PIERRE BOULEZ — Boulez Conducts Mahler : Complete Recordings (2013) 14CD BOX-SET | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Between 1994 and 2011, Pierre Boulez recorded the symphonies and songs of Gustav Mahler for Deutsche Grammophon, and for many listeners these recordings are high points in his catalog, while others regard them as idiosyncratic recordings for specialists. The basis of both views stems from Boulez's meticulous conducting and exacting performance standards, which produce music of extreme lucidity and precision, yet which can also seem overly cerebral and dispassionate. Boulez's approach to Mahler may seem clinical, and this is a reasonable assessment of the way he treats details, textures, timbres, dynamics, and rhythms as indicated in the score, clearly and cleanly, without adding personal touches or interpreting the music through Mahler's biography or his own mythology. In short, Boulez goes back to what Mahler actually wrote and avoids the distortions of post-Romantic tradition and the exaggerated choices of superstar conductors. If this means Boulez is out of the mainstream of, say, Leonard Bernstein, Georg Solti, or Herbert von Karajan, his zeal for exactitude is often matched by his contemporaries, Claudio Abbado, Michael Tilson Thomas, Benjamin Zander, Jonathan Nott, and Jaap van Zweden. The sound of these recordings varies slightly from disc to disc, but Deutsche Grammophon's high standards are consistently met. Blair Sanderson 

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) 
Vol. 1 - Symphony No. 1 Titan, Totenfeier
Vol. 2 - Symphony No. 2 Resurrection
Vol. 3 & 4 - Symphony No. 3, Das klagende Lied
Vol. 5 - Symphony No. 4
Vol. 6 - Symphony No. 5
Vol. 7 - Symphony No. 6
Vol. 8 - Symphony No. 7
Vol. 9 & 10 - Symphony No. 8 Symphony of a Thousand
Vol. 11 - Symphony No. 9
Vol. 12 - Des Knaben Wunderhorn, Symphony No. 10 Adagio
Vol. 13 - Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, Ruckert-Lieder, indertotenlieder
Vol. 14 - Das Lied von der Erde
Credits :
Orchestras – Wiener Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra
Soprano Vocals – Juliane Banse, Dorothea Röschmann, Adriane Queiroz, Erin Wall, Violeta Urmana, Christine Schäfer 
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Magdalena Kožená,  Michelle DeYoung,  Anne Sofie Von Otter, Violeta Urmana
Contralto Vocals – Anna Larsson, Simone Schröder
Baritone Vocals [Pater Ecstaticus] – Hanno Müller-Brachmann, Christian Gerhaher
Bass Vocals [Pater Profundus] – Robert Holl, Thomas Quasthoff
Tenor Vocals – Johan Botha,  Michael Schade
Chorus – Wiener Singverein, Wiener Sängerknaben, Frauenchor Des Wiener Singverein,
Chorus Master – Johannes Prinz, Gerald Wirth 
Violin [Solo] – William Preucil

SCHOENBERG : The Piano Music = Das Klavierwerk = L'Œuvre Pianistique (Maurizio Pollini) (1975) RM | 20th Century Classics Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Without an understanding of Schoenberg's concentrated language and intensity of expression, performances of his piano music can suffer either from cerebral dryness or confused murkiness. On this CD, Maurizio Pollini strikes a fine balance between analytical and emotionally demonstrative approaches to produce a lucid yet passionate result. Pollini's interpretations change appopriately from piece to piece, revealing that these keyboard works are as varied as the stages of Schoenberg's career, from the Post-Romanticism of his early years to the liberating innovations of his maturity. The enigmatic, ambivalently chromatic Three Piano Pieces, Op. 11, and the more adventurous, atonal Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19, signify the development of a new language, perhaps similar in mood to late Scriabin, but free of old mannerisms. The Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23, benefiting from Pollini's clarity and concentration, sound spare and aphoristic. In the 12-tone Suite, Op. 25, Pollini brings out the wit and fluid elegance that run throughout the work, which approaches Neo-Classicism in both form and wry detachment. The Two Piano Pieces, Op. 33a and 33b, are free-standing and integral expressions, despite their brevity. Deutsche Grammophon's high-quality sound is clean, with only minimal tape hiss. Blair Sanderson

