Following his acclaimed recordings of Beethoven's piano sonatas, sonatinas and bagatelles, Ronald Brautigam here presents the first of four discs dedicated to Beethoven's piano variations, composed between 1796 and 1802. These were momentous years during which Beethoven became established as the leading young composer following Haydn and Mozart, but also began to suffer from a loss of hearing which in the summer of 1802 would bring him to a deep personal crisis. The one work here that was composed after this crisis, the 'Eroica variations' Op35, is on a much larger scale than any of his previous variations and Beethoven described them as being in 'a wholly new style'. Highlighting this change in style and illustrating the rapid development of the fortepiano during this period, Brautigam uses two different instruments for this program: the earlier works, left without opus numbers by the composer, are played on an instrument by Paul McNulty after Walter and Sohn c.1805, while the Op 35 set is performed on another by the same maker, after Conrad Graf c.1819.

Twelve Variations on the Russian dance from Das Waldmadchen WoO71
Eight Variations on Une fievre brulante WoO72
Ten Variations on La stessa la stessissima WoO73
Seven Variations on Kind willst du ruhig schlafen WoO75
Eight Variations on Tandeln und Scherzen WoO76
Six Variations on an original theme in G major WoO77
Fifteen Variations and Fugue in E flat major Op35 ('Eroica' Variations)

Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini consists of 24 variations, of which the 18th has become so popular that it is often included separately in compilations of classical favourites. The soloist, Yevgeny Sudbin, has been described in BBC Music Magazine as 'exhilarating, barnstorming, spine-tingling'. The warm reception that the Rhapsody received no doubt spurred Rachmaninov on to the composition of his Third Symphony. The work of a reluctant exile from his native land, its themes have a markedly Russian character. With this disc, Lan Shui and his Singapore Symphony Orchestra follow up on their 2008 recording of the composer’s Symphony No.2, which impressed critics around the world: ‘Lan Shui...propels his marvellous orchestra to musical heights from which the entire panorama of this work can be perceived.'

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Symphony No 3 in A minor Op 44

Late Romantic classics in gorgeous new a capella arrangements make this album a wonderful discovery. The famous Liebestod from Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde, Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer and Lieder by Richard Straus radiate gloriously in these choral versions, supported by warm, crystal-clear sound. Recorded between 2009 and 2011, this disc captures the extraordinary artistry of the  acclaimed Bavarian Radio Choir to perfection.

R Strauss Evening, Hymn, Three Male Choruses to Words by Friedrich Ruckert
Mahler (arr. Gottwald) Songs of a Wayfarer
Wagner (arr. Gottwald) Three Songs to Tristan und Isolde

Daniel Behle has become well known since the release in 2010 of Harmonia Mundi's award-winning recording of Mozart's The Magic Flute under Rene Jacobs, when his interpretation of Tamino earned glowing praise from music critics, who compared him to the young Fritz Wunderlich. The tenor has also made a name for himself as a Lied singer and now presents a glorious album of songs by Richard Strauss.

Standchen Op 17 No 2
Herr Lenz Op 37 No 5
Ich liebe dich Op 37 No 2
Freundliche Vision Op 48 No 1
Vier Lieder Op 27
Ruhe meine Seele Op 27 No 1
Cacilie Op 27 No 2
Heimliche Aufforderung Op 27 No 3
Morgen op. 27 Nr. 4
Lieder Op 10 nach Hermann von Gilm zu Rosenegg
Zueignung Op 10 No 1
Nichts Op 10 No 2
Die Nacht Op 10 No 3
Die Georgine Op 10 No 4
Geduld Op 10 No 5
Die Verschwiegenen Op 10 No 6
Die Zeitlose Op 10 No 7
Allerseelen Op 10 No 8
Sechs Lieder Op 19 nach Adolf Friedrich von Schack
Wozu noch Madchen soll es frommen Op 19 No 1
Breit' uber mein Haupt Op 19 No 2
Schon sind doch kalt die Himmelssterne Op 19 No 3
Wie sollten wir geheim sie halten O. 19 No 4
Hoffen und wieder verzagen Op 19 No 5
Mein Herz ist stumm mein Herz ist kalt Op 19 No 6
Befreit Op 39 No 4

The extraordinary popularity of the Adagio from Act 3 of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Spartacus has almost completely overshadowed the many marvels of the complete score. Composed between 1940 and 1952, it was the Armenian composer's last great work and was revised in 1968 by Yuri Grigorovich for a Bolshoi Theatre production which gained international success and forms the basis of this stunning new complete recording. 2 CDs for the price of 1.

