Sergei Sergeievitch Prokofiev

Decca Classics releases ‘Ashkenazy: 50 Years on Decca’ on 4 March 2013, a limited edition box-set comprised of 50 CDs to celebrate the label’s remarkable 50-year recording partnership with Vladimir Ashkenazy.

‘Ashkenazy: 50 Years on Decca - the Original Jacket Collection’ includes many key recordings since Ashkenazy’s recording debut for the label in March 1963.

Decca Classics’ new release showcases a rich and varied repertoire, with Ashkenazy’s now-legendary debut recording of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 featuring on the first of the 50 CDs ( with the LSO under the baton of Anatole Fistoulari). The collection includes Ashkenazy collaborating with some of classical music’s greatest conductors, such as Solti, Kondrashin, Maazel, Previn, Barenboim, Haitink and Mehta; accompanying great singers and instrumentalists such as Perlman, Harrell and Söderström; as virtuoso pianist in a wide range of solo repertoire; and as an internationally-renowned conductor, particularly of Russian and Nordic repertoire.

The limited-edition ‘Ashkenazy: 50 Years on Decca’ box-set is beautifully packaged with original LP jackets in the label’s now-familiar cube box with hinged lid, and also includes booklet notes in English and Japanese, a complete discography of Ashkenazy’s recordings on Decca, a composer index, and a unique article from his long-time producer Andrew Cornall on Ashkenazy in the studio, making this a collector’s essential.

Award-winning violinist Daniel Hope presents an eclectic and accessible mix of neo-Baroque, minimalist and soundtrack favourites, including works and arrangements by contemporary masters like Ludovico Einaudi, Arvo Pärt, Karl Jenkins, Max Richter, Gabriel Prokofiev, Alex Baranowski and many more

“Spheres” features a curated collection of repertoire celebrating the idea, first brought forward by Pythagoras, that planetary movement creates its own kind of music, bringing beauty, harmony and simplicity to our complex solar system. This idea has fascinated philosophers, musicians, and mathematicians for centuries.

Featured as main soloist on Max Richter’s acclaimed “Vivaldi Recomposed”, Hope is known for an effortless classical sound and intriguing approach to repertoire

Daniel is collaborating in 2013 with Einaudi, and joint dates are in the planning stage.

Constantin Silvestri was born in Bucharest, Romania on 31st May 1913. His mother had to bring him up as both his father and stepfather had died whilst he was still a teenager. By the age of six he was playing both piano and organ and showed skill as an improviser. Although not in conducting classes at the Conservatoire in Bucharest he was already appearing as a conductor in his teens, making his debut with the Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra in 1930 in a concert which included The Rite of Spring and one of his own compositions.

After further success with the National Radio Orchestra of Romania he decided to make conducting his career. In 1935 he started his association with the Romanian National Opera and directed the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra for six years. In 1948 he started teaching at the Conservatoire and founded its Conducting Department. Whilst conducting all the main orchestras in Romania he was also able to accept guest appearances in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

In 1957 he also made his debut in the U.K. conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the Royal Albert Hall and started making recordings for EMI in London, Paris and Vienna. Before leaving his home country he had his greatest success there – the premiere of Enesco’s opera Oedipe in 1958.

Settling first in Paris in 1959 and then in England when offered the post of Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. With his meticulous and lengthy preparation in rehearsals he raised the standard and prestige of the orchestra to one of international standing.

He became a British citizen in 1967 but his growing reputation was cut short by increasing ill-health and he died of cancer in London on 23rd February 1968 at the age of 55.

This set presents the Complete Recordings made by Constantin Silvestri for EMI. The microphones did offer to this “fanatical idealist” the most favourable circumstances to let his particular talent blossom.

Steven Osborne has become one of the most valuable pianists recording today. His recent complete Rachmaninov Preludes release was critically acclaimed as the greatest modern version since Ashkenazy. Now he turns to further cornerstones of the Russian repertoire in this recording of Musorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition (a work which has been in Osborne’s concert repertoire for many years), and two sets of Prokofiev’s miniatures.

Musorgsky’s masterpiece is one of the most popular programmatic works of the 19th century. Yet it is also a great pianistic challenge, with the spectacular textures of the climactic movement ‘The Great Gate of Kiev’ requiring the highest technical accomplishments.

David Fanning writes of Prokofiev’s Visions fugitives: ‘Prokofiev supplies snapshots of his most characteristic moods—sometimes grotesque, sometimes incantatory and mystical, sometimes simply poetic, sometimes aggressively assertive, sometimes so delicately poised as to allow the performer and the listener to make up their own minds.’ Osborne’s subtle, yet brilliant use of colour and characterization makes him the ideal performer of this set. Sarcasms—as befits the title—is an experimental, provocative work, performed by Osborne with biting humour.

On their fourth Challenge Classics recording, the highly successful Dutch duo of Isabelle van Keulen and Ronald Brautigam perform the complete works for violin and piano by Sergei Prokofiev. The pieces are the Sonata in F minor opus 80, the Sonata in D major opus 94, and the Five Melodies opus 35a.

Prokofiev only produced three works for the combination of violin and piano, two of which are transcriptions by the composer himself. The Second Sonata was originally written for flute and piano while the Five Melodies are song arrangements. The opus numbers and titles of both sonatas are misleading since the D major Sonata opus 94 had its premiere before the opus 80 Sonata in F minor.

Isabelle van Keulen has an established reputation as a violinist and violist of world class stature. She is closely involved in the performance of contemporary music, and works by living composers are part of her repertoire. Though she has performed with many famous orchestras and conductors as a soloist, chamber music is central to her music-making. She is particularly well-known for her formidable duo with pianist Ronald Brautigam and they appear together regularly at the Wigmore Hall in London.

Ronald Brautigam is one of Holland’s leading musicians. Over the last few years he has released several recordings with Isabelle van Keulen on Challenge Classics including CDs featuring Shostakovich’s Violin and Viola Sonatas (CC72071), Violin Sonatas by Richard Strauss, Respighi and Rota (CC72307), and music for violin and piano by Grieg, Elgar, and Sibelius (CC72171).