Arnold Schoenberg (1819-1896)
1-3.  Drei Klavierstücke Op. 11  (13:36)
4-9.  Sechs Kleine Klavierstücke Op. 19  (5:10)
10-14.  Fünf Klavierstücke Op. 23 3 (10:12)
15-21.  Suite Für Klavier Op. 25  (14:16)
22.  Klavierstück Op. 33a. Mässig (2:06)
23.  Klavierstück Op. 33b. Mässig Langsam (3:31)
Credits :
Design [Cover] – Holger Matthies
Piano – Maurizio Pollini

RACHMANINOV — Preghiera : Rachmaninov Piano Trios (Kremer · Dirvanauskaité · Trifonov) (2017) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This group of Rachmaninov piano trios was released in celebration of the 70th birthday of Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer. One might have expected something that placed Kremer more in the spotlight than chamber music, and perhaps something devoted to the enormous influence he has had in reviving neglected Baltic and Eastern European repertory. On greater reflection, though, the decision is typical: Kremer has always been one who guides rather than one who takes the spotlight himself, and he has recorded a great deal of Russian music, often in fresh ways. So it is here with Rachmaninov. His two "trios élégiaques" are both youthful works; the Trio élégiaque No. 2 in D minor, Op. 9, was composed when he was 21, and the person being given the elegy was the late Tchaikovsky, whose own piano trio also had a set of variations for its central movement. The trios give priority not to the violin, but to the piano, and for chamber music partners Kremer chooses a mix of his own generation -- cellist Giedré Dirvanauskaité -- and the new one, Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov. It's an effective constellation overall, with Trifonov getting the virtuoso parts and the two older players putting in commentary. This isn't top-drawer Rachmaninov (the Trio No. 2 is a bit sprawling), but the group captures its mood of bravado and interiority. Another bonus is the rarely heard Preghiera, the slow movement of the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, arranged for piano trio by none other than Fritz Kreisler. Sample this, for it introduces the fresh balances that are the distinctive feature of this recording. Deutsche Grammophon's sound, from the wooden and gentle Trifolion hall in Echternach, Luxembourg, is idiomatic to the music and exceptionally pleasant. James Manheim

Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
1. Preghiera (Adagio Sostenuto From Piano Concerto No. 2) 5:24
Arranged By – Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
2-4. Trio Elégiaque No. 2 In D Minor, Op. 9
5. Trio Elégiaque No. 1 In G Minor    12:01
Credits :
Gidon Kremer - Violin
Geidré Dirvanauskaité - Cello 2-5
Daniil Trifonov - Piano

BARTÓK : Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion • STRAVINSKY : Concerto for 2 Solo Pianos · Sonata for 2 Pianos (Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky) (1977-1992) RM | 20th Century Classics Series | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Béla Bartók (1881 – 1945)
Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion
Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky, Christoph Caskel, Heinz Koenig
Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971)
Concerto for 2 Pianos
Sonata for two Pianos
Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky

CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH : Sonatas & Rondos -Mikhail Pletnev (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788)
1-4. Sonata in G Minor, Wq.65/17 (H47) (14:15)
5-7. Sonata in C Minor, Wq.65/31 (H121) (10:18)
8-10. Sonata in D Major, Wq.61/2 (H286) (4:50)
11-13. Sonata in F-Sharp Minor, Wq.52/4 (H37)    (12:36)
14. Rondò in D Minor, Wq.61/4 (H290) 4:36
15-17. Sonata in G Major, Wq.62/19 (H119) (7:56)
18. Rondò in C Minor, Wq.59/4 (H283)    4:41
19-21. Sonata in E Minor, Wq.59/1 (H281)    (6:57)
22. Andante con Tenerezza (form Sonata in A Major, Wq.65/32-H135) 6:43
Credits :
Piano – Mikhail Pletnev

