The title of the ensemble and their new disc are both pertinent, it’s an agreeable collection full of curiosities … Ng’s notes do a decent job of describing the impact of Vivaldi and his fellow Italians on the music scene in England - BBC Radio 3 Record Review
The highlight is Pietro Domenico Paradies' aptly-titled A Favourite Concerto, a delightful harpsichord piece that affords the ensemble's director Kah-Ming Ng full rein to display his keyboard prowess - The Independent
This is a disc for adventurous music-lovers who like to extend their horizon and are not satisfied with listening to the same masterpieces over and over again. Charivari Agréable deserve our congratulations with this 20th volume in their impressive discography. May many more follow - MusicWeb International
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“This curious conglomeration of concertos is a celebration of contrasts”. Thus begins Kah-Ming Ng's introduction to this collection of works from the 18th century. Although none of the composers featured may be familiar, each work has been picked for it's fine technical skill and illuminating sound, taking inspiration from the 18th century definition of 'curious'' as being 'rare, excellent and fine'. Includes works by Paradis, Reichenauer, Berlin, Pepusch, Hertel, Croft and Baldassari. For those who know Pachelbel only through the Canon, this disc will be revelatory ... Each piece is beautifully served by the ensemble - The Sunday Times -
Gabriel Prokofiev’s famous first Concerto for Turntables reached a global audience when performed by Mr. Switch at the 2011 BBC Proms, under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski. It has since been performed 55 times worldwide, with the 5th movement being performed 20 times as part of the BBC’s Ten Piece’s project. The aim of the piece is demonstrate the main DJing techniques, with each movement showing off a specific one. Prokofiev’s Cello Concerto was composed in 2012 and is the third concerto he composed. It was the most conventional of his concertos, with the other two (at that point) being for Bass Drum and Turntables. Despite this, Prokofiev still manages to explore influences of electronic and dance music in the concerto, whilst also exploring the traditional lyrical side of the cello. All downloads include booklets. -
Founded in 1973 by Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert has been a leading light in the performance of Baroque and Classical music for for over 40 years. Under their present Artistic Director Harry Bicket and with distinguished guest artists they continue to perform with the passion, sophistication and technical mastery established at their creation.
Such is the commitment and passion that their players bring to every performance. Drawn not only from home-grown talent, The English Concert can boast a truly international cast of musicians. Soloists in their own right, and backed-up by scholarly knowledge of style and genre, the close-knit relationship between their musicians makes for a truly special blend of sound. This new recording features the talents of these soloists in performances of Concertii by Telemann, Marcello, Dall’Abaco, Tartini and Porpora.
Performance: ★★★★ Recording: ★★★★★ Here's that increasing rarity: A Baroque disc with no conceptual axe to grind, no over-arching theme - save for giving the members of The English Concert a concerto moment in the sun - and seemingly out to do little more than delight (which it does so in spades) - BBC Music Magazine [Harry] directs from the harpsichord, bringing both vitality and cohesion to the performances - Andrew Benson-Wilson A nice way to spend 70 minutes of your time - Gramophone -
Some of the most atmospheric music from the numerous Liturgical settings in Holy Week is that composed for the Office of Tenebrae. Victoria’s are the most well-known, but equally beautiful and arguably more dramatic are the settings composed by Gesualdo and Couperin. The Gesualdo is intense with the Couperin atmospheric, yet both compliment each other perfectly on another world-class recording from Tenebrae. Described as “phenomenal” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine), award-winning choir Tenebrae, under the direction of Nigel Short, is one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles renowned for its passion and precision. These are Tenebrae’s core values and with their continued dedication to performance of the highest quality, Tenebrae’s vision is to deliver dramatic programming, flawless performances and unforgettable experiences, allowing audiences around the world to be moved by the power and intimacy of the human voice. All downloads include booklets. ★★★★ “Gesualdo is sung by six solo voices, wonderfully balanced and tuned to perfection, bringing out the rich idiosyncratic harmonies characteristic of the composer” - Choir and Organ ★★★★ “This is an ideal album for Holy Week reflections, respecting the power of the texts and it is a major sacred music release” - AllMusic.com “The singing of six members of Tenebrae (Doyle and Davidson the sopranos) is accomplished, snappy and defined with firm control of changing dynamics. Nigel Short shows a strong sense of mannerist storytelling...the way the words sometimes shout into the silence of the church is immensely powerful” - Gramophone “The sheer beauty and accuracy of Tenebrae’s singing is utterly persuasive. They’re named for this music, and occupying the shadows of Maundy Thursday from these two very different composers is a moving experience” - BBC Radio 3 Record Review -
