{"title":"Weekend Spotlight: Seasons, Sun \u0026 Sky","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeekend Spotlight\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e celebrates music inspired by the changing seasons, the natural world, and the skies beyond.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eExplore \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVivaldi\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’s beloved \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Four Seasons\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, capturing nature in all its color and dramatic change; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJoby Talbot\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePiedra de sol (Sunstone)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a sweeping choral setting of Octavio Paz’s epic meditation on cyclical time, performed by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eConspirare\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and Craig Hella Johnson; and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTerry Riley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Holy Liftoff\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an imaginative, otherworldly journey for flutist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eClaire Chase\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and collaborators that rises into a surreal musical skyscape!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThen, continue the journey with an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOutlet collection of titles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e spanning orchestral, choral, concerto, and contemporary music, featuring works by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeethoven, Bach, Delius,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and more—all \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e50% OFF\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for a limited time!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShop these great deals before they end on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMonday, August 31st at 9:00am ET.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-scarlatti-concerti-da-camera-musica-pacifica-247121","title":"A. 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The performances feature The Opus Project, a chamber music initiative founded by Marsden and Christophe Gauthier dedicated to revisiting early musical prints and manuscript sources in order to celebrate the unsung treasures of baroque chamber music. The “concerts” of Montéclair reconcile Italian virtuosity and complexity with French expressive language, exploring a variety of national styles to which he was exposed during his time working in Milan. Orchestrated with flute, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and theorbo, The Opus Project gives new life to these centuries-old compositions for modern audiences.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Navona","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012443689194,"sku":"896931008334","price":8.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4211140-2990455.jpg?v=1786635652"},{"product_id":"around-baermann","title":"Around Baermann","description":"\u003cp\u003eAround Baermann sees historic clarinet specialist Maryse Legault spotlight the early 19th century clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Baermann, who was one of the most important yet overlooked clarinetists in the history of the instrument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Potsdam in 1784, Heinrich Baermann honed his skills under the tutelage of virtuoso clarinetist Josef Beer, who was a key figure in the development of the clarinet and its repertoire. B Baermann went on to tour extensively and significantly impacted the clarinet's role in classical music, particularly in France. Around Baermann is Legault’s tribute to Baermann; a giant in his field and one of the more important developers ofthe clarinet’s style, technique, and repertoire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Leaf Music","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012462399722,"sku":"3191684102108","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4207047-3140469.jpg?v=1786635704"},{"product_id":"schumann-piano-trios-vol-2-kungsbacka-piano-trio","title":"Schumann: Piano Trios, Vol. 2 \/ Kungsbacka Piano Trio","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter its first album devoted to Schumann’s first two piano trios, the Kungsbacka Piano Trio now presents the conclusion of this series with the Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, to which they add the Six Studies in Canonic Form, originally for pedal piano and performed here in an arrangement for piano trio, and an early work, the Quartet in C minor for violin, viola, cello and piano, which was only published in 1979. Composed in 1851, the third Piano Trio achieves the tonal balance Schumann was aiming for with an utmost independence of the three instruments while having ‘obsessive impulses’ running through it, to quote pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips. The Six Studies in Canonic Form that follow appear as small contrapuntal jewels that testify to Robert Schumann’s keen interest in Johann Sebastian Bach’s Preludes and Fugues. Finally, the Quartet composed when Schumann was 18 reveals a wildly creative mind at work, inspired in turn by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Chopin. Yet, despite these influences, one perceives a distinctive voice that reveals the obsessive qualities that would characterise Schumann’s later works. “A thrilling ride for performer and listener”, promises Crawford-Phillips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Schumann’s Piano Trio 3 in G minor, the Kungsbacka Trio is precise and spry for the entire 26 minutes, and the sound quality is pristine. These musicians find an elegance in the composer that other artists sometimes miss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 6 Studies in Canonical Form appear here in their transcription for trio by Theodor Kirchner. The quality is high, but just a few might have sufficed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Piano Quartet in C minor is from 1829, making it one of Schumann’s very first attempts at composition. He never finished the piano parts, and so they are completed here by musicologist Joachim Draheim. 