Four sonatas from the middle period of this exceptional yet undeservedly overlooked composer reveal a distinctive musical voice, where echoes of Rachmaninoff's and Grieg's mature Romanticism intertwine with the shimmering colours of Impressionism and the refined sensibility of the English tradition. Though these works make undeniable virtuoso demands, it is their melodic and harmonic imagination that commands the foreground: long-breathed phrases, subtle expressive nuance, and richly intriguing sonorities. The recording brings together distinguished instrumentalists associated with the Academy of Music in Krakow, whose interpretations are marked by brilliance, passion, and a palpable sense of discovery as they illuminate the beauty, individuality, and enduring artistic value of Bowen's music. UPC: 5902547022420Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
As the highlight of the Bruckner Year 2024, Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 was performed by the Altomonte Orchestra St. Florian under Remy Ballot on the occasion of the Brucknertage St. Florian. The special feature of this evening was the presentation of the recovered sketches from the Finale, which were played in their rough draft form and without special arrangement. Work on the Finale was already far advanced at the time of Bruckner's death on October 11, 1886; among the fragments are, among other things, the beginning of the movement, the first, second and third main themes, parts of a development section, and the aforementioned three themes in the recapitulation-partly as a short score sketch, partly as completely orchestrated passages. Performing these fragments allows one only to imagine what monument Anton Bruckner would have erected once again with the Finale of his Ninth Symphony. This memorable evening can now be experienced by the music world. UPC: 9003643993785Label: GramolaRelease Date: 6.19.26Format: CD
Best described as a delicate classical bagpipe, the musette's patronage by Louis XIV meant that it became a novel plaything of composers, performers and makers seeking Royal favour. However, by the 1760s it had become an integral part of French culture and music-making, featuring in music for the theatre, court and salon, and played by amateurs and virtuosi alike. Disappearing withthe French Revolution, the musette was only rediscovered during the 1960s and this album showcases the instrument's unique sound world in combination with baroque flute, baroque cello and harpsichord. Played on original instruments, the works on this album by composers such as Boismortier, Naudot and Dupuits showcase the instruments' virtuosity. A duo by Chedeville for two musettes references the musette's pastoral history and the harmonically exciting trios by Dugue and Naudot are offset by the beautiful simplicity of solo works by Braun and Dornel for flute and harpsichord respectively. UPC: 5060216348193Label: First HandRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
Schubert Vol. IV: The Early Piano SonatasThe early sonatas still show a clear connection to the inheritance of Haydn, Mozart and of course, the titan of the piano sonata, Beethoven. However, rather than trying to follow in the path of the elder Beethoven, Schubert emancipated himself from the shackles of his forebears. Schubert was still a student of Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) at the time of writing these early sonatas. Salieri was a legendary teacher in Vienna and must have noticed the talent and dedication of the young Schubert, since he offered him free lessons. Schubert, who survived on a meagre income as a schoolteacher, was evidently grateful and proud to be Salieri's student, sometimes even writing 'Pupil of Herr von Salieri' as a footnote to his compositions of the time. UPC: 881488260205Label: Hanssler ClassicRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
Pieces for Lutha" Anders Ericson plays this unique instrument from the Gustavian era, and presents an unknown part of the late 18th century Swedish musical landscape to the modern audience. Lute player Anders Ericson plays recently restored instruments by Swedish 18th century master luthier Johan Jerner, that take us back to an intriguing and intimate sonority from another time. Swedish composers Cloos, Ankar and Wikmanson clearly display the high musical and technical level of early Swedish "Luthenists". Each work on "Solo Pieces for Lutha" is a world premiere recording, which makes this disc truly exciting. An unknown musical treasure and an unheard instrument resounds! UPC: 822359004542Label: Daphne RecordsRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States) releases Volume 36, the 2026 iteration of it's long running series featuring new works by it's member composers. Featuring music by Alex Christie, Simon Hutchinson, Yao Hsiao, Margaret Ann Schedel, Connor Scroggins, and Marcin Paczkowski, the SEAMUS composers continue to push the boundaries of genre, showcasing the aesthetic possibilities of emerging and existing technologies. UPC: 780518613199Label: Seamus RecordsRelease Date: 6.12.26Format: CD
