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From Liszt to Ligeti / Darvarova, Weaver

Affetto Records

$18.99 Mar 22, 2024

A spectacular tribute to Hungarian-born composers, from the brilliant, award-winning performers — Grammy-nominated violinist ELMIRA DARVAROVA (first and only woman-concertmaster of The Metropolitan Opera) and pianist THOMAS WEAVER (professor at Curtis Institute of Music), the album “FROM LISZT TO LIGETI” brings an exceptionally vivid narrative linking historic milestones in the legacies of a number of superb Hungarian-born musicians — composers and performers, who have so enormously contributed to enriching the world’s cultural treasure-trove.

Liszt, Joachim, Bartók, Kodály, Hubay, Goldmark, Ligeti — they have all bequeathed us masterpieces to behold and cherish, throughout several centuries of showcasing, shaping, preserving, and amalgamating national traditions and global influences through the prism of their own personal creative gifts.

This album is a charismatically kaleidoscopic retrospective that traces the historic perspective of how uniquely innovative artists such as Bartók and Kodály built the cornerstones of their oeuvre by exploring, embracing, critically analyzing, and then reshaping Liszt’s ideals. It also explores how Ligeti followed on the heels of Bartók and Kodály with his own ethnomusicological research, creating, still in his student days, a little-known Duo that he kept editing and crystallizing throughout his life and various periods of transforming and modernizing, but then later returning to conventionally established expressive means. Additionally, it delves into how Joachim — as a muse to numerous music giants, such as Brahms, Liszt, Dvorák, Bruch, Robert and Clara Schumann — influenced and caused cataclysmic events without which the history of music would not have been the same.

In addition to the best-known Hungarian-born composers Liszt, Bartók, Kodály, and Ligeti, the inclusion of Joachim in this album as a co-author (not just dedicatee) of Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12” (in its version for violin and piano) makes sense historically not only because Joachim in his transcription radically transformed Liszt’s composition but also because Joachim famously contributed to the creation of numerous gems by some of the greatest-ever composers, such as the violin concertos by Dvorák and Bruch (who published these works after Joachim helped in creating them) and Brahms’ First Piano Concerto (bearing Joachim’s handwritten corrections which elicited “thank-you” letters from Brahms, during the 4 years Brahms took to write that concerto).

The inclusion in this album of the Hungarian-born composers Hubay and Goldmark is also well-justified, bringing up yet other interesting dimensions to the album’s narrative. The album’s deeply-considered collection explores the affecting lyrical gift of Goldmark, who, as the largely self-taught son of a synagogue cantor, followed his ingrained melodic instincts from growing up without riches among 20 siblings, to becoming Vienna’s leading composer (after the deaths of Brahms and Bruckner), teaching Sibelius, and writing a mind-blowing violin concerto, a symphony championed by Sir Thomas Beecham and by Leonard Bernstein, and several operas, one of which was produced at The Metropolitan Opera in 1885, and three of which were presented in Vienna during Mahler’s leadership of the Court Theatre.

Hubay’s unparalleled contribution as a historical “cross-roads” figure is also well-defined in this album, not only because of who he was — the son of an elite musician (who conducted the Budapest premiere of Wagner’s “Lohengrin”), a student of Joachim, a department head at Brussels’ Royal Conservatory (succeeding Vieuxtemps and Wieniawski), a chamber music partner of Liszt and of Brahms (performing with Brahms the world-premiere of Brahms’ D Minor Violin Sonata, and the world-premiere of Brahms’ Third Piano Trio), composer of numerous concertos, symphonies, and operas (one of which was embroiled in a scandal reported 100 years ago by The New York Times), and the teacher of many illustrious star-violinists who became muses to Bartók, Kodály, Ravel, Holst, Vaughan Williams, Rebecca Clarke (among these violin prodigies were Bartók’s girlfriend Stefi Geyer, Eugene Ormandy of The Philadelphia Orchestra fame, and Joachim’s great-nieces Jelly d’Arányi and Adila Fachiri, who not only inspired Bartók and many others but also spear-headed the search for Schumann’s long-suppressed violin concerto, “cancelled” and hidden by its dedicatee — their great-uncle Joachim).

