September 2019 Catalogue Issue 41 Prices valid until Friday 25 October 2019 unless stated otherwise ‘The lover with the rose in his hand’ from Le Roman de la 0115 982 7500 Rose (French School, c.1480), used as the cover for The Orlando Consort’s new recording of music by Machaut, entitled ‘The single rose’ (Hyperion CDA 68277). [email protected] Your Account Number: {MM:Account Number} {MM:Postcode} {MM:Address5} {MM:Address4} {MM:Address3} {MM:Address2} {MM:Address1} {MM:Name} 1 Welcome! Dear Customer, As summer gives way to autumn (for those of us in the northern hemisphere at least), the record labels start rolling out their big guns in the run-up to the festive season. This year is no exception, with some notable high-profile issues: the complete Tchaikovsky Project from the Czech Philharmonic under Semyon Bychkov, and Richard Strauss tone poems from Chailly in Lucerne (both on Decca); the Beethoven Piano Concertos from Jan Lisiecki, and Mozart Piano Trios from Barenboim (both on DG). The independent labels, too, have some particularly strong releases this month, with Chandos discs including Bartók's Bluebeard’s Castle from Edward Gardner in Bergen, and the keenly awaited second volume of British tone poems under Rumon Gamba. Meanwhile Hyperion bring out another volume (no.79!) of their Romantic Piano Concerto series, more Machaut from the wonderful Orlando Consort (see our cover picture), and Brahms songs from soprano Harriet Burns. Another Hyperion Brahms release features as our 'Disc of the Month': the Violin Sonatas in a superb new recording from star team Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien (see below). Opera fans will be eager to hear the latest from Opera Rara, Puccini's Les Willis in its original form, with an impressive cast under Mark Elder. Meanwhile the Bru Zane label brings out the early (1859) version of Gounod’s Faust, with Véronique Gens leading a strong team under Christophe Rousset. On Harmonia Mundi, Raphaël Pichon and his excellent Pygmalion ensemble explore Mozart's development between Die Entführung and the Da Ponte operas by way of a hypothetical dramma giocoso imaginatively constructed from concert arias. Other vocal releases include a Soirée from Magdalena Kožená and friends on Pentatone (with Simon Rattle on piano), a marine-themed disc of orchestral songs from contralto Nicole Lemieux on Erato, and a spectacular anniversary performance of Berlioz's Requiem from John Nelson and the Philharmonia – complete on CD and DVD! Among instrumental releases, Ivo Pogorelich’s first new disc for two decades, featuring sonatas by Beethoven and Rachmaninov on Sony, looks especially compelling, and piano buffs will be pleased to see historical boxes of Backhaus (Decca) and Horowitz (Sony) too. As ever, we have a variety of special offers with which to tempt you: popular labels including Audite and Delphian, Danish label DaCapo on their 30th birthday, British music from EM Records, Russian rarities from Northern Flowers, more Russian fare from the Mariinsky own-label, and LSO Live celebrating its 20th anniversary. We have selected titles from CPO at a generous 40% discount, and DVD & Blu-ray collectors are treated to 60% off clearance titles from the Arthaus catalogue. Best regards from, The Europadisc Team DISC OF THE MONTH Brahms Violin Sonatas £12.95 Alina Ibragimova, Cedric Tiberghien or pay just Hyperion CDA 68200 Matchless accounts of Brahms at his most lyrically reflective, plus a benedictory encore £9.95 by Clara Schumann: this is another outstanding release from today’s pre-eminent violin if your order value and piano partnership. exceeds £50* Among composers whose songs invade the territory of their instrumental music, * to qualify for the special price, Schubert looms large. But Brahms’s lieder also cast a shadow, if in a more subtle your order value must exceed a manner, over his chamber music – and nowhere more palpably so than in the first two total of £50 excluding this recording and before any of his three violin sonatas. applicable carriage charges. It was one of his songs to a poem by his friend Klaus Groth that provided Brahms with Offer available while stocks last. the germ of his Violin Sonata in G major, op.78 – so much so that the work is sometimes known as the ‘Regenlied’ sonata. The sonata’s atmosphere was described by the music critic Eduard Hanslick as being one of ‘resigned reconciliation’. According to Max Kalbeck, Brahms’s Violin Sonata in A major, op.100, was written ‘in anticipation of the arrival of a beloved lady friend’. In keeping with the sonata’s predominantly lyrical character, it begins with a song-like theme (Hanslick noted its similarity to the ‘prize song’ from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg). The fruitful summer months of 1886 also saw Brahms compose his F major cello sonata, op.99, and the dark and dramatic piano trio in C minor, op.101. A fourth chamber work, the Violin Sonata in D minor, op.108, seems to have been completed in all essentials that same year in Hofstetten. 