CONSUMER INFORMATION SERVICE: NO. 291

APRIL 2016 REPRESENTING TODAY’S GREAT LABELS THIS MONTH'S HIGHLIGHTS

Select Music and Video Distribution Limited 3 Wells Place, Redhill, Surrey RH1 3SL Tel: 01737 645600 Fax: 01737 644065 Index Please click on a label below to be directed to its relevant page. Thank you. . CDs Accentus Music...... page 9 BIS...... page 5 BMMA...... page 9 BR Klassik...... page 6 Bridge Records...... page 9 Carpe Diem...... page 9 Cedille Records...... page 9 Champs Hill...... page 9,10 Chandos...... page 4 Concerto Classics...... page 10 Coro...... page 6 CPO...... page 6,7 Delos...... page 10 Divine Art...... page 10 DSO Live...... page 7 Dynamic...... page 11 Genuin Classics...... page 11 Grand Piano...... page 12 Hyperion...... page 3 Melodiya...... page 12 Oehms Classics...... page 12,13 Ondine...... page 7 Opus Arte...... page 8 Orfeo...... page 8 Orlando Records...... page 13 Paladino Music...... page 13 Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra...... page 8 Quartz...... page 13 Reference Recordings...... page 14 Rondeau Production...... page 14 Solo Musica...... page 14 Somm...... page 8 Sono Luminus...... page 14 SWR Music...... page 8,9 Tactus...... page 14,15 The Gift of Music...... page 7 Toccata Classics...... page 15 Tudor...... page 15

DVDs Arthaus Musik...... page 16,17 C Major Entertainment...... page 17 Dynamic...... page 17 Opus Arte...... page 16 Seventh Art...... page 17

2 APRIL 2016 Highlight of the month Antonín DVOŘÁK, Robert SCHUMANN Piano Concertos

Stephen Hough City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons

Two more rich piano concertos from the unparalleled Stephen Hough and the CBSO (they’ve already won Gramophone’s Record of the Year award twice). The eminent Andris Nelsons conducts, making his Hyperion debut. Schumann and Dvořák each wrote just one piano concerto, the latter being performed here in its fearsomely challenging original version.

CDA68099

Herbert HOWELLS Collegium Regale & other choral works

Trinity College Choir Cambridge, Stephen Layton

Howells’ ‘Coll Reg’ is one of the glories of the Anglican repertoire—a relative outsider to the church providing one of its greatest adornments of the twentieth century. Stephen Layton and his award-winning choir took the trip to Coventry Cathedral for this very special recording.

CDA68105

Max BRUCH Piano Quintet & other works

Goldner String Quartet, Piers Lane

New recordings from the Goldner String Quartet are always a treat. Here, once again, they are joined by Piers Lane for the intriguing Bruch Piano Quintet; also performed are his youthful String Quartet No. 1 and a catchy set of Swedish Dances for violin and piano.

CDA68120

Béla BARTÓK Mikrokosmos 6 & other piano music

Cédric Tiberghien

The remarkably gifted French pianist Cédric Tiberghien turns to the music of Béla Bartók in a wide- ranging programme including the famous Op. 14 Suite and the sixth, and final—most ferocious in its technical demands—book of the Mikrokosmos project.

CDA68123

APRIL 2016 3 Highlight of the month Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Op. 44 (original version) Aram KHACHATURIAN Piano Concerto in D flat major, Op. 38

Xiayin Wang Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Peter Oundjian

After a year away from the concert platform, Xiayin Wang, a specialist in romantic repertoire, presents a new recording of two relatively little-played piano concertos: No. 2 by Tchaikovsky, in its much lesser-known yet virtuosic original version, and Khachaturian’s. The disc also marks the 125th anniversary of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, here conducted by its Music Director, Peter Oundjian. CHSA 5167

Johannes BRAHMS Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34; String Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1

Natacha Kudritskaya, Brodsky Quartet

The Brodsky Quartet presents this second volume in its exploration of Brahms’s complete string quartets. The frst, which also featured the Clarinet Quintet with Michael Collins, received numerous enthusiastic reviews, The Guardian praising the players for their ‘immaculate’ performance.

CHAN 10892

André CAPLET: Les Prières Lili BOULANGER: Clairières dans le ciel Claude DEBUSSY: Trois Mélodies de Verlaine Cécile CHAMINADE: Mélodies

Nicky Spence, Malcolm Martineau CHAN 10893 Young Singer of the Year at the 2015 Opera Awards, Nicky Spence joins the highly praised accompanist Malcolm Martineau, just honoured with an OBE, in this unique collection of French songs from the turn of the last century. This repertoire was very rarely performed in public at that time, the concept of the song recital was very much ahead of its time.

Alfredo CASELLA Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 5; Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 12; Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3), Op. 63; Symphonic Fragments from ‘La donna serpente’, Op. 50

BBC Philharmonic, Gianandrea Noseda

After being named Conductor of the Year at last year’s Musical America Awards, Gianandrea Noseda has been appointed new chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, taking up this new position at the start of the 2017- 2018 season. To celebrate this nomination and the great CHAN 10895(2) achievements that led to it, we have gathered the complete symphonies from his Casella series with the BBC Philharmonic in a two-CD set.

Jacques IBERT Ouverture de Fête; Escales… ; Bacchanale; Divertissement; Hommage à Mozart; Féerique; Sarabande pour Dulcinée; Suite Symphonique (Scènes parisiennes)

Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Neeme Järvi

Neeme Järvi and the OSR continue their exploration of French orchestral music with this fourth album; a merry collection of the best of the vigorously ebullient music from Jacques Ibert. CHSA 5168

4 APRIL 2016 Highlight of the month Domenico SCARLATTI (1685-1757) 18 Sonatas

Yevgeny Sudbin

With the 2005 release of his frst recording for BIS Records, Yevgeny Sudbin catapulted into the pages of the international music press. The disc was a Scarlatti recital that prompted reviewers worldwide to compare the then 24-year old pianist in the most flattering terms to Scarlatti experts such as Horowitz and Pletnev. Since then, Sudbin and BIS have enjoyed a highly successful collaboration spanning 10 years, resulting in numerous acclaimed recordings of both solo programmes and concertos. To celebrate this 10 year anniversary, a new Scarlatti BIS2138 recording seemed the obvious choice. 18 sonatas were selected from the total of 555, a collection of striking, even bewildering, variety and through it all, Sudbin guides us with authority and zeal.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) The Sacred Cantatas Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki With vocal soloists including: Hana Blažiková, Yukari Nonoshita, Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze, Yoshikazu Mera, Gerd BIS9055 Türk, Makoto Sakurada, Peter Kooij This box-set contains the Complete Sacred Cantatas, with Masaaki Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan. Besides the listed cantatas, the recordings also include numerous fragments and alternative movements. Also included is a 208-page booklet with track listings, an essay on the sacred cantatas by Dr Klaus Hofmann, and a 376-page indexed booklet with the sung texts in German, with English translations. (55 Hybrid SACDs) Antonín DVOŘÁK: Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 108 Bohuslav MARTINŮ: Cello Concerto No. 1 (Third version, H 196 III) Christian Poltéra Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Thomas Dausgaard Antonín Dvořák once famously expressed the opinion that the cello was unsuitable as a solo instrument, before going on to compose what was to become one of the most beautiful concertos in the repertoire, something which BIS2157 is admirably brought out in the interaction between Poltéra and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under Thomas Dausgaard. Bohuslav Martinů wrote his First Cello Concerto n 1930 for cello and chamber orchestra, which he revisited in 1939, expanding it for full orchestra. In 1955 he returned to the concerto once again to create a third and fnal version, which has become one of his most enduring works.

