Rachmaninov, Kastalski

Glorious Russian choral music from the 15th to the 20th century by the country's most celebrated composers, including Rachmaninoff, Kastalski, Kompaneïski and Gretchaninoff. The styles vary from contemporary Russian a cappella music to Byzantine and Gregorian-influenced singing, all performed here by traditional Russian Orthadox choirs in a luminous church acoustic.

Chopin Polonaise in A Flat Major Op 53 'Heroic', Polonaise in B Flat Major Op 71 No 2, Impromptus No 1 in A Flat Major Op 29, No 2 in F Sharp Major Op 36, No 3 in G Flat Major Op 51, Fantasy Impromptu in C Sharp Minor Op 66, Schumann Paganini Etudes Op 3

Grigory Ginzburg (1904-1961) was perhaps the most astounding virtuoso to emerge in Soviet Russia and it is a tragedy that he was never allowed to travel to the west after the mid 1930’s. He focussed his repertoire very much on the 19th-century Romantic period and, above all, in Liszt, and his prolific recordings include many of Liszt’s virtuosic opera paraphrases that had fallen into neglect. This CD is the second of two devoted to his earliest 78rpm recordings mainly dating from around 1950. These discs are extremely rare and many of the performances included will be unknown to even the most ardent collectors. Of particular interest to pianophiles will be his supremely elegant Strauss transcriptions and the Schumann arrangements of Paganini Caprices.

12 German Dances D790, Sonata in A Minor D784, Hungarian Melody in B Minor D817, Sonata in C Major D840, Four Impromptus D899, Sonata in B Flat Major D960, Allegretto in C Minor D915

The highly respected and acclaimed pianist Imogen Cooper, a student of Alfred Brendel, performed all-Schubert programmes on her extensive 2009 Australian tour. She is enjoying something of a renaissance with her ongoing series of Schubert’s solo piano works on Avie. International accolades for the recordings abound, from Gramophone to the New York Times. Imogen continues her exploration of the composer’s late piano music with Volume 3, recorded live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in December 2009. Schubert was the ultimate romantic and Imogen brings out the full spectrum of his complex and colourful compositions, from the gentle German Dances, D790 and pearl-like Impromptus, D899, to the turbulent A minor Sonata, D784, and mighty B flat Sonata, D960. Imogen insists, 'I’m not afraid of being described as a Schubert specialist. He has taken up a lot of my waking time for more than 30 years. In fact, you could say that his songs and his piano music have sometimes been close to an obsession for me'. It is more than 20 years since Cooper made a live and recorded survey of all the piano music Schubert composed from 1823 until his death in 1828 at the age of 31. This is 'Celestial Schubert … second to none' BBC Music Magazine,Instrumental Disc of the Month

Concerto Conca for Strings and Continuo in B Flat RV163, Concerto No 9 from La Cetra Op 9 for 2 Violins Strings and Continuo RV530, Bassoon Concerto in A Minor RV500, Recorder Concerto in A Minor RV445, Concerto fragment for Bassoon Strings and Continuo

Who are these Gods, Emperors and Angels in the title of the latest virtuoso vehicle for Adrian Chandler and his dazzling period-instrument band La Serenissima? Vivaldi was connected to many Highnesses on the European continent, foremost among them the widely cultured Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV to whom Vivaldi dedicated his set of concertos titled La Cetra, meaning 'The Lyre,' hence likening the emperor to the lyre-playing god Apollo. The theme continues with the oddly titled Concerto Conca or 'Conch Concerto,' alluding to the use of the conch shell as a musical trumpet, heard in the work’s first movement, and as used by Triton, son of Neptune and Amphitrite, and by Neptune’s attendants. The Angels are undoubtedly Vivaldi’s virtuoso female students at the Ospedale della Pietà, one of which was described in a contemporary anonymous poem: 'She plays the violin in such a way / that anyone hearing her is transported to Paradise / if indeed it is true that up there / the angels play like that.' Chandler and his forces, delivering their eighth imaginative album for Avie, play like gods, emperors and angels indeed, further securing their exalted place in the realms of early music performance.

7 CDs for the price of 3. When asked why songs had come to play such an important role in his œuvre, Edvard Grieg once said: ‘I loved a girl with a wonderful voice and an equally wonderful gift as an interpreter.’ The girl in question was Nina Hagerup, later to become Grieg’s wife, and with whom he regularly performed many of his songs – as depicted on the painting on the cover of the present boxed set. These songs were thus a labour of love for Grieg – not just his love for Nina, but also for the poems that he chose to set. The 172 songs that make up this musical treasure-trove have, with some notable exceptions, received less than their share in terms of international recognition, largely due to the fact that the great majority of them are settings of Norwegian or Danish texts. The present collection includes a 184-page booklet containing all the song texts in the original language with parallel translations into English. ‘Something of a landmark in the Grieg discography… Monica Groop penetrates the very essence of the Grieg spirit with the artlessness that conceals art’ (International Record Review).

