The album combines two flute soloists with guitar, drums and bass. A unique quintet group in a live music session in Madrid in December 2024 playing themes by Hermeto Pascoal, Bob Mintzer, Herbie Hancock, Lou Donaldson, Mark Levine, Matti Caspi and Mattan Klein.

Avichai Ornoy, Flute
Mattan Klein, Flute
Sean Clapis, Guitar
Francisco Loque, Bass
Daniel González, Drums

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The quartet, which has become known for its ‘infectious enthusiasm’ and ‘irresistible’ playing (BBC Music Magazine), showcases its compelling storytelling with Haydn’s last foray in the genre. The two quartets balance and complement each other perfectly: one brilliant, enigmatic, youthful and light, the other considered, noble and with a certain degree of gravitas.

The complementary choice of Scottish folk music is equally balanced, ranging from the joyful – The Marquis of Tullibardine, Captain Campbell’s March, etc. – to the more somber – Hector the Hero.

The cleverly constructed program epitomises Hatto Beyerle’s aphorism (the Maxwell Quartet’s mentor, and dedicatee of this album): ‘In order to truly understand Haydn’s music, you must first understand folk music.’

Maxwell Quartet
Colin Scobie, Violin 1
George Smith, Violin 2
Elliott Perks, Viola
Duncan Strachan, Cello

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The inspiration for Inkwash on Paper came about following a concert where artist Gunnel Wåhlstrand heard one of Byström’s other art-inspired works. It was decided on the spot that artist and composer should collaborate. Wåhl- strand specializes in the demanding technique of ink wash, creating overwhelming large-scale images photo-realistic images of nature on the west coast of Sweden.

The clarity of detail, the quality of light and the reflections in these greyscale works are truly hypnotic and are beautifully complimented by Byström’s soft-focus sonics.
This is graceful and elegant music but also somewhat bizarre; rarely rising above a mezzo-forte. As English critic Lynn René Bayley (Art Music Lounge) wrote, “Byström’s world seems to consist of gentle gestures that somehow add up to a listening experience that is transformative. Nothing is quite as it appears to be at first glance/listen, yet she sucks you into her sound world and says, “Why don’t you stay for a cup of galactic star tea?”

Recognized as a rising star on the contemporary music scene, composer Britta Byström was born in Sundsvall, Sweden 1977 and began her musical career as a trumpet player. She started composing while still in her teens and studied composition at the Royal University of Music in Stockholm with Pär Lindgren and Bent Sørensen. In an age when most composers can only dream of hearing orchestras perform their works, Byström distinguished herself as a master of orchestral textures even during her student days. Byström’s work can be heard with major orchestras, soloists and concert halls like BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gürzenich Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, NDR Philharmonic, Royal Albert Hall, NDR Elbphilharmonie, John Storgårds, Janine Jansen and Malin Broman.

Malin Broman, Violin & Viola
Eriikka Nylund, Viola
Marie Macleod, Cello
Rick Stotijn, Double Bass
Niklas Andersson, Clarinet
Henrik Blixt, Bassoon
Chris Parkes, Horn
Simon Crawford-Phillips, Piano & Celesta
Jens Ulrich Braun, Tonmeister

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I have always dreamt of playing it in concert and recording it, and from the bottom of my heart I would like to thank all those who made this album possible, starting with my friend Frédéric Chaslin, the key figure in this project, firstly for conducting the Elgar Concerto, then for arranging a highly original instrumentation of the Delius Suite, and also for playing its piano part.– Nicolas Dautricourt

“If you want to know who, for me, is the greatest living composer, I’ll tell you without hesitation – it’s Elgar, whom I place on the same level as my idols Beethoven and Brahms!” So said the great virtuoso Kreisler.’ Nicolas Dautricourt continues: ‘This Concerto, with its unbridled lyricism and unique proportions, is an Everest for any violinist.’  In Elgar: Violin Concerto & Salut d’amour (Greetings of Love) and Delius: Suite his first recording for Channel Classics, the French violinist brings together three works by two English composers.

In 1888, in the same year Elgar wrote the famous Salut d’amour for his fiancée Caroline Alice Roberts, Frederick Delius composed his Suite for Violin and Orchestra, one of his very first works. The Suite, which only received its premiere in 1984, is heard here in this insightful arrangement by Frédéric Chaslin for violin, piano and string quartet.

