Claude Achille Debussy

The Gliere Harp Concerto has always been a favourite among harp enthusiasts: written in the 1930s, the work’s stylistic features are reminiscent of the Viennese classical style united with Russian romantic nationalism.

This disc highlights the extraordinary talent of the Official Harpist to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Claire Jones. She is joined by renowned flautist William Bennet OBE, and the English Chamber Orchestra to complete the release with Mozart’s Concerto for flute, harp and Orchestra and Debussy’s Danses pour Harpe Chromatique. Claire has performed for members of the Royal Family on more then 70 occasions and recently premiered a brand new Royal Commission by Patrick Hawes at Highgrove House with the Philharmonia. She is also featured on a new release with the National Youth Choir of Scotland, performing Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols (released on September 20 SIGCD228).

Patrick Hawes' Highgrove documentary is broadcast on 23rd September on BBC2. It is all about the writing of his piece The Highgrove Suite which is due out on Classic FM next month, guaranteeing good exposure for Patrick and Claire Jones.

These are never-before-released Monteux live performances in state of the art digital restorations. The set includes works by Beethoven, Brahms, Glinka, Hindemith, Mendelssohn, Milhaud, Schumann, R. Strauss of which there are no studio recordings with Monteux. Soloists include Stern and Serkin.

On her latest recording, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers takes us on a musical journey that begins in a hushed gentle dreamscape and ends with languorous longing. She traverses the seasons, as expressed in a gorgeous selection of pieces which evoke everything from cherry blossoms, to endless blue skies to starry winter nights.

One of the world’s premiere concert violinists, Anne Akiko Meyers has been celebrated throughout her nearly three-decade career for her exceptional musicianship, charismatic presence and creative diversity. On this new release, Meyers is joined by long-time collaborator Reiko Uchida on piano and the young harpist of the Paris Opera, Emmanuel Ceysson.

Throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th, it was standard practice to publish symphonies, overtures, whole operas, quartets, ballets – almost everything – in piano duet form alongside the full scores. But why take on the challenge of actually giving concert performances of great orchestral works in versions for four hands on one piano? There are several reasons why we do it; if the duet version is a composer-original, as is the case with all the works presented here, it has per se a genuine validity, deserving of our attention; in some cases the duet version actually predates the full orchestral score; the piano version can clarify the denser orchestral textures and rhythms; and it is both a huge challenge to the pianist and huge fun to play, and to watch. The three duet works on this CD all find on the piano a life as valid and intoxicating as they have in the more usual orchestral performances.

York2 has a fine reputation as the 'duo with a difference', gained through John and Fiona's exploration of larger scale and contemporary scores alongside the rich and familiar duet repertoire. They have given concerts for societies and festivals in the UK and Australia, on BBC Radio 3, CBC TV, at the Salzburg Festival, concertos at the Barbican Centre and South Bank in London. Fiona has taught in the junior departments of the Royal College, Trinity and Guildhall, she is at present at St. Paul’s Girls’ School and Eltham College, both in London. John was Professor at Guildhall for 33 years and is Senior Music Head of Department at St. Paul's Girls' School. Independently and together Fiona and John have rounded, versatile careers that combine concerts (John working in particular with celebrated cellist Raphael Wallfisch), editing and reviewing, composing for major publishers, adjudicating, teaching and coaching.

iDuo came into being in 2007, when the brilliant young pianists Andrey Gugnin and Vadym Kholodenko combined their skills as soloists to form a vibrant new piano duo. In their very first year of concert appearances, touring Russia and Italy, iDuo was praised for stunning performances, and was a prizewinner in the 2008 San Marino competition.

The rarely-heard Rachmaninoff Op. 11 Suite is captivating in iDuo’s hands, as is Debussy’s well-loved “Petite Suite.” Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole” is colourful and exciting, and the “Mother Goose” Suite works its magic with deceptive simplicity.

These works are all evocative musical ‘pictures’ of different times and places: from Debussy’s decidedly Spanish Estampes to Mussorgsky’s vivid Pictures at an Exhibition.

Llŷr Williams brings an extraordinary musical intelligence to his interpretations and performances. The 2008-2009 season saw his recital debuts at the Lucerne Festival, in the Wigmore Hall's main recital series and at Carnegie Hall. He was one of the official accompanists for the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and took part in three Proms concerts: a performance of Stravinsky’s Les Noces, a solo lunchtime recital and a chamber music concert celebrating 10 years of the BBC’s New Generation Artists. He also toured in Europe with Mitsuko Uchida, Christian Poltéra and Martin Fröst, as part of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust's celebration of its fifth anniversary, with venues including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. In February, 2009 he gave a series of four concerts for BBC Radio 3 in Cardiff, to celebrate the opening of Hoddinott Hall: two solo recitals, one concert with the Leopold String Trio, and one with bass Shen Yang. During 2010 he is performing a Beethoven sonata cycle around the UK and giving recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Handelbeurs Concertzaal in Ghent as well as three concerts at the Aschau Festival with violinist Alexander Janiczek.

“few could have expected his performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition to be so overwhelming. There wasn’t a finger out of place all evening, and the dramatic plotting was spot on” The Guardian, 2 March 2009, Wigmore Hall Recital

Schumann/Schubert recital, Wigmore Hall

"…one of the truly great musicians of our time. … Those with ears to hear will have followed Williams’s playing as it has grown ever more secure and expansive. The hallmark of his Schumann Fantasy was its rare ability to take us deep into a very private world of dream, while at the same time creating a generously projected and truly virtuoso performance." The Times, 4 April 2007, Hilary Finch

The winner of numerous international awards as a producer of both pop and classical recordings, Craig Leon also leads a career as a composer. His album for Joshua Bell of transcriptions for violin and orchestra was unanimously acclaimed everywhere, which prompted him quite naturally to turn to the cello after meeting Ophélie Gaillard when she was giving a concert at the Wigmore Hall. He has created new arrangements for her, reviving the long standing tradition of cellists, from Gregor Piatigorsky to Pablo Casals who played popular transcriptions of great works on their instruments. Ophélie is accompanied by the RPO, recorded at Abbey Road studios and supported by CIC who loaned her magnificent Gofriller cello.

“the rich tones of Ophélie Gaillard’s 1737 Gofriller cello complement her warm lyrical style and add colour to a keen awareness of instrumental vocalisation.” The Strad, June 2010

These performances were recorded in the fifties; the Brahms in Milan in 1956, the Debussy in Rome in 1958 and the Ravel, performed by the Orchestre National de France in 1958.