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750) Secular Cantatas, Vol. 6 Joanne Lunn, Carolyn Sampson, Robin Blaze, Gerd Türk, Dominik Wörne, Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki The cantata BWV 198, often called the Trauerode (funeral ode), was performed at an imposing ceremony in Leipzig’s Paulinerkirche in 1727, held in order to mark the passing of Christiane Eberhardine, wife of Augustus the Strong, BIS2181 Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Compared to BWV 198, the circumstances surrounding Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083, are far more uncertain: why Bach at a late stage in his life (around 1746) decided to make an arrangement of Pergolesi’s famous Stabat mater is not known.

Jón LEIFS (1899-1968) Complete Songs Finnur Bjarnason, Örn Magnússon Throughout a turbulent life Jón Leifs, something of a cult fgure, composed a number of solo songs all of which are gathered here. Many of these 32 songs give unusually clear insights into the composer; more than Leifs’ work BIS2170 in any other genre, his song writing was often inspired by deeply personal events in his life. This is brought out by Finnur Bjarnason and Örn Magnússon, both stalwart champions of their compatriot. The present performances, originally released on the Smekkleysa label in 2001, have here been remastered by BIS.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791) Piano Concerto No. 5 in D major, K 175; Piano Concerto No. 6 in B flat major, K 238; Three Concertos after J. C. Bach, K 107 (D major, G major, E flat major) Ronald Brautigam Die Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens BIS2084 On the fnal stretch of their series of Mozart’s piano concertos, Ronald Brautigam, Michael Willens and Die Kölner Akademie are working their way backwards through the composer’s catalogue. Here, on the penultimate disc, they have reached the earliest of the original works, composed in 1773 and 1776 respectively.

Frederic MOMPOU, Miquel LLOBET, Joan MANÉN Cançons i danses catalanes Franz Halász On this disc of Catalan ’songs and dances’, Franz Halász presents works for solo guitar by Frederic Mompou, Miquel Llobet and Joan Manén. Mompou’s Cançó i dansa No. 10 was originally written for piano but the composer BIS2092 transcribed the work for guitar himself. Both Cançó i dansa No. 13, based on two traditional Catalan songs, and the Suite Compostelana are original guitar works. Also included is Llobet’s La filadora (‘The Spinner Woman’), Cançó del lladre (‘Song of the Thief’) and La Nit de Nadal (‘Christmas Eve’), whilst Joan Manén’s Fantasia-Sonata closes the programme.

APRIL 2016 5 Antonín DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88; Karneval, Op. 92 Josef SUK: Serenáda for String Orchestra in E flat major, Op. 6 Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons 900145 On this new CD from BR Klassik, Dvořák’s lyrical and cheerful Eighth Symphony is accompanied by Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings. Dvořák’s pupil and son-in-law is audibly influenced by the musical ideas of his teacher, but the Serenade remains an individual work in its own right. In these live and studio recordings, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Mariss Jansons give sensitive, dynamic and majestic interpretations.

Claudio MONTEVERDI Messa a Quattro voci et salmi of 1650, Volume I The Sixteen, Harry Christophers COR16142 Monteverdi’s sacred vocal compositions introduced the expression of powerful and personal emotions to the world of church music. This album comprises some of the fnest works from Monteverdi’s years as director of music at St Mark’s in Venice, published posthumously in 1650 as the Messa a quattro voci et salmi.

Johannes HEROLDT: Matthaeuspassion (Matthew Passion) (1594) Teodoro CLINIO: Passio Secundum Joannem (1595) Ensemble Triagonale This CD features the recording premieres of the St. Matthew Passion by Johannes Heroldt and the St. John Passion by Teodoro Clinio. Both works were composed at virtually the same time (1594-95) and emerged from the 555025-2 rivalry prevailing in Christian Europe. Johannes Heroldt, a Protestant from Jena, composed his German-language St. Matthew Passion, while the Catholic Clinio, penned his St. John Passion in Latin. Both passions are purely vocal works for six voices, and various vocal combinations characterize the individual participants in the passion narrative. Robert FUCHS Symphony No. 1, Op. 37 in C major; Symphony No. 2, Op. 45 in E flat major WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Karl-Heinz Steffens 777830-2 This highly imaginative music, rich in ideas, makes a striking impression with its carefully elaborated details, refned colours, and dynamic nuances that reveal its outstanding qualities. Brahms held Fuchs in great esteem, and compositional luminaries like Mahler, Wolf, Sibelius, Zemlinsky, and Richard Strauss numbered among his pupils.

Dario CASTELLO Sonate Concertate in Stile Moderno 1629 (2nd book) Musica Fiata, Roland Wilson The Sonate Concertate in Stile Moderno published by Dario Castello in two books in 1621 and 1629 were so ground- 555011-2 breaking that they continued to be reprinted until 1658. Castello’s creations were long-lived during the seventeenth century, and have seen a revival of popularity in the last few decades – on this new disc, the Musica Fiata led by Roland Wilson offer exemplary interpretations of sonatas from the second book.

Paul JUON String Quartets Opp. 5 & 11; String Quartets Opp. 29 & 67 Sarastro Quartett ‘The missing link between Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky’ – is how a contemporary critic once termed the late romantic 777883-2 composer Paul Juon. Following the release of his Piano Quartets and his Quintet and Sextet, CPO present his String Quartets. These works combine all the essential traits of Juon’s compositional style; his predilection for irregular rhythms and rhythmic-metrical peculiarities, bold harmonies, and a melodic, unmistakably Russian folk tone.

Vasilije MOKRANJAC (1923-1984) String Quartet in D minor; Sonata for Violin & Piano in G minor; Old Song for Violin & Piano in G sharp minor; Dance for Violin & Piano in E minor Thomas Christian, Evgeny Sinayskiy, Thomas Christian Ensemble 777893-2 Vasilije Mokranjac was one of the most important Serbian composers of the second half of the twentieth century. The String Quartet in D minor composed in 1949 is a work of powerful, romantic ecstasy. The atmospheric spectrum displays dramatic, lyrical, and lively music within the framework of solid formal structures. The same poetic verve distinguishes Mokranjac’s other compositions for violin and piano that can be heard on this disc.

6 APRIL 2016 ANONYMOUS Six Concertos Ketil Haugsand, Les Amis de Philippe Ludger Remy 777780-2 These materials are from the ‘Schranck II’, the rich music collection of the Saxon State and University Library in Dresden. This treasure trove includes many anonymous compositions produced in creative ecstasy but omitting the name of the author.

