The Best Of

Elina Garanca�s personal choice of her greatest tracks, released to coincide with her receiving an Echo Award (6 October) & the publication of her memoirs in December

Ten years ago she made her sensational d�but at the Salzburg Festival, singing the role of Annio in Mozart�s Clemenza di Tito. Since then Elina Garanca has become one of the greatest, most sought-after mezzo-sopranos in the world. As an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist, she has made four solo albums for the label, and collaborated on many CD and DVD releases.

Now, with the artist�s help, we have brought together favourite tracks from her discography � the Seguidilla and Habanera from Carmen, the Flower Duet from Lakm� (with Anna Netrebko), the Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann and many more, including Annio�s aria from Clemenza di Tito, some of her great bel canto roles and the touching Lullaby (Nana) by de Falla (see tracklist).

The CD booklet includes a newly-commissioned interview with Elina, where she reflects on her career and indicates where she is headed artistically. Her complete discography is also given there.

Gilded Goldbergs

'A marvellous work � Whatever your CD priorities to date, this one surely has to fly straight to the top of your wants list' --Gramophone

'Stimulating and immensely enjoyable music � The discs have seldom been off my player in recent days � the work draws one back and draws one in, and I'm sure this will be the reaction of many who acquire the set' --International Record Review

RECORD OF THE MONTH (GRAMOPHONE)
DISC OF THE WEEK (THE SUNDAY TIMES)

'What a delight this recording is! � I think Holloway�s fanciful new construction using Bach�s bricks inspires deep admiration' --Chamber Music Magazine

'this is obviously a labour of love � it also is willing to take risks of creative imagination and even of taste, the courage of which I salute � Jennifer Micallef and Glen Inanga sound fluent and suitably flamboyant throughout, and I can only assume the composer is pleased with their dedication' --Fanfare, USA

'The 19th and 20th centuries come crashing in, summoning various trends and composers� shades, with Bach�s genius always poking through. The young team of Jennifer Micallef and Glen Inanga � bounce through the work, the finger-work clean, the spirits high' --The Times

French Ballet Music of the 1920s

�The zany exuberance of Les mari�s, concocted by five of Les Six in the 1920s, is infectiously captured in this colourful reissue, as is L'�ventail, a contemporaneous ten-composer collaboration.� --BBC Music Magazine, May 2005 ****

�these pieces are full of imagination and fun. Geoffrey Simon and the Philharmonia Orchestra give a very good account of themselves and the Chandos recording is little short of spectacular. --The Penguin Complete Guide to Compact Discs

Penguin Guide Rosette Winner

I listened to these two on-act pastiche ballets on a broiling hot, humid June night when it was 84 degrees in my living room and said, �who needs air conditioning! This is better than AC!�� What gorgeous playing and sound in All saints� Church Tooting (a suburb of London). --American Record Guide

The zany exuberance of �Les mari�s� concocted by five of Les Six in the 1920s, is infectiously captured in this colourful reissued, as is �L�eventail�, a contemporaneous ten-composer collaboration. --BBC Music Magazine

All this music, Gallic in its unsentimental clarity, demands the cleanest and crispest playing, and this the Philharmonia Orchestra admirably supplies. --Gramophone

The performances under Geoffrey Simon are excellent. They deserve nothing but praise. --New York Times

The sessions evidently secured the right zippy response from the Philharmonia while also providing interestingly colourful sound quality. --Which Compact Disc

Villa-Lobos: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 7

�Karabtchevsky keeps this bustling music firmly under control at all times. It�s certainly a promising start to this cycle, even if the writing is competent rather than outstanding. No quibbles about the playing or recording though; both are splendid.� --MusicWeb International, December 2012

�Karabtchevsky and the orchestra are on home terrain...Karabtchevsky makes Villa-Lobos's zig-zagging, lopsided melodic line sound as boldly and brashly scultped as Mount Rushmore...To continue the mountain-based metaphor, Karabtchevsky's performance has a sense of ascent: you can hear the different strata, feel air blowing through the structure� --Gramophone Magazine, January 2013

�The language of both works is essentially neoclassical, but the shapes of the melodies and the ways in which they are coloured are entirely Villa-Lobos's own. The SPSO make a good job of them� The Guardian, 20th September 2012 ***

�Written for a huge orchestra, his "Symphony No. 7" opens in striking fashion, the Allegro vivace grabbing the narrative and dashing forward with it to its imposing climax� The Independent, 10th November 2012 ***