An unusual instrumental combination with a fascinating sound: sonatas for two oboes, bassoon, and basso continuo are rarely found in the repertoire. Yet this combination brings together three wind instruments whose tone colors complement one another in particularly appealing ways. Ramon Ortega Quero and angel Luis Sanchez Moreno (oboes) have recorded a collection of masterful sonatas by Jan Dismas Zelenka for this instrumentation, joined by Marc Trenel, Wies de Boeve, and Alfonso Sebastian Alegre for GENUIN. These works are particularly demanding and virtuosic. These are magnificent, surprise-filled works by a long-neglected Baroque composer. The five outstanding musicians, all recipients of international prizes, bring these masterpieces of European contrapuntal art vividly back to life. UPC: 4260036259551Label: GenuinRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
More than 60 composers have set Metastasio's libretto to music, including Caldara, Vivaldi, Hasse, Leo, Scarlatti, Piccinni, Paisiello, Cherubini and, of course, Pergolesi, who presented his Olimpiade at the Teatro Tordinona in Rome for the Carnival season of 1735. It was to be last his opera seria, as the composer died the very next year, just after he turned twenty-six. His version is considered by many to be the most inspired of all, characterised by a musical originality as ingenious as it is refined, brimming with joyful freshness. Following the rediscovery of the previously unpublished Mass in D major, Giulio Prandi and his Orchestra Ghislieri return to Pergolesi with a recording of his operatic masterpiece made in the 18th-century theatre of Jesi, his hometown: an initiative of the Pergolesi Spontini Foundation which has been promoting the composer's legacy for many years. UPC: 3760195735985Label: Arcana RecordsRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
It was during his stay in Mannheim between October 1777 and March 1778 that Mozart received commissions for two string quartets with flute (K. 285 and K. 285a), an instrument that was in vogue at the time, likely because Prince-Elector Karl Theodor of Bavaria played the flute as an amateur in the capital of the Palatinate. A graphological study indicates that the quartet K. 285b was likely composed in 1786-87 in Vienna These works hold a special place in Anna Besson's heart, as the flutist performed them during one of her very first concerts on tour at the age of fifteen She was keen to include Hoffmeister's arrangement of sonata K311 'for the beauty of it's central movement and the extreme delicacy with which the publisher, a great friend of Mozart's, took the two hands of the keyboard and gracefully redistributed them between the flute and the strings.' UPC: 3701624512593Label: AlphaRelease Date: 8.28.26Format: CD
This album offers a compelling rediscovery of the still too rarely heard solo piano works of one of the most distinguished pianists of the early twentieth century. In these richly imaginative pieces, Friedman reveals himself as a composer of singular refinement and atmosphere, equally capable of evoking poignant nostalgia, sparkling wit, and dazzling virtuosity. His musical language draws with particular sensitivity on the inflections of Polish folklore-dance rhythms, modal contours, and folk-inspired lyricism-while resonating with the poetic worlds of Chopin and the early Szymanowski. Internationally acclaimed as both soloist and chamber musician, Anna Parkita brings to this repertoire an exceptional combination of brilliance, nuance, and expressive insight, illuminating music that unfolds with the colour, intimacy, and haunting beauty of a distinctly Slavic landscape. UPC: 5902547022154Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