Carl REINECKE (1824-1910) Die wilden Schwaene, Op. 164 (Poem after Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy-tale) Kirsten Labonte, Gerhild Romberger, Markus Koehler, Shuang Shi, Rebecca Blanz, Christian Kleinert, Schwanen- Ensemble, 777940-2 Peter Kreutz Following the release of Dornroeschen (‘Sleeping Beauty’), CPO present another CD based on the works of Hans Christian Andersen: Die wilden Schwaene (‘The Wild Swans’). This romantic music is destined to win listeners’ hearts, transporting them to a landscape with old castles in ruins and telling a story of days long gone by.

Highlight of the month Gustav MAHLER (1860-1911) Symphony No. 3

Kelley O’Connor, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Women of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas, Jaap van Zweden

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Jaap van Zweden announce the release of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Van Zweden and the DSO were joined by Mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, the Women of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, and the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas. The recording is the seventh DSOLIVE007 by Jaap van Zweden and the Dallas Symphony available on the DSO Live label. It was recorded live in concert from May 21-23, 2015, in the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Centre in Dallas.

Jazz Era Classic Songs from the 30s-50s CCLCDG1288 Immerse yourself in the golden era of jazz. Discover three decades of wireless classics from some of the great jazz singers and composers, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Glen Miller. Your foot is sure to start tapping to these infectious rhythms from a variety of jazz styles.

Music for a Medieval Abbey

On this new release from The Gift of Music timeless music evokes the tranquillity of a medieval abbey. Sung mainly by girls’ voices accompanied by medieval instruments, this music creates an atmosphere of calm reflection and showcases the extraordinary creativity of Europe’s cloistered orders. CCLCDG1289

Highlight of the month Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Sonata in G major, Op. 31 No. 1; Sonata in D major, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘The Tempest’; Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 31 No. 3 ‘La Chasse’; Sonata in F-sharp major, Op. 78 À‘ Thérèse’; Sonata in G major, Op. 79; Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 81a ‘Les Adieux’; Sonata in E minor, Op. 90 Paavali Jumppanen This double-CD release is a fourth volume in pianist Paavali Jumppanen’s ongoing recording cycle of the Beethoven piano sonatas. This release includes Piano Sonatas Nos. 16–18 & 24–27 – written between ODE 1290-2D 1801–02 and 1809–14, and belonging to the middle period of the composer’s oeuvre.

APRIL 2016 7 The Essential Shakespeare: Live Royal Shakespeare Company Francesca Annis, Peggy Ashcroft, Simon Russell Beale, Brian Cox, Sinead Cusack, Judi Dench, Ray Fearon, Ciarán Hinds, Ian Holm, Alan Howard, Derek Jacobi, Emrys James, Ben Kingsley, Jane Lapotaire, Anton Lesser, Ian McKellen, Laurence Olivier, David Oyelowo, Richard Pasco, Michael Pennington, Jonathan Pryce, Roger Rees, Ian Richardson, Alan Rickman, Paul Robeson, Mark Rylance, Paul Scofield, Antony Sher, Donald Sinden, Robert Stephens, Juliet Stevenson, Patrick Stewart, OACD9042BD David Suchet, Janet Suzmanm, David Tennant, Harriet Walter, David Warner, Michael Williams A selection of over 40 scenes and speeches performed in live Royal Shakespeare Company productions from 1959 to the present day, chosen by Gregory Doran, Artistic Director of the RSC and archived at the British Library.

Highlight (1813-1901) of the month Un ballo in maschera

Luciano Pavarotti, Piero Cappuccilli, Gabriele Lechner, Ludmila Schemtschuk, Magda Nádor, Georg Tichy, Franco De Grandis, Goran Simic, Alexander Maly, Franz Kasemann, Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Claudio Abbado

Luciano Pavarotti’s repertoire comprised only a few roles, but his performances and recordings of them wrote and rewrote history. Pavarotti’s Riccardo (Gustavo III) from Giuseppe Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera – a live TV broadcast from 1986 under Claudio Abbado – offers a striking sense C907162I of musical and dramatic immediacy. In this recording of that broadcast from the Vienna State Opera, we can hear a performance both highly nuanced and possessed of an immense radiance, from his very frst ‘Amici mei’ to his touching death scene.

Alessandro SCARLATTI La Gloria di Primavera

Diana Moore, Suzana Ograjenšek, Clint van der Linde, Nicholas Phan, Douglas Williams, Philharmonia Chorale, Bruce Lamott, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Nicholas McGegan

The San Francisco Chronicle called Scarlatti’s La Gloria di Primavera a ‘feast of vocal invention, supplemented by PBP-09 wondrous instrumental writing for a strikingly large orchestra’ after the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Nicholas McGegan presented acclaimed western hemisphere premiere performances in October 2015. PBO and McGegan are delighted to be the frst to record this newly-discovered 300 year old serenata.

David MATTHEWS, Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Quintets

Villiers String Quartet, Martin Cousin

This month’s new release brings an exciting frst recording to the SOMM catalogue – the Piano Quintet, Op. 92 SOMMCD 0157 by David Matthews coupled with an ideal companion piece, the piano quintet by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Folk Music of the World

Cathy Berberian, Harold Lester

Cathy Berberian was a vocal actress par excellence. The intensity and flexibility of her voice, her special vocal techniques and her mix of elegance and wildness were incredible, demonstrated here by this unique collection of folk songs, sung in no fewer than 17 different languages. SWR19010CD

8 APRIL 2016 Volkslieder 2.0 Peer Gynt (Ralf Schmid, inspired by Edvard GRIEG); Volkslieder (Arr. Helge Sunde) Ralf SCHMIDT: Celebrating Beauty in Slow Motion SWR19011CD SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart, SWR Big Band, Morten Schuldt-Jensen Well-known jazz musicians and arrangers took up the challenge to make a unique blend of two completely different ensembles in unusual pieces. The result is more than crossover: the big band’s special, rhythmic energy unites with soaring folk song melodies, resulting in a completely new sound and highlighting the outstanding abilities of both ensembles. Stan Kenton Orchestra – The Stuttgart Experience (1972) Chiapas; Theme from Love Story; The Peanut Vendor; Rhapsody in Blue; Malaga; Intermission Riff; MacArthur Park; Ambivalence; Malagueña; Artistry In Rhythm In 1972, the Stan Kenton Orchestra went on tour through Europe. At this time Stan Kenton was preceded by his JAH-457 reputation as the legend of progressive jazz. The band was in top form and had new material in store – Bill Holman’s Latin earworm Malaga, his arrangement of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, or the title melody Love Story from the eponymous movie hit of 1971, all of which can be heard on this release from SWR Music.