Spartacus Complete Ballet

Chandos's new Spanish series with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Juanjo Mena presents evocative works for stage and concert hall by Manuel de Falla. Nights in the Gardens of Spain is among his most impressionistic and poetic works, full of shimmering textures. The Three-cornered Hat was commissioned by Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes and tells a tale of jealousy, possessiveness, mistaken Identity and deception. In Homenajes, de Falla pays tribute to fellow musicians and composers.

Nights in the Gardens of Spain
The Three-corned Hat
Homenajes

Korngold's String Sextet (1914-16) takes on some of the theatrical elements from his contemporaneous opera Violanta and features an intensely sensuous Adagio framed by faster movements brimming with counterpoint, high spirits and good humour. His Piano Quintet, premiered in 1923, displays Korngold's sunny disposition and incorporates a secret musical code as a love message for his fiancee. The Doric String Quartet, praised as 'one of the finest' (Gramophone), is joined by acclaimed pianist Kathryn Stott, Jennifer Stumm (viola) and Bartholemew LaFollette (cello).

String Sextet in D major Op 10
Piano Quintet in E major Op 15

Chandos Records has signed an exclusive contract with the Brodsky Quartet to coincide with the renowned ensemble's 40th Anniversary in 2012. On their debut Chandos CD, they are joined by acclaimed young British pianist Philip Edward Fisher and violist Bob Smissen to perform a delightful selection of music arranged by past or current members of the quartet. This is a superbly enjoyable and original collection.

Khachaturian (arr. Andrew Haveron) Sabre Song
Mendelssohn (arr. Paul Cassidy) On Wings of Song
Prokofiev (arr. Andrew Haveron) March from The Love for Three Oranges
Falla (arr. Andrew Haveron) Nana, Polo
Schumann (arr. Paul Cassidy) Sehr Langsam, Three Pieces from Kinderszenen (arr. for Quartet and Piano)
Kreisler (arr. Paul Cassidy) Caprice viennois Op 2 for Quartet and Viola
Shostakovich (arr. Ian Belton) Duet for Two Violins and Piano (arr. for Quartet)
Shostakovich Waltz from Suite for Variety Orchestra
Debussy (arr. Paul Cassidy) Beau Soir
Elgar (arr. Paul Cassidy) Chanson de Nuit, Chanson de Matin, La Capricieuse
Ravel (arr. Andrew Haveron) Blues
Ravel (arr. Paul Cassidy) Valse No 6
Godowsky (arr. Paul Cassidy) Alt-Wien
Dvorak (arr. Paul Cassidy) Humoresque for Quartet and Piano
Sarasate (arr. Paul Cassidy) Playera, Zapateado

Lucciano Berio had an abiding fascination with reconciling the past and present, which can be heard in these orchestral realisations of music by three masters of Germanic Romanticism. In Rendering, he 'restores' sketches by Schubert, orchestrating them in period style and writing new music to fill the 'empty patches'. Brahms's first Clarinet Sonata has been given a fourteen-bar introduction, while six of Mahler's early songs are given new orchestral garb.

Schubert/Berio Rendering
Brahms (arr. Berio) Clarinet Sonata Op 120 No 1
Mahler (arr. Berio) Six Early Songs:
Hans und Grete
Phantasie
Scheiden und Meiden
Erinnerung
Fruhlingsmorgen
Ich ging mit Lust durch einen grunen Wald

Acclaimed young French violinist Isabelle Faust and legendary maestro Claudio Abbado bring to bear their inimitable artistic talents to two highly contrasting violin concertos. Across the centuries and the manifest differences in their musical styles, Beethoven and Berg seem to speak to each other on this outstanding album. Certainly, hearing these works performed side by side sheds fascinating light on both masterpieces.

Berg Violin Concerto 'To the Memory of an Angel'
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D major Op 61

Taking its name from Goethe's poem ('Hail and Farewell' in English), this album features two highly respected artists performing a selection of Schubert's marvellous songs. Werner Gura has been critically acclaimed for his interpretations of Romantic Lieder: 'By comparison with the veteran Peter Schreier, the younger tenor has a more rounded, agreeable basic timbre, but, like Schreier, he uses a wide palette of vocal and expressive colours' (Gramophone), 'lucid and heartfelt' (Limelight) and 'Gura takes a place among the best - and he's given exemplary assistance and support by his piano partner (Classics Today).

