Double Concertos brings together three works by composer and conductor Eric Nathan, each exploring the expressive possibilities of paired solo voices in dialogue with space, memory, and one another. Written between 2019 and 2023, the pieces on this album grew from Nathan's long-standing fascination with how two individuals interact through sound-coming together, diverging, supporting, and remembering. The Double Concertos for violin and clarinet, and for two violas, are shaped by close personal relationships between the soloists, while Just a Moment for two antiphonal oboes reflects on distance and connection, both physical and emotional. Across the album, Nathan sets present-day musical language in conversation with older forms and gestures, drawing on spatial placement, texture, and timbre to create music that is intimate in scale yet expansive in feeling. Themes of mentorship, partnership, love, and loss run quietly through these works, performed here by long-time collaborators and musicians closely connected to the music's origins.
Tracklist:
Nathan: Double Concerto for solo violin, solo clarinet and strings Double Concerto for solo violin, solo clarinet and strings
Nathan: Just a Moment for two antiphonal oboes
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings I. A dialogue; intimately
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings II. Brilliantly; vibrantly
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings III. Vigorously; racing
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings IV. Embracing; with warmt
Nathan: Double Concerto No. 2 for two solo violas and strings V. Dancing; joyous
UPC: 5060189568802Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
The term 'spectrum' is usually associated with physics. When white light hits a prism, it breaks down into the full spectrum of rainbow colors. These colors have always existed but only become visible through refraction. Music is similar. The pieces on this album are like a prism, unfolding the fundamental human emotions into their infinite facets, and creating a tribute to the timeless power of music, that resonates with the entire color palette of the human soul. The selection of pieces therefore follows an inner logic: that of emotion, timbre, and the moment. Each piece unfolds it's own microcosm and invites the listener to lose themselves within it. Esther Birringer's new album is a must for lovers of the piano, and an essential playlist addition.
Tracklist:
Bach: Chorale 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben'
Moszkowski: Étincelles Op.36, No.6
Einaudi: Primavera
Schubert: Impromptu in a Flat Major D899 No.4
Gershwin: The Man I Love (From Strike Up the Band)
Handel: Passacaglia from Suite No.7, HWV 432
Debussy: La Plus Que Lente (Valse) CD 128
Ravel: Miroirs: No.4 (Alborado Del Gracioso), M43
Sivestrov: Bagatelle Op.1 No.1
Liszt: Etude de Concert No.3 'Un Sospiro' S.144
Sibelius: Valse Triste Op.44
Chopin: Ballade No.4 in F-Minor, Op.52
Auerbach: Prelude Op.41, No.5
Beethoven: Bagatelle Wo0 59 'FÃœR Elise'
Balakirev: Islamey - An Oriental Fantasy
UPC: 5061094590070Label: RubiconRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
Eduard Tubin stands among the most significant symphonic voices of the twentieth century, a composer whose music draws deeply on Nordic landscape, folklore and myth while speaking with a powerful modern voice. This recording with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and conductor Mihhail Gerts explores the formative years of Tubin's creative life. At it's centre is the Symphony No. 2, "Legendary" (1937), a work that established Tubin's distinctive voice, moving from a mysterious opening through sombre reflection to a fiercely driven finale. Alongside it appears the Suite on Estonian Motifs, his first major orchestral composition, presented here in it's first recording. Completing the program are two early Piano Preludes from 1926, performed by Mihhail Gerts, offering a glimpse of Tubin at the very beginning of his compositional journey. Together these works trace the emergence of a composer who would go on to become one of Estonia's most important musical figures.
Tracklist:
Tubin: Suite on Estonian Motifs (Etw 13) I. Prelude
Tubin: Suite on Estonian Motifs (Etw 13) II. Ostinato
Tubin: Suite on Estonian Motifs (Etw 13) III. Intermezzo
Tubin: Suite on Estonian Motifs (Etw 13) IV. Finale
Tubin: Symphony No. 2 (Etw 2) I. Legendaire
Tubin: Symphony No. 2 (Etw 2) II. Sostenuto Assai, Grave E Funebre
Tubin: Symphony No. 2 (Etw 2) III. Tempestoso Ma Non Troppo Allegro (Quasi Toccata)
Tubin: Prelude No. 1: Con Calmo (Etw 30-1) Prelude No. 1: Con Calmo (Etw 30-1)
Tubin: Prelude No. 2: Moderato, Con Espressione (Etw 30-2) Prelude No. 2: Moderato, Con Espressione (Etw 30-2)
UPC: 5060189569212Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
Fazil Say brings together two, highly contrasted Viennese piano sonatas, composed at either end of the Romantic era. Conceived on an epic scale in four movements, Schubert's Sonata in B flat major was written shortly before his death in 1828, while in 1909 Alban Berg ushered in Modernism with his opus 1, the compact, haunting Piano Sonata in B minor. "Schubert was only thirty when he died," writes Fazil Say. "There is unique depth of sorrow and melancholy here, the pain of parting from this world. At the same time, we feel Schubert's joy of life, his vitality, his attachment, his passion, even his defiance." While the Schubert sonata is a recent addition to Say's repertoire, he explains that "I first encountered Alban Berg's piano sonata at the age of 15, and I performed it as a student in Ankara... he became one of the main figures who opened the door for me to contemporary music... His opus 1, while anchored in B minor, sails boldly toward atonality and modern expression... The piano is used almost orchestrally, full of colour and intensity. It is a remarkably beautiful piece."
