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Bach: The Six Partitas
Though published as Bach’s Opus 1, the Partitas were composed as Bach was approaching 40 and working in Leipzig. Their varied and changeable movement styles differentiate them considerably from the structure of works such as the French and English Suites, which are otherwise like sets of dance movements. Judith Lambden is a well established Australian…
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Russian Piano Music Vol. 1 – Shostakovich and Comrades
McLachlan has long had a fine reputation as a performer of Russian music, as well as championing brilliant but little-known composers such as Williamson and Chisholm (see the composer index). On this CD, he presents the Piano Sonatas nos 1 and 2 by Shostakovich with works by composers in his circle; though not Russian, the…
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Peter Warlock: Collected 78rpm recordings (2CD)
Philip Heseltine, aka Peter Warlock, was an enigma in many ways – song-writing and arranging genius; fine orchestrator – but also a political animal, bon-viveur and ultimately a self-absorbed depressive who took his own life. This 2 CD set comprises (with one exception) all the recordings of Warlock’s work issued on standard-groove records, between 1925…
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The Piano at the Carnival
Carnival is a concept of public merry making enjoyed in many countries and a natural inspiration for composers. In the second of his trilogy of piano music related to public entertainments Anthony Goldstone again excels in musicianship in a superb programme which includes the first recording of the entirety of Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite in the…
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Unaccompanied
It takes a particular and extreme level of skill and dedication to perform virtuoso works for unaccompanied solo violin; suffice it to say these are qualities held by George Zacharias without doubt. This is a tour-de-force of musicianship and technique – and wonderful music too. Bartok’s Sonata is presented in its original version and of…
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Sacred Hearts & Secret Music
This CD stands on its own merits as an exceptional programme of early sacred music, transcribed for and performed by the etherially beautiful voices of Musica Secreta and Celestial Sirens. However, like their earlier CD (DDA 25062) it has an added rationale, as the ‘virtual sound-track’ to the superb new novel ‘Sacred Hearts’, by Sarah…
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Avison: Trio Sonatas, op. 1 and Keyboard Sonatas, op. 8
The fourth in our series of Avison’s music, and part of the Complete Edition completed at the end of 2009. These hitherto unknown works are real baroque gems. The op. 1 Trio Sonatas led by the strings, are accompanied by Robert Howarth on chest organ continuo; while Robert moves front of stage and to the…
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Haydn : Stabat Mater, Libera Me etc.
Haydn’s wonderful Stabat Mater is far less well known than those of Pergolesi and other composers; this recording made in Paris in 1978 was a pioneering version using reconstructed scores and revised by renowned musicologist and scholar H C Robbins Landon. Also included is the even rarer LIBERA ME, only discovered in the mid 20th…
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American Piano Sonatas
This CD celebrates two notable milestones in American music: the 100th birthday of Elliott Carter (to whom we dedicate the CD and who died two years after its release) and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Miklós Rózsa, who sadly is no longer with us. Each wrote just one Piano Sonata – of which…
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Avison: 12 Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti
Thought by many to be Avison’s greatest masterpieces, these arrangements of Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas were for many decades the only Avison music known. Now thanks to Gordon Dixon and the Avison Ensemble, a complete edition of his quite large output is well underway; this is the fifth in the series, following two sets on Naxos…
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Gounod: FAUST
Our most ambitious vintage recording yet, this version of Faust (in Italian) was recorded by La Scala Milan, under the baton of Carlo Sabajno, in 1920 using the acoustic recording process. Magnificently restored and re-mastered by Andrew Rose of Pristine Audio, this is THE classic opera performance and not to be missed. The CD booklet…
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Chopin for Piano Duo
There seems no end to the brilliance not only of the musicianship and pianistic skill of our top piano duo but also their dedication to re-discovering and recording lost or neglected masterpieces. Here we have the very well known Second Piano Concerto of Chopin, in a two-piano version by Chopin himself and his pupil Mikuli…