Ragnhild Hemsing – Vetra (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 50:47 minutes | 992 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Berlin Classics
The Norwegian violinist Ragnhild Hemsing has always incorporated old, Norwegian traditions on her three previous albums for Berlin Classics. This is mainly due to the fact that she not only plays the modern violin, but also the traditional Hardanger fiddle. Already on her first album “Røta” (meaning roots) she played chamber music with the Hardanger fidde. The album was awarded the OPUS Klassik. On the album “Peer Gynt” she played a very original version of Grieg’s drama music together with the Trondheim Soloists. And on her last album she presented violin concertos as well as Hardanger-concertos together with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Ragnhild Hemsing is thus not only an interpreter and representative of Norwegian musical tradition, but also preserves it and leads it into the modern age. In keeping with the pre-Christmas season, she dives deep into the musical tradition of her home region of Valdres on her new album “Vetra”. Winter is the central theme in all her works. The word “Vetra” comes from the dialect spoken in Valdes and means winter. In addition, she has gathered a group of outstanding musicians around her, all of whom are also very familiar with Norwegian musical history.
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ØyvindLAND – Nonett (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 42:49 minutes | 863 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Øra Fonogram
Øyvind Mathisen, only 26 years old, is a Norwegian trumpet player and composer from Oslo, recently graduated from the prestigious jazz-academy in Trondheim. The ensemble ØyvindLAND started up in 2017 and has developed its sound throughout their student years in Trondheim, along with Mathisen parallelly developing his compositional language. For three years now ØyvindLAND has been playing concerts all over Norway. After this period of playing live gigs the next natural step is unfolding now, as the band is releasing their album.
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Olli Mustonen, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra & Ian Bostridge – Olli Mustonen: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:04:29 minutes | 1,09 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ondine
Composing has always formed an integral part of the artistic life of pianist-conductor Olli Mustonen (b. 1967) and he first emerged as a symphonist in the early 2010s. This album by the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra with Olli Mustonen conducting contains two of his most latest symphonies, both dramatic works firmly rooted and continuing the tradition of the great classical composers. Seeking inspiration from multiple sources, the theme of Mustonen’s 2nd Symphony, ‘Johannes Angelos’ (2013), is the ancient city of Constantinople and its mysticism. Mustonen’s 3rd Symphony, ‘Taivaanvalot’ (Heavenly Lights) (2020) is based on a section in the Finnish national epic Kalevala and inspired by the cosmic and shamanistic elements in Finnish mythology. In this recording, the solo part is being sung by internationally acclaimed tenor Ian Bostridge.
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Sebastian Zawadzki – Standards, Vol. 1 (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 54:20 minutes | 511 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sebastian Zawadzki Music
Standards, Vol. 1″ by Sebastian Zawadzki is a captivating solo piano album that breathes new life into popular jazz standards. With virtuosic flair and heartfelt expression, Sebastian reimagines beloved classics, infusing them with his unique touch and improvisations. This collection of timeless jazz standards showcases Sebastian’s talent as a pianist and arranger.
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Yom – Alone in the Light (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 44:29 minutes | 444 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Planètes Rouges
In this intimate, nocturnal album, Yom heads out in search of an ancestral heritage buried deep within himself. Unseen shadows shrouded by history who leave an atom of themselves in each of us, who shape us and sometimes find expression with or through us. In the company of shadows, and yet, alone… Alone in the Light follows the path of a long inner quest that explores secrets, time lost and found again. But while he may sometimes rage violently in response to storms and tragedies, Yom’s clarinet opens a voluptuous path towards a tranquil light. Like the promise of a peaceful dawn…
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Natalia Jiménez – ANTOLOGÍA 20 AÑOS (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 51:34 minutes | 654 MB | Genre: Latin Pop
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Sony Music Latin
“I wanted to collect all my work and all my hits on one album, to be able to reverse them and listen to them the way I feel now. Now I’m twenty years into my career – I’m already 40 – and obviously, the way I feel about my songs now, after having sung them so many times and having performed them in so many places, it’s different.” With these words Natalia Jiménez announced weeks ago that she was going to celebrate her 2 decades of music with a new record project.
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Musikkorps der Schutzpolizei, Berlin – Preußische & Österreichische Traditionsmärsche (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:04:47 minutes | 407 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Jube Classic
They are relicts of a bygone era: the traditional marches of the former Prussian and Austrian regiments, and yet a large number of these works can still be found in the standard repertoire of the German Bundeswehr, for example. This “classical stock” of pieces of music goes back to the time of Frederick the Great, Ludwig van Beethoven contributed his York March, and legendary military bandmasters such as Johann Gottlieb Piefke or Carl Teike wrote classics such as “Prussia’s Gloria” or the “Königgrätzer Marsch”. A selection of the 25 best-known Prussian and Austrian traditional marches can be heard on this new album in their original instrumentation. A piece of music history all about “music with history”.
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Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Jan Lewtak, Jakub Jakowicz, Maciej Frackiewicz – Mikołaj Piotr Górecki: Orchestral Works (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:04:10 minutes | 1,19 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © CD Accord
The Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, under the artistic direction of its founder, Jan Lewtak, is proud to present an album of chamber music by the Polish composer Mikołaj Piotr Górecki. Mikołaj Piotr Górecki, who now lives in the United States, is an esteemed composer of contemporary Polish music. His works not only refer to the musical legacy of his father, Henryk Mikołaj, but also reflect a unique artistic path, displaying a wealth of aesthetic influences. The five works by Górecki recorded on this disc were composed over a period of almost a quarter of a century, between 1998 and 2022. They are Three Fragments, Op. 6, Concerto-Notturno, Op. 13, Overture, Op. 16, Divertimento, Op. 23 and Concerto for Accordion and Strings, Op. 61. The last work, dedicated to Maciej Frąckiewicz, who has given first performances of more than 90 compositions, is making its debut on disc. The solo part in the Concerto-Notturno for solo violin and orchestra was recorded by the outstanding Polish violinist Jakub Jakowicz. The Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra’s new album, with chamber music by Mikołaj Piotr Górecki, demonstrates the musicians’ aspiration to promoting both performances of the highest quality and also notable works of Polish chamber music.