Born in Weimar, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-88) was the fifth child and second surviving son of JS Bach and his first wife Maria Barbara. By his own account he had no other teacher for composition and keyboard except his father. Nevertheless, the majority of Emanuel’s earliest works owe more to the influence of Telemann and other exponents of the new galant style, while already suggesting his own progressive instinct. At the age of twenty-four, after seven years studying law, Emanuel decided to devote himself to music. In 1738 he accepted the position of keyboard player at the court of the Prussian crown prince – the future Frederick the Great. After nearly thirty years of royal service he left Berlin and moved to Hamburg, where he occupied the positions of Music Director and Cantor until his death. Described by the Guardian as a performer of “fearless intensity”, former ECHO Rising Star Tamsin Waley-Cohen has established herself as one of the most insightful and versatile young British violinists. Described by The Daily Telegraph as ‘in a class of his own’ James Baillieu has been the prize-winner of the Wigmore Hall Song Competition, Das Lied International Song Competition, Kathleen Ferrier and Richard Tauber Competitions. He plays these C.P.E. Bach compositions on a modern piano. -
Avant garde. Eccentric. A maniac. Wild and adventurous. Off the wall. Extraordinary. No marketing hyperbole - this is how the players of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment describe Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach and his music. One of the many children of JS Bach, CPE Bach always lived in his father’s shadow, and now is an almost unknown figure at least beyond the classical cogniscenti. How can such an unknown be considered a gamechanger? A listen to his music reveals just why – it constantly shifts, wrongfooting the listener when they least expect it with wild changes of direction and colour – it is bright, effervescent, and is a fascinating link between the music of his father (and the Baroque era) and Joseph Haydn (and the Classical era). ★★★★ It is the sense of adventure that comes across vivaciously here in a fusion of stylistic taste, smooth and supple phrasing and an exuberant thrust - The Daily Telegraph Editor's Choice: Self-critical perspective is clearly not a problem for these artists ... the unfurling description of of a lover's kisses permit all kinds of glorious opportunities for the singers' seemingly telepathic understanding for chiaroscuro, impeccable tuning and innate grammatical sense - Gramophone The OAE under Rebecca Miller play with an accuracy and passion that's infectious: this is among the most exciting, adrenalin-filled period instrument recordings you'll hear - The Arts Desk Symphonies that embrace the strangeness and originality of the writing as well as the beauty of some of the middle movements and the feistiness of the finales. Made live, but they’ve emerged in excellent shape - BBC Radio 3 Record Review The orchestra's playing here is bright, effervescent and fascinating – truly positioning C.P.E. Bach as the missing link between his father and the music of Haydn - Classic FM These energetic, committed performances of five symphonies dating from between 1757 - when Haydn was first writing in the genre - and 1780 show the period band has lost none of its verve and enthusiasm for this strange, dramatic music from the dawn of the "classical" era - The Sunday Times -
Their second album of 2025, and their 11th album with Signum Records, baroque giants La Serenissima return with an album of works by composers including Telemann, Sieber, Durante, and Brescianello. The album explores how their styles changed and developed as they ‘crossed borders’ between Italy, Germany, France and other European countries. ★★★★★ - “Once again, the ensemble La Serenissima convinces with an extremely determined, but never unloving articulation” - Fono Forum “Fascinating, poetically communicative, subtly virtuosic, thoroughly beautiful, this is my favourite La Serenissima album in some years.” - Gramophone "This is a peach of an album, put together with all the care and dynamism we’ve come to expect from this outstanding team." - Europadisc “With their usual interpretative exquisiteness and musicological rigor, La Serenissima offers a rich and varied listening experience” - Sonograma "This is a most enjoyable disc, which offers a nice mixture of familiar and little-known pieces in top-class performances. Don’t miss it." - MusicWeb International -