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The genre typifies the creative convergence of Western Art Music with African Folk Music traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012585410794,"sku":"044747401829","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4223211-3130373.jpg?v=1786640241"},{"product_id":"schubert-purcell-string-trios-5060262793527","title":"Schubert \u0026 Purcell: String Trios","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn their debut album, the Sakuntala Trio presents the world premiere recording of Franz Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat major, D.471, in this innovative and compelling completion by Professor Brian Newbould. Of this first trio, only the first movement and the beginning of the slow movement, were penned by Schubert, before he abandoned the work, leaving a gem of a fragment. The album also features the second version of Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat major, D.581, together with a selection of Peter Warlock’s transcriptions of Henry Purcell’s Three-Part Fantasias.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Resonus Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012601368810,"sku":"5060262793527","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4207111-3141995.jpg?v=1786635559"},{"product_id":"pettersson-concerto-string-trio-works-for-violin-piano-ulf-wallin","title":"Pettersson: Concerto; String Trio; Works for Violin \u0026 Piano \/ Wallin","description":"\u003cp\u003eBetween 1934 and 1949, Allan Pettersson, one of Sweden’s foremost composers of symphonies, wrote chamber works that differ greatly from his later production. With his Two Elegies, composed at the tender age of 17, Pettersson drew the enthusiasm of his teacher, who saw in him the makings of a composer. The Four Improvisations for string trio recall Bartók’s music with their rhythmic vitality. The Andante espressivo is more personal with its experimental melodic and harmonic leanings. After his forced return from Paris in 1939, where he had gone to study, Pettersson composed a tender and lyrical Romanza and, three years later, his only piece for solo piano, the elegiac and meditative Lamento.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe most important work on this recording is the Concerto for Violin and String Quartet, a harsh, dense work that places great demands on the musicians. Initially rejected by the critics, the work now appears almost unique in terms of its radical tonal language and experimental use of extended techniques. For this recording, Ulf Wallin has brought together colleagues and friends to perform these lesser-known works, which nevertheless constitute an essential milestone in the career of the great Swedish composer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell0_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eThe Concerto for Violin and String Quartet of 1949, which opens the program and makes up over half of the album’s run time, is a lush work with numerous challenges for performers, both technically and harmonically, that from the outside would seem likely to limit the scope of listeners who would enjoy it. However, credit to the present performers, for these demands are met, and the results are thoroughly interesting and thought-provoking. The Concerto is the latest included work, chronologically, and it is a clear step toward the composer’s symphonic writing. The earliest works here are the Two Elegies for Violin and Piano, from 1934. These lovely, short tunes reflect the schooling the composer had undertaken; one could perhaps mistake these as having been written in the previous century. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell0_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003ePianist Thomas Hoppe, Wallin is another draw. Aside from ideal backing on the violin and piano works, Hoppe delivers a beautiful reading of Pettersson’s Lamento for Solo Piano. There is a lot to take in here, and listeners will be rewarded with subsequent hearings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- AllMusic.com (Keith Finke)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012612182250,"sku":"7318599925806","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4226821-3131938.jpg?v=1786640482"},{"product_id":"heise-the-string-quartets-vol-1-nordic-string-quartet","title":"Heise: The String Quartets, Vol. 1 \/ Nordic String Quartet","description":"\u003cp\u003eBetween 1851 and 1857, Peter Heise wrote six string quartets for the intimate musical soirées of Copenhagen’s refined middle class. Heise was a celebrated and cherished composer in his native Denmark, but his quartets sadly fell into obscurity and were stored away. The Nordic String Quartet is reviving these works with this first volume of their complete collection, featuring Quartets Nos. 1–3.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dacapo Classical","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012618965226,"sku":"747313693429","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4207026-3143562_cf39f6c8-5da6-4dbd-98a5-e1925ad5f0e7.jpg?v=1786640037"},{"product_id":"boulder-bach-festival-053479226501","title":"Boulder Bach Festival","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis album is the culmination of an extraordinarily fruitful artistic collaboration that took place at the 2022 Boulder Bach Festival in Boulder, Colorado. The recordings were made immediately after the public concerts concluded. They document four of the many memorable musical interpretations at the Festival, which occurred not just because of the many talented artists, but also thanks to the kindness and generosity of countless members of the community and region. Although many musicians converged on Boulder from all over the globe, the Festival also featured several remarkable local artists. The entire project took place against the backdrop of some of the most majestic natural scenery in the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell0_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eUnder artistic director Mina Gajić, and music director Zachary Carrettin, the Boulder Bach Festival of Colorado has progressed steadily in its artistic aims as well as providing an attractive setting for music lovers. The present recordings, made immediately after the public performances in the 2022 Festival, bear witness to this, in sparkling accounts of two concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach and two choral settings by Johann Christian Bach, an earlier sprig on a very prolific family tree.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- Audio Video Club of Atalnta (Phil Muse)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD + Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012664676586,"sku":"053479226501","price":11.