PowerfulAnna Pikulska unleashes the full might of the historic 1607 Villanueva de Huerva organ, revealing it's sonorous depth and dramatic character. Thunderous Batallas, blazing trumpets en chamade, and even drum effects created within the instrument itself make this recording an electrifying experience.MagnificentThis colourful programme spans Spain's golden organ tradition with inspired excursions to Italy and the Netherlands. Works by Correa de Arauxo, Aguilera de Heredia, Sweelinck, and Frescobaldi, amongst others, shine in performances rich with contrast, virtuosity, and stylistic flair.AngelicDelicate flute stops, finely shaded voices, and refined colours float through the wonderful acoustic of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles in Aragón. The built-in echo effects, captured in immersive 3D sound on Super Audio CD, surround the listener with a sense of space and serenity.VividWith new additions to the repertoire and countless sonic surprises, this recording celebrates the long, distinctive tradition of Spanish organ music. Pikulska's keen ear for detail and joyful musicianship make these rarely heard masterpieces come alive in all their splendour. UPC: 760623238968Label: MdgRelease Date: 5.1.26Format: CD
In this second volume of the ASM Forte Forward series, Anne-Sophie Mutter performs works by two composers close to her heart. First, Andre Previn (1929-2019), to whom the violinist was married for several years, and with whom she remained close friends until his death. A jazz pianist, conductor and composer, the multifaceted talents of this great musician opened up new musical worlds for her. Here she presents his Piano Trio (2009), as well as his Violin Concerto No. 2, composed in 2010 for solo violin, string orchestra and harpsichord, a nod to Baroque music and to an instrument that is unusual in contemporary music ensembles. Another instrument featured outside of it's normal context is the double bass: Anne-Sophie Mutter asked Sebastian Currier to write a duo for her and double bassist Roman Patkolo, one of the scholarship recipients of her foundation. For this commission Currier wrote Ringtone Variations: "I wanted to work with material that is very simple and familiar to everyone", says Currier. "This is the only piece where, if a phone went off in the audience, suddenly you have a new variation!" UPC: 3701624512548Label: AlphaRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
Reflecting a society marked by profound upheaval, the music of 1920s-1940s Germany was caught between vitality and despair. The era featured a diverse blend of classical traditions, popular rhythms, and early jazz, yielding everything from energetic cabaret chansons to somber ballads. The period's signature sound, Berlin's own "Prussian swing", fused rigid marching rhythms with jazz syncopation, creating a uniquely austere yet light style that avoided authentic African-American influences. By masking melancholy and sharp political commentary behind cheerful melodies, these songs captured a nation's collective tension and rebellion. Acting as a cultural seismograph from the Weimar awakening to the collapse of the Third Reich, this music continues to resonate today as a testament to finding beauty and humor amid adversity.Renowned and versatile mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, accompanied by the Salon Orchestra of the Komische Oper Berlin under the baton of Adam Benzwi, presents a recital featuring songs with plenty of lyricism, crazy nonsense, seriousness, beautiful melodies, and operetta numbers; a colourful mix enabling us to experience the underlying sadness beneath the glamour of beauty. UPC: 7318599928272Label: BisRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Almost 70 years after it's premiere in Athens, we are now experiencing the German premiere of Mikis Theodorakis' First Symphony. This expressive composition has a dramatic history: the boiling sounds of this composition reveal the suffering, hope, and desire for freedom that the 25-year-old composer felt when he wrote this work on the prison island of Makronisos. This is contrasted with Ektoras Tartanis' own symphonic debut work, Erato Psaltrian, for baritone, harp, and orchestra; three movements entitled Genesis, Journey, and Celebration. Tartanis introduces us to the world of Greek mythology, the tradition of Byzantine chant, and at the same time to contemporary soundscapes. The piece was written for Anneleen Lenaerts, principal harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic, who performs the work together with the internationally acclaimed Swedish baritone Kosma Ranuer Kroon. UPC: 4250702802020Label: TyxartRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