Heidenroslein D257
Schlummerlied D527
Wiegenlied D867
Geheimes D719
Ganymed D544
Auf der Bruck D853
Der Fischer D225
Dass sie hier gewesen D775
Bei dir allein D866
Der Schiffer D536
Willkommen und Abschied D767
Der Wanderer D493
Im Walde D834
Wandrers Nachtlied D22
Der Einsame D800
Der Winterabend D938
Herbst D945
Romanze aus Rosamunde D797
Nachtstuck D672

Tudor and Jacobean music by Tomkins, Campion, Byrd, Tallis, Dowland, Gibbons and others from the Golden Age of early English music. Described as 'an ensemble of breathtaking freshness, vitality and balance (The New York times), Stile Antico joins the equally renowned ensemble Fretwork on this ravishing selection of Renaissance music composed for domestic devotion drawn from collections prepared for that purpose.

Tomkins O praise the Lord
Amner O ye little flock
Taverner In Nomine (Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas)
Ramsey How Are The Mighty Fall'n
Tallis Purge Me O Lord
Amner A Stranger Here
Parsons In Nomine a 4 No 1
Browne Jesu Mercy How May This Be?
Parsons In Nomine a 4 No 2
Croce From Profound Centre Of My Heart
Dowland I Shame At My Unworthiness
Campion Never Weather-beaten Sail
Byrd Why Do I Use My Paper Ink And Pen?
Thomas Tomkins When David Heard
Gibbons See See The Word Is Incarnate

Much admired as a chamber musician, violinist Anthony Marwood is also an accomplished concerto soloist, as is star violist Lawrence Power. The viola was Benjamin Britten's own instrument, and these works showcase his love of its expressive potential and uniquely rich timbre. Both concertos are youthful works, though the Double Concerto had to wait for 65 year before receiving its premiere in 1997. The Lachrymae is a much-loved staple of the viola repertoire.

Violin Concerto Op 15
Double Concerto in B minor
Lachrymae Op 48a

Acclaimed for his 'remarkable' (BBC Music Magazine) and 'outstanding' (International Record Review) performances of Brahms and Chopin, Garrick Ohlssen now shines some Mediterranean light on Enrique Granados's pianistic masterpiece, Goyescas. These pieces, each a veritable tone poem filled with patriotic fervour, were inspired by Goya's famous Caprichos and other works. El pelele and the Allegro de concierto provide fittingly brilliant counterparts on this sparkling album.

Goyescas o Los majos enamorados
El pelele 'Escena goyesca'
Allegro de concierto

Distinguished mezzo-soprano Alice Coote here makes her Hyperion debut with legendary pianist Graham Johnson on what the latter describes as a 'pageant of English song and poetry'. Through a half-century-long journey surveying the theme of love in its many forms (human, of nature, even of money!), these songs are by turns tender, serene, humorous and high spirited. Certain to delight!

Molloy Love's old sweet song
White So we'll go no more a-roving, The Spring has come, The Devout Lover
Elgar Speak music, Pleading
Lehmann Ah moon of my delight, Love if you knew the light
 Vaughan Williams Silent noon
Peel Almond wild almond, The early morning
Quilter There be none of Beauty's daughters, Now sleeps the crimson petal, Love's Philosophy
Grainger The power of love
Gibbs Hypochondriacus
Lehmann Pa's bank
Gibbs A Song of Shadows
Warlock Take O take those lips away, The night, Queen Anne
Moeran In youth is pleasure
Gurney Goodnight to the meadow, The boat is chafing, Lights Out
Holst Journey's End, Betelgeuse

It's easy to understand why Beethoven regarded Luigi Cherubini as one of the best composers of his day: this is music full of character, delighting in its virtuosity and absolutely assured - at times prefiguring the agility of Rossini. From the strong-jawed sinfonia to Cherubini's youthful opera Armida abandonnata to the dark drama of Demophon, these rarely-heard orchestral and vocal highlights provide a fascinating introduction to Cherubini's operatic output.

Il Giulio Sabino Sinfonia
Ifigenia in Aulide - Aria: Turbata ai dubbi accenti (Ifigenia)
D'un dolce ardor la face
Demophon Ouverture: Allegro spiritoso
Ti lascio adorato mio ben
Armida abbandonata Sinfonia: Allegro assai and Aria: Qual da venti combattuta (Zelmira)
Il Giulio Sabino - Aria: I mesti affetti miei (Epponina)
Mesenzio, re d'Etruria Sinfonia

Rinaldi Alessandrini and his admirable ensemble Concerto Italiano present a thrilling album of music from the very dawn of the Baroque era, a time when Western music was being revolutionised with exciting new trends. The program, specially chosen by Alessandrini, illustrates most of the new forms of instrumental music that galvanised composers across Europe, leading to the later masterpieces of Handel and Bach, as well as to the birth of the string quartet.

