‘Poschner’s performance has the distinction of being the fastest on any official label and is enlivened by some notably vigorous playing, especially from the timpani…’ – Gramophone

‘Guerra-Peixe was clearly a political composer, but also a damn fine one. This recording is part of a series of music from Brazil.’ – Cultural Attaché

‘[The Avalon String Quartet] unfold the sound of the ensemble in a differentiated manner that does not conceal the structures. In doing so, they breathe new life into the three works with a contemporary approach.’ – Pizzicato

Johann Simon Mayr’s music stands on the cusp between the Classical and Romantic eras. The expressive lyrical qualities in his religious music reflects a career in which he composed nearly 70 operas. The Messa solenne follows the Italian tradition of messa concertata and contains the full ordinary – a rarity for Mayr’s output in this genre. The work’s polyphonic sections made an especially lasting impression on churchgoers of the time, as witnessed by Mayr’s first biographer, Girolamo Calvi, who wrote enthusiastically about this work’s ‘exquisite vocal writing’ and ‘profoundly thrilling’ virtuosity – qualities that have remained hidden for nearly 200 years.

‘Fabrice Bollon and his Staatskapelle Halle orchestra do full justice to the colourful, eccentric score, and remind the listener that Strauss was one of the greatest orchestrators in the history of music. A very welcome disc.’ – Classical CD Choice

Nearly half of Franz Liszt’s early output consisted of transcriptions and arrangements, filling out his virtuoso concert programmes with some of the grandest and most popular operas of the day. He cleverly weaves themes through a dramatic Grande Fantaisie on Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, while the Fantasia on Mercadante’s Il giuramento is a superb example of Liszt’s flamboyant and virtuosic earlier style. All of these works require delicate brilliance and precision alongside a superb technique to meet their fearsome challenges – the Rondeau fantastique on Manuel García’s ‘El contrabandista’ is one of the most technically demanding pieces Liszt ever composed.

‘Skrowaczewski begins with an elegant and finely differentiated, incredibly colourful version of the Valses Nobles et sentimentales. He gives the ballet Ma mère l’oye a wonderfully magical, sensual and suggestive character.’ – Pizzicato

‘These are Lars Vogt’s last trio recordings, and listening to the way he explores Schubert’s music with an almost shy subtlety and makes it resound, often even blossom joyfully, one can only marvel.’ – ICMA

‘Mao Fujta is a 22-year-old Japanese pianist, a prize winner with a dazzling technique. Yet it isn’t the speed and accuracy of his playing of the Impromptu in A♭ that most impresses me, but the reflective and subsequently dramatic rendition of pieces like the less often recorded Allegro de concert.’ – Fanfare

‘David Lively’s playing is extremely virtuosic, and the orchestral part is finely differentiated and richly detailed in structure and sound. …this brilliant and exciting recording easily takes its place at the top of the catalogue.’ – Pizzicato ★★★★★

‘…thrilling accounts of the scherzo and finale.’ – ClassicsToday.com

‘The performers, most of whom are members of the Berlin Philharmonic and, with Jan Vogler and other illustrious names, play this music with a keen sense of its character. Each of them is committed to his work with vigour and refinement, making this collection a great experience for this Czech composer.’ – Pizzicato

This album presents the complete solo works for guitar by two Catalan contemporaries, the cellist Gaspar Cassadó and the pianist Federico Mompou. Cassadó wrote six guitar works connected to his friendship with Andrés Segovia, mostly based on folk elements such as the sardana, a traditional Catalan circle dance. In Mompou’s works for guitar, the influence of his mysticism and attachment to Catalan folklore are undeniable. He composed primarily for piano but he also wrote three pieces for guitar, notably Suite compostelana for Segovia. The hypnotic, austere and lyrical elements in this work distil Mompou’s compositional genius.

‘Kim Josephson sings the role of the Prince of Salina with great commitment and a secure voice. Tenor Minghao Liu is no less convincing as Tancredi Falconeri, the Prince’s nephew, with some very passionate singing.’ – Pizzicato ★★★★

‘The Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen has embraced this idiosyncratic language with dedication. …The musicians prove themselves equal to the unfamiliar pitches and also succeed in confidently presenting the expressive values of the music. Baty’s voice enlivens these love songs with its dark, almost earthy timbre.’ – Pizzicato ★★★★★

During his lifetime, Oskar Merikanto (1868–1924) enjoyed unparalleled popularity as the most celebrated composer in Finnish households. Even today, his compositions remain ubiquitous, gracing events such as weddings and funerals. Merikanto, an accomplished pianist and organist, possessed a particular gift for writing memorable melodies. His enduring appeal is evident in his extensive body of work, comprising over 200 songs, numerous duets, several choral compositions, and nearly 200 piano pieces. As the year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Oskar Merikanto, baritone Waltteri Torikka pays tribute to the composer by presenting 29 of his melodies in this album.

