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Release date: 26 May ECM NEW SERIES
NETHERLANDS CH CHOIR / RASCHČR SAXOPHONE QUARTET/RUSTAVI CHOIR etc
Giya Kancheli: Little Imber CD 4766394
ECM’s tenth release of the music of the great Georgian composer Giya Kancheli couples two recent choral works, one inspired by the lost village of Imber on Salisbury Plain, evacuated in 1943 for military manoeuvres and closed to the public ever since. The moving Little Imber was written for performance in its ancient church on the one day each year the former villagers are allowed to return, an Artangel project filmed for a captivating BBC documentary.
ARIANNA SAVALL/NYYD ENSEMBLE/ELTS Helena Tulve: Lijnen CD 4766389
The first ECM disc from the only composition pupil to date of Erkki-Sven Tüür, gifted young Estonian Helena Tulve, whose work speaks in its own unique language through a variety of chamber music settings and with a fluid approach to form, sound and sonority. It includes four premiere recordings amongst her six played by the celebrated NYYD Ensemble under outstanding conductor Olari Elts, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet and the Silesian String Quartet.
Release date: 28 April ECM NEW SERIES
HILLIARD ENSEMBLE A Vdivi Vocem: Tallis / Tye / Sheppard CD 4766353
After the enormous success last year of their recording of Bach Motets, Britain’s pre-eminent vocal group, The Hilliard Ensemble return with English Renaissance Music. SEE MORE
ANDRÁS SCHIFF Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas Vol. VI CD 4766187
The sixth volume of András Schiff’s critically acclaimed, landmark cycle of the complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas recorded live in Zurich Town Hall features five masterworks from his so-called middle period, including two of his most popular sonatas, those named ‘Appassionata’ (No 23 in F minor) and ‘Les Adieux’ (No 26 in E flat).
Release date: 24 March ECM NEW SERIES
JULIANE BANSE/ MURIEL CANTOREGGI / GERMAN RADIO PHIL ORCH / C POPPEN
Frank Martin: Maria-Triptychon for soprano, violin & orchestra / Polyptique / Passacaille CD 1733930
Swiss composer Frank Martin’s exceptional symphonic works are finally given the recordings they deserve on this debut ECM album by the new German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under Christoph Poppen. Violinist Muriel Cantoreggi soars over two string orchestras on the radiant Polyptique and answers the beautiful soprano of Juliane Banse on the moving Maria-Tripytchon.
GARTH KNOX / AGNČS VESTERMANN D'Amore (music for viola d'amore & cello) CD 4766369
Former viola player of the famous Arditti Quartet, Irish-Scot Garth Knox makes his solo debut on ECM – on the wonderfully resonant baroque instrument, the viola d’amore. A huge emotional and atmospheric spectrum is shown in entertaining repertoire from Tobias Hume (early 17th century) and Marin Marais to commissioned contemporary compositions, plus Celtic folk music and a gripping piece by Knox himself, based on Ockeghem’s Malor me bat.
RECENT RELEASES
HEINER GOEBBELS Landschaft mit entfernten Verwandten CD 4765838
Premiere recording of Heiner Goebbels’ opera, Landscape with Distant Relatives, this “viscerally and intellectually exciting” work featuring actor-speaker David Bennent, baritone Georg Nigl. SEE MORE
TRIO MEDIAEVAL Folk Songs CD 4766179
A wealth of Norwegian folk music is featured by Trio Mediaeval in their fourth ECM release: humorous ballads, hymns, psalms, love songs and lullabies popularised by the country’s great traditional singers. . SEE MORE
VALENTIN SILVESTROV/ ALEXEI LUBIMOV/ MUNICH CHAMBER ORCH/ C POPPEN
Silvestrov: Bagatellen und Serenaden CD 4766178
ECM celebrates the 70th birthday of Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov in style with an album of almost otherworldly beauty featuring shimmering, ravishing playing from Russian pianist Alexei Lubimov and the strings of the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Among the five world premieres is one dedicated to his good friend Arvo Pärt, and Silvestrov himself plays his Bagatelles for piano - music of aching lyricism - very touchingly. SEE MORE
KIM KASHKASHIAN/ROBERT LEVIN Asturiana: Songs from Spain and Argentina CD 4766149
Highly melodic and atmospheric ‘songs without words’ - bathed in enticing melancholy - by Spanish and Argentinean composers De Falla, Granados, Ginastera and others make up a wonderfully moving, dramaturgically-composed album. SEE MORE
ANDRÁS SCHIFF Beethoven: The Piano Sonatas Vol. V 2CD 4766186
The fifth volume of András Schiff’s “stimulating and magnificent” cycle of the complete Beethoven sonatas recorded live in Zurich Town Hall. SEE MORE
GIDON KREMER/KREMERATA BALTICA Mahler: Adagio / Shostakovich: Symphony 14 CD 4766177
Gidon Kremer’s emotionally-engaged performing style is transferred to an orchestral scale as he leads and directs his award-winning Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra – playing with unrivalled energy and refinement – in a pair of central works of 20th century symphonic repertoire: Mahler’s swansong, the Adagio from the unfinished Symphony No 10 in a new arrangement for strings, and Shostakovich’s dramatic, moving Symphony No 14.
