Johannes Brahms

New Zealand pianist Stephen De Pledge is one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of his generation. Stephen’s solo performances have taken him throughout the UK, including five solo recitals in the Wigmore Hall in London, where he made his acclaimed debut in 1999. He has also given solo performances in Hong Kong, Italy, France, Singapore, Japan, Australia and the USA.

Stephen’s repertoire is far-reaching, from the music of the 17th to the 21st centuries. He has always been an advocate for contemporary music, and has given the world premiere performances of many works.

Stephen has recorded previously for Champs Hill on a CD of chamber works by Messiaen, studying with Mme. Messiaen in Paris prior to the recordings of these works.

The 1916-19 period saw Fritz Kreisler at his peak as an artist, although the shadow cast by America’s entrance to World War one in 1917 forced him to cancel numerous concerts. The improved fidelity possible by 1916 saw Kreisler making substitutes of his earlier American recordings, including his own Liebesfreud.

Amongst an abundance of technical marvels, Kreisler’s superb ‘parlando’ bowing is demonstrated in Granados’s Spanish Dance. The string quartet recordings include a fine Andante cantabile by Tchaikovsky, and persuasive performances with small orchestra in 1917 include Beautiful Ohio which would later be adopted as the state’s official song. After the Armistice, Kreisler was able to return to the studio in 1919 for showcase works such as Valdez’s Sérénade du Tzigane.

This ongoing series of the complete Fritz Kreisler recordings generates new interest with each release. Our highest standards of audio restoration and remastering make these volumes the reference for these historic recordings, with comments such as ‘the results are incredible’ (ClassicsToday.com on Vol 3, 8110922) encouraging seasoned collectors and inquisitive newcomers alike.

Ward Marston, producer and audio restoration engineer

Interview with Neveu from 5th March 1949 and extracts from the Beethoven, Brahms and Sibelius concertos

For centuries, babies and children all over the world have been rocked to sleep with a song to calm them. Whether parents sing or play, or press play, they know that music so often soothes with success. Composers have written lullabies for different reasons – sometimes as standalone songs or pieces and sometimes as part of a larger work. Here is a variety of restful tracks to foster the sweet dreams of all!

For many years, Henninge Landaas was principal viola of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and has also been co-principal viola in the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has toured extensively as a member of the award winning Vertavo String Quartet. She performs these works with the British pianist Tim Horton.

Heavenly Voices celebrates the tradition of music making at St. John’s College Cambridge. The varied repertoire featured on this Heritage disc not only showcases their versatility but confirms their reputation as one of the UK’s finest cathedral choirs.

A compelling release, featuring two composers with very different styles. Brahms’s Piano Trio in C follows his sonata pattern with the thick texture having all the hallmarks of strong emotionality, which gives the music its dramatic and lofty character. A sense of drama and high emotion are also the key features of the Piano Trio in D by Arensky. This recording marks the debut CD for this young and vibrant Trio, founded in 1997, and taking active part in concert life in Poland and abroad.

Wilhelm Kempff (1895–1991), one of the great piano masters, receives an exceptional tribute from the label with which he was most closely associated.

This is a beautiful, limited-edition 35-CD box of Kempff’s complete solo repertoire on DG and Decca Classics.

It includes the stereo Beethoven sonata cycle, the Schubert sonata cycle, generous anthologies of Bach, Brahms, Liszt, Schubert, and Schumann – plus Chopin and Baroque. There are many rarities, not readily available at present.

It comes with a Bonus CD of four early recordings from the 1930s – Bach, Beethoven, Schumann and Schubert/Liszt, all first-time releases – and a short series of spoken recordings by Kempff (synopses in English and French in booklet)

The booklet essay is a warm tribute from piano expert Gregor Willmes.