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847) Elias, Op. 70, MWV A 25 Marlis Petersen, Lioba Braun, Maximilian Schmitt, Thomas Oliemans RIAS Kammerchor, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Hans‐Christoph Rademann ACC30356 Hans‐Christoph Rademann began his tenure as Principal Conductor of the RIAS Chamber Choir with Felix Mendelssohn’s ground-breaking oratorio: Elias. After eight productive and successful years, his fnal concert in July 2015 also featured the work. It was a ‘Farewell Performance with Furore’ (Der Tagesspiegel), not least because of the impressive performers involved.

Louis VIERNE (1870-1937) Concert Centenaire II Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor, Op. 23; Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 42 ACC303712 Judith Ingolfsson, Vladimir Stoupel, Rebecca Li, Stefan Fehlandt, Stephan Forck Concert‐Centenaire, the project of Judith Ingolfsson and Vladimir Stoupel, is dedicated to composers whose lives were influenced by the First World War. Included on volume two is Louis Vierne’s richly nuanced Sonata in G minor for violin and piano and the Piano Quintet in C minor, dedicated to Vierne’s son, who was killed in the First World War.

Anton BRUCKNER (1824-1896) Symphony No. 1 – ‘Vienna’ version, 1891, edited by Günter Brosche Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado ACC40274 This LP presents a spectacular live performance of Bruckner’s ground-breaking Symphony No. 1 in Lucerne’s, then, brand new concert hall. This uncompromising interpretation of the First, revealing the originality of the composer’s musical language, is given by the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and Claudio Abbado.

Echoes of Empire

The Band of the Cold Stream Guards, Captain Robert George Evans, Major James Causley Windram, LRAM BMMACG1602 Echoes of Empire is the second of BMMA’s releases to feature remastered historic performances from the Band of the Coldstream Guards. This selection of music has been arranged as a typical bandstand programme from the interwar period. Captain Robert George Evans took command of the Band immediately after WWI, passing off his baton to Major James Causley Windram, who conducted into WWII.

Max REGER (1873-1916) Music for Clarinet and Piano Alan R. Kay, Jon Klibonoff BRIDGE 9461 This beautifully rendered recital presents Max Reger’s three clarinet sonatas, which perfectly illustrate that turbulent period of transition from the Romantic era into the twentieth century. Alan R. Kay, Principal clarinettist of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Jon Klibonoff, frst prize winner of the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, deliver performances that are simultaneously intimate and full of instrumental virtuosity.

APRIL 2016 9 The Way Things Go Randall WOOLF: Righteous Babe; Steven MACKEY: Crystal Shadows; John HALLE: Gaze; Eric MOE: All Sensation is Memory; Belinda REYNOLDS: Share (alto flute and piano); Richard FESTINGER: The Way Things Go; Laura KAMINSKY: Duo for Flute and Piano BRIDGE 9467 Tara Helen O’Connor, Margaret Kampmeier Five of the seven works on Tara Helen O’Connor’s new CD were composed specifcally for her and long-time collaborator, pianist Margaret Kampmeier. They perform this programme with a combination of commitment and virtuosity that is truly compelling.

Thimios ATZAKAS Udopia Thimios Atzakas, Avgerini Gatsi, James Wylie, Nikos Paraoulakis, Elektra Miliadou, Kostas Anastasiadis, Dimitris Zacharakis CD-16309 The debut album of Greek oud virtuoso and composer Thimios Atzakas features a selection of his own compositions and arrangements. His style is strongly influenced by Oriental traditions, which merge with his background in European Jazz and contemporary classical music, creating a sound world of its own that defes any concrete defnitions.

Steve REICH Third Coast Percussion, Steve Reich Third Coast Percussion: David Friend, Oliver Hagen, Matthew Duvall CDR 90000 161 The ‘commandingly elegant’ (New York Times) Third Coast Percussion makes its Cedille label debut with an 80th birthday salute to visionary American composer Steve Reich, a Pulitzer Prize winner and founding father of musical minimalism. This album of sonic delights offers four of the composer’s most celebrated works for percussion.

Timo ANDRES, Andrew NORMAN, Robert HONSTEIN, Christopher CERRONE, Jacob COOPER Hand Eye Eighth Blackbird Hand Eye, the newest project from multiple Grammy award-winning ‘super musicians’ (Los Angeles Times) Eighth Blackbird, CDR 90000 162 features a musical dream team of performers and composers in an album of great beauty, energy, and immediacy. Eighth Blackbird won Grammy awards for all three of its Cedille recordings released between 2007 and 2013.

Alan THOMAS, Joseph V. WILLIAMS II, Carlos Rafael RIVERA, David LEISNER, Clarice ASSAD Sephardic Journey Cavatina Duo, Desirée Ruhstrat, David Cunliffe, Avalon String Quartet CDR 90000 163 Sephardic Journey, the Cavatina Duo’s third and newest Cedille Records album, comprises fve world-premiere recordings of new works written expressly for them; all are based on early Sephardic melodies. Stellar guest artists include Cedille violinist Desirée Ruhstrat and cellist David Cunliffe from the Lincoln Trio and the Avalon String Quartet.

Benjamin BRITTEN, Henry PURCELL Songs by Henry Purcell, realised by Benjamin Britten Joseph Middleton, Robin Blaze, Allan Clayton, Anna Grevelius, Ruby Hughes, Benedict Nelson, Matthew Rose Joseph Middleton leads an exceptional group of singers in a new anthology of Benjamin Britten’s realisations of the CHRCD106 songs of Henry Purcell. Middleton writes that ‘to subsequent generations of performers, the result of the Purcell/Britten marriage wedded the greatest British Baroque composer with the 20th Century’s fnest British song composer in a totally idiosyncratic, vivid and bold way’.

Nocturnal Variations SCHUBERT: Nachtstück D672; Romanze D797; Abendstern D806; Die Sterne D939; Im Abendrot D799; MAHLER: Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen; Um Mitternacht; Urlicht; BERG: Vier Gesänge Op. 2; BRITTEN: Evening, Night; Um mitternacht; At the mid hour of night CHRCD098 Ruby Hughes, Joseph Middleton Soprano Ruby Hughes releases her debut solo recital disc with pianist Joseph Middleton, an anthology of night songs by Mahler, Britten, Berg and Schubert.

10 APRIL 2016 Alexander SCRIABIN Complete Piano Preludes Anthony Hewitt CHRCD072 British pianist Anthony Hewitt records the complete piano works of iconic Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. Inspired by the 100th anniversary of Scriabin’s death in 2015, Hewitt absorbed himself in the composer’s world by memorising all 90 of the preludes, which he describes as having ‘an incredible depth and variety of material, each with its own very distinctive character and mood’.

Charles Villers STANFORD Piano Concerto No. 2 & Works for Solo Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor; Dante Rhapsodies Op. 92; Works from Six Characteristic Pieces; Works from Five Caprices CHRCD042 Benjamin Frith, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew Gourlay This new disc centres on Stanford's Piano Concerto No. 2, dating from 1911, a work which is romantic and ambitious in scale. It begins with a tribute to Rachmaninov’s 2nd, which Stanford had conducted the British premiere of the previous year, with composer as soloist.