Nicolas Dautricourt, Violin
Frédéric Chaslin – Piano & Direction
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Capriccio Quartet

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His flute concerti are not only technically exceptionally demanding but are particularly challenging “in the art of expression”, to quote one of his contemporaries. In this new recording of C. P. E. Bach: Flute Concertos in A minor (Wq 166 / H. 431), G major (Wq 169 / H. 445) and D minor (Wq 22 / H. 425) the Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt and Ariel Zuckermann (Solo Flute and Conductor) invoke the zärtliche Empfindungen, the tender sentiments that the composer considered essential in order to reveal new aspects of music.

Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt
Ariel Zuckermann, Solo Flute & Conductor

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This avant-garde style remained in fashion for only a short period but anticipated many pre-eminent aspects of early romanticism. In this recording a harpsichord concerto by W.F. Bach (J.S. Bach’s eldest son) is combined with two concertos by Bohemian composer G. Benda. They perfectly illustrate the empfindsame style, quickly oscillating between excitement and melancholy, furious frenzy and serene calm. The program concludes with major solo harpsichord pieces by C.P.E. Bach and a beautiful Adagio and Fugue for orchestra by W.F. Bach – showcasing the composer’s ability in the stile antico.

Francesco Corti, Harpsichord and Direction

Il Pomo d’Oro
Zefira Valova, Nicholas Robinson, Valentina Mattiussi, Ilaria Marvilly — violins I
Lucia Giraudo, Laura Andriani, Luca Ranzato — violins II
Jesus Merino, Archimede De Martini — violas
Ludovico Minasi, Cristina Vidoni — violoncellos
Jonathan Álvarez — double bass
Daniela Lieb, Francesca Torri — flutes
Andrea Bressan — bassoon
Harpsichord by Keith Hill, Manchester (Michigan, USA), 2001 (after anon., Germany, c. 1700)

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From the eleven single opera and concert arias for tenor and orchestra that are ascribed to Mozart, the Belgian tenor has selected those that are entirely in the composer’s hand – leaving out the ones completed or reconstructed by others, and adding an exquisite aria from Mitridate, re di Ponto. Mozart was only nine years old when in 1765, during his stay in London, he launched into his first opera aria for tenor and orchestra, to verses from a libretto by Metastasio.

At the end of 1766, on his return to Salzburg, the child prodigy composed Or che il dover – Tali e cotanti sono KV 36 for a festive celebration, making the court aware of his enormous talent. Throughout his career, alongside his own operas Mozart also wrote arias intended for insertion into the operas of other composers, hidden masterpieces that now receive revelatory performances.

Reinoud Van Mechelen – Tenor & Conductor
A Nocte Temporis

Anna Besson, Sien Huybrechts – transverse flute
Marcel Ponseele, Nele Vertommen – oboe
Niels Copalle, Josep Casadellà – bassoon
Jeroen Billiet, Georg Koehler – horn
Angelina Meza, Luigi Giannini – clarinet

Rodolfo Richter (concertmaster), Izana Soria, Marrie Mooij, Ellie Nimeroski, Marieke Vos – violin I
Elise Dupont (section leader), Ortwin Lowyck, Isabelle Verachtert, Maia Silberstein – violin II
Manuela Bucher, Ingrid Bourgeois – viola
Ronan Kernoa, Mathilde Wolfs – cello
Elise Christiaens, Sanne Deprettere – double bass

Julian Zimmermann, Olivier Mourault – trumpet
Koen Plaetinck – timpani

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The smell of smoked sugar cane, corn and coffee; mysterious noises of strange creatures in the night, heavy rains, colibris around deep green-colored plants and powerful sharp colored flowers… All of this and so much more is to be heard in the rhythms and melodies of Latin American boleros. It was the familiarity of this colorful, almost surrealistic, atmosphere that struck me when I started discovering the literature of Gabriel García Márquez. One day, all these motives came together in one simple yet timeless moment while I was reading One Hundred Years of Solitude in the beloved Parque México in my place of birth, Mexico City. This is where it all began. I was sitting and reading surrounded by plants and birds, in my quiet oasis in the middle of this noisy and chaotic city, on one of those green ornamented benches that are so typical in the gardens of Mexico and are so dear to me since the times of my childhood. – Dana Zemtsov, October 2024

Born in Mexico City, violist Dana Zemtsov has always retained a deep love for the colorful Latin-American culture. The discovery of Gabriel García Márquez’s book One Hundred Years of Solitude, in which the vivid literary images of clouds of yellow butterflies precede a forbidden lover’s arrival, inspired Dana to revisit her earliest musical memories.

