concerts. The session was recorded in mono. The rest of the works featured in the set date from 1955 and are in stereo.

Bach is not a composer one usually associates with Szell. Though HIP had a long way to go, Szell pares his orchestra down, and employs a harpsichord continuo. Tempi throughout don’t drag, with the dance movements being quite animated. The ubiquitous Air is nicely paced. There’s some wonderfully refined woodwind playing in Smetana’s Moldau (Vitava), and the recording balance enables the river’s rippling undercurrents to form a vivid backdrop. Szell never overdoes it with the brass, which lets down some performances, but steers everything along maintaining balance and proportion. The quieter moments are quite magical. Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel features the renowned horn player Myron Bloom in one of his first appearances on record. A year later he became the orchestra’s principal horn. The performance captures the very essence of the witty, light hearted, mischievous prankster, and reveals the discipline and virtuosity of the Cleveland players, especially in the brass and woodwind sections.

Over three days in October 1955, five more works were recorded for BOMC, this time in the new stereophonic sound. Szell takes a rather more relaxed view of Mozart’s Symphony No.39, which is free-flowing, refined and eloquently phrased. The Menuetto is lively with a distinct spring in its step, and the finale is truly exhilarating. There’s a bracing account of Brahms’ Academic Festival overture, infused with spirit and celebration. Szell’s approach is warm-hearted in the composer’s Variations on a Theme by Haydn. The performance is well-paced and the variations are deftly-characterized.

There’s a purposeful reading of Schumann’s Fourth Symphony, soused throughout with drama and tension. The Romanze excels for its tender moments. Szell injects plenty of energy into the fourth movement, and the orchestra respond with gusto and panache. Stravinsky’s Firebird is heard in the 1919 version. It’s an atmospheric account of many moods. There’s the captivating lyricism of the Round of the Princess, which contrasts strikingly with the Infernal Dance of King Kastchei, where Szell invests the music with an extra ounce of punch and sizzle. I certainly concur with Lani Spahr that this is the highlight of the set.

Comparing the three mono recordings with those taped in stereo, the latter have a degree more bloom to the sound and register more presence. All the works featured are making a first appearance on CD, with the exception of Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn. These compelling aural documents have been expertly restored by Lani Spahr, who has also contributed the booklet notes, running to 19 pages. All in all, the entire project is an unmitigated success.

– MusicWeb International (Stephen Greenbank)

This is an album of great works for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, beautifully performed by The Teton Trio. The Trio writes: “We named ourselves after the stunning geography of the summer music festival that the three of us have in common. The Grand Teton Music Festival has happened every summer in Jackson, Wyoming, since 1962. The mountains of the Teton range, and the trails and scenery of Grand Teton National Park have been such an iconic backdrop to some truly life-changing performances for all three of us, and so by taking the name of this special place we hope to pay homage to and continue that tradition of beauty.”

Trio X is one of Sweden's foremost improvisational groups. The trio's distinctive feature is exploratory and boundary-crossing music, and the experienced musicians find inspiration in many genres. Lennart Simonsson, Per V Johansson, and Joakim Ekberg started collaborating in 2002, and since then they have made several recordings, worked with numerous well-known artists, and toured in Sweden and abroad. Trio X is a multi-faceted ensemble that works with many projects, from concerts in jazz clubs, in concert halls, and at major festivals to classroom appearances. Alongside their public concerts, they also play in healthcare and caring institutions. The musicians also teach and provide inspiration for amateur groups. The present album is a showcase of traditional Swedish melodies.

Soprano Theresa Nelles and cathedral organist Winfried Bönig invite us to an atmospheric Christmas Eve in Cologne Cathedral and present a varied programme of Romantic works from various countries: music for the feast that goes straight to the heart. The great acoustics of Cologne Cathedral have been deliberately captured on this audiophile SACD. Born in Cologne, Theresa Nelles has had close ties with Cologne Cathedral since childhood, not only emotionally but also musically. During her 10 years of choir membership in the girls' choir at Cologne Cathedral, she already received her first solo tasks, was also the singer of a jazz band of the so called Cathedral-music for a long time and, after her High school graduation, studied singing at the Cologne Academy of Music with Prof. Mechthild Georg and in Rome at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia. Engagements take the singer to festivals at home and abroad, such as the Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra in Italy, Switzerland, South Tyrol, Russia, the International Handel Festival in Göttingen, the Beethoven Festival Bonn, the Brühl Castle Concerts, to opera houses such as Krefeld/ Mönchengladbach, Koblenz, Gelsenkirchen, the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, the Cologne and Essen Philharmonics and, last but not least, regularly to large churches, always particularly fond of the local cathedral.