The choice of Hubay’s well-known czardas “Hejre Kati” for inclusion in this album reflects the evolution and role of that genre in the history of Hungarian musical traditions — from the early roots of czardas stemming from verbunkos (used even by Haydn), to its controversial misappropriation by dilettante performers whose inflectional performing style was confused and misinterpreted by Liszt as original Hungarian folk melodies, to more tasteful artistically expressed concert-stage compositions (like Hubay’s “Hejre Kati”), to the eventual dethroning and demythologizing of the czardas by Bartók and Kodály, who discovered, revealed, and incorporated the true authenticity of their home country’s original folk music.

The album selections follow Bartók’s evolving from the student-composer of a traditionally-profiled, Romantically-influenced Andante and the mature creator of “15 Hungarian Peasant Songs” and “Rhapsody for Violin and Piano No.1” (embodying his scientific and artistic mission to reveal the exquisitely-uncontroverted authentic beauty of ancient folk melodies) to the transfigured innovator who elevated and transformed old rustic traditions, fusing them into new and progressive forms and rhythms, reaching out to impressionism and jazz (as depicted in Bartók’s “Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm No. 6”), and paving the way for Ligeti’s experimentalism, which, through multiple “back and forth” constructing and de-constructing, reflected Ligeti’s never-ending search for artistic inspiration (this album presents the, recorded here only for the second time, recently-discovered Duo for Violin and Piano, which Ligeti never submitted for publication but continued returning to, and working on).

The unusually meticulous album notes cover the multi-dimensional, serendipitous, and cross-pollinating nature of essential events and legacies, which endure and continue to fascinate us.

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From Liszt to Ligeti / Darvarova, Weaver
Affetto Records Mar 2024
CD
$18.99

Made in Germany

Divine Art

$18.99 Aug 07, 2026

Divine Art is delighted to present Made in Germany, from Texas-based Olmos Ensemble, the first in an exciting series of albums catalogued by country, presenting rarely performed and unrecorded works for mixed chamber instrumentation. Originally formed by the principal players of the San Antonio Symphony, Olmos Ensemble has established itself as one of the premier chamber music organizations in Texas, and features leading musicians from across the United States. Made in Germany will be released as they open their 32nd Season. Each album in the series will feature a works of varied instrumentation, creating a unique collection of recorded chamber repertoire that only an ensemble like Olmos - through their remarkable access to top musicians around the United States - could bring together. The Ensemble's concert programming has won great acclaim for it's focus on showcasing neglected works by female composers, and Olmos is thrilled to bring this to their recordings as well, with each album in the series featuring works by women composers, including many premieres. Made in Germany features three composers of German origin: Richard Strauss, Rudolf Tillmetz, and Ruth Schonthal. The album includes the first recording of Laszlo Varga's highly regarded arrangement of Strauss' Don Quixote for six instruments: clarinet, French horn, violin, viola, cello and piano, which includes every core member of Olmos Ensemble apart from flute. As the original primary voices in the larger orchestrated work (all but piano), these six instruments work wonderfully together in recreating the thrilling tale of Don Quixote. Also included is the first professional recording of Rudolf Tillmetz's only chamber work, the Nocturne for Flute, Horn, and Piano, Op. 31. One of the few Romantic-era trios for this unusual instrumentation, the piece reflects the salon music tradition of late 19th-century Germany, emphasizing lyrical writing and equal interplay between instruments, and although not widely known is a valuable work in the horn and flute chamber music repertoire. German-born Jewish composer, Ruth Schonthal fled Nazi persecution early in her life, first moving to Mexico and later America to study with Paul Hindemith. Completing the album is a rare recording of her late-career Theme and Variations for Solo Flute, which distills her lifelong commitment to melodic expressiveness and emotional narrative into a unique work for solo flute. Future albums in this series will focus on the Czech Republic, America, Italy and Austria. 'We are excited to record music that has never before been paired together on an album and present to the classical music loving public a unique set of all-encompassing recordings that will range from solo works through nonets and possibly larger. With the group consisting of people living in entirely different parts of the US, Olmos Ensemble is unique in it's ability to maintain 31 (and soon 32) seasons of existence, all while presenting lesser known works in addition to insightful interpretations of the great standards.' Members of Olmos Ensemble on this recording are: Artistic Director Mark Teplitsky, Assistant Principal Flute of the Naples Philharmonic, previously second flute at Houston Symphony; violinist Eric Gratz, a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, and Artistic Director of the American Chamber Music Society in Chicago; Ilya Shterenberg, Acting Principal Clarinet of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (Canada), and Principal Clarinet of several orchestras across the US; cellist Julian Schwarz, first prize winner at the inaugural Schoenfeld International Competition 2013 and a founding member of the Frisson Ensemble; Jeff Garza, principal horn of the Oregon Symphony and the Bellingham Festival of Music; violist Colin Brookes, a founding member of the award-winning Ulysses Quartet, and award-winning soloist; soloist and chamber musician Elizabeth Dorman (piano), a regular guest Keyboard at the San Francisco Symphony, and faculty member of the San Fransisco Conservatory of Music.

