New Releases

Thanks to the commitment of Maestro Riccardo Muti and under his direction, the opera in two acts 'I due Figaro' saw its first modern staging in Salzburg, then in Ravenna and now it is also available in CD.

Born in Altamura, in the province of Bari, Saverio Mercadante studied in Naples, where his family settled. Together with Vincenzo Bellini, he is considered the most representative member of the 19th century Neapolitan School. He remained for a long time in the shadow of the four great operatic composers (Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi). Only in recent years have musicologists began to look at his role in the development of Italian Belcanto. I due Figaro' presents an amusing subject which by affinity forms a trilogy with Rossini's 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' and Mozart's 'Le Nozze di Figaro'. The six characters are presented each with its own solo performance, mixed with more complex orchestrated parts. The genuine melodic vein of the Neapolitan School is evident in the play and it makes use of several stylistic levels which reflect the characters' social status.

Live recording from Teatro Aligheri, Ravenna, in June 2011. Essays by Giovanni Carli Ballola and Paolo Cascio; libretto, pictures and biographies are included in the sumptuous booklet. Quality packaging and presentation. Wonderful singing.

With 'Il Spiritillo Brando' from La Ritirata comes an opportunity to enjoy exciting performances from a new name on the Spanish early music scene as well as a thrilling ride across the terrain of the Spanish and Italian courtly instrumental traditions as the Renaissance danced its way into the Baroque.

Not since the days when brothers José Miguel and Emilio Moreno made their first recordings for Glossa has any Spanish musician been invited to figure on the label from El Escorial. This is now changing with the arrival of the talents of Josetxu Obregón and his Spanish colleagues from La Ritirata – counting amongst them the best in the younger string, plucked-string, wind and keyboard players from the country – as they bring us the dance rhythm delights of Andrea Falconieri, whose music leads the way into contributions from the likes of Diego Ortiz and Bartolomé de Selma y Salaverde; permitting the individual members of La Ritirata to demonstrate their virtuosic skills and commitment to the music that they perform. This includes Josetxu Obregón himself, who as a cellist, delights in music from late 17th century exponents of the cello in Giuseppe Maria Jacchini, Giovanni Battista Vitali and Domenico Gabrielli. As the title implies, 'Il Spiritillo Brando' evokes both the social dancing which will have taken place in the court of the Spanish viceroyalty in Naples itself, and the mischievous duendes which roamed the streets, animating all the proceedings in the vicinity!

The young Spanish viola da gamba player Fahmi Alqhai is a further new musician to join that select group of artists who define and shape the world of Glossa. With his ensemble Accademia del Piacere, Alqhai has, for some years now, been turning away from the well-worn pathways in order to explore new possibilities in terms of presentation and interpretation in his musical work; a good example of this has been his recent and highly-successful collaborative activities with the cantaor Arcángel.

In his first recording for Glossa, 'Rediscovering Spain' – fantasías, diferencias & glosas, Alqhai is aiming to go far beyond the customary 'authentic' approach of interpretation (for him a notion which is becoming increasingly empty). In this way, Accademia del Piacere sets out to recover and bring up to date in all its aspects the common practice of musicians from the 16th and 17th centuries – a time when any composition provided the opportunity or excuse for trying out all the possibilities of commentary, paraphrase and creating glosas around original material (often composed by others and in many cases created with these ends in mind).

Recorded in a studio in Sevilla over the course of many weeks, in spectacular sound and with attention to the finest of details, this album involves no less than 15 instrumentalists as well as the soprano Raquel Andueza, who features in three pieces. 'Rediscovering Spain' is presenting a repertory known to one and all but in a completely different light, and with a freshness and an energy which will undoubtedly turn this release into a genuine landmark achievement.

Brahms's implacable self-criticism was at its height in the domain of chamber music: he was already 40 when he produced this Second String Quartet (of three) after two decades of rejected attempts, which only makes its formal perfection and intense lyricism all the more striking. In the case of the Quintet Op.115, it was a meeting with the clarinettist Mühlfeld that inspired him to emerge from his self-imposed retirement to compose this almost unbearably nostalgic musical testament, five years before his death.

The Jerusalem Quartet was founded in 1993, and from 1999 to 2001 were BBC New Generation Artists; in 2003 it was the recipient of the first Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, currrently celebrating its tenth anniversary year. Now regular guests in the world’s leading concert halls, notably in the United States, the Jerusalems perform with such artists as Alexander Melnikov, Lawrence Power and Sharon Kam.

The quartet’s discography on harmonia mundi has won many international awards. Its interpretation of Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet won a Diapason d’Or of the Year in 2008 and an ECHO Klassik award in 2009, while its most recent release, Schumann’s Piano Quintet and Quartet, received distinctions from BBC Music Magazine, Scherzo and Télérama. The Quartet is very grateful to Daniel Barenboim who generously loans Jacqueline du Pré's ‘Sergio Perresson’ cello to Kyril Zlotnikov.

After her debut with the Israel Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta at the age of 16, Sharon Kam was encouraged and mentored by Isaac Stern. She later graduated from the Juilliard School of Music, where she studied with Charles Neidich. Sharon Kam regularly collaborates with such colleagues as Heinrich Schiff, Christian Tetzlaff, Antje Weithaas, and Tabea Zimmermann. She often plays recitals with the pianist Lars Vogt and is a regular guest at his Spannungen festival in Heimbach, Germany, as well as other festivals like Verbier, Risør, Cork and Delft.

If every work of art can be understood as the docile or rebellious descendant of dozens, indeed hundreds of other works of art, the immense majority of Wolfgang Rihm's compositions fully assume the heritage of the past. This is especially true of 'Nähe fern', whose title (‘Distant proximity') refers to his experience of the four symphonies of Brahms. Each of these pieces for orchestra is a homage profoundly linked with its model, yet at the same time constantly moves away from it. Commissioned by the Lucerne Sinfonieorchester 'Nähe fern' was premiered at the Lucerne Festival on 20th August 2012.

Born in New York, James Gaffigan won first prize at the 2004 Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Luzerner Sinfonieorchester and Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln. He is also in great demand with leading orchestras throughout the world.

Following his debut at the Vienna State Opera he was immediately invited back for 'Don Giovanni' in 2012/13. A continuing relationship with Glyndebourne has seen him conduct 'La Cenerentola', 'Falstaff' and 'Così fan tutte'.

In its valedictory release, the world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet presents a pair of well loved chamber works offering a glimpse into the private world of two Czech composers. Antonín Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana – although they were sometimes regarded as musical opposites in their homeland – together they came to represent the quintessential sound of 19th-century Czech music.

Regarded as one of the supreme chamber ensembles of the world, the Tokyo String Quartet has captivated audiences and critics alike since it was founded 45 years ago. Performing over 100 concerts worldwide each season, the quartet has a devoted international following that includes the major capitals of the world and extends to all four corners of the globe.

Officially formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music, the Tokyo String Quartet traces its origins to the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, where the founding members were profoundly influenced by Professor Hideo Saito. An exclusive collaboration with Deutsche Grammophon (more than 40 landmark recordings) firmly established it as one of the world’s leading quartets. The ensemble's recordingss for harmonia mundi USA have included an acclaimed cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets. Its most recent release was devoted to the Brahms Quintets Op. 34 (with Jon Nakamatsu, piano) and Op. 115 (with Jon Manasse, clarinet).