Wranitzky: String Quintet & String Sextet

Anton Wranitzky (1761-1820), a near-contemporary of Beethoven, was a leading figure in Vienna�s highest musical circles. He was under the patronage of Prince Lobkowitz and in that capacity he led the world premieres of Beethoven�s 3rd and 6th symphonies. Beethoven held him in high esteem as a composer

Wranitzky�s skills and originality are shown in these two works for string ensemble. The Quintet in the unusual combination of 1 violin, 2 violas and 2 cellos, create fascinating deep sonorities from the ensemble. Ensemble Cordia present these beautiful Works for the first time on CD, played on original instruments by leading specialists in the Early Music field. The ensemble already won high critical acclaim for their earlier recordings for Brilliant (Telemann, Baroque arias and others). Although Anton Wranitzky (1761�1820) may not be a household name to listeners today, this skilled composer was one of the central figures of Viennese musical life at the turn of the 18th century. Like his teacher Haydn, he was a recipient of Prince Franz Joseph Maximilian Lobkowitz�s patronage and support.

As Kapellmeister and composer for the prince�s court ensemble,Wranitzky was at the forefront of Vienna�s musical culture, and it was in this position that he led the first private performances of Beethoven�s �Eroica� and �Pastoral� symphonies, among others. Later in his career he became orchestral director of the main theatres in Vienna, although the patronage that he had relied on dwindled later in his career, as Lobkowitz and other supporters experienced financial difficulties. Wranitzky�s chamber music reveals a voice of some individuality.The two works on this disc are scored for fascinating but rather unusual combinations of instruments, possibly in response to the musicians employed at the prince�s court: the Quintet in E flat features the grouping of one violin, two violas and two cellos, and the Sextet in G is scored for two each of violins, violas and cellos. In both works, the unusual sonorities that these combinations create are explored imaginatively, while Wranitzky�s approach to texture, theme and structure shows him to have been a composer of great skill and originality.

Zarebski/Zelenski: Piano Quintet & Piano Quartet

�[Zarebski] wrote [his Piano Quintet] in the year of his premature death, dedicating it to his teacher Liszt, and the virtuosity that implies is caught here in a performance of passionate warmth...Again, the performance [of the Zelenski] is impeccable...another invaluable Hyperion release.� --BBC Music Magazine, December 2012 *****

�Jonathan Plowright and the Szymanowski Quartet tackle the scores from the thoroughly justified stance that the music is as far removed from Chopin's milieu as could be imagined...Hyperion's useful coupling of the Zarebski with Zelenski's quartet makes the disc specially welcome and the playing is first-rate.� --Gramophone Magazine, February 2013

Two important chamber works from 19th-century Poland, in quality equivalent perhaps to Dvor�k and Brahms, but completely unknown outside their native country.

Zarebski was a virtuoso pianist, more feted during much of his short life as a performer than a composer. However his Piano Quintet is truly a masterpiece, demonstrating an originality and stature that match and even surpass better-known piano quintets by better-known composers. It shows a remarkably fresh ear for symphonic thinking, motivic development and sheer melodic invention. Zelenski was a teacher rather than a performer, ending his distinguished academic career as Director of the Conservatory in his home town of Krakow. His Piano Quartet is a passionate, lyrical work, combining the Romanticism of Mendelssohn and Schumann with a piquant Slavic element.

The Szymanowski Quartet�half Polish, half Ukrainian�and honorary Pole Jonathan Plowright are the ideal performers of this music.

Spanish Landscapes

Un apasionante viaje a la esencia musical espa�ola a trav�s de algunas de las obras de c�mara m�s representativas e inspiradas del repertorio espa�ol.

A Thrilling journey to the essence of Spanish music through some of the most iconic and inspiring chamber pieces of the Spanish repertoire.

La violinista Leticia Moreno publica el disco �Spanish Landscapes�, que ha grabado junto a la pianista Ana-Mar�a Vera para el sello �Deutsche Grammophon. La grabaci�n est� disponible en CD y en las plataformas digitales m�s importantes e incluye obras de Joaqu�n Turina, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Ernesto Halffter, Pablo Sarasate, Eduard Toldr�, Federico Garc�a Lorca e Isaac Alb�niz.