HEINRICH SCHIFF/ NRCO/ PETER EÖTVÖS Cerha: Cello Concerto/Schreker: C Symphony CD 4763098
Master cellist Heinrich Schiff gives the premiere of the Cello Concerto – an intense, brilliantly scored work coloured variously by soprano sax, bongos, congas, and organ as well as banks of strings – written for him by Friedrich Cerha, at 81 widely considered Austria’s greatest living composer. It is paired with Franz Schreker’s Chamber Symphony, and both are superbly interpreted by conductor Peter Eötvös and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra.
ZEHETMAIR QUARTET Bartok - Quartet No.5 & Hindemith - Quartet No.4 CD 4765779
To follow their hugely impressive Schumann Gramophone ‘Record of the Year’ Award of 2003, the charismatic Zehetmair Quartet couple Bartók’s masterly Quartet No 5 and Hindemith’s neo-classical Quartet No 4: landmarks of 20th century chamber music in inter-pretations of analytical clarity, emotional intensity and flair, promoted via four UK concerts.
THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE J S Bach - Motets, BWV 250-230 CD 4765776
The Hilliard Ensemble, one of the great vocal groups of the age, present their a-cappella readings of J S Bach‘s wonderful set of six motets, fascinating us
once again with their seamless blend of sound and unique intonation. Especially for this recording, the Hilliards (whose previous Bach disc, Morimur,
is still a best-seller) are enhanced by four additional voices to form a soloist double choir.
BEETHOVEN: The Piano Sonatas Vol 3 András Schiff CD 4763155
The third instalment of András Schiff’s complete Beethoven sonatas in live recordings from the Zürich Tonhalle follows consistent critical praise for the first two issues, released last October and in March: “This will be one of the great Beethoven sonata sets” (Fanfare); “An outstanding Beethoven interpreter” (Die Zeit). He gives more Beethoven recitals at London’s Wigmore Hall (29 November), St George’s, Bristol (1 December) and Symphony Hall, Birmingham (3 December).
THOMAS LARCHER - IXXU
Rosamunde Quartet/Poppen/Demenga/Brown CD 4763156
Austrian composer Thomas Larcher, who is in residence at Oxford Chamber Music Festival from 27-30 September, is regarded as an increasingly important voice in contemporary European music as this disc of four world premieres demonstrates. Two string quartets, Ixxu and Cold Farmer are played by the Rosamunde Quartet with fierce intensity, and Larcher himself, on piano, is amongst the other committed musicians.
SHOSTAKOVICH: 24 Preludes & Fugues Keith Jarrett 2CD 4371892
The centenary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovich is celebrated by ECM with the reissue, with new packaging, of Keith Jarrett’s remarkable account of the 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op 87 for piano. “The Shostakovich is, quite simply, one of the touchstones of the keyboard literature, and the value of Jarrett’s committed advocacy of this piece cannot be overestimated. He really has done an outstanding job: listening to him is simply a joy.”- Fanfare.