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR — Traces of You (2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar's second offering for Deutsche Grammophon, she stays closer to home musically than she did on 2011's widely celebrated Traveller. That said, she carries what she learned from studying flamenco with producer Javier Limon and integrates it fully into these proceedings. Producer Nitin Sawhney, a fine recording artist in his own right, is an integral part of Traces of You. He wrote one of these 13 cuts, co-authored five more, and arranged and played on several others. This is easily the most intimate and emotional offering in Shankar's catalog. Though the album was planned earlier and its basic ideas outlined by Shankar and Sawhney, the music is indelibly informed by a life-changing event, the death of her father, Ravi Shankar. Opener and first single "The Sun Won’t Set" is one of three tracks to feature the voice of half-sister Norah Jones, whose haunting, bluesy vocal is adorned only by Shankar's sitar, a classical guitar, and Ghatam (a percussion instrument). The title track evokes the loss and spirit of her father in an uplifting way. A sprightly, syncopated rhythm track undergirds Jones' drifting vocal as Shankar's sitar alternately drones and accents alongside a tabla, glockenspiel, and guitar. It is one of the set's standout tracks. "Indian Summer" is a piano and sitar duet where flamenco and Indian classical music sit side by side. Three tracks -- "Lasya," "In Jyotyi's Name," and "Chasing Shadows" -- are squarely inside the Indian classical tradition, while several others, including "River Pulse," "Monsoon," and "Metamorphosis," use it in a context framed by electronic rhythms and loops without breaking the overriding lineage thread. Closer "Unsaid" features Jones' melody, vocal, and piano accompanying Shankar's lyrics and sitar. A poignant pop ballad, Sawhney adds just enough of Ian Burdge's cello to deepen its emotional impact. Throughout Traces of You, Shankar allows her vulnerability as a human being -- even in the instrumentals -- to freely converse with her authority as a musician and composer. Sawhney is an empathic producer balancing the sides, allowing her wide-ranging and integrative musical ideas to take root and flower even as they express tenderness, sadness, grace, and gratitude.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    The Sun Won't Set 3:35
Ghatam – Pirashanna Thevarajah
Guitar – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Vocals – Norah Jones
2    Flight    3:38
Cello – Ian Burdge
Programmed By, Arranged By [Strings] – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Steel Drums [Hang] – Manu Delago
3    Indian Summer    4:54
Piano, Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
4    Maya    5:05
Cello – Ian Burdge
Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Steel Drums [Hang] – Manu Delago
5    Lasya    4:39
Mridangam, Jew's Harp [Moorsing], Vocals – Pirashanna Thevarajah
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Steel Drums [Hang] – Manu Delago
Tambura [Tanpura] – Kenji Ota
Udu – Bernhard Schimpelsberger
6    Fathers    2:30
Piano – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
7    Metamorphosis    4:47
Bass Guitar, Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Shenai – Sanjeev Shankar
Sitar, Vocals – Anoushka Shankar
Tabla – Tanmoy Bose
Tambura [Tanpura] – Kenji Ota
Vocals – Anil Narasimha, Sandhya Chandrachood
8    In Jyoti's Name    3:33
Mridangam, Ghatam – Pirashanna Thevarajah
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Tambura [Tanpura] – Kenji Ota
9    Monsoon    3:40
Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Tambura [Tanpura] – Kenji Ota
10    Traces Of You 3:45
Glockenspiel – Manu Delago
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Percussion, Ukulele, Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Tabla – Tanmoy Bose
Vocals – Norah Jones
11    River Pulse    3:04
Cello – Ian Burdge
Ghatam, Shaker, Percussion, Jew's Harp [Moorsing] – Pirashanna Thevarajah
Guitar, Programmed By – Nitin Sawhney
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Tabla – Aref Durvesh
12    Chasing Shadows    8:17
Bansuri – Ravichandra Kulur
Mridangam, Ghatam, Kanjira – Pirashanna Thevarajah
Shenai – Sanjeev Shankar
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Tabla – Tanmoy Bose
Tambura [Tanpura] – Kenji Ota
13    Unsaid 4:28
Arranged By [Strings] – Nitin Sawhney
Cello – Ian Burdge
Sitar – Anoushka Shankar
Vocals, Piano – Norah Jones