Traditional music from Ireland, England and Scotland touches our hearts in a way that is very special and somehow magical. On this album, "Spirit and Pleasure" shows excerpts from the musical world of the 17th & 18th century in Ireland, Scotland and England: old pieces that were only passed down orally, new music in the traditional style, composers who are assigned to the "courtly-bourgeois" music, discovered the charm of these melodies, provided them with basso continuo and variations and published them among others in London, the musical center of England. The album title "Good taste" is derived from the "Treatise of Good Taste in the Art of Music" by Francesco Geminiani.

This new installment in the Naxos Lifestyle Series is titled Music for Book Lovers: Classical Music for Reading. This is an ideal special edition for book lovers. Nestle into your favorite reading spot and experience how this music speaks volumes as the perfect accompaniment to your page-turning. Works include pieces from composers like Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Boulanger, Ravel, Godowsky, and more. (Naxos)

The album “Neoteric” unites two musical worlds, which seem to be not very connected externally, but still have an inner connection, which this album wants to show. The idea for this compilation came from the very personal fascination of the performer Andreas Hermanski. He has a soft spot for the Nordic-Scandinavian clarinet literature as well as for the French tradition between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century. However much may seem to separate the French and Nordic works presented on this album, the two parts of the album are linked by numerous internal references. Just as Poulenc’s sonata was written for clarinetist Benny Goodman, who was also the performer at the premiere, Rolf Martinsson worked closely with Martin Fröst in the composition of his Suite, and his newly developed playing techniques and extraordinary musical personality have a palpable and audible influence on the work. Chausson’s “Andante et Allegro” and Debussy’s “Première Rhapsodie” are, how could it be otherwise with works commissioned for a competition, written in a format typical for this: this calls for both a lyrical, singing finale and a highly virtuosic, fast finale. This structure can be found in Lindberg’s “Acequia Madre” and Martinsson’s “Suite Fantastique”. In contrast, the works of Debussy and Pärt meet in their tonally spherical language and their content that almost evaporates into the transcendent. The quasi-symmetrical internal structure of both parts, the French as well as the Nordic block, is intended to depict these analogies and inner references and make them audible.

From the very beginning fantasies on the famous operas of the nineteenth century belonged to the on-the-road staples of traveling virtuosos. Volker Reinhold knows his way around this genre like no other musician. After his release of Pablo de Sarasate’s complete fantasies and paraphrases on two Super Audio albums, the highly sought-after Schwerin concertmaster now again broadens our horizons with his piano partner Ralph Zedler and presents virtuoso opera arrangements spanning 150 years: discoveries are guaranteed! La traviata of course is a must on every program. Antonio Bazzini transformed Verdi’s famous opera into an intimate character portrait of Violetta and in the process far transcended the virtuosic sequencing of popular hits- the otherwise inevitable “Brindisi” is not at all to be found. It is thus not surprising that both Mendelssohn and Schumann were captivated by the artistic depth of this Italian star violinist, who later became a professor of composition and whose students almost predictably included the budding opera stars Mascagni and Puccini. Two contributions were penned by Henri Vieuxtemps. His fantasy on Bellini’s Norma is to be played in its entirety on the violin’s lowest string. Reinhold and Zedler conclude their entertaining tour through one and a half centuries with two works that may not be so well known but for this precise reason arouse all the most interest. Frantisek Ondricek looks eastward with his arrangement of Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar, and Igor Frolov, who was once David Oistrach’s assistant, supplies the dazzling conclusion with Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and its jazzy touches, of course including “Summertime.”

