For more than twenty years, Haruki Murakami's novels have captivated him time and again: for pianist and composer Tim Allhoff, works such as Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84, and Naoko's Smile are more than mere literature-they are inspiration, guidance, and an enigmatic mirror of his own emotional world. With his new solo album Between Here and Nowhere, which will be released on May 15, 2026, by Neue Meister and is now the eleventh album in his discography, Allhoff has created a musical homage to the cult Japanese author, whose books have long since become a soundscape in their own right. UPC: 885470042930Label: Neue MeisterRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
This album brings to life the richly expressive world of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, a composer who stood at the crossroads of baroque tradition and classical innovation. These sonatas for keyboard and flute reveal a musical language in transition: rooted in the structural clarity of the baroque trio sonata, yet transformed through Bach's bold, sensitive exploration of emotion and individuality. In these works, the keyboard emerges as an equal partner rather than a mere accompaniment, embodying a new, modern voice that reflects the composer's forward-thinking spirit and his pivotal role in shaping the expressive "Empfindsamer Stil."Performed with historical insight and artistic imagination, this recording highlights both the versatility of the instruments and the performers' deep engagement with the repertoire. By embracing original keys, nuanced dynamics, and inventive interpretation, the musicians illuminate the subtle dialogue between recorder and harpsichord, revealing music that is at once intimate, daring, and alive with contrast. The result is a vivid portrait of a composer constantly searching for new means of expression - bridging eras, expanding possibilities, and inviting listeners into a world of refined emotion and creative discovery. UPC: 608917200768Label: Challenge ClassicsRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
In July 2026 Metier is delighted to present Lieder Zyklen (Song Cycles) by contemporary Swiss composer Thomas Fortmann. Featuring settings for voice and piano trio of poetry and text by writers including Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Christian Haller, Prolitheus Pfenninger and Fortmann himself, these works demonstrate the composer's eclectic and unusual style that combines postmodern music, serial techniques, rock and jazz. The Swiss tenor Tino Bru"tsch and Swiss soprano Nuria Richner perform alongside the Trio Accademia Amiata and a Trio of soloists Malwina Sosnowski, Donitille Jordan and Talvi Hunt.The album also includes Fortmann's Hommage to Schubert's Winterreise and his arrangement of this iconic song cycle for baritone and string quartet is given a powerful performance by Florian Prey, son of the great German baritone Hermann Prey alongside the Amar Quartet.Fortmann's setting of the intriguing poem Am Ende des Flurs (At the end of the hallway, 4th floor) by his close friend, Swiss Literary Prize Winner Christian Haller, is followed by The Hofmannsthal Verses. Composed in his early twenties as striking rock songs to poetry by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, who became the librettist to Richard Strauss, the lyrics are a collage of Hofmannsthal poems Fortmann found moving for their linguistic power and their social and political statements. Geschichten (Histories) are concise, short songs that intertwine the timeline of a love relationship with that of human history and dimensions of the cosmos. The Prolitheus Songs are based on e-mails from the extraordinary visual artist Prolitheus Pfenninger, complex and often laden with double meanings and wordplays.Schubert was the favourite composer of Fortmann's mother, a well-known soprano - she often sang his songs to him and his sisters, and the music's sensitive emotions resonate deeply. The Hommage an Schubert's Winterreise, Der Su"sse Ton (the Sweet Tone) is Fortmann's setting of a text collage from Joachim Ringelnatz who often referred to Schubert in his poetry, passages of text from Eduard von Bauernfeld on Schubert's funeral and excerpts from poetry of Schubert himself. The Homage opens with a typical rock riff, reminiscent of how Schubert drew on popular rhythms of his time, and the work refers to the songs of Winterreise in various ways, some of them hidden in contrapuntal forms. Despite the different compositional techniques throughout Fortmann shows his musical-emotional kinship with Schubert.Recreating Winterreise for voice and string quartet was a delicate task of reassembling the work while trying to stay as faithful as possible to the original. Fortmann sought to recapture the mood of the songs, their simplicity and touching directness, and to achieve this with a string quartet some modifications were necessary including extra notes that do not appear in Schubert's original.In the 1970s Thomas Fortmann had a very successful career as a writer of rock music - and also as an international golfing star! At age 26 he abandoned this career to study formal composition which laid the foundation for an extensive body of work that includes chamber music, operas and musical theatre, orchestral, choral, and organ works, as well as several song cycles. Fortmann's distinctly personal style often unites different - and sometimes opposing - impulses of modern music. Lieder Zyklen marks the sixth release of his music on the Metier label. UPC: 809730721427Label: MetierRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
