Vast, deep and emotional are apt descriptions of the single-movement, 53-minute-long Symphony No. 2 by Christopher Tyler Nickel. The award-winning Canadian composer elaborates, “One can think of this music as consisting of mirrors between ideas that equally disturb yet entice. Each side of the reflection is in itself conceivably valid, but when facing each other friction and dissonance are created. The exquisitely alluring and the grotesque exist simultaneously. Perhaps another way to understand the symphony is as a meditation on the state of cognitive dissonance.” The entrepreneurial Clyde Mitchell conducts the Seattle-based Northwest Sinfonia on this world-premiere recording.

This new recording for Signum Records includes silvery vibraphone with live looping, a quasi rock n roll documentary exploring censorship and a musical picture of the subtle shifts in our changing Seasons.

Liszt’s sonata is regarded by many as his ultimate masterpiece and it ranks alongside other “greats” in the pantheon of piano repertoire. This was not always the case, however, and in the 19th century it was met with extreme reactions, from admiration to suspicion and envy. The critic Eduard Hanslick declared “Anyone who has heard this and finds it beautiful is beyond help”, while Wagner heaped praised upon it (perhaps unsurprisingly). Alfred Brendel has called it “the most original, powerful and intelligent sonata composed after Beethoven and Schubert”.

"New Baroque Sessions" is Luc Beauséjour's second album of Baroque works played on the piano. It includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, François Couperin, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and Claude Balbastre. "I have chosen a repertoire that I like and which, while being primarily intended for the harpsichord, lends itself well to interpretation on the piano", says Luc Beauséjour. Beauséjour’s playing is inspired and sensitive and the program is wonderful. He is a highly sought-after musician not only for his virtuosity and the subtlety of his playing, but also for his outgoing personality and the ease with which he communicates with his audiences.

Mystical and stirring, dreamy and comforting. This album tells every story a fairytale can tell. Enjoy the music of this very first CD by Andreas Hering and Mathias Johansen together.

Several years ago, I was asked to take part in an event entitled “Delirium Vivaldi,” the closing con- cert of the eighth annual Classical Spree festival, put on by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Conducted by Kent Nagano, the concert featured well-known works by the “Red Priest,” with the idea being to perform arrangements on unusual instruments such as octobass, cimbalom, bagpipes, and marimba.

Daniil Trifonov pays homage to music created during a pivotal period in Russian history. Daniil Trifonov’s new album, Silver Age , recorded with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra, recalls a time when Russia’s composers, poets, artists, dramatists and star performers were among the most original anywhere in the world. It illustrates the artistic audacity and brilliance of a turbulent era in the country’s history with works by three of its most pioneering composers: Scriabin’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F sharp minor Op.20, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor Op.16 and Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka . The tracklist also comprises Stravinsky’s Serenade and excerpts from the composer’s piano suite version of The Firebird , together with Prokofiev’s Sarcasmes Op.17, Piano Sonata No.8 in B flat major Op.84 and the “Gavotte” from Cinderella Op.95 No.2.

These recordings which were assembled to keep alive the memory of unique moments and meetings, are those prime compositions that were written in a state of excitement, with the passion and innocence of first look. Eleni Karaindrou / From the liner notes: Music lovers of Eleni Karaindrou have every reason to rejoice. More than 3 hours of music, written for 22 plays, directed by Antonis Antypas (1986-2010) moved to a historical version - documentary on the Mikri Arktos, a 3 CD to accompany an elegant book, enriched with photographs of performances, reviews and information on the recordings. The cooperation of Eleni Karaindrou director and partner Anthony Antipa began in 1986 when he suggested she composed music for "Victory" by Loula Anagnostakis.

Cleverly paired with two symphonies by C.P.E. Bach – written in 1755/56 and 1775/76 respectively – Beethoven’s first two contributions to the symphonic genre reveal the bubbling creativity of a thirty-year-old composer determined to go even further in the renewal of the genre than another, very recent reference, Mozart’s ‘Jupiter’. So much is clear from the very first chord of his Symphony no.1! Relive this decisive moment in the company of the musicians of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, under the guidance of their Konzertmeister Bernhard Forck.

Music is always telling a story, even absolute music like the Goldberg Variations. Performance is by definition storytelling. Henning Kraggerud and the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra present Bach`s immortal Goldberg Variations in a brand-new version for chamber orchestra coupled with a new set of variations. Kraggerud wrote his Topelius Variations in 2017 following a commission from the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra in Finland. He describes his 15-minute score as inspired by Topeliuss life and works; much like Edvard Grieg in his famous musical commemoration of the writer Ludvig Holberg. All the notes and pitches are Bachs, Kraggerud says.

This recording is released on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the death of Antonio Giannettini (1649-1721), a composer almost unknown today, who musically can be placed on a level with Stradella and Pasquini, generally regarded as the pinnacle of late 17th century Italian music. Giannettini received his training from Sebastiano Enno, Carlo Grossi and probably from Giovanni Legrenzi in Venice. He worked at St Mark's Cathedral from 1674, first as a singer and from 1677 as an organist. In 1686 he was appointed maestro di cappella at the court of Modena, a position he was to hold until his death in 1721. Giannettini wrote about 20 stage works, oratorios, cantatas, masses and other sacred music.

Melody is something I have been passionate about throughout my career as a composer. Crafting a melody that is captivating yet simultaneously original and unpredictable. What, exactly, makes a melody "good"? I've been looking into this for years. From studying Palestrina's strict rules, all the way to studying the American songwriters who created the great “Evergreens” catalogue. Writing for the voice is of great interest to me – especially musical drama. Throughout my years as a composer, I've composed songs. Everything from opera arias to simple songs. This album unites several of the genres I've worked on. The songs are based on opera, musicals, theatre, folk song programs and poetry evenings. What unites them is my love for poetry. And on this album, you will make the acquaintance of some of the poets I admire the most.

The year 2021 will mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of Philippe de Monte. This Flemish Renaissance master was one of the greatest composers of his generation. He held the prestigious position of Hofkapellmeister to the Imperial Court for thirty-five years, first in Vienna and then in Prague. He composed more music than any other composer during the second half of the sixteenth century, producing close to eight hundred works; these included secular and sacred madrigals; forty chansons, forty masses, two hundred and fifty motets, and a handful of other sacred works. His compositions were published and distributed in all the important musical centres of Europe; contemporary records show that they were performed from Lisbon to Danzig and from Naples to Dublin. Whilst he was much appreciated within contemporary professional circles throughout his career, the attention paid to him by musicologists and his resultant appreciation by today’s music lovers is not at all in proportion to the great reputation he enjoyed during his lifetime. This selection of madrigals, motets and chansons is a contribution to the restoration of his much-merited fame.

Above the album worked the 'Bach - Mozart: La Folle Journée 2021 ', and his release took place on 2021. The album has got songs with a total duration of more than an hour. A compilation is a compilation of original music.

A really well-titled collection – given that it features the most important steps in the long musical journey of Pierre Henry – easily one of the most important electronic musicians of the 20th Century! The package offers a heck of a lot of amazing music for the price – and is very heavy on Henry's crucial 60s recordings – including both his funky analogue grooves, and his much more abstract sonic compositions! Much of this material has been issued over the years, but never in a package this complete – and the depth of the sounds here is stunning – a set that should be given as a textbook to anyone who ever thinks about making any sort of electronic music.