Visitatio Sepulchri for Chorus and Chamber Orchestra, Sun-Dogs for Chorus a cappella

With music that combines rhythmic excitement, raw emotional power and spiritual meditation, James MacMillan (b.1959) has rapidly established himself as a leading international composer. MacMillan's oeuvre includes a high proportion of choral works, from music to be used in weekly church services to virtuoso writing for soloistic multi-voiced choirs. This release presents two world première recordings: the 45-minute Visitatio Sepulchri for chorus and chamber orchestra and the 23-minute a cappella Sun-Dogs, both with Roman Catholic resonances. In both works the composer allows a number of diverse musical influences to surface: those of composers such as the mystic Olivier Messiaen and the expressionistic Harrison Birtwistle, of Gaelic psalm-singing typical of the Hebrides and of Tibetan Buddhist chanting. MacMillan himself conducts on this disc.

Poulenc Sonata for Flute and Piano, Martin Ballade, Messiaen Le Merle Noir, Reinecke Sonata 'Undine' for flute and piano Op 167, Martinu Flute Sonata

From Carl Reinecke's Undine Sonata, composed in 1882, to Poulenc's 1957 Flute Sonata, this disc brings together five central works in the repertoire for flute and piano, covering a wide range of styles and approaches. Reinecke's work is a musical re-telling of the well-known story of Undine, the water spirit who marries a knight, but is betrayed and takes her revenge on him. Frank Martin's virtuosic Ballade (1939) features an acrobatic flute cadenza, roaming melismas and irrepressible cascades, generating a compelling sense of drama. In 1945, while in exile during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Martinů composed his Flute Sonata, in which the virtues of his distinct musical language are plain to hear - lyrical lines, a rhythmic drive which is both energetic and lively and an effective use of tone colour. Six years later the bird-lover Messiaen composed Le merle noir, constructed around the song of the blackbird, which he painstakingly noted down and then found the means to imitate it on the flute. Presenting this substantial programme is Sharon Bezaly, one of today's leading flutists, supported by the eminent pianist Ronald Brautigam. 'On the evidence of this sensational disc, it seems clear that Sharon Bezaly is a flutist virtually without peer in the world today' (ClassicsToday).

Sonatas Nos 47 in B Minor Hob XVI-32, 60 in C Major Hob XVI-50, 53 in E Minor Hob XVI-34, Fantasia in C Minor Hob XVII-4, Andante and Variations in F Minor Hob XVII-6

The release in 2005 of Yevgeny Sudbin’s first disc, a selection of Scarlatti sonatas, caused a sensation. A number of reviewers compared it favourably to the legendary recordings by Horowitz in the same repertoire. He now returns to the 18th century of Scarlatti, and to a composer who holds a similar place in his affections, namely Joseph Haydn. As Sudbin writes in his liner notes, one of the qualities in this composer which he finds particularly endearing is the ‘delight in silliness, outrageous wit and the breaking of all conventions’. The works chosen for this recital are by no means mere light-weight ‘musical jokes’, including the profoundly beautiful Andante con variazioni in F minor, which some have suggested was written in response to the death of Mozart. Nonetheless Sudbin ends his recital with Larking with Haydn, his own tongue-in-cheek arrangement of the Finale of the Lark Quartet.

Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 in C Major Op 15, Mozart Piano Concerto No 18 in B Flat Major K456

A concert by Martha Argerich is always a sensational, grandiose experience and a truly stellar event. On these evenings with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra in 1983 Argerich was in top form, collaborating with two congenial conductors, Seiji Ozawa and Eugen Jochum. This is one of many stunning releases on the Bavarian Orchestra's own newly formed label, BR Klassik.

Not just since placing sixth in Gramophone’s much-cited orchestral ranking have Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra been regarded as an artistic team that complements one another to reach a musical level surpassing many of the most famous top international ensembles. Right from its world première, Bruckner’s Seventh was an instant audience success. Its deeply stirring slow movement was dedicated in Bruckner’s own hand to the 'highly blessed, deeply beloved, immortal' Richard Wagner, who died in Venice while Bruckner was working on the symphony.

Making a truly remarkable recording of the Seventh by Gustav Mahler places the most stringent requirements on the virtuosity of every individual musician in an orchestra. The task of bringing together the highly complex individual parts into a coherent whole  calls for a conductor capable of uniting the ensemble of individual solo-quality musicians into an overriding musical concept. Attesting to how convincingly Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra accomplished this feat at their Munich concert, the German press wrote: 'We listened to an orchestra that had clearly reached the high point of its art' The multi-leveled, detail-rich score of this Mahler work – here in a recording based on the critical edition by the International Gustav Mahler Society – gains even more impact in SACD sound. With his two grotesque 'night music' sections, sounds of nature, naïve folk-tune motifs and trance-like orchestral passages, the 7th Symphony is a breathtaking example of Mahler’s unique sound world.