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4182501-2949365.jpg?v=1786680310"},{"product_id":"zivkovic-citadel-of-love","title":"Živkovic: Citadel of Love \/ Repo, Burstedt, Norbotten Neo","description":"\u003cp\u003eSerbian-Swedish Djuro Živkovic has quickly established himself as one of Europe’s leading young composers. His musical style is strongly marked by Byzantine Orthodox music – spiritual, mystical and characterized by fantastic narration, virtuosic instrumentation and a stylistic, highly profiled sound. Živkovic’s music presents a profound and abstract space to reflect on the subject matter of mystery, ecstasy and transcendence. Citadel of Love is a highly personal ensemble work which manages to create a mystical aural experience. The narrative voice of the piano together with the other six instruments, subtly adding voices as well as percussion instruments, carries the listener from beginning to end through an inner drama of intensity and fullness of soundscapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI Shall Contemplate… II is an intimate chamber piece for viola and small ensemble, stylistically similar to a sacred cantata, in which improvisatory techniques contribute to the free and unencumbered compositional process. Here, Živkovic’s use of ancient scales creates an archaic, echoing space. The text, spoken by the soloist, comes from old Byzantine mystical books. Finally, Night Music is a fascinating crossover work in which piano works by Alexander Scriabin are mixed with newly composed musical layers, thus adding to the Russian composer an absurd fantasy, estranged passion and exotic illusions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012673458410,"sku":"7318599926858","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4218695-3006087.jpg?v=1786635317"},{"product_id":"from-jewish-life-swr","title":"From Jewish Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote: This set is a collection of previously released recordings.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was apparently Rimsky-Korsakov, himself a member of the “Mighty Handful” of Russian nationalist composers, who encouraged his students at the St. Petersburg Conservatory to go out and collect Jewish folk music and music sung in the synagogues, getting thus the ball rolling for a specific Jewish classical music. The movement led in 1908 to the founding of the St. Petersburg Society for Jewish Folk Music and, in 1923, of the Society for Jewish Music in Moscow. The success of the latter and its members was however, short-lived. The antisemitic, anti-cosmopolitan forces that started to brew under the new soviet regime led many potential members of the society to emigrate. The ones that remained were forced to focus on proletarian themes and, even when complying to the requirements, still found themselves often repressed or incarcerated outright.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe last notable concert with the society’s music in the Soviet Union took place in Moscow, in April of 1929. Most of this music had then lain dormant for decades until the pianist Jascha Nemtsov (himself the son of a Gulag survivor) and his musical collaborators unearthed it in the last few years of the 20th century. The present collection contains on five discs the recordings – many of them world premieres – realized between 1999 and 2004.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the real strengths of this program is the number of pieces that received their world premiere recordings here and it’s probably the case that many of them can still only be heard in these performances. I make it around 42 pieces in total – which includes the individual movements of suites and cycles – made their disc premieres here, a tribute to the industry, application and ardent appreciation shown principally by Nemtsov.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFortunately, these discs make an appeal on recital-by-recital basis. Yes, there are generic settings and yes, nothing is developed extensively so that the pleasures here are of a localised, focused and specialised nature. Nemtsov may be disheartened by the relative obscurity of much of this music still, feeling it, perhaps, funnelled to the outlying ethnic borderland where folk, cabaret and lighter classical meet and mingle. He, however, in particular, and his disc confreres, have made a real contribution to the vivacious and continuing life of this music on disc and are deserving of high praise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- MusicWeb International\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\" id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell3_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e is a fascinating five-disc collection that shines light on a short-lived movement in early 20th-century Russia to bring about a Jewish classical music idiom. Fine performances, too, from the likes of Tabea Zimmermann, Jascha Nemtsov, and Wolfgang Meyer\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- BBC Music Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell4_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eSWR’s imaginative five-disc chamber collection From Jewish Life (recorded 1999-2004) should be of interest to listeners whether or not you’re religious or indeed of the Jewish faith. The excellent line-up of performers consists of Jascha Nemtsov (piano), Wolfgang Meyer (clarinet), Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Ingolf Turban (violin), David Geringas (cello) and Helene Schneiderman (mezzo-soprano). The chosen repertoire includes Bloch’s masterly Suite for viola and piano, Joseph Achron’s Stempenyu and other works, music by Julian and Alexander Krein, Alexander Weprik, Joachim Stutschewsky and Solomon Rosowsky and much more. This is, musically speaking, a most nourishing collection, and the digital sound is excellent. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- Gramophone\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SWR","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012733980906,"sku":"747313943487","price":21.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4201687-3143600.jpg?v=1786635411"},{"product_id":"kurpinski-moniuszko-noskowski-works-for-string-quartet","title":"Kurpiński, Moniuszko \u0026 Noskowski: Works for String Quartet \/ Lutosławski Quartet","description":"\u003cp\u003eProviding an overview of almost a century, this album reflects the aspirations of Polish nationalism through the works of three pivotal figures: Karol Kurpinski, whose Fantasy for String Quartet is both serious and ingenious in design, Zygmunt Noskowski, whose witty piece on a theme of Viotti includes the use of a polacca, and Stanislaw Moniuszko, whose quartets balance the hymnal with the rustic.