La propia Leticia ha anunciado la publicaci�n a trav�s de su cuenta en Facebook: �Queridos todos, con gran ilusi�n quiero compartir con vosotros la noticia del lanzamiento de mi pr�ximo disco con Deutsche Grammophon: "Spanish Landscapes", junto a la pianista Ana-Mar�a Vera. Me gustar�a dedicar este �lbum a todos aquellos amigos, colegas y familiares que con su apoyo incondicional han hecho este proyecto posible. Tambi�n me gustar�a expresar mi m�s sincero agradecimiento a la Fundaci�n BBVA por creer en esta iniciativa tanto como yo. �Espero que lo disfrut�is!�

Leticia Moreno act�a este mes de octubre con las orquestas Simf�nica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya y Sinf�nica de Galicia y estrena en Espa�a, con este �ltimo conjunto, el �Concierto para viol�n y orquesta� de Esa-Pekka Salonen. Posteriormente iniciar� una intensa gira de conciertos como artista seleccionada por la organizaci�n europea de auditorios ECHO, que cada a�o invita a una serie de j�venes m�sicos a su ciclo ECHO Rising Stars, gira que la llevar� a presentarse en Luxemburgo, Budapest, Viena, Colonia, Par�s, Birmingham, Barcelona, Lisboa, Oporto, Atenas, Baden Baden, Bruselas, Estocolmo, Gatshead, Dortmund, Amsterdam, Hamburgo y Londres.

Como colaboradora habitual de directores de orquesta internacionales, Leticia Moreno actuar� pr�ximamente con Lorin Maazel, Johantahn Nott, Carlos Kalmar, Ivor Bolton, Josep Pons, Pablo Gonz�lez, Yuri Temirk�nov y Christoph Eschenbach, entre otros, y actuar� en recital, en Espa�a, en Santander, M�laga y Madrid.

Leticia Moreno (Madrid, 1985) fue distinguida en 2012 con el Premio Fundaci�n Pr�ncipe de Girona de Artes y Letras, que recibi� de manos de SAR el Pr�ncipe de Asturias y de Girona, don Felipe de Borb�n.

Great Piano Concertos (10-CD Box Set)

"The box set Great Piano Concertos has been produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Naxos and draws on their extensive catalogue of concerto recordings. The recording quality varies from the older 1980�s recordings but there are some good things to enjoy in the 10 CD set particularly Idil Biret playing the two Chopin piano concerts with the Slovak State Philharmonic under Rubert Stankovsky. The two Liszt concertos with Eldar Nebolsin and the RLPO under Petrenko are also very enjoyable as is Jeno Jando playing the Grieg and Schumann concertos with the Budapest Symphony under Andr�s Ligeti. There are finer performances available in the catalogue of these works but this box set give an excellent introduction at a bargain price." --Audiophilia, May 2012

At the very heart of a concerto is the interplay and contrast of a solo instrument within a larger instrumental ensemble. The natural progression from the Baroque concerto grosso, the concerto as we know it was fully established as a concert staple in the eighteenth century, and many works dating from this period are still a key part of the repertoire today. The opportunity for dazzling virtuosic display from the soloist has resulted in the concerto becoming a vital musical force both on the concert platform and in the audience arena.

The most important composer in the development of the early piano concerto was Mozart, whose masterly compositions for the instrument paved the way for expansion of the form by composers such as Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Grieg. In the Romantic era, composers such as Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky lent a distinctly Russian fluency and passion to the idiom, whilst no pianistic survey would be complete without the transcendent concertos of those great piano masters, Chopin and Liszt. The twentieth century transformed the piano concerto yet further with splendid offerings from a delicate Ravel, fiery Prokofiev and jazzy Gershwin to name but a few.

Casella: La donna serpente

"This disc marks the conclusion of Naxos� Casella series, and it has been a wonderful journey. As with the other discs, the performances are excellent. Sun Hee You does a wonderful job in the Partita, offering effortless virtuosity and an aptly light touch�conductor Franceso La Vecchia proves himself more imaginative an accompanist�and he also has the better orchestra and engineering. Casella truly was a great composer. The evidence on this disc is incontestable." --ClassicsToday.com, November 2012

Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, Francesco La Vecchia

This latest disc in the Naxos series of Casella�s orchestral music represents what Casella felt was his �definitive personality�. The Introduction, Aria and Toccata epitomises his �monumental Baroque style� of the late 1920s and early 1930s. A few years earlier, his neoclassical Partita for piano and small orchestra had been a huge hit, with Casella himself touring right across Europe and the USA playing the solo part. In between, he at last � in his late forties � composed his first opera, La donna serpente: the orchestral fragments recorded here colourfully reflect the story�s tragicomic twists and turns.