The Australian Linda Kouvaras (b. 1960) - pianist and musicologist as well as composer - adopts an explicitly feminist viewpoint in her work. She describes She, Who Should Have Been a Queen as a song-cycle, but in fact the text, by Antoinette Halloran, presents a series of dramatic scenas that radically re-assess the fates of a series of female characters from famous operas, the edgy humour and familiar musical language only slightly softening the implied social commentary. To the Lighthouse for brass quintet has, improbably, both a feminist subtext and the engaging buoyancy of a Baroque canzona. As with many other Australian composers, Kouvaras' piano music has a strong sense of space and place, and her expansive Bundanon Suite uses virtuosic piano-writing to present a series of sketches of the landscapes around the Shoalhaven River in New South Wales, with lyrical, elegiac melodic lines that soar over freewheeling piano textures. UPC: 5060113447944Label: ToccataRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
In June 2026 Divine Art is delighted to present Francis Poulenc: Music for Two Pianos performed by pianists Antony Gray and Rob Hao. Among the highlights of this superb new release are the first commercial audio recording of Antony Gray's own transcription for two pianos of Poulenc's score from the film Voyage en Amerique, the first recording of Poulenc's two piano reduction of the Concert Champetre, plus the recently discovered Valse de musique de soie.A superb pianist as well as a composer, Poulenc's works for piano are without exception charming, delightful and gratifyingly written. However, most of his piano music comes from the early part of his career, as Poulenc destroyed many of his later works, including a number for four hands/two pianos. The two-piano works on this album represent those later periods when he was at the height of his powers. The first comes from his delightful score, which was sadly lost, for the 1951 film about a couple from rural France on their first ever flight, Voyage en Amerique. Antony Gray tracked down a copy of the soundtrack, which was scored for two pianos, and transcribed it himself, realising this was the only way of recovering the score, and presents it here with Rob Hao in it's first commercial standalone recording. To complete the transcription of the soundtrack, Gray also includes the song, Adieu Maison, with soprano Helen Miles, and a Valse, in which the two pianos are joined by an accordion, performed by Alise Silina. Gray and Hao also present a later version of this work entitled Embarquement pour Cythere, scored only for two pianos.The Sonata for two pianos, arguably Poulenc's finest keyboard work, is emotionally dark and looks forward to the tenderness and anguish of the Dialogues des Carmelites. Very few works in the piano duo repertoire match this sonata in power and emotional force -aggressive dissonance is contrasted with passages of achingly beautiful material. One of his final keyboard works is the deeply emotional Elegie in which as with all Poulenc's music for two pianos, the material throughout is passed equally between the two instruments. The Concert Champetre, originally written as a concerto for harpsichord and orchestra, was reworked for two pianos, and despite missing the rich orchestral palette it's a strong work in it's own right, and is given it's first recording here.Poulenc's other works for two pianos will be made available as bonus digital-only tracks accompanying the album. The first will feature Sonate pour piano a 4 mains, written in 1918 when Poulenc was only 19 years old. It was influenced by Satie and Stravinsky, as well as Chabrier, yet is already stylistically unique and a real achievement for such a young composer. The Capriccio for two pianos is a transcription by Poulenc of the Finale of his cantata Le Bal Masque, with hilarious and surreal music, befitting the cantata text by Max Jacob. The album will be completed by the Valse de musique de soie for solo piano, performed by Antony Gray, a work only recently rediscovered in 2017.Antony Gray and Rob Hao, both pianists and composers, are from Australia. Antony Gray has long been regarded as one of the most interesting and communicative performers of his generation with many solo and chamber music performances around the world and many pieces written for and premiered by him. His recordings for Divine Art have included music by Malcolm Williamson, John Carmichael, and an acclaimed set of Saint-Saëns piano music. Rob Hao's compositions and performances have taken him across Australia, the UK and continental Europe, and he has given regional and world premieres of over thirty works in both ensemble and solo settings. His debut solo recording 'Palimpsest' for Divine Art explores how music and styles from different times interact and inspire new ideas. UPC: 809730114922Label: Divine ArtRelease Date: 6.26.26Format: CD
