Recorded as part of the orchestra’s 70th anniversary season, this performance captures the grandure and intensirt of Schubert’s final and greatest symphony.
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Recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall in October 2015, this new release continues the Philharmonia Orchestra’s celebrated series of live recordings on Signum, led in this performance by their Honorary Conductor for Life Christoph von Dohnányi. -
“In a word I feel myself the most unhappy and wretched creature in the world. Imagine a man whose health will never be right again, and who in sheer despair over this ever makes things worse and worse instead of better ...but I have tried my hand at several instrumental things ... in fact, I intend to pave the way towards a grand symphony in this manner.” These extracts from a letter of 1824 epitomise to me the paradox of Schubert, the manic-depressive composer. On the one hand his music has that world-weary element of profound grief – ‘the most wretched creature in the world’ – and on the other a life-affirming exuberance bordering on the manic that characterises the Wanderer-Fantasie and parts of the D major sonata D.850. Here, Llyr Williams plays a collection of Schubert solo piano works across a series of releases, once again showing why he is one of the most diverse and extraordinary pianists performing today. All downloads include booklets. -
Celebrated soloists Roderick Wiliams and Christopher Glynn perform a new English translation Franz Schubert’s Winterreise. Composed in 1827 whilst in the grip of the illness that would ultimately kill him, Schubert’s setting of Wilhelm Muller’s poetry takes on an added tragic interpretation as it follows the narrative of a spurned lover travelling through a cold and barren landscape. This disc is the first in a series of three English language programmes of Schubert’s song cycles. Future releases include The Shepherd on the Rock (Der Hirt auf dem Felsen) and The Fair Maid of the Mill (Die schöne Müllerin). The immediacy of the storytelling is immaculate - The Sunday Times The biggest gain is Roderick Williams’s fabulous delivery and his beautiful creamy voice which I can never get too much of, and supported beautifully again by Chris Glynn, so musically it’s great - BBC Radio 3 Record Review It's exceptionally effective, and mandatory listening if, like me, you're not a fluent German speaker - The Arts Desk This is an amazing disc, not the Winterreise to end all Winterreises but an essential complement to them. I gather that Glynn and Signum have recordings the other two cycles up their sleeve, which is good news indeed - Planet Hugill Those who have been longing for an English version of Winterreise need not hesitate, and avid collectors of this song cycle – like myself – will find that this is a valuable addition to their collection - Music Web International -
Hans Zender’s reimagining of Schubert’s Winterreise transforms a familiar piano cycle into a vivid orchestral journey, blending intimacy and intensity. Tenor Allan Clayton and conductor Nicholas Collon lead Aurora Orchestra through a landscape of fractured memories, where folk-like simplicity collides with Mahlerian grandeur and Berg-like expressionism. Zender preserves Schubert’s vocal line but enriches the sound world with guitar, accordion, melodicas, and striking orchestral effects that evoke storms, frozen tears, and fleeting dreams. This interpretation magnifies the cycle’s raw truth about love, loss, and despair, offering audiences a deeply modern, immersive encounter with one of classical music’s most haunting masterpieces. ★★★★★ “Quite the magical mystery tour” - The Scotsman ★★★★ "Allan Clayton is superb" - The Times ★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine “A fascinating listen” - Gramophone “A compelling contemporary encounter with one of classical music’s most haunting masterpieces.” - Art Muse London Presto Music album of the week: “There’s really nowhere to hide in Zender’s scoring, which demands total synergy between singer and a veritable snowstorm of moving parts, and every unsettling detail lands perfectly here.” -
Seasons combines Vivaldi’s timeless concerto cycle The Four Seasons, performed with flair by the Trafalgar Sinfonia and soloist Kerenza Peacock, with a new contrasting composition by British composer Oliver Davis. Inspired by the same set of poetry upon which Vivaldi based the The Four Seasons, his new work Anno is a beguiling composition for orchestra and solo soprano, performed by Grace Davidson. Album of the Week: Davis's music has a pulsating rhythmic energy not a million miles away from Vivaldi's - Classic FM Album of the Week: Vividly played by solo violinist Kerenza Peacock... most pleasing - The Mail on Sunday ★★★★ The rhythmic vitality and neo-Baroque style of Davis's writing lends the cycle an easy instant accessibility - Early Music Review This is an appealing disc and an imaginative one. If the combination of Vivaldi's iconic concertos with a modern setting of his original poems appeals (and it should), then do not hesitate - Planet Hugill Soloist Kerenza Peacock's playing exudes sprezzatura, her tone light and incisive, her ornamentation authentic yet imaginative...her collegiate joy evident in every dance step she takes with the wonderful Trafalgar Sinfonia under Ivor Setterfield - Gramophone An uplifting, searing quality - The Lady An innovative view... worth adding to collections - AllMusic -