Anonymous Fantaisie (les pleurs d'orphee ayant perdu sa femme)
Giovanni Gabrieli Canzone a quattro detta la spiritata
Merula Canzone quinta a quattro detta la chremasca, Capriccio cromatico
de Macque Consonanze stravaganti
Frescobaldi Canzona quinta a quattro
Salvatore Canzone francesca seconda a quattro
Castello Sonata decimasesta a quattro
Zanetti Il scolaro per imparare a suonare di violino
Marini Passacaglio a quattro e a tre
Legrenzi Sonata seconda a quattro
Bononcini Sinfonia quarta
Dall'Abaco Concerto a quattro Op 2 No 1

Here's a delightful album of Baroque favourites interpreted by the world famous Petri Hannibal Duo and presented in state-of-the-art Super Audio sound. 'Michala Petri has no peer today as a master of her instrument, and she wrings more color and expressive intensity from the recorder than you ever believed possible' (Classics Today). The 'amiable duo' has been praised for its 'considerable musicianship' (Gramophone).

Vitali Chaconne in G minor
Telemann Sonata in D minor TWV41:d4
Bach Sonata in F major BWV1033
Vivaldi (arr. Chedeville) Sonata in G major RV59
Corelli La folia
Tartini Sonata in G minor 'The Devil's Trill'
Handel Sonata in B flat major HWV377

Daniel Barenboim's performances with his 'own' orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by his close friend Pierre Boulez, of Franz Liszt's demanding and diverting piano concertos have been showered with praise. The concert recorded here on the 200th anniversary of Liszt's birth was a landmark event and this DVD is a worthy celebration of Liszt's status as a pioneering composer and extraordinary performer.

Piano Concerto No 2 in A major
Piano Concerto No 1 in E flat major
Consolation No3
Valse oubliee No 1
Wagner A Faust Overture, Siegfried Idyll

Also on Blu-ray ACC10239

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America's first outstanding classical ballet company of black dancers started as a ghetto experience that quickly reach world-class level. In this special studio production, the Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a selection of its most popular works. Includes Special Feature: Introduction to the Company.

Fall River Legend - Morton Gould (music), Agnes de Mille (choreography)
Troy Game - Bob Downes (music), Robert North (choreography)
The Beloved - Judith Hamilton (music), Lester Horton (choreography)
John Henry - Milton Rosenstock (music), Arthur Mitchell (choreography)

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In this entertaining film version of Emmerich Kalman's The Circus Princess some of the greatest singer-actors from the 1960s and 70s can once again be enjoyed. Kalman's love of Hungarian gypsy music and his natural affinity for the Viennese waltz tradition characterise this delightful operetta, which also incorporates aspects of the new dance music of the 1920s.

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Hailed by critics as a thrilling Konstanze and compared to Edita Gruberova, Diana Damrau partners the tall and aristocratic tenor Christoph Strehl (Belmonte) as they outwit the Pasha's overseer Osmin in this acclaimed procution of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio. 'Diana Damrau achived a huge success', 'Franz-Josef Selig, the best Osmin I have ever seen', 'The importance of the Teatre del Liceu cannot be overstated' (Opera News).

Also on Blu-ray 709204

Wagner specialist conductor Sebastian Weigle, husband-and-wife team Peter Seiffert and Petra Maria Schnitzer as Tannhauser and Elizabeth, and a fantastic cast from one of Europe's leading opera houses make this production something truly special. 'full of vitality and visibly inspired' (ABC Spanish newspaper) 'emotionally potent' (Opera News) - by all accounts a great performance.

Also on Blu-ray 709404

Described as a 'lullaby of death' Gabriel Faure's popular Requiem focuses not on the Day of Wrath (indeed, he excludes the Dies Irae and includes a lyrical Pie Jesu and transcendent In Paradisum) but offers consolation to those who grieve. On this notable DVD it is complemented with other choral and orchestral works, including the little-known motet By the River of Babylon. Leading performers make this an exquisite release.

