-
Ian Venables studied composition with Richard Arnell at Trinity College of Music, London and later with John Joubert, Andrew Downes and John Mayer at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His works encompass many genres and he has added significantly to the canon of English art song. Described as ‘Britain’s greatest living composer of art song’ (Musical Opinion) and ‘a song composer as fine as Finzi and Gurney’ (BBC Music Magazine), Ian Venables has written over 80 works in this genre, including nine song-cycles. As the title suggests, the works on this disc are predominantly reflective in mood although this does not preclude the use of faster-moving music whenever the poetry requires it. Its subject matter celebrates the timelessness of love through the poetry of James Joyce, John Drinkwater, Edward Thomas, John Clare, Robert Nichols and the modern poet Jennifer Andrews; the celebration and commemoration of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, in Sir Andrew Motion’s remarkable narrative poem Remember This and the collective remembrance of those who died in the First World War: the poetry of Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Siegfried Sassoon, Geoffrey Studdert Kennedy and the less well-known Francis St. Vincent Morris providing the impetus for one of Ian Venables’ most dramatic and profoundly moving cycles. All downloads include booklets. -
"The experience of being lovesick is universal. We are not the first to encounter it and there is no place safe from feeling this particular brand of melancholy. A favourite topic in art since the medieval period, museums are bursting with portrayals of love’s rebuke, and lovesickness has been studied as a legitimate medical illness, not least of all by Sigmund Freud who called it ‘a kind of craziness’. The 17th century was a unique period when feeling these bittersweet emotions was embraced as fuel for artistic expression. Love triggers an amphetamine-like euphoria in a dozen regions of the brain, similar to cocaine, dopamine, and oxytocin. In the thralls of an amorous high, one easily forgets the opposite of that ecstasy; unrequited or faded love that brings a despair all its own, causing depression, confusion, apathy, mood swings, and insomnia — the physical manifestation of heartbreak" - Randall Scotting His second album on Signum Records, counter-tenor Randall Scotting is joined by celebrated lutenist Stephen Stubbs for a collection of anti-Valentine's songs focussing on heartbreak and loss from the 17th century. "Perhaps there is no cure for lovesickness; but we are confident that this album will be comfort for all those who have loved, lost, and hope to love again". - Wendy Heller, Chair, Dept of Music, Princeton University. Stephen Stubbs plays on three instruments at A=415 Hz; a 10-course bass lute by Lawrence K. Brown, a baroque guitar by Ivo Magherini, and a 10-course renaissance lute by Stephen Barber. "The programme is skilfully planned and beautifully executed…Scotting sings throughout with rich, even tone and clear diction" - Gramophone ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "[The album] offers a worthy platform for the acclaimed musical and dramatic skills of Randall Scotting and Stephen Stubbs" - BBC Music Magazine "Any risk of addiction? So much the better – these songs are worth it!" - Musicweb International ★★★★½ "American countertenor Randall Scotting’s strapping image runs counter to what you might expect. There is a robustness to the voice, too, but refined through his extensive operatic experience. The opera house and the salon coexist in this dramatic yet intimate themed recital in which the legendary Stephen Stubbs, playing renaissance and baroque lutes and a baroque guitar, deploys his legendary arsenal of colours and expressive gestures" - Limelight -
Julian Bliss and Joby Burgess combine forces for these recordings made during the 2020 UK lockdown. Working from their homes (although only a few miles apart from each other), each performer combines multiple layers of clarinet and percussion to create these exciting and dynamic new arrangements of much- loved standards of the American Band Music world. Composer John Mackey describes Asphalt Cocktail as “a five-minute opener, designed to shout, from the opening measure, “We’re here.” With biting trombones, blaring trumpets, and percussion dominated by cross- rhythms and back beats ... Picture the scariest NYC taxi ride you can imagine, with the cab skidding around turns as trucks bear down from all sides.” The composer’s favourite month, Eric Whitacre’s October contains “simple, pastoral melodies and subsequent harmonies inspired by the great English Romantics (Vaughn Williams, Elgar) ... perfectly suited to capture the natural and pastoral soul of the season.” Frank Ticheli’s Blue Shades is a love letter to blues and jazz music, mixed through the composers own compositional voice: “Blue notes (flattened 3rds, 5ths and 7ths) ... Blues harmonies, rhythms, and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many “shades of blue” are depicted, from bright blue, to dark, to dirty, to hot blue.” "This relatively brief EP finds Julian Bliss on tremendous form... Congrats, Julian – another corker" - Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine -
Gustavo Díaz-Jerez is one of the leading composers and pianists in Spain. His compositional output spans all genres, from solo works to opera. His works have been premiered by prestigious ensembles and orchestras. His orchestral work Ymarxa, commissioned by the XXVII Canary Islands Music Festival, was premiered by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit. In 2018, his first opera was premiered, La casa imaginaria. This album represents the culmination of more than ten years of compositional work. A unique endeavour in the history of music in the Canary Islands, it comprises seven symphonic poems – almost two and a half hours of music – which evoke the landscapes and natural beauty of the Canaries. The cycle takes its name, Maghek (“the one who creates brightness”), from the sun-goddess of the Guanches, the aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands. Each piece is inspired by a specific locale on a different island; some resurrect forgotten stories. Naturalistic tonal painting (the sea, the wind, the rugged scenery) is a constant feature throughout the cycle. All downloads include booklets. -
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 -
Andrew Nethsingha and The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge release the second volume in the highly-praised Magnificat series and present nine settings of the Evening Canticles by celebrated Organist-Composers, written between 1932 and 1952, and non-church musicians from 1974- 1989. The recording culminates with a contemporary setting by Julian Anderson, composed for the Chapel’s 150th anniversary. “These first volumes are designed to complement one another. Magnificat 1 started earlier, with Stanford in the 1880s; Volume Two brings us briefly up to the present day. The first release contained celebrated works by Tippett and Leighton from 1961 and 1972 respectively, in between the two main periods represented on this disc. Both albums contain iconic works by Howells, written a year apart. We hear composers creating different orders of priority for the parameters of composition.” Andrew Nethsingha "Highlights? Well, every item, really! You would travel far to hear a more sensitive start to Howell's Collegium Regale setting, or indeed, a more dramatic Gloria…[Magnificat] This is totally exhilarating…Throughout, the choir exhibits its customary impeccable intonation, but its emotional power derives more from the uninhibited expressions of so wide a range of musical styles and idioms. The treble soloists in particular are wonderful, as indeed are the organists. This is a terrific disc" - Cathedral Music Magazine -