“With Serenity, we aimed to create a listening experience that breathes, that carries the weight of human longing, and that allows room for reflection. This recording is deeply personal to me. Each piece was chosen not only for its beauty but for the way it invites us into a space of stillness and soulful contemplation.” - Irene Messoloras Meridian Meridian is a new London-based professional choir, founded and led by University of California Irvine choral conductor Irene Messoloras. Irene Messoloras Irene Messoloras is an award-winning conductor dedicated to inspiring musicians and audiences through excellence in choral performance. Based in Southern California, she leads professional, university, and community ensembles on prestigious stages worldwide. -
‘Settecento’ is the style of art, music and architecture that emerged in Italy in the early 18th century, celebrated here by La Serenissima and Adrian Chandler with a collection of works from that era. The works are grouped by the areas of Italy where each composer worked, including the Kingdom of Naples (Scarlatti, Mancini), Republic of Venice (Dall’Abaco, Vandini, Tartini & Vivaldi) and the Papal States / Bologna (Brescianello). The ensemble La Serenissima is recognised as the UK’s leading exponent of the music of 18th-century Venice and connected composers. Uniquely, the group’s entire repertoire is edited from manuscript or contemporary sources. It has become synonymous with virtuosity, dynamism and accessibility, uncovering new repertoire and making it available to all through live performance, recordings and educational initiatives. -
Celebrated international pianist Peter Donohoe begins a new series of Shostakovich releases on Signum Classics with a new recording of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87. All 24 of the preludes and fugues were composed within several months, after Shostakovich was inspired by the performance of Tatiana Nicolayeva, whom he heard as a jurist for the Leipzig Bach Competition in 1951. Although doubtlessly inspired by J.S. Bach’s own 48 Preludes and Fugues in his use of form and counterpoint, Shostakovich’s compositions are all deeply original and rooted in his own enigmatic and ambiguous style, moving from charming simplicity to dazzling virtuosity. ★★★★ Donohoe treats these piano miniatures with the utmost sincerity...there is immense dignity and power in Donohoe's directness - The Guardian This is top class, this is a global level, this is not to be missed! - Stretto Magazine -
Celebrated international pianist Peter Donohoe continues his series of Shostakovich releases on Signum Classics, following his recent release of the 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 (SIGCD396). For this new recording he is accompanied for the concertos by the Orchestra of the Swan under their artistic director David Curtis. ★★★★★ Donohoe’s needle-sharp articulation and firmness of tone set the nerves appropriately on edge, carving out the music’s contours with glacial insistence - The Scotsman ★★★★ Donohoe delivers a highly-charged and compelling account - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ There is much to admire all told, and the sound-quality is consistently excellent - Classical Source Peter Donohoe turns in a stunning performance, relishing the required assaults on the lower reaches of the keyboard… a deeply satisfying disc - Music Web International -
This CD marks the second release of the Carducci’s Shostakovich 15 project, which includes performances of the complete cycles of the Shostakovich Quartets in cities including Washington DC, London, Oxford, Cardiff, Bogota and concerts throughout the UK to mark the 40th anniversary of the composer’s death. Described by The Strad as presenting “a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose, in which severity could melt seamlessly into charm, and drama into geniality”, the Carducci Quartet is recognised as one of today’s most successful string quartets. This disc contrasts Shostakovich’s first two string quartets with the seventh – composed in memory of his late wife Nina. In composing his quartets prior to No. 7, Shostakovich had scrupulously followed a predetermined sequence of keys: according to this, the work should have been in E flat major. However Shostakovich, significantly, chose to break this pattern by writing his new quartet in F sharp minor, the key associated with such anguished music as Peter’s remorse in Bach’s St John Passion, and – particularly close to Shostakovich’s heart – Mahler’s unfinished Tenth Symphony. Performance★★★★ Recording★★★★ Beautiful honed - BBC Music MagazineThese are athletic, upfront performances, clear in texture, forthright in tone and bold in articulation - Gramophone Sterling renditions that come highly recommended - The Northern Echo -
Carducci Quartet launches Shostakovich15 – its project to perform all 15 of Shostakovich’s string quartets in 2015. Commemorating 40 years since Shostakovich’s death, Carducci Quartet performs several complete cycles throughout the year and releases this recording of Shostakovich’s fourth, eighth and eleventh string quartets – all landmark works in the string quartet repertory.