‘The best reason to check out these reissues is the Dvořák Piano Concerto with Rudolf Firkušný, one of the work’s great champions. Susskind and the St Louis players provide a Brahmsian breadth and wonderful support. The immediacy of their interplay is captivating’ – BBC Music Magazine ★★★★

Fernando Lopes-Graça, one of Portugal’s most prolific and innovative 20th-century composers, was steeped in the folk songs of various provenances. In this third instalment (the earlier volumes are on 8.579039 and 8.579082) Lopes-Graça sets some of the greatest of all Portuguese poets. His exploration of harmonic complexity and progressive writing is distantly rooted in Debussy and laced with other subtle French elements. Premiere recordings of the kaleidoscopic Old English and French songs, which run the gamut of emotions, are among his earliest settings of foreign folk songs.

‘…Triendl plays with a wonderful evenness of touch and carefully controlled dynamic range as well as an innate sense of musical line and phrase. …in Tzigane and Triendl [Labor] has found the best possible advocates.’ – MusicWeb International

‘…Poschner conducts a fast-paced performance in all four movements. …with excellent sound, this new version is a recommendable option if you want to hear the symphony in its 1872 form.’ – Gramophone

‘The poised, elegant performances by Abbey Simon with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra under Heribert Beissel, released in the 1970s, were always among the most attractive versions of these works… Even more than half a century after these readings were created, they retain their power in exploring the intricacies of Chopin’s limited contribution to piano-and-orchestra creations.’ – Infodad.com ★★★★

‘These are performances of lyrical expression and effortless mastery, ably augmented by the sound of the orchestra.’ – Classical Candor

‘Alfred Reiter is just over the top enough as the irascible Jeronimus, Liviu Holender is suitably funny and a really strong singer as Henrik. Monika Buczkowska and Michael Porter as the young lovers sing a couple of really lovely soprano/tenor duets and definitely up the eye candy factor.’ – operaramblings

‘Dietrich Henschel is brilliant as Faust. He sings well and really conveys the sense of Faust as a deeply puzzling character who knows much but often refuses to credit it. Daniel Brenna is also vocally quite spectacular on occasions but again it’s really his encapsulation of a Mephistopheles who is sardonic and evil but who, ultimately, is just doing a job he’s done millions of times before.’ – operaramblings

‘Conductor Donald Runnicles nicely harnesses the massive orchestral forces, and the singers (especially Iain Paterson’s Wotan, Elisabeth Teige’s Sieglinde and Nina Stemme’s Brunnhilde) handle the treacherous vocal writing spectacularly.’ – The Flip Side

The Christopher Wheeldon Collection is a dazzling showcase of the theatrical imagination of The Royal Ballet’s Artistic Associate, Christopher Wheeldon. With a stellar creative team, including designer Bob Crowley and composer Joby Talbot, he brings to life three celebrated works of fiction that pop as vividly on the screen in this collection as they did on stage for audiences watching live in the theatre.

‘[Seokjong Baek’s] soft singing captures a vulnerability that eludes some Samsons and there are some breathtaking high pianissimos in his long duet with Elīna Garanča’s Dalila. She is simply magnificent throughout, her tone dark and velvety, those low notes all sumptuously in place, her upper registers gleaming.’ – Gramophone

‘…the current Royal Ballet company has immense strength in depth and there are no weak links in this performance… Prokofiev’s score is very well served by experienced ballet conductor Kessels and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.’ – MusicWeb International

‘Devieilhe actually makes Lakme believable, a real human being whom we care about. Her singing is effortless and beautiful with none of the shrillness often heard in this music. The Pygmalion ensemble plays extremely well for Pichon who shows he knows exactly how this type of music should be performed.’ – American Record Guide

‘Finnish soprano Camilla Nylund puts her own stamp on classic American songs from Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Kurt Weill and others in this beautifully intimate performance…her renditions of Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” and Weill’s “September Song” are perfection, along with the musicians’ backing.’ – The Flip Side

Treading a tightrope between death, life and intense romance in the opulent world of 19th-century Habsburg royalty, Elisabeth tells the story of the beautiful Empress of Austria, from her wedding, to her tragic assassination by the hand of the Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. Ongoing dark obsessions and inner turmoil are undercurrents as family schisms flare up amidst a crumbling empire. These powerful themes and a potent score brimming with fabulous music have combined to establish Elisabeth as the most successful German-language musical of all time. This spectacular open-air event presents Elisabeth at the fabled empress’s real-life home – Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.

‘Once again, we have a DVD to thank for a splendid revival of a forgotten work, in this case some wonderful early Donizetti.’ – Gramophone