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Made in Germany
Divine Art Aug 2026
CD
$18.99

Mix & Match

Richard Strauss: A Hero's Life

OUR Recordings

$21.99 Feb 06, 2026

The "Tondichtung", or tone poem, was a popular European genre from the mid-19th to early 20th century. German composer Richard Strauss excelled in this form, producing ten works. A tone poem is a single-movement orchestral piece meant to evoke moods, stories, or scenes without following a strict narrative. Strauss's Don Juan, Op. 20 (1888), was inspired by Nikolaus Lenau's poetic take on the Don Juan legend, portraying him as a man seeking the perfect woman and ultimately succumbing to despair. Strauss's orchestral work mirrors this, opening with energetic themes of Don Juan's adventures, featuring lyrical passages for his loves, and concluding with dark chords symbolizing his demise. In 1898, Strauss composed Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), a six-section tone poem inspired by Beethoven's Eroica, reflecting his own life and career. Themes depict the hero, his adversaries, companion, battles, peace, and eventual retirement. Critics debated Strauss's self-portrait as arrogant or humorous, but the work remains a testament to artistic struggle and triumph. Austrian conductor Hans Graf, Chief Conductor and Quantedge Music Director of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) since 2020, is known for his curiosity, creative programming, and commanding presence. An acclaimed guest conductor worldwide, he has won multiple awards including the Österreichischer Musiktheaterpreis and recorded works by Mozart, Stravinsky, and Berg. Founded in 1979, the SSO is Singapore's flagship orchestra, performing year-round and achieving global recognition, including rankings by Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine. Under Graf, the orchestra has released over 50 recordings and revived rare works by composers like Kozlowski, Klenau and Ogerman. The SSO forms part of the Singapore Symphony Group, which also encompasses choruses, youth orchestras, and major music festivals.

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Richard Strauss: A Hero's Life
OUR Recordings Feb 2026
CD
$21.99

