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Rachmaninoff: Cello & Piano Music

Urania Records

$21.99 Jan 16, 2026

Rachmaninov, considered by academics to be a late romantic, often draws on Baroque models: an eclecticism of languages. He experiences music as a memory of affection, and in few places, as here, his insatiable Faustian aspiration to 'stop the moment' reaches a similar intensity. Op. 19 breathes a sense of a return to life and the otherworldly cello calls shatter according to a principle of hallucinatory suspension which is already the Rachmaninov of the Symphonic Dances op. 45. Piano Sonata No. 2 in E-flat minor, Op. 36 had a complex gestation, culminating in a 1931 revision in which the Maestro reduced a certain 'pleasant storytelling' in the style of Liszt, moving closer to the neoclassical matrix, but 'Russian-style', of his later works. As an ideal encore, the programme also features the Danse orientale Op. 2, No. 2, the adolescent Sergei's homage to that narrative of exotic landscapes, musical scales infused with chromatic enchantments.

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Rachmaninoff: Cello & Piano Music
Urania Records Jan 2026
CD
$21.99

Mix & Match

Albeniz: Music for Solo Piano, Vol. 2 / Stanley

Piano Classics

$20.99 Feb 03, 2023

The first volume of Sebastian Stanley’s Albéniz survey was greeted with enthusiasm for the repertoire and praise for the interpretations in the pages of Fanfare and elsewhere: ‘He is tender and sentimental in the lyrical moments, animated and energetic in his attack elsewhere. He clearly loves the music, and dispatches it with unapologetic flair.’ His sequel opens with the First Suite Española which contains several of the composer’s most colourful and best-known pieces. It begins with the vibrant guitar-strumming textures and Moorish harmonies of ‘Granada (Serenata)’ and continues with his own interpretation of a dance from his native Catalonia. Evocations of Seville, Cadiz and Asturias all spring from the pages with the sharp colours of a Goya canvas, and the suite comes to an exotic, sensuous conclusion with a Cuban habanera. The Second Suite Española is much smaller and less well-known. Its two movements are evocations of Zaragoza and (once more) Seville. Sebastian Stanley includes two further landscapes in sound: the Zambra granadina (Danse orientale) evokes flamenco dance that features a haunting melody to a seductively syncopated accompaniment. The rolled chords of Cádiz (Gaditana) suggest the strumming of guitars, setting the scene for an animated copla dance. The neoclassical side of Albéniz comes to the fore with the third of his Suites Anciennes – consisting of a graceful Minuet and sprightly Gavotte – which anticipate similar projects to revive Baroque forms in modern guise by Ravel and Respighi. As a reminder of the incomparable richness of the finest Spanish piano music,’ Sebastian Stanley’s Albéniz series should invite the attention of curious listeners and pianophiles alike.

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Albeniz: Music for Solo Piano, Vol. 2 / Stanley
Piano Classics Feb 2023
CD
$20.99

Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"