2 PRIORITY NEW RELEASES DG and Decca Strauss, R Adams Also sprach Zarathustra, Short Ride in a Fast Tod und Verklarung, Machine, Harmonielehre, Till Eulenspiegel Common Tones Lucerne FO, Chailly Montreal SO, Nagano £12.50 £12.50 Decca 483 3080 Decca 483 4938 due 13/9 Mozart John Williams Piano Trios Across the Stars Barenboim, Barenboim, (famous film themes) Soltani Mutter, The Recordings Arts £18.95 Orchestra of LA, Williams DG 483 7506 (2CD) due 13/9 £12.50 DG 479 7553 Also available Decca 777 9637 Milos The Sound of Silence – new album from guitarist Milos Karadaglic due 13/9 £12.50 DG 483 7289 Misha & Lily Maisky C20 Classics – Britten, Bartok, Stravinsky, Messiaen etc 2CD due 13/9 £16.95 DG 483 7429 Beethoven Complete Piano Sonatas (r.1960) 8CD + Blu-ray Audio due 13/9 Kempff £43.95 Decca 779 6903 Andre Rieu My Music, My World – The Very Best of Andre Rieu 2CD due 20/9 £15.95 Decca 481 8165 Einaudi Seven Days Walking: Day Seven due 20/9 Einaudi;Mecozzi;Hasa £13.50 Wilhelm Backhaus The Complete Decca Recordings £76.95 Decca 483 4952 (39CD) due 13/9 Marking 50 years since the passing of Wilhelm Backhaus (5 July 1969), Decca brings together, for the first time, the artist’s complete recordings for the label. These new remasterings showcase the incredible integrity of Backhaus’s pianism. Includes landmark recordings of Beethoven - including two Sonata cycles (mono and stereo – the stereo only omits Op.106, not recorded at the time of Backhaus’s death); Brahms’s Concertos and Cello Sonatas (with Fournier); and Backhaus’s celebrated 1954 Carnegie Hall recital. Concerto recordings are with the Wiener Philharmoniker and Clemens Krauss (Beethoven); Karl Böhm (Brahms, Mozart); Carl Schuricht (Brahms); Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (Beethoven); and Günter Wand (Schumann). Includes the first international release of Backhaus’s last public performance – two weeks before he died; and the mono Beethoven Sonata cycle. Packaged in a 2-piece box with 39 CDs, original jackets & spined wallets, and booklet with an extensive new essay by Jonathan Summers (Classical Music Curator of The British Library). The Tchaikovsky Beethoven Project Complete Piano Symphonies, Piano Concertos Concertos, Orch Works Lisiecki, ASMF Gerstein, Czech PO, Bychkov £30.95 £31.95 DG 483 7637 (3CD) due 13/9 Decca 483 4842 (7CD) 3 PRIORITY NEW RELEASES Opera Rara Puccini Le Willis Ermonela Jaho, Arsen Soghomonyan, Brian Mulligan, Opera Rara Chorus, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Mark Elder £14.95 ORC 59 Opera Rara’s recording of Le Willis gives listeners the chance to hear Puccini’s first opera as it has not been heard for more than 120 years. Making use of the new Ricordi edition, Sir Mark Elder conducts a star cast that brings the acclaimed soprano Ermonela Jaho back for her second recording with Opera Rara and introduces the thrilling Armenian tenor Arsen Soghomonyan. This recording includes the two celebrated arias that were added to the revised two-act version of Le Villi and showcases the young and prodigiously talented composer in his first exploration of operatic drama. “The cast was exceptional. Ermonela Jaho is justifiably famous for her Puccini interpretations and superb vocalism. […] Arsen Soghomonyan’s Roberto was equally assured. He has a lovely covered quality in his tone, is thrillingly secured above the stave, and he colours and phrases most musically and effectively. As Guglielmo, Brian Mulligan sang with resonance and bite in a role that tests the singer at both ends of a very wide range” – Alexander Campbell, Classical Source Chandos at £12.95 each CHSA 5220 Korngold Symphony in F sharp, Theme & Variations, Straussiana Hybrid SACD Sinfonia of London;Wilson CHAN 10981 British Tone Poems vol.2 Bliss, Cowen, Fogg, Foulds, Goossens, Hadley, Howell, VWilliams BBC PO;Gamba CHSA 5237 Bartok Bluebeard’s Castle Hybrid SACD Relyea;DeYoung;Bergen PO;Gardner CHAN 20037 Voyage Works for flute and guitar(s) by Piazzolla, Ravel, Brahms, Ibert etc Friend;Ogden;Aquarelle Qt CHAN 20119 Iberia y Francia Piano works by Mompou, Debussy, Albeniz, Ravel and de Falla Cooper King’s College Cambridge due 13/9 The third release in the popular Evensong Live series from the King’s College’s own label. A celebration of British choral music featuring: Byrd Nunc dimittis (The Great Evensong Service); Finzi Lo, the full, final sacrifice; Hadley My beloved spake; Ley A Prayer of Live 2019 Henry VI; Mathias Magnificat (Jesus College Service); Maw One foot in Eden still, I stand; Parry Magnificat (Evening Service ‘The Great), I Was Glad; Rubbra Magnificat Anthems & Canticles (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in A flat); Stanford Nunc dimittis (Evening Service in B Cleobury flat), Magnificat (Evening Service in G); Walton A Litany: Drop, drop, slow tears; Weelkes Magnificat (Short Service); Weir Ascending Into Heaven; Wood Nunc dimittis £9.95 (Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in E flat), Oculi omnium.