This led to a unique project embodying the most characteristic expression of love in Latin-American culture. The beautiful boleros presented on this album entitled Yellow Butterfly: Latin American Favorites. They are so well known that practically every Spanish-speaking person can sing them by heart.

With arrangements by the legendary Joan Albert Amargós and Claudio Constantini, the recording conjures the surreal atmosphere of the Americas: melancholy, roughness, poetry, vitality and joy. These ‘recomposed’ boleros were arranged for solo viola and a small ensemble that consists of pianist Anna Fedorova, trumpeter Angelo Verploegen, bandoneonist Claudio Constantini, double bassist Nicholas Schwartz and percussionist André Groen.

Dana Zemtsov, Viola
Angelo Verploegen, Flugelhorn & Trumpet (Tracks 1, 3, 6, 8, 13-15)
Claudio Constantini, Bandoneon (Tracks 1, 4, 9, 11, 14)
Nicholas Schwartz, Double Bass (Tracks 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 13-15)
Anna Fedorova, Piano (Tracks 1-3, 6-8, 12-15)
André Groen, Percussion (Tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 11, 15) 

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The Norwegian Radio Orchestra is proud to announce the release of Herman Vogt: Cello and Piano Concerto, a showcase of contemporary Norwegian composition at its finest. This album, featuring two striking works by composer Herman Vogt, highlights his intricate interplay of soloist and orchestra, offering listeners an immersive musical experience.

The Cello Concerto, performed by cellist Audun Sandvik, is a deeply emotive work, rich in tonal exploration and lyrical depth. Vogt’s mastery shines in this piece as he balances the cello’s expressive voice with the dynamic power of the orchestra.

The Piano Concerto, featuring Sveinung Bjelland as the soloist, is equally captivating. This work seamlessly integrates virtuosic piano passages with sweeping orchestral textures, creating a vibrant and intricate soundscape that pushes the boundaries of modern concerto writing.

Both concertos are brought to life under the baton of the esteemed conductor Anna-Maria Helsing, leading the Norwegian Radio Orchestra with precision and sensitivity. The performances capture the essence of Vogt’s artistic vision, presenting music that is at once innovative and profoundly resonant.

Herman Vogt, a celebrated voice in contemporary Norwegian music, has crafted works that resonate with emotional intensity and intellectual depth. This album cements his place as a leading composer in the Nordic contemporary music scene.

Audun Sandvik, Cello
Sveinung Bjelland, Piano
Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Anna-Maria Helsing, Conductor

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In many ways, Harawi: A Chant of Love and Death featuring Mezzo-Soptano Anna Molnár and pianist László Borbély on a Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano, Hamburg occupies a special place in the oeuvre of Olivier Messiaen. On the one hand, it places extreme demands on the two performers, often not in a purely technical sense, but even more in a spiritual, psychological sense. At the same time, to highlight the work’s humanly testing difficulty is to miss the point.

The other aspect of the piece’s uniqueness is the composer’s style, which is a mixture of surrealism and sacredness, and which makes his musical language always unique and instantly recognizable. And although Messiaen always represents a kind of transcendence, his compositional thinking is, in contrast, finitely organized. The aforementioned surreal flavor also stems from the seemingly irreconcilable nature of this totally organized ‘chaos’ and the sound of sacral rapture. (The composer intends the sixth – Répétition planétaire – movement to give a vision of the chaos of the universe.)

The Harawi (‘yarawi’, a characteristic genre of Peruvian folk poetry, originally related to tragedy) was, not surprisingly, written by Messiaen himself. In addition to the above, Messiaen, who boasted literary ancestry, was obviously keen to create a kind of ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ (synthesis of the arts) – in which he was ‘responsible’ for every detail of his work, including not only the music but also the text, which is written in French, but also makes extensive use of Kechuan idioms, which are included for their particular sound.

These lyrics can therefore hardly be called song lyrics in the traditional sense, but rather metaphorical dream descriptions, or ‘celestial suggestions’ if you like, whose meaning lies precisely in their artistic ambiguity. These magical texts project the often ‘too noisy loneliness’ of the human psyche. They express in a symbolic-surrealistic voice all that cannot be expressed in words. In this respect, one of the most direct sources of inspiration for the work was the oil painting ‘Seeing is Believing (L’Ile Invisible)’ by the English surrealist painter Sir Roland Penrose.

Anna Molnár, Mezzo-Soprano
László Borbély, Pianist 

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