SCARLATTI : Sonaten (Alexis Weissenberg) (1986) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

 Tracklist & Credits :

YUJA WANG - The Vienna Recital : Albéniz · Beethoven · Каpustin · Ligeti · Scriabin (2024) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

No longer the young sensation, pianist Yuja Wang these days gets Deutsche Grammophon's "The [fill-in-the-city-name] Recital" treatment with several live concert recordings presented as major events, and, indeed, they are. This one was made in Vienna in April of 2022, and it is a remarkable high-wire act in its programming and execution, one that few pianists of the present or past could have duplicated. The usually staid Viennese press reported that the crowd on hand "went wild." One would never know that; Deutsche Grammophon's engineers have stripped out every trace of audience noise, and one wishes for traces of the excitement hearers must have felt as Wang swings from Albéniz to Scriabin to the Russian jazz of Nikolai Kapustin to Beethoven. All that is just in the first half of the show. One can try without success to figure out exactly what makes all this music hang together in Wang's hands; she is certainly one of the few pianists who could successfully follow etudes of Ligeti with one of Glass. The secret seems to lie in the detail she brings to each work. Consider her quick reading of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 18 in E flat major, Op. 31, No. 3 ("The Hunt"), in which she turns the opening gesture, usually gentle, into the call of a hunting horn at the beginning of an active outdoor happening. It is the same throughout, and the music works because it is all done sensitively, and it coheres into what the booklet calls "a musical gallery." An impressive outing from Wang, who continues to live up to and even exceed the high expectations she has generated for herself through publicity. Completely unsurprisingly, this release made classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2024. James Manheim    Tracklist & Credits :

BEETHOVEN : Complete Concertos (Daniel Barenboim · Gidon Kremer · Anne-Sophie Mütter · Maurizio Pollini) 5CD BOX-SET (2011) Serie Collectors Edition | FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

Alle Beethoven Konzerte in einer Sammlung vereint. Das bietet diese Edition: Alle Klavierkonzerte mit Maurizio Pollini, das Violinkonzert mit Anne-Sophie Mutter, das Tripel Konzert mit Mutter, Yo-Yo Ma und Mark Zeltser. Zusätzlich finden sich auf den 5 CDs Raritäten und Arrangements mit Daniel Barenboim, Gidon Kremer, Gil Shaham, Sviatoslav Richter, Herbert von Karajan, Karl Böhm, den Berliner Philharmonikern, Wiener Philharmonikern und dem London Symphony Orchestra deutschegrammophon.com   Tracklist & Credits :

DEBUSSY : Preludes · Images · Children's Corner (Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli) 2CD (2020) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

GUSTAV HOLST : The Planets ♦ RICHARD STRAUSS : Also sprach Zarathustra (Boston Symphony Orchestra · William Steinberg) (2018) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

 Tracklist & Credits :

SCHUMANN : The Four Symphonies · Overtures (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra · Rafael Kubelik) 2CD (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

FRÉDRÉRIC CHOPIN : Complete Nocturnes (Jan Lisiecki) 2CD (2021) FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