Stunden, Tage, Ewigkeiten Heinrich Heine – Lieder Benjamin Appl, James Baillieu CHRCD112 Currently a BBC New Generation Artist, baritone Benjamin Appl makes his Champs Hill debut with a disc of lieder by Grieg, Rubenstein, Schubert, Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn and Schumann. All composers set words by Heinrich Heine, one of the most controversial literary fgures of the last 200 years, whose texts still have surprising relevance today.

Giovanni Battista PERGOLESI, Antonio VIVALDI Stabat Mater Silvia Frigato, Sara Mingardo, Accademia degli Astrusi, Federico Ferri CNT2097 This new CD from Concerto Classics is a live recording of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Vivaldi’s Sinfonia ‘Al Santo Sepolcro’ RV 169 and Nisi Dominus RV 608. Sung by an exceptional cast under the direction of Federico Ferri, this performance from 2010 is an unmissable masterpiece.

Friedrich GERNSHEIM, Johannes BRAHMS Piano Quintets Formosa Quartet, Reiko Uchida Gernsheim’s prolifc, multi-genre output includes a remarkable body of chamber music, of which the Piano Quintet No. DE 3497 2 is a shining example. Pairing it here with Brahms’ immortal Piano Quintet in F Minor enables the attentive listener to compare the two composers’ kindred, late-romantic voices.

Robert NELSON Watercolors Sonja Bruzauskas, Tali Morgulis, Roy Wylie, Timothy Hester, Sophia Silvios, Christopher Neal, Wayne Brooks, Christopher French, Anthony Kitai, Anne Leek, Alexander Potiomkin, Brian Thomas DE 3499 Robert Nelson is a wonderfully inventive and stylistically versatile composer and many of his creations feature artful fusions of classical, jazz and even hard rock. He has a particular affnity for vocal music of all kinds: operas and choral creations – as well as the art song, as exemplifed in this stunning release.

Michael FINNISSY (b. 1946) Singular Voices Music for voice with clarinet and piano Clare Lesser, Carl Rosman, David Lesser MSV28557 In Michael Finnissy’s vocal music, Swinburne rubs shoulders with Petrarch and he is equally at home setting Walt Whitman, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Tasso. This is the 12th in the Métier Finnissy series, celebrating the 70th birthday of this most brilliant of composers.

APRIL 2016 11 Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Giovanna D’Arco Jessica Pratt, Jean-François Borras, Julian Kim, Roberto Cervellera, Emanuele Cordaro Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Chorus of the Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, Riccardo Frizza CDS7676 Giovanna D’Arco, Verdi’s seventh opera, was premièred at La Scala in Milan on 15th February, 1845. It was written between the composition of I Due Foscari and Alzira, a period when Verdi was already enjoying popularity as a recognised heir to Bellini and Donizetti. Giovanna D’Arco contains a wealth of beautiful music that displays Verdi’s infallible theatrical sense and perfect dramatic timing, both hallmarks of his style.

Duke ELLINGTON (1899-1974) Piano Works Luigi Palombi This CD features the most important piano works of Duke Ellington. While remaining close to the original manuscripts, CDS7743 the performances are fresh and inventive, meeting the challenge of balancing faithfulness to the written score with the interpreter’s own inspiration and creativeness. Luigi Palombi brings added value to the recording with his intellectual curiosity and experience in a wide range of musical settings, from chamber to orchestral, with the Jazz Discovery Ensemble.

Georg Frideric HANDEL (1685-1759) Rodelinda Regina De’ Longobardi CDS7724 Sonia Ganassi, Franco Fagioli, Paolo Fanale, Gezim Myshketa, Marina De Liso, Antonio Giovannini, Piero Barbareschi, Massimo Tannoia, Giuseppe Petrella, Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Diego Fasolis As with the majority of Handel’s stage works, Rodelinda is composed in a purely Italian style. In line with the norms of Italian opera, it consists of solo da capo arias interspersed with secco recitatives and, occasionally, with accompanied ones.

Ondine Works by Robert SCHUMANN and Maurice RAVEL Irinia Georgieva Sofa Gubaidulina has praised pianist Irinia Georgieva’s ‘wealth of tonal colours, musical power, depth of artistic conception, and impeccable sense of form’. The recordings that make up Ondine testify to this assessment. Her second GEN16408 disc with Genuin Classics presents poetic works by Robert Schumann and Maurice Ravel that flow in surges and waves.

Widmungen Works by SCHUBERT, LISZT, SCHUMANN and GODOWSKY William Youn, Isabelle Catherine Vilmar William Youn and Isabelle Catherine Vilmar present a two-sided program in the latest Genuin Classics CD by Movimentos GEN16416 Edition, featuring Romantic songs by Schumann and Schubert and transcriptions of these songs for piano by Franz Liszt. Miniature dramas with and without words performed by two exceptional young artists.

Eugène YSAŸE (1858-1931) Ysaÿe & Yvonne Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27 by Eugène Ysaÿe Yvonne Smeulers GEN16417 If Bach’s solo violin sonatas are the Old Testament for violinists, Ysaÿe’s six works are certainly the New. Yvonne Smeulers, one of the Netherlands’ leading violinists, is here their prophet. In the bonus video included with the CD, she speaks about Ysaÿe and her relationship with these pieces.

Franz SCHUBERT (1797-1828) Sonata in D major D 850, ‘Gastein Sonata’; 3 Klavierstücke D 946 Paul Badura-Skoda GEN16425 On his 13th Genuin Classics CD the great Schubert interpreter and grand seigneur of the piano – Paul Badura-Skoda – interprets music by Franz Schubert. The program includes the Sonata in D major, D 850 and the three late Klavierstücke D 946.

Incantations Works by ROSSINI, ROZMAN, DEBUSSY, MENDELSSOHN, DOPPLER, CLARKE, MARAIS and SAINT-SAËNS Quintessenz, Leipzig Flute Ensemble With their third Genuin Classics CD, the Quintessenz Leipzig Flute Ensemble is once again treating us to the magical GEN16421 sounds of the flute, whilst celebrating their 20-year anniversary. Incantations presents music from composers including Mendelssohn, Rossini and Saint-Saëns, and also features two world-premiere recordings of works dedicated to the ensemble.

12 APRIL 2016 Erwin SCHULHOFF (1894-1942) Piano Works, Vol. 3 Suite Dansante en Jazz; 9 Kleine Reigen, Op. 13; Ostinato; 5 Études de Jazz; Zez CONFREY: Kitten on the Keys Caroline Weichert GP723 Spanning almost two decades of Erwin Schulhoff’s output, this programme includes the rarely heard Neun Kleine Reigen, as well as Suite Dansante en jazz, one of the last of his works to be overtly indebted to jazz idioms. The album concludes with Zez Confrey’s ragtime Kitten on the Keys to which Schulhoff pays his own tribute in the last movement of Cinq Études de Jazz.

