Transcriptions for two harpsichords of works by Gdansk composers and Kapellmeisters, spanning the mature Renaissance through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.The album's title evokes the vogue for monumental polychoral compositions that once enriched the daily life of Gdansk's patrician society. Through bold reconstructions and the virtuosic artistry of two harpsichordists affiliated with the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, the works of these ambitious masters of old Gdansk are given a new voice - radiant with a splendour worthy of the gilded interiors of Artus Court. UPC: 5902547022291Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Famously invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s, the saxophone quickly became an established part of French and British military bands, but remained a novelty instrument elsewhere until it gained a foothold in vaudeville and ragtime bands in 1920s America. From there, it became an essential part of dance bands, and a prominent solo instrument in jazz. A great deal of this early development can be attributed to one musician - Rudy Wiedoeft. Born into a musical family, Rudy became a virtuoso clarinettist at an early age, before becoming obsessed with the saxophone in 1914. Coinciding with the start of the dance craze, he was convinced he could make a better living as saxophonist than as an orchestral clarinettist and spent the following years forming and running bands for nightclubs and cabaret, and writing and recording his own virtuosic pieces for saxophone. Concentrating on recording over performing, he became a household name, but the emergence of the jazz era and it's new star musicians eventually overshadowed his work, and his achievements and influence slipped into obscurity. Multi-instrumentalist, educator, and virtuoso saxophonist, Chad Smith instigated this album both as a tribute to and in order to shine a light on this largely forgotten innovator. A veteran of Broadway since 2002, Smith has made an astonishing career which spans live and studio work at the highest level, featuring in a diverse range of soundtracks from Star Wars to The Simpsons. He has appeared as a soloist with most of America's premier symphony orchestras, and has collaborated with innumerable artists such as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Lady Gaga. UPC: 0095115539026Label: ChandosRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
The programme of the latest recording by the distinguished choir 441 Hz brings together works by composers from a wide range of cultural traditions, from Scandinavia to the Philippines. Their shared expressive thread is a meditation on the phenomenon of light-it's symbolism, radiance, and transformative power. These composers write for mixed choir, enriched here by the subtle colours of violin, Tibetan singing bowls, handbells, and even water-tuned glasses.Yet for all it's imaginative scoring, the programme is far removed from the world of avant-garde experiment. Instead, it unfolds in a language of luminous harmonies, deeply affecting solo voices, and expansive musical forms, creating an atmosphere of serenity and inward reflection. UPC: 5902547022260Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
The compositions of Rev. Michal Roman Szulik-conductor, musicologist, and composer-stand as a testament to the musical life of the community gathered around the cathedral in Siedlce. Their defining quality lies in the composer's devoted preservation of the stylistic language of sacred music. Written for a cappella choir or with organ accompaniment, these settings of texts-ranging from medieval psalms and hymns to contemporary works-reveal a profound command of the history of liturgical vocal music, while also reflecting the composer's deep reverence for a tradition cultivated over many centuries. UPC: 5902547021621Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
L'infinito is Giacomo Leopardi's famous and emblematic poem. The choice of this poem as the sole textualmaterial for the composition of this set of vocal pieces was dictated as much by the evident musicality ofLeopardi's verses as by the immense dreamlike openness of his imagination.The musicality of this language, the tonic accents specific to Italian, of course, but also the rhythm providedby the particular scansion of these fifteen verses.The multiplicity and diversity of the themes addressed by Leopardi, in only 15 verses, offer the composer arange of perspectives, paths to follow, and characters to explore, such that the challenge required diversity inthe vocal treatment as well (since this is only a question of song, without instrumental intervention). This alsojustified the formal division into several pieces, each treating an aspect of the poem, sometimes fragmented,in a particular mode of vocal expression. After exploring registers ranging from simple declamation to thegreatest vocal virtuosity, from the extremely low to the very high, from one single voice to several, the workconcludes with nothing but the singers' respiration (breathing) recordedin an anechoic chamber thebody'sown rustling, now voiceless, expressing itself solely through breath. This music was originally written for thechoreographic performance entitled 'Sanguine,' choreographed by Nadine Hernu.P.M. UPC: 8011570373526Label: StradivariusRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