 Pianist Jan Lisiecki, 26 years old when this recording was released in 2021, was dubbed the Doogie Howser of the piano by the New York Times, and the moniker is apt not only for his youthful appearance but for his wealth of experience. In the music of Chopin, with which he began to make a splash in Poland as early as age 14, he's positively a veteran, and it shows in this traversal of the composer's Nocturnes. Lisiecki does not propose any interpretive breakthroughs for these pieces; his tempos are moderate, perhaps on the slow side, and he is expressively self-effacing rather than dramatic, with the focus squarely on the melody. It may take multiple hearings to appreciate his accomplishment here, but those who devote the time will find exceptionally smooth Chopin readings in which every detail has been considered and practiced well. This is not to say that Lisiecki's Chopin is mechanical. The quasi-improvisatory element is there and is elegantly realized, but the pianist tends to defer it until later in the piece, after the quiet nocturnal atmosphere has been established. The Berlin Meistersaal is an ideal sound environment for Chopin in general, and here, it contributes a truly magical touch. The next generation of Chopin interpretation is in good hands. James Manheim
Tracklist & Credits :

ACCARDO plays PAGANINI — Complete Recordings : Violin Concertos № 1-6 · Sonatas · 24 Caprices · Sonata Napoleone ... (London Philharmonic Orchestra · Charles Dutoit) 6CD BOX-SET (2018) Blu-ray Audio – RM | FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

Nicolo Paganini (1782-1840)

CD1 - Violin Concertos 1 and 2 - [69:00]
CD2 - Violin Concertos 3 and 4 - [72:08]
CD3 - Violin Concerto 5, Primavera - [72:25]
CD4 - Violin Concerto 6, Sonata, etc - [71:44]
CD5 - 24 Caprices - [74:36]
CD6 - Sonata Napoleone, I palpiti, etc - [47:11]

Salvatore Accardo - Violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra - Charles Dutoit

GRIEG : Complete Music with Orchestra (Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra · Neeme Järvi) 6CD SET (1993) Serie Collectors Edition | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits 

JOHN DOWLAND : The John Dowland Collection (2007) 2CD / APE (image+.cue), lossless

Does this two-disc set contain John Dowland's greatest hits? Yes, indeed, it does. With "Flow, My Tears," "In Darkness Let Me Dwell," "Come, Heavy Sleep," seven "Larchimae" of various sorts, plus his greatest hit of all, "Semper Dowland, semper dolens," all the melancholy Elizabethan English composer's best-known and best-loved hits are here. Are these the best performances available of Dowland's greatest hits? While some might argue that there are other equally worthy performances available, few would argue that these aren't at least among the best ever made. With the sweet Barbara Bonney, the sensuous Anne Sofie von Otter, and the ethereal Emma Kirkby handling most of the vocals and lutinists Anthony Rooley and Jakob Lindberg plus guitarist Göran Söllscher handling most of the fretwork, these performances have the right blend of the soulful and the poetic with just the right touch of urbane to make them wholly convincing. Although Dowland's predominantly melancholy art may not appeal to everyone, those for whom it does appeal will surely enjoy this superbly chosen and sumptuously recorded two-disc set. by James Leonard  

JOHN DOWLAND (1563-1626)

CD1
1    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Antiquae 4'45
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
2    First Booke Of Songes, 1597, No.4: If My Complaints Could Passions Move 4'48
Lute – Jacob Heringman
Soprano Vocals – Barbara Bonney
3    First Booke Of Songes, 1597, No.5: Can She Excuse My Wrongs 2'39
Lute – Jakob Lindberg
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Anne Sofie Von Otter
4    First Booke Of Songes, 1597, No.11: Come Away, Come Sweet Love 2'25
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
5    My Lady Hudson's Allemande 1'22
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
6    A Piece Without Title 0'48
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
7    The Shoemaker's Wife 1'05
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
8    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Antiquae Novae 4'05
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
9    First Booke Of Songes, 1597, No.17: Come Again: Sweet Love Doth Now Invite 2'43
Lute – Jacob Heringman
Soprano Vocals – Barbara Bonney
10    First Booke Of Songes, 1597, No.20: Come Heavy Sleep 4'29
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
11    Mr. Dowland's Midnight 1'30
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
12    Sir John Smith, His Almain 2'23
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
13    Lachrimae, 1604: Semper Dowland, Semper Dolens 3'39
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
14    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Gementes 4'22
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
15    Second Booke Of Songes, 1600, No.1: I Saw My Lady Weep 5'34
Lute – Thomas E. Binkley
Tenor Vocals – Nigel Rogers
16    Second Booke Of Songes, 1600, No.2: Flow My Tears 4'45
Lute – Jacob Heringman
Soprano Vocals – Barbara Bonney
17    Second Booke Of Songes, 1600, No.12: Fine Knacks For Ladies 2'08
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
18    Second Booke Of Songes, 1600, No.19: Shall I Sue 3'25
Lute – Thomas E. Binkley
Tenor Vocals – Nigel Rogers
19    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Tristes 4'35
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke

CD2
1    Third Booke Of Songes, 1603, No.5: Me, Me And None But Me 2'41
Lute – Thomas E. Binkley
Tenor Vocals – Nigel Rogers
2    Forlorne Hope Fancy 4'10
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
3    Weepe You No More, Sad Fountaines 5:24
Lute – Jakob Lindberg
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Anne Sofie Von Otter
4    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Coactae 4'14
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
5    A Pilgrim's Solace (1612), No.9: Go Nightly Cares 5'47
Directed By – Thomas E. Binkley
Ensemble – Studio Der Frühen Musik
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Andrea von Ramm
6    The Right Honourable Ferdinando, Earl Of Derby, His Galliard 2'19
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
7    The Most Sacred Queen Elizabeth, Her Galliard 1'15
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
8    A Pilgrim's Solace (1612), No.8: Tell Me, True Love 7'14
Bass Vocals – Karl-Heinz Klein
Countertenor Vocals – Grayston Burgess
Lute – Thomas E. Binkley
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Andrea von Ramm
Tenor Vocals – Nigel Rogers
9    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Amantis 4'30
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
10    In Darkness Let Me Dwell 4'26
Lute – Jakob Lindberg
Mezzo-soprano Vocals – Anne Sofie Von Otter
11    A Fantasia 4'08
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
12    My Lord Chamberlain His Galliard 2'23
Guitar – Göran Söllscher
13    Far From Triumphing Court 5'07
Countertenor Vocals – Andreas Scholl
Lute – Edin Karamazov
Viol [Bass] – Christophe Coin
14    I Shame At Mine Unworthiness 2'30
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke
15    Lachrimae, 1604: Lachrimae Verae 4'18
Directed By – Anthony Rooley
Ensemble – The Consort Of Musicke

Bass Vocals [The Consort Of Musicke] – David Thomas (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15)
Countertenor Vocals [The Consort Of Musicke] – John York Skinner (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15)
Lute – Julian Crème (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15)
Lute [The Consort Of Musicke] – Anthony Rooley (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15), Christopher Wilson (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15)
Soprano Vocals [The Consort Of Musicke] – Emma Kirkby (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15), Glenda Simpson (pistas: 2-14)
Tenor Vocals [The Consort Of Musicke] – Martyn Hill (pistas: 1-1, 1-4, 1-8, 1-14, 1-17, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-14, 2-15)
Viol [Bass] – Jane Ryan (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15)
Viol [Tenor] – Ian Gammie (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15), Trevor Jones (4) (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15)
Viol [Treble] – Catherine Macintosh (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15), Polly Waterfield (pistas: 1-1, 1-8, 1-14, 1-19, 2-4, 2-9, 2-15)