Mix & Match

Idil Biret Beethoven Edition: 32 Piano Sonatas

Idil Biret Archive

$74.99 Oct 25, 2011

Biret grasps the size of Beethoven' style. The polyphony is laid out in a relaxed way with little indulgence in point making. She keeps the big line and yet is thankfully sparing in her use of fortissimos. The piano tone is sumptuous. Biret' gentle. 747313126675 NXS8571266.2 14938696 .00 14.99 .21 NAXOS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 03/30/2010 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/6/5/5/6/1626556.jpg 1 1 N SOKOLOVIC / DEROME / PRYNN / D'ERRICO TRIO FIBONACCI: 5X3 773811157101 CCD15710.2 14925801 .00 18.99 .21 CENTREDISCS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 03/30/2010 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/6/9/5/6/1626596.jpg 3 1 N HALVORSEN / THORSEN / BERGEN PHIL ORCH / JARVI ORCHESTRAL WORKS 1 095115158425 CHN10584.2 14925689 .00 21.99 .25 CHANDOS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 03/30/2010 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/6/2/6/6/1626626.jpg 0 1 N HANDEL / SIXTEEN / CHRISTOPHERS CORONATION ANTHEMS 828021606625 CORO16066.2 14258510 .00 20.99 .22 CORO COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 02/10/2009 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/0/5/7/1/1471750.jpg 13 1 N LEHAR / KENNY / SKOVHUS / TURAY / KIRCHSCHLAGER MERRY WIDOW Yvonne Kenny, Bo Skovhus, Angelika Kirchschlager, and Gregory Turay star in this San Francisco Opera production of the Lehar operetta conducted by Erich Kunzel. 809478070559 BOPU7055BR 14939044 .00 39.99 .25 BBC / OPUS ARTE BLU-RAY CLASSICAL OPERA / OPERETTA / ORATORIO 03/30/2010 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/4/6/6/6/1626664.jpg 4 1 N HAYDN / VIENNA PHILHARMONIC / BOULEZ / MEHTA HAYDN SYMPHONIES 812864010930 VNPR2009.2 14936722 .00 44.99 .20 VIENNA PHILHARMONIC COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 03/30/2010 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/5/6/6/6/1626665.jpg 0 3 N WALTERS / FOULKES / PRYCE / SUMMERHAYES / EIMER SONG OF THE HEART 5060113440907 TCCT90.2 14173172 .00 20.99 .23 TOCCATA COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 01/13/2009 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/1/3/1/3/1463131.jpg 22 1 N BERNIER / GETCHELL / MECHALY / COHEN-AKENINE NUITS DE SCEAUX 3760014190582 ALPP58.2 10537152 .00 20.99 .23 ALPHA PRODUCTIONS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 02/08/2005 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/2/4/1/3/1463142.jpg 271 1 N DEBUSSY / SWR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / CAMBRELING BALLETS RUSSES 3 4010276020608 HAC93223.2 14173080 .00 20.99 .23 SWRMUSIC COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 01/13/2009 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/2/5/1/3/1463152.jpg 56 1 N ENSEMBLE ALLEGOIRE L'ARBRE DE MAI: SONGS & DANCES OF THE 15TH CENTURY 3760014190544 ALPP54.2 10143025 .00 20.99 .22 ALPHA PRODUCTIONS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL EARLY MUSIC / CHANT 07/20/2004 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/83/1394283.jpg 35 1 N DEVIENNE / PARE / LUSSIER / LOISELLE SONATES OP. 24 POUR BASSON 722056258425 ATAS2584.2 14256172 .00 15.99 .22 ATMA CLASSIQUE COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 01/27/2009 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/0/5/3/3/1463350.jpg 0 1 N FORTSCH / CAPELLA DUCALE / MUSICA FIATA / WILSON SACRED CONCERTOS 761203736928 CPO777369-2.2 14256714 .00 18.99 .22 CPO RECORDS COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 02/10/2009 10/29/2019 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/b/500/6/5/3/3/1463356.jpg 1 1 N AVISON / AVISON ENSEMBLE CONCERTI GROSSI Following the enormous success of the Avison Ensemble's John Garth CD (dda25059) and the Avison/Geminiani Concerti (dda21210) we are delighted to present another premiere recording of the finest baroque music. Even before official release, chosen by Classic FM as it's disc of the week, this 2 CD set (at the price of 1 CD) is the first complete recording of these concerti. The Avison Ensemble is led by Pavlo Beznosiuk. This set is another step towards the complete Avison Edition due to be completed by the end of 2009. 809730121128 DVRT21211.2 14155918 .00 27.99 .24 DIVINE ART COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 12/09/2008 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/2/9/7/8/1448792.jpg 0 2 N BERG / ROGALAND CHAMBER CHOIR / OSKAMP FANTASIA BREVE / CANTUS / CLARINET CONCERTO 7025560492228 AUO4922.2 15524171 .00 20.99 .26 AURORA COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 01/10/1992 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/c/500/7/1/6/9/1849617.jpg 0 1 N MOZART / PECKOVA / BELOHLAVEK ARIAS 099925221720 SPP112217.2 04990758 .00 21.99 .24 SUPRAPHON COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL OPERA / OPERETTA / ORATORIO 04/18/1995 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/c/500/7/3/0/4/1784037.jpg 5 N WUORINEN / FINES ARTS QUARTET MUSIC OF 2 DECADES VOLUME 3 017685993220 MUA932.2 03512234 .00 19.99 .24 MUSIC & ARTS PROGRAM COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL CHAMBER MUSIC & RECITALS 08/20/1996 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/2/6/8/2/3892862.jpg 1 1 N RAUTAVAARA / STOLTZMAN / HPHO / ASHKENAZY APOTHEOSIS: BEST OF EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA 761195108123 OND1081.2 16094079 .00 13.99 .21 ONDINE COMPACT DISCS CLASSICAL ORCHESTRAL & SYMPHONIC 10/25/2011 https://mediacdn.aent-m.com/prod-img/500/44/1663844.jpg 0 1 N COOTS / GANNON / US COAST GUARD BAND JAZZ TRIO BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE 754422634229 ALTS63422.2 16075122 .00 18.99 .20 ALTISSIMO RECORDS COMPACT DISCS POP CHRISTMAS / CHANUKKAH 10/25/2011 https://media.aent-m.com/graphics/items/sdimages/a/500/3/4/5/0/1900543.jpg 51 1 N BEETHOVEN / BIRET COMPLETE PNO Love of Beethoven' works threads through Biret' life like a red ribbon. Her studio recordings and live concerts show this in an unequivocal language... Next to the Piano Concertos, the Triple Concerto and the Choral Fantasy she has also recorded and perfo.