Tracklist:
Piano Sonata in B Minor, Op. 1
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D. 960: I. Molto moderato
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D. 960: II. Andante sostenuto
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D. 960: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace con delicatezza
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, D. 960: IV. Allegro ma non troppo
UPC: 5054197697487Label: Warner ClassicsRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
Venezuelan trumpet virtuoso Pacho Florez wowed the packed Royal Albert Hall at the BBC Proms concert given by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under their chief conductor Domingo Hindoyan last year. Pacho and Domingo have a real chemistry on stage, they are old friends going back to their time in the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. This album showcases Pacho as composer as well as soloist - his own brilliant concerto Albares is vibrant, rhythmic and wonderfully written for the instrument. It, like the two other concertos on the album by Sierra and Ortiz have more than their fair share of ear worm tunes, and you won't be able to resist smiling and swaying to the infectious music. UPC: 880040427223Label: Onyx ClassicsRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
In 1696, the Salzburg court conductor Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber described his print of seven chamber suites ("Partien") for two string instruments and basso continuo as "artful vocal harmony" in ornate Latin. These trio sonatas are of a special kind, because the two upper voices are not limited to the typical imitations practised in Italy at that time, but Biber allows the solo voices to be played in a free, expressive manner. He allows them to shine in a different light in virtuoso interplay above the bass foundation, repeatedly in full-bodied polyphony or in chords. In addition, new timbres are created through the use of the violin, viola and viola d'amore in various combinations and the 'detuning' of the strings (scordatura) to achieve different string tensions and thus give the instruments a sharper or softer sound. This recording is the third installment of the Biber recordings with Harmonie Universelle.
Tracklist:
Biber: Partia I in D minor: Sonata. Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Biber: Partia I in D minor: Allamande
Biber: Partia I in D minor: Gigue. Variatio I - Variatio II
Biber: Partia I in D minor: Aria
Biber: Partia I in D minor: Sarabande. Variatio I - Variatio II
Biber: Partia II in B minor: Praeludium
Biber: Partia II in B minor: Allamande. Variatio
Biber: Partia II in B minor: Balletto
Biber: Partia II in B minor: Aria. Presto
Biber: Partia II in B minor: Gigue. Presto
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Praeludium. Allegro
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Allamande
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Amener. Presto
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Balletto
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Gigue
Biber: Partia III in a Major: Ciacona. Canon in Unisono
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Sonata. Adagio - Allegro - Adagio
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Allamande
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Trezza. Presto
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Aria
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Canario
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Gigue. Presto
Biber: Partia IV in E-Flat Major: Pollicinello. Presto
Biber: Partia V in G minor: Intrada. Alla Breve
Biber: Partia V in G minor: Aria. Adagio
Biber: Partia V in G minor: Balletto. Presto
Biber: Partia V in G minor: Gigue
Biber: Partia V in G minor: Passacaglia
Biber: Partia VI in D Major: Praeludium. Adagio - Allegro
Biber: Partia VI in D Major: Aria. Variatio I - XIII - Finale. Adagi -Presto
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Praeludium. Grave-Presto
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Allamande
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Sarabande
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Gigue. Presto
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Aria
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Trezza
Biber: Partia VII in C minor: Arietta Variata
UPC: 3149020957783Label: AccentRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Maksimal brings together three major works by Daniel Temkin, music shaped by vivid physical images and a search for the forces that connect experience, memory, and place. At it's center is the violin concerto Maksimal, written for and performed here by Francisco Fullana with Ryan McAdams and the Maksimal Ensemble. Bright, agile, and rhythmically charged, the three movements balance solo virtuosity with quicksilver ensemble dialogue, nodding to Baroque concerto principles while stretching them into larger, continuous arcs. Dreamed Landscapes turns to the piano, with Ryan MacEvoy McCullough tracing three impressionistic studies inspired by galaxies, glaciers, and canyon horizons. Rather than literal depiction, the music focuses on colour, resonance, and the inner sensation of inhabiting these spaces. Completing the program is Ocean's Call, performed by the Aizuri Quartet, a work inspired by California's Pacific coast. From misty harmonics and brittle wind textures to expansive, storm-driven waves, the piece unfolds as a meditation on nature's power and calm. Recorded across Houston and New York, Maksimal is Temkin's second solo album on Orchid Classics: a focused, immersive portrait of a composer drawn to sound as landscape, motion, and shared human experience.