Pavanne for orchestra and choir Op 50
Elegie for cello and orchestra Op 24
Super flumina Babylonis
Cantique de Jean Racine Op 11
Requiem Op 48

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Simon Keenlyside makes his British debut as an athletic, brooding Macbeth with Liudmyla Monastryka as his subtle and imperious Lady in this acclaimed production from The Royal Opera House Covent Garden. 'an impressive company showcase, full of moments when chorus and orchestra are in full throttle. Whipped up by Antonio Pappano's baton, they sounded truly thrilling' (The Guardian) 'drama and fire' (Seen and Heard International)

Also on Blu-ray OABD7095D

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This collection contains all Debussy's works for orchestra as well as many orchestral arrangements of his piano music. Together these display a rich panorama of Debussian sound and a remarkable insight into the composer. Established arrangements by Debussy's contemporaries, including Ravel and Caplet, are complemented by more recent arrangements from composers such as Colin Matthews and Robin Holloway. The conductor Jun Markl believes that Debussy 'set up a model of orchestration for the rest of the twentieth century' and it is with this conviction that he draws from the Orchestre National de Lyon such 'world-class playing' (American Record Guide)

Highlights from the Boxed Set
CD1 - La mer, Prelude a l’apres-midi d'un faune
CD2 - Nocturnes, Pelleas et Melisande Symphonie (arr. Constant)
CD3 - Images pour orchestre
CD4 - Le Martyre de Saint Sebastien, Khamma (completed by Koechlin)
CD5 - La boite a joujoux (orch. Debussy and Caplet), Six epigraphes antiques (orch. Ansermet)
CD6 - Suite bergamasque (orch. Cloez and Caplet), Petite Suite (orch. Busser), En blanc et noir (orch. Holloway), L'isle joyeuse (orch. Molinari)
CD7-8 - Preludes (orch. Matthews), Printemps (orch. Busser), Estampes Nos 1 and 2 (orch. Caplet and Busser), Symphony in B minor (orch. Finno)
CD9 - Fantaisie for piano and orchestra, Deux Danses, Rhapsodies for clarinet and saxophone

Frederick Delius's beautiful songs show his extraordinary gift for melody. John Ireland admired Delius enormously and his songs are inspired by a wide variety of literature, including his hugely popular setting of John Masefield's Sea Fever. Renowned cellist Julian Lloyd Webber celebrates both composers' remarkable melodic gifts in these sensitive arrangements, and pianist John Lenehan has received great acclaim for his Naxos recordings of Ireland's complete piano music. Julian Lloyd Webber is one of today's leading cellists. He has given the premieres of more than fifty new works for cello and has inspired new compositions from composers as diverse as Malcolm Arnold and Joaquin Rodrigo to James MacMillan and Philip Glass. His partnership with John Lenehan began in the mid-1970s and they have since given recitals together all over the world.

Delius Sunset, Birds in the High Hall Garden, In the Seraglio Garden, Love's Philosophy, Over the Mountains High, Serenade from Hassan, Through Long Long Years, Little Birdie, Slumber Song, With Your Blue Eyes
Ireland Spring Sorrow, Evening Song, Sea Fever, The Holy Boy, Baby, The Three Ravens, Hope, Ladslove, Summer Schemes, Her Song, In Summer Woods

George Gershwin's Concerto in F was a response to demands for a 'proper concerto' after the success of Rhapsody in Blue, avoiding programmatic content while providing a feast of tunes both uplifting and nostalgic. Originally intended as music for a film, his up-beat Rhapsody No 2 describes the bustling Manhattan cityscape while under construction. Sourced from his hit musical Girl Crazy, the I Got Rhythm Variations was Gershwin’s last full score. Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most sought-after soloists and collaborators of his generation of young American musicians.

Piano Concerto in F major
Rhapsody No 2
I Got Rhythm Variations

George Gershwin's Concerto in F was a response to demands for a 'proper concerto' after the success of Rhapsody in Blue, avoiding programmatic content while providing a feast of tunes both uplifting and nostalgic. Originally intended as music for a film, his up-beat Rhapsody No 2 describes the bustling Manhattan cityscape while under construction. Sourced from his hit musical Girl Crazy, I Got Rhythm Variations was Gershwin’s last full score. Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most soughtafter soloists and collaborators of his generation of young American musicians. Also on CD (Naxos 8559705).

Piano Concerto in F major
Rhapsody No 2
I Got Rhythm Variations

Grieg's String Quartet in G minor has long established itself as one of the finest such works of the second half of the nineteenth century. The distinction of its thematic material, and its use in cyclical form, is reinforced by an ultimately victorious motto theme. The F major Quartet was written later, but remained unfinished, but it too is a fertile creation with a strong dance profile. Both works are heard in Alf Ardal's imaginative arrangements for string orchestra. Arne Nordheim, Norway's leading living composer, wrote Rendezvous as a quartet but expanded it in 1986. It is an intense, moving, and beautifully crafted work.