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Idil Biret Beethoven Edition: 32 Piano Sonatas
Idil Biret Archive Oct 2011
CD
$74.99

A Musical Journey: Italy & Austria - Brixen, Innsbruck

Naxos AudioVisual

DVD

$13.99 Oct 26, 2010

ITALY • AUSTRIA

The Places

The tour starts at the great Augustinian foundation, Kloster Neustift (Novacella), at Brixen (Bressanone) in Southern Tyrol, with its rococo church interior and collection of late medieval paintings. This is followed by a visit to Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol, with its famous Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) and rococo Wilten Basilica and Collegiate Church.

The Music

The music chosen for this tour of Brixen and Innsbruck is by Mozart and includes two symphonies, with other works. Symphony No. 40 is the second of the group of three final symphonies, written in Vienna in 1787, and Symphony No. 28 was written in Salzburg in 1773 or 1774. Other works included are overtures to the early opera Il rè pastore, to The Abduction from the Seraglio, Mozart’s first operatic success in Vienna, and the overture to La clemenza di Tito, written in 1791, a few months before his death.

Picture format: NTSC 4:3
Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Running time: 58 mins
No. of DVDs: 1

R E V I E W:

I guess these Musical Journeys serve several purposes. A far as Naxos is concerned they recycle sound recordings for those who prefer a visual image to make a change from the wallpaper. The images are often quite stunning, whilst the music, never less than appealing, can be appropriate to the image or otherwise; a fact I touch on in this review. Other functions can be to remind the inveterate tourist of places visited, or of places to go as part of a future itinerary.

A word first about the Tyrol. In the days of Mozart, whose music is the backing to these scenes, it was part of the Hapsburg Empire of which the composer was a citizen. Italy was not even a nation, rather a collection of states, some with rulers with a connection with the Hapsburgs whilst others were influenced by, or later under, French control. In that generic sense Italy was a country Mozart visited in his childhood as his father hawked his genius round Europe. I detail this in my survey of The Complete Operas of Mozart. It can be considered, therefore, wholly appropriate that his music is the backing to this collection of views of the Tyrol the southern part of which became ceded to Italy in the treaties of 1919 in the aftermath of the First World War, Italy having joined in on the allies side, albeit a little late in the day.

Brixen lies in that ceded part of the Tyrol and contains the magnificent Neustift Monastery - the focus of the first part of this collection (Chs. 1-4). The external beauty includes the ornamental ceilings of the Cloisters, the Romanesque Bell Tower dating from the twelfth century whilst other parts are Gothic (Ch.1). The Molto allegro movement of Mozart’s 40 ^th symphony, one of a group of three composed in Vienna as he sought work, is an appropriate accompaniment. However, it is the magnificent interior of the Neustift Monastery that is the highlight of this Musical Journey where an equally appropriate accompaniment is the Molto allegro of the same symphony. The camera wanders around the magnificently painted and ornamented ceilings. These scenes are quite fantastic and overwhelmingly lovely. If one has never visited them I suspect this will stimulate thoughts of rectifying that state of affairs. Meanwhile the camera and Mozart’s music allow the observer to luxuriate in such beauty (Ch.2). The camera moves on (Ch.3 ) to show a different perspective with late medieval paintings of the life and death of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Barbara. These include a vivid representation of the Passion of Christ. Thus vivid scenes contrast with the interior as does the Minuetto of the symphony. The final part of the visit takes in the library and its Rococo ornamentation. The fastish Allegro is less appropriate as the camera has to eke out time for the music to finish with some repetitive scenes as the camera runs somewhat out of content.