This recording brings together recent choral works by British-Swiss composer Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley exploring sound, silence, and the spaces between them, performed by Tenebrae under Nigel Short. The programme includes the work Engelsmusik, inspired by writings on angelic music which draw on texts by Rumi, Greek liturgy, and spiritual philosophy. At it's centre is the large-scale work The 99 Names, setting Arabic and Aramaic texts from Islamic and Christian traditions, and finishing with Cycle of Peace, responding to contemporary conflict. Together, the works examine listening, stillness, and shared spiritual experience across cultures. UPC: 635212100226Label: Signum ClassicsRelease Date: 6.12.26Format: CD
Caspar Joseph Brambach's chamber music is less well known than his choral and vocal works, but clearly demonstrates his roots in the Romantic musical tradition of the 19th century. His works for smaller ensembles - such as those for piano and strings - are characterised by a clear, balanced form and melodic catchiness.Typical of Brambach's chamber music is a rather conservative style, modelled on composers such as Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The focus is on song-like themes and a harmonically pleasing musical language that prioritises expression and musical coherence over experimentation. UPC: 881488260113Label: Hanssler ClassicRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
After two centuries, Reicha's trios are brought to life with irresistible energyAnton Reicha was probably right when - unlike his colleagues - he avoidedpromoting his own works, being aware that his genius would not be fullyappreciated until long after his death. His spirit of experimentation anticipatedsome of the phenomena of 20th-century music (minimalism, microintervalsetc.). It is only now, in the 21st century, that his name is becoming morewidely known, without constantly having to bring up his inspirationalfriendship with Beethoven or make reference to his more famous Parisianpupils like Berlioz, Gounod, or Franck. Following the premiere recording of hiscomplete Piano Concerto (Bartos, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Popelka2025), Reicha's Six Piano Trios, Op. 101, finally make their debut in a referencerecording. It took all of 202 years since the first printed edition (1824)for one of his last opuses to find it's way onto a recording of the interpretiveand technical quality that the music deserves. Here, the composer's constantsurprises keep his listeners alert, and the technical demands on the musiciansclearly show that the trios were written for elite performers. In this music,the composer's visionary imagination anticipates the full-bloodedRomanticism of Robert Schumann and his contemporaries. The marvellousTrio Bohemo has received deserved acclaim for it's Supraphon debut(Smetana, Schubert, 2024). For this recording in Vienna, they invitedthe proven recording team of producer Andrew Keener and soundengineer Oscar Torres. Up in the musical heavens, Reicha is surely smilingat the invigorating result, made even more vivid in Dolby Atmos sound. UPC: 099925436322Label: SupraphonRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) stands as one of the most compelling and complex composers of the twentieth century. Living and working in the Soviet Union, he was constantly caught between personal artistic expression and the demands of a highly restrictive political system. His music often reflects this tension, combining sharp irony, deep tragedy, and moments of bleak humor. Among his chamber works, the two piano trios hold a special place, offering an intimate window into his emotional world at two very different stages of his life.Shostakovich's Piano Trio No.1 in C minor, Op.8, was composed in 1923, when he was only sixteen years old. Despite his youth, the trio already shows remarkable maturity. Written in a single movement, it reveals a lyrical and introspective character, strongly influenced by late Romantic traditions. Long, singing melodies and rich harmonies dominate the work, especially in the piano part. More than twenty years later, in 1944, Shostakovich composed the Piano Trio No.2 in E minor, Op.67, one of his most powerful chamber works. Written during World War II and dedicated to the memory of his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky, the trio confronts themes of death, grief, and suffering. It's four movements range from haunting stillness to violent intensity. The final movement is particularly striking, incorporating Jewish musical elements that suggest both mourning and bitter irony, possibly alluding to the atrocities of the Holocaust.Also included are the 7 Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok, a vocal cycle for soprano, violin, cello, and piano in which each piece explores a different instrumental combination - from duos to the full ensemble. In these Romances, music becomes inward speech - whispered, often suspended over silence. Blok's poems, filled with dreamlike visions and disturbing symbols, become the very fabric of the composition: each word, each image, finds it's sonic counterpart in a language of subtle timbres, controlled dissonance, and unresolved tension. The result is a cycle of miniature music-theatre scenes in which the voice and instruments do not merely accompany, but engage in dialogue.Played with great intensity and commitment by the Trio Kanon and soprano Irina Dubrovskaya. UPC: 5063758969321Label: Brilliant ClassicsRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Mozart's piano trios mark a decisive moment in the evolution of chamber music, elevating the genre to new artistic heights. This critically acclaimed complete recording by the world-class ensemble Trio Parnassus captures that transformation with intellectual rigour and musical sensitivity. Both celebrated masterpieces and lesser-known fragments are presented in this thoughtfully curated edition, setting a benchmark for quality and artistic vision. UPC: 760623239828Label: MdgRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