Naïve

$18.99 Oct 02, 2026

(summary) In October 2024, the Orchestre National de France under the baton of music director Cristian Macelaru, immersed itself in one of the great symphonic works of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): his extraordinary Resurrection Symphony. On this new recording, the epic journey unfolds serenely, bathed in warm pastoral colours. (complete blurb) Over two evenings on 24 and 25 October 2024, the Orchestre National de France under it's music director Cristian Macelaru immersed themselves in the extraordinary symphonic epic that Gustav Mahler wrote in the 1890s: his utterly unrestrained Symphony No. 2, the Resurrection. What a baptism of fire! The Romanian conductor, not known for his Mahler until now, boldly takes up, in Paris, the very same score that the legendary Leonard Bernstein conducted at his first great Parisian triumph on 13 November 1958-which as it happens was also with the Orchestre National. More than 70 years after Bernstein, Cristian Macelaru offers a vision that is the complete opposite, with a chamber-like approach of delicacy and pastoral warmth, in contrast to his illustrious predecessor's grandiose and solemn take. The textures are therefore amazingly light: the magnificent transparency of the strings is answered by woodwinds brimming with freshness, discreetly revealing the roots of a composer born not far from Prague who was passionately drawn to new sonorities and unexpected instrumental blends. Under the Romanian conductor's direction, joined here by the luminous soprano of Hanna-Elisabeth Muller and the amber-toned mezzo of Karen Cargill, the passionate journey of Resurrection becomes one of profound serenity. The architecture of the work remains consistently natural and supple, and the symphony finds it's unity effortlessly despite the remarkable diversity of soundscapes of which it is made. It was in 1888 that Gustav Mahler first conceived the large-scale symphonic piece he called Todtenfeier (Funeral Rites), in which he portrays, from the height of a steep promontory, the entire life of the hero of his First Symphony, the Titan. Slightly revised, this became the introductory Allegro maestoso of the Second Symphony, to which Mahler later added four more movements. The second takes the form of a shimmering Landler, deceptively gracious, with interwoven motifs. The third is a scherzo based on his song Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt ('St. Anthony of Padua preaching to the fishes', No. 6 from Des Knaben Wunderhorn). For the fourth movement, the composer draws on another song from Des Knaben Wunderhorn, No. 12, Urlicht ('Primeval Light'), preserving the vocal line while altering some of the orchestration and harmonic progressions. Gustav Mahler searched a long time for inspiration for the Finale, finding it eventually while listening to a choir sing a hymn during the funeral of the great conductor Hans von Bulow. The hymn was based on words by the poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, and Mahler resolved then and there to conclude his work with this hymn to resurrection, supplementing Klopstock's text with several verses of his own. Overall, then, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 opens with a meditation on death, and moves steadily through earthly life in all it's tenderness and irony to a proclamation of faith in the resurrection-the sole subject of the Finale-in which soloists, chorus and orchestra come together in a glorious gesture of reconciliation.

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Mahler: Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection"
Naïve Oct 2026
CD
$18.99

Beethoven: Bagatelles and Dances, Vol. 2
Naxos Nov 1999
CD
$19.99

Reinecke: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

CPO

$18.99 Oct 18, 2024

Anyone interested in Romantic music will inevitably come across the name Carl Reinecke. Countless aspiring composers from Germany and Scandinavia went to him to learn their craft. To those who wanted to make it in the city of the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra, he was an institution. Reinecke the composer enjoyed great success during his lifetime. However, as a preservationist of musical traditions, he was quickly forgotten after his death. The inevitable course of musical development swept him out of the way. This was not due to the quality of his music. Not only does his compositional technique stand up to scrutiny, but also his music as a sonic experience. This is particularly true of his three symphonies, all of which are now available in our catalogue with the release of the powerful Second in C minor

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Reinecke: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
CPO Oct 2024
CD
$18.99

Barkhudarian: 4 Oriental Dances, 12 Armenian Dances & Piano

Grand Piano

$19.99 May 11, 2018

The Armenian and Georgian composer Sarkis Vasil'evich Barkhudarian is famed for his piano miniatures. Some are among the first piano works to use Armenian folk themes as the basis for a series of original compositions. His colorful and unusual harmonies, created by the sinuous, interweaving modes of Armenian music, are immediately attractive and his miniatures, whether full of grace or pungent dance rhythms, bear out Glazunov's admiration of his 'sincerity, elegance and harmony of form.' Mikael Ayrapetyan was born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, where he had his early schooling. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed works of Armenian composers. He is actively engaged in the popularization of Armenian classical music, organizing concerts in the major concert halls of the world, and acting as producer, artistic director and pianist for these performances.

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Barkhudarian: 4 Oriental Dances, 12 Armenian Dances & Piano
Grand Piano May 2018
CD
$19.99

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suites Nos. 1 and 2 - Pushkin Wa

Naxos

$9.99 ~~$19.99~~ Save 50% Jul 31, 2012

Sergey Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet was completed after the composer's final repatriation to Soviet Russia after a period abroad. It was written for the Kirov Ballet but early productions faltered, and Prokofiev soon adapted his music to the concert hall. The Suites avoid narrative sequence, selecting crucial moments such as the famous "balcony scene", and dramatic climaxes such as the Death of Tybalt. Composed to celebrate the famous author's 150th anniversary, the Pushkin Waltzes are relaxed, easygoing, and with a typically witty edge.

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Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suites Nos. 1 and 2 - Pushkin Wa
Naxos Jul 2012
CD
~~$19.99~~ $9.99

SYMPHONIES 2 & 3

LPO

$15.99 Oct 05, 2018

For collectors of Tchaikovsky Symphonies these recordings of Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3, taken from the Complete Tchaikovsky Symphonies box set are available as a separate release for the first time on the LPO label and along with this re-release of the Manfred Symphony join previous releases of the numbered symphonies as a complete set. Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski is a renowned conductor of Tchaikovsky. The previous release of Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 was a Gramophone recording of the month, number 19 in the Sunday Times 100 best records of the year, a Classic FM album of the week, and one of the Arts Desk's Top Classical albums of 2012. Jurowski's Tchaikovsky has been praised for it's nuance, musical empathy and intelligent phrasing.