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012744630506,"sku":"747313397877","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4211144-2990458.jpg?v=1786639924"},{"product_id":"cooley-evans-reich-weiser-8-track","title":"Cooley, Evans, Reich \u0026 Weiser: 8-Track \/ Ashley Bathgate","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCellist Ashley Bathgate releases her third solo album featuring her performance of Steve Reich’s\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCello Counterpoint\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ealongside three new works that take advantage of the versatile format of soloist with layered tracks. Composers Emily Cooley, Alex Weiser, and Fjóla Evans wrote works that expand on Reich’s template, exploring harmonic, dramatic, and gestural contrasts. The homogeneity of timbre inherent in works for layered tracks of the same instrument gives the listener a sense they are hearing a hyper-cello; the compositional strategy both echoes studio techniques that are ubiquitous in commercial music while also amplifying more Romantic impulses of extroverted expression and immersive textures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe structure and motivic material in Fjóla Evans’\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAugun\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis inspired by the traditional Icelandic song,\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVísur Vatnsenda Rósu\u003c\/em\u003e. Evans organizes overlapping motives taken from the traditional song and creates a shimmering, undulating texture, pushing and pulling between dissonant and consonant voicings. The atmospheric quality of the work tells a non-linear story, painting a complex mix of mournful and resolute emotions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEmily Cooley’s approach to the layered ensemble was to focus on various groupings of the eight celli as they take on shifting roles in the overall texture. She writes of\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAssemble\u003c\/em\u003e, “The title describes what I felt like I was doing while composing: assembling a sort of puzzle. Only at the end of the piece do the eight parts truly assemble into one voice. They all play a slow, resonant chorale that fades into silence.\" The work ventures through moments of insistent pulse, poignant anticipation, and exuberant lyricism, expanding beyond the bounds of mere assemblage.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Focus Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012771500266,"sku":"690277901225","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4218757-3014510.jpg?v=1786635236"},{"product_id":"obrien-algebra-of-night","title":"O'Brien: Algebra of Night \/ Kendall, 21st Century Consort","description":"\u003cp\u003eIndiana-based composer Eugene O'Brien and the 21st Century Consort (contemporary ensemble led by Christopher Kendall in residence at the Smithsonian Museum) release Algebra of Night, featuring two ensemble works that highlight O'Brien's rich harmonic palette and carefully articulated structural approach.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Focus Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012774908138,"sku":"690277901294","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4223240-3131171.jpg?v=1786635628"},{"product_id":"voyage-exotique-christoph-croise","title":"Voyage Exotique \/ Christoph Croisé","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChristoph Croisé channels his prowess as a cellist – “he’s got it all – technical chops, impeccable musicianship and imaginative daring” (Gramophone) – into compositional ingenuity on the first album devoted entirely to his own works. Christoph draws inspiration from a variety of musical role models, including contemporary and centuries past, paying homage to the time-honoured evolution of classical music that has melded current conventions with popular styles. Traditional forms, such as sonata and concerto, are imbued with jazz, blues, bossa nova and improv to create, as Christoph puts it, “a musical and cultural melting pot.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChristoph’s compositional urge was spurred by the pandemic and lockdown. The four works on Voyage Exotique were written between 2020 and 2022. He also cites current world events as a motivating influence. His first cello concerto, imbued with high-wire virtuosity that makes full use of the cello’s – and Christoph’s – capabilities, opens a programme that also includes an imaginary intergalactic journey in the form of a clarinet trio, and a sonata for cello and piano that is by turns pensive, agitated and longing, yet ultimately hopeful. The title track, a “Grand duo” for two cellos is, in the truest sense of the word, an “exotic journey” through foreign sound cultures and myriad cello effects.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is a bit difficult to categorize this release by cellist Christoph Croisé. The music borrows heavily from popular traditions, bossa nova and other tropical sounds, lots of jazz, and, in the finale of the grim, Ukraine-inspired Cello Sonata No. 1, Op. 9, Eastern European folk rhythms. Several pieces, most of all the Cello Concerto No. 1, are quite virtuosic, and this fits with the general concept; Croisé is adept at writing lines that show off his abilities on the cello, but he is also an alert chamber player who interacts well with the other musicians in the chamber pieces. A genuinely fresh album. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Avie Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012791324906,"sku":"822252259827","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4201633-3144238.jpg?v=1786657612"},{"product_id":"shostakovich-beethoven-string-quartets","title":"Shostakovich \u0026 Beethoven: String Quartets","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Avie Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012835856618,"sku":"822252225327","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1933440.jpg?v=1786624718"},{"product_id":"moravec-violin-concerto-shakuhachi-quintet-equilibrium-evermore-64249","title":"Moravec: Violin Concerto, Shakuhachi Quintet, Equilibrium \u0026 Evermore","description":"\u003cb\u003ePaul Moravec\u003c\/b\u003e has become one of the most acclaimed and admired composers of our time. His compositions stand out for their melodic poise, lyrical passion, and rich harmonic language. His Violin Concerto was grandly received and stands as one of his most important accomplishments. With its sensuous, romantic elegance and jubilant finale, it has earned a position as one of the most outstanding American compositions in this genre. The plaintive Shakuhachi Quintet integrates the shakuhachi, a classical bamboo flute, with the Western string quartet. Equilibrium was written specifically for this album. It recalls the B-A-C-H motive that is also heard in the Violin Concerto. Evermore was composed as a wedding gift for Maria Bachmann.