Following their critically acclaimed ‘Psalms’ album, St John’s College, Cambridge and Andrew Nethsingha present a selection of Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis recordings from January and July 2022. Much of the third volume in their series of Evening Canticles focuses on music in a twenty-year period, from 1945 to 1965. Philip Moore’s Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis were commissioned especially for St John’s College, Cambridge. EDITORS CHOICE "Musical jam all the way…programming that makes each disc a satisfying listening sequence…The choir inflect works spanning a world changing few decades, from the First World War to the 1960s, with distinct personality while maintaining a core sound that's always free and full, refreshingly natural… I can't think of a greater or more apt epitaph to the music director's time at St Johns" - Gramophone "The contrasting works…give the choir the chance to display their warm sound and versatility. They do, wholeheartedly" - The Observer "What a wonderful performance. The dynamics, the contrast, the utter confidence in the singing. Philip Moore’s St John’s service is a highly effective contrast, more intimate. And Bryan Kelly in c, is the flamboyant ending—syncopated jazzy, powerfully celebratory. Excellent solos, boys in great fettle, acoustic, well captured; it’s a fine series this is. Anyone who has ever sung or loved this kind of Anglican church music should be impatient for more" - BBC Radio 3 Record Review ★★★★★ "Another excellent disc in this fine series…The performances throughout are outstandingly impressive, beautifully balanced and always entirely suited to the nature of each setting…The superb acoustic of St John's College, Cambridge suits this wide ranging collection of musical styles to a T; Chris Hazell;s production values, and the engineering skills of Simon Eadon and Dave Rowell capture the essence of this fine music-making admirably. The result is what has come to be known as 'state-of-the-art'…A treasurable disc in many ways" - The Organ "Spellbinding…Another triumph for Nethsingha and St John’s" - Classical Explorer "[Kenneth Leighton] A deeply spiritual atmosphere is created at the words ‘For behold from henceforth'... The final phrase, ‘as he promised to our forefathers’, is truly magical…[The album, A] remarkable and striking work…documentation of truly outstanding quality" - Musicweb International "Andrew Nethsingha…gives masterful readings of the works and offers a very measured interpretation with tension, introspection and the true human need to communicate" - Sonograma "Nethsingha brings a marvellous sweep to the Magnificat, with well-judged tempi and thrilling support from organ scholar George Herbert. The trebles are exceptionally good and raise the roof in the final bars…this disc is a worthy successor to volume 2 in the series….The CD comes with excellent booklet notes, including a forward by the Revd. Lucy Winkett and an illuminating essay on Howells by Andrew Reid. Images of handwritten manuscripts provide rare glimpses into the compositional processes, and add scholarly value to this highly collectable disc" - Opera Today "A most interesting disc…Another triumph for Nethsingha and St John’s" - Classical Explorer "This is yet another very fine album from Andrew Nethsingha and the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge. Throughout the programme the performances are consistently fine; they are clearly the work of a choir that has not only been thoroughly trained in the music but which also has a deep collective understanding of the texts they are singing. George Herbert plays the often challenging organ parts with skill and flair…The recorded sound is equally distinguished…This is a rather special disc." - Musicweb International -
One of the finest Mahlerians of our time, Dame Sarah Connolly brings her fierce intellect and glorious voice to the music she has spent a life-time studying and performing. In the first release of series curat- ed and performed by Joseph Middleton that will champion the complete piano accompanied Lieder of Mahler, the ‘superlative’ (New York Times) duo of Connolly and Middleton, present the three great song cycles of Mahler: Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen, Fünf Rückert Lieder and Kindertotenlieder. This is the first time Sarah has performed all three cycles on one album, which she is justly famous the world over for performing with rare insight and consummate artistry. Her voice is the perfect Mahlerian instrument. "[Sarah Connolly] These songs suit her so well…She has the range in every sense, and so does Joseph Middleton's articulate and beautifully weighted and coloured piano playing" - BBC Radio 3 Record Review ★★★★ "Isn’t there an extra urgency and depth of emotion about her delivery? Listen how she strokes and kisses the word 'liebe' …feel the intense sorrow engulfing her in the final Kindertontenlieder…whatever she sings, you get singing straight from the heart. You also get beautifully nuanced piano playing from Middleton, a musician seeminhly incapable of misjudging the careful balancing act necessary when accompanying lieder" - The Times ★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "Sarah Connolly is too fine a Mahler singer not to let us relish this collection…her rapport with top lieder pianist Joseph Middleton allows for some very special interchanges, and his playing of 'Ich bin de Welt…' … is up there for top artistry…Well worth having if you live this mezzo - and who doesn't?" - BBC Music Magazine -
Sometimes known as ‘The Tragic’ – a title suggested but then withdrawn by the composer – Mahler’s Sixth Symphony embodies much of the inner turmoil and superstition of its composer. Conceived at perhaps one of the happiest periods of Mahler’s life, it seems to foreshadow the personal tragedies that would later befall him – with his wife Alma writing that “The music and what it foretold touched us deeply.” The brass are heroic and dauntingly present throughout – from the tuba that executes a fiendish trill in the finale to the clarion trumpets fan faring the doom-marches - BBC Music Magazine This is a terrific Mahler 6… Where Gergiev achieves a generalised superficial excitement, Salonen’s closer consideration is more rewarding and repays more generously repeated listening - MusicWeb International [Salonen’s] performance is purposeful and revealing - Classic FM Magazine -
In this live recording from the Royal Festival Hall the OAE shines its musical torch into the realms of some later repertoire, shedding new light on the music of Mahler. Conducted by Principal Artist Vladimir Jurowski, this CD includes Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer), written in the wake of an unhappy affair with a soprano, and the extraordinarily exciting and powerful Totenfeier, Mahler’s first foray into orchestral music, and later reworked into the opening movement of his second symphony.The OAE's period instruments emphasise its rawness, just as they point up the anguished detail of the accompaniments to the Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen, in which mezzo Sarah Connolly allows the words and Mahler's treatment of them to speak for themselves, without unnecessary gilding - The Guardian Vladimir Jurowski’s brisk and thrusting account with the period instrument players of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment makes a strong case for the composer’s original thoughts - The Irish Times -