JS Bach: Violin Concertos

�this is a distinctive and personal celebration of Jansen's highly inflected playing in the company of friends...Most noticeable in the general concerto canvas is how Jansen's quixotic, bold and spontaneous toying with Bach so often finds itself checked by her 'friends'.� --Gramophone Magazine, December 2013

�worth hearing for Jansen�s driving speeds, nimble ornamentation, energy and elegant sense of Baroque style. The textures are spruce, and a particular success is the C minor Double Concerto with the delectable tone of oboist Ram�n Ortega Quero.� --The Times, 26th October 2013 ***

Janine releases a brand new Bach recording, joined by a hand-picked group of friends � all exceptional musicians. This is energising Bach which is lustrous, new and vital made available in vivid, full studio-quality, sound.

Recording the popular E major and A minor concertos alongside the Violin and Oboe Concerto in C minor and two violin sonatas for the first time, Jansen and her ensemble explore these well-known works with a spirit of complete freshness. In the double concerto she is joined by two-time ECHO Award winner Ram�n Ortega Quero. Janine�s ensemble accompaniment on the recording includes her brother, cellist Maarten Jansen, and her father, harpsichordist Jan Jansen

Janine has been a top selling artist since her debut recording in 2004 for Decca, and has sold more than 300,000 records. Her most recent album, a Prokofiev disc with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowski, went Gold in the Netherlands soon after release last autumn

Liszt: Piano works

Valentina Lisitsa records Liszt�s most technically challenging work, the �unplayable� La Contrabandista, conceived by Liszt as a spectacular recital encore. Seldom recorded, this work is a true virtuosic challenge for any pianist. Performed with Valentina�s legendary fiery aplomb, this is an imaginative programme, embracing some of Liszt�s celebrated transcriptions of music by Schubert and Verdi.

Not afraid of taking risks, Valentina recorded direct to analogue tape, transferred without edits for a special edition LP product and simultaneously recorded in high-resolution 24-bit digital format.

Valentina is the first �YouTube star� of classical music to have converted her online success into a global concert career in the principal venues of Europe, the USA, South America and Asia. The number of views of her YouTube channel has now topped an astonishing 60 million, and her legion of loyal and adoring fans continues to grow.

Taneyev: Orchestral Works

The Temple of Apollo at Delphi is the best-known excerpt from Taneyev�s only opera, Oresteia, the mammoth overture to which has all the force of a Romantic symphonic poem. His Overture on a Russian Theme is based on the same folksong that Rimsky-Korsakov used in his own Fantasy on Russian Themes while the shorter works demonstrate in various ways Taneyev�s scrupulous craftsmanship. Thomas Sanderling and the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra�s acclaimed recording of Taneyev�s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3 is available on Naxos 8.570336.

Taneyev may not be high on most people�s list of 19th-century Russian composers but that could change as this Naxos series progresses. The First and Third symphonies with the Novosibirsk orchestra under Thomas Sanderling�son of the illustrious Kurt�certainly impressed me (8.570336) and, if anything, this new release has heightened my admiration for composer and orchestra alike.

Taneyev�s only opera, based on Aeschylus�s Oresteia, was recorded by DG and Olympia some time ago, but neither version is in the current catalogue. Curiously, the overture was composed and performed several years before the opera was completed. It�s a substantial piece in its own right, lasting around 20 minutes, and listeners may be forgiven for thinking they�ve stumbled on a little-known piece of Wagner or Richard Strauss. That said, this is more than musical mimicry, revealing a rich supply of motile Russian melodies and a symphonic sweep that wouldn�t have disgraced Taneyev�s great friend and mentor, Tchaikovsky. From that first Stygian string theme through to its restrained finale this overture is full of lovely touches; and even though there is a whiff of Scriabin in those aromatic harmonies Sanderling ensures they never cloy or overwhelm the senses.

Arguably the Act III Entr�acte is even more seductive�it certainly has a Straussian amplitude�which is probably why this piece was so popular during the composer�s lifetime. I was particularly struck by the sheer passion and unanimity of the playing and Sanderling�s firm, clear-eyed view of the score. The recording is just as satisfying, deep when it needs to be and suitably grand in the splendid climaxes. Indeed, any misgivings I might have had about this band and their conductor simply evaporated at this point.

