Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

With her Mimì, she conquered the world. Mirella Freni’s extraordinary career lasted for over 30 years, and she never lost the enchanting youthfulness of her voice. She said farewell to the operatic stage in 2005 as a celebrated soprano in full possession of her vocal skills. Recordings from three Sunday concerts by the Münchner Rundfunkorchester document Mme. Freni in arias that reveal the many different facets of her artistry. The program ranges from her key role, Mimì, all the way to Tatyana in Tchaikovsky’s Evgeny Onegin.

Previously unreleased recordings by Mirella Freni.

Documents from the popular Sunday concerts by the Münchner Rundfunkorchester from the 1970s and 80s.

FIRST RELEASE

An absolute masterpiece in the history of music, intrinsically linked to the Mozart myth, Mozart’s Requiem is revisited under the energetic baton of director Teodor Currentzis with the excellent Siberian choir and orchestra MusicAeterna. A fascinating, striking interpretation, reinforced by a remarkable distribution of soloists: Simone Kermes, Stéphanie Houtzel, Markus Brutscher and Arnaud Richard. Thanks to optimal recording conditions (7 days of studio recording) led by Hugues Deschaux (responsible for recording Le Poème Harmonique, Café Zimmermann…), the interpretation is enriched by the particular care with which the sound was recorded.

After the success of his Dido & Aeneas (ALPHA140) and Shostakovich Symphony No. 14 (ALPHA159), Currentzis is back with a marvellous repertoire: Mozart’s Requiem.

‘If his narcissism doesn't get the better of him, Currentzis could be one of those rare artists capable of shifting the ground of his chosen art, and pulling off something extraordinary - perhaps even miraculous.’ The Telegraph

Mozart and Beethoven were the same age when they wrote the pieces assembled here. The tempestuous enthusiasm of their 27 years of age clearly shines in this music. Indeed, their youth and vitality sparkle, but so does also the incandescent youth of the pianoforte, which had finally reached its full potential. To this we may add a youthfulness of style and aesthetics, continuously inventing and reinventing themselves, searching new codes and opposing recent fashionable trends.

The first half of the XVIIIth century, which had promoted the violin to the rank of royal ambassador of its instrumental music, imposed for a long time everywhere in Europe and particularly with French and Italian composers-violinists, the corellian model of the sonata for violin solo and basso continuo. The second half of the century will crown the pianoforte, imposing its rule after its irrepressible dominance over the harpsichord in the 1780ies and offering a new expressive palette to chamber music as well as to the piano sonata.

A new facet of a violinist crosses the discovery of a new talent at the keyboard; a disc not to be missed!...

This year, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble celebrates its 50th birthday. The ensemble had already reached world-wide recognition when this recording was made in 1972/3. This is a Remastered Quadro Recording and is of two popular operas arranged for wind ensemble.

This set documents Glenn Gould the concert pianist in unprecedented depth. The recordings range in date from 1951, when Gould was just eighteen years old, to 1960, a few years before he gave up concert life for good. They include all of the genres in which he performed live—solo works, songs, chamber music, concertos. And they cover almost the whole range of his repertoire: the earliest work represented here, by Bach, dates from the early eighteenth century; the latest, by Ernst Krenek (who befriended Gould, and outlived him), was composed in 1943. In between are composers who were central to the young Gould’s repertoire: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schoenberg, and Webern. Included here are some of his warhorses but also several works of which he never made an authorized studio recording or broadcast, as well as a few interpretations that differ significantly from those in his official releases.

ABC presents a period-instrument performance with a stellar line-up of Australian soloists; Sara Macliver, Paul McMahon, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Sally-Anne Russell. The conductor Antony Walker is Pittsburgh Opera's Musical Director and Principal Conductor and makes his Metropolitan Opera debut this year.

The bonus recital in this collection was recorded in Berlin in 1956.

Lawrence Zazzo is regarded as the most versatile operatic countertenor of his generation. Here he explores the intimacy of the lute song in a remarkable programme focusing on madness and midnight. He performs works by Dowland and Purcell as well as exploring the contemporary repertoire for countertenor.