True Concord's newest album, HERE I AM, features two world-premiere recordings of works by Jocelyn Hagen. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci has been performed more than 50 times around the world since 2019, incorporating visuals, sound, light and movement. Here I Am was inspired by conductor Eric Holtan's suggestion that Hagen should write a piece celebrating the women's suffrage movement and the centennial of the 19th Amendment in 2020. This piece is performed with live-concert projections of portraits of 47 inspiring women from across the world and across time, whose words form the libretto.HERE I AM was recorded in outstanding fidelity by engineer John Polito and produced by GRAMMY-award winner Peter Rutenberg of Los Angeles. Recorded May 28-31, 2024. UPC: 030911176525Label: Reference RecordingsRelease Date: 8.14.26Format: CD
The Irish-born composer John Field is still celebrated today as 'the father of the nocturne' for his creation of a genre which went on to inspire Chopin and generations of Romantic-era composers for the piano. Field's own talents at the piano were recognised early, when the boy was just nine years old, and further nurtured by Muzio Clementi when the Italian-born, London-resident composer and publisher took him on as a pupil. Thus although the first three of Field's sonatas date from 1801, when he was still a teenager, they are the fruit of a decade-long devotion to the art and craft of music. Unpretentious in form and melodic profile, each of these two-movement sonatas opens with a sonata movement sounding near to Beethoven in one of his milder moods, though No.2 presents a theme which strikingly anticipates one of Schubert's late impromptus. The musing character of these movements is then answered by a toe-tapping minuet, as if to banish all care. While sharing the proportions of these Op.1 pieces, Sonata No.4 is a standalone work dating from 16 years later, once Field was installed in St Petersburg as a high-living pianist to the Imperial Court. The passing of time might account for the gentler nature and richer harmony of the Fourth Sonata's second movement. These neglected pieces only came to wider attention during the 1970s, when they were first recorded, and the discovery of them will still delight any collector of early-Romantic pianism. On this new recording, Tyler Hay prefaces each Sonata with a shorter piece demonstrating the range of Field's talents and expressive palette. There is the Rondo on Del Caro's Hornpipe; a Yearning Waltz; a set of Variations on a Russian Folksong; and finally a ruminative Andante inedit in E flat which, like the best of his work, looks forward to the era of Chopin and Schumann in asserting the stature of the pianist as a poet of the keyboard. "Tyler Hay has brilliantly mastered and assimilated these often elusive scores." Gramophone, July 2018 (on the piano works of John Ogdon, for Piano Classics) UPC: 5063758103596Label: Piano ClassicsRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
Of Love and Life' brings together a selection of songs and song cycles by Hans Christian Detlefsen. His work combines influences from the European avant-garde with non-European soundscapes. Encounters with composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Gyorgy Ligeti, as well as his study of Javanese gamelan music, shaped his musical language. This is characterised by flexible rhythms and harmonies influenced by Olivier Messiaen.The selected cycles bring together texts from different eras and linguistic regions. French poetry by Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine is paired with Spanish poetry by Luis de Gongora, Federico Garcia Lorca, and St John of the Cross, as well as English-language works by Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Edward Lear, and E. E. Cummings. The settings consistently follow the linguistic structure, unfolding a distinct musical dramaturgy from it that oscillates between intimacy, expressiveness and tonal colour.The featured vocalists are Anna Sophia Theil, Feride Buyukdenktas, Zacharias Galaviz-Guerra, Vincent Kusters and Ulf Bastlein. As the driving force behind the project, Bastlein once again demonstrates his talent for rare song repertoire. They represent a new generation of song interpreters who devote themselves with particular intensity to the contemporary repertoire. The piano accompaniment was provided by Charlie Bo Meijering, Martijn van Sas, Clara Sophia Murnig and Hedayet Jonas Djeddikar. UPC: 4260330917454Label: OehmsRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
