Future Releases

Anna Netrebko’s first live solo album and first Lieder album is accompanied by star conductor/pianist Daniel Barenboim. This was the concert event of the Salzburg Festival 2009 and your first Deutsche Grammophon priority of the year.

For her Salzburg recital, Anna Netrebko programmed an all Russian evening. Companioned by Barenboim’s masterful, idiomatic playing, Anna’s voluptuous voice surrenders completely to the haunting, soulful melodies of songs by Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, and others.

On the heels of her successful Russian Album – more than 270,000 copies sold and still selling strong – In the Still of Night is certain to soar.

In 1960, the Stuttgart-born conductor Karl Münchinger (1915-1990), made a Decca recording of Pachelbel’s Canon and Gigue that assured the piece its immortality in years to come. Münchinger recorded extensively for Decca with his Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra). Moderate-size forces, rhythmic sprightliness and judicious ornamentation were the hallmarks of his recordings of 17th and 18th-century repertoire, and their general airiness also informs his readings of the Serenades on this anthology. The Dvorak, Suk and Wolf recordings date from the 1970s, whereas the Grieg, which he only recorded once, and has been on many “reissue request” lists, dates from 1956. This generous CD, released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his death and nearly 80 minutes long, is comprised entirely of first international CD releases.

Arthur Grumiaux was a prince among violinists and recorded extensively for Philips/Decca. Many of his recordings – some of them released internationally for the first time on CD – have appeared on an extensive series on the Eloquence label. Here is another – a rare 1956 performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto coupled with his highly-praised traversals of the Stravinsky and Berg concertos.

[Berg/Stravinsky]: "Grumiaux's pure style brings rare magic to both these works. To the Berg he brings above all tenderness and sweetness; to the Stravinsky he brings above all strength and dynamism. The one virtuoso, remaining his individual self all the time, effortlessly encompasses the utterly different demands of each work." Gramophone

A double-CD of Romantic Violin Concertos celebrating the art of Ruggiero Ricci, this set includes the first international release on CD of the Ricci/Boult 1952 recording of the Beethoven. Boult characterised it as ‘perhaps the most thoughtful concerto, the one which needs for the violinist to be a great man as well as a great player’. Indeed it is a thoughtful and poised reading from both soloist and conductor, coupled with classic accounts of the Mendelssohn, Bruch and Dvorak. The booklet notes by Tully Potter include a biography of Ricci and (sometimes wry!) comments by the violinist himself on the recordings.

[Beethoven] “I do not think we are likely to get a better recording for a long while” Gramophone

[Bruch] "Ricci gives very good performances indeed of both concertos; caught out nowhere, even on the margin of intonation, by their technical demands in the outer movements, he manages also to communicate both poetry and impulse to the slow movements." Gramophone

Ruggiero Ricci is in his element in these virtuoso concertos and showpieces, with both, the Tchaikovsky Concerto (with Sargent) and Scherzo and the Sibelius Violin Concerto being released internationally on CD for the first time. The perceptive booklet notes by Tully Potter include a biography of Ricci and (sometimes wry!) comments by the violinist himself on the recordings, and some fascinating detail on the first movement cadenza of the Khachaturian. All the recordings were made in a five-year period from 1956 (Khachaturian) to 1961 (Tchaikovsky).

Ruggiero Ricci has enjoyed a variegated and colourful discography on Decca and these recordings, are, apart from Prokofiev’s Second Violin Sonata, all comprised of music for solo violin. The Bach pieces date from 1957 London sessions and the 20th-century pieces were recorded three years later at Victoria Hall in Geneva. Tully Potter’s perceptive liner notes include material from an interview with the violinist, who offers interesting perspective on recording venues and corrects an error in the Decca discographical information about the recording of the Prokofiev Second Violin Sonata with Bussotti, which was recorded at his home in New Jersey. It makes its first release on CD, while several of the solo works are released internationally on CD for the first time.

[Prokofiev] “Ricci’s intonation is faultless throughout (which is more than can be said of many fiddlers), his tone is sweet and warm, and his technique carries him without a qualm over the most taxing difficulties… [His] elegance stands him in good stead in the Prokofiev, where his partner at the piano also distinguishes himself by some most artistic leggiero playing. The toy-like Scherzo could scarcely be bettered by any other violin-and-piano team.” Gramophone

The great orchestra of Bach's own city of Leipzig in a glorious new recording of his choral masterpiece.

Played on modern instruments, Chailly’s Bach beautifully demonstrates that vivid, stylistically aware performance is not the exclusive preserve of period instrument ensembles.

Distinguished German vocal soloists, including acclaimed bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, rise gloriously to the challenges of Bach’s exalted score.

The choir parts are thrillingly sung by two of Germany's most celebrated boys' choirs - the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Tölzer Knabenchor.

On 2 CDs (most recordings are on 3 CDs).

Released for Easter 2010.

Part of a trio of Bach releases that also includes the Brandenburg Concertos (January 2010) and Christmas Oratorio (November 2010).

On this recording, Anne-Sophie Mutter, accompanied by pianist Lambert Orkis, shares her up-to-date thoughts on the Brahms Violin Sonatas that have been central to her repertoire from the start of her career.

These sonatas are among the most intense, emotionally penetrating works composed for the violin.

Second only to her solo repertoire, chamber music has been for Anne-Sophie Mutter an on-going passion and commitment. Her communion with Orkis’s pianism defines musical collaboration at its zenith.

The multi-award-winning partnership of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Sir Charles Mackerras is reunited in this second collection of Mozart Symphonies featuring Nos 29, 31 (Paris), 32, 35 (Haffner) & 36 (Linz)’. This much anticipated recording follows on from the astounding success of ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 – 41’ which resulted in him winning the Critics’ Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards and led to ’Mozart Symphonies 38-41’ being named Disc of the Year at the 2009 BBC Music Magazine Awards.

This recording includes both versions of the 2nd movement of the Paris Symphony; unusually Sir Charles requested that the alternative version follows the original, rather than coming at the end of the album as an appendix.

An obsessive musical researcher, Sir Charles merged his considerable knowledge of these works with scores and parts he has been editing from available sources for years for this recording.

Sir Charles Mackerras has won widespread praise for his fresh, vibrant and youthful Mozart performances, which was named the classical recording of 2008 by the Sunday Times and HMV Choice. It also won a 2009 Midem Award for Symphonic Works and a Choc de l’année Award from Le Monde de la Musique.

This recording re-unites the award-winning team, including producer James Mallinson, who has just been nominated for a Grammy award.

Sir Charles Mackerras, the SCO’s Conductor Laureate, has produced numerous award-winning recordings, performed fifty times at the Edinburgh Festival and in 2005 was the first recipient of the ‘Queen’s Medal for Music’.

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra has a large UK-based fan base following performances throughout Scotland and regular appearances at the Edinburgh, St Magnus and Aldeburgh Festivals, the BBC Proms and on BBC Radio 3.