Archive for orchestral

Artyomov: In Spe

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be the greatest composer in Russia today and is certainly one of our most incredibly gifted symphonists. Following the release in November 2016 of two of his symphonies, Divine Art has licensed and remastered no less than seven albums containing recordings made by Melodiya and others between about 1988 and 2008 and are currently releasing these in a Retrospective. To round off this series in style, a new recording has just been made of two more major works – the Symphony ‘In Spe’  for violin, cello and orchestra, and ‘Latin Hymns’ for soprano, chorus and strings. Divine Art CEO Stephen Sutton said of the new recording; ‘I’m delighted that we can round off the Artyomov series – at least for now – with this superb new recording. Both works are majestic and display Artyomov’s immense orchestrational skill and his deep spirituality which infuses all his works.”

The new recording is likely to be scheduled for release in the spring of 2019. Both works are of course new to the catalog and were recorded (in studio) after a hugely successful concert performance. The very fine Russian National Orchestra and Yurlov State Capella Choir are joined by young graduate soloists who are very likely to make a big impact in the music world.

The Complete Artyomov Retrospective:

DDA 25143: Symphony “From the Threshold of a New World”; Ave Atque Vale; Ave Crux Alba (11/2016)
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia cond. Vlaimir Ashkenazy

DDA 25144: Symphony “Gentle Emanation”; Tristia II (11/2016)
Soloists, Russian National Orchestra, cond. Teodor Currentzis /Vladimir Ponkin

DDA 25164: Scenes from the ballet “Sola Fide”; Tempo Costante, Concerto for Orchestra (4/18)
Soloists/Kaunas State Choir/ Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Dmitri Kitaenko/Moscow Chamber Orchestra ’Musica Viva’, cond. Murad Annamamedov

DDA 25171: Symphony “The Way to Olympus”; Gurian Hymn; Preludes to Sonnets; Concert of the Thirteen (6/18)
Soloists, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Dmitri Kitaenko/USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, cond. Gennady Rozhdestvensky

DDA 25172: A Symphony of Elegies; Awakening; Incantations (9/18)

DDA 25173: Requiem (10/18)

DDA 25174: A Sonata of Mediations; A Garland of Recitations; Totem (10/18)

DDA 25175: In Memoriam; Lamentations; Pietà; Tristia I (11/18)

DDA 25176: Star Wind; Romantic Capriccio; Moonlight Dreams; Mattinate; Scenes; Nestling Antsali (11/18)

DDA 25184: Symphony “In Spe”; Latin Hymns (Spring 2019)
Ivan Pochekin (violin); Aleksandr Buzlov (cello); Russian National Orchestra; Valentin Uriupin (conductor)
Nadezhda Pavlova (soprano); Yurlov State Capella; Strings of the Russian National Orchestra; Valentin Uriupin (conductor)

Divine Art launches series for top Russian composer

In 2017 Divine Art released two discs containing music by Vyacheslav Artyomov, regarded by many as the foremost composer in Russia today. His orchestral and chamber works display a totally individual voice yet informed and inspired by such as Mahler, Scriabin and Messiaen, and also imbued with a deep sense of spirituality – and a searching for a better world. Following the success and critical acclaim for these two albums, Divine Art has obtained rights from Melodiya in Russia and from the composer’s archive to release a series of seven albums of Artyomov’s music, which will be released over the next 12 months (in CD and digital formats); the recordings were made at various times over the last 20 years and are to be remastered for the new issue – yet hardly any of them were available previously in the West.

Artyomov’s works have been nominated for many prizes in Russia and the USA; several books have been written about him and his music has been commissioned and premiered by some of the biggest names in Russian music including the composer’s good friend Mstislav Rostropovich, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mikhail Pletnev and many more.

The existing albums (catalog numbers dda 25143 and dda 25144) each include one Symphony from Artyomov’s epic cycle ‘Symphony of the Way’ – and the other two are in the forthcoming releases.

Series details

I               Divine Art DDA 25164 to be released on 20 April 2018
Sola Fide (Only by Faith) – Suites 3 and 4 from the Ballet
Solo singers / Kaunas State Choir / Oleg Yanchenko (organ) / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko
NB: This ballet uses music extracted from the composer’s Requiem (see below) hence the vocal and choral parts.
Tempo Costante – Concerto for orchestra
Moscow Chamber Orchestra ‘Musica Viva’ conducted by Murad Annamamedov

II             Divine Art DDA 25171 to be released on 15 June 2018
Symphony – The Way to Olympus (part of the Symphony of the Way cycle)
USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by T. Minbayev
Gurian Hymn
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko
Preludes to Sonnets
Anton Bagatov (piano)
Concert of the 13
Mykola Suk (piano), USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Virko Baley

Following titles –  provisional programs – not all artist details to hand yet
III            Divine Art DDA 25172
A Symphony of Elegies
Awakening
Incantations

IV            Divine Art DDA 25173
Lamentations
Tristia I
Pietà
In Memoriam

V             Divine Art DDA 25174
A Sonata of Meditations
A Garland of Recitations
Totem

VI            Divine Art DDA 25175
Star Wind
Variations
Moonlight Dreams
Romantic Capriccio
Mattinate
Scenes

VII          Divine Art DDA 25176
Requiem

Nan Schwartz to release orchestral album on Divine Art

Grammy winner, 5-time Grammy nominee and seven-time Emmy nominee Nan Schwartz, is unquestionably America’s most renowned woman composer except for one notable exception – her own symphonic works for the concert stage had, until now, previously never been recorded.  This remarkable omission from the classical music-recording catalogue has finally been rectified with this extraordinary album, conducted by the eminent New York-based Australian conductor, Kevin Purcell.

The album will be released in the spring in both CD and digital formats (dda 25165). Kevin Purcell conducts The Synchron Stage Orchestra, Wien and the Bratislava Studio Symphony Orchestra.

Friends for many years, it was only by chance that when Nan sent Kevin her symphonic tone-poem for Trumpet and Orchestra (Angels Among Us) to review did the Australian maestro casually enquire, “Nan, what else have you composed for the concert stage that no-one knows about?”  And the answer to that question gave birth to 2018’s most highly anticipated classical album. Taking two years to produce, across three continents, the 83-piece orchestra Vienna sessions are augmented by the crème-de-la-crème of New York’s finest Jazz musicians combining to create the orchestral masterpieces Aspirations and Perspectives.

The four works by Nan Schwartz on this album are ingeniously coupled with the premiere recording of Australian composer Brenton Broadstock’s astoundingly evocative Concerto For Orchestra: an homage to the iconic Miles Davis album ‘Kind of Blue’.