ALMEIDA PRADO (1943-2010) Cartas Celestes, Vol. 1 Aleyson Scopel GP709 Celestial Charts is, arguably, Brazilian composer José Antônio Rezende de Almeida Prado’s most important achievement. Using a new harmonic language dubbed ‘transtonality’, this set of works is described by pianist Aleyson Scopel as ‘a heroically audacious cycle’ that depicts the sky and constellations in ‘colours, light, darkness and an almost mythological understanding and approach to the universe’.

Alexander MOSOLOV (1900-1973) Complete Works for Solo Piano Olga Andryushchenko GP703-04 Famed for his futurist orchestral piece The Iron Foundry, Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov began to forge new directions through his use of motor rhythms, percussive attacks, and melodic angularity. Imprisoned for eight months in 1937, he later sank into undeserved obscurity. In the four surviving Piano Sonatas, Mosolov shows himself to be one of the boldest and most complex Russian composers of his time.

TCHAIKOVSKY, BALAKIREV, CHAPLYGIN, KURBATOV

Vadym Kholodenko

This intriguing programme from young Russian pianist Vadym Kholodenko – making his recorded debut with Melodiya – MELCD 1002365 includes Balakirev’s Piano Sonata No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Six Pieces on a Single Theme, Op. 21. The disc also features works written by contemporary composers – Evgeny Chaplygin’s Little Cyprian Music and a minimalist suite Lost in Darkness by Alexey Kurbatov.

PUCCINI, VERDI, LEONCAVALLO, DONIZETTI, TCHAIKOVSKY Zurab Anjaparidze: Arias and Scenes from Operas Zurab Anjaparidze, O. Klenov, T. Milashkina, V. Levko Choir and Orchestra of the State Academic , Mark Ermler, Boris Khaikin MELCD 1002373 Melodiya presents recordings of the prominent and soloist of the USSR Bolshoi Theatre Zurab Anjaparidze. The album includes fragments from the operas for which Anjaparidze became renowned: The Queen of Spades, , Aida, as well as Verdi’s Il Trovatore and Otello, Puccini’s Tosca and Manon Lescaut, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.

Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953) Ballets 125th Anniversary Edition M. Chernyakhovsky, A. Futer, The Stage Brass Band of the Bolshoi Theatre, The Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, The USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, The Symphony Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, MELCD 1002430 Melodiya presents a set of recordings of Sergei Prokofev’s ballets, commemorating his 125th anniversary, whose contribution to 20th century music cannot be overestimated. Included in this set: Chout Le pas d’acier, Le Fils prodigue, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Sur le Borysthène, The Tale of the Stone Flower, and a bonus recording of the second suite from Romeo and Juliet conducted by Prokofev himself.

Camille SAINT-SAËNS: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 Édouard LALO: Cello Concerto in D minor Frank MARTIN: Ballade for Cello and Orchestra Wen-Sinn Yang Giessen Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Hofstetter OC1838 Wen-Sinn Yang and Michael Hofstetter have prepared a purely French programme for this new CD released on Oehms Classics, beginning with the famous Cello Concerto of Camille Saint-Saëns. Although Symphonie espagnole is Édouard Lalo’s best-known work, when listening to this recording it will become clear that the Cello Concerto in D minor is no less passionate.

APRIL 2016 13 Johann Wilhelm HÄSSLER (1747-1822) Piano Works by J. W. Hässler Anthony Spiri OC444 To complement the W. F. Bach CD by Anthony Spiri, it seemed appropriate to call attention to the person and works of Johann Wilhelm Hässler with another CD release. He enjoyed great esteem during the 19th century as a successor to the ‘Bach tradition’, alongside Friedrich Zelter and Felix Mendelssohn. Founder of the so-called Russian piano school, his piano compositions and pedagogical works were a mainstay of the repertoire. Norddeutsche Orgelmeister (‘North German Organ Masters’)

Joseph Kelemen

Joseph Kelemen is one of the most renowned organists of our time and has recorded a number of CDs for Oehms Classics. OC014 In this box, the label presents the recordings of the North German organ masters Vincent Lübeck, Matthias Weckmann, Nicolaus Bruhns, Heinrich Scheidemann, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and the Praetorius’s.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN, Henry PURCELL, Johann Sebastian BACH, Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY, Antonín DVOŘÁK, Béla BARTÓK, Heitor VILLA-LOBOS, Astor PIAZZOLLA, Johanna DODERER Arcord Inspired by Songs and Dances Ana Topalovic, Nikola Djoric OR0023 Arcord contains a collection of pieces based on arias and dances, ranging from baroque to contemporary music. Works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bartók, Dvořák, Villa-Lobos, Purcell, Piazzolla, and Doderer can be heard on the album, all arranged by Topalovic and Djoric. A composition by Johanna Doderer, an important Austrian composer, arranged for cello and accordion and dedicated to Topalovic and Djoric, is also featured.

Teodorico PEDRINI Complete Violin Sonatas Joyce Lindorff, Nancy Wilson PMR0057 Teodorico Pedrini is the only 18th century composer that we can be certain wrote European music in China, where he arrived after an eight year long journey from Italy. After his arrival in Beijing in 1711, he worked for the emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong until his death in 1746. Today he is remembered as one of the most important ever cultural ambassadors of Western music in Asia.

Franz LISZT Poetic Fantasies: Liszt’s Transcriptions and Monuments Sergio Gallo QTZ2113 A Steinway artist, Sergio Gallo specialises in the repertoire of the Romantic period, especially Liszt and his contemporaries. His recordings have received high praise from Gramophone (of his most recent Villa-Lobos recording: ‘splendid playing of a lively programme… [a] nuanced performance…played with exceptional artistry’) and American Record Guide (‘it is hard to imagine a pianist leaving me with a more intense feeling of nobility’). Igor STRAVINSKY Piano Ballets: Petrushka; The Rite of Spring Katya Apekisheva, Charles Owen QTZ2117 According to Stravinsky, Petrushka started out as ‘an orchestral work with the piano playing the most important part – a kind of Konzertstück’. Stravinsky almost invariably composed at the piano – the shape of his ideas was determined by the instrument’s essentially percussive nature. The piano-duo version is therefore no mere arrangement but the original source out of which the orchestral score was fashioned.

Augusta Read THOMAS, Nico MUHLY, Andrew NORMAN Dawn to Dusk FR-719 Colin Currie, Utah Symphony, Thierry Fischer Dawn to Dust contains live recordings of three signifcant and adventurous works by leading composers Augusta Read Thomas, Nico Muhly, and Andrew Norman. World-renowned percussionist Colin Currie performs on Andrew Norman’s ‘Switch.’

14 APRIL 2016 Dresden Passion

Cappella Sagittariana Dresden, Norbert Schuster

For several years, the Cappella Sagittariana Dresden has stood for period performance at the highest level as well as sophisticated programme concepts. Dresden Passion is yet another remarkable dramaturgy presented by ROP612122 the ensemble’s artistic director, Norbert Schuster. Marco Gioseppe Peranda’s (c. 1625-1675) rendition of the Gospel of Mark is the centrepiece of this recording. However, it is complemented by reflectivef gural music by Christoph Bernhard, Anton Colander, Johann Hermann Schein, Heinrich Schütz and Samuel Seidel.