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SYMPHONIES 2 & 3
LPO Oct 2018
CD
$15.99

Tchaikovsky: Piano Music Vol 2 / Oxana Yablonskaya
Naxos Oct 2000
CD
$19.99

The Art of David Hallberg at the Bolshoi

BelAir Classiques

DVD

$31.99 Oct 20, 2017

This stunning release is a tribute to the art of David Hallberg, the first main American soloist ever to be hired by the Bolshoi Ballet. It features “The Sleeping Beauty,” wherein the choreographer Yuri Grigorovich presents a new version of one of his most famous choreography for a breathtaking new experience in splendid sets designed by Ezio Frigerio and more than 400 new costumes designed by Franca Squarciapino. David Hallberg performs alongside principal ballerina Svetlana Zakharova. Also included is “Marco Spada.” Recreated specifically for the Bolshoi by French choreographer Pierre Lacotte, “Marco Spada” is a grandiose and unique ballet both on a technical and dramatic level: complex choreography, five lead roles created for five principals, several changes in scenery, the participation of nearly all the Corps de ballet, and even the presence of animals on stage… With its scenes of pantomime, devilish intrigue, rejected suitors, kidnapping heroines, rebellion, and lovers misunderstandings, Marco Spada is a fresh and joful ballet to discover.

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The Art of David Hallberg at the Bolshoi
BelAir Classiques Oct 2017
DVD
$31.99

Sibelius: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 2: Early Works - 2
BIS Aug 2001
CD
$21.99

Chopin: La Dame Aux Camelias / Schmidtsdorff, Paris Opera Ballet [Blu-ray]

Opus Arte

Blu-Ray

$52.99 Jun 30, 2009

REGIONS: All Regions
PICTURE FORMAT: 1080i
LENGTH: 191 Mins
SOUND: 2.0 & 5.0 PCM
SUBTITLES: ENGLISH/FRENCH/GERMAN/SPANISH/ITALIAN (extra features)
NO OF DISCS: 2

Based on the Alexandre Dumas novel that also inspired the stories of Verdi’s La Traviata and Hollywood’s Moulin Rouge, John Neumeier creates a riveting dance drama around the famous woman of lore, La Dame aux camélias. The passionate tale of Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duval unfolds ingeniously through a drama-within-a-drama as they meet at the theatre during a performance of Manon Lescaut. So begin their romantic adventures in Paris, brought to life by Neumeier’s intense and refined choreographic language. Chopin’s ravishing music highlights this exceptional neo-classical ballet, featuring the star dancers of the Paris Opéra Ballet. This lavish production, filmed live at the Palais Garnier in High Definition and full surround sound, is all about love, passion, danger and glorious dancing from one of the best ballet companies in the world.

Marguerite Gautier: Agnès Letestu
Armand Duval: Stéphane Bullion
Monsieur Duval: Michaël Denard
Prudence Duvernoy: Dorothée Gilbert
Manon Lescaut: Delphine Moussin
Des Grieux: José Martinez
Olympia: Eve Grinsztajn
Gaston Rieux: Karl Paquette
Le Duc: Laurent Novis
Nanine: Béatrice Martel
Le Comte de N.: Simon Valastro

The Paris Opera Ballet
Orchestra of The Opera national de Paris
Conductor: Michael Schmidtsdorff
Stage Director: John Neumeier

Recorded live at the Palais Garnier, Paris, on 2nd, 5th and 8th July 2008.

Plus
Illustrated synopsis.
Cast gallery.
Flashback to the Lady of camellias.