Their warmly engineered release of three of the Russian master's quartets is undoubtedly a fine achievement, boasting excellent ensemble, musical insight and sensitive attention to detail - BBC Music Magazine [The Carducci Quartet] clearly have the technical measure of these three highly contrasting works from Shostakovich's quartet output...this well-recorded disc holds out much promise of things to come - Gramophone The performances are both polished and passionate - The Sunday Times Great musical flair...the Carducci's are superb here - Music Web International -
“Santtu conducts Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10” is the fifth album from Philharmonia Records. Largely interpreted as depicting Stalin’s regime in Russia, the orchestra delivers tragedy, violence and gloom before the brief but triumphant finale. Conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali, this performance was recorded at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in April 2024. ★★★★★ - “The Philharmonia Orchestra does Rouvalis' interpretation full justice, and several characteristic wind players make a very positive impression.” - Quarterly Classical "Themes from the previous movements are intriguingly revived and intertwined and the sheer energy of Rouvali’s onslaught upon the music almost convinces us of the heroism of resistance and endurance, ultimately rewarded by explosive, joyous liberation." - Ralph Moore - MusicWeb International "Santtu-Matias Rouvali vigilantly directs the varied dynamics, always on point and with emotion on the surface, with a language of rare clarity and undeniable warmth" - Sonograma "The first movement is both atmospheric and flowing, sensitively delineating each stage in the unfolding psychological drama." - Gramophone -
The Chineke! Orchestra return to disc on Signum in a new live orchestral recording from the Royal Festival Hall, London.
Drawn from exceptional musicians from across the continent, the orchestra is part of the Chineke! Foundation – a non-profit organisation that provides career opportunities to young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Their motto is ‘Championing Change and Celebrating Diversity in Classical Music’.
The Chineke! Orchestra is the brainchild of Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, FRAM, who says: ‘My aim is to create a space where BME musicians can walk on stage and know that they belong, in every sense of the word. If even one BME child feels that their colour is getting in the way of their musical ambitions, then I hope to inspire them, give them a platform, and show them that music, of whatever kind, is for all people.’
In this live concert recording under conductor Roderick Cox they perform Sibelius’s 2nd Symphony and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3, featuring multi-award-winning pianist Gerard Aimontche.
The playing of both works... is most pleasing, the colours vivid, the excitement palatable, while Aimontche's sweeping reading of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 3 astutely combines the intimate and epic, his tone never forced - The Sunday Times An excellent follow-up to their first recording for Signum Classics - BBC Radio 3 Record Review -
Literally meaning ‘rooster song’ or ‘cock crow’, Gallicantus takes its name from monastic antiquity; the name of the office held just before dawn, it was a ceremony which evoked the renewal of life offered by the coming day. Dedicated to renaissance music and directed by Gabriel Crouch, the membership of this early music group boasts a wealth of experience in consort singing.
Renowned for their critically-acclaimed and researched programmes, Gallicantus present Sibylla. At the heart of the programme is Orlandus Lassus’s 16th Century Prophetiae Sibyllarum, which sets to music the texts of ancient Sibylline prophecies telling of the coming of Christ.
One of the composer’s most renowned and celebrated works, it is performed alongside settings by the ‘Sibyl of the Rhine’ Hildegard von Bingen, as well contemporary responses to Lassus’s work. Dmitri Tymoczko’s Prophetiae Sibyllarum sets poems by Jeff Dolven which recast the sibyls’ role: this time to the teller of grim truths of present life in post-industrial America. As an epilogue the album finishes with Elliot Cole’s ‘I saw you under the fig tree’ (part of his suite Visions) – a simple 4-part setting beneath an extraordinary countertenor glissando, setting Jesus Christ’s response to Nathaniel.
★★★★★ The extraordinary Gallicantus sing with micrometrical precise articulation and flawless pitching - Choir and Organ This CD is evidence of an intimate understanding of this challenging music and is as fine an account of the score as has been committed to CD to date - Early Music Review -
“The album started life as a collection of piano improvisations saved as voice- notes on my phone. Expanding the ideas during a series of slow evenings after work, I discovered there were some pieces I would always come back to and play again and again. Each voice note had been recorded at random times, some months apart, others years apart, and it began to sound like a musical diary of my private thoughts and feelings from over the years. When I came to record the pieces I invited some friends to play Cello and Recorder, as I decided I’d had enough of playing piano by myself.” - Ben Pearson -
“Words and music rarely come together so perfectly as in this song. John Fletchers’s text is made all the more poignant given the composer, Ivor Gurney’s own struggles with mental health" - Grace Davidson