Ever since playing Hugleiding (Meditation) by composer Karolina Eiriksdottir for the first time back in 2006, this Icelandic solo violin music project has been melting in my veins. In 2013, John Speight wrote his Soliloquy (track 7 and 8) at my request. Two more recent commissions are on the album, both from composers who play the violin: Fragile Stillness by Lilja Maria asmundsdottir and Aria by Maria Huld Markan. Iceland has a long tradition of violin playing and according to folklore every farmer in certain valleys up north was a fiddler. Ea Fantasia (track 4), my own composition, is inspired by the opening track Alia Fantasia by Nicola Matteis Jr. He was the London-born son of the Italian composer Nicola Matteis, who wrote Ayers and Grounds. Nicola Junior was a violinist like his father and lived in Vienna, where he composed numerous ballets for the imperial opera. His bariolage (arpeggios over four strings) remind me of the opening of Fratres by Arvo Part and Bach's Chaconne-key works in the violin repertoire-both of which have been a great inspiration to me. In Fragile Stillness (track 2), Lilja Maria asmundsdottir experiments with textures. Or as she puts it: "The piece is inspired by a weather condition called froststillur. It is characterized by an intense calmness where there is no wind and a crisp, frozen atmosphere.Karolina wrote Meditation (track 3) in 1996 for violinist Hlif Sigurjonsdottir, who premiered the piece in June 1997. Meditation is in one movement, built on ideas which change and develop, and the composer describes it as "variations without a theme.Aria (track 5) by Maria Huld Markan was written for me in 2023. Her solo piece is written under the influence of Maria Callas and her romanticism and lontano as she sings Puccini. Maria is reflecting on the concept of the genius, and motifs are flowing from all the fountains contemplating the romantic violin repertoire. On his Adagio (track 6), composer Tryggvi Baldvinsson writes: "This small Adagio can be seen as a short play in which three distinct characters appear. Each has it's own traits, it's own personality. The encounter between these characters is bound to have a profound and lasting impact on them. As for the actual course of events, I leave that entirely to the listener's imagination. The piece was composed for Rut Ingolfsdottir, who premiered it in 1997.John Speight is an English-Icelandic singer and composer I got to know through working with the Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra, playing and recording his works. He wrote Soliloquy (track 7 and 8) in 2012 and it is the only piece on the album in two movements. The first movement is slow and thoughtful, while the second is crazy and furious. Tranquility (track 10) by Sveinn Ludvik Bjornsson is possibly the shortest piece I have ever played. The story of it is longer than the piece itself-and too good to omit. Sveinn Ludvik, who is visually impaired, was renting a studio in an old banana storage in Brautarholt, Reykjavik. To enter his studio he had to walk through the studio of artist Helgi Valgeirsson. Above the door there was a painting by Helgi which inspired Sveinn Ludvik deeply; he had the sense it was very somber in it's mood-a naked woman with her back turned. Moved by the scene he wrote Tranquility. Later, when discussing the piece with Helgi and admiring the tragic impact of the naked woman in the picture, Sveinn was shocked to discover that the painting, in fact, was of bananas and oranges.Veronique Vaka Jacques, a Canadian-Icelandic composer and trained classical cellist, grounds her work in the geology and topography of Iceland. In Ofdune (track 9), a map of North Iceland serves as groundwork, with the geographical details of a descending river abstractly translated into the work's time progression, using the river's path through hills and valleys as a loose blueprint. This concept of descent is echoed in the title, Ofdune, which is derived from the Old English meaning "downwards" or "off the hill".Jon Nordal's Hvert orstutt spor (Each Tiny Step, track 11) is from the play Silfurtunglid by Icelandic Nobel Prize-winning author Halldor Laxness. This is a famous Icelandic song, here in my gospel music influenced arrangement for solo violin. I tried to stay true to the beautiful and simple melody and the text of the poem filled with nostalgic longing. - Una SveinbjarnardottirRecorded in Reykholtskirkja West Iceland January 24. - 25. 2025Una Sveinbjarnardottir, ViolinRagnheidur Jonsdottir, TonmeisterDan Shores, Recording, Editing, Mixing, & Mastering EngineerEva Schram, PhotographyUna Sveinbjarnardottir, Liner Notes UPC: 053479228802Label: Sono LuminusRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Frank Martin's chamber music oeuvre may not take up much space on the shelf, yet it spans an entire artistic life. Together with pianist Ilona Timchenko, the Utrecht String Quartet dedicate themselves to three key works that impressively bring together tradition and modernity in the 20th century. UPC: 760623238821Label: MdgRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
Alfred Schnittke's oeuvre carries an unmistakable personal signature that integrates widely differing stylistic worlds. The profoundly compelling works heard in this programme display an extraordinary level of expression and colours. From the haunting sonorities of the prepared piano in his First Concerto Grosso to the playful theatricality of Moz-Art (after the fragment K. 416d) this album brings together all of Schnittke's works for two violins, both with and without orchestra. UPC: 747313446070Label: NaxosRelease Date: 7.24.26Format: CD
Eugenio Visnoviz (1906-1931) belongs to the poignant group of early twentieth-century composers whose promise was cut short by an untimely death. Born in Italy at a moment of intense cultural transformation, Visnoviz grew up in an environment shaped by the late Romantic legacy and the emerging modernist currents that were redefining European music. Although his surviving output is small, it reveals a composer of striking sensitivity and technical awareness.Written at the age of only 17 by Visnoviz, a fragile and tormented musician whose life would end just eight years later, probably by his own hand, the Sonata contains the seeds of genius. Large in scale, in four movements, permeated with a late Romantic spirit but with stylistic features reminiscent of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and especially Brahms (with some harmonic exploration, a legacy of the post-war period), the Sonata presents a language that