Reviews
‘John Neumeier has created a ballet in which emotions go crescendo … Agnes Letestu, the great dramatic heroine, triumphs in this ballet danced to music by Chopin.’ Figaro

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Chopin: La Dame Aux Camelias / Schmidtsdorff, Paris Opera Ballet [Blu-ray]
Opus Arte Jun 2009
Blu-Ray
$52.99

Schreker: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

CPO

$18.99 Feb 14, 2025

Following the first volume in this series, which charted Franz Schreker's developmental path up to the success of his dance-pantomime Der Geburtstag der Infantin (The Birthday of the Infanta; 777 702-2), this second album focuses primarily on the triumphant years that followed the premiere of his opera Der ferne Klang (The Distant Sound) in 1912. The Vorspiel zu einem Drama (Prelude to a Drama) from 1914 and the Chamber Symphony, composed in 1916, are among the gems of musical Jugendstil (Art Nouveau). Originating as offshoots of contemporary stage projects, these two captivating works display a mastery of sound, harmony, and melody that was unparalleled at the time. The Four Small Pieces for Large Orchestra (1931), which separate these older "siblings" on this recording, speak in a new language. These abstract contributions to film music, presented as a compact and multifaceted concert suite, hint at powerful new directions - plans that, sadly, Franz Schreker could never fully realize.

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Schreker: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 2
CPO Feb 2025
CD
$18.99

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Rachmaninov: Piano Transcriptions And Arrangements / Biret
Naxos Apr 1998
CD
~~$19.99~~ $13.99

Martinu: Juliette (3 Fragments) / Kozena, Davislim, Mackerras, Czech PO

Supraphon

$56.99 May 29, 2009

Live recording from the work’s world premieres on 11 and 12 December 2008.

This is not the first case of a premiere performance of a work by Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) decades after his death. On 11 December 2008 the sold-out Rudolfinum in Prague heard for the first time a work which ranks among Martinu’s most significant and which the composer himself highly esteemed. Martinu originally composed the opera Juliette in Czech. However, so as to ensure appropriate publicity for the work, he wanted – already armed with a French libretto – to place extracts from the most relevant scenes on French radio. Yet Three Fragments from the Opera Juliette (The Key to Dreams) was not broadcast on the radio and had to wait some 70 years for its first performance. This was entrusted to the safe hands of that most competent of conductors Sir Charles Mackerras, who has devoted a great part of his life to discovering Czech music and promoting it on world stages. Thanks to Martinu’s dreamily beautiful music and the remarkable engagement of all the interpreters, the conductor’s December leave-taking of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra was transformed into a joint triumph. After experiencing Magdalena Kožená in the role of Juliette, it is hard to imagine another star singer in her place. The Australian tenor Steve Davislim, who performed in the role of Michel, was a splendid partner to Magdalena Kožená in the lyrical and dramatic position. On this CD, Three Fragments is supplemented by the orchestral suite from the same opera, which sensitively treats the music of all three Acts and corresponds with the “dreamy logic” of the original.

REVIEWS

"I don’t think I’ve ever heard a performance of any part of this score that captures its sheer beauty and fantasy so well." -- International Record Review, June 2009

"Mackerras directs a wonderful performance and while Kožená sings the title-role beautifully she is in excellent company. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra play superbly throughout, not least in the sensible coupling of Zbyn?k Vost?ák’s expert arrangement of three of Julietta’s orchestral episodes. I cannot recommend this scintillating disc highly enough."-- Gramophone, June 2009

"Magdalena Kožená is magnificent as the volatile Julietta and is excellently matched by Steve Davislim’s Michel. Davislim is also terrific in the opera’s almost unbearably poignant finale. Along with three orchestral excerpts, including the opera’s prelude, these fragments provide a fitting tribute to Mackerras’s profound understanding of Martin?’s musical character." -- BBC Music Magazine, June 2009

"The sure hand of Charles Mackerras, a master of exceptionally high calling, succeeds in drawing out all the wealth of the score, letting the music shine with its most beautiful colors as he wields a world-class ensemble, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The bright, at times seemingly transparent mezzosoprano of Magdalena Kožená proves to be ideal for the role of Julietta, a girl losing her memory, a being from another world, sensuous and yet ungraspable. Davislim proves to be an ideal partner for her."-- Das Opernglas, June 2009

"Sir Charles Mackerras can scarcely be equalled for the way he lives this music, for the way it breathes and blooms under his direction. Thanks to the crystal-clear luminosity of the Czech Philharmonic’s finely detailed sound and the extraordinarily sensitive performances of world-class singers Magdalena Kožená and Steve Davislim, Mackerras has succeeded in fully revealing the suggestive quality of the music, carrying listeners away to a world of dreamlike surrealism. In the hands of Mackerras, a Martin? expert, the score becomes a magical tome." -- Fono Forum, July 2009