We've all experienced it: that special atmosphere before a concert begins. At Copenhagen Jazzhouse, many come early. They reserve the best seats with a piece of clothing and retreat to the bar to buy a beer and exchange a few words with musicians and friends, then return to their seat, anticipation growing. Some look around and notice that all the jazz critics are in attendance. In fact, it seems everyone is here this evening. In the final minutes, lights are dimmed and the intermission music turned off. Lars Thorborg, who runs Jazzhouse, takes the stage and introduces Rosa and the band. It's about to happen! The group comes on stage to enthusiatic applause and there she is - with us, right before us. With no further ado, the tempo is counted off and the concert begins. The band line-up couldn't have been better: Fabio Torres on piano, Paulu Paulelli on bass, and Celso de Almeida on drums and of course Rosa Passos on vocals and guitar. "Imagine you are rocking a baby to sleep. For me, that's Bossa Nova". - Rossa Passos

The Choir of Westminster School blends the ancient and modern in this festive collection of choral works, drawing on Advent and Christmas music by composers including Judith Weir, James MacMillan, John Tavener, Roxanna Panufnik and Ralph Vaughan Williams. With a national reputation for excellence, the Choir of Westminster school gives annual concerts at the Barbican and performs regularly at venues including Westminster Abbey, St John's Smith Square and the Houses of Parliament. Under the direction of Timothy Garrard, Director of Music, the Choir rehearses regularly throughout the week in preparation for twice-weekly services in Westminster Abbey and evensongs in the School Chapel.

The vocal ensemble Blue Heron, winner of the 2018 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Early Music and a 2020 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, presents A 14th-Century Salmagundi. A salmagundi is a savory dish composed of chopped meats, seafoods, eggs, vegetables, and condiments; a mixture or hodgepodge; an assemblage of miscellaneous components. Blue Herons Salmagundi is a pleasing miscellany of music composed c. 1300-1400, a delightful salad of ingredients gathered from our storehouse of French and Italian songs, including virtuosic music by Guillaume de Machaut, Francesco Landini, and Jacob Senleches. Seven vocal soloists are featured along with medieval fiddle, harp, and lute.

With Johnny Hodges, the alto saxophone found itself in the hands of a goldsmith. As a member honoris causa of the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1928 to 1970, Hodges’ delicate phrasing and incomparable talents as an improviser made him one of the most remarkable musicians in jazz history. In this previously unreleased live recording dating from 1961 he plays the great classics in Ellington’s material, titles he always incarnated with an incandescent grace. The Live in Paris collection by Michel Brillié allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private- or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These “live” takes, and the artists’ rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet modern standards while preserving the original colors of the period.

This valuable box combines all three previously released, worldwide highly acclaimed CDs Dimensionen World, Otherworld and the CD Innerworld, awarded with the Opus Klassik 2020 in Germany, with an additional newly recorded production NewWorld with 7 newly recorded songs sung by the unique soprano Marlis Petersen and accompanied by her long-time accompanist Stephan Matthias Lademann.

In 2019 she was seen and heard in new opera productions of "Salome" and "The Dead City" in Munich and she was Artist in Residence of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Kirill Petrenko. In 2021 she will be on an extensive European tour with the Lied Program of Dimensions.

Four CDs take us there and invite us to wander like a protagonist through different chapters of being.

Carl Loewe, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf, Franz Liszt, but also Hans Sommer, Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Stenhammer, Reynaldo Hahn and many others are our musical companions on this journey into the dimensions and back to oneself... Be HUMAN again in the SONG!

Following the huge success of their recent album release 'Timelapse' (Jan 2021), Orchestra of the Swan presents Vivaldi Sleep, a project that was initiated by the orchestra during the first national lockdown of 2020. Eleven artists from a broad range of genres - including klezmer, folk, electronica and jazz - were invited to add a solo part in response to the orchestra's recording of the second movement of Autumn from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Guest artists recorded their solo parts at home and were given free rein to start prior to the orchestra's recording and continue after it had finished if they wished. Manipulation of the source material was also allowed. Formed in 1995, Orchestra of the Swan is a British chamber orchestra which, under the artistic direction of David Le Page, is passionate about audience inclusivity and blurring the lines between genres through it's adventurous and accessible programming. This album demonstrates this ethos exactly.