Symphony No 88, Sinfonia in D Major

It’s always a special musical event when two Bavarian broadcasting ensembles join forces on stage – as in this case with the Choir and Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio in this all-Haydn program of October 2008, conducted by Mariss Janons. Haydn’s Harmony Mass is one of the six great masses of his late creative period, composed on commission from Prince Esterházy. Its name refers to the unusually large complement of wind instruments, orchestration that was only possible for the final great masses after the Josephinist restrictions for church music were lifted and because, from 1792 on, Haydn had a larger instrumental ensemble at his disposal.

West Side Story Symphonic Dances

The Munich Radio Orchestra is continually expanding its repertoire of key modern classical works to build a bridge to the genres of film scores and light classics. The flexibility of the orchestra, which can adapt to the widest imaginable variety of idioms at the highest quality, is shown here in this lively recording of Bernstein's music. The symphonic dances taken from West Side Story's brilliant score are among the best-loved of Bernstein's orchestral works. Recordings of his riotously funny one-act opera Trouble In Tahiti, however, are something of a rarity.

Cruixent Abismes Diptych for Orchestra, Kuhr Introductio, Meditatio, Magnificat, Epilogus, Wozny Archipel for large orchestra, Doderer Salve Regina for Soprano Choir and Orchestra

This CD gathers four world première recordings of 21st-century sacred works. All the compositions were commissioned by Bavarian Broadcasting and employ different musical forces to reveal the wide stylistic palette of contemporary sacred music. While the works by Oriol Cruixent and Gerd Kühr treat the 'Magnificat' theme, Joanna Wozny and Johanna Doderer offer Marian prayers. In the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Choir we find two ensembles with tremendous experience in the interpretation of new music. The Paradisi gloria concert series, initiated in the year 2000 by Marcello Viotti and carried forward since 2006 by conductor Ulf Schirmer, forms the heart of contemporary sacred orchestral and choral music in Munich’s musical life and enjoys international renown.

Gut Nacht mein fines Lieb, Schlaf Kindlein schlaf, Nun ruhen alle Walder, Guter Mond Du gehst so stille, Schlaf mein Prinzchen, Voglein fliegt dem Nestchen zu

For Carus' Lullaby Project, more than 50 of the most revered singers from German speaking regions each recorded their favourite traditional lullaby. The first volume of this extraordinary collection featured Jonas Kaufmann; on the present recording we hear sublime contributions from Andreas Scholl amongst others. A comprehensive booklet, beautifully illustrated, includes translations of German lyrics.

Concertos from Op 10

In this latest recording of works by Albinoni, Simon Standage directs Collegium Musicum 90 (the baroque ensemble founded by the late Richard Hickox) showcasing the rarely performed and recorded Op. 10 Concertos. As late as 1961, academics were unaware of Albinoni’s last set of concertos, and they have been recorded only twice before. The dedicatee of Op. 10 was the Marquis of Castelar, Don Luca Fernando Patiño, who had come to Italy from Spain as a military commander. As a result, the Op.10 concertos are highly individual. If one looks at the melodic lines in isolation, they look full modern for the 1730s, but if one looks at the bass line they go right back to the time of Albinoni’s Op.2 and Op.5. Albinoni alludes to the dedicatee in the music itself: the first movement of Concerto 11 is a vivid evocation of flamenco style, with all its fierce percussiveness. Praise for Collegium Musicum 90's previous Albinoni disc (CHAN0663): 'The concertos are beautifully played here, with plenty of energy. This is the obvious choice for period-instrument fans who want them. The sound is very good, both crisp and warm' -American Record Guide

Ernest John Moeran was the last major representative of the group of English composers who, in the first two decades of the twentieth century, found inspiration in the melodic beauty of traditional folksong. The emotional and spiritual legacy of his dual Anglo-Irish nationality is in tangible evidence throughout his life and music. A pupil of John Ireland and friend of Peter Warlock, he composed music which demonstrates the influences of Delius, Vaughan Williams, and of course his love of landscape. Chandos here presents a unique album of his attractive complete solo song catalogue, many of which are premiere recordings. Moeran wrote sixty original songs for solo voice and piano, including the settings of texts by James Joyce, Robert Bridges, Shakespeare and W.B. Yeats. His most famous songs are his settings of the works of A.E. Housman, with texts from Ludlow Town and A Shropshire Lad. This album is priced at 2-for-1.

