Bruckner: Symphony No. 4

“the LSO's principal horn here sets down a wonderful opening benchmark for what follows...Haitink's conducting is a masterclass in the art of control while appearing to stand back and let everyone play their best...the whole impressive structure hangs unerringly together...This version easily holds its own with the best.” --Classic FM Magazine, February 2012 *****

“The finale comes off best, with well-integrated tempi, a patient but impressive initial build-up and very good sound. It's a worthy, well-judged performance but with so much strong competition around (not least from Haitink himself) doesn't quite make the shortlist of top recommendations.” --Gramophone Magazine, February 2012

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Bach: Concertos

Murray Perahia releases this collection of the keyboard concertos of J.S Bach. Celebrated by his fans and media alike on first release, several of the concertos have been unavailable for some time and make a welcome return to the catalogue, The set contains some of Perahia’s all-time best-selling recordings. The initial releases of these recordings of the Concertos Nos. 1-7 have sold in excess of 30,000 units in the UK alone

“Most of the works on these discs started life in another form. Perahia is an eloquent advocate, not least in Bach’s wonderful slow movements, above all in a superb account of the Italian Concerto.” --The Sunday Time

Adagio Albinoni

19 romantic slow movements from the Concertos of Albinoni

Anthony Camden (oboe), Julia Girdwood (oboe)
Capella Istropolitana, London Virtuosi, Richard Edlinger, John Georgiadis

Piazzolla: Las Cuatro Estaciones porteñas, Etc

Scintillating, sexy, electric, elegant, sensuous, risky, robust, and just plain exciting and entertaining--those are some of the words that describe this surprising recording from Les Violons du Roy, the Quebec-based period-performance orchestra usually praised for its first-rate Bach, Handel, and Mozart. Now add Piazzolla to the list of this virtuoso ensemble's repertoire--and "virtuoso" not only describes the orchestra's amazing facility but particularly the artistry of violin soloist Pascale Giguère, long-time member of the group who here shines with big-star brilliance.

Her alternately fluid, fanciful, fiery, and always technically assured first movement (Verano/Summer) of the opening Four Seasons of Buenos Aires tells you all you need to know regarding the high energy and artistic level of what's to come.

Giguère's subtle phrase-shaping and sensual mood-setting in the Otoño/Autumn movement, abetted by her like-spirited orchestral accomplices, captures the essence of tango while proving the genius of Leonid Desyatnikov's violin/string orchestra arrangement of Piazzolla's tribute to Vivaldi (originally scored for quintet with piano and bandoneon). In the same movement's cadenza, Giguère's violin not only sings, but nearly speaks via tricky flicks and digs of the bow on strings.

There's plenty more to savor here, ranging from slow and seductive tangos to, well, fast and seductive tangos--and the playing is world-class throughout. Vibrant sound that captures the grit and fiber and sophisticated swagger of this infectious music completes an ideally entertaining--and did I say surprising?--performance.

French Concertos for Two Pianos

'The Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra by Francis Poulenc, composed in 1932, is clearly one of the most popular works of this relatively rare genre. Brilliantly sparkling wit, pointedness, and virtuosity make this concerto a listening feast. The Genova & Dimitrov Piano Duo presents this work on this new CD featuring three works of French provenance, since Darius Milhaud and Robert Casadesus also wrote double piano concertos. What unites the three composers is a shared aesthetic standpoint deeply rooted in neoclassicism.'

Tan Dun: Pipa Concerto · Hayashi: Viola Concerto · Takemitsu: Nostalghia

“This is the first recording of … Tan Dun's Pipa Concerto, and it's an absolute knockout. With strong, vigorous direction from Yuri Bashmet and some wonderfully extrovert playing from both the Moscow Strings and well known pipa exponent Wu Man, Tan's overt theatricality bursts forth like a rampant Chinese dragon. Bashmet is the soloist in both Nostalghia and Elegia, and it would be difficult to find a better advocate for these works.” --Gramophone Magazine, October 2008

“Tan Dun’s four-movement Pipa Concerto...is, as one might expect, eclectic, vibrant, colourful and immediate; but, as with much of his work, the piece seems more theatrical effect than substance. Wu Man plays the pipa - a Chinese-style lute - beautifully. [In Hayashi's Viola Concerto] Yuri Bashmet gives the viola solo part with his usual powerfully rich tone, and he is equally good on the violin in Takemitsu’s Nostalghia (1988), a meditative tribute to the film director Andrei Tarkovsky. The Moscow Soloists, superb throughout, also give three extracts from Takemitsu’s large canon of film music.” --Sunday Times, 25th May 2008

Agrell: Orchestral Works

Johan Joachim Agrell (1701-1765) was in many ways a traveller between the worlds: in Uppsala, the Swede's great talent was recognized by the Hessian envoy, which resulted in Agrell being summoned to a court near Kassel in Germany. He later went as municipal chapel-master to Nuremberg. Musically, Agrell was a brilliant Baroque composer in whose works many of the new early Classical trends were anticipated.

