Today's new releases include Bruckner from Pablo Heras-Casado and Anima Eterna, an album of orchestral works by Anthony Hopkins from Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra, a personal celebration of two great American composers from Anne-Sophie Mutter, and a breathtaking new work from Joby Talbot performed by Conspirare under Craig Hella Johnson.
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 'Wagner Symphony'
Anima Eterna, Pablo Heras-Casado
Heras-Casado and his orchestra continue their Bruckner journey with the 'Wagner Symphony', heard here in the original 1873 version. Present in this version, though removed in later revisions, are some quotations from and allusions to Wagner's operatic works - perhaps the most overt evidence of the firm friendship between the two men, and in particular the veneration towards Wagner that Bruckner felt.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Life Is A Dream: Music Composed By Anthony Hopkins
Philharmonia Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel
Surely best known for his legendary performances on stage and screen - above all in the Silence of the Lambs franchise of psychological horror films - Anthony Hopkins has been composing all his life, with a waltz written in his twenties receiving its first recording in 2011 under the baton of André Rieu. This new album from Hopkins showcases sixty years' worth of his orchestral compositions.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
American Tunes #1
Anne-Sophie Mutter (violin), Knut Johannessen, Roman Patkoló, Daniel Müller-Schott (cello), Lambert Orkis (piano), Mutter’s Virtuosi
Many albums are described as 'personal', some more validly so than others - but the connection between Anne-Sophie Mutter and the two composers featured on this album is undeniably profound. Married to the late André Previn for several years, and firm friends with him after their separation, as well as a long-time friend and musical collaborator or Sebastian Currier, she is the perfect soloist to perform Previn's concerto and trio, and Currier's wry 'Ringtone Variations'.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Joby Talbot: Sunstone (Piedra de sol)
Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson
Octavio Paz's masterwork Piedra de sol defies easy description; drawing on Aztec symbolism and a heady dose of surrealism, it broadly traces an emotional U-shape - from creation to the depths of despair, and finally to a form of salvation. Craig Hella Johnson and chamber choir Conspirare are on absolutely top form in this choral tour de force, which has to be heard to be believed. Anyone who was blown away by Talbot's Path of Miracles will not want to miss this - and do read our interview with Craig on the album!
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Sir!
Astrig Siranossian (cello), Nathanäel Gouin (piano), London Symphony Orchestra, François-Xavier Roth
Siranossian's reflection that English music possesses 'a certain emotional reserve' compared to other national schools might seem an odd inspiration for an album, but her performances of Elgar and Britten's cello concerti are anything but muted. Playing on the cello once owned by John Barbirolli (who, along with Elgar, acquired the titular 'Sir' in recognition of his services to music, while Britten eventually became a Lord) provides a deep connection to both composers - Barbirolli championed the music of both Elgar and Britten during his career.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Volume 2
Peter Donohoe (piano)
The completion of Donohoe's Grieg diptych - with his first volume comprising a selection of twenty-seven of the Norwegian master's Lyric Pieces, this new double-length album features the other thirty-nine (including the sparkling Troldtog and the rousing Fedrelandssang), plus the lengthy Ballade, a quarter-hour set of variations on a Norwegian folksong that was reputedly particularly close to the composer's heart and represents him musically processing the emotions of a difficult period in his life.
Available Formats: 2 CDs, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Rendez-Vous With Martha Argerich, Vol. 4
Martha Argerich (piano)
Very much a group effort, this 5-CD set shows off the world-class group of musical collaborators that Martha Argerich has collected around her via her Festival in Hamburg - Mischa, Sascha and Lily Maisky and more - as well as featuring a Chopin-centric recital that gathers together some of the finest competitors in Warsaw's Chopin Competition.
Available Formats: 5 CDs, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Bamboo Grove
Patrick Yim (violin)
Both born in 1953, shaped by post-Revolution upheavals and in particular the Cultural Revolution, Chen Yi and Zhou Long are among the most prominent living Chinese composers. They each combine Western textures and approaches with Chinese musical elements in ways that are more than the sum of their parts. Patrick Yim's meeting with them in 2024 led to this album of works for relatively small forces - from solo violin to chamber wind ensemble.
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
Verdi: Requiem
Asmik Grigorian (soprano), Deniz Uzun (mezzo-soprano), Joshua Guerrero (tenor), Tareq Nazmi (bass), The Cleveland Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, Franz Welser-Möst
Verdi's ever-popular Requiem receives a thrilling new recording here from The Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst. Asmik Grigorian's solo passages are a particular highlight, but the ensemble as a whole amply justify their reputation as among the best, if not the best, orchestras in the USA.
Available Formats: Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
London Calling: Choral Works
Vox Urbane, Dan Ludford-Thomas
A paean to the UK's capital, this new album from new chamber choir Vox Urbane (in many ways London's answer to the Manchester-based Kantos) focuses primarily on young and emerging composers from London, writing works inspired by the city's unique cultural landscape. Composers featured include Emily Hazrati, Kerensa Briggs, Tara Mack and Lillie Harris - all names to watch, or to continue watching. Keep an eye out for an interview with members of Vox Urbane coming up shortly!
Available Formats: CD, Hi-Res+ FLAC/ALAC/WAV, Hi-Res FLAC/ALAC/WAV, FLAC/ALAC/WAV, MP3
From Bach to Bach - The Organist of the Century
Marie-Claire Alain (organ)
Organist Marie-Claire Alain would have been 100 this year - and her illustrious recording career is perfectly encapsulated in this magnificent box-set. As the name would suggest, the music of Bach was a constant North Star for Alain (and her third complete Bach cycle is included here), but her performances also included major works from the Romantic era as well as the more modern idioms of, among others, her brother Jehan.
Available Format: 53 CDs
Bernard Haitink – Berlin, Vienna, Boston
Complete Recordings on Decca & Philips
Completing their triptych of Haitink box-sets - following the Concertgebouw collection and the London recordings - Decca now release recordings from the late Bernard Haitink at the helm of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker and Wiener Philharmoniker. Also included are projects with the European Community Youth Orchestra, a Fidelio from Dresden featuring Jessye Norman, and performances of Mark-Anthony Turnage with the Chicago Symphony.
Available Format: 31 CDs
