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Alfonso Ferrabosco, born in Greenwich to an Italian composer father of the same name, was the pre-eminent viol player of the early 17th century, and his lyra viol publication mostly for solo viol is the largest, most important & technically challenging publication for viol for nearly a century. It was published in the same year at the Shakespeare Sonnets, and may share a dedicatee, in Henry Wriothsley, Earl of Southampton. Ferrabosco worked extensively with Ben Jonson on his plays and masks, in some of which Shakespeare acted. The lyra viol was an English invention of only a few year before this work, and it had become bit of a craze, with many works published in the first 15 years of the century. It’s first referred to in a play by Ben Jonson in 1599, Cynthia’s Revels, and at this time probably had sympathetic metal strings running underneath the bridge and through a hollow fingerboard.Lyra-viol music is really the beginning of the journey that ends in the Bach suites for ‘cello and violin. "These are intimate performances of intimate music, yes; but the writing and the playing as such that chordal and contrapuntal textures, beefy bass lines and flute like cantabiles just about do the job of an entire consort of viols…There are some juicy pizzicato passages redolent of the lute…[Morikawa] her stylish duetting is a welcome contribution to this enjoyable release" - Gramophone ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "The preludes and dance numbers are played with vigour and stateliness, and with just the right amount of rustic edge. Boothby also brings out the melancholic quality of Ferrabosco's music - a style that was highly fashionable in late-Elizabethan and early-Jacobean England" - BBC Music Magazine RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH "He has also made a number of excellent recordings of music for solo viol…Now we have a very impressive disc…Just how beautiful and subtle such music can be is evidenced perfectly on this disc" - Musicweb International -
Composer Paul Reade died 25 years ago and this year marks his 80th birthday. He was well-known for his music for television such as Play School, Antiques Road Show and The Victorian Kitchen Garden series but less familiar are the wonderful works on this beautifully compiled album. The evocative Flute Concerto and a new version of Victorian Kitchen Garden Suite arranged for flute are played by Philippa Davies with the English Chamber Orchestra conducted by Robin O‘Neill. Decca artist Pumeza Matshikiza is the soloist in the orchestral song cycle Chants du Roussillon and the Song of the Birds. Laurence Perkins is the bassoonist in the last piece Paul ever wrote, Catalonia, a one movement bassoon concerto. Also included is the Serenata for wind sextet played by London Winds. Except for the Chants du Roussillon, these are all world premiere recordings. ★★★★★ "This celebration is long overdue...utterly gorgeous" - BBC Music Magazine "This souvenir of the Liverpudlian composer Paul Reade represents one of a generation after generation of melody-smiths... The disc spreads before us leading examples of his kindly lyricism. It’s music that is easily assimilated and easily enjoyed...Very engaging sound distinguishes this recording, as is the case throughout the CD" - Musicweb International -
Like the first two releases in The Mozartists’ ongoing ‘Sturm und Drang’ series, this recording comprises three highly dramatic and turbulent orchestral works interspersed with similarly highly-charged vocal items. The repertoire dates from between 1771 and 1788, and again includes one of Haydn’s great minor-key symphonies – this time arguably the greatest of them all, the ‘Trauer’. For the first time in the series Mozart is also represented, in the form of his extraordinarily visceral and darkly chromatic Adagio and Fugue in C minor, and the disc opens with an outstanding G minor symphony by the Czech composer Leopold Kozeluch, whose quality, sweep and lyricism will surprise many listeners. The two vocal works are genuine rarities. Schweitzer’s Alceste was one of the earliest attempts to create German tragic opera in the vernacular, and it launches with an aria of searing intensity. The scene from Paisiello’s Annibale in Torino – the twenty-third of his eighty-seven operas –features an exquisite but brief arioso before leading into a stormy G minor aria. The soloist is the exciting young American soprano Emily Pogorelc, and Ian Page again conducts his award-winning period-instrument ensemble. "Overall...this makes for another exceptionally satisfying addition to a series that is special not just for the thought and scholarship that goes into it, but Page’s direction of his fine players. It is throughout beautifully balanced and paced, while at the same time musically highly insightful" - Early Music Review "...exceptional disc from Signum Classics...Ian Page and his Mozartists deliver performances of the highest artistic standards mixed with a profound knowledge of a musical period that overflowed with emotional fervour and groundbreaking extremes. The vocal pieces sung by American soprano Emily Pogorel are despatched with scintillating virtuosity and sparkling elan. This is a disc that will give much pleasure to many in general, and especially to those interested in discovering more about this period of transition between the baroque and classical eras. I unreservedly