For this album, Manía, I wanted to create a playlist of pieces that accompany me and my insomnia, my anxiety, my desperation and my fears in the middle of the night and provide the kind of relief that only music and prescription meds can give. I include an Argentinian composer (Ginastera) for the first time as a nod of admiration towards my incredible, beautiful, life-enhancing wife Mica, a Buenos Aires native. And I also include Albeniz as a mark of profound gratitude that my life is now immeasurably improved as a Spanish citizen living in Madrid. Obviously there is a ton of Bach (in transcriptions that make me weep for all the right reasons), a couple of Chopin nocturnes that are, in every way, quantifiably more than the sum of their parts, some percussive, crunchy, world-weary Prokofiev, opposing sides of Rachmaninov (the eerily calm and the hyper-heroic) and even a transcription of a Strauss song (the good Strauss). Variety is the spice etc... These are some of the pieces that ground me, that calm me and that remind me of what is real and true in a world that seems more and more removed from both reality and truth. I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed recording them. "However one responds to James Rhodes's music-making, there's no question that he still commands the will and the means to convey his ideas in sound." - Gramophone -
Andrew Nethsingha and The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice with a new recording of choral works by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Many of the works were composed in the years immediately following the event, including O clap your hands, Lord, thou hast been our refuge and the Mass in G minor which leads the programme.
Vaughan Williams turned his attention to liturgical music following his service as a wagon orderly during the Great War. Ursula Vaughan Williams, his second wife and biographer, wrote that such work ‘gave Ralph vivid awareness of how men died’. It is perhaps unsurprising that in many of the texts to which he turned after the 1918 Armistice, the fragility and weakness of humanity becomes a recurrent theme. Despite being described as a ‘confirmed atheist’ by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, his heightened exploration of Christian texts, symbols, and images after the War might rather be understood both as an attempt to grapple anew with what might lie, as he put it, ‘beyond sense and knowledge’, and to search for consolation in religious and other inherited traditions amid a world irrevocably changed.
I admire both the outstanding quality of the treble line and the excellent sense of ensemble - Cathedral Music Magazine The great virtues of the disc are the way it brings RVW's into a different focus yet also emphasises the transcendent mysticism which is the essential core to the music - Planet Hugill This is a very fine disc indeed. Andrew Nethsingha has chosen the music with great discernment and conducts it with evident commitment and understanding - Music Web International -
The English musical renaissance of the early twentieth century brought forward an individual figure in Sir Arnold Bax (1883-1953). His works, not least those for choir, have enjoyed such recent popularity that it is surprising how difficult it remains to assess his exact position among his contemporaries. In this country, [Pierre Villette (1926 - 1998)] has chiefly become known for his a capella motets on familiar Latin texts, written between 1944 and 1983. The style of these is not unlike Bax's, in their alternation of modal austerity and chromatic sophistication; however, Villette draws upon a French tradition of altogether more static and sensuous textures than Bax's involved dynamism. In any case, the two styles tend to be represented in separate works rather than within each. ★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine -
A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION presents a stockingful of seasonal music for the festivities-songs, carols, and special arrangements. -
Matthew Locke was born 400 years ago in 1622, and while he is often ranked as one of England’s finest composers, he is still unaccountably neglected: his music may not be as immediately appealing as his immediate successor, Henry Purcell, nor as wide- ranging as William Byrd, yet his forceful musical personality and luxuriant technique place him in the first echelon of English composers, with his works described by Richard Boothby of Fretwork as having a "quixotic, capricious restlessness that is constantly challenging the listener to follow his argument ... a thrilling musical ride". Accompanying Fretwork on continuo for this recording are David Miller (archlute and theorbo) and Silas Wollston (harpsichord). The cover of the album bares an inscription in the walls by the choir stall of Exeter Cathedral, thought to have been carved by the composer during his time as a member of the choir there. In 2021, Fretwork celebrated its 35th anniversary. In the past three and a half decades they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. Their recent critically- praised releases with Signum include If and Lamento – both with counter-tenor Iestyn Davies – and In Nomine 2 (★★★★★ BBC Music Magazine). ★★★★★ "Written for friends to play, this richly imaginative music is unaccountably rarely performed which makes this satisfying disc from Fretwork so welcome…All the music receives terrific performances from the players, and they really manage to evoke the atmosphere of those friends playing together in the 17th century Hereford" - Planet Hugill ★★★★ Performance, ★★★★ Recording "Fretwork captures the brooding quality of the minor-mode suites particularly well, and their sinewy playing points up Locke's vigorous counterpoint and robust rhythms. The main bonus of the new disc, though, is it's inclusion of three other suites from the surprisingly neglected "Flat Consort"" - BBC Music Magazine Favourite Classical Albums of 2022 "Fretwork play gorgeously" - Gramophone -
In November 2022 Fretwork return for the second installment of their cycle of works by Matthew Locke. Matthew Locke was born 400 years ago in 1622, and while he is often ranked as one of England’s finest composers, he is still unaccountably neglected: his music may not be as immediately appealing as his immediate successor, Henry Purcell, nor as wide-ranging as William Byrd, yet his forceful musical personality and luxuriant technique place him in the first echelon of English composers, with his works described by Richard Boothby of Fretwork as having a “quixotic, capricious restlessness that is constantly challenging the listener to follow his argument ... a thrilling musical ride”. Accompanying Fretwork on continuo for this recording are David Miller (archlute and theorbo) and Silas Wollston (harpsichord). The cover of the album bares an inscription in the walls by the choir stall of Exeter Cathedral, thought to have been carved by the composer during his time as a member of the choir there. ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★ Recording "The album makes for felicitous listening, and for the uninitiated, a perfect introduction to Locke's viol consorts" - BBC Music Magazine "[Fretwork] transform it into something beguiling…Sergio Bucheli's gentle thrum…is stunningly sketched, while Fretwork stretch notes to their mournful maximum. Ornaments are excellently offered to the ether…[Suite No. 8 in A Minor] There is a gravitas to this Pavane that stops me in my tracks Fretwork embody this historical juncture through a flexibility and agility of stroke" - Gramophone ★★★★ "Fretwork are joined by Sergio Bucheli (archlute and theorbo) and Silas Woolston (harpsichord) in sensitive, stiff upper lippish performances, inviting the ear to seek out the music's quirkiest details" - The Irish Times Online -
The two major organ works on these discs (his longest for organ) show Max Reger at the height of his powers; not only do they sustain a structural coherence over an impressive span, but they show an almost inexhaustible proliferation of invention.