ANNE-SOPHIE MÜTTER - Hommage à Penderecki (2018) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With one exception, the recordings on the double-album Hommage à Penderecki are all reissues (the new one is the quite haunting Violin Sonata No. 2 of 1999 at the end of disc one). Yet the collection will be well worth the time and money even of Mutter fans, for it offers an ideal deep dive into a key aspect of the violinist's career. The beginning of her interaction with Penderecki was close chronologically to the point where she became well established as one of the world's preeminent violinists, perhaps even the very top one. Her technically precise but emotionally edgy style not only fit Penderecki unusually well, but also became part of her efforts to shape her legacy in an ongoing way. The collaboration has resulted in four works to date. All are representative of Penderecki's late style, which is less neo-Romantic than aimed at showing that there is still a lot of room to incorporate dissonant structures into Romantic idioms. Sample the Metamorphosen, the Violin Concerto No. 2, on CD two, perhaps the finale, where Mutter's violin is truly transcendent as it ascends to pure high notes. La Follia, written in 2013, is a rethinking of the Baroque ground-bass piece, and it and really all the other pieces are calibrated to Mutter's undiminished skills. There's a work for solo violin, a duo, a violin sonata, and a violin concerto (with Penderecki himself conducting the London Symphony Orchestra), and the whole is a satisfying compilation of Mutter's effort to redefine the violin repertory, nicely illustrated with photos of Penderecki looking adoring. by James Manheim  

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)

CD1
1-10    La Folia (2013) For Solo Violin
11    Duo Concertante (2010) For Violin And Double Bass. Andante, Quasi Una Cadenza – Allegretto Scherzando – Andante, Quasi Una Cadenza
Double Bass – Roman Patkoló
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mutter
12-16    Sonata No. 2 (1999) For Violin And Piano
Piano – Lambert Orkis
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mutter

CD2
1-6    Metamorphosen (1992–95): Concerto For Violin And Orchestra No. 2
Conductor – Krzysztof Penderecki
Orchestra – The London Symphony Orchestra
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mutter

RIHM : Lichtes Spiel • PENDERECKI : Duo Concertant • CURRIER : Time Machines (Anne-Sophie Mütter) (2011) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Veteran violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is not performing the usual Beethoven or Mozart repertoire here, but branching out to embrace new music commissioned for her. Along for the ride are the excellent New York Philharmonic under the baton of Michael Francis for the first Rihm work, and then under Alan Gilbert for the Currier piece, along with contrabassist Roman Patkoló. Lichtes Spiel (for violin and small orchestra) is indeed a "light game," with layered voices in the strings. There are moments of singing romanticism and beautiful vibrato, even a section that sounds vaguely classical, while the piece constantly stays in motion. Rihm clearly gets interesting colors and characters from Mutter's violin, in surprising, exciting ways. Duo concertante shows off a really lively, rapid, eager violinist full of emotion that pours forth, and it is precisely this explosive quality that makes the piece so engaging to hear. But equally in the spotlight is contrabassist Patkoló, who plays with such agility that it is hard to believe he is not playing a smaller string instrument like a viola or cello. Composer Penderecki, tricks the listener into believing the intensity has died out, but no, it resumes again, a vigorous duet between the violin and contrabass. The piece is, in a word, fun. Rihm's Dyade is quite a contrast in programming, moody and layered, the voices of the two instruments intertwining. Sometimes the lines are long, sometimes shard-like and shrieking. Mutter clearly relishes the textures and notes, and the excellent recording quality allows the listener to truly feel each bow stroke, heavy and into the string, or bouncing, or attacked tremolos. The dark contrabass is a nice contrast in register and mood. Sebastian Currier's Time Machines (for violin and orchestra) contain seven movements representing different aspects of time. Particularly interesting are the urgent, frenzied "Fragmented Time"; the perpetual motion of "Compressed Time"; the melodic patterns that climb in the violin and xylophone in "Entropic Time"; and the "Harmonic Time" with her solo violin soaring above the sound "scenes" that fade in and out like movie images. Mutter has chosen to explore a new direction, and both she and her listeners are rewarded. This is an album that will delight not only fans of Anne-Sophie Mutter, but also fans of new music who like to take their time to reflect on and savor thoughtful compositions. A most unique album indeed. by V. Vasan  

Wolfgang Rihm
1    Lichtes Spiel (2009)
Conductor – Michael Francis
Orchestra – New York Philharmonic
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mütter