We're worried by it, stressed out from it, frightened of it - and yet we're fascinated by it. Chaos has always been perceived as a threat, but also as the foundation of life. Various creation stories explain how the world arose out of disorder, out of "mayhem". In like manner, it is anarchic spirits in particular that are credited with the ability to create masterpieces of creative art. This conception was perhaps most neatly expressed by Friedrich Nietzsche: "You must have chaos within you, if you are to give birth to a dancing star." The present album is made up of works which, if you like, harbour the sound of chaos. Originally written for a wide variety of instruments, these pieces are arranged here for string quartet and are connected by improvised interludes - linking passages for which the Hungarian composer Samu Gryllus has provided the basis. The Chaos String Quartet emerged from the iconic violist joke: "Well-established, world-famous string quartet looking for a new first violin, second violin... and cellist." That's exactly how it happened. On Cornwall's rugged coast, during a Prussia Cove masterclass, after an illuminating lesson, a sight-reading session, and a candlelit dinner, Sara invited Susanne to form a quartet. After that first conversation, it took some time to find two other brave musicians, both beyond their mid-twenties, who were willing to embark on the exciting, sometimes complex, and risky adventure that is a string quartet. Fortunately, Eszter and Bas joined soon after, with great enthusiasm. As usual, naming proved a challenge. Some suggested using the first violinist's surname; others, a Greek god. A few warned, "Don't start with A - there are too many." Then came a provocative idea: why not call it Chaos? Furthermore, the quartet enjoys inspiring the next generation, sharing it's experience as Young Artists in Residence at Vienna's University of Music and Performing Arts, cheekily sparking a little chaos among the artists of tomorrow. Their recognition as BBC New Generation Artists (2023-2025) and regular appearances at venues like Wigmore Hall, Musikverein, and Concertgebouw illuminate a journey where unpredictability becomes inspiration-reminding us that from the origins of chaos can emerge music of unique order and profound beauty. UPC: 4260123645526Label: Solo MusicaRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: CD
Diego Conti's recent composition for string quartet/quintet can be placed in the aesthetic context which can be roughly defined, given any inevitable historical and conceptual adjustments, as post-modern. There is a multitude of approaches to sound, according to various different and diverging strategies (ranging from the prolongation of serial combinatorial rows on material and stylistic morphology in Ligeti to modulation/pluri- linguistic modelling in Berio, from the synthesis of minimal iteration and tonal orders in figures such as John Adams or Louis Andriessen to the clearance of practices and languages of other creative-musical areas, seventies' art music has gradually abandoned the teleological, progressive tendency of it's historical path. The language of composition has ceased to recognize the essential reference point in it's most advanced frontier and has become a complex macro-area at it's core, widely accessible, and able to be explored in all it's domains even as far as the confines of the avantgarde frontier thanks, above all, to an interplay involving many possible directions, crossings and even multiple settlements. The recording is the result of the collaboration between the composer and the Chaos String Quartet, which was formed within the student environment of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, one of the most prestigious international musical institutions. UPC: 8007194108538Label: Tactus RecordsRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: CD
Celebrating the rich musical heritage of University College, Durham, this album brings together works by Edward Bairstow and Francis Jackson alongside a new commission by Ben Rowarth, and the first complete recording of Amy Beach's Four Canticles. In music of faith, remembrance and renewal, it honours alumnus David Knowles, and reflects the devotion and creativity that continue to shape Durham's choral tradition. UPC: 726436300216Label: Convivium RecordsRelease Date: 4.10.26Format: CD