THOMAS DEMENGA Chonguri (Cello recital - Bach/Chopin/Faure/Liszt) CD 4763022
Swiss cellist Thomas Demenga revitalizes the 19th century practice of combining small masterworks and much-loved encores in a recital of diverse short pieces, many arranged specially for his instrument. His entertaining programme, blending humour and nostalgia, ranges from Bach and Chopin, by way of Liszt, Fauré, Webern and Milhaud, to the title piece by Georgian composer Sulkhan Tsinzadze and his own ‘New York Honk’
TIGRAN MANSURIAN: Ars Poetica Armenian Chamber Choir / Robert Mlkeyan CD 4763070
Tigran Mansurian’s fourth world premiere recording on ECM is his moving Ars Poetica, a 47-minute Concerto for mixed choir a cappella setting the words of Yegishe Tcharents, the foremost Armenian poet of the 20th century. A cross between a song-cycle and a choral cantata, it’s superbly sung with a characteristic “eastern” timbre by Armenia’s leading chamber choir in an intense live performance.
THOMAS DEMENGA / Larcher / Anzellotti Chonguri CD 4763022
Swiss cellist Thomas Demenga revitalizes the 19th century practice of combining small masterworks and much-loved encores in a recital of diverse short pieces, many arranged specially for his instrument. His entertaining programme, blending humour and nostalgia, ranges from Bach and Chopin, by way of Liszt, Fauré, Webern and Milhaud, to the title piece by Georgian composer Sulkhan Tsinzadze and his own ‘New York Honk’.
RALPH TOWNER Time Line CD 9875911
American guitarist Ralph Towner returns with his ECM release in five years, another major solo statement from an artist who plays classical and 12-string guitars like no one else. Repertoire features all new Towner compositions, plus standards by Arlen and Gershwin, recorded with a beautifully registered, warmly responsive sound that will also endear the album to audiophiles.
ROLF LISLEVAND Nuove Musiche CD 4763049
ECM debut of Norwegian Rolf Lislevand (lutenist in Jordi Savall’s Hespčrion XX) with ingenious modern arrangements of early music, abounding with engaging melodies and vivid rhythm. Both imaginative and stylistically assured, they display the astonishing virtuosity of Lislevand’s international ensemble and create fascinating allusions to Spanish Flamenco, to Irish Folk and many other idioms – ensuring an appeal far beyond the early music audience.
LEONIDAS KAVAKOS / Péter Nagy
Bach: Partita No 1 & Sonata No 1/ Stravinsky: Duo Concerto CD 4727672
Following his superlative Ravel/Enescu album, the outstanding Greek violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos is back for a recital of Bach’s Partita No 1 and Sonata No 1 and, with Hungarian pianist Péter Nagy, Stravinsky’s Duo Concertant and charming Suite Italienne. The results are breath-taking, demonstrating the programme’s splendid dramaturgy with “electrical sparks flying fast and furiously between the past and the future”.
GIDON KREMER / Kremerata Baltica etc Giya Kancheli - In L’istesso tempo CD 4618182
The great violinist Gidon Kremer is in exceptional form, even by his own standards, on a new ECM disc of the music of a composer whom he has long championed, Giya Kancheli (who is soon to celebrate his 70th birthday). Kremer leads his Kremerata Baltica on V & V and gives a scintillating performance of Time…and again with pianist Oleg Maisenberg, while the Bridge Ensemble play Kancheli’s “passionate, searching” Piano Quartet
MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH Alexander Knaifel - Amicta Sole CD 4720832
Legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich makes his second appearance on ECM performing a beautiful solo piece, Psalm 50(51) by his former pupil, Russian composer Alexander Knaifel, whose music - with its sacred musical expression - has often been compared to Pärt, Tavener and Górecki. The “meltingly pure voice” of soprano Tatiana Melentieva is heard surrounded by boys’ choir and orchestra in Knaifel’s Amicta Sole.
ARVO PÄRT Lamentate CD 4763048
Released to celebrate Arvo Pärt’s 70th birthday, Lamentate comprises two world premiere recordings: Da pacem Domine,movingly sung by the Hilliard Ensemble, and the album’s title work, a stunning ritual for piano and orchestra - superbly interpreted by Russian pianist Alexei Lubimov and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra under Andrey Boreyko - that was inspired by Anish Kapoor’s gigantic ‘Marsyas’ sculpture in the Tate Modern (where it was first performed)
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