As well as the large-scale Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme and the Introduction Passacaglia and Fugue in E minor, this 2CD set includes a collection shorter preludes and fugues - the Five Easy Preludes and Fugues and two transcriptions of preludes and fugues by JS Bach from the Well-Tempered Clavier.
The concentration necessary in the shorter works lends them, paradoxically, a feeling of greater substance - The Times Compelling recitals - The Northern Echo -
At the time of its first performances in 1846, Elijah was hailed as one of the great oratorios alongside Handel’s Messiah. It tells the story of the prophet with imposing grandeur, inspirational orchestration and beautiful arias, recitatives and choruses. This mighty piece requires mighty orchestral and choir forces and Gabrieli singers are reinforced with talented young singers from the Gabrieli Young Singers’ Scheme and the Wroclaw Philharmonic Choir. This recording sees over 440 musicians taking part, including 92 string players and over 300 singers.The musical milieu is still Victorian but, rather like the cleaned-up Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, it gleams anew and radiates light. ... a definite first choice - The Telegraph In all this is staggeringly good. Approaching the work in this way fills a gap which I didn’t even realise was there, but now I’ve heard it I think it will be first choice for a while to come. Thoroughly recommended - Presto Classical -
Outstanding British-violinist Tamsin-Waley Cohen – described by the late Ruggiero Ricci following a masterclass as "the most exceptionally gifted young violinist I have ever encountered" – performs a fittingly prodigious work by Felix Mendelssohn.The Violin Concerto in D minor was composed when Mendelssohn was just 13, and has remained popular with audiences the world over since its rediscovery in the middle of the 20th century by Yehudi Menuhin. The work is paired on this disc with Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin & Piano, where Waley-Cohen is joined by British pianist Huw Watkins, all alongside the enthusiastic accompaniment of the Orchestra of the Swan under David Curtis. Connoisseur's Choice: Tamsin Waley-Cohen is going to do very well - a young artist to watch - Classic FM -
The Goossens Messiah, recorded for the first and only time by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus under Sir Thomas Beecham, has stood as a landmark of the classical catalogue for sixty years. Goossens’ richly orchestrated version is set to reach a new audience thanks to Maestro Griffith and DCINY, New York City’s leading promoter of classical music. They gathered at Abbey Road Studios in London in July 2019, to record the work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a chorus comprising of sixty members of The Jonathan Griffith Singers, drawn from around the world and sixty members of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. The new recording has captured the score’s vibrant tone colours in thrilling high-definition sound. An acclaimed conductor, educator and lecturer, Dr. Jonathan Griffith has led performances across North America, Europe, and Asia. Griffith is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), which has brought together, under Griffith’s artistic leadership, thousands of musicians and choral singers in concert at prestigious venues across the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Disney Hall. The founder and Music Director of the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra, Griffith also oversees DCINY’s mentoring program for conductors. Founded in 1983 as a single choir of 100 of the best singers in the nation, the National Youth Choir is now the flagship ensemble of an Arts Council England National Portfolio youth music organisation and registered charity, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain (NYCGB), which runs five membership choirs, a nationwide outreach programme for schools and Music Hubs, and provides professional training for the next generation of choral singers, composers and leaders. All downloads include booklets. -
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 -
Wells Cathedral Choir under Matthew Owens explore and celebrate the life and works of the late British composer Sir John Tavener (1944- 2013), in a new programme centred around his Missa Wellensis The disc features several world-premiere recordings of works commissioned especially for the choir, including his Preces and Responses and They are all gone into the world of light.