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Martinu: Juliette (3 Fragments) / Kozena, Davislim, Mackerras, Czech PO
Supraphon May 2009
CD
$56.99

Catalani: Edmea / Frusoni, Noto, Chingari, Bernart

Bongiovanni

$18.99 Feb 02, 2018

Edmea (1886) is Catalani’s third theatrical opera. After the success of Dejanice (1883), Catalani started to look for a new libretto. Unable to convince Boito, attracted into Verdi’s orbit, he made do with Antonio Ghislanzoni, who had been resting for at least fifteen years on the laurels from the triumph of Aida. The poet gave the maestro the ready-made libretto of Edmea, which had bene written already for Salvatore Auteri Mazocchi and not set to the music. The libretto, drawn from a drama by Alexandre Dumas Jr., The Danicheff, is an unlikely story conceived in function of a prima donna in a state of lunacy, according to an operatic tradition revived in those years by Thomas heroine of Ophelia in Hamlet. Edmea is undoubtedly an attempt of the musician to please his audience with a relatively easy listening product, with emphasizing the vocal score, pushing it toward the extreme notes; in particular the tenor’s part is not only sharp but also kept more than due in the theatrical zone of the register passage. The main interest of the opera is in the orchestra, often splendidly used with very subtle sensibility for aims that exceed by far a mere elaborated support to singing. The orchestra language is always careful, present, alive and consistent, elegant and varied with languors and succen excitements. The musician from Lucca show his unmistakable expressive signature and succeeds to make himself unforgettable.

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Catalani: Edmea / Frusoni, Noto, Chingari, Bernart
Bongiovanni Feb 2018
CD
$18.99

EASTER SUITE
ARTHAUS MUSIK May 2025
Blu-Ray
$33.49

Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection"

Halle

$27.99 Nov 07, 2025

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

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Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, "Resurrection"
Halle Nov 2025
CD
$27.99

Mix & Match

Kabalevsky: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2 / Bang, Et Al

Naxos

$19.99 Mar 21, 2006

Dimitri Kabalevsky's First Piano Concerto owes a heck of a lot to Prokofiev's Second--so much so that at times you might think you are listening to that work. But Prokofiev is more formally imaginative, edgier, and more melodically distinctive, and that explains why this Kabalevsky work isn't well known. Every movement goes on a couple of minutes longer than it should--but that said, it's still very listenable and often quite appealing. Pianist In-Ju Bang certainly can't be faulted for any lack of color or character; she brings plenty of freshness and no lack of virtuosity to the part. But this is perhaps better appreciated in the shorter and more distinctive Second Piano Concerto. Here, Bang is at least as interesting as Kathryn Stott on Chandos (though the latter has the more interesting couplings and slightly better sonics). Dmitry Yablonsky and his sometimes hit-or-miss band are in very good form here, in music for which they have a clear affinity. Okay, the music may not be uniformly great, but it's very enjoyable, and so are the performances.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

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Kabalevsky: Piano Concertos No 1 & 2 / Bang, Et Al
Naxos Mar 2006
CD
$19.99

Van Bree: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 / Utretch String Quartet

MDG

$23.99 Jan 26, 2024

Dutch early Romantic composer Johannes Bernardus van Bree’s elegant melodies and carefully dosed counterpoint technique give his string quartets a simple yet charming originality. In the words of a contemporary, his works are characterised “by simplicity and naturalness… by polish, clarity and freshness, a certain popularity, without triviality”.

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Van Bree: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2 / Utretch String Quartet
MDG Jan 2024
CD
$23.99

