Today's new releases include a Latin album from the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet and Sara Dowling on Chandos, the complete symphonies of Galina Ustvolskaya from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Christian Karlsen on BIS, Liszt's Transcendental Études from Yoav Levanon on Warner Classics, and an exploration of Bach's links with Italy from Amandine Beyer and Gli Incogniti on Harmonia Mundi.
Latin Connections
Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, Sara Dowling
Led by founder-member Craig Ogden, the Aquarelles team up with jazz singer, cellist, pianist, and composer Sara Dowling for an album celebrating the breadth of Latin music and encompassing salsa, samba, tango, cumbia, bossa nova, choro, merengue, and rumba. The programme includes arrangements of 'Armando's Rhumba', 'Alfonsina y el mar', 'Blackbird' (by Clarice Assad, with whom the project originated), 'Salt of the Earth', 'Por causa de você', and 'Lamento (no morro)'.
Read Matthew Ash's recent interview with Craig Ogden, which includes discussion of the album and the ensemble's history.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Galina Ustvolskaya: Symphonies Nos. 1-5
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Christian Karlsen
The Russian composer Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006) composed her first symphony in 1955, although it waited eleven years for its premiere under Arvīds Jansons (father of Mariss) in Leningrad - scored for very large orchestra and two amplified boys' voices, it sets Russian translations of poems by Italian poet and journalist Gianni Rodari, all on themes of poverty and injustice. The remaining symphonies are all single-movement works for smaller forces: Nos. 2, 3 and 5 ('True and Eternal Bliss!', 'Jesus Messiah, Save Us!' and 'Amen!') are scored for male reciter and chamber orchestra/ensemble, whilst No. 4 ('Prayer') is written for contralto, piano, trumpet and tam-tam.
Available Format: SACD
Liszt: Transcendental Études
Yoav Levanon (piano)
Liszt's Piano Sonata sat at the heart of the Israeli-French pianist's debut recording on Warner back in 2022, which earned him a nomination for Opus Klassik's New Talent Award and prompted Fanfare to enthuse that 'If his aim is to rock the hall, he eminently succeeds'; reviewing his subsequent recording of the Piano Concerto No. 1, BBC Music Magazine exclaimed 'boy, does he unleash demons'. Reflecting on the Transcendental Études, Levanon states: 'I knew I wanted to make one thing clear: that this project was never about virtuosity for its own sake. Instead, it was about what virtuosity allows us to uncover.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Bach From Italy: The Vivaldi & Marcello Influences
Amandine Beyer (violin), Gli Incogniti
Although Bach spent his entire life in his native Germany, he was introduced to a great deal of Italian music by Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar and Johann Georg Pisendel (who had been a student of Vivaldi) and devoted much time to copying and arranging works by the 'Red Priest' and Alessandro & Benedetto Marcello. This programme celebrating his 'Italian connections' includes the Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 3, 4 and 5, the Concerto for Four Violins and Cello from Vivaldi's L'estro Armonico (thought to have been an influence on the Brandenburg Concertos), Benedetto Marcello's Violin Concerto in E minor, and Alessandro's Oboe Concerto in D minor (which Bach transcribed for solo keyboard).
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
B.A.C.H.
Martin Fröst (clarinet) and friends
The Swedish clarinettist joins forces with musicians including his violist brother Göran, double bassist Sébastien Dubé, lutenist Jonas Nordberg, cellist Anastasia Kobekina and ABBA's Benny Andersson in new arrangements of individual movements from Bach's keyboard, chamber and choral works - highlights include the 'Air on a G string' for clarinet, lute and double bass, 'Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden' from the St Matthew Passion for clarinet and cello, and the Aria from the Goldberg Variations for clarinet and double bass.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Joly Braga Santos: Complete Chamber Music
Various Artists
Born in Lisbon in 1924, Joly Braga Santos drew inspiration from the composers of the Iberian Renaissance and (following an encounter with Ralph Vaughan Williams) Portuguese folk music. Previously available as individual discs, these interpretations have been described as 'superbly performed, with energy and true passion' (Gramophone), 'folky and atmospheric' (BBC Music Magazine), 'as idiomatic and generous as one could hope for' (MusicWeb International), and 'beautifully recorded' (Fanfare).