"Da Vinci Requiem brings together my chosen Latin texts from the Missa pro Defunctis with extracts from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, and is structured in seven movements in the shape of an arch... It has been a fascinating exploration, aligning Leonardo’s extraordinary insights, both artistic and philosophical, with such a profound and ancient text. Seventy degrees below zero is a three-movement work for chamber orchestra and tenor soloist. [Inspired by work carried out by the Scott Polar Research Institute], the phrase for the title was taken from Scott’s Letter to his wife: ‘Dear, it is not easy to write because of the cold – 70 degrees below zero’. The scientific exploration and data collected by Captain Scott’s team at the beginning of the 20th century still powerfully underlies the research which continues to this day. It was with a desire to join the past with the present that I asked the poet, Seán Street, to write two poems to accompany Scott’s words: words from ‘then’ and words from ‘now’.” - Cecilia McDowall Wimbledon Choral has been described as “one of the most substantial and formidable choirs in London ... a vigorous and sophisticated choral ensemble”. The choir is over 100 years old, re-founded in the early stages of the First World War, but its earliest recorded roots go back to 1870. Today we are a modern, dynamic group of singers, always ready to stretch ourselves and try new things, making sure we keep up our reputation as one of the finest amateur symphonic choirs in south-east England. ★★★★★ "Wimbledon Choral, one of the most enterprising amateur choirs in south-east England, acquit themselves with aplomb in the Requiem, with Neil Ferris drawing from them a well-focused sound. Soloists are top-notch, with Benjamin Hulett giving a fine account of Seventy Degrees" - Choir & Organ ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "Gently swirling, shimmering, beautifully orchestrated textures often imbued with devotional mystery…The Wimbledon Choral, for whom it was written, are impressive, with clear lines and luminous hush under soprano Kate Royal's magnificent soaring lines in the beautiful Agnes Dei movement, Roderick Williams is typically compelling…Tenor Benjamin Hulett captures the changing moods, from the hopeful excitement via anguish to resignation…The City of London Sinfonia are sensitive partners to the voices throughout, while conductor Neil Ferris should be commended for his judicious pacing and marshalling of all involved" - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★★ "McDowall's Da Vinci Requiem is a masterpiece. The performance here is compelling [70 Degress below Zero] forms a perfect musical coupling…especially in such a fine performance as this…The performances are uniformally excellent, as is the presentation of this important release" - The Organ -
The Smith Quartet return on Signum with a new album of commissions and world premiere recordings, all centered on the theme of ‘Dance’. The featured programme is a veritable ‘whos-who’ of contemporary composition, including works from Michael Nyman, Graham Fitkin, Jon Lord, Michael Finnissy and Django Bates. ★★★★★ Infectious enthusiasm and spirited playing - Classic FM Magazine An exuberant collection of 14 short pieces, each by a different composer. All are played with vim and technical brilliance - The Times Editor's Choice: A diverse collection of 14 works is bound together by quality of composition and performance … like a box of excellent chocolates, inviting frequent tasting - Classical Music Magazine -
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. -
Welcome all Wonders: A Christmas Cantata is a large-scale work for choir, organ, and trumpet spanning 15 movements. It celebrates the Christmas story through an imaginative selection and juxtaposition of poetry and liturgical texts, and provides a multifaceted telling of the familiar narrative. The celebratory aspects of Christmas are tainted by darker themes that are inherent to the story but are easily overlooked, culminating in an enlightened and engaging work that explores the Christmas story in a profound manner. The Choir of The Queen’s College, Oxford is among the finest and most active university choirs in the UK. Its wide-ranging repertory includes a rich array of Renaissance and Baroque music and contemporary works. An excellent disc: the singing is incredibly tight, in the manner to which it has become increasingly accustomed under its musical director, Owen Rees, and Bednall’s writing is ingenious, embedded in a profound understanding of the workings of the choir and organ- both as distinct entries and as a partnership - Gramophone Magazine Bednall’s work makes a bright, immediate impression, the idiom, accessible without being superficial - BBC Music Magazine An original and very rewarding addition to the Christmas choral repertoire - MusicWeb International Bednall is honoured with what is surely a splendid performance from the Choir of Queen’s College, Oxford with organists Olivia Clark and Paul Manley and trumpeter Simon Desbruslais, directed by Owen Rees - International Record Review -
Julian Bliss and the Carducci Quartet pair two highly contrasting works – Johannes Brahms’s Clarinet Quintet and David Bruce’s Gumboots.Bruce's piece pivots on the contrast between its elegaic first movement and the five dances that follow it, and Bliss and the Carduccis relish the expressive variety - The Times Clarinettist Julian Bliss and the Carducci Quartet are mot sensitive and elegaic - Financial Times [Bliss] flits seamlessly between regular and bass clarinet. The finale's joyous barrage could almost be out of a Falla ballet - The Guardian Here's a double delight. First, an engaging new work that deserves a place in the Chamber repertory; second, a passionate account of Brahms' Clarinet Quintet which can hold its head high against starrier competition - Gramophone -