French Impressions

Cedille

$19.99 Sep 05, 2025

Acclaimed concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine, sought-after pianist Orion Weiss, and the multiple Grammy Award-winning Pacifica Quartet join forces for their new album French Impressions: Chamber Music by Chausson & Tailleferre, celebrating transformational works by French composers Ernest Chausson and Germaine Tailleferre, whose chamber music deserves greater attention on recordings. Chausson's Op. 21 sextet, titled Concert, known for it's unusual orchestration of solo violin, string quartet, and piano, takes advantage of the quasi-orchestral capabilities of a chamber ensemble. The only work on the album featuring Rachel Barton Pine, Pacifica Quartet, and Orion Weiss as a collective, Concert is regarded as one of the most important French chamber music works of the late-19th-century fin-de-siecle era. Germaine Tailleferre was a prolific composer and the only female member of the group of celebrated 20th-century French composers known as Les Six. Tailleferre was a piano prodigy who enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire at age 12, defying her father's objections. Her compositions span symphonic, chamber, and film music. A winner of numerous premiere prix, she studied with revered composers including Maurice Ravel, whose work significantly influenced her versatile style. Violinist Rachel Barton Pine showcases her "astonishing and joyful" (Washington Post) artistry, alongside the "powerful technique and exceptional insight" (Washington Post) of pianist Orion Weiss for Tailleferre's Violin Sonata No. 2, Pastorale, and Berceuse for Violin and Piano - works that often express a nostalgic longing for home and display dynamic and adventurous interplay between the violin and piano. The Pacifica Quartet, known for it's "remarkable expressive range and tonal beauty" (New York Times), is featured on Tailleferre's String Quartet, a piece acclaimed for it's playful themes, fluid accompanimental figuration, and bold harmonies.

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French Impressions
Cedille Sep 2025
CD
$19.99

Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works, Vol. 2/ Flamme

CPO

SACD

$36.99 Nov 19, 2021

The logical continuation of the series “Organ Works of the North German Baroque,” recorded by Friedhelm Flamme, is the works of Dietrich Buxtehude, the most important master of North German organ music. In order to underscore the features of his personal style of interpretation, which is the result of decades of study of virtually the entire repertoire of North German music, the incredible and mostly intact original Treutmann organ in the Grauhof monastery near Goslar was selected. This organ can produce Buxtehude’s innovative, visionary sound artistry in a very different way than the well-known Schnitger organs in North Germany. Each album is set up as an exciting concert program which shows the diversity of Buxtehude’s compositions – free-form and chorale-based works, works for manuals only or with virtuosic pedal playing, and whose styles vary from lighter canzonettas, weighty basso ostinato forms to strict movements in “erudite counterpoint.” This recording also shows some of the infinite timbral possibilities of the Treutmann organ, both in their variety but also the tension felt in the different tonalities. Vol. II thus continues this series of recordings with representative works of the greatest masters of organ music before Johann Sebastian Bach as well as his contemporaries. The Treutmann organ, thanks to its tuning, also allows for a faithful stylistic rendering of pieces in distant tonalities, which would be impossible on instruments with mean tone tuning.

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Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works, Vol. 2/ Flamme
CPO Nov 2021
SACD
$36.99

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Beethoven, L. van: Piano Trios Nos. 2 and 7, "Archduke"
Analekta Oct 2009
CD
~~$20.99~~ $15.99

Williamson: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 / Gamba, Iceland Symphony
Chandos Feb 2007
CD
$21.99

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto Nos. 2 & 3 / Simon, Slatkin, Saint Louis Symphony

Vox

$19.99 Mar 24, 2023

Learn more about Elite Recordings and the revival of their VOX Classics albums on the Naxos Classical Spotlight Podcast!

Sergey Rachmaninoff's concertos for piano and orchestra continue to be his most successful compositions together with his second symphony. The piano concerto No. 3 belongs to the most demanding repertoire ever written for this genre. The composer himself cited it as his favorite. Abbey Simon was a pianist in the great Romantic tradition. His repertoire centered on Chopin, Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Ravel, and he had a virtuoso technique which he employed with effortless ease coupled with a smooth, clear sound. Internationally acclaimed conductor Leonard Slatkin has received not less than six GRAMMY-Awards and numerous other prizes and has conducted virtually all the leading orchestras in the world. The recordings of American orchestras produced for VOX by the legendary, GRAMMY-Award winning Elite Recordings team of Marc Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz are considered by audiophiles to be among the very finest sounding orchestral recordings ever made.

REVIEW:

Pianist Abbey Simon who came onto the scene in the 1940s quickly established a reputation as one of the best musicians at the time. His interpretations of these two warhorses of the repertoire are refined, clear headed and devoid of any exaggerated mannerisms or hyperbole so common these days. Nonetheless, they prove highly sensitive to the emotive aspects of the music. There have been so many recordings of this music in the interim 45 years or so since then, that new pianists feel the need to impose their own personal stamp on the music in order to stand out from the crowd, to the detriment of the music itself.

-- Classical Music Sentinel (Jean-Yves Duperron)

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Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto Nos. 2 & 3 / Simon, Slatkin, Saint Louis Symphony
Vox Mar 2023
CD
$19.99