Benjamin Britten

An enticing collection of British works brought together by the Tatjana Masurenko, who besides being on the European concert tour circuit as a guest soloist, is also a professor Viola at the oldest German ‘Hochschule für Musik’ in Leipzig. Garry Walker holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Scottish National Orchestra and Permanent Guest Conductor of the RPO.

Viennese-born Heinrich Koll studied at the Vienna Musikhochschule and was awarded a diploma with distinction in 1975.

From 1976 to 1980 he was principal violist with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and since 1980 has been principal violist with the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared as a soloist with the Vienna Philharmonic, for example at the Salzburg Mozart Week and at the opening of the Mozart Year.

In his comprehensive booklet notes Heinrich Koll writes about the history of his instrument, the character of the viola in the orchestra and the legend of old instruments.

This is the latest release in a series which features top players of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

German tenor Daniel Behle has won several prizes at international singing competitions, notably First prize in the International Robert Stolz Competition 2004, First prize in the Queen Sonja Competition 2005 in Oslo and second prize in the International Competition - Cologne 2002.

On his first recording for Phoenix Edition he sings a collection of songs by Schubert, Beethoven, Grieg, Britten and Trojahn, beautifully accompanied by Oliver Schnyder.

Recorded live at on 10 December 2006 at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall (Double Concerto) and Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on 23 April 2008 (Variations and Les Illuminations).

The London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski has made a number of previous recordings on the London Philharmonic Orchestra label including Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14. His discography also includes the first ever recording of Kancheli’s Exile for ECM (1994) and a series of recordings with the Russian National Orchestra on PentaTone Classics.

On this release Jurowski conducts live recordings of three of Benjamin Britten’s early works. Written just before his published Opus 1, the Double Concerto for Violin and Viola was never performed during Britten’s lifetime, but already demonstrates his mature style. The memorable way that the string orchestra depicts different characteristics of Britten’s composition teacher in the Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge led it to become Britten’s first popular classic. Les Illuminations sets Rimbaud’s poetry in vividly realised musical images, making it the crowning masterpiece of Britten’s early years.

This is a rare recording of the Double Concerto. The piece was only premiered in 1997.

This is Sally Matthews’ first recording solo with orchestra.

Press acclaim from the concerts:

‘Pieter Schoeman and Alexander Zemtsov proved ideal advocates for this ambitious work [Britten’s Double Concerto for Violin and Viola]… Jurowski showed himself adept at mastering the Britten sound-world.’ The Daily Telegraph, December 2006

‘Jurowski led a skilful performance of Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.’ The Financial Times, April 2008

We are delighted to announce the signing of one of the world’s greatest cellists, Pieter Wispelwey, who after many years on the Channel Classics label has decided to move to ONYX. In this outstanding recording of mid- 20th century cello music, Pieter makes his first recording of the great Walton Cello Concerto.

Pieter recorded the Walton in Australia in 2007 in several live concerts with the excellent Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the experienced baton of the British conductor Jeffrey Tate. This recording has been expertly edited from the live concerts (applause omitted). The rest of the recording was made in studio conditions in Holland.

The works for solo cello are cleverly interrelated and brings discoveries such as the Bloch Suite (written at exactly the same time as the Walton Concerto in 1957), the early Ligeti Sonata (1948-53) and two works written for Rostropovich: Britten’s Ciaconna from the 2nd suite and one of Walton’s own contributions to the ground bass form, the Passacaglia.

For the concerto Wispelwey plays his normal Guadagnini cello but for the solo cello works he was thrilled to be able to record on the great Magg Stradivarius from 1698.

We were delighted when the internationally renowned soprano Christine Brewer agreed to record some of her favourite repertoire pieces on her first recital disc for Chandos in 2005. No surprise that it was a huge success – so we were even more delighted when she returned to record this second volume – repertoire which you would never hear in a single concert or operatic performance, but here capturing Brewer’s glorious range, wonderfully supported by Judith Howarth, Timothy Robinson and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Parry.

Christine Brewer’s earlier recital (CHAN3127) introduced into this series the dramatic soprano voice and included in its programme, as does its successor, arias from Gluck’s Alceste and Wagner’s Tannhäuser. In a previous age both operas were sung by Kirsten Flagstad, by general consent the greatest heroic-dramatic soprano of all. Christine Brewer now adds one of the most formidable challenges in the repertoire, Leonore’s solo in Act I of Beethoven’s Fidelio. Otherwise, the two significant extensions are in time, backward to Handel and forward to Britten and Menotti.

Following the 90th birthday of Eric Ericson the Chamber Choir’s treasure chest has been scoured for unique live recordings from the 1970s up to 2008. Gems include Benjamin Britten’s Sacred and Profane, which based on medieval texts from the 12th & 13th centuries, was his last choral composition for a professional ensemble.

Britten wrote these three suites for his friend Mstislav Rostropovich. They have been a bench mark of a cellist’s musicianship ever since the first performances in the early 1960s and 70s. Cellist Denise Djokic has been called one of the most captivating young artists of her generation. These are truly dedicated performances by a very gifted rising star.

The angelic voices of the Oxford Girls' Choir, the fine and dramatic harp of Danielle Perrett and organ music played by Richard Vendome in a programme of exciting Christmas music, including Benjamin Britten's stunning 'A Ceremony of Carols' and music from nineteenth-century France.