Krzysztof Penderecki
2    Duo Concertante (2010)
Double Bass – Roman Patkoló
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mütter

Wolfgang Rihm
3    Dyade (2010-2011)
Double Bass – Roman Patkoló
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mütter

Sebastian Currier
4-10    Time Machines (2007)
Conductor – Alan Gilbert
Orchestra – New York Philharmonic
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mütter

PENDERECKI : Violin Concerto Nr. 2 >>Metamorphosen<< • BARTÓK : Sonata for Violin and Piano Nr. 2 (Mütter, Penderecki, Orkis) (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020)

1-6    Metamorphosen (1992-1996)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 2
(Dedicated To Anne-Sophie Mutter)
Conductor – Krzysztof Penderecki
Orchestra – London Symphony Orchestra
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mutter

Béla Bartók (1881-1945)

6-8    Sonata For Violin And Piano No. 2 Sz 76 (1922) (19:47)
Piano – Lambert Orkis
Violin – Anne-Sophie Mutter

NEMANJA RADULOVIC - Journey East (2014) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulovic, long flying hair and all, evokes the spirit and sound of the central European violinists of a hundred years ago. On this collection of pieces, mostly associated with Slavic lands (John Williams' Theme from Schindler's List makes a fascinating exception), he takes new chances, and they pay off big time. Radulovic has developed a vigorously rhythmic style that can build up a good deal of momentum in a piece like the opening Hungarian Dance No. 1 of Brahms, and he effectively alternates these with pieces that lay on the sentiment. What's new here is that Radulovic has reached out and gotten the music he needs from other genres, from unusual sources, and from a variety of ensembles. There are several arrangements by Yvan Cassar that make a wonderful effect. Sample the violin-and-small ensemble version of Khachaturian's Sabre Dance (track 4) for a bit of pure excitement that someone might have come up with in an old Viennese cafe in 1900, but probably not since then. Radulovic draws on some Serbian film soundtracks and on original compositions. He employs not only his usual backing group Les Trilles du Diable, but also a slightly larger string group called Double Sens and, on several tracks, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. The musicians back up Radulovic's fiery effects, and the result is perhaps the most colorful and exciting exotic violin recitals in many years. Bravo! by James Manheim
Tracklist :
Hungarian Dance
Composed By – Johannes Brahms
1    No. 1 in G minor    3:12
2    Songs My Mother Taught Me 3:17
Composed By – Antonín Dvořák
Swan Lake
Composed By – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
3    Russian Dance    4:20
Gayaneh
Composed By – Aram Khatchaturian
4    Sabre Dance    2:56
5    Vatra Suze 3:16
Composed By – Sonia Kalajic
6    Pašona Kolo 2:42
Traditional
Masquerade
Composed By – Aram Khatchaturian
7    Nocturne    3:38
Gadfly Suite
Composed By – Dmitri Shostakovich
8    Romance    4:15
Love For Three Oranges Suite
Composed By – Sergei Prokofiev
9    March    1:34
10    Schindler's List: Theme 3:50
Composed By – John Williams
11    Niška Banja 2:20
Traditional
12    Petrijin Venac: Theme 4:18
Composed By – Zoran Simjanović
13    Ojo Je Muški Svet 4:19
Composed By – Dejan "Leopold" Sparavalo, Emir Kusturica
14    Csárdás 4:45
Composed By – Vittorio Monti
15    Zajdi, Zajdi, Jasno Sonce 5:37
Composed By – Aleksandar Sarijevski
Credits :
Cimbalom – Ludovit Kovac
Conductor – Michail Jurowski
Ensemble – Double Sens, Les Trilles Du Diable
Orchestra – Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Percussion – Nicolas Montazaud
Piano – Laure Favre-Kahn
Technician [Piano] – Vincent Guyon
Violin – Nemanja Radulović
Vocals – Ksenija Milošević