Venture beyond the familiar canon with these charming septets by Conradin Kreutzer and Friedrich Witt. Rich in colour, elegant and effortlessly virtuosic, these works unveil the vibrant chamber music tradition that flourished alongside Beethoven. Performed with finesse and warmth by the Charis Ensemble, this album stands as an enriching addition to the connoisseur's collection. UPC: 760623239729Label: MdgRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts is the definitive recorded collection of living Chicago DIY legend, Dr. Charles Joseph Smith. It also marks the first archival release from Chicago's Sooper Records. All of the music here is being made widely available for the first time ever. This 90-minute collection is compiled from 30 years of Charles' self-released music spanning concert piano, electroacoustic experimentation, electronic beats, free improvisation, and two instrumental realizations of his evolving sci-fi opera, War of the Martian Ghosts (a 2023 electronic realization, and a 2018 piano realization). This double Vinyl / Triple CD Collector's Edition includes an extensive liner note booklet containing 9000 words about the artist's life and work, as well as poetry, interviews, quotes, and 30 archival photographs. Liner notes written by Sooper co-founder Glenn Curran and edited by Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz.Dr. Charles Joseph Smith's remarkable story begins with a mute child's gift for music, and the purposeful way he nurtured this talent to become both life practice and raison d'être. Charles recounts this artistic journey in his autobiography, The 88 Keys that Opened Doors, a self-published book that chronicles a life in which music was (and still is) the primary key to overcoming immense challenges posed by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).His career as a musician starts in the church, reaches into the international concert piano circuit, and eventually settles to bear strange fruit in Chicago's experimental underground. Along the way, Charles Joseph Smith's compositional voice absorbed and metabolized popular music spanning pop to jazz, the gospel of the church, the canon of the classical conservatory, modern dance scores, and the rule-shattering experimentalism of his city's DIY subculture, where he has been a mainstay for over 30 years. Since the mid-1990s, Charles has been performing, dancing, and selling his self-published musical and written works in person, often at the local shows he frequents. He is known around Chicago as a living symbol of the power of music, and of the beloved spirit of community at the heart of DIY. This is the definitive collection of his original recordings-though it would be impossible to ever encompass the galaxies of music, poetry, and prose penned by the prolific Dr. Charles Joseph Smith.
Tracklist:
Sounds of the Beach - Two Voices (2002)
Le Leader Negatif (2008)
Beats for Katie S. Rap Song (Revised with No Ondes Martenot) (2012)
Selection from First 16-Minute Original Techno Mix with Crossfades (2012)
Love Theme (1996)
Rubber Band Improvisation (1994)
My Days Are Not Over for Me (1993)
Experimental Jazz Piano B - Latin (Improvisation) (2013)
A Mixture of Musical Styles (1994)
The Five Louises (An Experimental Opera) (2008)
Dreams of Being Viola
Acid Rain
Distribution
Instrumental Extension of Marching to War (Act 1)
War of the Martian Ghosts (2023)
Dance in Homage to the Stars Shining at Night
Foggy, Cloudy ; a Little Windy
2nd Movement of Jazz Sonata
Underscore Music Before Dissolution of Being (Act 2) - Instrumental
Dissolution of Being (Act 2) - Orchestral Version
Recapitulation - the Rap Scene from Act 2 - Instrumental
Butterfly Study in F# Minor
Final Descent
An Unusual Welcome Parade
Council of Elders
March to War
War of the Martian Ghosts (2018)
The Aftermath
Restoration
Flourishing Cities of Undead
Recapitulation
Dissonance of Being
UPC: 789091611783Label: Sooper RecordsRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: CD
Pianist Charlotte Hu presents Goyescas, an album featuring Granados' monumental Goyescas alongside two Spanish Dances. A cornerstone of Spanish piano literature, Goyescas was inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya and unfolds as a richly poetic suite where passion, tenderness, shadow, and light coexist across six vividly characterised movements. From the playful charm of "Los requiebros" to the lyrical intimacy of "La maja y el ruiseñor" and the profound emotional summit of "El amor y la muerte," Granados' masterwork reveals a world of dramatic contrasts and refined storytelling. Hu captures both the virtuosic brilliance and the deeply intimate narrative of the music, illuminating it's modern harmonic language and unmistakable Spanish spirit with freshness and