C.P.E. BACH
C.P.E. Bach: Cello Concerto & Symphony H.648 Jean-Guihen Queyras, Ensemble Resonanz, Riccardo Minasi [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 27/Apr/2018 ] Why should music 'before Mozart' now be the sole preserve of period-instrument orchestras? For some years now, Ensemble Resonanz has challenged this idea, without ever neglecting the notion of the sheer pleasure to be derived from the concertos and... |
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Suites for cello solo, Nos. 1-3 Jean-Guihen Queyras (piano) [ Harmonia Mundi Musique d'Abord / CD - released 11/Feb/2013 ] This recording marked the start of the collaboration of a very young Jean-Guihen Queyras with harmonia mundi, the French cellist demonstrated his supremely high artistic standards. An unqualified success! |
HANDEL
The Masterworks [8 CD set incls 'Giulio Cesare', 'Messiah', 'Water Music', 'Dixit Dominus', etc] Jennifer Larmore; Barbara Schlick; Bernarda Fink; Rene Jacobs, Richard Egarr, Andreas Schioll, Patricia Bardon, etc [ Harmonia Mundi / 8 CD Box Set - released 1/Dec/2013 ] "Jacobs has the advantage of the excellent choir Rutter trained at Clare College, one of the best in the country. They sing superbly, and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra also make an impressive contribution. Jacobs's solo team are excellent" Penguin G |
LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Bernstein: Mass Jerry Hadley (tenor) / Rundfunkchor Berlin, Pacific Mozart Ensemble, Staats-und Domchor Berlin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Kent Nagano [ Harmonia Mundi Gold / 2 SACD - released 10/Jun/2012 ] "Nagano got everyone going, heads nodding, feet tapping, smiling all around me, and at least half the audience was on their feet at the end." - ClassicsToday.com (on the concert) |
JOSEF HAYDN
String Quartets Op 64/5 'Lark', Op 76/2 'Fifths', Op 77/1 'Lobkowitz' Jerusalem Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 24/Nov/2008 ] "Excellent performances by the Jerusalem Quartet, who must give us more Haydn recordings." The Sunday Times ***(Excellent) |
DVORAK
String Quartet No 12 American / Piano Quintet Op 81 Jerusalem Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 11/Apr/2006 ] The Jerusalem Quartet was founded in 1993, and began its training in Jerusalem, under the direction of the violinist Avi Abramovitch. |
W. A. MOZART
Mozart: String Quartets K157, K458 & K589 Jerusalem Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 10/Feb/2011 ] "The Jerusalem Quartet's approach, balancing full-blooded tone with exemplary contrapuntal clarity and a sure sense of structural direction, brings even greater musical dividends in the two mature quartets." BBC Music Awards 2012 - Chamber WINNER |
FRANZ SCHUBERT
Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 'Death and the Maiden' / String Quartet No. 12 Quartettsatz' Jerusalem String Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 10/Apr/2008 ] "Another fine, compelling release from the Jerusalem Quartet. Goodness knows, there's enough competiton out there for Deaths and Maidens and I'm still in awe of the intensity of the recent Takács version on Hyperion. But this performance takes a... |
LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN
Beethoven: String Quartets Op 18 Jerusalem String Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi / 2 CD - released 10/Aug/2015 ] The Jerusalem Quartet record exclusively for Harmonia Mundi and their discs have been awarded with numerous prizes. Their recording of Haydn's String Quartets won the chamber category of the 2010 BBC Music Magazine Awards and the Diapason d'Or Arte |
BRAHMS
Clarinet Quintet / String Quartet No 2 Jerusalem String Quartet, with Sharon Kam (clarinet) [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 20/Mar/2013 ] Brahms's implacable self-criticism was at its height in the domain of chamber music; he was already forty when he produced his second String Quartet (of three) after two decades of rejected attempts, which only makes the work's formal perfection and... |
Jezovsek/Colleg.Vocale/Herrewe
Bach:christmas Cantatas [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 1/Oct/1996 ] |
CAMPRA
French Cantatas Jill Feldman (sop) Dominique Visse (counter-ten) Jean-Francois Gardeil (bar) / Les Arts Florissants. William Christie, dir [ Harmonia Mundi musique d'abord / CD - released 20/Feb/2010 ] Une Europe galante… 'I have attempted as well as I could to mix the delicacy of French music with the vivacity of Italian music,' André Campra wrote in the Preface to his first book of cantatas. The clear-sightedness of the composer from... |
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Brahms: Clarinet Quintet Op 115 / Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano Op 114 Joan Enric Lluna (clarinet) Lluas Claret (cello) Josep Colom (piano) / Tokyo String Quartet [ Harmonia Mundi Musique d'Abord / CD - released 20/Feb/2010 ] Composed in 1891 under the influence of the famous clarinettist Richard Mühlfeld, the trio and quintet for clarinet mark Brahms' last creative period, as he had previously resolved to stop composing. These works are considered part of his best... |
Joan Enric Lluna, clarinet, Nigel Clayton, piano
Spanish Romantic Clarinet Music (Carnicer, Cavallini, Muller, Rossini, Romero) [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 12/May/2002 ] some of the first compositions for clarinet from Spain |
Joel Frederiksen
Drake: Requiem For A Pink Moon [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 7/May/2012 ] |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Rose of Sharon - 100 years of American Music (1770-1870) Joel Frederiksen (bass) / Ensemble Phoenix Munich [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 5/May/2011 ] "I have to say that this current effort to bring this music to life has a genuine air of sincerity and reverence--and if nothing else, it's certainly enlivening and entertaining. Frederiksen is an amazing musician and a uniquely gifted singer, and... |
KAPSBERGER / FALCONIERI / d'INDIA / CACCINI / etc
O Felice Morire: Aire & Madrigali: Firenze 1600 Joel Frederiksen (coloratura basso profondo) / Ensemble Phoenix Munich [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 1/Sep/2008 ] "Troubadour extraordinaire Joel Frederiksen returns yet again with another album of singin' and playin', and the results are predictably fine." (AudAud.com) |
J.S. BACH
Cantatas for Trinity-O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort. Johannette Zomer (sop) Ingeborg Danz (alto) Peter Kooy (bass) / Collegium Vocale Gent / Philippe Herreweghe, dir. / cond. [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 30/Jul/2005 ] "Philippe Herreweghe and his Collegium Vocale...the most stylistically consistent and musically reliable interpreters of this repertoire. Impeccable performances." David Vernier ClassicsToday.com |
FAURE / FRANCK
Requiem / Symphonie Johannette Zomer (soprano) Stephan Genz (baritone) / La Chapelle Royale / Philippe Herreweghe [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 25/May/2002 ] "It was an inspiring occasion - the young musicians were clearly entranced by one of Europe's most charismatic 'period' musicians...And, as a rare and generous coupling, Franck's Symphony is compellingly performed." Editor's Choice (Gramophone... |
RACHMANINOV
Piano Concerto No.3 / Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini John Nakamatsu (piano) Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra / Christopher Seaman - conductor [ Harmonia Mundi SACD / SACD - released 23/May/2004 ] On Hybrid Super Audio CD (SACD) format, presented in full 5.1 surround sound! PLAYABLE ON ANY CD SYSTEM - "Besides being an astounding technician, Nakamatsu shows impeccable taste; he puts a high gloss on anything he plays." - CHICAGO TRIBUNE |