The second part of this Musical Journey focuses on the Austrian town of Innsbruck, capital of the Tyrol. The views of the town and its hilly setting is impressive with the river Inn running through it. It was the Hapsburg seat and was rebuilt by the formidable Empress Maria Theresa in the eighteenth century. She had a less than benign view of Mozart; even so the allegro spiritoso of Wolfgang’s earlier 28 ^th symphony provides an apt background (Ch.5). In the town of Innsbruck the photographs of Helbling House, dated 1560, which is dominated by elaborate and extensive Rococo ornaments added around 1730 were rather too fancy for my taste (Ch.6). The visit to the rooftops of Innsbruck with the copper roof of the church, turned green, is less than interesting whilst the façade of the Golden Dachl originally built by Duke Friedrich in about 1420 as his own residence is more impressive (Ch.7).

The remaining views of Innsbruck are less than captivating and stretch time with a visit to the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo (Ch.9) with the music now finding vitality in Mozart’s overture to his early opera seria Il re pastore composed for a visit to Salzburg by the Archduke Maximilian, youngest son of the Empress Maria Theresa. The story of love and duty, with overtones of avuncular behaviour by royalty being considered entirely appropriate for the occasion albeit the family never did Mozart any favours. However the music finds an appropriate venue among some captivating water animals.

The concluding visits are to Wilten Collegiate Church (Ch.10) and Wilten Basilica (Ch.11); both stretched by the timings of the overtures to the singspiel The Abduction from the Seraglio and Mozart’s final opera La Clemenza di Tito respectively. By this time I was tiring of churches and their exterior decorations and would have much preferred a closer look at the impressive mountains that surround Innsbruck.

The included leaflet is adequately informative whilst Mozart’s music and the playing of the Capella Istropolitana under Barry Wordsworth was a consistent delight.

-- Robert J Farr, MusicWeb International

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A Musical Journey: Italy & Austria - Brixen, Innsbruck
Naxos AudioVisual Oct 2010
DVD
$13.99

Ponchielli & Ghislanzoni: I Lituani

Accentus Music

$47.99 Feb 21, 2025

In 2020, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and the Kaunas State Choir, under the direction of Modestas Pitrenas, came together at the National Philharmonic Hall in Vilnius for a remarkable recording of Amilcare Ponchielli's opera I Lituani. This project marks the first professional recording of this work, highlighting Ponchielli's significant contribution to 19th-century Italian opera and connecting deeply with Lithuanian heritage. Drawing inspiration from Adam Mickiewicz's poem Konrad Wallenrod, the opera tells the story of medieval Lithuania's resistance against the Teutonic Knights, exploring themes of freedom, national identity, and sacrifice. Ponchielli's rich orchestration and Ghislanzoni's powerful libretto create a dramatic musical experience that has now been captured with vibrant vocal performances and exquisite orchestration in this new recording. I Lituani, which premiered at La Scala in 1874, has long been recognized for it's beautiful melodies and emotional depth. This recording revives a significant yet often overlooked masterpiece of Italian opera, offering a fresh perspective on Ponchielli's profound musical and dramatic vision. Recorded at Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society Vilnius, September 2020

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Ponchielli & Ghislanzoni: I Lituani
Accentus Music Feb 2025
CD
$47.99

Kirill Petrenko conducts Josef Suk (3CD+1BD)

Berlin Philharmoniker

$36.99 Oct 16, 2026

While the name Josef Suk may not be familiar to all classical music fans, Kirill Petrenko's interest in the Czech composer dates back to his student days. Together with the Berliner Philharmoniker, he has recorded three of Suk's key and particularly expressive works on CD/Blu-ray. Josef Suk, born in 1874, lost his young wife as well as his teacher and friend Antonin Dvorak within the space of a few years. The Asrael Symphony was composed immediately following this double loss; the symphonic poems A Summer's Tale and The Ripening recount the struggle with the shadows of the past and, ultimately, how he overcame his suffering. The hardback edition, designed with ultraviolet photographs by the artist Richard Mosse, is an opportunity to get to know Josef Suk on a deeply personal level.