Tracklist:
Temkin: Maksimal I. White Heat
Temkin: Maksimal II. Continuum
Temkin: Maksimal III. Circle Games
Temkin: Dreamed Landscapes I. Starfield
Temkin: Dreamed Landscapes II. Glaciers crumbling, assembling
Temkin: Dreamed Landscapes III. Echoes of the Horizon
Temkin: Ocean's Call I. Hanging Cliffs, Rising Mist
Temkin: Ocean's Call II. The Bitter Salt of the Sea
Temkin: Ocean's Call III. Lullaby Waves
UPC: 5060189564743Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 5.8.26Format: CD
This new recording brings together violinist Gil Shaham, conductor Eric Jacobsen, and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in a program exploring the violin concerto as a vehicle for cultural memory and continuity. The album pairs Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 80, and AntonÃn Dvorák's Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53, with the world-premiere recording of "F. Harper," from The Famous People by Curtis Stewart. Coleridge-Taylor's concerto reveals a Romantic voice shaped by lyricism and rhythmic vitality, while Dvorák's work reflects folk influence and communal musical expression. Stewart's F. Harper responds through a contemporary lens, engaging questions of naming, lineage, and identity. Inspired by the layered meanings of "Slavonic," the work draws parallels between European histories of enslavement and the ways Black Americans continue to shape pride and cultural legacy today. Together, these works connect past and present through sound.
Tracklist:
Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto in G minor, Op.80I. Allegro maestoso
Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto in G minor, Op.80II. Andante semplice - Andantino
Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto in G minor, Op.80III. Allegro molto - Moderato
Dvorák: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53, B. 108 I. Allegro ma non troppo
Dvorák: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53, B. 108II. Adagio ma non troppo
Dvorák: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53, B. 108 III. Finale: Allegro giocoso ma non troppo
Stewart: The Famous People; 4
- F. Harper
UPC: 5060133300205Label: Canary ClassicsRelease Date: 3.27.26Format: CD
Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons are dedicated to Count Wenzel von Morzin from Prague. In 1718, he traveled to Venice with his 'virtuosissimo orchestra' and hired Vivaldi as 'maestro di musica italiano'. This marked the beginning of an era of close musical exchange between Venice and Prague. This relationship, which shaped an entire generation of Czech composers, is the focus of Vivaldi in Prague. The program includes concertos by Frantisek Jiránek, who was employed in Count Morzin's chapel and studied in Vivaldi's circle in Venice from 1724 to 1726, and by AntonÃn Reichenauer, whose musical thinking was strongly influenced by Vivaldi's school. The program is complemented by a bassoon concerto by Vivaldi dedicated to Count Morzin, an aria from a Vivaldi opera performed in Prague in 1730, and two arias from Vivaldi pasticcios reconstructed by Robert Rawson for this production. These pasticcios were compiled by the Venetian impresario Antonio Denzio from popular Vivaldi operas and presented to Prague audiences with new texts, including some in Czech.
Tracklist:
Vivaldi: Praga Nascente Da Libussa E Primislao (Prague, 1734): Aria. La Cervetta
Reichenauer: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C. in C minor: I. Allegro
Reichenauer: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C. in C minor: II. Adagio
Reichenauer: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C. in C minor: III. Allegro
Vivaldi: Il Confronto Dell'amor Coniugale (Prague 1727): Aria. We Are Cheerful, and Sing
Vivaldi: Concerto Per Morzin, for Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RV 496: I. [Allegro]
Vivaldi: Concerto Per Morzin, for Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RV 496: II. Largo
Vivaldi: Concerto Per Morzin, for Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RV 496: III. [Allegro]
Vivaldi: Argippo RV 697-B (Prague 1730): Aria. Gelido in Ogni Vena
Reichenauer: Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RK 16: I. Allegro
Reichenauer: Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RK 16: II. Adagio
Reichenauer: Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings ; B.C. RK 16: III. Allegro
Mica: The Four Elements (1734): As the Flame Rises Up
Jiránek: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C in D minor: I. Allegro Non Molto
Jiránek: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C in D minor: II. Grave
Jiránek: Concerto for Violin, Strings ; B.C in D minor: III. Allegro - Presto Assai
Reichenauer: Cantata de B.V.M. Ad Montem Sanctum "Quae Est Ista"
UPC: 3149020957820Label: AccentRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
As a tribute to the artistry of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (1954-2006), this retrospective gathers together many of the finest recordings of arias and duets made during her acclaimed association with harmonia mundi. "A riveting singer known for her fearsome vocal and dramatic power, whether in opera or the cantatas of Bach." (The Los Angeles Times)
Tracklist:
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act I Scene 5: Arioso. Quì D'amor (Ariodante)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act I Scene 8: Aria. Con L'ali Di Costanza (Ariodante)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act II Scene 3: Recit. E Vivo Ancora? (Ariodante)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act II Scene 3: Aria. Scherza Infida (Ariodante)
