Coming Soon,
Currentzis's Mahler 6 and other forthcoming highlights
October and early November highlights include Teodor Currentzis’s first Mahler recording with MusicAeterna, Mozart sonatas from Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov, Massenet’s La Navarraise with Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna, and the world premiere recording of a Martinů opera from the late Jiří Bělohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic.
Following their shattering account of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony last year (which was nominated for a Gramophone Award and described by James as ‘one of the most tumultuous, breathtaking, and electrifying recordings of this piece that I have heard in quite some time’), the Greek-Russian firebrand and his Perm-based orchestra tackle another Sixth Symphony in their first commercial Mahler recording. Released on 2nd November.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The incoming principal conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (who coincidentally played harpsichord continuo on Currentzis’s recording of Le nozze di Figaro) directs the Soloists of Nizhny Novgorod for the first time on disc in an Eroica that’s red in tooth and claw and crackles with the same raw energy as Currentzis’s Mozart series. Released 19th October.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
In December 2014, Jiří Bělohlávek conducted three live performances of Martinů’s ‘opera-pastoral’ What Men Live By, based on a text by Tolstoy and premiered (on television rather than in a fully-staged production) in 1953; this world premiere recording is taken from those concerts, and paired here with an account of the First Symphony, intended as part of a complete cycle which was unfortunately cut short by the conductor’s death in 2017. Released 19th October.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Following a Gramophone Award-winning survey of Beethoven’s violin sonatas (also praised by BBC Music Magazine as ‘the most stimulating and fascinating accounts of the Beethoven violin sonatas I have heard in many years’) and joint recordings of Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Hindemith and Shostakovich, Faust and Melnikov team up once more for Mozart’s sonatas K304, K306 and K526. Released on 9th November.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The French pianist jumps in at the deep end for his first recording of Beethoven by tackling the mighty three final sonatas; reviewing a live performance at Zankel Hall (Carnegie's Hall's recital-venue) the New York Times praised his ‘poetic introspection’. He performs two of the sonatas at Wigmore Hall in November. Released 12th October.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The fifth instalment of Drake’s treasurable Liszt series sees the pianist partnering British tenor Allan Clayton (who recently spoke to us about creating the title-role in Brett Dean’s opera Hamlet) for a programme which includes settings of poetry by Victor Hugo, Clemens Brentano, Goethe and Heine. Released on 2nd November.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The sensational young Polish countertenor (who won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2016 and is also a champion breakdancer!) makes his solo recording debut with a programme of sacred baroque arias by predominantly Neapolitan composers including Francesco Durante, Nicola Fago, Domenico Sarro and Francesco Feo; eight of the works here receive their world premiere recordings. Released on 26th October.
Available Formats: CD, MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC, Hi-Res+ FLAC
Massenet: La Navarraise
Aleksandra Kurzak (Anita: La Navarraise), Roberto Alagna (Araquil); Opera Orchestra of New York, Alberto Veronesi
Hot on the heels of Sony’s reissue of Massenet’s short verismo opera with Lucia Popp as the ‘girl from Navarre’ Anita, another coloratura soprano tackles the low-lying title-role: Aleksandra Kurzak, who’s steadily moving into more dramatic repertoire, and appears here opposite her real-life partner Roberto Alagna.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
The husband-and-wife team also join forces for an all-Puccini album on Sony (released the following week), which includes duets from Il tabarro, Tosca, La bohème, Manon Lescaut, La rondine, La fanciulla del West and Madama Butterfly; Kurzak will make her debut in the title-role of the latter opera in Naples next summer.
Available Formats: MP3, FLAC, Hi-Res FLAC
Chris O'Reilly - Chief Executive