This CD thus continues the series of AEOLUS releases that feature the orchestral music of this exciting period, a series that has already very successfully presented works by Fasch, Hertel, and Molter. The Helsinki Baroque Orchestra is a shining star of Finland's musical life. The young musicians around the harpsichordist Aapo Häkkinen appear year after year throughout Europe. Further releases on AEOLUS are in preparation.

Alessandro Scarlatti: Concertos and Sinfonias

Alessandro Scarlatti was among the most important Italian composers of opera from the late Baroque period. He is credited with establishing the Neapolitan school of opera in the eighteenth century, rapidly improving the predominantly provincial state of music in Naples into a sophisticated and enduring tradition. He composed over 600 cantatas, more than 100 operas, many oratorios, serenatas, sonatas, and other instrumental pieces.

Oddly, his historical position declined after his death and his reputation was not rehabilitated until the early twentieth century. His importance in music is further bolstered by the fact he was the father of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), who in the keyboard realm was among the most individual and influential composers of his day. Another son, Pietro, also became a composer of some distinction. 

Flecha: Las Ensaladas

Mateo Flecha (1481-1553) was the first Spanish composer to develop the Ensalada genre to a high level of formal perfection. His work continued to influence subsequent generations of composers, including in the madrigal genre.

The ensaladas (literally 'salads' or 'cocktails') of the early-16th-century Spanish master Mateo Flecha ara bizarre vocal works, brilliantly combining snatches of folk-songs, church music, courtly part-song and negro song, and full of stunningly virtuosic vocal effect.

Devienne: Flute Quartets

Devienne wrote a great number of well-crafted concertos and chamber works for flute and bassoon in the 1790s, as well as many pedagogical pieces, but he was best known in Paris during this period as an opera composer. His fortunes declined suddenly in the new century, though; he died in 1803, four months after being committed to the Charenton insane asylum.

Fauré: Piano Quintets Nos 1 and 2

“It is hard not to be beguiled by the charms of Fauré's First Piano Quintet when played with the kind of understanding displayed by The Schubert Ensemble. They are similarly convincing in the late C minor Quintet… William Howard brings a suitably fleet-fingered lightness of touch to the shyly virtuosic piano part, and each of the string players combines beauty with incisiveness.” --BBC Music Magazine, February 2010 ****

“Committed performances vividly recorded.” --Gramophone Magazine, March 2010

After twenty-six years at the forefront of British music performance, the Schubert Ensemble is firmly established as one of the world’s leading exponents of chamber music for piano and strings. In 1998 its contribution to British musical life was recognised by the Royal Philharmonic Society which presented the group with the Best Chamber Ensemble Award.

The group is passionate about the music of Fauré and in recent years has championed the reflective and highly individual Quintets at its many concerts across the UK.

Fauré was taught by Saint-Saëns, a lifelong friend, and Fauré in his turn taught Ravel. He broke new ground: in fusing the pre-baroque modes with the traditional tonal system, he created a fluid sense of constantly shifting harmony which is inimitably his own. The fluidity is apparently effortless, but if you listen closely to his Piano Quintets you will hear great drama, tension and profound emotion, all skilfully demonstrated.

‘Chamber music’, wrote Fauré, ‘really is… true music and the most sincere expression of a genuine personality.’ And in his chamber music he achieved something remarkable.

Dall'Abaco: Concerti à più Istrumenti, Opera Sesta

The Opera Sesta concludes dall'Abaco's publications, which had begun in 1705 with a collection of twelve sonatas for violin and violoncello and continued, always remaining faithful to instrumental music. Although these are concertos without declaredly solo or concertante instruments, the first violin is allowed brief concertante sections. The Vivaldi models, or more correctly the Italian models of the first half of the century, are evident: extremely fluent writing, rare use of imitative counterpoint, predominance of the melody. A continuation of the Stradivarius series devoted to the complete works of Evaristo Dall'Abaco, a major figure in Italian Baroque instrumental music.