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London Early Opera continue their new series of Handel’s works with the second volume of pieces composed in Italy. Both volumes of Handel in Italy explore the young composer’s Italian years through his cantatas, sacred pieces, operatic works and instrumental compositions. Handel wrote prolifically during his stay in Italy, his output includes oratorios, operas, sonatas, instrumental works and sacred vocal masterpieces including over 100 cantatas. Featuring performances from internationally acclaimed soloists, the sopranos Sophie Bevan and Mary Bevan with their uncle, baritone Benjamin Bevan conducted and conceived by Bridget Cunningham. -
Naji Hakim returns to disc on Signum with a second volumne of powerful organ works, featuring works inspired by different locations around the world with his Suite Norvégienne, Esquisses Persanes and Suite Française.Completed in 2000, the Schuke Organ of the Palacio Euskalduna is housed in a magnificent concert hall of wood and steel - itself inspired by the Euskulduna shipyards that once occupied the area. A modern instrument, it is well-suited to the nuanced voicings of modern organ compositions, as well as being sympathetic and adaptable to the great works of the past. -
Gallicantus perform music surrounding the fascinating yet tragic story of Queen Mary Tudor’s ‘phantom pregnancy’. On 30th April 1555 the city of London celebrated the birth of a healthy male heir, but abruptly ceased the next day after the news was revealed to be nothing but rumour. There was to be no heir, with gossip and speculation surrounding the tale of Mary’s pregnancy from that day onwards.The music performed here resonates with the circumstances of the mid-1550s, including items composed outside of Mary’s reign; from the royal ceremonies in which Mary participated as queen, and music directly tied to the specific events of 1554-5. This includes a newly-reconstructed Litany which was performed during Mary’s assumed pregnancy. The viewpoint shifts from the streets of London and its suburbs, through the ceremonial grandeur of the royal palaces and their chapels, to the intimacy of the Privy Chamber itself. -
Founded in 1836, the Huddersfield Choral Society has developed an international reputation as one of the UK’s leading choral societies. Their new recording features works that are central to the choirs musical heritage, inlcuding works by Handel, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst and many more. -
For her debut concerto recording, ECHO 'Rising Star' Juliette Bausor performs works for flute and orchestra by Mozart and Nielsen, with Royal Northern Sinfonia and conductor, Jaime Martin. -
Violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen continues her series of concerto recordings on Signum with two contrasting works by American composers.Already considered by many to be a modern classic, John Adams 1993 Violin Concerto was described by the composer as having a ‘hypermelody’, in which the soloist plays longs phrases without stop for the duration of the 35 minute piece. Although composed in 1949, the first performance of Roy Harris’ Violin Concerto didn’t occur until 1984. Since then it has been championed for its “luminous orchestration and exalted tone" and has been rarely recorded.For this recording, Tamsin Waley-Cohen is joined by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under American conductor Andrew Litton.
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Dance forms the final part of a trilogy of albums following the huge success of ‘Flight’ and ‘Seasons’. This project started as a concept album, using the title as the inspiration for the works. Though several of the works embrace the composer’s background collaborations in ballet, there are other works influenced by violinist Kerenza Peacock’s connection with folk music. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios the disc features Kerenza Peacock, pianist Huw Watkins and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paul Bateman. -
With a title inspired by Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ (the opening scenes of which were filmed on the church steps), ‘Midnight at St Etienne du Mont’ explores the music of Duruflé, who was Titular Organist there from 1929 until his death in 1986. As well as Duruflé’s own Suite Op. 5, at the centre of the programme is the premiere recording of David Briggs’ Le Tombeau de Duruflé – a brilliant work built on plainsong themes that Duruflé so loved himself. British-Australian organist and choral conductor Joseph Nolan has been hailed by ABC Classic FM as “an extraordinary musician”, BBC Radio 3 CD Review as a “virtuoso”, and Limelight Magazine, Australia as a “remarkable musician”. In 2016 he was awarded the medal of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government for services to French music. ★★★★★ A recording much to be prized as much for its intelligent planning and unusual repertoire as for the musicianship Joseph Nolan displays throughout - The Organ ★★★★ The entire programme is well chosen, expertly played, on an appropriate instrument, and recorded in good quality sound. It deserves to be heard by a wide audience and this 4* release is certainly in the running for our Collector’s Choice award next month - iClassical Certainly a significant release! - Cathedral Music Magazine It is easy to imagine being shut into the church through the night luxuriating in this evocative music - Lark A brilliant work built on plainsong themes that Durufle so loved himself - Northern Echo -