This ‘Classics’ release marks the fiftieth anniversary of Dohnányi’s death and collects the two piano concertos, performed in great style by Howard Shelley, on a single disc. He is accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic and conductor Matthias Bamert. The large first concerto was composed whilst Dohnányi was just twenty-one, and won the prestigious Bösendorfer prize. The second concerto was composed fifty years later and is a thoroughly engaging work, notable for being perhaps one of the last substantial piano concertos written in the grand romantic style. The Daily Telegraph commented of the original release, ‘Howard Shelley brings breadth and bravura to the Piano Concerto No. 2’, and Gramophone magazine wrote, ‘Howard Shelley is as elegant and professional as you might expect’.

The Chandos series of Weinberg orchestral works is proving a benchmark series, having contributed significantly to his reappraisal. The most recent Weinberg album by the Gothenberg forces (CHSA5064) was described as 'one of the most exciting discs to come my way in a long time… A release of the first importance’ (International Record Review). The composer's music is notable for its colourful orchestration and rhythmic energy. Shostakovich, his most important influence and closest friend, described him as ‘one of the most exciting composers of the present day’. His music is reminiscent of Shostakovich’s but with strong elements of Jewish folk music and klezmer. The First Symphony is a full-scale four-movement work in G minor composed whilst Weinberg was in Uzbekistan, an evacuee from the Western front. It is dedicated to the Red Army which at the time of composition was battling the Nazis for control of Poland, Weinberg’s homeland, and the Soviet Union, to which he had fled. Also presented on the disc is the Seventh Symphony, composed in 1964 for harpsichord and strings.

None but the Lonely Heart, Night, At Bedtime, I Opened the Window, My Genius, My Angel, My Friend, Not a Word O My Friend, Why, To Forget So Soon, The Heroic Deed, Death, I should like in a Single Word, Oh If Only You Could, The Love of a Dead Man, On th

Operatic superstar Dmitri Hvorostovsky has become the supreme interpreter of the Russian Romance, with its rich resource of music and poetry. 'The sheer beauty of Hvorostovsky!s voice approaches legendary' (San Francisco Examiner). He offers 'some of the most beautiful and eloquent sounds that can currently be heard from any human throat…His voice is redolent of luxury: beautiful tone, pinpoint intonation, elegant, and impassioned delivery' (New York Times).This collection presents seventeen achingly beautiful romance songs with texts from Alexander Pushkin, Russia's greatest poet. The composers represented here - Tchaikovsky, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Glinka, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov and more - have helped define the true meaning of the Russian 'romance,' and have created some of the world's greatest song literature.

Working in collaboration with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, Hervé Niquet and his indefatigable Le Concert Spirituel continue on their journey rediscovering forgotten operatic works. Here they delve into music from the close of the Age of Enlightenment in Andromaque (1778), the single tragédie lyriquewritten by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813). Known above all for his light opéras comiques,at the end of his career the composer turned towards an increasingly heroic style in the vein of Cherubini. The work reflects the tendency of an age of changes which was torn between nostalgia for the times of the reign of Louis XIV and the cult of modernity and progress. Thus, Grétry enriches the Jean Racine livret with a music suffused with Romantic aspirations where literally unheard-of tones and accents clothe the passions of the Classical Greek age in a new guise. Never again performed after its initial production, Andromaque today reveals all the modernity of the French school on the eve of the French Revolution and presents one of the most singular and unexpected links between the Baroque and Romanticism.

'There is simply one word for Jacobs' musical direction - enchanting' (The Independent). 'Mr Jacobs, more than anyone else, blows away the prim domesticity of our classical music world, and shows us past centuries as they really might have been' (The Wall Street Journal). Freiburger Barockorchester and René Jacobs, undisputed experts in Mozart and the field of period-instrument performance, shed light on two of Mozart's late symphonies, including the penultimate No.40 'Great G Minor' with its famous, stately allegro first movement.

Shostakovich’s preludes and fugues, modeled so beautifully on Bach’s, represent the pinnacle of achievement in 20th century composition for the piano. These twenty-four preludes and fugues have become so closely associated with the personality and playing style of their ‘official interpreter’ Tatiana Nikolaeva, yet this op.87 is brimming with fascinating answers for anyone who takes the trouble to ask the right questions. Russian pianist Alexander Melnikov takes on his country’s most celebrated modern composer in  what is bound to be considered a definitive performance. This beautifully packaged set includes a bonus DVD documentary with interview footage of Melnikov.

Sibelius, Tormis, Kreek, Bergman

Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in a programme tracing the Balto-Finnic folksong tradition through the works of Jean Sibelius, Cyrillus Kreek, Erik Bergman and Veljo Tormis. Hillier and the choir are widely regarded as the finest interpreters of choral music from the region, winning a Best Choral Performance Grammy for their heart-rending reading of Arvo Pärt’s Da Pacem (HMU907401). Choral music is at the heart of the musical life of the Baltics, yielding a distinctive, luminous sound from its composers. Listeners who enjoy the music of Pärt, Tavener and Hyperion’s recent Baltic Exchange disc (CDA67747) will be moved by these shimmering works from Sibelius to today’s brightest new voices.