-
Swiss guitarist Christoph Denoth explores the enchanting lute music of John Dowland, in collection of his own arrangements made from Dowland’s original handwritten scores. Christoph Denoth writes on the appeal of Dowland: “Dowland, the melancholic poet of the silvery sound of the lute, is free of any instrumental limitation that might have affected his compositions. The melodic and, at the same time, contrapuntal and harmonic approach of his music is both wonderful and unique. Its expression is one of noble sadness, melancholy, and tears, but the beauty is genuine and always caught my attention and appealed to my heart.”The melancholy, private lute music by John Dowland gets an infusion of fresh color in this recording by Christoph Denoth. Transposed to the modern guitar, the light-and-shadow contrasts of Dowland’s compositions become starker; the flights of counterpoint more brilliant. But it’s in the quietly meditative galliards that Mr. Denoth’s guitar sounds most lutelike - The New York Times It’s beautiful playing; there are real beautiful moments in the recording - BBC Radio 3 Record Review The arrangements are superb - Gramophone -
The Mozartists continue their series of Mozart Operas on Signum with Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87 (74a). As well as the complete opera, this 4CD digipak release includes a bonus disc featuring the original versions of a number of arias from the opera that Mozart subsequently changed in the final version.This splendid achievement, a genuine rival to Christophe Rousset's star-studded 1999 Decca version, is given added documentary value by the inclusion of a fourth CD containing the original versions of eight arias the teenage Mozart changed at the behest of his cast - Opera Magazine Nobody has done more to open our ears to the seeds of genius in the young Mozart than Ian Page, by the simple expedient of taking his early music seriously - Opera Now This performance is as committed and engaging if you could wish for; the hours – almost four if you include those extras – fly by. It’s almost budget price as well with essay texts and translations - BBC Radio 3 Record Review Ian Page nurtures a performance that crackles, beguiles, thrills and moves by turns exactly as Mozart's opera requires - Gramophone This excellent recording is probably the one that Mozart completists will want to have - Daily Telegraph -
"As technology becomes ever more inextricable with our existence, it has evolved the art around us. But to me music has stayed quite binary here - either traditional instruments or synthesised textures - sometimes layered together, but still separate. What if we could evolve more seamlessly between different sounds? Production allows us to do things we couldn’t in the concert hall, and over the last few years I’ve been experimenting with transforming sounds, developing a series called Morphations - of which Evolutionary Etude is the first. Recorded in 2023 with the brilliant violinist Fenella Humphreys, the Philharmonia and Tenebrae choir, and collaborating with Jon Opstad on synth design, Evolutionary Etude takes the form of a traditional classical arpeggiated study, but where the violin (and at times the orchestra) actually evolves into a synth and back again. I hope it feels like something you’ve never quite heard before!" - Rebecca Dale -
Signum Records is delighted to announce the release of Tenebrae's second disc, Mother and Child. In its short existence, Tenebrae has made a considerable impact with fresh and vital re-interpretations of classic works in the choral repertoire. On this new recording, innovatory and lesser-known repertoire is drawn from contemporary sources, reflecting an exploratory approach which places the group artistically at the cutting edge. This is a distinctive and distinguished collection of works by a number of living composers, many of whom have established themselves at the creative forefront of the choral scene in recent times. A very classy piece of singing [and] a remarkable range of colours thanks to the mixture of voices... one of the best sounding CDs I have had on the desk this week - BBC Radio 3 This is a CD of exceptional stature. It seems to me that everything about it – performances, documentation, sound quality and, above all, the music itself – is of the highest quality - MusicWeb International A highly dramatic work [that makes] the fullest use of the choral resources available and with a very challenging organ part superbly played by Jeremy Filsell - International Record Review Pott’s impassioned My Song is Love Unknown stands out as a small masterpiece of choral writing - Classical News This is a wonderful disc, a program that all choral lovers should hear, not least because it gives proof that very fine sacred choral music is still being written – and given the first-rate attention it deserves by world-class performers - ClassicsToday.com -
A fascinating musical journey through the Italian arias of Mozart, from one of his earliest works Lucio Silla (composed when he was just 16) through to his final Italian opera La Clemenza di Tito. The English tenor Jeremy Ovenden has established himself as being among the best Mozart tenors of his generation (notably in the role of Don Ottavio) and has become a familiar figure on the stages of the world's opera houses and concert halls and at major festivals. He is joined for this, his first solo recording, by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and conductor Jonathan Cohen. ★★★★ Ovenden proves complete master of his chosen repertory … for its artistic use, and for the close partnership Ovenden achieves with the OAE under Jonathan Cohen, l have only admiration - BBC Music Magazine The fine tenor … sings with an engaging commitment to these joyous creations. A delightful selection - The Observer A most imaginative idea … his rhythm, diction and easy flexibility of voice are exemplary - The Sunday Times -
The first release in a new partnership between Classical Opera and Signum Records begins with Mozart’s remarkable sacred singspiel Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, composed when he was just eleven. The music is full of tender beauty, dynamism and descriptive flair, and the young composer’s innate sense of understanding and sympathy for the human condition already shines through.
The story follows the efforts of The Spirit of Christianity (Andrew Kennedy) – aided by Divine Justice (Cora Burggraaf ) and Divine Mercy (Sarah Fox) – to win back the heart of a Lapsed Christian (Allan Clayton) as he lies fast asleep. In opposition to this however stands The Spirit of Worldliness (Sophie Bevan), who urges the Christian to forget what The Spirit shows him and to follow her pleasure-seeking philosophies. As Justice and Mercy withdraw to observe, The Spirit of Christianity seeks to win back the lapsed Christian, but will this lost soul be able to resist the temptations of indulgence and short-term satisfaction that Worldliness offers?