is both lyrical and dramatic.The program pairs the Sonata, with it's vast proportions, with the light piano aphorisms of the Klavierstucke. Despite his pianistic expertise, Visnoviz the composer did not leave any large-scale works for his instrument, preferring to focus on it's intimate and lyrical dimension. He condenses musical ideas into concise gestures, exploring contrasting moods, textures, and colors. The pieces frequently juxtapose delicate, introspective passages with more rhythmically driven or harmonically bold sections.This new recording is a labor of love by the two musicians Valentina Danelon and Cristina Santin who, during their study time, discovered Visnoviz works in the Visnoviz Collection, held by the Tartini Conservatory in Trieste. UPC: 5063758700948Label: Brilliant ClassicsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Franco Margola (1908-1992) occupies a distinctive place in twentieth-century Italian music as a composer who combined modern clarity with a deep respect for classical balance and lyric expression. Born in Brescia, Margola was trained within the Italian conservatory tradition and soon developed a style often associated with neoclassicism: transparent textures, well-defined forms, and an elegant restraint that avoided both romantic excess and radical avant-garde experimentation. Throughout his career he wrote extensively for chamber ensembles, voice, and solo instruments, consistently favoring intimate musical dialogue and refined craftsmanship.Among his most important contributions to the guitar repertoire are the five Sonatas for guitar, composed over several decades. These works reflect Margola's close engagement with the instrument's idiomatic possibilities while maintaining a strong structural rigor. Rather than treating the guitar merely as a vehicle for virtuosic display, Margola emphasizes musical architecture, motivic development, and subtle harmonic color. Each sonata presents a different perspective on form and expression, yet all share a characteristic clarity of line and balance between melody and accompaniment.Stylistically, the guitar sonatas draw on classical models-especially the sonata principle and dance-like movements-while incorporating twentieth-century harmonic language, including modal inflections and gently dissonant sonorities. Rhythmic vitality and contrapuntal writing are frequent features, demanding both technical control and musical sensitivity from the performer. At the same time, Margola's lyrical impulse remains central: slow movements often unfold in long, singing phrases that highlight the guitar's natural warmth and expressive resonance.Played by Valerio Celentano, who graduated in classical guitar with the honors from the Conservatory of Music "Giuseppe Martucci" in Salerno under the guidance of Antonio Grande. He has participated in several masterclasses with famous guitarists such as Alirio Diaz, Pavel Steidl, David Russell, Jyrki Myllarinen, Mario Gangi and Carlo Marchione. He studied for several years with Oscar Ghiglia and Frederic Zigante. He won prizes in many international music competitions. For Brilliant Classics he recorded guitar works by Georges Migot. UPC: 5063758968560Label: Brilliant ClassicsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
This album brings together Andrzej Panufnik's late London works, music shaped by a rigorous search for formal clarity and expressive balance. Symphony No. 10, his final symphony, exemplifies the composer's use of geometric principles, unfolding in a continuous span whose restraint gives it cumulative weight. The Violin and Cello Concertos, written for Yehudi Menuhin and Mstislav Rostropovich respectively, avoid overt display, favouring lucid textures and a direct, vocal approach to solo writing. Love Song, heard in it's instrumental arrangement for solo cello, harp and strings, closes the programme with characteristic economy and poise. John Mills and Bozidar Vukotic are partnered by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Alexander Walker. UPC: 5060262794203Label: Resonus ClassicsRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
In this debut recording of songs, arias and duets from tenor David Webb, composer Arthur Sullivan emerges as both a figure of Savoy theatre Polish, and as a composer of clarity and restraint. Drawing on years of experience with this repertoire, the artists bring an ease that feels instinctive and assured. With the Academy of Ancient Music, this is the first recording of Gilbert and Sullivan on period instruments, offering a sound closer to that heard in Victorian drawing rooms, concert halls and band stands than the modern pit. Textures open out, the words carry with directness, and Sullivan's craft is newly apparent across three decades of his career. What results is rediscovery: a return to the scale, colour, and immediacy Sullivan's audiences would have known. Across three decades, from early sacred works to late opera, his craft is heard afresh, with lyricism and wit. UPC: 5060262794241Label: Resonus ClassicsRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