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012836741354,"sku":"636943979723","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3085893.jpg?v=1786720715"},{"product_id":"jenkins-fantasia-suites-811691011417","title":"Jenkins: Fantasia Suites","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Jenkins is probably the finest English composer for instruments of the mid-seventeenth century” - Gramophone\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Phoenix Edition","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012841853162,"sku":"811691011417","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1499694.jpg?v=1786737615"},{"product_id":"beethoven-complete-works-for-cello-and-piano","title":"Beethoven: Complete Works for Cello and Piano","description":"Beethoven: Complete Works for Cello and Piano","brand":"SWR","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012843884778,"sku":"4010276024088","price":21.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1844745.jpg?v=1786732084"},{"product_id":"christmas-with-septura-228556","title":"Christmas with Septura","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith this recording Septura answers the question, “what if the greatest Christmas music had been written for brass?” In arrangements that go far beyond Yultide clichés, Septura has carefully crafted a programme that explores virtuosity and festive celebration in pieces such as the Christmas Suite with music by J.S. Bach, rapturous serenity from the likes of Robert Parson´s beautiful Ave Maria, and nostalgic favourites such as the ravishingly polyphonic The Three Kings by Peter Cornelius. Septura pushes its colours and combinations to the limit in re-imagining this varied selection of sublime Christmas music from the past 450 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"ctl00_MainContent_gvReviews_cell11_12_ASPxPopupControl1_ASPxLabel2\" class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003eThe English brass septet Septura's ensemble work is unimpeachable, but where they break new ground is in their arrangements, which both draw on a slightly wider range of sources than usual and have a more varied selection of textures. The program starts off normally enough with Schütz, Bach, and Praetorius, but brings some delightful surprises in the middle parts, such as arrangements of two sections from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. There’s nothing to make this collection unsuitable for festive holiday listening, and indeed it will fill the bill elegantly in that regard. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"dxeBase_PlasticBlue\"\u003e-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012848177386,"sku":"747313371976","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3495536.jpg?v=1786669051"},{"product_id":"bartok-by-arrangement-music-for-viola-5060113443519","title":"Bartók By Arrangement: Music For Viola \/ Nagy, Divertimento Budapest","description":"\u003cp\u003eBela Bartok, while most widely known for his orchestral works, was also an established composer of chamber music. His music for violin has become some of the most important in the instrument’s repertoire. The three works featured on this recording have been transcribed for viola by Vidor Nagy. Vidor Nagy, accompanied by Peter Nagy and Divertimento Budapest, brilliantly performs these technically challenging works.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Toccata","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012867412202,"sku":"5060113443519","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3330019.jpg?v=1786650197"},{"product_id":"beethoven-string-quartets-vol-6-095115138120","title":"Beethoven: String Quartets, Vol. 6 \/ Borodin Quartet","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012874817770,"sku":"095115138120","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/804259.jpg?v=1786763916"},{"product_id":"schumann-scenes-from-goethes-faust-wit-hossa-235287","title":"Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust \/ Wit, Warsaw Philharmonic","description":"\u003cp\u003eGoethe’s Faust exerted a powerful influence on Romantic composers, offering Robert Schumann a number of unforgettable scenes drawn mainly from the mystical second part of the epic poem which he incorporated into this immensely moving large-scale cantata. 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His small published œuvre of 33 opus numbers belies the amount of music he produced: he composed prolifically but, as he was both a perfectionist and a busy performer, much of his music is still unknown, allowing us to present herein, the Unknown Enescu.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Toccata","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012881633514,"sku":"5060113440471","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2029858_09c5cc7e-df41-4e7f-ac0e-59293896ce73.jpg?v=1786729002"},{"product_id":"sir-malcolm-sargent-conducts-coleridge-taylor-92216","title":"Sir Malcolm Sargent Conducts Coleridge-taylor","description":"In 1962 in recognition 50th anniversary of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's death, Sir Malcolm Sargent recorded his Songs of Hiawatha, considered a milestone in English choral music. 