Cantatas for Quinquagesima Sunday, Herr Jesu Christ wahr Mensch und Gott BWV127, Du wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn BWV23, Seht wir gehn hinauf gen Jerusalem BWV159, Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwolfe BWV22

2010 marks the fortieth anniversary of Collegium Vocale: founded by Philippe Herreweghe at a time when the Baroque revival was still an affair for specialists, the Belgian choir has been at the very heart of the rediscovery of Bach’s sacred music. Lavishly illustrated and elegantly presented, this series of 3-CD sets in hardback book packaging offer you the entire collection of Bach Herreweghe recordings. Four more titles will be re-issued this year, including the Mass in B Minor and Magnificat.

BWV21, 42, 38, 75, 27, 84, 95, 161

Secular Cantatas BWV207, 214, Cantatas BWV 29, 119, 120, 198, 78

Viri Galilaei in 6 voices, O rex gloriae, Missa O Rex Gloriae

GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE

'Such committed singing of such wonderful music makes this a CD not to be missed' (Organists' Review)

'Under a new Master of Music, James O'Donnell, the Westminster Cathedral Choir are as intense and fervent as ever' (BBC Record Review)

Marini Sinfonia grave La Zorzi, Sonata for Trombone Quartet, Sonata in 6 parts, Buonamente Sonata in 6 parts, Canzona in 6 parts, Merula Chiacona, Weckmann Tocatta No 3, Ximenez Batalla de Octavo Tono

This is the first record in a projected series on Hyperion by His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts. The works featured comprehensively survey the remarkable repertoire composed over two hundred years in Italy, Germany and Spain and reveal an astonishing breadth of atmosphere. The musical pomp and splendour of bygone royal ceremony can be answered by the most tender and delicate of chamber music: all legitimate repertoire for what was in the past recognized as the most versatile of all instrumental ensembles.

Smetana Piano Trio in G minor Op 15, Martinu Piano Trio No 1 '5 Short Pieces', Eben Piano Trio

The Florestan Trio is one of Britian’s best-loved chamber groups, and its many Hyperion recordings are routinely acclaimed as benchmark versions of the repertoire. After delighting listeners and critics with two discs of Dvorák, the ensemble now further explores the Czech piano trio repertoire. The three works on this CD cover the complete span of the Czech school of composition. Smetana, regarded as the founding father, first showed the way to bring traditional dance and song into the mainstream of European composition, forging a national style. Eben, who died in 2007, was one of the most distinguished composers who carried this line to the present day. But as these three contrasting pieces demonstrate, Czech composers were subject to very different kinds of influence at different times. Smetana’s Piano Trio, an early work, shows more influence from the mainstream giants of the time—particularly Schumann and Liszt—than it does from any folk elements. By the time Martinu wrote his first Piano Trio, he was immersed in the exciting cosmopolitan culture of twentieth-century Paris. And Petr Eben took the neoclassicism of Martinu and his contemporaries, and developed his own individual approach to it.

Moulu Mater floreat, Missa Missus est Gabriel angelus, Des Prez In Pace for 5 Voices, Missa Alma Redemptoris Mater

The Brabant Ensemble and Stephen Rice shed light on another forgotten Renaissance master. Little is known about the life of the composer Pierre Moulu—he joins the long lists of Renaissance musicians whose lives are all but entirely masked in shadow. Fortunately a number of his works found favour with his contemporaries to the extent that they appear in numerous early manuscripts and prints, and they have attracted the attention of music historians since the earliest days of the discipline in the late 19th century. Like much of the large repertory of 16th-century polyphony, however, his works have rarely been performed in modern times, and this is the first recording devoted to his music. Moulu’s most celebrated work is the Missa Alma redemptoris mater, an extraordinary piece that can be sung with or without rests. Also included is the parody mass Missa Missus est Gabriel angelus, based on a motet by Josquin which is also recorded here. Two contrasting motets by Moulu complete this disc—an important survey of an almost entirely unknown composer, sensitively performed and recorded.

De Majo Flute Concerto in G major, Rava Flute Concerto in B minor, Prota Flute Concerto in C major, Jomelli Flute Concerto in D major, Palella Flute Concerto No 2 in G major

Auser Musici’s recordings for Hyperion have been praised for their stylish period-instrument charm and flexible, elegant sound. They have rediscovered many hidden gems of the Italian baroque repertoire. Works featuring the flute are something of a speciality of the ensemble and their disc of Boccherini Flute Quintets (CDA67646) was highly acclaimed. The baroque flute virtuoso Carlo Ipata returns for this latest release. Previously concentrating on music of Tuscan origin, Auser Musici now turns to 18th-century Naples. The city at this period was an extraordinarily fecund artistic crucible, with many commissioning opportunities for young composers. Those recorded here are contemporaries of the great composers such as Porpora who were at the forefront of the achievements of Neapolitan music in the first half of the eighteenth century; and the startling quality of the music demonstrates the richness of the artistic life of the age.