How very different that all is to the delectable Adagio in C major, written during the composer�s final year at the Moscow Conservatory. As Anastasia Belina points out in her liner notes, much of Taneyev�s youthful work was only discovered years later. The Adagio, published in 1950, is a real gem, especially when it�s played with such elegance and refinement. And how different again is the Overture on a Russian Theme, written for the All-Russian Art and Trade Exhibition of 1882. Taneyev makes use of authentic Russian songs�as collected by Rimsky-Korsakov�forging them into a piece that has all the cut and thrust of a Cossack sword. It�s virile stuff, guaranteed to please those who like their Russians to strut and swagger.

The style of the cantata, written for the opening of the Pushkin Memorial in Moscow, is echoed in the celebratory music of post-revolutionary Russia, used to great effect by the likes of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. That�s not to suggest this is merely a patriotic role-pleaser, because it isn�t; it may be just 64 bars long but it has all the passion and splendour of those great choral numbers in Alexander Nevsky. As for the Canzona it�s a frothy little confection, complemented by the bright-toned playing of clarinettist Stanislav Yankovsky. A slight piece, perhaps, but enjoyable none the less.

The Overture in D minor, like the Adagio, is an early work and this time it shows. It has a bluff quality�and a tendency to outstay its welcome�that the other pieces in this collection manage to avoid. (I wonder if other listeners can hear Brahms in this music?) Still, one mildly disappointing piece out of seven isn�t bad, and it certainly isn�t enough to dilute my enthusiasm for this disc as a whole. Factor in committed playing and full-blooded sound and you have one of the year�s most entertaining releases so far.

Go on, treat yourself.

MusicWeb International, August 2009

Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms, Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments

The son of a distinguished Russian singer, Stravinsky spent his earlier years in Russia, either in St Petersburg or, in the summer, at the country estates of his relatives. He studied music briefly with Rimsky-Korsakov but made a name for himself first in Paris with commissions from the impresario Diaghilev, for whom he wrote a series of ballet scores. He spent the years after the Russian Revolution of 1917 in Western Europe and in 1939 moved to the United States of America. There in the post-war years he turned from a style of eclectic neoclassicism to composing in the twelve-note technique propounded by Schoenberg. A versatile composer, inventive in changing styles, he may be seen as the musical counterpart of the painter Picasso.

Elgar & Carter: Cello Concertos

�Weilerstein avoids nostalgia [in the Elgar] and produces instead an account that is full of passion, grief and nobility of feeling...Her interpretation [of the Carter], at once remarkably expressive and a continuous display of headlong, high-pressure virtuosity, seems to me to outrank the existing recorded versions...a thoughtfully-constructed and thought-provoking programme.� --BBC Music Magazine, February 2013 *****

�Her Elgar is not as wayward as du Pre...but it's still remarkably impressive...[in the Carter] Weilerstein, who starts on her own, as in the Elgar, brings the same immaculate tonal control to bear...Kol Nidrei is a fine vehicle for Weilerstein's gorgeous tone.� --Gramophone Magazine, February 2013

�within the first seconds [of the Elgar], we know that Weilerstein speaks with her own voice. The muscular bowing, the sound�s depth and warmth in the opening bars: you couldn�t ask for a more characterful beginning...[The Carter] might seem as removed from Elgar as the man in the moon. Not so...with Weilerstein giving her heart and soul to Carter�s constantly evolving filigree line we�re always aware of the concerto�s singing voice.� --The Times, 1st February 2013 ****

�To hear an orchestra with such a distinctive central European sound playing Elgar, and relating his music so securely to the wider late-romantic tradition, is one of the disc's great pleasures. Weilerstein's approach is impressively bold and big-boned, even if she seems � for now � more comfortable with the concerto's rhetoric than its intimacy� --The Guardian, 14th February 2013 ****

�This is a precious disc, and certainly not in the pejorative sense. Weilerstein plays with robust vigour, but a heart-stopping moulding of phrase. She brings to the Elgar concerto... a portamento beautifully judged and asserted in a brand-new, old-fashioned way (no contradiction!).� --Sunday Times, 17th February 2013