Hans Werner Henze is one of the outstanding composers of the 20th century. To mark his 100th birthday, this edition will contain all the recordings released on the WERGO label, some of which were produced under his supervision - an extensive collection that does not claim to be complete, yet serves as an impressive testament to a versatility that echoes Henze's open-mindedness and cosmopolitan outlook: in terms of cultural history, politics and society, as well as form and composition.Regrouped and divided into groups of works in this edition, the recordings, some of which are no longer available, will be released in five CD box sets in 2026, starting with the symphonies, followed by orchestral works and instrumental concertos, chamber music and piano music, vocal music, and concluding with stage works, including the previously unreleased recording of 'Der Prinz von Homburg'.Almost 50 years passed between the composition of Hans Werner Henze's First Symphony in 1947 and the Tenth, which was completed at the turn of the millennium. The literary and political references are wide-ranging, stretching from ancient mythology to the Cuban Revolution to the Ninth as great choral symphony based on 'The Seventh Cross'. From work to work, one can trace Henze's development as a composer up to the sublime mastery of his late works. With his 10 symphonies, Henze created one of the monumental symphonic cycles of the 20th century. UPC: 4010228696127Label: Wergo GermanyRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
Hailed by Fanfare magazine as 'one of the major artists of our time' Ukrainian violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv continues to give voice to her country's rich musical heritage in Music of Resilience. The album explores her homeland's ongoing war and features new works: Victoria Vita Poleva's searing lament, Bucha. Lachrimosa, and two pieces by Bohdan Kryvopust, the powerfully commemorative On the River and the folk-music inspired Ukrainian Suite. Hanna Havrylets' Ex Libris dates from 1993 and employs folk music techniques that draw on ornamentation more than development. Representing an earlier generation, the richly Romantic works by Osyp Zalesky and Roman Prydatkevych are heard here in arrangements by Bohdana Frolyak. As an encore, Ivakhiv plays Yuriy Shevchenko's arrangement of Ukraine's national anthem. UPC: 747313919178Label: NaxosRelease Date: 8.28.26Format: CD
Philip Moore is a prolific British composer, who wasorganist and Master of the Music at York Minsterfor 25 years. Before moving to York he held posts atGuildford Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral and EtonCollege. He retired from the York Minster in 2008 andwas appointed Organist Emeritus. The Archbishop ofYork awarded him the Order of St William.Moore's sacred choral music is extremely popularwith church choirs around the world. This recordingfeatures a number of works specially written for StAlbans Cathedral Choir and the album also includesfive premiere recordings. UPC: 5060216341170Label: First HandRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
This re-release of Beethoven: Violin Sonatas 4, 5 & 7 continues Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson's acclaimed exploration of Beethoven's violin sonatas on period instruments. Recorded in 2020, the album pairs Mullova's 1750 Guadagnini violin, strung with gut, with Beatson's fortepiano by Paul McNulty, offering performances grounded in historical practice. The programme brings together the dramatic Sonata in A minor, Op. 23, the lyrical "Spring" Sonata, Op. 24, and the sharply characterised Sonata in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2. Heard together, these works reveal Beethoven's expanding dialogue between violin and piano at a pivotal stage in his early maturity. UPC: 635212100424Label: Signum ClassicsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Felix Draeseke's early affiliation with the music of Liszt and Wagner permeated his own compositions of the period, not least his Sonata quasi fantasia in C sharp minor, a work of sumptuous Wagnerian candour as well as balletic lightness. It also marked a significant turning-point from a revolutionary style to something more conservative. As Liszt wrote to him, 'Since Schumann's F sharp minor sonata, I know of no more such significant work of this genre.' The programme also includes a virtuoso Grande Fantaisie, two characterful Fantasiestucke and Chopin-like gestures in the Valse-Nocturne. UPC: 747313467570Label: NaxosRelease Date: 6.26.26Format: CD
Vladimir Delman was undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary conductors to be appeared in Italy between 1970 and 1990. Unfortunately, the considerable number of his recordings (all of the highest quality) in the 1990s were partially released in mediocre editions by Fonit Cetra. Then, in the following years, his recording material disappeared after his death in the middle of the decade. Today, thanks to friends and the person entrusted with managing his estate, we can publish a good portion of those recordings, starting from the original master tapes, especially those of a group of composers much loved by the maestro, especially Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Shostakovich. UPC: 8051773574313Label: Urania RecordsRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
This recording is a small token of appreciation and a tribute to E.M. Timakin, my first teacher, who taught me how to play piano and helped to set the course of my musical journey that is still unfolding. He was very fond of Grieg's piano works and gave it to all of his young students to study. More than sixty years have passed since that time, but the experience of studying Grieg's Lyrical Pieces with him is still vivid in my grateful memory. For generations of young pianists Grieg's Lyric Pieces have been one of the first encounters with real music, alongside the works of Schumann and Tchaikovsky written for children. At the beginning of their training young musicians and children must dedicate plenty of time and efforts to the development and mastering of the basic technical skills such as playing scale, arpeggios and other exercises that do not carry real artistic values. Because of that the first encounters with real music are extremely important for children and could have a defining impact on their future development and growth. It is good fortune for many youngsters to be introduced to real music through these works of Grieg. UPC: 0710357646720Label: Nimbus RecordsRelease Date: 8.7.26Format: CD