Songs of Life and Death

Ensemble Vocapella Limburg, Ensemble Impronta, Tristan Meister

This new recording by Tristan Meister and the award-winning Ensemble Vocapella Limburg features works by Friedrich Silcher, Franz Schubert and Richard Strauss alongside commissioned and dedicated compositions by Vytautas Miškinis, Nikodemus Gollnau, Alwin Michael Schronen and Maarten Van Ingelgem. The singers are ROP6102 joined by the musicians of the Ensemble Impronta.

Antonio VIVALDI, Astor PIAZZOLLA 8 Seasons

Liv Migdal, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin SM235 Between 1965 and 1969 Piazzolla composed a cycle of four compositions, Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas for a quintet comprising a violin, electric guitar, piano, double bass and bandoneon. This work is a fusion of artistic initiatives, combining the fundamental traits of jazz, classical works and Afro-Hispanic music. Here the work is paired with Antonio Vivaldi’s seemingly immortal Four Seasons.

Daniel ELDER, John TAVENER, Nicolai KEDROV, Jón LEIFS, Robert VUICHARD, William SCHUMAN, Anna THORVALDSDOTTIR Crossing Over DSL-92200 Skylark Crossing Over is comprised of compositions that depict the dream state at the end of life. Featuring unique voices in choral composition from around the world, and including several world premiere recordings, Crossing Over will take audiences on a musical and emotional journey that will tap deeply into the human spirit and illuminate the mystery of the end of mortal life and the possibilities of a life beyond. (Blu-Ray Audio & CD) Cory HILLS Drum Factory Cory Hills

Multi-percussionist, composer, and improviser Cory Hills thrives on breaking down musical barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. Currently, Hills is an active performer, composer, and recording artist in DSL-92199 Los Angeles, as well as a member of the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet. An advocate of new music, Hills has individually commissioned and premiered over 85 new works for percussion. He has given solo and chamber recitals across Europe, Australia, The United States, Mexico, and China.

Giuseppe MARTUCCI (1856-1909) Opera Omnia per violoncello e pianoforte (‘Complete Works for Cello and Piano’) Jacopo Francini, Alessandro Deljavan

Highly appreciated by Franz Liszt and Anton Rubinstein, Giuseppe Martucci was a great concert performer and TC 851303 music teacher (amongst his pupils we can name Guido Alberto Fano and Ottorino Respighi). Nevertheless, today his music is almost totally forgotten, when in fact, he gave new life to Italian symphonic and chamber music from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th. This CD presents his complete production for cello and piano in wonderful performance by Jacopo Francini and Alessandro Deljavan.

APRIL 2016 15 Carlo Antonio MARINO (1670-1735) Concerti e Sonate per archi e continuo (‘Concertos and Sonatas for strings and continuo’) Stefano Montanari, Ensemble ‘Carlo Antonio Marino’, Natale Arnoldi

With this second instalment of music by Carlo Antonio Marino Tactus continues its re-discovery of the instrumental TC 671302 music by the violin virtuoso from Bergamo. The writing by Marino is marked by his solid compositional skill and innovation. The Carlo Antonio Marino baroque Ensemble, directed by Natale Arnoldi, has dedicated many years to the discovery of this composer and on this recording they emphatically accompany Stefano Montanari, considered by many the greatest baroque violin virtuoso worldwide.

Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945) Bartók by Arrangement Music for Viola

Vidor Nagy, Péter Nagy, Divertimento Budapest TOCC0351 The Hungarian viola virtuoso Vidor Nagy has now transcribed three of Bartók’s most important violin works for viola: the Second Violin Sonata of 1922, the Sonata for Solo Violin commissioned by Menuhin in 1943 and the First Rhapsody for Violin and Piano of 1928. His own electrifying recordings set a benchmark against which all future performances will be judged.

Johann George LICKL (1769-1843) Three Oboe Quartets, Op. 26 Lajos Lencsés, Natalie Chee, Paul Pesthy, Ansgar Schneider, Dirk Altmann, Wolfgang Wipfler, Libor Sima TOCC0350 Johann Georg Lickl was born not far from Vienna, where he studied with Haydn and Albrechtsberger. In 1805 he took up the post of regens chori in the cathedral in Fünfkirchen (now Pécs in Hungary) and stayed there for the rest of his life. The Cassation for winds on this recording was once thought to have been written by Mozart, which gives some indication of the quality of Lickl’s work.

Joachim STUTSCHEWSKY (1891-1982) Chamber Music Musicians of the Pittsburgh Jewish Music Festival: Aron Zelkowicz, Luz Manriquez, Jennifer Orchard, Marissa Byers TOCC0314 Joachim Stutschewsky is one of a group of Russian-born composers now being recognised as the ‘New Jewish School’. Stutschewsky confronted his identity as a Jewish musician by melding the Mediterranean sounds of his adopted Israel with the early klezmer influences of his youth in Ukraine. He gave his own instrument, the cello, rhapsodic treatment in the explicitly cantorial and folk-infused short pieces on this disc. The two trios, The Klezmer’s Wedding and Hassidic Fantasy, are expertly arranged suites of nigunim – Jewish tunes.

Johann Adolf HASSE (1699-1783) Complete Solo Cantatas, Volume One

Jana Dvořáková, Veronika Mráčková Fučíková, Rozálie Kousalíková, Ondřej Macek TOCC0228 The chamber cantatas of Johann Adolph Hasse were written for private performance in the palaces of the powerful, where Hasse enjoyed the patronage of the very highest ranks of society. With the eclipse of his fame after his death, these works were scattered across Europe, and this frst complete recording was made possible only by many years of detective work. These cantatas reveal the keen sense of drama that animated his operas.

GLUCK, MOZART, CHERUBINI, BEETHOVEN, WEBER, MENDELSSOHN Ouvertüren (‘Overtures’) Bamberger Symphoniker, Karl-Heinz Steffens TUD7195 The ancient world, while its spirit can still inspire visitors to the Acropolis or the temples at Agrigento, is less visible today. And yet, it remains present in the masterpieces of classical and romantic music. This recording has no didactic aim. It is about bringing these masterpieces back into the limelight. They are joined by the coronation music from Idomeneo, now justly considered a unique ballet suite from the genius of Mozart.

Franz KROMMER (1759-1831) 3 Flute Quartets Andreas Blau, Christoph Streuli, Ulrich Knörzer, David Riniker TUD7199 By championing lesser known works, members of the Berliner Philharmoniker have increased their appeal. The Flute Quartets of Franz Krommer recorded here are a perfect example. They reveal virtuoso writing for the flute, to which the cello is an equal partner. Themes are distinctive, with unconventional harmonies that weave through all four voices amidst characteristic changes of tempo and early romantic touches.