recommend not only this issue, but the whole cycle" - Classical Music Daily “With a stellar performance by American soprano Emily Pogorelc [she] fascinates the listener with exquisite but brief arios. [Leopold Koželuch’s Symphony in G minor is] performed with a superb quality by Mozartist musicians, who highlight its beautiful tonal modulations and expressive energy. In the joyous fourth movement [of “Mourning”], Page infuses a precise, tight sense of rhythm into his musicians and confers delightfully engaging emanations of tenderness” – Sonograma Magazine “The bomb-proof technical standard of the [Mozartists’] playing would surely have delighted Mozart. And winsome justice is done to the beautiful slow movements of Kozeluch’s and Haydn’s symphonies. The stand-out feature here is the sensational contribution of American soprano Emily Pogorelc. Her singing here has superb technical sureness, state-of-the-art command of the music’s wild emotional switchbacks, and firework-display virtuosity to match." Performance **** Recording **** - BBC Music Magazine "Ian Page and his orchestra are wonderful advocates for this powerful music" - Gramophone -
Mahler 2 is the second album from Philharmonia Records, following their first album - Santtu conducts Strauss. “[Also sprach Zarathustra] Rouvali’s conducting of both is certainly interesting and personal... impressive, an expansive reading that sees the work whole... [An Alpine Symphony] undeniably picturesque, vivid and dramatically projected... top-notch playing, and this extravagant score also enjoys notable recorded sound... lingering lyricism, invariably heartfelt and, in conclusion, cathartic” Founded in 1945, The Philharmonia Orchestra creates thrilling performances for a global audience and has premiered works by Richard Strauss, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Errollyn Wallen, Kaija Saariaho and many others. The Philharmonia has an extraordinary 77-year recording legacy, and has recorded around 150 soundtracks, with film credits stretching back to 1947. In the 2021/22 season the Orchestra performs in Romania, Spain, Finland, Greece and Germany. Santtu-Matias Rouvali is a Finnish conductor and percussionist, and is currently principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Rouvali continues his relationships with orchestras across Europe, including with the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Munich Phillharmonic and the the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. "The Philharmonia are on fine form for Santtu with much brilliance coming from the woodwind and brass and bags of generosity from the strings" - Gramophone ORCHESTRAL CHOICE ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "This is special indeed…such spectacular engineering…Rouvali draws exquisite colouring…(the Philharmonia Chorus) soprano power in the great climax has never blazed better" - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★ "Vibrant version of the Second of Mahler. Powerful and emotional” - Ritmo ★★★★ "The orchestral sound is very good, the soloists are excellent" - Fono Forum -
This is a Christmas album that has a sense of place, clearly identifying the Chorale as both American and from a border state with Mexico, and something for everyone whether they prefer serious or light festive fare. There is Hispanic influence in the repertoire choices, which include Catalan folksongs as well as Hispanic Renaissance music. It includes a commission by Cecilia McDowall, written for Christmas 2021, new arrangements of all tracks and also some contemporary Christmas favourites such as Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells. This marks the Chorale’s return to recording following an 8-year hiatus, and their first album with Signum Records. “Festive repertoire plays an important role in the performance cycle of every choir, and it felt fitting to begin our journey with a Christmas recording that established a sense of place for the ensemble: we chose to record repertoire that is all American or Hispanic in origin, save for the newly-commissioned piece by Cecilia McDow- all that was written to mark the centenary of our home in Phoenix, Trinity Cathedral. Our aim is to translate the warmth of Arizona into our sound, to convey the rhetoric of every text, and celebrate the good health of the American Choral Tradition.” - Christopher Gabbitas ★★★★ "The Catalonian folk songs reveal the Chorale's enviable smoothness and sumptuosity of tone. Best of all is Cecilia McDowall's Trinity Triptych, a Phoenix commission performed with a winning mixture of enthusiasm and finesse." - BBC Music Magazine -