Fantasia Apassionata Op 35, Romantic Violin Concerto Vol 8

Hyperion’s Romantic Violin Concerto series reaches volume 8 and the music of the Belgian composer Henry Vieuxtemps, himself widely considered the finest violinist in Europe after the death of Paganini. Listening to the repertoire recorded here, he certainly deserves to be ranked among the most important composers for the violin in the mid-nineteenth century. Vieuxtemps never indulged in sheer virtuosity for its own sake; instead in his concertos and chamber works he brought a more classical dimension to the violin repertoire in place of the technically brilliant variations and fantasies on popular operatic themes that were so popular with audiences. The young virtuoso Viviane Hagner, a former BBC New Generation artist acclaimed for her highly intelligent musicality and passionate artistry, appears in her Hyperion debut.

Sonatas in C major Op 34 No1, G minor Op 34 No 2, C major Op 37 No 1, G major Op 37 No 2, D major Op 37 No 3, B flat Op 46, Sonatinas in C major Op 36 No 1, G major Op 36 No 2, C major Op 36 No 3, F major Op 36 No 4, G major Op 36 No 5, D major Op 36 No 6

Howard Shelley’s acclaimed series of the complete Piano Sonatas of Clementi reaches its penultimate volume. In the latter half of the 1790s, when all the sonatas and sonatinas heard in this recording (with the exception of the Sonata Op 46) were published, Clementi apparently devoted his energies mainly to teaching. His pupils included members of well-placed families in London who were able to meet his reported fee of one guinea per lesson. He also had among his students aspiring professionals, including John Field. The sonatas heard here, owing to their technical difficulty, appear for the most part to be addressed to such students and other accomplished pianists—and perhaps for Clementi’s own performance in private circles. The sonatinas are clearly intended for less advanced pupils; today they are Clementi’s most well-known works as countless young pianists are still playing them. This set should therefore be of particular interest to many of those pupils and their teachers.

Shanghai-born pianist Zhu Xiao Mei entered the Beijing Conservatory at the age of 10, but her brilliant career was interrupted by the Cultural Revolution, which forced her to spend five years in a labour camp in Inner Mongolia. Despite the harsh conditions, she managed to continue to study the piano in secret, and Bach above all gave her reserves of strength and inspiration. Her story inspired the beautifully illustrated picture book The Red Piano, published in English for the first time last year by Australian imprint Wilkins Farago. Bach remains at the core of her repertory and this new recording of Bach's first book of Preludes and Fugues follows her critically acclaimed Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 (MIR044).

Einojuhani Rautavaara is recognized as one of the most notable Finnish composers after Jean Sibelius. His recordings on Ondine have been bestsellers and garnered numerous awards (including a 1997 Grammy nomination for Angel of Light). This new recording features the mystical composer’s latest orchestral works, two poignant testimonies of a mature artistic, spiritual and human personality. The uplifting orchestral work Before the Icons (2005) is based on the earlier piano cycle Icons (1955) and therefore spans over Rautavaara’s entire career. The work drew its inspiration from a book of Orthodox icons. Rautavaara wrote A Tapestry of Life in 2007 after an almost miraculous recovery from an acute illness. 'Few contemporary composers are as skilled…in using tonality without compromise,' wrote the New Zealand Herald upon its premiere. Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra build on their long-time pedigrees of performing their compatriot’s music.

The Philharmonia Orchestra is widely recognised as the UK’s finest orchestra with an impressive recording legacy, this being their ninth release with Signum Records. This disc combines the Philharmonia’s renowned sound with the leadership of Maestro Davis, whose recording and performing career spans through all the great orchestras of the world. 'A reading clearly born of true affection for, and deep knowledge of this rich and ever-wonderful score … any Elgarian seeking these three pieces together will not remotely be disappointed.' (International Record Review on SIGCD168)

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Russia's oldest symphonic ensemble, was founded in 1882. In 1988 on the initiative of the orchestra, Yuri Temirkanov became the principal conductor of the most famous national orchestra. So began the 'Temirkanov era', the period of collaboration with one of the most sought-after conductors of our times. He widened the orchestra's repertoire and took them on tour to Europe, Japan and the US where they became the first Russian orchestra to perform at the opening concert of the season in Carnegie Hall. In March 2009 the orchestra inaugurated the recording studio of the St Petersburg Philharmonia with a performance in the Great Hall of Verdi's Requiem which is also available on Signum Classics. Shostakovich Symphony No 7 is the second release with the St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Signum looks forward to future releases including Prokofiev's Cinderella.