Handel: Ariodante, HWV 33, Act III Scene 9: Aria. Dopo Notte, Atra E Funesta (Ariodante)
Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Act I: Air. Angels, Ever Bright and Fair (Theodora)
Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: Recit. O Thou Bright Sun (Theodora)
Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: Air. with Darkness, Deep
Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: Air. Oh! That I on Wings Could Rise (Theodora)
Handel: Theodora, HWV 68, Act II: Duet. to Thee, Thou Glorious Son (Theodora, Didimus)
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Part II: Air. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion (Theodora)
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Part II: Air. But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Part II: Air. He Was Despised... (Alternate Version)
Handel: Messiah, HWV 56, Part II: Air. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626, Act III: Thy Hand, Belinda - When I Am Laid in Earth (Dido)
Handel: Clori, Tirsi E Fileno, HWV 96, Part I: Arioso. Va Col Canto (Clori)
Handel: Clori, Tirsi E Fileno, HWV 96, Part II: Aria. Barbaro! (Clori)
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part I: Recit. on Joacim May Every Joy Attend
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part I: Air. Bending to the Throne of Glory
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part II: Recit. Lead Me to Some Cool Retreat
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part II: Air. Crystal Streams in Murmurs Flowing
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part II: Air. If Guiltless Blood Be Your Intent
Handel: Susanna, HWV 66, Part III: Air. Guilt Trembling Spoke My Doom
Handel: Radamisto, HWV 12, Act III: Recit. Oh Dio! (Zenobia)
Handel: Radamisto, HWV 12, Act III: Aria. Qual Nave Smarrita (Zenobia)
Handel: Ottone, HWV 15, Act II: Recit. Ben a Ragion (Ottone)
Handel: Ottone, HWV 15, Act II: Aria. Vieni, O Figlio (Ottone)
Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act I: Recit. Vani Sono I Lamenti
Handel: Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17, Act I: Aria. Svegliatevi Nel Core (Giulio Cesare)
Handel: Arianna in Creta, HWV 32, Act II: Qual Leon
Bach: The Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach (1725): Aria. Bist Du Bei Mir, BWV 508
UPC: 3149020959534Label: Harmonia MundiRelease Date: 6.26.26Format: CD
Elements explores the distinctive sound world of saxophone and harp in a program that moves between Baroque masterworks and newly commissioned music inspired by the four classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Performed by saxophonist Huw Wiggin and harpist Oliver Wass, the album places Bach, Purcell, Vivaldi and Couperin alongside contemporary works written specially for the duo. Each commission reflects a different elemental idea, from the luminous textures of Charlotte Harding's Euphotic to the volatile energy of Laura Bowler's Caesium and the wind-driven virtuosity of David Wallace's blowing A gale. Interwoven throughout are inventive arrangements of Baroque works, drawing subtle connections across centuries. The pairing of saxophone and harp creates a sound palette that is intimate and richly coloured, capable of lyric stillness and brilliant display. Praised for his "liquid gold tones" by The Times, Wiggin joins forces with leading harpist Oliver Wass in a programme that moves between reflection, drama and radiant beauty.
Tracklist:
Couperin: Le Rossignol en Amour
Harding: Euphotic
Bach: Goldberg Aria - Aria Mit Versheidenen Veränderungen, BWV 988
Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626, Act 3
Perinpanayagam: The Weary Soil and the Greedy Shoot
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, Concerto No. 1 in E Major "La Primavera" (Spring), Op. 8 RV 269
Wallace: Blowing a Gale
Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068
Rowland-Jones: Silent Air
Bach: French Suite No. 3 in B minor for Solo Harp, BWV 814
Corelli la Follia, Op. 5 No. 12
Bowler: Caesium
Bach: Two Part Invention in F Major, No. 8, BWV 779
Scott: Sussurros Brasileiros
Corelli: Sonata No. 4 in F Major
Bowler: With You
UPC: 5060189569250Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 5.29.26Format: CD
The renowned music historian Charles Burney counted Giovanni Rubinelli (1753-1829) among the three great castrato voices of the late 18th century. At a time when the era of opera seria and castrati was drawing to a close, Rubinelli was one of it's last great protagonists. Numerous composers wrote specifically for his voice, which was not the favored high soprano voice of a castrato, but that of a contralto. This program traces Rubinelli's artistic career. He made his debut in Ludwigsburg at the age of 16 in Calliroe by Antonio Sacchini, sang in Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta at the inauguration of La Scala in Milan in 1778, and made guest appearances in London in the late 1780s, performing in Handel's Julius Caesar, among other works. Countertenor Filippo Mineccia gives an emotive and virtuoso performance, creating a historical portrait of a singer who also stands for the development of opera from the virtuosity of the castrato stars to the sensitive arias of the new simplicity of Gluck's opera reform.