One of the world's leading experts on Marcel Dupre, Tobias Frank, joins forces with his ensemble Vox ad hoc to reveal a previously undiscovered facet of the French composer: vocal works for soloist or choir, with piano or organ accompaniment or purely a cappella. Until recently, these outstanding pieces had remained quietly overlooked in the archives of the Bibliotheque nationale de France. UPC: 760623238067Label: MdgRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
Luigi Mozzani (1869-1943) is a prominent figure in the history of classical guitar and Italian lutherie. A highly talented musician and guitarist, he distinguished himself as a concert performer, composer, teacher, and innovative luthier. He was born in Faenza on March 9, 1869 (though some sources cite Granarolo di Romagna as his birthplace), and his childhood was marked by economic hardship that forced him to leave school after completing only the first grade. Nevertheless, he managed to educate himself independently and developed a strong interest in music. After initially studying the clarinet, he graduated in oboe from the Conservatory of Bologna at the age of 18, before devoting himself to the guitar - the instrument that would make him famous, leading him to perform in various Italian cities, European capitals, and North America. He founded a school of lutherie, whose developments in the pursuit of a perfect balance between art and science are still internationally recognized today. The typically Italian taste for melody - derived from opera and chamber vocal music - distinguishes his guitar compositions, which have remained largely unexplored until now. These works are finally brought to light in their entirety through the interpretations of Walter Zanetti (joined by Monica Paolini in the pieces for two guitars). UPC: 8007194108422Label: Tactus RecordsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
The Isabella Scelsi Foundation promotes the production of contemporary music in a wide-ranging and structured manner, withparticular attention to the work of it's founder, Giacinto Scelsi.In this vein, the Scelsi Collection series has been created, in close collaboration with the Stradivarius label, which features theMaestro's works performed by great musicians and renowned vocal and instrumental ensembles.The CD we present here is the most extraordinary that one can imagine, in the true sense of the word: in fact, it documents andbears witness to Giacinto Scelsi's unique creative process. The project, conceived under the presidency of Prof. Irmela Heimbächerand edited by composer and musicologist Friedrich Jaecker, presents the heart of Scelsi's universe, with two recordings of thecomposer's improvisations, which generated the pieces that would take shape in the subsequent process of 'materialization',alongside the relative 'musical products', with performances of the highest caliber. Giacinto Scelsi's 'mystery' is thus, for once,unveiled, along it's innermost path! The CD is a unique accomplishment, created as an example, in order to allow everyone -musicians, scholars, and enthusiasts - to have an insight into the extraordinary epiphany that was renewed in Scelsi with each ofhis pieces and gave rise to works considered among the greatest masterpieces of late 20th-century music.Gianni TrovalusciPresident Isabella Scelsi Foundation UPC: 8011570373014Label: StradivariusRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
With this new recording of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 Resurrection, the Basel Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Markus Poschner presents a powerful artistic statement marking the beginning of a new era. Few works could have been more fitting for Poschner's debut as Chief Conductor in Basel in autumn 2025: Mahler's monumental Second Symphony unites existential depth with visionary sonic grandeur, demanding both emotional commitment and structural clarity. At the heart of Poschner's interpretation lies a deliberately streamlined, transparent, and finely balanced Mahler sound. Rather than overwhelming massiveness, he emphasizes precise articulation, subtle dynamic shading, and a clear projection of the orchestral lines. This approach brings out both the intricate layers of the score and the chamber-like moments that give Mahler's music it's distinctive tension. With this recording, Markus Poschner and the Basel Symphony Orchestra not only document a significant artistic beginning, but also set a strong example of a modern Mahler interpretation that unites emotional intensity with structural transparency. UPC: 4262353971055Label: Prospero ClassicalRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
Wild Up has been lauded as one of classical music's most exciting groups by virtually every significant institution and critic within earshot. In 2010, Artistic Director Christopher Rountree founded Wild Up with 15 musicians. Today, this GRAMMYr-nominated ensemble comprises 32 performers, with membership ranging from award-winning composers to experts in contemporary techniques, baroque music specialists, activists, studio musicians, indie artists, and educators.-The group has premiered hundreds of new works withartists such as Pamela Z, David Lang, Ted Hearne, JuliaHolter, Scott Walker, Juliana Barwick, and RagnarKjartansson. And accompanied stars like Björk.- Vol. 5 of an ongoing Julius Eastman compendium, withVol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4 earning GRAMMY nominations.