Grieg (arr. Ardal) String Quartet in G minor Op 27
Grieg (arr. Ardal) String Quartet in F major
Nordheim Rendezvous

Tchaikovsky completed his last set of piano pieces about six months before his death. Each bears a dedication to a friend or colleague including distinguished musicians such as Paul Pabst, Vasily Sapelnikov and Vasily Safonov. The 18 pieces are no mere salon effusions; rather they are richly characterised, sometimes virtuosic, and perfectly crafted miniatures. Schumann and Chopin are deliberately evoked, the music embracing a rich variety of dance, melancholy, fantasy and bravura. The set is played by the brilliant young prizewinner of the Sydney International Piano Competition in 2008, Konstantin Shamray.

Silvius Leopold Weiss, a contemporary of JS Bach, was the greatest lutenist of his age, whose music is largely in the mixed Italian/French style of the time. The Sonatas are prodigiously attractive works of great emotional power. Number 39 is majestic, revealing Weiss's mastery of lyrical invention, whilst No 96 is lighter - an elegant work probably conceived for teaching purposes. Number 30 illustrates precisely those qualities of agility, grace and expressive depth that lend his music so great an appeal. Robert Barto's series has generated universal admiration, MusicWeb International praising them as 'marvellously vivid performances, and beautifully recorded into the bargain'.

Sonata No 39 in C major 'Partita Grande'
Sonata No 96 in G major
Sonata No 30 in E flat major

Catalan-born Leonardo Balada fuses tradition with modernity and folk with the avant garde, producing music of stunning sonorities. Caprichos No 1 pays homage to the poet Lorca in a blend of virtuosic writing and transformative dance rhythms. In Caprichos No 5, based on Albeniz’s piano music, distorted melodies are revealed, as well as instruments engaging in exciting duels. A Little Night Music in Harlem sees Mozart translated via surrealist sleight of hand, whilst Reflejos balances lament with typically incendiary brilliance.

Caprichos No 1 'Homage to Federico Garcia Lorca'
Caprichos No 5 'Homage to Isaac Albeniz'
A Little Night Music in Harlem
Reflejos

This program brings the old world of festive Spain in Turina's La Procession du Rocio into a meeting with Roger Nixon's Californian 'tonal fresco' Fiesta del Pacifico. Chang Su Koh's Korean Dances use exotic traditional rhythms, whereas Bernstein's Symphonic Dances refer to Cuban cha-cha and the Mexican mambo. James Bonney's Chaos Theory is a concerto for electric guitar which fuses hardrock intensity with classical sophistication. The Lone Star Wind Orchestra's American Tapestry album (8570968) was described as 'completely stunning.' (MusicWeb International)

Turina La Procession du Rocio
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
J Bonney Chaos Theory
R Nixon Fiesta del Pacifico
CS Koh Korean Dances

Shortly after his first successes as a concert pianist, Erno Dohnanyi brought out his First Quartet in 1899. It is a mature work, acknowledging the influence of Brahms whilst also adopting writing that hints strongly at Dohnanyi's own Hungarian origins. It ranges widely and expressively, including both hymnal and folk elements in a richly rewarding way. The Third Quartet of 1926 is more harmonically questing and structurally sophisticated, and filled with vibrant melodies. Of the Aviv Quartet's previous Naxos recording (Schulhoff 8570965) MusicWeb International wrote: 'they sound simply fantastic...The playing is electric'.

My teacher Nadia Boulanger was absolutely against Rachmaninov's music,' recalls Idil Biret in her memoires. 'And when I was asked to play the Third Concerto, this was for her the worst catastrophe that could possibly happen...But, I find a great nobility in Rachmaninov's music, and when I worked with Mlle Boulanger on his Corelli Variations, she started changing her opinion completely.'

'Astonishing piano recordings: Rachmaninov's Paganini Variations, Op. 43 for piano and orchestra is a popular work, but one almost never hears his equally estimable Corelli Variations, Op. 42 for solo piano...a remarkable, sparkling demonstration of talent: her Rachmaninov is brilliant, direct, bright...She is never daunted and avoids kitsch. And the 6 Moments musicaux, Op. 16 is no less a discovery’ (Suddeutsche Zeitung)

'Idil Biret's complete Rachmaninov is unsurpassed for aristocratic, passionate pianism and exacting musicianship.' (Boston Globe)

Sergei Rachmaninov
Six Moments musicaux Op 16
Variations sur un theme de Corelli Op 42
Three Preludes Op 32 Nos 1, 5 and 12

Composer and pianist Francis Pott is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards. His dramatic and emotionally challenging music unites a distinctive personal voice with a versatile technique rooted in a keen awareness of the past. His Mass expands on tonal frames of reference from Byrd and Tallis, incorporating a poignant Agnus Dei written as a memorial to Dr Anabela Bravo. Mary's Carol and Lament are also tender commemorations, the latter for one of the quiet heroes of the Afghanistan conflict. These deeply expressive works give a distinctive modern voice to the timeless mysteries of human experience.

