Paris 1847: The Music of Eugène Jancourt is the first recording entirely devoted to this 19th century French composer. Recognized as a bassoon virtuoso and a great teacher, Jancourt is the author of method books and repertoire that have contributed to the development of the instrument. Bassoonist Mathieu Lussier invites us to discover these rarities with the participation of Camille Roy-Paquette (cello), Sylvain Bergeron (guitar) and Valérie Milot (harp). Most of Jancourt's works on this recording come from his method book published in 1847. According to Mathieu Lussier, "it is at once a manifesto, a method, and a compendium which informs us about all aspects of bassoon playing, but also contains many pages that may be of interest to anyone wishing to learn more about historically informed wind playing in the 19th century."

Journey is a compilation of greatest hits from CDs of Les Boréades de Montréal, an early music ensemble that focuses on music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It was probably compiled as a promotional teaser, to tantalize listeners into going out and buying the albums from which these excerpts were extracted, and if that was the intent it ought to be entirely successful. The performers play with infectious verve and with a lilt that comes close to being a swing. The pieces from the earlier to mid-Baroque, by Purcell and Cavalli, come to life with a special energy. The excerpts from Cavalli's opera La Calisto, which include transcriptions of vocal pieces, are especially entertaining, and even without words the music conveys a sense of wild hilarity.

For his latest ATMA Classique recording project, pianist David Jalbert tackles the complete cycle of Prokofiev’s piano sonatas. This ambitious undertaking will be released in three separate volumes starting in September 2021. The first volume features four piano sonatas from Prokofiev’s Russian period, which ended in 1918 with his departure for America.

ATMA Classique is proud to collaborate with Ensemble vocal Arts-Quebec and Mecenat Musica on ART CHORAL, a unique and ambitious project surveying the history of choral singing over six centuries, from the Renaissance to the present day. Consisting of 11 volumes, the series will roll out over the next three years and will feature works by 50 composers from the 16th to the 21st centuries, as well as 11 webcast concerts and 120 videos.

For Bernard Labadie, "Le Chemin de Noël" is the realization of a great dream inspired by the tradition of the annual Christmas concerts at the Chapel of King's College in Cambridge, England. Named after the beloved annual concerts that Labadie has conducted in Quebec since 2016, "Le Chemin de Noel" is the conductor’s deeply personal reflection on the meaning on Christmas. This musical, spiritual, and poetic itinerary unfolds through traditional Nativity hymns that Labadie has carefully selected over the years. The sacred and secular repertoire is sung by La Chapelle de Québec, with the participation of contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, harpist Valérie Milot, and organist Richard Paré. The program also includes the canticle Mais où sont les neiges?, a creation by François Dompierre on a text by Denys Arcand.

Given that Johann Sebastian Bach never wrote for "pardessus de viole", it's unlikely that he knew the instrument well; Melisande Corriveau (pardessus de viole) and Eric Milnes (harpsichord) revisit various of the composer's sonatas in the rare but no less authentic colorus of the pardessus de viole. This French instrument from the viol family was invented at the end of the 17th century to compete with a newcomer in chamber music, the violin.

Pianist Sheng Cai devotes his latest recording to piano works by Edvard Grieg, Norway's most famous composer. At the age of 22, Grieg wrote his only Piano Sonata, Op. 7, dedicated to his teacher, the influential Danish composer Niels Gade. The piano arrangement of Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46 is recorded here in a piano transcription by Grieg and by the Russian pianist Grigori Guinzburg (1904-1961).

ATMA Classique is pleased to present the label debut of Canadian organist Matthew Larkin. Recorded on the Opus 550 Casavant Organ at St. Paul Anglican Church in Toronto, this two-album organ recital showcases the remarkable scope and beauty of one of North America’s signature pipe organs. Larkin’s recital offers a vast range of periods and styles, including music by composers ranging from Bach to Keith Jarrett, along with works by Canadians Healey Willan, Ernest MacMillan, and Andrew Ager. “In selecting repertoire, my aim was to feature not only the majestic power of the instrument, but its ability to speak to the whole range of human emotions”, says Larkin.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the composer and guitar-maker collaboration enriched the guitar with a variety of models, materials, and techniques. At the time the guitar was “the fashionable instrument,” a must in music halls and European courts.

Canadian ensemble ¡Sacabuche! brings to life unknown yet stunning works of seventeenth-century Habsburg music located in the Czech, Kromeríž, and other European archives. Vivid writing for violins, cornettos, trombones, theorbo and organ colors these works by composers of the mid-17th century in Austria and Czech lands - Giovanni Valentini (1582–1649), Antonio Bertali (1605–1669), Giovanni Battista Buonamente (1595–1642), and Pavel Josef Vejvanovsky (1633–1693), among others. Their music is a testament to the storied tradition and opulence of the Habsburg court and its expansive influence.

Distance is an album conceived around the theme of isolation that is due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic. The program explores different aspects of isolation and silence: solitude, reflection, but also determination and breaking the silence. Distance includes choral pieces ranging from Bach motets with continuo to 21st century repertoire by Samuel Barber, Edward Elgar, and many others.

Horn player Louis-Philippe Marsolais devotes an entire album to chamber music for horn by German composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963). He is joined by pianist David Jalbert, Pentaèdre wind ensemble, and horn players from the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), an avant-garde composer, remarkable violinist and violist, conductor, and outstanding theorist and pedagogue of the beginning of the 20th century, is one of the key figures in music of the interwar period. At times calm and introspective or complex and tumultuous, his always riveting music is nowadays too seldom performed; an unfortunate reality that has given birth to this recording project honoring the music for horn by one of the most prodigious composers of the 20th century.

"L'homme armé" is a musical journey into the music of the Court of Burgundy in the 15th century. Under the direction of Andrew McAnerney, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal offers a program of motets by the first Franco-Flemish polyphonists - Guillaume Dufay, Antoine Busnois, Josquin des Prés and Gilles Binchois (whose motet A solis ortus cardineis is recorded for the first time). Sung a cappella or accompanied by sackbuts, this music reflects the subtle art of vocal counterpoint.Praised for its “rich-textured, vibrant sound” and “hypnotic beauty”, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal (SMAM) has established a reputation as Canada’s finest early music vocal ensemble. Founded in 1974 by Christopher Jackson, Réjean Poirier and Hélène Dugal, the Studio’s mission is to perform sacred and secular early music, with a particular focus on choral works composed before 1750. Acclaimed for his early music interpretations, Andrew McAnerney has directed the Studio de musique anciennede Montréal since 2015. A former member of the Tallis Scholars, Andrew’s career has included music making in over 20 countries with many of the world’s foremost early music ensembles.

Spanish music is the focus of "Tapeo", a new recording by cellist Cameron Crozman and pianist Philip Chiu. Works by Gaspar Cassadó, Manuel de Falla, Joaquin Turina are performed on "El Tiburon," a circa 1769 Spanish cello attributed to Joannes Guillami, and generously loaned by the Instrument Bank of the Canada Council for the Arts. “I fell in love with Spain the moment I first stepped into a tapas bar in the middle of Barcelona”, says Crozman. “Each of the short pieces on this album was chosen for its own unique flavor and will give you a musical taste of Spain’s incredibly diverse and rich culture. And just as Spanish food would be unthinkable without the tomatoes and potatoes of the New World, so too it felt like an album of Spanish music would be incomplete without a couple gems from Hispanic America”.

Adiu, Adiu Dous Dame, a new digital-only recording by period ensemble La Rota, brings 14th-century Italian songs to life.