Zoltan & Peter Katona write: “A couple of years ago we were invited to play a Hollywood themed programme in Grafenegg/Austria. We quickly arranged a handful of well-known film music pieces and performed them along with some original compositions for two guitars by M. C. Tedesco, a prolific film music composer in the forties and fifties. We couldn’t omit the king of gypsy jazz: Django Reinhardt, whose compositions often enliven Hollywood films. The concert was a huge success and we received an unusually high number of requests for a film music themed record. From this, our Hollywood and Swing album was borne. Some of our choices of repertoire might seem over ambitious, especially when reducing the whole orchestral sound to two guitars. We hope nevertheless, that our interpretation of these iconic Hollywood film scores like “The Deer Hunter” or the beautiful tunes from the “West Side Story“ will provide the listener with as much pleasure as we had playing them.”

'What touches and appeals to me most in the music of Monteverdi is the ultimate symbiosis between music and text,' says the Dutch soprano Wendy Roobol. 'He unites the two in such a way that the outcome is more than the sum of the parts. As a result, his music has enormous sincerity, richness and drama.' As a central member of the vocal consort Le nuove musiche directed by Krijn Koetsveld, the harpsichordist on this album, Wendy Roobol has performed the complete madrigals of Monteverdi in critically acclaimed recordings for Brilliant Classics. Her first solo album draws on that expertise to present a unique programme of Marian hymns from around Europe. The great names of the Italian school are naturally represented, opening with the title-song by Francesca Caccini (talented daughter of Giulio Caccini) and reaching a fitting climax with Salve, O Regina by Monteverdi and the Lament of the Madonna from his Selva morale e spirituale collection. In between those unchallenged masterpieces of the late Renaissance, Wendy Roobol ventures across Europe, first to Switzerland, for a sensuous Ave Maria by Johann Melchior Gletle, then to mid-Germany for a Magnificat by Philipp Friedrich Boddecker. These marvellous but little-known pieces have been recorded before, but not in their originally intended format of solo soprano with consort accompaniment, and these performances are graced by intense sensitivity and a spirit of intimacy that captures the devotional atmosphere of a Marian chapel. Giovanni Felice Sances is another little-known composer represented here, but whose 1636 Stabat mater is touched by rich and affective dissonance. It makes a fine complement to the plainer declamation of the Sancta mater by the German-Italian lutenist Girolamo Kapsberger.

Boris Bloch writes: “This release is called "Aveu passionné.” On the one hand because of the Tchaikovsky piece with the same title (in English "Passionate Confession"), on the other hand because of my deepest connection to Russian music, especially Russian opera, and last but not least because of my great love for the singer Galina Vischnevskaya. It may not seem obvious at first glance, but on closer inspection of the pieces selected here, this connection can be better understood. For Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, but also Glinka and Tchaikovsky are first and foremost opera composers. Every time I perform their music on the piano, the whole cosmos of their operas is before my eyes. Since I have been fortunate enough to conduct some of these great operas myself - for example, Glinka's "Life for the Tsar", Dargomyshsky's "The Stone Guest", Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", Borodin's "Prince Igor", as well as some operas by Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky - they form for me the elixir of life that always fires my imagination.”

The present release "The Sleep of Reason" uses Tedesco's setting of Goya's artwork "El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos" ("The Sleep of Reason gives birth to monsters") as the centerpiece of the album, which summarizes 400 years of "guitar dreams" and explains the current reality of professional guitarists. As a musical label, each work takes the listener on a journey of discovery and understanding of the term "classical guitar". Álvaro Mendizabal is a business manager who has studied classical guitar with numerous renowned guitarists such as Grammy winners Sergio Assad and David Russel and Echo Klassik winner Prof. Joaquín Clerch. He has won prizes at guitar competitions, performed as a soloist with symphony orchestras in Latin America and the USA and worked as an Artist Manager. Driven by his ambition to continue his education, he then developed a career as a strategy consultant for technology companies in Silicon Valley.

Never before entirely released concert recorded on 9 November 1969 at the Berlin Philharmonie. These emotionally intense concerts are all the more remarkable because of the artists high wire act, a balance constantly maintained throughout between her professional savoir faire (a vocal technique at the apex of her art and her interpretive skills) and her emotional abandonment to the moment as she gives her all. The entire performance, with Vaughan pouring out her heart, seems in hindsight at once perfectly timeless in terms of its formal classicism yet thoroughly in the fleeting moment. At the end of the day, these recordings are invaluable. As Vaughan explores the most lyrical, emotional aspects of her art, she overwhelms her listeners as she bares her soul. Her virtuosity in using her imagination to deploy all her technical skills and the extraordinary range of her tessitura are restrained rather than ostentatious. She literally reaches the stars and gives us a unique lesson in music as a form of the art of living.