Choral Music of Francis Pott
Mass for Eight Parts
Mary's Carol
A Hymn to the Virgin
I Sing of a Maiden
Ubi caritas
Balulalow
Lament

From the nineteenth century transcriptions by Francisco Tarrega to those by John Duarte and Rick Foster, the tradition of performing JS Bach's music on the guitar has fashioned works of great beauty and transformative power. The two Chorale Preludes include the use of plucked strings, which impart serenity and clarity. The Cello Suite is especially well suited to the guitar, the aria-like beauty of its Sarabande being the height of elegance and nobility, whilst the Violin Partita No 2, with its monumental Chaconne, translates to the guitar with hypnotic force. Graham Anthony Devine is one of the world's foremost guitarists whose British Guitar Music album (8557040) was lauded as 'a winner in all respects...beyond reproach' (MusicWeb International).

Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland BWV659
Cello Suite No 4 in E flat major BWV1010
Ich ruf' zu dir Herr Jesu Christ BWV639
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben BWV147 - Jesus bleibet meine Freude (Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring)
Violin Partita No 2 in D minor BWV1004
Bist du bei mir BWV 508 (attrib. GH Stolzel)

Polish-born virtuoso Karol Jozef Lipinski was recognised as one of the best violinists of the 19th century, rivalling Paganini for the title of greatest violinist in Europe. He dedicated his Capriccios Op 10 to Paganini, but ultimately combined Paganini's innovations with the depth of Spohr, Tartini and Viotti's musical philosophies to create his own unique style and to avoid bravura display alone. The Capriccios Op 27 explore rich expression and tone as well as spectacular runs and double-stopping.

Three Capriccios Op 10
Three Capriccios Op 27

Madrid-born Tomas Marco is a multi award-winning and prolific composer whose compact Symphony No 2 is a single Espacio cerrado or 'Closed Space', expressed using a massive orchestra. As the subtitle 'Gaia's Dance' suggests, the colourful and rhythmic Symphony No 8 borrows elements of dances from different parts of the world. Marco's Symphony No 9 draws inspiration from the primeval sea spirit, Thalassa, and combines studies in sonority with medieval music sources to create a work which unfolds in a single, extended breath.

Symphony No 2 'Espacio cerrado'
Symphony No 9 'Thalassa'
Symphony No 8 'Gaia's Dance'

Composed over a period of some thirty years, the six string works in this programme cover the full stylistic range of Penderecki's towering compositional career. The Sinfoniettas are transcriptions of two chamber works, impassioned in texture, courting elegy and terse gesture alike. With the Three Pieces in Old Style we are in the world of Baroque pastiche, whereas introspective intensity runs through the Serenade of 1997. Radicalism informs the Intermezzo whilst the Capriccio, written a decade earlier, reveals Penderecki's lighter, more piquant side in scintillating fashion. 'Antoni Wit's Penderecki series for Naxos has been uniformly excellent...Top recommendation' (Classics Today)

Three Pieces in Old Style
Serenade
Sinfonietta No 1
Intermezzo for 24 Strings
Capriccio for Oboe and String Orchestra
Sinfonietta No 2

This collection completes the 27 sonatas by Padre Antonio Soler which make up his contribution to the Fitzwilliam manuscript. These bipartite sonatas contain prime examples of Soler's theories of modulation, from elegant slow passing between notes to agitated extremes of contrast. The result is constant surprise, both in spectacular technique and expressive depth. Award-winning pianist Vestard Shimkus has been described as 'a phenomenon' (conductor Paavo Jarvi), 'superb' (American Record Guide) and 'inspired' (BBC.co.uk). Numbers 1-15 are available on Naxos 8572515.

Louis Spohr was a prolific quartet composer, his body of work forming an important collection. His Quartet No 19 is the fourth of his Quatuors brillants, chamber concertos designed to allow the first violinist, Spohr himself, to flaunt his virtuoso credentials. He ensures, however, that flourish is balanced by expressive themes and songful warmth Quartet No 22 is one of his greatest compositions, notable not only for its broad, sweeping, even sensual themes tinged with pathos, but for the masterful use of counterpoint and virtuoso elements within a magnificently unified whole. The American Record Guide wrote of the Concertino String Quartet's recording of Nos 9 and 17 ( (8225315) 'Their tuning, intonation, technique, ensemble, sensitivity, and depth of expression result in total musicality.'