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Kirill Petrenko conducts Josef Suk (3CD+1BD)
Berlin Philharmoniker Oct 2026
CD
$36.99

Widor: Le doux Appel

Affetto Records

$18.99 Jan 17, 2025

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937), one of the most influential French organists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, jokingly referred to himself as the substitute organist of the church of St. Sulpice, Paris, despite his 64-year tenure there. While best known for his ten organ symphonies, Widor composed in a wide variety of sacred and secular genres: chamber music, orchestral works, ballet, operatic music, works for piano, and most importantly for this recording, melodies. In his day, Widor won respect as a composer, organist, professor, and cultural ambassador of France. In 1890 he became Cesar Franck's immediate successor as Professor of Organ at the Paris Conservatoire, and, in 1896, he succeeded Theodore Dubois as Conservatoire Professor of Composition. Widor's students in organ and composition included such distinguished names as Marcel Dupre, Louis Vierne, Charles Tournemire, Darius Milhaud, Albert Schweitzer, and Edgard Varese. Widor composed over 100 songs which have been overshadowed by his immensely popular organ works. His genius with melody, comprehensive piano writing, and discerning poetic text settings distinguish him as a gifted song composer unusually sensitive to the capabilities of the voice. Throughout his extensive career, Widor was concerned with achieving the best possible musical result in his compositions and continually developed, revised, and republished his works. A publishing custom of the time was to group sets of six songs in a single opus number; however, the songs of each of Widor's sets are not necessarily related by poet or theme. The songs were not intended to be presented as a cohesive cycle. With that in mind, the songs in this recording are not presented by chronological opus numbers. Widor's melodies exhibit a wide variety of musical influences, from the works of the German lieder composers to French vocal genres, such as the bergerette and opera lyrique. His songs range from straight-forward strophic settings to intricate through-composed forms. Widor's harmonic language can find beauty in purely diatonic sonorities while others take advantage of the more remote modulations. Elements of Orientalism, popular in his day, color the exotic musical language and mood of several songs. Widor's songs represent his quest for a perfect marriage of music and text. His melodies feature the poetry of such beloved and respected literary figures as Victor Hugo, Theodore de Banville, Rene-Francois Sully-Prudhomme, Paul Bourget, and Pierre-Jules Theophile Gautier. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Widor - thrillingly - was inspired to include poems by women whose work he admired among his song settings. Some of them are contained in this album's offerings. To quote Widor biographer John Near, "We experience very great charm when happy fortune permits us to hear a page of Mr. Widor, harmoniously vying with Victor Hugo, Sully Prudhomme, or Paul Bourget."

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Widor: Le doux Appel
Affetto Records Jan 2025
CD
$18.99

Waltzes By Johann Strauss Arranged By Schoenberg, Berg & Webern / The Philharmonics [blu-ray]

Accentus Music

Blu-Ray

$37.99 Oct 25, 2011

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

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Also available on standard DVD

The Philharmonics:
Tibor Ková? first violin, Shkëlzen Doli second violin, Thilo Fechner viola, Stephan Koncz cello, Ödön Rácz double bass, Daniel Ottensamer clarinet, František Jánoška piano

Guests: Walter Auer flute, Christoph Traxler harmonium

The Philharmonics, the ensemble founded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, fill the Café Sperl with some of the most authentically Viennese sounds imaginable – the Strauss waltzes that Schoenberg, Berg and Webern arranged and performed in May 1921 to raise funds for their pioneering “Society for Private Musical Performances”. This is music the players have in their blood, and they maintain the echt atmosphere with Godowsky’s tribute to the city, “Alt-Wien” and a clutch of Kreisler gems, rounding the programme off with a new piece by the ensemble’s leader Tibor Ková?, based on traditional Jewish melodies and Mahler themes, “Yiddische Mame”.