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In an interview printed in the accompanying booklet, the Delian players (it is not indicated which of them is speaking at any given point) identify this work as “one of the larger Beethoven string quartets,” and their interpretation is clearly guided by such a perception. To these musicians, the work is not “early Beethoven” but just Beethoven, and they de-emphasize its high spirits in favor of deep seriousness. Their interpretation is an expansive one in terms of tempo. Surveying 13 other performances of this work I have on CD in my collection, I find that three of them exceed the Delian’s timing in the slow movement, the 1952 Budapest Quartet by a small amount, the 1991 Tokyo Quartet by bit more, and the 1936 Calvet Quartet by a lot. With those three exceptions, the Delian players’ timings are the longest in every movement. Nonetheless, their tempos do not seem excessively slow in the context of their overall approach, and there is also a good degree of flexibility in their handling of tempo. The performance has its own kind of momentum, but the Delian players are less concerned with urgency and linear flow than with precise articulation, pronounced vertical stresses, and a distinct statement and characterization of each phrase. I felt that they underplay some of the peaks, for instance, the angry minor-key outbursts in the development of the first movement. In the second movement, said to have been inspired by the tomb scene of Shakespeare’s \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e, the anger and despair build up gradually and reach their zenith only near the end. The trio of the third movement is less assertive than in many performances. The finale would not seem slow if one were not aware that everyone else plays it faster, and I much appreciate the very clean articulation of rapid runs, which some distinguished ensembles that favor a more breathless approach do not achieve. Technically, the playing is highly accomplished, with sumptuous, well-rounded tone, accurate intonation, and precise ensemble. Balances are impeccable and textures are very clear, in keeping with the ensemble’s evident desire that each strand of music should be heard distinctly. I find the Delian approach to this work interesting and rewarding; others might find it studied. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eBeethoven’s C-Major String Quintet dates from 1801, the same year as the revised version of op. 18\/1 that is nearly always the one played today. I have never understood why the quintet fails to attract the degree of attention and veneration accorded the quartets. It’s a gorgeous, imposing work, about 35 minutes in duration and full of invention and dazzling compositional skill. The Delian Quartet feels that it “contains inklings of the Beethoven of the middle and late periods,” but I think it also has some strong reminiscences of Mozart. It receives a fine performance from these musicians, assisted by violist Gérard Caussé. Their characteristics of precise articulation, shapely phrasing, and clear textures are again in evidence, but the playing seems a bit freer and more spontaneous than in the quartet. Tempos are once again on the deliberate side, but one wouldn’t know it without comparisons, since they seem quite appropriate. Here my comparisons are limited to four: the Endellion (Warner), Tokyo (RCA), and Zürich (Brilliant) quartets, and the 1945 Budapest Quartet recording on Sony. The Delian’s first movement tempo seems consistent with the \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAllegro moderato\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e marking and works well. At a much faster pace, the Endellion is urgent but sometimes rushed. The Tokyo Quartet is closer to the Delian tempo but offers a more blended sound, with less clarity of texture. The poignant slow movement is nicely shaped and well sustained in the Delian rendition, while the scherzo is lively without being overly fast and has a grandeur that is missing from the rather hurried Endellion performance. The finale too is effectively paced, with a pronounced contrast in tempo between the \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003ePresto\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eAndante\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e sections that is sometimes missing in other performances. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eThe op. 137 Fugue for String Quintet dates from 1817 and lasts under two minutes. In style it is suggestive of some of the fugal movements or sections in Beethoven’s late works. The Delian performance is once again comparatively deliberate and very clearly articulated, with exemplary clarity of texture. Those of the Endellion and Zürich quartets (coupled with their recordings of the op. 29 quintet) are quicker and livelier. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eThe Delian performances are recorded in clear, detailed, and tightly focused sound, with minimal reverberation, qualities I have come to associate with the Oehms label. With its distinctive rendering of the quartet and compelling one of the underrated quintet, this release deserves an enthusiastic recommendation. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Daniel Morrison \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Oehms Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012894216426,"sku":"4260034867963","price":7.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2165780_1001d04b-1f44-442f-985e-4eb0cc9e7849.jpg?v=1786746078"},{"product_id":"schubert-string-quintet-op-163","title":"Schubert: String Quintet, Op. 163","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Avie Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012895461610,"sku":"822252230727","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2539570.jpg?v=1786734095"},{"product_id":"strauss-r-nono-wagner-choral-music","title":"STRAUSS, R. \/ NONO \/ WAGNER: Choral Music","description":"Classical Music","brand":"SWR","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012895887594,"sku":"4010276018612","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/950878.jpg?v=1786820250"},{"product_id":"brahms-violin-sonatas-pike-poster-144127","title":"Brahms: Violin Sonatas \/ Pike, Poster","description":"Jennifer Pike was the youngest-ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2002. She has given performances throughout the UK and around the world and, now aged twenty-three, is widely regarded as one of the finest violinists in Britain. The pianist Tom Poster who performs alongside her is well known for his artistry and versatility, equally in demand as a soloist and as a chamber musician. This recital features violin sonatas by Brahms and Robert Schumann as well as Three Romances by Clara Schumann. Robert Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1 is very much a ‘Duo’, the two instrumentalists performing in equal partnership. It was written in 1851 at quite a stressful time in Schumann’s life. There is certainly an air of robustness, even roughness, in the baroque-style finale. By contrast, in Brahms’s Violin Sonata No. 1, the violin is always the principal voice, the piano never a competitor but rather a subtle accompanist. Brahms wrote the work in memory of his godson Felix Schumann who had died of tuberculosis at the tragically young age of twenty-four. Clara Schumann’s Three Romances was her only work for violin and piano, but whilst the violin is allowed to sing throughout, the complexity of the piano part testifies to its having been composed by a pianist of the first rank.