After listening to this recording of such a rarity, I began to wonder whether this work has ever had a finer performance than this one. We'll never know what Mozart's original team sounded like, but he'd have been lucky to have assembled a team as skilful, well balanced and neatly contrasted as this one - MusicWeb International -
The Mozartists continue their recording cycle of the complete operas of Mozart with Il Re Pastore – a youthful work that shines with the richness of its orchestration, its inexhaustible melodic inspiration and its dazzlingly ingenious score.Disc of the Month: A major reason for the success of the series to date is the strong sense of ensemble Ian Page creates among his singers, with many of whom he works regularly...beautifully paced and sung, the ensemble is both directed and sung to near perfection - Opera Magazine Effortlessly entertaining...so much zip and zest from the players - BBC Radio 3 CD Review Classical Opera [treat] this work seriously on its own terms, and they reveal its many beauties with a touch of love - Music Web International Performed with energy and spirit by Ian Page and his lively forces - The Sunday Times Wonderful music so beautifully performed - Early Music Review Mozart's delightful early opera comes up fresh as new paint in this fleet, beautifully recorded new set - Classical Music Magazine It is hard to imagine hearing another performance as convivial and life-affirming as this - Gramophone -
The Mozartists present an unprecedented survey of Mozart’s childhood stay in London from 1764-65. The wide-ranging programme includes Mozart’s remarkable first symphony (composed when he was eight years old), along with his two other London symphonies and his first concert aria. The repertoire also explores music that was being performed in London during Mozart’s stay, including works by J. C. Bach, Thomas Arne, Abel, Pescetti, Perez, George Rush and William Bates, many of which have not previously been recorded. The album features an outstanding line-up of soloists comprising sopranos Ana Maria Labin, Anna Devin, Rebecca Bottone, Martene Grimson and Eleanor Dennis, mezzo- soprano Helen Sherman, tenors Ben Johnson and Robert Murray and harpsichordist Steven Devine. The album was recorded live during a weekend of performances at London’s Milton Court in February 2015 as part of the opening season of MOZART 250, and includes over a dozen world premiere recordings. Presto Classical's Top 100 Recordings of 2018 This ingenious “musical exploration of Mozart’s childhood visit to London” interweaves three early symphonies and the concert aria K21 with music performed in the city during the family’s stay - The Sunday Times Vigorous vocal music by Thomas Arne, a dazzling harpsichord concerto from JC Bach, and a Carl Friedrich Abel symphony as tastily rich as a chocolate éclair - The Times Ian Page with his handpicked orchestra of around 20 players, is a dab hand at this sort of stuff - Classic FM Page draws lively and engaging performances from his orchestra, and the results certainly charm, whilst the programming ensures that there is much of interest as it illuminates musical life in 1760s London so wonderfully - Planet Hugill As ever, Page draws lively and engaging performances from his orchestra, and the results certainly charm - The Epoch Times -
Julian Bliss performs the Clarinet Concertos of Mozart and Nielsen – often thought of as the two greatest such works in the repertoire: twin examples of what can be achieved by composers who have been truly inspired to write for the clarinet, using its uniquely expressive qualities to produce enduring and comprehensively masterly compositions. Alongside these Julian Bliss presents two of his own clarinet arrangements of two Mozart arias, Der Liebe himmlisches Gefu?hl, K. 119 and Non che non sei capace, K. 419. The brilliant Julian Bliss continues to demonstrate his considerable talent ... A youthful addition to the many excellent versions of the Mozart already available, and a fine introduction to the Nielsen for those who are not familiar with it - Classic FM Highly recommended - Northern Echo Bliss integrates the bottom register smoothly, in a performance matching that of the Nielsen in flair, intimacy and spontaneity - BBC Music Magazine -
Following on from his JS Bach Complete Organ Works collection performed on the organ at Trinity College Cambridge, David Goode returns with an album of organ works by WA Mozart. It is well known that Mozart highly esteemed the organ as an instrument (for example, his famous ‘King of Instruments’ remark) and enjoyed improvising at length. However, this sadly did not translate into writing for the instrument. Organist David Goode explores these works, and those which even may not have been intended for organ, and discusses in his programme notes how best to render them for two hands and feet, and how to register them suitably. “His unquestionable intellectual affinity with the music is matched by energy and elegance. This is a recording not to miss.” - Organists' Review, ★★★★ - “...There are charming little pieces ranging from the early Londoner Skizzenbuch to the late gem of an Andante in F, K616. The two big works are impressively played, making the most of the neo-classical Metzler organ at Trinity College, Cambridge” - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ "Goode's undertaking is a success in every respect, since, in addition to the quality of the performances, it shows us a Mozart who, even in timbres not usually associated with him, maintains his sonic universe...A recording that is worthwhile for Mozart fans, of course, but also for those curious about the instrument." - Ritmo -
Under the direction of Margaret Faultless the OAE shine on these new recordings of Mozart’s horn Concertos, featuring sublime performances by Roger Montgomery on the natural (valveless) horn. As well as lesser-known gems of Mozart’s horn repertoire, at the centre of the collection comes the lyrical fourth horn Concerto (K.495), featuring thrilling fanfares and brilliant dialogue between the solo instrument and orchestra.
-
Julian Bliss joins the Carducci String Quartet in performances of two seminal works – Weber’s Clarinet Quintet in B flat Major, Op. 34 and Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K.581.