CONTENTS:

• Charles Strouse, Lee Adams: A Lot of Livin' to Do
• Lennon & McCartney: And I Love Him
• Bacharach: Alfie
• Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner: On a Clear Day
• Mel Mitchell, Stanley Applebaum, Rita Mann: Passing Strangers
• Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke: Misty
• Gus Arnheim, Abe Lyman, Arthur Freed: I Cried for You
• Rodgers, R: Babes in Arms: My Funny Valentine
• Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons: All of Me
• Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence: Tenderly
• Howard, B: Fly Me to the Moon
• Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne: Time After Time
• Martin, Hugh: The Trolley Song (from Meet Me in St Louis)
• Webb, Jimmy: By The Time I Get To Phoenix
• Rodgers, R: No Strings: The Sweetest Sounds
• Jimmy van Heusen, / Johnny Burke: Polka Dots and Moonbeams
• Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer: Day in, Day Out
• Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Delanoë, Carl Sigman: What Now, My Love
• Jack Lawrence, Stan Freeman: I Had a Ball
• Webb, Jimmy: Didn't We?

Among the promising percussionists of his generation is Kai Strobel, who has already won the renowned TROMP Percussion Competition Eindhoven and the 2019 ARD Music Competition. On his debut release, the young percussionist presents himself as a mature, imaginative artist. With marimba, vibraphone, and two setups, he does not merely deliver a virtuoso display of equipment. Instead, he reflects thoughtfully, almost melancholically, on the quiet spherical sounds of these versatile instruments. Works by great contemporaries such as Toru Takemitsu or Iannis Xenakis can be heard, as well as world premiere recordings of works composed especially for him. Sensitive and musical – moving sounds on Kai Strobel's debut!

The combination of violin and guitar as well as classical playing styles and jazz has been on everyone's lips since the inimitable duo Stephane Grappelli and Django Reinhard. An equally deep musical friendship exists between the Viennese violinist Rudi Berger and the Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta, whose new album Belo Horizonte received the Latin Grammy Award for "Best Brazilian Album of the Year" in 2020. Their first collaborations started in 1988 in the United States, since then the two extraordinary musicians have played over 500 joint appearances to date. This album by the title "Rudi Berger featuring Toninho Horta" presents a cross-section of these years of musical life together, with recordings from Austria, New York City and Rio de Janeiro, from duo to 9-member formation. The compositions by Berger and Horta always transcend genre boundaries and incorporate influences from bossa nova, jazz, but also classical and folk music.

Siggi String Quartet was founded in 2012 during the Young Scandinavian Composers festival in Reykjavik. The quartet has actively collaborated with current composers and commissioned and premiered numerous works by various composers. The quartet’s repertoire extends from the renaissance through the classical masters and Siggi String Quartet four members have great passion for 20 and 21th century repertoire.

“Experimenting with sound and texture, improvisation and live electronics is an important part of our work. It does deepen our understanding of the standard repertoire indirectly, and it goes both ways.” Playing a late Beethoven parallel to working on Haukur Tómasson Serimonia makes us aim for rhythmical super-precision and working on Mamiko Dís Ragnarsdóttir Fair Flowers after performing the same Beethoven pushed us into the long phrases, picturing endless moss, grey and green and the tiny wild Icelandic flowers in bright violet and yellow. Una Sveinbjarnardóttir´s piece Opacity is more free, the structure is simple and the improvisando feeling is reigning. Daníel Bjarnason wrote Stillshot in 2015. The piece is dreamy and nostalgic and in form resembles a chaconne, where the same chord progression repeats itself throughout. In the middle of the piece there is a retreat from the harmonic structure before it resumes the form until the end. The composer describes the piece as depicting fragmented memories of a noblewoman. The recollections appear abruptly and vanish quickly, some of them distant but others more focused and clear. The title of the piece refers to the early days of photography where people would have to stay still for considerable time so the camera would produce a clear picture.