16 APRIL 2016 Highlight of the month William SHAKESPEARE The Globe Collection Shakespeare 400: 1616-2016

This collection brings together 20 productions from 2009 to 2014, during the artistic directorship of Dominic Dromgoole. Featuring the fnest actors and leading directors, it is part of a project committed to creating ever wider access to this rich cultural heritage. In it there is dazzling poetry, romance, epic power struggles, human tragedy, and ingenious and raucous comedy.

OA1209BD

Highlight of the month William SHAKESPEARE Henry V Royal Shakespeare Company Recorded live at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, March 2015.

Alex Hassell, Jane Lapotaire, Sarah Parks, Leigh Quinn, Joshua Richards, Simon Thorp, Anthony Byrne, Sean OA1206D Chapman, Oliver Ford Davies, Robert Gilbert, Gregory Doran

Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people. Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes will unite his country. OABD7196D

William SHAKESPEARE OA1208BD King & Country Box Set Richard II; Henry IV Part I; Henry IV Part II; Henry V

Gregory Doran directs King and Country: Shakespeare’s Great Cycle of Kings – the complete cycle of Richard II, Henry IV Parts I & II and Henry V. David Tennant plays the title role in Richard II, with Antony Sher and Jasper Britton OABD7198BD as Falstaff and Henry IV respectively in Henry IV Parts I & II. Alex Hassell follows his performance as Prince Hal in Henry IV Parts I & II as Henry V in the fnal play in the tetralogy.

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART Mozart for the People 109174 Live from the Amerikahaus in Munich, February 27, 1981 Sonata No.4 in E-flat major K. 282; Sonata No.9 in D major K. 311; Sonata No.12 in F major K. 332; Fantasia in C minor K. 475; Sonata No.14 in C minor K. 457; Aria ‘In diesen heil‘gen Hallen’ from The Magic Flute, arranged by Friedrich Gulda Friedrich Gulda This recital from the Amerikahaus in Munich features Friedrich Gulda, playing works by Mozart in a version especially for 109189 purists. Gulda presents his crystal-clear interpretations of the sonatas with his unique spirit, indisputable virtuosity and musical tactfulness. His live-presence is, as always, a guarantee of a marvellous musical experience.

WAGNER, MAHLER, BERG, LIGETI, NANCARROW, VARASE, REICH DEBUSSY, STRAVINSKY, SCHOENBERG, BOULEZ, MESSIAEN, TAKEMITSU, RAVEL, BARTOK, SHOSTAKOVICH, LUTOSŁAWSKI, GERSHWIN, IVES, CAGE, CARTER, FELDMAN, COPLAND, ADAMS, WEILL, 109237 RILEY, BERNSTEIN, STRAUSS, WEBERN, STOCKHAUSEN, BRITTEN, BERIO, HENZE, KURTÁG, GUBAIDULINA, BIRTWISTLE, KNUSSEN, TURNAGE Sir Simon Rattle Conducts and Explores Music of the 20th Century City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle 109222 Written and presented by Sir Simon Rattle, the foremost British conductor of our day, this series forms a fascinating introduction to, and overview of, the music of the twentieth century. Winner of the British Academy of Film and Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Arts Programme 1997

APRIL 2016 17 Ludwig van BEETHOVEN 109223 Fidelio Live from the Zurich Opera House, 2004

Jonas Kaufmann, Camilla Nylund, Alfred Muff, László Polgár Orchestra and Chorus of the Zurich Opera House, Nikolaus Harnoncourt 109224 Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio never ceases to fascinate audiences with its spellbinding story of true love. In this production, Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund skilfully portrays the opposing characters of the loving wife, Leonore, and her alter ego, the young man Fidelio. The internationally renowned tenor Jonas Kaufmann is her counterpart Florestan, a suffering prisoner, brought back to life by marital love.

Highlight (1826-1917) of the month Ludwig MINKUS Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote Staged by: Raffaele Del Savio; Recorded at the Teatro alla Scala, 2015 735708 Natalia Osipova, Leonid Sarafanov, Riccardo Massimi, Matthew Endicott, Giuseppe Conte Teatro alla Scala, Alexander Titov

This production from Teatro alla Scala presents Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote in the legendary choreography of Rudolf Nureyev. By fusing together the worlds of Commedia dell´Arte and classical ballet Nureyev creates a visually stunning work. With its sparkling energy and the bright colours of the staging by Raffaele Del Savio and Anna Anni, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, transports audiences to an enchanting Spain, with gypsy 735804 dances, fandangos, matadors, windmills and the airy candour of the Garden of the Dryads. The ballet of Teatro alla Scala and the classical ballet stars Natalia Osipova and Leonid Sarafanov make this a breath-taking, and distinctive performance.

Jacques OFFENBACH (1819-1880) 735508 Les Contes d’Hoffman (‘Tales of Hoffmann’) Staged by: Stefan Herheim; Recorded at the Bregenz Festival, 2015

Daniel Johansson, Kerstin Avemo, Mandy Fredrich, Rachel Frenkel, Michael Volle Wiener Symphoniker, Johannes Debus Bregenz’s Tales of Hoffmann is different from everything you’ve seen before. The New York Times praised the ‘thoughtfulness and creativity’ of Stefan Herheim’s new production, devised by the director as a search for one’s own self in a sparkling drag 735604 show. Hoffmann is embodied by tenor Daniel Johansson, and supported by a fantastic cast: ‘Rachel Frenkel is positively ideal as Muse and Niklausse’ (Kurier), Kerstin Avemo as Olympia is ‘endowed with brilliant, cheekily extemporized coloraturas’ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), Michael Volle sings the parts of Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dappertutto, ‘the work’s four villains, with warmth and intensity’ (NYT) and Mandy Fredrich is a ‘fnely phrased Antonia’ (Kurier).

Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901) Giovanna D’Arco Staged by: Fabio Ceresa; Recorded at the Festival della Valle d’Itria, Martina Franca, Italy, July 2013

Jessica Pratt, Jean-François Borras, Julian Kim, Roberto Cervellera, Emanuele Cordaro Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia, Chorus of the Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari, Riccardo Frizza

Giovanna D’Arco, Verdi’s seventh opera, was premièred at La Scala in Milan on 15th February, 1845. It was written between the composition of I Due Foscari (November 1844) and Alzira (August 1845), a period when Verdi was 37676 already enjoying popularity as a recognised heir to Bellini and Donizetti. After the success of Nabucco, which had launched him onto the Italian operatic scene, the Venetian triumph of Ernani cemented Verdi’s reputation as a composer of stature, both at home and abroad. Giovanna D’Arco contains a wealth of beautiful music that displays Verdi’s infallible theatrical sense and perfect dramatic timing, both hallmarks of his style.

Goya: Visions of Flesh And Blood

Francisco Goya is considered to be the father of modern art. A brilliant observer of everyday life and Spain’s troubled past, and a social commentator par excellence, Goya took the genre of portraiture to new heights. With stunning location footage, an exposition of Goya’s revealing letters and an exploration of his greatest work, this flm builds a fascinating portrait of the painter and his colourful world. Filmed and Directed by David Bickerstaff. SEV190

18 APRIL 2016