Tracklist:
Sacchini: Calliroe: Aria. Suon Funesto Notte E Giorno (Agricane)
Anfossi: Lucio Silla: Aria. a Partir Tu Mi Condanni (Cecilio)
Piccinni: Tigrane: Aria. Ah Non Resiste Il Core (Sesto)
Traetta: Ifigenia in Tauride: Aria. Ah! Per Pietà Placatevi (Oreste)
Myslivecek: Atide: Aria. Affanni Di Quest'alma (Adrasto)
Salieri: Europa Riconosciuta: Duetto. Perder L'oggetto Amatom (Isseo)
Andreozzi: Arbace: Recitativo. Dove Son? Che Rimiro? in Queste Cupe (Arbace)
Andreozzi: Arbace: Aria. Non Fareste Ombre Di Morte (Arbace)
Sarti: Siroe: Aria. Mi Credi Infedele (Siroe)
Tarchi: Ademira: Aria. Ah Se in Vita O Mio Tesoro (Flavio Valente)
Paisiello: Antigono: Recitativo. Ch'io Fugga, E Lasci Intanto (Demetrio)
Paisiello: Antigono: Duetto. Non Temer, Non Sono Amante (Demetrio)
Bianchi: Cajo Mario: Aria. Se Fedel Mi Serbi Amore (Annio)
Handel: Poro, Re Delle Indie, HWV 28: Aria. Se Possono Tanto
Handel: Riccardo Primo, Re D'inghilterra, HWV 23: Duetto. T'amo SI, Sarai Tu Quella
Mortellari: Venere E Adone: Aria. Cercando L'idol Mio (Adone)
Nasolini: La Morte Di Cleopatra: Aria. Queste Lagrime Dolenti (Marc' Antonio)
Bresciani: Didone Abbadonata (Luigi Cherubini): Aria. Quando Saprai Chi Sono
Lenzi: Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
UPC: 3149020957806Label: GlossaRelease Date: 6.19.26Format: CD
In the second volume of his complete Mozart piano sonata cycle, Jae-Hyuck Cho continues his exploration of Mozart's keyboard writing as a living, singing voice. Four sonatas trace a journey from warmth and intimacy to outward brilliance, revealing the composer's remarkable gift for dialogue and character. From the graceful charm of the Sonata in B-flat major, K.281 to the broader expressive range of the Sonata in F major, K.332, the programme moves through the poised intimacy of K.282 before concluding with the theatrical sparkle of the Sonata in C major, K.309. Part of a five-volume series for Orchid Classics, Cho's interpretations emphasise clarity and vocal phrasing, reflecting the operatic spirit at the heart of Mozart's keyboard writing.
Tracklist:
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major, K.281 I. Allegro
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major, K.281 II. Andante Amoroso
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major, K.281 III. Rondo - Allegro
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332 I. Allegro
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332 II. Adagio
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332 III. Allegro Assai
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, K. 282 I. Adagio
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, K. 282 II. Menuetto 1 ; 2
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-Flat Major, K. 282 III. Allegro Assai
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 7 in C minor, K. 309 I. Allegro Con Spirito
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 7 in C minor, K. 309 II. Andante Un Poco Adagio
Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 7 in C minor, K. 309 III. Rondeau - Allegretto Grazioso
UPC: 5060189569007Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 6.5.26Format: CD
If music... showcases star countertenor Jakub Józef Orlinski in 17 songs and arias by three composers of the Baroque era: Purcell, Handel and Fux. Perhaps unexpectedly, he is partnered not by an ensemble of period instruments but by a pianist - his long-standing colleague Michal Biel. "On this album we have combined arias and songs that inspire and speak to us, " says Jakub Józef Orlinski. "I love thinking of albums as pages out of my diary. They are a statement of where I am as an artist." As Michal Biel, who draws on all the possibilities of a Steinway grand piano, freely admits: "If music... is not an answer to the question of how to perform these masterpieces with historical authenticity." He sees each aria or song as "a carefully considered transcription that reveals it's appeal transcending instrumentation".
Tracklist:
Oedipus, Z. 583: No. 2, Song. "Music for a While"
King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 5: The Final Masque. "Fairest Isle"
King Arthur, Z. 628, Act 3: Cold Song. "What Power Art Thou?"