Tenebrae mark their 15th anniversary season with a celebratory re-release of Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles, as well as the premiere recording of a new work by Owain Park. Inspired by the Camino Frances pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Path of Miracles has quickly become a contemporary classic amongst choral music fans. To mark their anniversary year Tenebrae commissioned British composer Owain Park to compose his new work Footsteps as a companion piece to Path of Miracles. A shorter work, Footsteps is themed on similar concepts of travel, solitude and journeying, and blends texts by eight different authors to structure a narrative that cycles the seasons through the view of a lonely traveller. -
Pianist Malcolm Martineau brings together some of the UK’s finest singers for the second release in a new series charting the complete songs of French composer Gabriel Fauré.★★★★ Another lovely evening in an imaginary salon… Connolly is at her best, capturing the controlled, yet rapturous passion of this achingly beautiful cycle - BBC Music Magazine Malcolm Martineau, the mastermind behind the project, is, as always, the ideal accompanist. Readers who bought the first volume need not hesitate, and those who didn’t are well advised to try this second instalment before buying volume one - MusicWeb International -
Continuing the company’s critically acclaimed complete cycle of Mozart operas on Signum Classics is the release of Zaide. One of very few of Mozart’s works to be written without a commission, Mozart completed fifteen numbers before abandoning the work to fulfil the commission for Idomeneo. These include two searing melodramas, some superb ensembles and a sequence of arias including the celebrated “Ruhe sanft”.Allan Clayton brings energy and definition to his singing… Excellent sound - BBC Music Magazine -
Early music consort Contrapunctus return to disc on Signum for the second release in their series centred on music of the Baldwin Partbooks (In the Midst of Life, SIGCD408). John Baldwin was a member of the choir of St George’s chapel, Windsor, and his transcriptions during the 1570s and 80s create one of the greatest surviving collections of Marian polyphony, composed during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary Tudor. This volume explores texts celebrating Mary as mother of God, and on the Virgin and her Child.Contrapunctus, led by Owen Rees, couple powerful interpretations with pioneering scholarship. Currently Vocal Consort in Residence at Oxford University, the ensemble’s first two recordings, Libera nos and In the Midst of Life, were both shortlisted for the Gramophone Early Music Award. -
Signum’s second disc with the Choir of the Queen’s College Oxford is centred around the concept of ‘relevation’, both divine revelation (particularly the apocalyptic visions of the Book of Revelation) and revelatory visions of earth and heaven. The bulk of the pieces on the recording are inspired by the extraordinary visions of John, the writer of the Book of Revelation, describing the ravaging of the world through divine judgement, the battles between good and evil, and the world’s eventual remaking as ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ in which death and suffering are no more. The disc features three new commissions, by Phillip Cooke, Toby Young and Marco Galvani, who was a final-year student at Queen’s at the time of recording. -
David Goode continues his series of recordings of the organ works of Max Reger on Signum with a new CD of his Fantasias & Fugues, recorded on the organ of Bath Abbey. The disc includes his Fantasia and Fugue on BACH and the ‘Symphonic’ Fantasia and Fugue. ★★★★★ David Goode’s performances here, throughout these discs, are exceptional in all aspects… This is a thoroughly recommendable and important issue – very strongly recommended - The Organ -
Under their guest conductor Paavo Järvi, the Philharmonia Orchestra perform three characteristically fiery works by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen; the Flute and Clarinet Concertos, and the Aladdin Suite.The concerto solo parts are performed by two of the orchestra’s principal players – flautist Samuel Coles and clarinettist Mark van de Wiel. -
Bridget Cunningham marks St Patrick’s Day with a new harpsichord CD that gives a glimpse into Handel’s fascinating time in Dublin. In 1741 at the age of 56, following a financially difficult time in London and with fashions turning against Italian opera, Handel went to Dublin for 9 months – a thriving musical city and the 2nd largest in the British Isles after London. The story of this fascinating trip is told in both music and detailed accompanying notes by harpsichordist and musicologist Bridget Cunningham. This disc is part of Cunningham’s ongoing series with the ensemble London Early Opera, which has already seen releases of several volumes of Handel’s music, including Handel in Italy and Handel at Vauxhall. Selected as Primephonic’s Hidden Gem, January 2021. “Cunningham's playing is brilliantly authoritative... loving superb keyboard playing but her thoughtful and imaginative programme means that we are double tempted" - Planet Hugill.