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Reviews\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Performance (Brahms) **** (R \u0026amp; C Schumann) ***** Recording ***** \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  “...this is a refreshingly projected performance which boasts an almost ideal fluidity in terms of manipulation of tempo and nuance in the first movement [Brahms]... warm-hearted performances of the Clara Schumann Romances ... the distinction of the performances is never in doubt.”\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Erik Levi – BBC Music magazine – May 2013 \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012896542954,"sku":"095115176221","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2165922_e8a37972-3bda-45c5-9594-2e23cb3c1112.jpg?v=1786679804"},{"product_id":"mendelssohn-string-quartets-nos-2-3-escher-80744","title":"Mendelssohn: String Quartets Nos. 2 \u0026 3 \/ Escher String Quartet","description":"In 1827, when writing his Quartet in A minor, Op.13, the eighteen-year-old Mendelssohn was especially interested in Beethoven’s late quartets – at a time when these works were generally written off as ‘confused fantasies of a deaf musician’. In Mendelssohn's A minor quartet the debt to Beethoven is evident in the important role of polyphonic techniques, and particularly in the focus on cyclical connections between movements.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Ten years after the Op. 13 quartet, Mendelssohn composed the three quartets that make up his Op. 44. The D major quartet that closes the present disc was the last of these to be completed, but on publication, Mendelssohn placed it as the first in the set.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Mendelssohn also wrote four individual movements for string quartet. These were gathered together and published posthumously with the opus number 81, and on this second volume of their complete Mendelssohn cycle the Escher Quartet perform two of these pieces, both conceived in August 1847, only a couple of months before the composer’s death.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The first volume in the Eschers' series, released in April 2015, has been warmly received by the critics, with the internet site Pizzicato describing it as 'a noteworthy addition to the Mendelssohn discography'.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Reviewds:\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The Eschers offer eloquent, full-blooded playing, with spacious tempos, earthy rhythms and rich, dug-in sound. Nothing is rushed or skittered over - and this is notably rewarding in music where an over-precious surface can risk missing the point…the four players offer a beautiful blend of individuality and accord, and BIS's famous SACD sound quality lets them gleam and glow.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – BBC Music Magazine\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This young American group respond particularly vividly to the ebullience of the D major Quartet. Digging into the upward arpeggio with which it launches with infectious glee, while the first movement's coda is uproariously dispatched. Also impressive is their combination of finely honed interaction and a sense of playfulness.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012899295466,"sku":"7318599919904","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2983335.jpg?v=1786717776"},{"product_id":"kapsberger-libro-secondo-darie-1623-5060113440273","title":"Kapsberger: Libro Secondo D'Arie, 1623","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Toccata","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012902965482,"sku":"5060113440273","price":10.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/985284.jpg?v=1786750584"},{"product_id":"ries-3-violin-sonatas-grossman-kagan-171044","title":"Ries: 3 Violin Sonatas \/ Grossman, Kagan","description":"\u003cb\u003eRecording of the Month\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Ferdinand Ries was Beethoven’s student, close friend and biographer, but until quite recently was very much one of those composers living in the shadow of his Bonn master, rather than as the gifted and prolific composer he in fact was.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  American pianist, author and educator Susan Kagan has explored the music of those composers associated with Beethoven and his musical scene. In fact she has researched the music of Archduke Rudolph – Beethoven’s composition student for more than twenty years – for her Ph.D. This was subsequently published by Pendragon Press back in 1988. More recently she has almost single-handedly championed the cause of Ries’s piano music, with five CDs of his Sonatas and Sonatinas on the Naxos label.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Kagan explains: ‘Ries studied piano with Beethoven (both were natives of Bonn, Germany) and was entrusted by him with such work as making transcriptions and piano arrangements, and copying orchestral parts of Beethoven’s new works. Ries moved to England in 1813, married an Englishwoman, and had a successful career touring as a virtuoso concert pianist. At the same time he was composing prodigiously and virtually everything he wrote was published. His thorough knowledge of Beethoven’s music undoubtedly helped shape Ries’s style, but his piano sonatas, from 1809 on, show an adventurous turn toward an expressive keyboard style anticipating that of the first generation of Romantic piano composers – Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Schumann. His gift for melody is like Schubert’s, and he is ever inventive in creating and developing beautiful themes. While his symphonies and concertos are ‘public’ works, intended for large audiences and concert halls, the piano sonatas are his most personally-expressive works, revealing an individual outlook on a genre of music cultivated by that great triumvirate of the Classical period – Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.’\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Ries also composed eighteen violin sonatas, which were brought out by Bonn music-publisher, Simrock, who also published much of Beethoven’s music. On this latest release from Naxos, Kagan is joined by violinist and fellow-American Eric Grossman, in an exploration of three of Ries’s violin sonatas, two from his op. 8 set, and his op. 19, all world-première recordings. However, unlike the piano sonatas, which have been released as part of a series of volumes, by starting here with a well-chosen selection from the eighteen extant examples, it gives the record company the option of releasing further violin sonatas in the future, or just letting this present single CD speak on behalf of the other fifteen.