Come, Ye Sons of Art Away, Z. 323: No. 5, Ritornello. "Strike the Viol"
If Music Be the Food of Love, Z. 379 (Third Version)
Pausanius, Z. 585: Song. "Sweeter Than Roses"
If Music Be the Food of Love, Z. 379 (First Version)
Bonduca, Z. 574, Act 5: Solo. "O, Lead Me"
The Tempest, Z. 631, Act 5: Recitative and Song. "Your Awful Voice"
Il fonte della salute, aperto dalla grazia nel calvario, K. 293: "Non t'amo per il ciel"
Agrippina, HWV 6, Act 2: Recitativo. "Otton, qual portentoso fulmine è questi?" (Ottone)
Agrippina, HWV 6, Act 2: Aria. "Voi che udite" (Ottone)
Rodelinda, regina de' Longobardi, HWV 19, Act 3: Aria. "Un zeffiro spirò" (Rodelinda)
Serse, HWV 40, Act 1: Largo. "Ombra mai fu" (Serse)
Rinaldo, HWV 7, Act 2: Aria. "Siam prossimi al porto" (Eustazio)
Partenope, HWV 27, Act 2: Aria. "Furibondo spira il vento" (Arsace)
Semele, HWV 58, Act 2: Aria. "Where'er You Walk" (Jupiter)
Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: X. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Arr. Hess for Piano)
UPC: 5021732985316Label: EratoRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
From the lyricism of Bloch's Schelomo to the modernity of Lutoslawski's Cello Concerto, Jean-Guihen Queyras and Gustavo Gimeno explore the cello's lyrical side, revealing itself as prayer, lament, or murmur. In contrast, the Polish composer's Concerto for Orchestra celebrates vitality and collective energy. This program is a journey from inner song to orchestral power.
Tracklist:
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra: I. Intrada. Allegro Maestoso
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra: II. Capriccio Notturno E Arioso. Vivace
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Orchestra: III. Passacaglia, Toccata E Corale. Andante Con Moto - Allegro Giusto
Bloch: Schelomo: I. Lento Moderato
Bloch: Schelomo: II. Allegro Moderato
Bloch: Schelomo: III. Andante Moderato
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Cello: I. Introduction
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Cello: II. Four Episodes
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Cello: III. Cantilena
Lutoslawski: Concerto for Cello: IV. Finale
UPC: 3149020953952Label: Harmonia MundiRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
Joanna Kacperek's new album for Rubicon is a superbly curated recital of music by women composers - all of whom achieved fame in their day but, in most cases, rapidly faded from the repertoire after their deaths. There is no logical reason for this obscurity. The music is first rate, and they enjoyed support from their great male contemporaries including such luminaries as Haydn, Hummel, Moscheles, Liszt, Franck and Grieg. Some have remained on the fringes of the repertoire - Chaminade for example, but for many listeners of this album it will be a fascinating voyage of musical discovery. This is great music, deserving to be better known, and is out there for us to access and enjoy. UPC: 5061094590148Label: RubiconRelease Date: 5.29.26Format: CD
Johanna Rose's continues her exploration of the music by two of the most significant composers for the viola da gamba - Marin Marais and Antoine Forqueray. It was not uncommon for many 17th century painters to feature music making or musical instruments. A lute or a viola da gamba in the artist's studio, a warm instrument beside the easel and rolled-up canvases, resting on the table stained with pigments, offering aid to concentration or recognition, carrying the promise of inspiration. The music on this album is certainly not meant for domestic music making of the type depicted in contemporary paintings - it makes huge demands on the performer and was composed by two of the greatest viola da gamba players in musical history. UPC: 5061094590001Label: RubiconRelease Date: 3.27.26Format: CD
The second installment of the Batiste Piano Series sees multi-Grammy and Oscar winner Jon Batiste reinterpret Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most beloved melodies as Black American classical music, infused with influences from jazz, rags, stride, blues and stomps. The result is a vibrant conversation without words - not about genre, but pure expression.