�Very ably accompanied, it is very much Weilerstein�s ascendant star which will sell this performance [of the Elgar] to you...[the Carter] is indeed a work which demands focus to appreciate, but the flow of the music has its own sense of inevitability and architectural logic, and there are plenty of magical moments to prickle the senses.� --MusicWeb International, 29th April 2013

Buxtehude: Seven Trio Sonatas, Op. 2, BuxWV 259-265

�All four musicians...reveal their experience and expertise as interpreters, particularly of this kind of German repertoire, which they have been championing for some time now; less flamboyant or fatly comfortable of sound than Koopman's group, they can nevertheless pace the music's stops and starts perfectly� --Gramophone Magazine, May 2012

�These are as always period instrument performances by the Purcells, and their customary professionalism should appeal to most ears. However, there is a certain amount of almost regal restraint in their playing that makes Buxtehude sound more like Purcell. This is no bad thing but it�s not entirely Buxtehude, whose quirky fertility may benefit from a more unbuttoned treatment.� --MusicWeb International, August 2012

Vivaldi: Flute Concertos

��Pahud's performances are natural and convincing, yet at the same time subtly stylish in matters of ornamentation, articulation and rhythm; the lilting first and second movements of No 5 are superbly poetic matchings of Baroque sensibility and technical control. ...he is keenly partnered by his excellent accompanists, and indeed the taut but far from unyielding contribution of the Australian Chamber Orchestra is of the highest order throughout. A disc to give nothing but pleasure.� --Gramophone Magazine, June 2006

�Pahud�s playing is always crisp and stylish, whether in virtuoso display or in more tender passages where the flute traces a line of filigree delicacy.� --The Daily Telegraph, April 2006

�Among the first flute concertos ever written, Vivaldi's Op 10 are also among the most imaginative.
With vivid descriptive writing and everywhere unmistakably Vivaldian vitality and sparkle, they are surely a must for all flautists Baroque and modern. Taking time off from the Berlin Philharmonic, 'modern' Emmanuel Pahud establishes a mastery of them that blasts out of the water any concerns about what kind of instrument he is using. His tone is light and liquid, his technical command complete and, more importantly, he is utterly at one with the music's character.

Where some 'modern' players who dip into Baroque music work too hard, overburdening the music with stiff interpretative detail and resolutely showing off the embellishments they have learned, Pahud's performances are natural and convincing, yet at the same time subtly stylish in matters of ornamentation, articulation and rhythm; the lilting first and second movements of No 5 are superbly poetic matchings of Baroque sensibility and technical control.

Not that he neglects the pictorial; he adds joyous extra bird-trills to Il gardellino, and enters deep into the spectral world of La notte, emerging from the impressionistic 'sleep' movement into a finale in which we can almost feel the last phantoms of the night flying past our heads. In this he is keenly partnered by his excellent accompanists, and indeed the taut but far from unyielding contribution of the Australian Chamber Orchestra is of the highest order throughout.

A disc to give nothing but pleasure.� --Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

Fanny Mendelssohn & Clara Schumann: Piano Trios

'I'm sure no-one would have been happier to find two such engaging performances side by side than the two ladies themselves' --Gramophone

'A valuable, mind-broadening record' --The Tablet

Penderecki: Piano Concerto �Resurrection� & Flute Concerto

�Douglas is ideally suited to this big-boned music, and relishes its darkly imposing and sometimes splashy textures...Wit draws a kaleidoscope performance, making this another valuable addition to the Penderecki discography.� --BBC Music Magazine, July 2013 ****

�There's a sincerity about Penderecki's Piano Concerto that, while naive, is sincerely naive...Barry Douglas, Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic don't hold back; their performance is appropriately hard-selling and over-the-top.� --Gramophone Magazine, June 2013

�these works are masterpieces. The earthy, minatory Piano Concerto is one of the most exciting places to begin an exploration of Penderecki's music, although the Flute Concerto is arguably more accessible, being altogether gentler and, given Penderecki's earlier reputation, surprisingly tonal.� --MusicWeb International, 2nd May 2013

Arabesque

In 2011 Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko showed herself an impressively versatile artist on her d�but CD, �La bellezza del canto.� On her second album, �Arabesque�, where she is accompanied by the NDR Sinfonieorchester (NDR Radio Symphony Orchestra) under the baton of Enrique Mazzola, she again casts her net wide, from sophisticated bel canto to light music. In addition to arias by Verdi, Bellini and Strauss, Ms Peretyatko, has recorded pieces by the French composers, Gounod and Bizet. Also, for the first time on disc we hear her singing Mozart, one of her favourite composers.