String Quartet No 19 in A major Op 68
String Quartet No 22 in D minor Op 74 No 3

Kathleen Ferrier was one of the greatest British singers of the 20th century. Her performances of the St Matthew Passion were the stuff of legend, and she herself said, 'You've never heard me sing if you haven't heard me in Bach'. In 1947 she began a series of sessions to record the St Matthew Passion, but several factors, including a full diary of concert engagements at home and abroad, meant that the recording was not completed until June 1948. The 1949 recording of Bach's Cantata Hold in affection Jesus Christ, BWV 67 made to mark the bicentenary of the composer's death, here receives its first ever release on CD. 1947-1949 Recordings.

JS Bach St Matthew Passion
Cantata: Hold in affection Jesus Christ BWV67

This program brings together the three great ballets which Stravinsky composed for Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev. These vibrantly atmospheric scores were all revised after their Parisian premieres, and the 1945 version of The Firebird Suite was still brand new at the time of this recording. In what are widely considered to be the best of his commercial recordings of these works, Stravinsky the conductor brings out the expressive and vividly incisive rhythmic strengths of the Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra of New York. 1940 and 1946 Recordings.

The Firebird Suite
Petrushka Suite
The Rite of Spring

From his youth, William Vincent Wallace was steeped in Irish and Scottish traditional music. In 1848, five years after his brilliant successes in New York as a virtuoso pianist, he published his first set of arrangements, others following almost to the year of his death. In these ingenious and lovely works, written for the burgeoning domestic market, he avoids sentimentality, concentrating instead on warmth, wit, a touch of self-quotation, and brilliance. Rosemary Tuck and Richard Bonynge are the world's leading interpreters of Wallace's music. Volume 1 is available on 8572774.

The Yellow Hair'd Laddie and Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad
Brilliant Fantasia on My Nanny O! and My Ain Kind Dearie and Bonnie Dundee
The Gloomy Night is Gathering Fast and The Lass o' Gowrie
Go Where the Glory Waits Thee and Love's Young Dream
When Ye Gang Awa' Jamie
The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls and Fly Not Yet
Desmond's Song
Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms and An Irish Melody
The Blue Bells of Scotland
Fantaisie brillante de Salon pour piano sur des Melodies Ecossaises Roy's Wife and We're a' Noddin'
John Anderson My Jo and Thou Hast Left Me Forever Jamie
The Weary Pund o' Tow and There's Nae Luck About This House
Flow On, Thou Shining River and Nora Creina
Maggie Lauder
Rondino on the Scotch Melody Bonnie Prince Charlie
Kinloch of Kinloch and I'm O'er Young to Marry Yet
Scots Wha Hae
Home Sweet Home - Ballade
Ye Banks and Braes
Auld Robin Gray and The Boatie Rows

The Places The tour of Norway takes us to the countryside, with its mountains, lakes, fjords, rivers and waterfalls. We see Edvard Grieg's house at Troldhaugen, and then Bergen, Grieg's birthplace, with its colourful traditional houses.
The Music The music chosen for this tour of Norway is by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, and includes his popular Piano Concerto in A minor, as well as his Two Elegiac Melodies, with other pieces.

A Musical Tour of Troldhaugen, Bergen and the Norwegian Landscape

The Places Our tour of Italy starts in the countryside near Orvieto, moves to the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, then to Montalcino and its ancient abbey. We see the Tuscan landscape around Montepulciano, glimpse Siena and finally see something of the historic buildings of Florence.
The Music As part of his Grand Tour of Europe, the young Felix Mendelssohn visited Italy in the autumn of 1830 and it was there that he began his 'Italian' Symphony, completed in 1833 in Berlin and first performed in that year in London. His Violin Concerto in E minor was completed in 1844 and remains an essential element in any violinist's concert repertoire.

A Musical Tour of Tuscany, Umbria and Rome

The Places The journey starts in Switzerland, in the canton of Thurgau, leading from Steckborn and the Bodensee to the Rhine Falls. From Styria, in Austria, comes Hochosterwitz Castle and from Bavaria Weikersheim Castle, the latter intercut with wild life from the Austrian Assling Nature Park. The tour ends amid the strangely shaped mountains of the Dolomites in Southern Tyrol, a region divided between Austria and Italy.
The Music In a remarkable way Mahler, in his symphonies and songs, has seemed to reflect the twentieth century in all its bewildering variety and has now won an established place in concert repertoire. Distinguished as a conductor, his fame as a composer has grown over the years since his death. The music included here is Mahler’s Symphony No 1, nick-named 'Titan', not for its massive power, but after the book by Jean Paul, a strong influence over earlier romantics and over Mahler at this stage in his career. The symphony breathes the spirit of the Austrian countryside, reflected in Mahler's songs.