Tracklist:
No. 1, Silence
No. 2, All Together
No. 3, The Lessing Is Miracle
No. 4, Melt To and Back Again
No. 5, Dies Irae
No. 6, A Mighty Fortress
No. 7, C#mb7
No. 8, Always Making New Inversions
UPC: 4062548135886Label: New Amsterdam RecsRelease Date: 7.31.26Format: CD
Furtwaengler's Beethoven recordings have long been considered milestones in twentieth-century interpretation. Among the Beethoven recordings made by the German maestro during the war (1942-1944), they have always enjoyed great prestige. This edition, based on sources from the RRG broadcasts, offers, after a balanced restoration, perhaps the finest audio version of these important documents. The quality is guaranteed to be comparable to the finest recordings of the 1960s UPC: 8051773574337Label: Urania RecordsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz has enjoyed continuous success since it's premiere in June 1821 and rapidly became one of the models for German Romantic opera. In accordance with a tradition that goes back to Mozart's time and which was still very much alive during Weber's lifetime, many transcriptions were made either of the entire work or of extracts from it. The most important of these was made by Karl Flachs, seemingly as early as 1822, and was published in 1825. It contains an extensive selection of the work's principal numbers, including the overture and the most important arias and choruses. UPC: 5400439004894Label: RicercarRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
"The soundboard is painted with flowers, fruits, and animals and decorated with a typical light-blue ornamental border. Around the soundboard, the walls are adorned with block-printed wallpaper. The lid contains a landscape painting, which was added later, an idyllic stream landscape with four staffage figures: The observer watches a boy gazing intently into the water, a young woman carrying provisions or something similar home, and a couple, who are also only visible from behind. A bridge and a mill enliven the rural scene." If the corresponding technical terms "soundboard," "ornamental border," or "lid" were missing, the reader would hardly associate this vivid, florid description with a keyboard instrument. In such a manner, the renowned harpsichordist and expert in historical performance practice and basso continuo, Wolfgang Brunner, describes the instrument dated 1628 by Andreas Ruckers, from the Flemish harpsichord-making dynasty of the Ruckers family, which is heard on this recording featuring the six French Suites by J. S. Bach. UPC: 9003643993761Label: GramolaRelease Date: 6.19.26Format: CD
Bach's 15 two-part Inventions and the 15 three-part Sinfonias played an important role in Bach's teaching. These pieces, although today mainly associated with basic keyboard training, are not at all easy and in fact are sophisticated, small-scale masterpieces. They were not composed simply to provide technical training in keyboard playing but, perhaps more important, to teach keyboard players how to compose. In 1720, Bach's oldest son Wilhelm Friedemann (1710-84) was already of an age appropriate for introducing him into the family trade of musician. So Bach started for him a music notebook: a Clavierbüchlein which included these Inventions and Sinfonias. In learning and playing these works, Bach affirmed, a diligent student would be taught "a clear manner for playing not only in two voices but also in three obbligato parts and, furthermore, not only how to invent good musical ideas [inventiones] but also how to develop these well. And above all, how to achieve a cantabile manner of playing, and additionally to obtain a strong foretaste of Composition. "Wolfgang Rübsam is internationally known as an authoritative Bach interpreter, from recordings of the organ and harpsichord on several different labels. This new recording is played on a lute-harpsichord, an instrument that Bach would have had at home for both music-making in the family and for teaching. The touch required and the sonority produced is delicate, subtly shaded, and closely related in it's effect to the music of Bach's French contemporaries, whose music he knew well, such as François Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, and Louis Marchand. The sound is warmer, as it has gut strings and no dampers. "These lovely performances memorably showcase Rübsam's sensitive and poetic side. Recommended. Performance: 9," wrote Jed Distler of ClassicsToday. Com about the earlier issue of Rübsam's recording of Bach's French Suites (BC 96227). UPC: 5063758976848Label: Brilliant ClassicsRelease Date: 5.1.26Format: CD
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