reverence.Complementing the suite are two Spanish Dances: the hauntingly introspective No. 2, "Oriental," and the vibrant, guitar-inflected No. 5, "Andaluza." Together, they offer concentrated glimpses into Granados' expressive range - from quiet longing and poetic reflection to radiant joy and folkloric vitality. This release marks her second album on PENTATONE, following her debut, Liszt: Metamorphosis, released in 2024. UPC: 8717306265225Label: PentatoneRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra and it's Music Director Jader Bignamini present Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, one of the most electrifying works of the twentieth century. Drawing on thirteenth-century manuscripts from Benediktbeuern Abbey, Orff transformed the exuberant, irreverent texts of wandering scholars and rebellious clerics into a monumental scenic cantata. From the iconic opening of "O Fortuna" to the exuberant outdoor dances, tavern scenes, and courtly love interludes, the work pulses with elemental rhythms and striking orchestration, with chorus, percussion, two pianos, and celesta playing central roles. Motifs from "O Fortuna" recur throughout, linking the contrasting worlds of humour, erotic longing, and the inexorable wheel of fate.Orff balances diatonic simplicity with rhythmic ostinati, while movements such as the flute-timpani duet, castanets solo, and piano-percussion passages evoke primal energy and recall Stravinsky's Les noces. From the introspective soprano arias in "In trutina" to the sardonic baritone tavern numbers, the score alternates between joy, melancholy, and satire, culminating in the final return of "O Fortuna" to close the cycle. Following their acclaimed release of Marsalis' Blues Symphony in March 2025, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Jader Bignamini return to PENTATONE, reaffirming their mastery of landmark repertoire. UPC: 8717306265195Label: PentatoneRelease Date: 6.26.26Format: CD
The Chiaroscuro Quartet is now offering us the fourth instalment of their ongoing complete recording of Beethoven's string quartets. This latest release spotlights the first two of the three opus 59 quartets known as the 'Razumovsky', named for their patron, the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Andreas Razumovsky, who maintained a house quartet in his palace.Beethoven was particularly proud of these new quartets, despite the initial bewilderment they provoked among audiences, critics and even performers. Famously, when a violinist complained of their difficulty, Beethoven retorted: 'Oh, they are not for you, but for a later age." The first, in F Major, was almost certainly the longest string quartet composed up to that point and it's unprecedented weight and density of argument earn it the moniker the Eroica among Beethoven's quartets. The second, in E minor, is often described as a 'close cousin' of the 'Appassionata' Sonata, in that both works -composed at around the same time- are permeated by a profound darkness from start to finish.The Chiaroscuro Quartet's previous installments in this cycle have already garnered superlative praise from the musical press, hailed as "breathtaking", "bristling with excitement and youthful vitality", and "a very special experience". There is no doubt this latest release is poised to achieve similar critical acclaim. UPC: 7318599926889Label: BisRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: CD
The Azrieli Music Prizes unveil their fifth album for Analekta, celebrating excellence in music composition across four world-premiere recordings that place a spotlight on the 2024 Laureates. Jordan Nobles' kanata is a sonic and restorative reflection on place, landscape, and home inspired by his travels across Canada. Josef Bardanashvili's choral fantasy Light to My Path draws on both his Georgian choral heritage and the Book of Psalms to examine various states of belief, from doubt to ecstasy and gratitude. Yair Klartag's The Parable of the Palace explores medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides' famous parable to create a musical meditation on the limits of reason in explaining reality and our search for the divine, all sung in the original Judeo-Arabic. Closing the album is Juan Trigos' SimetrÃas Prehispánicas, which pays homage to the cultural history of his native Mexico, especially Aztec culture and cosmology, through fragments of original texts in Spanish and Nahuatl by 15th-century poets.Created in 2014 by Sharon Azrieli CQ for the Azrieli Foundation, the biennial Azrieli Music Prizes discover, elevate, and amplify excellence in music composition. UPC: 774204926526Label: AnalektaRelease Date: 4.10.26Format: CD