Tracklist:
Facile-Batiste
Alla Blues
Alla Turc Movement
Shine
Twinkle
Processional
Country Zart
Molto
Molto in Cayo Hueso
Gospel Andante 1
UPC: 199957881494Label: DeccaRelease Date: 8.14.26Format: CD
On Monk Meditations (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 3), multi-Grammy® and Oscar® winner Jon Batiste expands introspective short form compositions by Thelonious Monk into longer form piano works imbued with classical structure and quiet grandeur. UPC: 199957930833Label: VerveRelease Date: 8.14.26Format: CD
On Musica Callada, bassist Jon Hamar brings a deeply personal vision to the classical double bass, illuminating a repertoire that favors discovery over tradition. Eschewing the instrument's most familiar cornerstones, Hamar curates a program of rarely heard and newly realized works. At the album's center is his striking arrangement of Musica Callada by Frederic Mompou, recasting the composer's intimate piano meditations in a richly resonant new voice. With pianist Adrienne Fontenot, Hamar shapes a fluid, expressive dialogue, while works by David P. Jones and Hamar himself introduce moments of improvisation that expand the music's emotional arc. Supported in part by the International Society of Bassists' Harmon Lewis Grant, Musica Callada reveals an artist of breadth, sensitivity, and quiet daring. "Hamar achieves the balance of thoughtfulness and risk-taking that characterizes the most successful musical ventures." - Doug Ramsey
Tracklist:
Musica Callada: Angelico
Musica Callada: Lent
Musica Callada: Placide
Musica Callada: Afflitto E Penoso
Musica Callada:
Musica Callada: Lento
Musica Callada: Lento
Musica Callada: Semplice
Musica Callada: Lento
Winter Crows
Song of the Lighthouse
Bach to Blues
Lazy Dragon
Nocturne
Mosaic
UPC: 805553303024Label: Origin ClassicalRelease Date: 6.26.26Format: CD
With this fifth volume, Jonathan Biss concludes one of the most ambitious and innovative Beethoven release series of the 21st century. Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto is many things, but foremost, it is a thrillingly taut construction, grabbing the listener by the collar and not letting go. It is the first work to take full advantage of the dramatic potential inherent in the concerto genre, pitting the soloist against the orchestra in often uneasy confrontation. In it's slow movement, it becomes something completely different, the tonality transporting us to a faraway place, time suddenly elastic, ferocity giving way to spirituality. The whole piece is a marvel. It is therefore very exciting to hear a voice as singular as Caroline Shaw's grapple with Beethoven's concerto and the process through which it was conceived. Shaw writes that her Watermark is "woven from strands and patches and patterns" of the earlier work. She imagines Beethoven imagining it, and in doing so, creates something wholly original. "This album brings to a close the Beethoven/5 project, which has challenged and stimulated me for the past decade. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with the ten remarkable pieces that comprise it."
Tracklist:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 I. Allegro con brio
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 II. Largo
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 III. Rondo: Allegro - Presto
Shaw: Watermark I
Shaw: Watermark II
Shaw: Watermark III
UPC: 5060189568772Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 4.24.26Format: CD
A rising global talent and Steinway Artist, Indonesian pianist Jonathan Kuo is without a doubt a name to watch. He has appeared at the Musikverein and the Salzburg Mozarteum to name just two prestigious European venues among many that have witnessed his performances. Mentored by Stanislav Ioudenitch, the gold medallist at the 2001 Van Cliburn, Jonathan is a fearless virtuoso combined with rare emotional depth. His debut recording brings together the rarely recorded Java Suite by Leopold Godowski, and Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka. UPC: 5061094590131Label: RubiconRelease Date: 5.29.26Format: CD
A timeless masterpiece revisited by a master of Baroque music The release of Bach's St. John Passion, conducted by Jordi Savall, marks an exceptional musical event. This monumental work, composed in 1724, remains one of the pinnacles of sacred music, combining spiritual depth and musical virtuosity. Under the inspired baton of Jordi Savall, renowned for his subtle and respectful interpretation of Baroque scores, this Passion takes on a new dimension, combining historical rigor with pure emotion. Jordi Savall, a leading figure in early music, brings a rare sensitivity to this interpretation, highlighting the richness of the choruses, the power of the narratives, and the beauty of the arias. His approach, both scholarly and accessible, allows listeners to appreciate the complexity and modernity of this score, which continues to touch hearts after three centuries. This recording is aimed at both seasoned music lovers and newcomers alike, offering an immersive and moving experience. It is a unique opportunity to rediscover a gem of the repertoire, performed by one of the greatest interpreters of our time. UPC: 8435408099677Label: Alia VoxRelease Date: 5.8.26Format: CD
Undreamed Shores brings together three major contemporary string quartets written for and performed by the Jupiter String Quartet, works the ensemble has lived with in performance over many years. In To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores, Michi Wiancko traces a sequence of vividly imagined musical scenes inspired by the natural world. Across seven concise movements, the music reflects on fragility, ecological loss, and kinship, gradually moving toward a quietly hopeful call for collective responsibility. Composed during the pandemic, Stephen Andrew Taylor's Chaconne/Labyrinth is built around a repeating harmonic cycle, using just intonation to evoke the tension of being caught between stasis and searching. Familiar material continually returns, reshaped by a sense of uncertainty before leading toward clarity. Completing the album, Kati Agócs's Imprimatur (String Quartet No. 2) unfolds as a continuous rhapsodic meditation. Musical ideas are repeatedly transformed, moving between darkness and light, and culminating in a serene, luminous conclusion. Together, these works form a thoughtful exploration of contemporary quartet writing, each offering space to reflect on our shared humanity and to find moments of hope and light in challenging times.