Her recital includes Mozart�s concert aria K. 538, �Ah se in ciel, benigne stele,� as well as Donna Anna�s dramatic coloratura aria �Crudele�non mi dir� fromDon Giovanni, and Susanna�s idyllic �Rose aria� from The Marriage of Figaro.

Ms Peretyatko�s talent for empathy, embodied in lyrical beauty or in perfectly performed high notes, can also be admired on the new CD in lesser-known pieces. For example, she sings an aria from Bizet�s symphonic cantata Vasco da Gama about the famous seafarer and explorer. And as on her first CD, Ms Peretyatko shines with a Rossini rarity: the aria of the goddess Cerere from the composer�s 1816 wedding cantata Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo. She already sang this work at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro in 2010.

On her new album, Ms Peretyatko also performs a bolero from Verdi�s I Vespri Siciliani, while she can be heard in the role of Elvira in two arias from Bellini�s last opera I Puritani, in which she will make her d�but at the New York City Metropolitan Opera in April 2014. Last but not least, Ms Peretyatko brings her recital to a close with evidence of her fine feeling for salon music and comic opera. As the chambermaid Adele in Strauss� Die Fledermaus she plays the innocent lass from the country. Then comes a villanella where she turns into a swallow, while in the famous romance Solovyey moy by the Russian composer Alexander Alyabyev we hear her skilfully imitating the song of a nightingale.

Johannes Schenck: 12 Trio Sonatas Opus III

Dutch-born composer Johannes Schenck is another in a long line of Baroque composers whose works are only now being discovered and given their first modern performances. Thanks to the intrepid investigative work of harpsichordist Pieter Dirksen -- a member of the ensemble La Suave Melodia heard here -- a set of 12 trio sonatas of Schenck's Opus 3 that were thought to be lost have been unearthed. The works, which are each in a different key, show a mature composer's total command of form, character of different keys, and abilities of each instrument for which he is composing.

Apart from the tremendous service of simply rediscovering these works, La Suave Melodia goes one step further and provides listeners with an immaculate, deeply satisfying performance of the 12 trio sonatas. The recorded sound is wonderfully clean and simple and the balance between the instruments allows the violin to easily carry the melody throughout while still letting listeners enjoy the intricate harmonies and rhythmically varied accompanimental patterns in the rest of the ensemble.

Intonation, articulation, and ornamentation match flawlessly from the first note of the CD to the last. Fans of early music have found a treasure not only in the works of Johannes Schenck, but in the sensitive, informed performances of La Suave Melodia. --allmusic.com

Beethoven Triple Concerto; Brahms Double Concerto

�The warm, expansive music-making confirms even more clearly than before that the old view of this as one of Beethoven's weaker works is quite wrong. The three Soviet soloists revel in the multiplicity of ideas, with Richter in the spare piano part providing a tautening influence.� --Penguin Guide, 2011 edition

Franz Xaver Dussek: Four Symphonies

�H�kkinen directs from a fortepiano, appropriately so. He uses it to decoarte lines and enhance tonal colour, eschewing the infuriating anachronism of emphasising harmonic rhythm...[in the Andante of Bb3, H�kkinen] inspires his musicians into a softly atmospheric evocation of pastoral spaciousness interspersed with shadows of gentle agitation. Excellent.� --Gramophone Magazine, Awards Issue 2012

Gramophone Magazine
Editor's Choice - Awards Issue 2012

 �cleverly scored, tuneful�

The performances by the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra under H�kkinen are what might be termed �generic period instrument,� but of high quality. The wind players�oboes, horns, and bassoon�have an attractive timbre and maintain good intonation throughout. The strings are typically dry and thin-toned, but rhythmically precise and alert�

Certainly the music is of fine enough quality that it should appeal to anyone who enjoys the products of the First Viennese School. And who doesn�t? Excellent sonics flatter the players, and the decision not to use an obtrusive harpsichord continuo was very smart�this is a very recommendable release. --ClassicsToday.com, July 2012

Buxtehude: Seven Sonatas, Op. 1 BuxWV 252-258

�...these sonatas are inventive and full of life, and the later ones seem to get steadily more attractive. They are played by the Purcell group with pleasing vitality and freshness, and the Chandos recording is natural and warmly flattering.� --The Pengiun Guide � 1000 Greatest Classical Recordings 2011-12

�The Purcell Quartet gives amiable performances, eschewing flamboyant gestures or expressive excess in favour of a convivial musical discourse.� --BBC Music Magazine, February 2010 ****

Buxtehude�s legacy, for many centuries neglected, has more recently been re-appraised and its importance accepted, not only for the quality of its craftsmanship but also for its undeniable influence on composers such as J.S. Bach. In fact, it is reputed that Bach walked over 200 miles to hear Buxtehude perform on the organ, so extraordinary was his reputation.

