The remarkable recording legacy of the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich is celebrated by Warner Classics with an extensive box set; the New York Philharmonic's 175th anniversary is also remembered in a new collection from Sony. Also released this week are Andreas Staier and Alexander Melnikov playing Schubert's works for piano duet on fortepiano, and cello concertos by Elgar and Tchaikovsky from Johannes Moser.
Schubert: Fantasie in F Minor & other piano duets
Andreas Staier, Alexander Melnikov (fortepiano)
In his brief life Schubert devoted 32 compositions to the four-hands piano genre. Three are incontestable masterpieces: the Variations D813, the Fantasie D940 and the Rondo D951. All three date from the composer’s final years, a period that gave birth to his most accomplished works.
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Elgar & Tchaikovsky: Cello Works
Johannes Moser (cello), L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Andrew Manze
The profoundly moving, elegiac lyricism of Elgar and the wistful charm and brilliance of Tchaikovsky are on display in this new release from the German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Andrew Manze.
Available Formats: SACD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Nielsen: Flute & Clarinet Concertos
Samuel Coles (flute), Mark Van de Wiel (clarinet), Philharmonia Orchestra, Paavo Järvi
The Philharmonia Orchestra and Paavo Järvi perform two of Nielsen's characteristically fiery concertos. Orchestral principals Samuel Coles (flute) and Mark van de Wiel (clarinet) step up as the intrepid soloists.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Beneath the northern star: The rise of English polyphony, 1270-1430
The Orlando Consort
This new album from The Orlando Consort charts the radical development of music between the late thirteenth and mid fifteenth centuries - the transition from what is in essence embellished chant to the extraordinary mathematical intricacies of experimental polyphony.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Nearly a century after its composition, Lully's Persée was recreated in 1770 to mark the inauguration of the Royal Opera House at Versailles. For this occasion, three composers were commissioned to revise Lully's work and adapt it to the new circumstances. This recording by Le Concert Spirituel and Hervé Niquet recreates the 1770 performance, recorded at Versailles Palace in 2016.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
