Godard, B: Berceuse from Jocelyn

Sir Neville Marriner is one of the most versatile conductors of our time. Alongside his recordings of Baroque and Classical repertoire, he has also made a name for himself as an interpreter of Romantic orchestral music, as this compilation shows: it contains popular works from the highly colourful French and Russian repertoire, including new discoveries like Tchaikovsky's Barcarole, which can certainly hold a candle to the famous work of the same name by Offenbach, and the Berceuse by opera composer Benjamin Godard.

One of the most sought-after trios in the world, the Eroica Trio thrills audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm and sensual elegance. Whether playing the great standards of the piano trio repertoire or daring contemporary works, the three young women who make up this celebrated ensemble electrify the concert stage with their passionate performances. The Trio's self-titled debut CD, which features works by Ravel, Benjamin Godard, a commissioned arrangement of the Gershwin Preludes, and Paul Schoenfield's Café Music, was awarded NPR Performance Today's "Debut Recording of the Year" and featured in Time Out New York's "Top Ten Recordings" of 1997.

This sensational new release from German cellist Alban Gerhardt recaptures the novelty of the much-loved encores performed by Pablo Casals. Spanish-born Casals was universally recognized as one of the world’s greatest cellists and had a vast repertoire of intimate encores which were adored by his audiences. The disc features transcriptions of works by many notable composers including Fauré, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Boccherini and Wagner. Also featured are frequently performed musical gems by David Popper: Vito, Chanson villageoise and his Mazurka in G minor, pieces which have gained a special place in the cello literature.

Gerhardt performs these miniature masterworks with extraordinary finesse and verve. His very personal interpretations never lapse into self-indulgence and he projects a distinctive luminescence of tone with infallible intonation. Gerhardt is intelligently partnered and perfectly matched by pianist Cecile Licad on her Hyperion debut. This unique disc demonstrates sublime musicianship, with both performers revelling in a wide expressive scope from the vivacious to the lyrical.

Russian-born soprano Rita Streich, also known as the ‘Viennese Nightingale’, was a much-admired singer of the post World War Two era, who made many popular recordings.

Her bright pearly voice was a light coloratura, and her repertoire included much lieder, as well as operas by Mozart, and also classical Viennese operetta.

Rita Streich’s naturally vivacious and charming personality comes across in this delightful collection of various light musical ‘bon-bons’ which is drawn from her immensely popular recordings of the 1950’s. She was adept in several languages and so very well equipped to sing this eclectic mixture of vocal waltzes, songs and arias from operas, opéras comique and operettas, which show off her range of vocal abilities, from her effortless coloratura to her sweet, melting way with a melody.

The collection includes some old favourites, less familiar pieces and some rarities. There are pretty vocal waltzes such as Johann Strauss’ Voices of Spring, the Shadow Song from Meyerbeer’s Dinorah and Luigi Arditi’s Parla Waltz, lilting melodies such as Delibes’ Les filles de Cadix, Saint-Saëns’ beautiful Le rossignol et la rose and Verdi’s delightful Lo spazzocamino, arias from Suppé’s operetta Boccaccio (or The Prince of Palermo) and Dvorˇák’s gorgeous Song of the Moon from Rusalka. There are also rarer pieces by less well-known composers, such as a Dell’Acqua’s song Villanelle, Czernik’s tarantella Chi sa?, and an aria from Benjamin Godard’s opera Jocelyn.

This recording features yet another magnificent musical trove and rediscovery by the Trio Parnassus; French late-romanticist Benjamin Godard. This composer’s trios were extremely popular and in high demand in European salons at the beginning of the 20th C. A hundred years ago, the English chamber music authority, Cobbett described the works as “enchanting and recommendable without hesitation.”