Two Lutes: Lute Duets from England’s Golden Age
Sono Luminus DSL-92155

Anon: Greensleeves (1:17); La Rossignol (3:07)
Johnson: Trenchmore (3:26); The Delight Pavan (4:36)

Ronn McFarlane & William Simms, lutes

Ronn McFarlane introduces his new recording: “Elizabethan lute duets yield the most companionable and friendly kind of music-making. In equal duets, each lutenist plays nearly the same music, alternating playing the melody and the harmonic accompaniment. It feels like a conversation, with each lutenist posing musical questions and answers throughout. Each player is free to improvise upon the written part, so the conversation can be very individual and spontaneous.”

Elias String Quartet at Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall Live WHLive-0051

Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat major, Op 64, #6 (18:05)

Elias String Quartet

Formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1998, the Elias String Quartet quickly became established among the leading quartets performing today. It is now supported by the prestigious Wigmore Hall Emerging Talent program. The ensemble’s 2010 disc of Mendelssohn, Mozart and Schubert on the Wigmore Hall Live label received the BBC Music Magazine Newcomer Award.

Delius: A Mass of Life
Naxos 8.572861-62 (2 CDs)

Delius: A Mass of Life: I, O Du mein Wille! (5:27); II, Erhebt eure Herzen (2:02); III, In dein Auge schaute ich jüngst (13:50)

Janice Watson, soprano; Catherine Wyn-Rogers, mezzo-soprano; Andrew Kennedy, tenor; Alan Opie, baritone; Bach Choir; Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / David Hill

Long an admirer of Nietzsche’s poetry, Frederick Delius composed A Mass of Life at the height of his powers, blending passages from Also Sprach Zarathustra into orchestral textures of great expressive depth and striking beauty. David Hill is widely respected as both a choral and orchestral conductor. He became The Bach Choir’s music director in 1998; he is also Associate Guest Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Angela Hewitt Plays Schumann
Hyperion CDA-67885

Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 54 (31:29)

Angela Hewitt, piano; Berlin German Symphony Orchestra / Hannu Lintu

Angela Hewitt’s recordings of Schumann’s solo piano works for Hyperion have been described as ‘revelatory … something to cherish’ (Gramophone) and ‘unreservedly superb’ (The Guardian). Now she turns her attention to the works for piano and orchestra in a stunning release which includes the Piano Concerto in A minor and two other works also written for Clara Schumann.

Orchestral Music of Ferruccio Busoni
Naxos 8.572922

Busoni: Eine Lustspielouvertüre (A Comedy Overture), Op 38 (7:01)

Rome Symphony Orchestra / Francesco La Vecchia

All six of these orchestral works showcase Busoni’s personal style of classicism. The Comedy Overture is light and almost Mozartian in clarity, while Song of the Spirit Dance is a delicately scored chamber piece. Both the Clarinet Concertino and the Flute Divertimento reveal Busoni’s affinity for solo instruments. The spirit of Johann Strauss II haunts the Tanzwalzer, and the Rondò arlecchinesco shows Busoni’s wit.

Dussek: Four Symphonies
Naxos 8.572683

Dussek: Sinfonia in G major (9:54)

Helsinki Baroque Orchestra / Aapo Häkkinen

Franz Xaver Dussek was a pianist, celebrated teacher and the leading composer of instrumental music in Prague. He completed his musical training in Vienna, and his works reflect the strong influence of composers such as Haydn and Dittersdorf. Dussek’s symphonies from the 1760s and 1770s are works of great charm and vivacity, cleverly orchestrated and full of striking melodic ideas as this recording amply demonstrates.

Gustavo Dudamel Conducts Beethoven's Eroica
Deutsche Grammophon B0016869-02

Beethoven: Symphony #3 in E-flat major, Op 55, Eroica (52:56)

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela/ Gustavo Dudamel

Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Orchestra bring their unique energy to one of the summits of the orchestral repertoire — Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. The album also includes two of Beethoven’s best-loved overtures, Egmont, inspired by Goethe’s play, and the ballet, The Creatures of Prometheus.

Vadim Gluzman: Par.ti.ta
BIS SACD-1972

Bach: Solo Violin Partita #3 in E major, BWV 1006 (17:32)

Vadim Gluzman, violin

“A hum­ble attempt to build a metaphysical time bridge” is how Vadim Gluzman describes his latest recording project: a disc which combines two partitas by J.S. Bach with works by Eugène Ysaÿe and Lera Auerbach, each representing a view of Bach through the prism of the 20th and 21st century respectively.

Adam Gyorgy plays Liszt, Bach & Mozart
AGP Records

Liszt: Paraphrase on Verdi’s Rigoletto (6:40)

Adam Gyorgy, piano

The young Hungarian pianist Adam Gyorgy is a charismatic performer, who often includes his own compositions and improvisations in his concerts. He says, “For me, music starts when words end; every single note has so much information and you really can get anything and everything behind the music in a heartbeat.”