Performance ★★★★ Recording ★★★★ Bliss tackles the score with a piercingly pure, vibrato less tone - BBC Music Magazine Aesthetically sensitive and technically excellent... this is a performance that carries with it a weight of authority from all musicians - Classical Ear -
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 -
The Zoo Duet perform works by Michael Nyman for two pianos. -
The central thread linking all the works featured in this recording is their assimilation of various elements of Jewish music, whether directly stemming from Chassidic folk traditions, or relating to material directly associated with religious worship. Each composer responds to this music in different ways, attempting in varying degrees to integrate it within the structural conventions of a Western European musical mainstream. By doing so, the music projects a multitude of emotions and feelings. “There is not enough music which highlights and celebrates the diverse background of composers and the fact that this album focuses on Jewish musical traditions makes it a hugely important progression in how the classical music industry is moving into a more culturally representative industry.” - Jocelyn Lightfoot, Managing Director of LCO ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "What a difference great playing can make!...it presents a very satisfying programme, framed by some of the richest cello playing I've heard from Simca Heled…It's an important release, well documented by Erik Levi in the booklet, and flawlessly done" - BBC Music Magazine "A most enjoyable listening experience" - AUSTA National Journal -
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 -
One of the pinnacles of nineteenth-century pianism, Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition broke new frontiers in its writing for the piano through its use of ringing bell-like sonorities, dramatic juxtaposition of registers and dynamics, its approach to resonance, percussive octaves and rapid hand-alternations, and sheer grandeur of sound. Introducing new ideas about virtuosity that owe much to orchestral thinking in the ways the full range of the piano’s tone-colours are explored, this work requires immense stamina through combining great finger dexterity with unbridled power. Mussorgsky’s masterpiece is coupled here with works by Ravel and Messiaen – composers who were indebted to the innovations of their Russian predecessor. Miroirs comprises a set of five pieces evoking contrasting moods and pianistic characters. Far from being Impressionist – a movement with which Ravel had little real affiliation –the ‘Mirrors’ of the title suggests more Symbolist associations in that the individual pieces explore ambiguities between supposed reality and ‘reflected’ simulation. Ravel was particularly fascinated by a line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: ‘the eye sees not itself, but by reflection, by some other things.’ An unusually non-descriptive work for Messiaen, without religious references or bird- song, Cantéyodjayâ is about musical process and is constructed as a mosaic-like collage in which a jaunty rhythmic refrain is contrasted with a multiplicity of contrasting ideas, many of which are re-workings from his gargantuan Turangalîla-Symphonie. ★★★★ An absolute humdinger - The Daily Mail Donohoe's brightly faceted interpretation [of Cantéyodjayâ], whose chiselled textures and sharply defined lines make this, for me, by some distance the highlight of the disc - Gramophone This recording confirms Donohoe's reputation as one of the foremost pianists of today, and comes highly recommended - The Northern Echo -
Australian conductor Geoffrey Simon is resident in London and has appeared there with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. Internationally, he has appeared with the Adelaide, Atlanta, Bournemouth, Canberra, City of Birmingham, Fort Worth, Melbourne, Milwaukee, Queensland, Sapporo, Shanghai, St Louis, Sydney, Tasmanian, Vermont and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, the Israel, Moscow, Munich and New Japan Philharmonic Orchestras, the American Symphony, the Residentie Orchestra of The Hague, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony and the Australian Opera. Written after Mussorgsky had met Russian artist and designer Viktor Hartmann, Pictures at an Exhibition is by far Mussorgsky’s most played work. The piece was written when Hartmann gave Mussorgsky two ‘pictures.’ Hartmann very suddenly died aged 39; following his death, a memorial exhibition was put on in St. Petersburg. Mussorgsky donated the two ‘pictures’ which Hartmann had given him before he died. Mussorgsky is said to have based the piece on his experiences at this exhibition, which was in memory of Hartmann. The concerto version is performed here by Tamas Ungar in an arrangement by Lawrence Leonard. All downloads include booklets. -
Mark Williams leads the Choir of the Jesus College Cambridge through an evocative selection of choral works inspired in varying ways by the songs of Solomon. Songs of love have been written from the earliest records of human existence. None are more passionately ecstatic than the Song of Solomon, which occupies a unique place in the Holy Bible in both style and content. It contains lyric poems of love and courtship, as might have been sung at Jewish weddings. For Christians, these poems speak to the beauty of the union of Christ and his ‘bride’, the Church. The present collection presents a diverse group of choral works written between the 16th century and the present day, with most inspired by this unique sacred text. Under Mark Williams direction, the choirs make a clear elegant and focussed sound, and clarity is very much the watchword in the performances - MusicWeb International This CD features both the Jesus College Choir (top line women) and the all-male Chapel Choir. The two sounds are well differentiated, the fresh clarity of the boys contrasting with the more mature sounds of the young women - Choir and Organ Superlative singing - Northern Echo -
As one of Britain’s most respected and versatile musicians, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett has produced over two hundred works for the concert hall, and fifty scores for film and television, as well as having been a writer and performer of jazz songs for over fifty years. This disc of compositions and arrangements performed by the BBC Singers showcases some of his most popular and beguiling works for choir and voice, drawn from classical and jazz music and featuring his ever-popular work A Good-Night. There's not a note out of place or a phrase that seems second-hand - The GuardianThis CD offers an excellent overview of Bennett’s a cappella choral works, demonstrating the breadth of this compositional interests and versatility across a wide range of genres from contemporary classical to jazz to Christmas music - Studio Flamingo With the Singers' impeccable intonation, warm vocal blend, this CD is a must-buy for anyone interested in contemporary British choral music - Choir & Organ -
“Orlando Gibbons was a genius. We can probably all agree that this term is massively anachronistic. However, justified, I think, in order to establish his music on the same elevated niveau as Purcell or Beethoven or Schubert. While it is difficult to make such analogies when his music is still relatively rarely performed by comparison with these more illustrious names, but Gibbons’ fecundity of imagination, his masterly handling of his material, his emotional depth and maturity, the exquisite turns of phrase, his harmonic assurance, his contrapuntal ease and mastery - all this puts him in the first rank of composers” - Richard Boothby. “My Days is a ritualised memory piece about Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) written for two ensembles whose recordings informed so much of my musical development. I feel like I spend half of my life trying to trick string players to play like Fretwork...so it was with enormous pleasure that I composed this piece.” - Nico Muhly ★★★★★ - BBC Music Magazine ★★★★ - Financial Times ★★★★ - Fono Forum ★★★★ - "Muhly’s composition, with its urgent string figures, contrasts beautifully with the flowing imitations of Gibbons’ fantasias, around it." - The Guardian “An exhilarating reminder of the sheer ambition of this extraordinary body of chamber music.” - Gramophone "[Fretwork's] interpretation of these pieces by Gibbons, as well as one by Nico Muhly, is distinguished by technical excellence, interpretative depth and an innovative contribution to the viola da gamba repertoire." - Sonograma -
A prolific composer and organist, Naji Hakim is truly one of the most versatile performer-composers working today, garnering praise from his numerous organ and composition competition prizes as well as an award from Pope Benedict XVI for his musical work in benefit of the church.This new recording continues Signum’s series of discs with Naji Hakim with a new selection of his chamber works, featuring performances by Rima Tawil, Magali Mosnier, Claire Foison, Quatuor de la Chapelle Royale (with Renaud Bary) as well as by the composer. These works draw on a wide range of influences: Phèdre sets the words of Jean Racine’s tragic work of the same name to music; Caprice en Rondeau is a sprightly piece featuring themes by Rameau; and the Diptyque combines folk tunes through the tonal pallate of the basque flute the txistu. The premiere recording of the Concerto for Piano is a tour-de-force for soloist Claire Foison, accompanied in this version for String Quintet by the Quatuor de la Chapelle Royale and Renaud Bary. -
This recording is compiled from Armonico Consort’s ‘Naked Byrd’ programme, featuring music by Tavener, Purcell, Barber and Byrd, composers who wore their hearts on their sleeves, and whose art saw their emotions laid bare, in an atmospheric concert where magical musical moments are intertwined with sublime passages of plainchant and violin improvisation. ‘Naked Byrd Two’ follows on from their December 2009 release (‘Naked Byrd’). Armonico Consort is, at its heart, a highly talented vocal ensemble that stages a wide variety of concerts. The quality of the performances they stage is reflected in the praise they have recently received: An achingly beautiful selection - Classic FM Superb! - The Times A beautiful sound - BBC Radio 3 Record Review [A] splendid second volume in the Armonico Consort’s Naked Byrd series - The Independent[A] disc of unending delight - Gramophone -
Bass-baritone Stephan Loges is accompanied by Iain Burnside in a collection that explores concepts of lost youth, the transience of life and the comforting presence of nature. The programme features performances of Schumann’s 12 Gedichte Op. 35 and Brahms’s 5 Lieder Op. 94, as well as in 5 rarely recorded works by Finnish composer Yrjö Kilpinen.