The new album from Chopin Piano Duo - artists of international renown, deeply committed to exploring the repertoire for four hands and two pianos - brings back to light works by four composers once esteemed as pianists and influential figures in musical life, yet long overshadowed by the towering fame of Frederic Chopin and Ignacy Jan Paderewski.Their music reveals a clear affirmation of Chopin's genius, with echoes of his style and characteristic forms resonating throughout. Swierzynski's cycle of miniatures and a work by Stattler were edited and prepared for publication from manuscript sources by Chopin Piano Duo themselves, and are presented here in their world premiere recordings! UPC: 5902547022437Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
PoetryChopin's piano concertos are the perfect fusion of virtuosity and heartfelt expression. In this edition, Christian Zacharias brings every intimate and exuberant moment to life with unparalleled sensitivity. Listeners will be captivated by the lyrical depth and poetic nuance of each movement.ClarityRecorded in the historic Salle Metropole with MDG's signature audiophile approach, this release delivers an immersive, natural sound. Newly remixed and mastered for Super Audio CD, every note resonates with clarity, depth, and spatial precision. The result is a listening experience that feels both immediate and timeless.SynergyZacharias' long-standing partnership with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne shines throughout these performances. The orchestra provides an attentive, finely balanced accompaniment, allowing the pianist's interpretation to flourish. This synergy transforms every passage into a vivid, emotionally engaging musical dialogue.LegacyOriginally recorded in 2003, this edition preserves the freshness and brilliance of the original sessions. It is a milestone in MDG's Preziosa series, offering a rare combination of historical insight, artistic excellence, and technical mastery. A must-have for collectors, audiophiles, and classical music enthusiasts alike. UPC: 760623239163Label: MdgRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
One of the famous operas by Richard Wagner in an arrangement for two pianos by Gustav Mahler's friend Hermann Behn. UPC: 4012476566016Label: MusicaphonRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
Gramophone (UK): Another collection of archive CDs celebrates the considerable artistry and beautiful tone of the American cellist Christine Walevska... In her prime Walevska was one of those players who virtually became her instrument Musicweb (UK): The variety of repertoire and accompanying orchestras and accompanists shows that she managed to sustain a strong career over the years and the performances reflect a broadly French-Russian inheritance, subtly deployed. This is a fine box that brings Walevska to renewed notice. UPC: 4713106280349Label: Rhine ClassicsRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
If you talk about the Viennese School at the beginning of the 20th century, his name will certainly be mentioned alongside Schonberg, Berg and Webern, even though he broke away from the "twelve-tone" school early on and went his own harmonic way: Egon Wellesz, born in Vienna, one of Schonberg's first pupils and a musicology student of Guido Adler: he would need both of these educations in his life. Until the outbreak of the war, he was one of the most frequently performed composers in the German-speaking world, and his five operas were successfully performed at the largest German theaters. At this time, however, he was already a professor of musicology and had specialized in deciphering Byzantine musical notation. Then came the break: in 1938 he was forced to emigrate to England, although he was able to continue his university career at Oxford. The composer Wellesz remained silent until the end of the war, only then did he return to full creative power, writing almost half of his works after the age of 60. The nine symphonies are undoubtedly the main works of this late period. The emigrant deliberately drew on Austrian symphonic music; for him, his symphonic works probably also meant coming to terms with the loss of his homeland. UPC: 761203573929Label: Cpo RecordsRelease Date: 6.19.26Format: CD
Violinist and violist Christine Wu, winner of the Outhere Music Recording Prize at the inaugural Berlin Prize for Young Artists, explores the relationship between time and memory in her new album Recollection(s) for Channel Classics. On violin, she performs Saariaho's Nocturne, where memories attempt to shatter the boundlessness of time; Bach's Chaconne, where the repeating harmonic progression inherent to the form evokes reverence, hope, and transcendence; and Jeffrey Mumford's eight musings... revisiting memories, a reimagining of musical fragments from earlier works. On viola, Wu presents Joan Tower's Wild Purple and Weinberg's Viola Sonata No. 2, Op. 123, where recurring rhythmic cells address the fragmented nature of recollection; and Stravinsky's Elegy, showcasing logical progressions of memories. UPC: 723385486268Label: Channel ClassicsRelease Date: 7.3.26Format: CD