The music contained in this CD represents a selection of Vespers movements written by the organist Johann Pachelbel. They have in common the distinctively sonorous scoring of four or five-part choir, accompanied by a six-part string orchestra to which is added, at the composer’s express request, a bassoon. Described by The Times as a group that has 'stayed in character over four decades, yet retuned itself to the times' and by Gramophone as 'enchanting the ear from first to last note', The King’s Singers are truly remarkable. They continue to be one of the most sought-after and critically acclaimed vocal ensembles in the world, performing a rich and varied repertoire from Gesualdo to György Ligeti and Michael Bublé. Internationally recognised for their work in the classical field, they retain the sparkle that delights so many fans when they perform much loved numbers from the lighter end of the repertoire. Whatever the music The King’s Singers are instantly recognisable for their spot-on intonation, their impeccable vocal blend, the flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing.

Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1 in D Minor, Schubert Piano Trio No 2 in E flat Major

After focusing on the Czech trio literature (on highly acclaimed recordings ranging from Dvořák to Martinů) and paying a visit to Tchaikovsky (SU3949), the Smetana Trio has turned to the very heart of the Romantic repertoire for their newest album. Both of the pieces on this disc rank among the most frequently played trios; in both of them, the composers succeeded in striking a rare balance in the texture as well as in the instrumentation, placing all three instruments on an even footing. The success of the Schubert trio, which makes use of Swedish folk melodies, is attested to by the fact that it was the only one of the composer’s works to be published abroad during his lifetime. Coincidentally the piece received Robert Schumann’s highest praise in his comment on the Mendelssohn trio: ‘It is a contemporary masterpiece, a work such as Beethoven’s trios were in their day, or Schubert’s Trio in E flat Major, a very beautiful composition which still pleases grandchildren and great-grandchildren years afterwards.’ Both pieces find excellent performers in the Smetana Trio, with its sophisticated sense of ensemble playing.

Dvorak, Haydn, Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Schubert The Telefunken Recordings

After the war (between 1952 and 1973), Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt made with his orchestra of Radio Hamburg over 45 recordings for eight different recording companies (Decca, Electrola, DGG, among others), that have been reissued on CD. On the other hand, and curiously enough, his Telefunken recordings (1953-1959) have never been reissued on CD. We are now doing this with the present set. It is a rediscovery to which we have added a very rare live recording that Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt recorded on tour in Australia in 1956, with the Sydney symphonic Orchestra (Haydn’s Oxford Symphony). The original recordings have undergone careful restoration and remain an example of Telefunken’s excellent recording technique.

Quartet Op 35, Chanson Perpetuelle Op 37

Every time I have had the pleasure of performing Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle in its original version for string quartet, piano and soprano, I have been astonished that the marvellous example of this piece has been so little emulated by composers of his time or since. For the string quartet possesses all the qualities which are superficially missing in the piano - legato, cantabile, sostenuto, variety of vibrato, lyricism - and when the two elements are combined they form a sort of ideal instrument, particularly when one seeks to serve music as profoundly expressive as that of Chausson. Nicolas Kruger

Dialogues of the Carmelites is the only opera by French composer Francis Poulenc, based on actual historic events. Poulenc merges religion and revolution: the young Blanche de la Force, seeking to escape the anguish of a profound existential crisis, enters into a convent. But even the walls of the convent cannot stop the French Revolution. The nuns of the Carmelite Order are resigned to die in martyrdom. Fascinated by their constancy, finally Blanche overcomes her fears and follows her sisters to the scaffold. This dramatic opera in three acts had its debut performance at La Scala in Milan in 1957. With its religious theme it takes a special position in the theatre and music of the 20th century. Poulenc's clear and insistent musical language is perfectly interpreted by conductor Simone Young and the Hamburg Philharmonic. This production showcases big, vibrant voices and riveting drama. Director Nikolaus Lehnhoff's sparse stage design together with the mystic light installation enriches a moving, dramatic experience.

Arthaus presents one of the most talked about productions of the Salzburg Festival in recent years – the 2004 staging of Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. The musical comedy has a deep-rooted performance tradition at the Salzburg Festival, but Robert Carsen’s new reading opened up a new view of this operatic staple while Semyon Bychkov leading the Vienna Philharmonic and a cast of internationally renowned singers ensured a high musical standard. Bychkov conducts Strauss with flexible nuances and a great deal of energy, praised by the German press for his ability 'to make the dense textures of the score transparent and to throw light on the subtleties of the instrumentation'. The musical side of the performance was additionally sustained by the experience and longstanding Strauss tradition of the Vienna Philharmonic, 'the only orchestra in the world that is capable of such decadent excesses and such gloriously honed waltzes'.