Chaconne has previously recorded sacred cantatas of Buxtehude, but this is the label�s first recording of secular instrumental works of the composer.

The VII Suonate, Op. 1 have now been recorded by The Purcell Quartet, who consistently receives good reviews, and is renowned for its artistry in repertoire of this kind. The trio sonatas are a remarkable example of Buxtehude�s beautiful chamber music and together with the trio sonatas Op. 2 are the only compositions that Buxtehude issued in print.

The Violin

Just 26 years old, Nicola Benedetti has been making chart-topping recordings for 10 years. This album celebrates the best of those recordings, and her other successes - from winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2004, to her 2012 best-selling album 'The Silver Violin'.

A collection of great violin music.

The album includes Nicola performing with leading orchestras and conductors, as well as some of her favourite chamber players. This album showcases the incredible range of Nicola's playing, and demonstrates her appeal to a wider audience across a range of markets.

Casella: Notte di maggio, Cello Concerto, Scarlattiana

"Notte di maggio is a gorgeous, impressionistic tone poem for voice and orchestra dating from 1913, making it one of Alfredo Casella�s early works. Full of yummy, non-functional harmony, it exudes atmosphere. Olivia Andreini has an attractive timbre that wobbles on most sustained notes, making the work less appealing than it ought to be, but she never turns downright irritating. The work itself, in any case, is consistently fascinating, and the rest of the program is splendid too.

The Cello Concerto is one of Casella�s late pieces, vaguely neo-classical in outline but wholly original melodically and harmonically. Its slow movement is curiously compelling, while the finale, which the composer described as sort of a cello version of �The Flight of the Bumblebee�, lives up to its billing in this virtuoso performance by cellist Andrea Noferini.

Scarlattiana, for piano and orchestra, remains one of Casella�s most popular works, for obvious reasons. The music is scintillating and full of fun, the piano writing brilliant but never facile. With five movements lasting about half an hour, the piece really is a major piano concerto, and while it has been lucky on disc, it ought to be played live more often. Sun Hee You handles the solo part with complete confidence, and as with the other discs in this series, the Rome Symphony Orchestra under Francesco La Vecchia plays the music with the kind of uninhibited enthusiasm that it needs. A beautiful disc, and one that collectors should snap up without delay." --ClassicsToday.com, October 2010

Schubert: Arpeggione, Schwanengesang; Kalliwoda: Nocturnes

This Oehms Classics disc by violist Ashan Pillai, who is British by way of Sri Lanka, might seem to some as an example of left-field programming at its most extreme -- Schubert's beloved Arpeggione Sonata and five viola transcriptions of his familiar Schwanengesang combined with Six Nocturnes by totally unfamiliar Bohemian Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda. In reality, the combination of the two into the same program is not that far off the mark; Kalliwoda was one of the most distinguished of Schubert's contemporaries and far better known during his lifetime than Schubert in his.

Whereas Kalliwoda's numerous symphonies and overtures are among the most criminally overlooked major works of the early nineteenth centuries, these Six Nocturnes Op. 186 do not show them at his best. Not very nocturnal in mood, they aren't very serious as compositions and betray more than just a whiff of the salon with their bathetic longuers and pretensions toward silent movie-style drama.

Of the pieces here, the best are Pillai's own transcriptions of the Schwanengesang. His viola playing is full-throated and sufficiently vocal to project these lieder as instrumental pieces and not to do damage to Schubert through depriving him of his texts. On the other hand, there does seem to be a problem with pacing throughout the disc -- adagios are not very slow and allegrettos are presented as on the lukewarm side of fast. Michael Endres' accompaniments are crisp and dutiful; Pillai certainly has a tone on the viola that is warm, rich, and sometimes beauteous, but there seems to be little in this recording overall that lifts it out of the routine -- it is pleasant sounding, yet a little dull. --allmusic.com