Folklore takes the listener on a musical journey throughout 19th and 20th century France, Georgia, Hungary and Spain. Through different styles and soundscapes, the compositions are united by the spirit of folk traditions and national character, as well as personal memories of the performers - Swiss-French cellist Christoph Croise and Georgian pianist Ana Bakradze. Works originally conceived for their instrumental combination sit alongside transcriptions that fit their sound world like a glove, a testament to the popularity of all the music on this album.Siete Canciones populares Españolas, a set of seven traditional Spanish songs by Manuel de Falla, is his most-arranged composition and among his most popular. Bela Bartok's Six Romanian Folk Dances, originally composed for solo piano, were drawn from melodies the composer recorded of folk musicians singing in the countryside of his Hungarian homeland. Hungarian influences infuse Pablo de Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), originally scored for violin and orchestra. Sulkhan Tsintsadze's Five Pieces on Georgian Folk Themes evoke childhood memories for pianist Ana, especially the fourth, a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her.The most substantial work on the album, Robert Schumann's Funf Stucke i'm Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style) conjures the harmonies and rhythms of folk music.French national character imbues Nadia Boulanger's Trois pièces (Three Pieces) and works by her teacher Gabriel Faure: his elegant Sicilienne - originally penned for orchestra but frequently adapted for cello and piano - and his ever-popular miniature 'Après un rêve' (After a dream) from his Trois Melodies (Three Melodies).When asked about their own connections to this music and what they wish for the listener, Christoph and Ana agree, "Above all, joy! We share a love for the roots in these pieces and the inspiration they provided to the composers. For this album, we've selected our favourite miniatures. Some are well known, others are more personal, but they all connect to the spirit of folk traditions in some way. It's about the lasting pleasure of connecting through music we love." UPC: 822252283723Label: AvieRelease Date: 7.10.26Format: CD
Composed in 1680, Proserpine marks the reunion of Lully and Quinault after the scandal surrounding Isis (1677). Set in the splendour of Saint-Germain, the work offers a mythological mirror to the Dauphin's wedding. In it, Lully revolutionises his art: the orchestra becomes the driving force of the drama while the voices gain in expressive intensity. Under the baton of Christophe Rousset, Les Talens Lyriques revive this gem in which the fate of a captive queen and the splendour of restored peace unite in immortal harmony. UPC: 3760385430782Label: Chateau VersaillesRelease Date: 5.22.26Format: CD
Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015) was perhaps the only virtuoso pianist-composer in the manner of Rachmaninov and Liszt to have Celtic origins, and so it is natural to find a Celtic flavour emerging in his music - his transcriptions as well as his original compositions. It also helps explain his affinity for fellow composers like Grieg and Grainger, whose creative efforts looked to the north. But Stevenson's openness of spirit put the whole world of music within his reach, and so piano rags can here rub shoulders with works more directly concerned to express his humanist impulse. UPC: 5060113447876Label: ToccataRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Christopher Tye is less famous than his Tudor contemporary Thomas Tallis and his documented life more chaotic, but the caliber of his Masses and polyphony are unsurpassed for color, full-textured fabric and interwoven melodic lines. The music may be English but the five members of Cinquecento ('16th century' in Italian) are pan-European, each bringing a lifetime of early music experience to forgotten masterpieces. This is their 17th album for Hyperion. Tye successfully negotiated the perilous politics of an era when successive monarchs, from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, pulled England back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism, and demanded that church music bend accordingly. The Peterhouse Mass recorded here survives in partbooks found in the Cambridge college of the same name; the missing tenor part has been reconstructed by Paul Doe. UPC: 034571284781Label: HyperionRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