Born in Dresden, Stephan Loges was an early winner of the Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. He has given recitals throughout the world, including regular appearances at Wigmore Hall London and the Oxford Lieder Festival, as well as Carnegie Hall New York and many more.
★★★★ Loges and Burnside are a responsive duo... an intuitive set of songs with real light and shade throughout - BBC Music Magazine A sensitive, touching account of [Schumann's Op 35 cycle], with Iain Burnside offering fine piano playing - Gramophone Iain Burnside is as usual a flexible accompanist and Stephan Loges, who has already an impressive catalogue of recordings behind him, adds a further gem to his [collection] - MusicWeb International -
“Contemporary music and Commissioning have been central features of the last fifteen years at St John’s. It’s been a joy to work with talented student composers, singers and instrumental- ists; my own musicianship has been greatly enriched by their creativity and energy... After a 30-month break from sessions during the pandemic, we were very pleased to be able to record again in 2022. The material on this album comes from various times of year, whilst we were also continuing our Magnificat series. For the final sessions in December the outdoor temperature was forty degrees colder than it had been for the previous recording in July! The personnel of the lower voices had also largely changed, but I hope you will hear a successful continuity of sound- world. All the composers are alive today but, at the suggestion of one of them, we have omitted dates of birth so as not to intrude on their privacy. I’ve curated a sequence of music which aims to celebrate some of the broad range of styles in 21st-century choral writing. The premiere of Iain Farrington’s Nova Nova was the final piece in my last St John’s broadcast - I have often enjoyed pushing the boundaries of the Anglican choral tradition!” - Andrew Nethsingha CHORAL AND SONG CHOICE ★★★★★ Performance ★★★★★ Recording "The album gives a remarkable overview of contemporary choral trends…The choir's musicianship is superb and its vocal balance perfectly calibrated; the textures vibrant and the sensuous beauty of the St John's sound is expertly captured by Signum…A valuable addition to the choral library" - BBC Music Magazine “A superlative album… The sequence is beautifully planned and feels seamless” - Choir & Organ "This CD, with the now fully mixed choir of St John's, is outstanding in content and performance. It represents both a culmination of achievement and shines a light on the new possibilities for choral music in the future. It would be a mistake not to buy this." - Organists' Review "This superlative album represents Andrew Nethsingha's exploration of contemporary music during his fifteen years as Director of Music…beautifully planned and feels seamless…What a legacy he leaves" - Cathedral Music -
The Mozartists continue their MOZART 250 project of staging operas by Mozart and his contemporaries with their recording of the UK premiére of Niccolò Jommelli’s Il Vologeso, first performed over 250 years ago on 11 February 1766 for the Stuttgart court in Ludwigsburg. For this eagerly awaited performance The Mozartists assembled a superb young cast, headed by the Irish mezzo-soprano Rachel Kelly, a graduate of the Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, tenor Stuart Jackson, a former Mozartists Associate Artist, and soprano Gemma Lois Summerfield, winner of the 2015 Kathleen Ferrier Award. Jommelli was born just north of Naples in 1714 (the same year as Gluck) and died there in 1774. Largely forgotten now, he was one of the most celebrated composers of his day, and during a career which spanned thirty-seven years he wrote some eighty operas as well as a great number of sacred works. He was seen as an important and progressive composer in combining the vocal melodiousness and lyricism of Italian opera with more elaborate and dramatically charged elements of French opera. Set in Ephesus, on the western extremes of the Parthian Empire, in c.164 AD, Il Vologeso centres on Berenice, a woman who becomes caught between two men – the victorious Roman general Lucio Vero, and Vologeso, King of the Parthians (thought dead, but recently returned after his defeat battle). The Mozartists, under the dynamic leadership of conductor and artistic director Ian Page, are leading exponents of the music of Mozart and his contemporaries. Originally called Classical Opera, the company was founded in 1997, and has received widespread international acclaim for its stylish and virtuosic period-instrument orchestra, its imaginative and innovative programming, and its ability to nurture and develop world-class young artists."What commends this one-off concert version ofIl Vologeso is its raw energy…In Jommelli’s multi-section finale, Page springs a lot of surprises and paces his dynamics superbly…[This] Il Vologeso is a gem." - BBC Music Magazine
"The cast, recorded at a concert with no subsequent patching, is excellent. This is a fine achievement by The Mozartists and Ian Page" - Gramophone ★★★★ "In this London production recorded live, Ian Page enthusiastically conducts The Mozartists who are more than familiar with this pre-classical repertoire" - Classica