Tracklist:
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores I Pelagic Within
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores II Dream of the Xerces Blue
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores III Central Park Microbial
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores IV Invisible Eviction
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores V Crying, Together
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores VI Follow the Water
Michi Wiancko: To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores VII Rise Up
Stephen Andrew Taylor: Chaconne/Labyrinth
Kati Agócs: 9 Imprimatur (String Quartet No. 2)
Kati Agócs: Recitative
Kati Agócs: I Ostinato
Kati Agócs: II Enraptured Troping
Kati Agócs: III Meditation - Crystal Chains
Kati Agócs: IV Wild Dance
Kati Agócs: V Quodlibet
Kati Agócs: Coda
UPC: 5060189568970Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
This recital brings together three late piano groupings by Franz Schubert, works that distil his distinctive blend of intimacy, lyricism and emotional ambiguity. The program centers on the complete Six Moments musicaux D.780, framed by the poignant Allegretto in C minor D.915 and the Drei Klavierstücke D.946, composed in the final year of Schubert's life. Rich in expressive depth, the Moments musicaux move effortlessly between simplicity and complexity: gentle lyricism gives way to sudden shadows, major and minor coexist in close tension, and fleeting dance rhythms dissolve into quiet resignation. The Allegretto D.915, composed as a farewell to a close friend, exemplifies Schubert's rare gift for finding increased poignancy in moments of apparent calm. The Drei Klavierstücke, published posthumously, stand as impromptus in all but name-restless, searching works that juxtapose turbulence with luminous stillness. For pianist Katya Apekisheva, Schubert has been a lifelong companion. This recording represents a deeply personal homage, shaped by years of performing and living with this music. Recorded on a Steinway Model D at Syde Manor, the album offers a thoughtful, finely judged reading of some of Schubert's most inward and compelling piano writing.
Tracklist:
Schubert: Allegretto C minor, D.915
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 I. Moderato
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 II. Andantino
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 III. Allegro Moderato
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 IV. Moderato
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 V. Allegro Vivace
Schubert: Six Moments Musicaux, D.780 VI. Allegretto
Schubert: Drei Klavierstucke, D.946 I. Allegro Assai
Schubert: Drei Klavierstucke, D.946 II. Allegretto
Schubert: Drei Klavierstucke, D.946 III. Allegro
UPC: 5060189564668Label: Orchid ClassicsRelease Date: 3.27.26Format: CD
The Kuss Quartet and violist Muriel Razavi embark on a three-volume traversal of the six Mozart String Quintets. The first of these works dates from 1777 and was closely modeled on the contemporaneous quintets by Michael Haydn. The G minor, the 4th of the quintets was composed in 1786. It is dark, turbulent and melancholy, typical of the composer's G minor works. It is composed on a large scale, especially the opening movement, something it shares with the Prague Symphony No. 38 and the 25th Piano Concerto in C composed at the same time. The Kuss Quartet include two short works for string quartet by contemporary composers to place in between the two quintets and to round the album off. UPC: 5061094590124Label: RubiconRelease Date: 5.15.26Format: CD
The new recording project by La Compagnia del Madrigale is dedicated to the Ninth Book of Madrigals (1588) by Giaches de Wert. Wert-Flemish by birth but active for most of his life in Italy at the Gonzaga court in Mantua-embodies the figure of the great composer capable of transcending fashion to create art that, as they used to say in the sixteenth century, is destined to remain durable and eternal. The Ninth Book, published during a period of personal tribulation and heartbreak over his thwarted love for the poetess Tarquinia Molza, marks a pinnacle of artifice and pathos. Here, Wert explores the heights of Petrarch's Canzoniere, alongside verses by Torquato Tasso, Jacopo Sannazaro, and Battista Guarini, alternating luminous courtly homages with an innovative lyricism that foreshadows the style of Carlo Gesualdo. La Compagnia del Madrigale - one of the world-leading ensembles in the performance of Monteverdi, Marenzio, Gesualdo, and Rore - delivers these pages with absolute artistic excellence.
Tracklist:
Wert: Or si rallegri il Cielo
Wert: L'anima mia ferita
Wert: Vago augelletto che cantando vai
Wert: Valle che de' lamenti miei se' piena
Wert: Quel rossignol, che sà soave piagne
Wert: Ecco che un'altra volta, o piagge apriche
Wert: Mia benigna fortuna e'l viver lieto
Wert: Sovra un bel cristallino e puro rivo
Wert: Un bacio solo à tante pene, hai, cruda?
Wert: Di morte già sentìa il fero ultimo dardo
Wert: Mesola, il Po da lato, e'l mar a fronte
Wert: O come vaneggiate, Donna
Wert: Ha Ninfe adorne, e belle
Wert: Padre del ciel, dopo i perduti giorni
UPC: 3149020957844Label: GlossaRelease Date: 4.17.26Format: CD