Following the huge success of the album Spotlight on John Williams, the City Light Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Griffiths, returns with an equally spectacular follow-up project: Sound of Adventure. The double CD brings together legendary film themes that embody a spirit of adventure, imagination, and emotional depth in equal measure - a tribute to the great soundscapes of Hollywood. An album that not only delights film music fans, but also impressively translates the orchestral artistry of the great screen composers into concert format. UPC: 4262353970393Label: Prospero ClassicalRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
The Holy Liftoff (2024) is the 11th installation of Claire Chase's 24-year Density 2036 project, an initiative to create a bold new repertory for the flute by the 100th anniversary of Edgard Varèse's seminal 1936 flute solo, Density 21.5. Density 2036 has been called "one of the great musical undertakings of our time" by The New York Times, and "a quarter-century journey that has little precedent" by The New Yorker. Terry Riley began composing The Holy Liftoff in 2022 as an open score sketchbook brimming with colorful drawings that were intended to be played by Chase with any number of collaborating musicians. Over the following two years, the sketches evolved into a multidimensional work that now combines extensive through-composed material as well as graphic notation, evocative artwork, and Riley's signature open-form scoring that can be freely interpreted by the performers in variable durations and ensemble formations. Samuel Clay Birmaher's 60-minute realization of the work, which he composed in close collaboration with Riley and the performers, is scored for multiple flutes and string quartet. "When I improvised the first 16 bars of 'The Holy Liftoff' the melody and the chords whispered it's name while simultaneously urging me to make drawings of the experience. The drawings had angels and flying creatures and all the energies were rising up into a surrealistic skyscape... This piece could only have been written for Claire Chase." -Terry Riley UPC: 053479229007Label: Sono LuminusRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
Clara Osowski lends her lush mezzo-soprano to 19 lieder penned by Franz Schubert during the last 13 years of the composer's all too short life. Landscape abounds in this collection - lakes, rushing streams, the rising moon, stars, flowers, birdsong. True to Schubert's conception, the American mezzo - who makes her solo debut recording with this release - considers her voice and that of pianist Timothy Lovelace equal partners. UPC: 822252286427Label: AvieRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
In her fourth CD release, recorder player Clara Guldberg Ravn turns to the recorder concertos of Georg Philipp Telemann. The recording reveals the full expressive range of this music, from elegant lightness and dance-like energy to moments of quiet melancholy and subtle humor. Together with members of Concerto Copenhagen, a vivid and well-balanced overall sound emerges, clearly highlighting the dialogic character of the works. Virtuosity consistently serves musical expression. This recording offers direct access to Telemann's recorder music and invites listeners to rediscover it's emotional depth and variety. UPC: 4260412810574Label: ArcantusRelease Date: 7.17.26Format: CD
With her new album "Mozartiana," award-winning violinist Clarissa Bevilacqua presents a fascinating musical tribute and at the same time opens up new perspectives on a timeless genius.Clarissa Bevilacqua, who studied at the renowned Mozarteum Salzburg and won both first prize and the audience prize at the Mozart International Competition 2020, combines past and present in a captivating musical dialogue on "Mozartiana."In addition to masterpieces such as F. X. Mozart's Sonata for Violin and Piano, Beethoven's 12 Variations on "Le Nozze di Figaro" and Schnittke's Moz-Art for ensemble, the album features contemporary compositions written especially for this album by Felix Willeitner, Sophia Jani, Jorge Bosso and Giovanni Sollima - all of which are world premiere recordings.As founder and artistic director of DYNAMIKfest Salzburg, Bevilacqua once again demonstrates her passionate commitment to combining classical and modern music. Mozartiana is not only a tribute to Mozart-it is a living commitment to artistic curiosity, diversity, and musical dialogue across the centuries. UPC: 885470043449Label: Berlin ClassicsRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