“JS Bach’s seven concertos for solo harpsichord & strings, occupy a significant place in the history of music, marking as they do the origin of the keyboard concerto genre. Collective- ly, they encompass the gamut of Baroque rhetorical expression; indeed, leaving aside the six ground-breaking ‘Brandenburg’ Concerts avec plusieurs instruments, it is difficult to think of a more diverse, revolutionary and technically refined set of instrumental concertos from the Baroque period” - Andrew Arthur Their second recording on Signum Classics, The Hanover Band play-directed by Andrew Arthur present four of these revolutionary concertos, following their successful first album “BMV 1052, 1054, 1055 & 1058 Harpsichord Concertos”. The Hanover Band’s players are amongst the finest in their field and the orchestra has built an inter- national reputation for the excellence of its performances and recordings of eighteenth and nine- teenth-century music. Andrew Arthur is best-known for his work in the field of historically informed performance, he is in great demand as a conductor, keyboard soloist and continuo player, working with many of the UK’s leading period-instrument orchestras and professional choirs. ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "[Fifth Brandenburg Concerto] who concertino writing for harpsichord and sparkling first movement solo makes its presence apposite in the present company. Andrew Arthur enlivens Bach's scores with clearly articulated solo playing" - BBC Music Magazine "A major key to the success of these recordings is the singing quality of this harpsichord in this acoustic under the fluid coaxing of Andrew Arthur’s touch…How lucky Andrew Arthur is to have such fine companions in making these wonderful recordings… I shall enjoy returning to this recording for a long time. It is such responsive, unshowy but fluid, utterly musical playing. This is how to hear Bach, and you should get it at once" - Early Music Review -
On her new album pioneering Romanian vocalist Teodora Brody joins forces with one of the world’s great orchestras to explore well-known classical repertoire from an entirely fresh perspective. Rising with style and energy to realise virtuosic orchestrations by Lee Reynolds, the London Symphony Orchestra voyage with Teodora through classical, jazz and Romanian folk traditions, resulting in a multi-faceted, truly unique musical experience. -
This album marks the culmination of a landmark project to re-imagine new works from old for saxophone, choir and organ. Celebrated saxophonist Sam Corkin is joined by Canterbury Cathedral Choir to bring a fresh perspective to some well-loved repertoire, recorded within the iconic surroundings of Canterbury Cathedral. Featuring fifteen specially commissioned works by leading composers including Gabriel Jackson, Errollyn Wallen and Roderick Williams. "The overall sound of this recording is excellent, capturing the ambience of the cathedral, the impeccable diction of the singers and the balance between the solo saxophone and singers and on some tracks the powerful interjection of the organ. Overall, an excellent album warmly recommended." - Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine “The performances are exemplary. Sam Corkin has great control of the saxophone and his timbres are par excellence. The edginess he infuses at times heightens tensions. Do have a listen – it’s inventive, interesting, and at times intense.” - The Organist -
This album features the second half of Brescianello’s Opus 1; works 1 – 6 were released as Behind Closed Doors in 2022. La Serenissima passionately believe that Brescianello is a composer who deserves greater recognition with the result that many of his works have been included in releases dating from 2019, our first release on Signum. Solo concertos for violin alternate with Sinphonias for strings and continuo; both forms illustrate Brescianello’s talent for fusing virtuosity with the sweetest of melodies. Also included on the album is an orchestral suite in A major that finishes with a rousing Giga.★★★★★ Performance, ★★★★★ Recording "His [Chandler's] playing is brilliantly skilful, immediate and engaging. The handling of the cadenza at the end of the Sixth Concerto is especially impressive." - BBC Music Magazine"Chandler and La Serenissma give a very colourful picture of Brescianello's music, which is not lacking in individuality" - CONCERTO -
The first of its kind, this duet album is a musical journey that draws back the curtain which has obscured gay love-stories for centuries. In the 17th century, Venice offered a liberal safe haven of sorts to the gay community of greater Europe. There are accounts of outed artists escaping to Venice to live and work amongst its more permissive culture. Almost 400 years later, we reconnect with this uncommonly tolerant place and time to share a history that is yet untold. The album includes vivid and charming duets from Monteverdi’s 7th book of madrigals as well as his touching musical love letters (lettere amorose). Additionally, there are four modern-day premieres of works by the little-known composers Boretti, Melani, and Castrovillari; including a moving duet for the lovers Hercules and Theseus as they exit the underworld hand-in-hand. Solo arias by Cavalli and Stradella depict the yearning of hidden love, and the recording culminates with one of the most beautiful duets of all time, ‘Pur ti miro’ from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. This album is a recognition and celebration of gay love that spans the centuries. ★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording - BBC Music Magazine "Brave, committed and full of formidable music, baroque affections and amorous passions" - Ritmo ★★★★½ "The candour Scotting and Colorado bring to this ground-breaking musical endeavour is matched by the ardour of their music making. Accompanied by the polished but unobtrusive Academy of Ancient Music under the empathetic direction of Laurence Cummings, the two well-matched voices bring a heady mix of musical flair and earthy passion to this rich musical feast. Apart from giving us a richer and indeed more accurate knowledge of artistic practice, discs such as this also allow present-day listeners greater connection with and ownership of the musical riches of the past. For this and for the committed, appealing performances that attest to the universality of love, this disc should receive an enthusiastic embrace." - Limelight -