A frequent collaborator with both the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and Jac van Steen, David Matthews’ new recording explores both the natural world and the symphonic idea, the second of which has, in his words, “obsessed me since I started composing at the age of 16”. As well the Sinfonia and Symphony No. 8, the programme includes Toward Sunrise; inspired by the sound of the sun (a rising fourth of C-F), as recorded by scientists at Sheffield University, and A Vision of the Sea; drawn from the sights and sounds of English Channel near the composers’ home in Deal, Kent. With a singular body of work spanning almost 60 years, David Matthews has established an international reputation as one of the leading symphonists of our time. Born in London in 1943, he began composing at the age of sixteen. He read Classics at the University of Nottingham – where he has more recently been made an Honorary Doctor of Music – and afterwards studied composition privately with Anthony Milner. He was also helped by the advice and encouragement of Nicholas Maw and spent three years as an assistant to Benjamin Britten in the late 1960s. In the 1970s a friendship with the Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe (leading to collaboration and numerous trips to Sydney) helped Matthews find his own distinctive voice. "★★★★★ A deeply personal work of integrity and distinction, Matthew's Eighth Symphony is superbly rendered…Under van Steen's alert direction, the performers bring energy and polish to this dynamic score…Atmospheric recorded sound and high production values set the seal on an outstanding album. Warmly recommended" - Musical Opinion "★★★★★ Atmospheric recorded sound and high production values set the seal on an outstanding album. Warmly recommended." - Musical Opinion "With excellent presentation and sound…these finely- honed and dedicated performances by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Jac van Steen" - Colin's Column -
2018 Grammy Award nominees Tenebrae perform a new collection of choral works by Polish composer Paweł Łukaszewski.
Born in southern Poland in 1968 in the city of Częstochowa and described by Gramophone as writing “enchanting choral music…beautifully measured phrases, immaculately tailored textures and ingenious use of light and shade to invoke light shining in darkness”, Łukaszewski has secured a place in the forefront of European sacred music with performances throughout the world and his works featuring on over one hundred recordings. He studied at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music, where he still teaches, and is now the Artistic Director and Conductor of Musica Sacra Cathedral Choir in Warsaw.
This collection of sacred choral works bears an easily-discernible cultural link with his Polish predecessors such as Lutosławski and Penderecki, but the influence of Henryk Górecki and the Estonian Arvo Pärt is evident too in the fervent but restrained spiritual aspect of Łukaszewski’s music, and his individual voice never stoops to mere imitation.
There is always a sense of rhythmic and harmonic displacement about his work, which makes it not only difficult to deliver but curiously timeless - Choir and Organ Very effective - Gramophone I would strongly recommend this as a CD of great interest, wonderfully well sung - Cathedral Music Magazine Moving and uplifting - Cross Rhythms I offer plaudits to Nigel Short and Tenebrae for their quality of singing and commitment - iClassical -
The Choir of St John’s College Cambridge launch their new series of recordings with Signum by exploring the close connections between the college and celebrated British composer Jonathan Harvey (1939-2012), in a disc of works for choir and organ. Harvey’s music has influenced a generation of composers, described by The Guardian’s Tom Service as being “at once vividly contemporary and timeless”. The Choir’s director Andrew Nethsingha reflects on his own experiences and work with the Jonathan Harvey in CD’s programme note, in particular as the choir collaborated on what would be Jonathan Harvey’s final work for the choir, The Annunciation (2011). -
Divine Impresario is countertenor Randall Scotting’s portrait of the celebrated castrato Nicolò Grimaldi (“Nicolini”), performed with the Academy of Ancient Music and Laurence Cummings. Drawing on arias and duets written for Nicolini by Handel, Porpora, Gasparini, Mancini, Giaj, Broschi, and Ariosti, the album revives music closely tied to his stage career across Italy and London. Many pieces are recorded in new performing editions based on early sources. With contributions from soprano Mary Bevan, the programme highlights Nicolini’s influence as singer, actor, and collaborator, presenting repertoire that shaped early 18th-century opera. ★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine “Scotting stands out for his refined vocal control and clear stylistic awareness” - Sonograma “a delightful portal into a world of baroque wonderment and a musical project that delivers on every level.” - Gramophone “A fascinating and enjoyable disc… Scotting carries us away with his vivid performance.” - PlanetHugill “Outstanding” - Cultural Attache