Recorded live at Café Sperl in Vienna, 9 March 2011

BONUS: How Schoenberg came to arrange waltzes by Strauss

Picture format: 1080i Full-HD
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles (Bonus): English, French
Running time: 64 mins (concert) + 10 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 25)

R E V I E W:

3553350.az_J_STRAUSS_II_Emperor.html

J. STRAUSS II Emperor Waltz. Roses from the South. A Night in Venice: Lagunenwalzer. Wine, Women, and Song. The Gypsy Baron: Treasure Waltz. KREISLER Marche miniature viennoise. Schön Rosmarin. Caprice viennois. KOVÁC Yiddische Mame. GODOWSKY Alt-Wien • The Philharmonics • ACCENTUS ACC 10228 (Blu-ray: 64:20) Live: Vienna 3/9/2011

In 1921, as a fund-raiser for the Society for Private Musical Performances, Schoenberg and his two most famous disciples arranged four Strauss waltzes for piano, harmonium, and string quartet. Four years later, Schoenberg returned to the source, adapting the Emperor Waltz for a similar ensemble, with the harmonium replaced by flute and clarinet. (Richard Burke, in Fanfare 22:4, suggests that it was “supposedly for use as an encore” after Pierrot Lunaire .) I’d love to have been at the first performance of the original four, featuring Berg on harmonium, Schoenberg on second violin, and Webern on cello (not to mention Eduard Steuermann on piano and Rodolf Kolisch on first violin), but removed from that star-studded context, the arrangements don’t hold up especially well. In his review of a recording featuring the Berlin String Quartet and friends (one that, like many forays into this repertoire, left out the low-inspiration Lagunenwalzer ), James H. North insisted that the “awkward arrangements” were “of little interest.” And while Richard Burke found more to admire, I can’t agree with him that the distinctive personalities of the three arrangers can be heard in these workaday adaptations. Certainly, there’s nothing here to match the quirkiness of Webern’s take on the six-voice Ricerar from The Musical Offering —nor the full-throated romanticism surging through Schoenberg’s arrangements of Bach’s organ music or Brahms First Piano Quartet. Nor, despite the Second Vienna School’s supposed affection for the Waltz King, is there anything here as delectable as the fantasies and transcriptions penned by such turn-of-the-century piano virtuosos as Godowsky, Rosenthal, and Rachmaninoff.

Still, as background music, this repertoire has its virtues—and this Blu-ray, featuring The Philharmonics (an ensemble made up of members of the Vienna Philharmonic), treats it precisely in that manner, offering up whipped-cream live performances from Vienna’s Café Sperl, with an audience numbering a dozen or so people, most of whom are more involved in their books, magazines, gossip, and flirtations than in the music. Certainly, this low-key approach makes more sense than the cleaner, more modernist (but also stiffer) manner favored by the members of the Boston Symphony on what is probably the most familiar recording of this material (see 26:2).

The Philharmonics interleave the Strauss waltzes with other popular Viennese confections—as well as first violinist Tibor Ková?’s medley that mixes Mahler with familiar Jewish songs. They’re all played with the same congenial spirit. As for the production: The notes are confusing—especially with respect to responsibility for the Kreisler and Godowsky arrangements; the bonus track, a discussion by Dr. Christian Meyer, director of the Schoenberg Center, is illuminating, but completely disorganized; sound and video are clean, although you’re apt to wonder why you’d want to watch an event that even the original audience wasn’t paying much visual attention to. Still, if you’ve got a Blu-ray player in the right part of your house, this is a fine accompaniment to your Sunday brunch.

FANFARE: Peter J. Rabinowitz

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Waltzes By Johann Strauss Arranged By Schoenberg, Berg & Webern / The Philharmonics [blu-ray]
Accentus Music Oct 2011
Blu-Ray
$37.99

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Signum Classics

$19.99 Jan 01, 2011

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Accentus Music

Blu-Ray

$41.99 Nov 19, 2013

Note: This Blu-ray Disc is playable only on Blu-ray Disc players, and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Recorded live at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, 6, 7 and 9 September 2012

Bonus:
- My Sixth will propound riddles – A panel discussion with Riccardo Chailly and Reinhold Kubik

Picture format: 1080i Full-HD
Sound format: PCM Stereo / DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Subtitles (bonus): German, English, French
Running time: 86 mins (concert) + 18 mins (bonus)
No. of Discs: 1 (BD 25)

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BIS

SACD

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REVIEW:

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ALIA VOX

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