Arthaus presents the Vienna State Opera’s outstandingly cast new production of Werther on DVD. The production was the Vienna State Opera debut for the young Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan - the Argentinian tenor Marcelo Álvarez took the title role. Although he has already secured an international reputation through his performances in leading opera houses all over the world, this was his first appearance in the premiere of a production in Vienna. His Charlotte, the young Latvian mezzo-soprano ElĪna Garanča, joined the Vienna State Opera in 2003. Her performances have been enthusiastically received and she has already been labelled as the new mezzo wonder alongside Magdalena Kožená. Director Andrei Serban's aim was to rid the opera of the unjustifi ed reputation of banality that clings to it despite its underlying tragic mood. By setting the production in the stiff, claustrophobic atmosphere of a small town in the 1950s, he has made his audience more aware of its deeper levels of self-denial at work. BONUS: Prior to the opening night - Marcelo Álvarez and Elina Garanča at the Vienna Opera Ball.

Recorded live on 25th May 2008 at de Doelen Concert Hall, Rotterdam, this is Valery Gergiev’s memorable final concert as principal conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Among requiems, Brahms' masterpiece is unusual in more than one way. It was one of the first works in the genre that didn’t employ the standard Latin text of the Roman Catholic Mass for the dead. Brahms instead compiled his own text from the German Bible of Martin Luther, placing the focus on the living rather than on the dead, as demonstrated by the beginning of the work: ‘Blessed are those who bear pain: for they shall be comforted.’ The result is a work suffused with the glow of humanism, notably less concerned with sin and punishment than many other requiems.

The extraordinary story of what happened to Felix Mendelssohn's music and reputation under the Nazis, told by Sheila Hayman, award-winning director and a descendant of Mendelssohn's sister Fanny. 'A fascinating film that tells how, despite its best efforts, the Third Reich could not extinguish Germany's love of Mendelssohn's work' (The Observer). Recently seen on SBS and now on STVDIO, this fascinating documentary includes musical performances from Steven Isserlis and Daniel Hope.

Doris Dörrie and Tadaschi Endo (director and choreographer) received an Oscar Nomination in 2008 for Best Foreign Language Film (Cherry Blossoms – Hanami). This production received the prestigious Herald Angel Award, Edinburgh International Festival 2009. Recorded live at the Internationale Handel-Festspiele Göttingen, Deutsches Theatre 2009. 'It´s brilliantly played … directed with fine sensibility and sensuality. Weird but delightful.' 5 stars The Times. 'Handel would have enjoyed this enchanting shadow theater!' (Frankfurt Times).

Leonard Bernstein is famous for his Sibelius. His unique and now legendary interpretations are released here for the first time on DVD. Recorded live at Wiener Musikvereinssaal 1990, 1986, 1987, 1988. Bernstein 'painted a canvas of late-romantic splendor with the Philharmonic's sound - the incomparable brilliancy of the strings, the glowing intensity of the brass - in a way that only the greatest conductors can.' (Salzburger Nachrichten on Sibelius Symphony No.1).

Stravinsky The Firebird, Feu d'Artifice Op 4, Boulez introduces Stravinsky's Firebird

Composer and conductor Pierre Boulez is renowned for his interpretations of 20th-century music, and especially the work of Igor Stravinsky. His inspired performance in December 2008 of The Firebird and Fireworks, with the dynamic Orchestre de Paris, proved to be no exception to this rule. Held inside the spectacular Louvre Pyramid before a rapt audience of two thousand people, it was a truly extraordinary musical event. This release also features a presentation of the work with Boulez, in which he discusses the music and genesis of the ballet in depth.

The music says it all. Mozart is cool'. So said the self-confessed 'opera ignoramus' Doris Dörrie before she grabbed hold of one of the sacred cows of the repertoire and transformed it into a 'hippie musical'. Mozart’s Così fan tutte was first staged in Vienna in 1790; it is a timeless opera, one that in fact became increasingly popular in the 20th century as accusations of its triviality were replaced by greater recognition of its depths. Mozart’s delight in juggling the comic and the serious is on full display here, and the opera’s adaptability is proof of it's strength. Under the motto 'To cheat on your partner or not, that is the question', Dörrie stamped an originality on the work which impressed even the sceptical critics at its première in 2001.

Requiring 38 soloists, chorus and large orchestra, Hans Pfitzner’s Palestrina is a challenging opera to stage. In Munich, the city in which it was given its world premiere in 1917, director Christian Stückl and the Bavarian State Opera met those challenges with unequivocal success. Stückl’s production infuses such colour and life into this morally and philosophically serious work that even the German tabloid Abendzeitung delightedly wrote: 'Who would have thought that Pfitzner could be such fun?' Written in a lush late-Romantic idiom, the opera tells how Palestrina, in the face of anti-musical decrees from the Church, composes his great Missa Papae Marcelli and becomes '‘the saviour of contrapuntal music’. The imposing Christopher Ventris as Palestrina heads an outstanding cast, under the musical direction of dynamic Australian conductor Simone Young. BONUS: Making of Palestrina