Available Formats: 3 CDs, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 6
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Karina Canellakis
Originally a violinist, Canellakis was encouraged to explore conducting by Simon Rattle during her time as a member of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and became Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in September 2021; shortly afterwards, The Times applauded the 'explosive chemistry between conductor and orchestra' in Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, whilst The Arts Desk enthused that 'the LPO has a real treasure in Canellakis'. These recordings were made live at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in March 2023 (No. 5) and November 2024 (No. 6).
Available Formats: 2 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Philharmonia Orchestra, Santtu-Matias Rouvali
Rouvali's live recordings of Don Juan, Eine Alpensinfonie, Till Eulenspiegel and Also sprach Zarathustra were warmly welcomed in early 2023: Fanfare ranked the young Finn's Alpensinfonie alongside Karajan's, whilst Gramophone described all four performances as 'expansive, vividly recorded and beautifully played'. Reviewing this sequel earlier this week, MusicWeb International concluded that 'There are more driven, energised performances of Ein Heldenleben, but this one achieves a profundity which wholly validates Rouvali’s more reflective interpretative choices.'
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Kindermusik
Florent Albrecht (fortepiano, glockenspiel), Ensemble l'Encyclopédie
Ensemble L’Encyclopédie makes its debut on Harmonia Mundi with a collection of works for children by the Mozarts père et fils: Leopold's Musical Sleigh-Ride and Toy Symphony, and Wolfgang Amadeus's A Musical Joke (which Albrecht views as 'a touching, magnificent homage to Leopold', who had died just three weeks before the piece was composed). The instrumental line-up includes nightingale and cuckoo-callers, an Austrian posthorn and toy trumpet, and horse-hoof and firework effects!
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Little Wanderer
Nick Pritchard (tenor), Ian Tindale (piano)
Like Mark Ravenhill's 2024 play Ben & Imo, this debut solo recital recording from the young British tenor explores the relationship between Britten and Imogen Holst, with the former's Winter Words and a selection of folksongs framing six songs by the latter. The programme also includes Daniel Kidane's new song-cycle Songs of Illumination, setting poems by William Blake (one of which gives the album its title). Pritchard's discography to date includes the Evangelist on John Eliot Gardiner's most recent recordings of the St John Passion and Christmas Oratorio.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Stravagante pensiero: Gesualdo & Napoli
Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini
Just one work by Carlo Gesualdo appears on this survey of the madrigal in sixteenth-century Naples: 'Asciugate i begli occhi' from the Fifth Book of Madrigals. The twenty other featured composers include Giovanni de Macque, Scipione Dentice, Scipione Lacorcia, Ascanio Mayone and Pomponio Nenna, all of whom were members of Gesualdo's accademia. Concerto Italiano's most recent recording of Monteverdi madrigals was nominated for numerous awards, with Gramophone deeming the performances 'riveting and incredibly stylish' and BBC Music Magazine described it as 'a rich and fascinating collection'.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Handel Arias and La Lucrezia
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (mezzo), Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Harry Bicket
Originally released in 2004, this Handel recital was one of the final recordings made by the luminous American mezzo before her death aged just 52, and was quickly recognised as one of the outstanding albums of the decade; Irene's arias from Theodora were captured in the studio shortly after Hunt Lieberson's legendary performance in Peter Sellars's production at Glyndebourne, which was hailed as 'worth the price of a ticket on its own' by The Guardian. This new remastering is issued to mark the 21st anniversary of the release.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 64 No. 2
Eric Lu (piano)
A taste of things to come, we hope - released to mark Eric Lu's victory in the 2025 XIX International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw (by all accounts a narrow one against stiff challenges from Kevin CHen and Zitong Wang, but arguably all the more well-deserved for that).
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