This album is titled 'Sir!' because it is dedicated to the famous Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar. But also because Astrig Siranossian plays Sir John Barbirolli's cello, a magnificent instrument by Gennaro Gagliano from 1756, on loan from the Henrot Fund for the Promotion of Young French Chamber Musicians. Barbirolli was a passionate advocate of Elgar's music, but also of Bruch's, whose Kol Nidrei Astrig has recorded-'one of the most beautiful works ever written for the cello,' says the cellist, who is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Francois-Xavier Roth. Also on the program, this time with her friend Nathanael Gouin at the piano, is the sonata by Britten, who declined the title of 'Sir' but was a Lord UPC: 3701624512173Label: AlphaRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
In this album Bach's famous Goldberg Variations are newly arranged for Saxophone, Cello and Accordion. With Asya Fateyeva and Eckart Runge two renowned Berlin Classics artists get together, joined by accordionist Andreas Borregaard.Asya Fateyeva has brought the saxophone into the spotlight through her excellent recordings, new arrangements and concerts for her instrument as well as impressive media attention (including her own TV documentary on ARTE).Eckart Runge was founding member of the Artemis Quartet; he is also an acclaimed soloist and has already released several solo albums on Berlin Classics. UPC: 885470041964Label: Berlin ClassicsRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
Before Handel's celebrated Giulio Cesare captivated audiences across Europe, Antonio Sartorio had already created his own magnificent setting of this timeless libretto. Now, 350 years after it's Venetian premiere, experience this extraordinary work as it was meant to be heard-performed on period instruments in it's first modern staging. Conducted by Attilio Cremonesi, this live recording from the Innsbrucker Festwochen reveals a composer of remarkable invention: fifty-five exquisite arias and duets that showcase the birth of the high Baroque vocal tradition. With a sumptuous continuo section and richly orchestrated accompaniment, Sartorio's Giulio Cesare in Egitto stands as a vital link between Renaissance vocal art and the operatic masterworks to come. A triumph of musical archaeology and performance excellence! UPC: 4260307439477Label: Fra BernardoRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
"Never has Bach seemed less dry and more full of fantasy," stated The Telegraph. Mahan Esfahani's mammoth project to record the complete keyboard works of Bach reaches it's zenith with The Complete Keyboard Concertos. At every stage in the series, Esfahani has sought to challenge long-held assumptions about the composer we seek to know. By teaming up with the Britten Sinfonia, he dispels any assumptions that the harpsichord might be seen as an "ancient" instrument, eschewing period instruments in favor of modern ones. In his typically scholarly but engaging liner notes, Esfahani writes of Bach the trendsetter, putting the keyboard front and center in a concerto for the first time. In addition to his roles as harpsichordist and director, Esfahani adds a compositional feather to his cap with the first recording of his own reconstruction of the "lost concerto" No. 8 (BWV1059), once available only as a small fragment. 2-CD set. UPC: 034571284811Label: HyperionRelease Date: 7.10.26Format: CD
A tireless adventurer and eclectic soul, Joseph Bologne de Saint-George is revisited here through a unique portrait that reveals the many facets of his talent. A true polymath born in Guadeloupe, he combined the arts and arms: an outstanding fencer, military adviser and violin virtuoso, he was even Marie Antoinette's teacher. Theotime Langlois de Swarte and the Orchestre de l'Opera Royal thus shine a light on this flamboyant personality who rose above the societal constraints of the 18th century. UPC: 3760385430768Label: Chateau VersaillesRelease Date: 5.22.26Format: CD
The Swiss composer Richard Flury (1896-1967) completed the last of his five symphonies in 1956, when it's unashamedly melodic and tonal style - with elements absorbed from Bruckner, Richard Strauss, Joseph Marx and other such late Romantics - made it a conscious rebellion against the modernist trends of the time. Flury, moreover, was an instinctive nature-painter, and the Swiss landscape that meant so much to him can be sensed almost as readily in supposedly abstract works such as this symphony as in those - often quasi-symphonic, like the suite also heard here - that play explicit homage to the woods and valleys in which he grew up. UPC: 5060113448057Label: ToccataRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