SOMM Recordings is delighted to collaborate again with I Musicanti, directed by virtuoso double-bass player Leon Bosch and praised by The Strad for their 'performances of passion and insight.' This latest release features the Brazilian-born, London-based pianist Clelia Iruzun, whose frequent SOMM collaborations include the International Classical Music Award-nominated Piano Concertos by Albeniz & Mignone with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen.This release highlights five notable Brazilian composers from generations that succeeded the singular Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa-Lobos. While their names might not be as familiar as their famous compatriot, the musical qualities of their compositions-all scored for the forces of Schubert's 'Trout' Quintet-are revelatory. The programme opens and closes with works by Edmundo Villani-Cortes (b. 1930) who acknowledges the early influence of Shostakovich and French Impressionism. He composed his 5 Miniaturas brasileiras in 1978 for flute and piano, and their immediate success led to no fewer than seventeen transcriptions for a variety of instrumental combinations. Caratinguê, a municipality in the Southeast Region of Brazil, lends it's name to the work by Villani-Cortes that closes this programme. It combines art and folk music to conjure the lively rhythms and irresistible musical atmosphere of Brazil.Joao Guilherme Ripper (b.1959), who received his D.M.A. in Composition at Catholic University of America, in Washington D.C., later served as composer-in-residence at Kean University in New Jersey, which commissioned From My Window No. 3 in 2011. Ripper describes this three-movement work-heard here in it's first recording-as portraying aspects of his native city, from the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro to feelings of nostalgia. A short Song Without Words, Cancao sem palavras, is by Arrigo Barnabe (b. 1951), one of the first and most talented adherents from a movement of urban classically trained musicians in the city of Sao Paulo who added erudite experimentations to pop music. His varied output also includes soundtracks for around half a dozen Brazilian movies.The works of pianist-composer Jose Carlos Amaral Vieira show his ability to write brilliantly for the piano and his intense involvement with the music of Franz Liszt. His Piano Quintet Fronteiras (Frontiers), a reflection on cultural and sonic boundaries, is characterized by Amaral Vieira's distinctive blend of rigorous technical structure and profound emotion.Like Amaral Viera, Marisa Rezende (b.1944) began her musical life as a pianist. She started composing when she was a piano student at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she later returned to complete a doctorate in composition. Cismas (Schisms) lives up to it's name, evolving as it does through contrasting segments of gloom, luminosity, and energy. UPC: 748871072923Label: Somm RecordingsRelease Date: 8.21.26Format: CD
Saxophonist Clio Theodoridis and pianist Jonathan Nemtanu present their debut album, Nostos, named after the ancient Greek word for "return" or "homecoming." The album traces a musical and personal odyssey shaped by movement between cultures, places, and musical traditions. From Suite hellenique by Pedro Iturralde, rooted in Greek heritage and Mediterranean colour, to Recit et Lied, Op. 31 by Canadian composer Mathieu Lussier, the program reflects a life lived between past and present, departure and arrival. Works by Fazil Say, Suite for Saxophone and Piano, Op. 55, and Alexis Ciesla, Ocres rouges, further occupy musical crossroads between East and West, tradition and innovation, forming a cohesive program that highlights the expressive range of the saxophone-piano duo. Born in Athens and now based in Quebec, Clio Theodoridis is recognized for the finesse and depth of her playing across the classical saxophone repertoire. Pianist Jonathan Nemtanu combines an active career as a chamber musician with cultural leadership, and is noted for his musical dialogue and artistic vision. Together, they perform as Duo Aster. UPC: 3191684112121Label: Leaf MusicRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
Schone Welt, wo bist du? These words by Friedrich Schiller are the first of this new project, an exploration of existence, wandering and mourning. Coline Dutilleul has conceived a programme in which keyboard works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Lieder by Franz Schubert echo themes of melancholy and death: inner states that music makes perceptible through tempo, texture and harmony. These works trace a journey marked by absence and resilience in which agitation, renunciation and appeasement follow one another like the stages of mourning. UPC: 5400439008649Label: Fuga Libera LabelRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
The album features selected works from the rich choral repertoire of Wojciech and Pawel Lukaszewski-father and son, and two of the most distinguished composers of sacred music in Poland. Their compositions bridge the sacred and the secular, drawing on texts by Poland's greatest poets. Deeply rooted in the sacred tradition, these works reach into the core of human spirituality, creating a powerful space for reflection and contemplation. UPC: 5902547021119Label: Dux Recording Prod.Release Date: 5.1.26Format: CD