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  It is interesting that the opening movements of the Sonata in F, Op. 8 No. 1, recorded first, and the Sonata in C minor, Op. 8 No. 2 that follows, have more than just a passing acquaintance with movements by Beethoven himself. While the latter first movement is very reminiscent of the corresponding movement from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in the same key, Op. 10 No. 3, the F major Sonata opens in a pastoral vein, with a main theme which immediately hints at Beethoven’s ‘Spring’ Sonata for violin and piano in the same key. Rather than reinforcing the idea that Ries is merely mimicking his teacher – what follows, in both of Ries’s sonatas, after the initial ‘homage to Ludwig’, really does confirm that the younger composer has an individual voice, and subsequently embarks on quite a different musical journey from his master.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Of the violin sonatas as a whole, Kagan continues: ‘(They) are models of the Viennese Classical sonata style established by Mozart: most are in three movements, with first movements in sonata-allegro form, lyrical slow movements in ternary (ABA) form, and rondo finales. Like Mozart, Ries divides the material to provide equal interest for both instruments.’ The Sonata in F largely adheres to this pattern, though is, in fact, a four-movement work, with a sprightly Scherzo and Trio in the tonic minor (F minor) following the opening ‘Allegro ma non troppo’, before a conventional, though short slow movement, leads to the finale, with its essentially rustic theme. However, this soon contrasts with the central episode, where staccato triplets evolve into a vigorous fugato section (like a fugue, but not fully played-out), and something which, according to Kagan in her compact, yet succinct and informative sleeve-notes, is an unusual event in Ries’s music, where polyphonic writing is ‘generally avoided’.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The characteristic dotted rhythms and robust dynamics of the ‘Allegro con spirito’ that open the Sonata in C minor, imbue it initially with an almost martial character, but this soon turns lyrical, in which vein the ensuing ‘Adagio cantabile’ slow movement continues, and which also then acts as the perfect aperitif to the lightness of the closing rondo, with its staccato texture and preponderance of rapid repeated notes.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The so-named Grande Sonata in F minor, while the shortest of the three works on the CD, is nevertheless conceived in large scale, both with regards structure and content, and with its key, and the dramatic insistence of the opening movement’s main theme, link it in character to Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’ piano sonata, written some five years earlier. Unlike Beethoven’s work, Ries’s sonata begins with a short and poignant ‘Largo espressivo’ introduction – not unlike the opening of Beethoven’s earlier ‘Pathétique’ sonata, but providing nowhere near as dramatic a lead-in. Ries maintains the feverish mood of the ‘Allegro agitato’ throughout, despite the occasional sections away from the over-arching minor tonality, and the movement’s calmly-understated close. The following slow movement, in a gentle triple measure, and in the relative major key (A flat major), has a simple charm and eloquence that makes it extremely endearing and pleasing on the ear, but with sufficient contrast within, to hold the listener’s attention throughout. The overall playful mood of the final rondo also has more than enough variety, both rhythmically and melodically in its main theme and episodes, to sustain it, with some real fireworks in the central episode. The music has a decidedly Schubertian feel, both thematically, and in Ries’s use of tonality, where more remote keys figure, and there is often a characteristic shift from major to minor and back. Yet again Ries chooses to finish like a lamb, rather than a lion – something Beethoven does in the opening movement of his ‘Appassionata’, but not in the work’s tumultuous and clattering coda to the finale.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Whichever way you look at this latest Ries CD from Naxos, you will surely not be disappointed. The playing, positioning and recording are first-rate, and the three pieces recorded are charming, entertaining and with a good feel for motivic development. Whether they form part of a more extended investigation into the composer’s repertoire for violin and piano, or remain just a one-off sampler, at the bargain price offered, they are simply too good to miss.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – Philip R Buttall, MusicWeb International","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012910239978,"sku":"747313319374","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2839296.jpg?v=1786820284"},{"product_id":"franz-ignaz-beck-symphonies-op-4-nos-144686","title":"Franz Ignaz Beck: Symphonies Op. 4, Nos. 4-6 \u0026 Op. 3, No. 5","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe court at Manneheim, one of Europe’s great 18th-century musical centers, provided myriad opportunities for creative development. 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It is the Quartet’s fifth release for Chandos, and the discography has gone from strength to strength. MusicWeb International said of the recent Korngold release (CHAN 10707): ‘The Doric Quartet seem to have a Midas touch, and any repertoire they commit to disc comes out sparkling.’ Their Schumann release (CHAN 10692) was ‘Recording of the Month’ in both Gramophone and BBC Music.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  In March 1824, despite describing himself as ‘the most unhappy and wretched creature in the world’, Schubert completed not only the great Octet, but also the two String Quartets recorded here.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  The String Quartet in D minor is considered the greatest of Schubert’s late quartets, mainly on account of its raw emotional honesty, which reaches an almost unendurable pitch in the second movement, a set of variations based on Schubert’s song Der Tod und das Mädchen. 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