This will be the 5th NAJI HAKIM PLAYS NAJI HAKIM organ CD released by Signum Classics. It will include the following world premiere recordings of Naji Hakim’s works at the historic STAHL- HUTH-JANN ORGAN at St Martin’s Church, Dudelange , Grand Duché de Luxembourg : Grego- riana (2003) - Bogurodzica (2018) – Prière (2020) - Villancico aragonés (2018) - Carnaval (2014) - Sindbad (2014) - Korean Prelude (2014) - Cantilena (2016) - Trois Paraphrases sur Ave maris stella (2003) - O sacrum convivium (2018) - Tanets (2019). Dr Naji Hakim studied with J. Langlais and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris where he was awarded seven first prizes. He is a licentiate teacher in organ from the Trinity College of Music in London and won ten first prizes at international organ and composition competitions. In 1991 he was awarded the Prix André Caplet from the Académie des Beaux-Arts. At first organist of the Basilique du Sacré- Coeur, Paris from 1985 until 1993, he then became organist of l’église de la Trinité, in succession to Olivier Messiaen, from 1993 until 2008. He is professor of musical analysis at the Conservatoire National de Région de Boulogne-Billancourt, and visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London. "This is truly a demanding, virtuosic work, but also one in which the organist’s technique is subservient to an astonishingly creative piece. His music is, for the most part, fascinating and often intense. I will certainly look out for further releases of his music." - The Art Music Lounge "The loud and lively numbers are most impressive but there are, too, some stunningly beautiful gentle moments." - Organists' Review "This fifth instalment is self-recommending...the material is characteristically eclectic. Hakim is his own exemplary and expressive advocate in Augustin Party's fine recording. ★★★★" - Choir and Organ "Hakim has developed a highly virtuoso musical language …the meditative movements such as the 'Gregoriana', the 'Korean Prelude' or the three paraphrases on 'Ave maris stella' sound particularly expressive…the classical colours of fundamental and reed voices and mixtures of thirds make his music an enjoyable expression of the French style" - FONO FORUM -
Anne Warthmann, soprano is accompanied by Hyowon Chi, flute, Arthur Stockel, clarinet and Naji Hakim at the historic STAHLHUTH-JANN ORGAN at St Martin’s Church, Dudelange , Grand-Duché de Luxembourg, in a program including the following world premiere recordings of Naji Hakim’s works : Abana for soprano and organ (2019) - Assalamu for soprano and organ (2019) - Our Lady's Minstrel (Prelude for clarinet and organ, Three poems for soprano and organ, Dance for clarinet and organ) (2013) - Adoration for soprano, flute and organ (2015) - Römisches Triptychon for soprano and organ (2010). "There are many exquisite and exciting performances on this disk from a quartet of musicians who excel in their chosen fields. The balance between the different instruments and voice has been superbly captured by the sound engineers. The sounds that Hakim creates are magnificent and we get to hear the organ in all its glorious manifestations. Anne Warthmann's powerful range is outstanding. The performances are tremendous, and Hakim's organ performance is exhilirating." - Organists' Review -
Tenebrae bring their trademark passion and precision to this live performance of music by J. S. Bach and Sir James MacMillan, to be recorded live at Snape Maltings in May 2023. Renowned for their technical difficulty, Bach’s motets are pillars of the choral repertoire, requiring minute attention to detail as well as a full emotional range. Here, Tenebrae performs the three most well-known of the set, culminating in the joyful Singet dem Herrn. Like Bach, Sir James MacMillan has written much of his music for the church, and his settings of the Tenebrae responsories paint a vivid picture of the events of Holy Week. This album also features the premiere recording of I saw Eternity the other night, which MacMillan composed for Tenebrae in 2021 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the London Bach Society. "It’s a monumental programme - a huge sing in terms of both brain and body. Short's singers tackle it with all their signature precision. [MacMillan Responsories] explode in the ear: all translucent vertical clarity and balance. The flickering ornaments in "Tenebrae factae sunt" shoot like sparks around the choir, and the bladed purity of Short's upper voices comes into its own in the gleaming exchanges of "Tradiderunt me"… There's plenty to admire here" - Gramophone 10/10 "The vocal consort Tenebrae bring their trademark passion and precision to their performance recorded live at Snape Maltings…the sound quality is uniformly excellent…an illuminating and at times numinous listening experience" - Cross Rhythms "This is an intriguing and delightful disc of music composed almost three hundred centuries apart by the Lutheran Johann Sebastian Bach and Catholic Sir James MacMillan... an extremely moving listen." - RSCM -