The second volume of the recording of the complete Flute Sonatas by Quantz!Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773) was a composer, theorist, flutist and flute maker of great name and fame. Despite being of humble origin he quickly rose to great eminence, becoming a personal friend and court composer of Frederick The Great, living happily at the sumptuous Potsdam court for 32 years, where he produced hundreds of works for the flute, playing them on the specially devised instruments that brought out their particular melodic beauty.Quantz writes about the ideal instrument: "In general the most pleasing tone quality (sonus) on the flute is that which more nearly resembles a contralto than a soprano, or which imitates the chest tones of the human voice. You must strive as much as possible to acquire the tone quality of those flute players who know how to produce a clear, penetrating, thick, round, masculine, and withal pleasing sound from the instrument."Benedek Csalog: "The present CD series, which seeks to record some 200 extant sonatas, employs modern copies of Quantz's instruments, most at this lower pitch. Through these, together with the applied performance style and technique, we hope to demonstrate convincingly the uniqueness of the Quantz flute, and the necessity of using such instruments to reveal the true character of his music."The Hungarian baroque flute player Benedek Csalog, winner of most prestigious early music competitions, among others Concours Musica Antique, Brugge (Belgium), graduated at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the class of Barthold Kuijken. He has been performing as a soloist in most of the European countries, Japan, North and South America, and the Middle East. He was a guest artist at major festivals, such as Utrecht Early Music Festival, Festival van Vlaanderen, Stockholm Early Music Festival, St. Petersburg Early Music Festival, etc. He played with iconic artists such as William Christie, Sigiswald Kuijken, Barthold Kuijken and Emma Kirkby as his partners.On these 2 CDs Benedek Csalog is partnered by Dora Petery and Fanni Edocs on the harpsichord. UPC: 5063758970990Label: Brilliant ClassicsRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Internationally acclaimed cellist Benedict Kloeckner and pianist Yo Kosuge join forces for a compelling collaboration. Both artists bring extensive experience from major festivals and leading orchestras, along with many years of chamber-music and recital performances?. For this album, they selected popular works and arrangements as follows: Schubert - Arpeggione Sonata; Lullaby; Nacht und Traume/Night and Dreams (arr. Kloeckner) / Mendelssohn - Sonata in D major; On Wings of Song (arr. Popper); Song Without Words (Op. 109)? UPC: 885470046143Label: Berlin ClassicsRelease Date: 6.19.26Format: CD
Whether as a phone ringtone, in hotel lobbies, or in commercials for luxury goods, Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons have achieved a presence in everyday life today that the composer could not have imagined 300 years ago. However, it would be a shame to overlook the innovative testament to Baroque inventiveness that these violin concertos are, given their enormous popularity. With this recording, the Berliner Barock Solisten and Daishin Kashimoto invite listeners to rediscover the atmospheric nuances of The Four Seasons - and to listen to it with fresh ears. UPC: 4260306185412Label: Berliner PhilharmonRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
Regarded as the father of Czech music Bedrich Smetana was a pioneer in developing a national style that culminated in his popular symphonic cycle Ma vlast. Composed after he had become deaf the Czech Dances are Smetana's last major piano works. Sparkling with distinctive character and inventiveness Book 1 elevates the humble polka to the level Chopin achieved with his mazurkas, while Book 2 was inspired by the old Moravian and Bohemian dances played to Smetana by his neighbour, a local amateur violinist. Coloured with Lisztian harmonic richness, the Piano Sonata in G minor combines Romantic expressiveness with puckish good humour. UPC: 747313471874Label: NaxosRelease Date: 8.14.26Format: CD
Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Gil Rose present the world premiere recording of Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess, an opera by Mark Adamo. Far removed from the fa-miliar outlines of Aristophanes' ancient comedy, this daring reimagining reshapes a ca-nonical text into something far more psychologically intricate and musically electrify-ing.Set within a richly variegated score of shifting textures and mercurial transformations, the opera unfolds as a labyrinth of mirrored themes - where melodies change alle-giance, identities blur, and every gesture carries double meaning. The familiar premise of women withholding intimacy to halt war becomes the starting point for a deeper ex-ploration of desire, power, and identity. Adamo's libretto dismantles classical certain-ties, replacing caricature with complexity, and recasts Lysistrata as a figure who must confront not only the politics of war, but the far more disquieting ambiguities of love itself.Under the leadership of conductor Gil Rose, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project has become an unsurpassed advocate for 20th and 21st century American music. Alongside Adamo, this marks their collective return to PENTATONE, following their GRAMMY-nominated recording of John Corigliano's The Lord of Cries (2023). UPC: 8717306265393Label: PentatoneRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
Nine years before achieving an enduring worldwide success with the operetta A Waltz Dream, Oscar Straus scored a notable success in March 1898 in Mainz-where he was then earning his living as a conductor-with his symphonic poem based on Franz Grillparzer's play Der Traum, ein Leben. As the local press rightly observed at the time, the "very appealing composition, distinguished by it's melodic flow and subtle harmonization... earned the composer, who was present, warm ovations and repeated curtain calls." Today, the work has, quite incomprehensibly, been omitted even from the most exhaustive encyclopedias. Only slightly better was the fate of The Princess of Tragant, a ballet-pantomime that in November 1912 even opened the doors of the Vienna Court Opera to Straus. Although the title has not entirely vanished, the charming tale of a decidedly choosy princess and her suitors-so warmly received by audiences at the time-was soon cast into the impenetrable shadow of A Waltz Dream. UPC: 761203553228Label: Cpo RecordsRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
On 18 March 1860, Vienna witnessed a genuine political sensation at the second concert of Euterpe, a young orchestra society. The programme began with several pieces by Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which were received with great applause for the composer, who was present. Equally successful was Fantasia symphonica on themes by Ernst II, for which the Kapellmeister of the Theater an der Wien was responsible - none other than Franz von Suppe, who had succeeded in weaving several themes by his blue-blooded "colleague" into a rousing, impressive symphony. Once again, Suppe's classical training had paid off. Although he achieved immortality as the composer of Die schone Galathee and, above all, Boccaccio, he made a significant contribution with a number of serious works (such as the Requiem cpo 777 842-2). The "symphonic fantasy" is paired with Twelve Spanish Dances, a spirited collection of delightful miniatures from which the famous Jota rears it's head time and again UPC: 761203557325Label: Cpo RecordsRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
The soulful sounds of the saxophone played by multi-Grammy-winning Branford Marsalis pairs perfectly with the evocative works of British composer Sally Beamish and Mahler. Led by Eric Jacobsen with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, this album delivers the songful melancholy of the Mahler songs, played by Marsalis, combined with the freneticism and imagery of Sally Beamish's two rarely heard works, brought to a center stage.
Tracklist:
Rückert-Lieder Op. 44, Ich Bin Der Welt Abhanden Gekommen (I Have Been Lost to the World)
Under the Wing of the Rock: I
Under the Wing of the Rock: II
The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone: I
The Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone:
Imagined Sound of Sun on Stone: III
Symphony No. 2, MVT IV. Urlicht (Primal Light)
UPC: 738715292815Label: Bright Shiny ThingsRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
I compose music in collections-each containing similar themes and unifying elements that create cohesion of thematic material. The following are contained in this album: Maze of Infinite Forms, Life and Opinions, Shifting Spheres, Wings of the Grasshopper, Sound Louder in Darkness. - Brian Buch UPC: 044747419824Label: CentaurRelease Date: 7.10.26Format: CD
Bruce Heim was the Horn Professor at the University of Louisville from 1999-2021. He is an active recitalist, soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and pedagogue. He has performed in Mexico, Venezuela, Poland, Belgium, Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, and throughout the United States. UPC: 044747419527Label: CentaurRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