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Munich Composers Collective – Digital Code (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:15:22 minutes | 1,42 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Yellowbird Records
Overcoming genre boundaries and creating a connection between avant-garde, groove and improvisation – we are 17 composers from Munich who have joined together to form an ensemble to work together on our music.
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Martina Frezzotti – Amy Beach: Piano Music (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:04:34 minutes | 1015 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Piano Classics
Amy Beach (1867-1944) was a pioneering American composer and pianist. She was the first female composer in the United States to achieve significant recognition, and her works were frequently performed during her lifetime. Beach’s piano works are an important part of her legacy and are a testament to her virtuosity as a performer and her innovative approach to composition. Her style is marked by her ability to capture the essence of folk music while incorporating her own unique musical style. Her piano music is full of complex rhythms and harmonies and requires great technical skill. Beach composed numerous works for solo piano, including preludes, waltzes, and nocturnes. These pieces feature rich harmonies, lyrical melodies, and intricate textures. They attest to Beach’s ability to create evocative musical landscapes and are documents of her status as one of the most important American composers of her time. In addition to a selection of shorter character pieces, this CD presents the extensive Variations on Balkan Themes, a masterpiece of its genre. Italian pianist Martina Frezzotti studied with Lazar Berman at the Imola Piano Academy and later with Elisso Wirsaladze at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, where she received her doctorate in music with full marks in 2012 – the first Italian in the history of this prestigious university. Also in 2012, she made her debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Her first CD for Piano Classics with piano works by Fanny Mendelssohn (PCL 10238) received many excellent reviews, 5 stars and the “Recording of the Month” award in the Italian magazine Musica.
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Ron Blake – Mistaken Identity (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 51:05 minutes | 1014 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © 7tēn33 Productions
Saxophonist Ron Blake returned to the recording studio for the first time in 15 years to make his new album Mistaken Identity.
The tenor and baritone player partnered with guitarist Bobby Broom (who also serves as producer), enlisting a rhythm section comprising bassists Nat Reeves and Reuben Rogers and drummer Kobie Watkins. The album especially showcases the chemistry between Blake and Broom, who have collaborated for more than a quarter century.
Recorded in two sessions in 2018 and 2021, the nine-track collection includes two original songs along with a selection of standards and compositions by jazz greats that have personal meaning for Blake, including songs by Duke Pearson, Sonny Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Benny Goldon, and Bobby Broom himself.
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Robin Pharo & Anaïs Bertrand – The Waves (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 56:09 minutes | 983 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Scala Music
The viola da gamba was the preferred instrument of the Baroque era and is therefore not necessarily associated with contemporary music. “The Waves” presents new repertoire for the instrument, compositions and transcriptions. Imagine if Debussy had written some of his Préludes for the melancholy sound of the viola da gamba. In 2023, the young composer Fabien Touchard uses the old sounds for a new work. The gambist Robin Pharo turns the viola da gamba into a contemporary instrument.
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Gewandhausorchester Leipzig – Bruckner: Symphony in D Minor “No. 0, Die Nullte” – Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer Overture; Rienzi Overture by Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:12:16 minutes | 2,31 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Deutsche Grammophon (DG)
For the first time, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 0 (“The Zeroth”) can now be heard in the interpretation by Nelsons and the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Bruckner completed nine numbered symphonies (10 if the so-called Symphony No 0, ‘Die Nullte’, is included). The best known is probably Symphony No 7, first performed in Leipzig in 1884; the work includes in its scoring four Wagner tubas, instruments that were a newly developed cross between the French horn and tuba. Symphony No 4, ‘Romantic’, has an added programme—a diffident afterthought. All the symphonies, however, form an important element in late-19th-century symphonic repertoire.
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Geoffrey Madge – A Cathedral of Sound: The Bach Busoni Transcriptions (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:16:57 minutes | 1,20 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Zefir
In past centuries, almost the only way to get to know musical masterpieces from other genres than the piano, was through transcriptions. Orchestral concerts were rare. It was not so easy to hear performances. Just imagine, if you didn’t live in the same city as Bach you might have to travel by horse and carriage to hear his works and then possibly only one performance. You would have to travel far in the most uncomfortable and dangerous manner to hear a cantata. Or, in a later era, for instance a symphony. The radio and recording industry has changed everything, it’s impossible for us today to imagine what an enterprise it was!
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Christian Tetzlaff – Lutosławski: Concerto for Orchestra, Partita (Version for Violin & Orchestra) & Novelette (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 59:54 minutes | 1,05 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Ondine
This new album conducted by Nicholas Collon continues Ondine’s award-winning series of orchestral works by Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994) together with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The series has gathered several accolades, including a Grammy nomination, a BBC Music Magazine Awards nomination, as well as several recording of the month awards and best recordings of the year nominations. This album includes the composer’s early hit, his folklorish masterpiece Concerto for Orchestra, which is among his most performed compositions. The album also includes Partita for Violin and Orchestra (with Christian Tetzlaff as soloist), a virtuosic 5-movement work which in its orchestral version is not short of a Violin Concerto. The rarity in the album is Lutoslawski’s Novelette from 1979, which, although fragmentary, is already pointing toward the ideas of his 3rd Symphony.
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