For a period of the 20th Century, due to his talent and association with Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears was perhaps the world’s most famous classical singer. Pears inspired Britten to create great works of art precisely because Pears was a compelling artist with an exceptional voice, an inquisitive mind, a knowledge of art, history, literature and poetry. They became a self-perpetuating duo, inspiring each other to even greater heights of artistry, technical ability, and emotional certainty. This album of works by Lennox Berkeley, Benjamin Britten, Arthur Oldham, Richard Rodney Bennett and Geoffrey Bush is performed by tenor Robin Tritschler, who is joined by cellist Philip Higham, guitarist Sean Shibe and pianist Malcolm Martineau. Praise for Robin Tritschler and Malcolm Martineau: ★★★★★ Performance, ★★★★★ Recording "[The artists] give the music a strong perspective of their own. With lyrical penetration, technical sovereignty, strong expressiveness and great clarity in both small and large details, they convey the music in the best possible way" - FONO FORUM ★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording “Robin Tritschler’s sweet-toned voice is a continual delight, as is Malcolm Martineau’s sparkling, pearly, luminous piano sound” - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ "In the opening song and throughout the album one can hear the burnished tone and immaculate diction of Tritschler’s beautifully focused and projected light tenor and, as always, Malcolm Martineau’s piano playing is superb." - Classical Source THE BEST CLASSICAL ALBUMS OF 2024 "This is a powerful and rewarding release. The music, mostly accompanied by the excellent pianist Malcolm Martineau, is uniformly strong...I listened with plenty of pleasure, buoyed by Tritschler's intelligence, the music, and its multiple shades of feeling" - The Times -
Continuing their Magnificat series, and the last album of Andrew Nethsingha’s tenure as director, The Choir of St John’s College Cambridge present Magnificat 4 with works from composers including Judith Weir, Jonathan Dove, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange and Charles Villiers Stanford. The album features two items commissioned specially for St John’s by Judith Weir alongside the world premiere of a new piece by Jonathan Dove. ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "Imaginative programming of innovative contemporary works rubbing shoulders with canonical repertoire...the distinctive St John's 'sound', with its immaculate balance, luminous tone and elegant yet unaffected phrasing...Andrew Nethsingha has departed from St John's with a sense of promise fulfilled and bright hope for the future" - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★ "The stand-out for me is the concluding Worcester Service by Piers Connor Kennedy, with its echoes of plainchant. As organist George Herbert writes in his excellent booklet notes, it 'inspires a real feeling of worship and understatement'." - Choir and Organ "Every detail has been polished and beautifully presented...Piers Connor Kennedy’s a cappella Worcester Service (2015) is distinguished for being the only Latin setting on the disc and for the sheer beauty of its understatement. The album features the premiere of Jonathan Dove’s St John’s Service. His hallmark energy sparkles throughout the Magnificat and contrasts beautifully with the gentlest of Nunc dimittis treatments. George Herbert’s organ-playing is also a joy to behold.Alas, Judith Weir’s 2011 service seems rather dull in comparison. Finest of all, though, is Joanna Forbes L’Estrange’s King’s College Service, full of delicious earworms and melting harmonies, and I am confident that this work will remain as popular as Stanford’s classic in 100 years’ time." - Gramophone "These are beautiful canticles. This whole series of St John’s recordings has been a joy to follow." - MusicWebInternational ★★★★1/2 star Performance, ★★★★★ Recording "Technically everything runs like clockwork, musically it is the inner calm, the clean structure and the cantabile nature of his playing that are particularly convincing. In this way he does full justice to the seriousness of Tartini's music." - FONO FORUM -
In Puccini’s anniversary year, Chief Conductor of Welsh National Opera Carlo Rizzi has created new, purely orchestral versions of some of his most well-known and beloved works. Staying pure and faithful to Puccini’s original orchestration without anything added to ‘cover’ any perceivable lack of vocal line, the brilliance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and other works shine through in this album of world premiere recordings. “I hope that those who already love Tosca and Butterfly will enjoy the opportunity to focus wholly on the orchestra as they listen, and that people who are usually more drawn to the concert hall than to the opera house will be rewarded by exploring something new. In the end my only aim is to share and celebrate Puccini with all of them” – Carlo Rizzi“Carlo Rizzi, one of The Metropolitan Opera’s often under-appreciated maestros in the Italian repertoire, conducted both “Ballo” (with steady drive) and “Bohème” (with sumptuous clarity).” - New York Times "It [Capriccio sinfonico] is well played here, with spruce attention to detail, and the orchestral playing sounds excellent in the resonant acoustic of Cardiff’s Hoddinott Hall. This was a thoroughly enjoyable wallow...the orchestra remains on excellent form." - MusicWebInternationalPerformance ★★★★ Recording ★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine