The first of these pieces, Ma Mere l'Oye, was originally composed just for the piano. However the astute publisher, Durand, recognized their orchestral potential and the impresario Jacques Rouche realized the choreographic possibilities and encouraged Ravel to expand and orchestrate the music. The result was "a vision of magical stillness and rapture" and became highly successful. The Pavane was also an early work of Ravel from 1899 written for the solo piano. This orchestral version with Ravel's "mature mastery of sound-colours" was done some eleven years later. La Tombeau de Couperin was Ravel's last solo piano work.

Ozawa's interpretation of The Planets is assuredly not in the Boult tradition, but brings a fresh approach to Holst's sole excursion into extravagance. Tempos are not those to which we are accustomed: ''Mars'' brings war at record speed and ''Mercury'' is more leisurely winged messenger than usual. Both ''Venus'' and ''Jupiter'' are presented more conventionally and are finely played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ozawa misses some of the tenor of ''Saturn'', seeming to treat it more as an exercise in sonorities, but is exhilarating in ''Uranus'', where the timpanist has a field day.

Another outstanding success for one of North America's most responsive orchestras, with playing not just brilliant, but relaxed and joyful.

Karen Geoghegan, runner-up in the BBC’s Classical Star programme is on a mission to promote the bassoon repertoire. This, her debut CD, is an ideal starting point. From the opening bars, the quality of the recording is self-evident, with a well balanced and excellently produced orchestral sound. By the time the bassoon enters, one is already immersed in quality, and it is easy to question whether a young performer such as Geoghegan can match those standards. Not only does she match them, she surpasses them. Her sound quality is extraordinary, proving her argument that the bassoon is deeply expressive, worthy of being taken seriously as a solo instrument.

The symphonic output of George Antheil, the selfproclaimed ‘bad boy of music’, is further investigated by the BBC Philharmonic and its Chief Guest Conductor, John Storgårds, in the second album of the series. Following his early experimentations with modernist ideas as an enfant terrible in 1920s Paris, the stylistic trajectory of his symphonies over the next decades mirrors his self-confessed desire to learn more orthodox compositional techniques. This album explores two more of his symphonies: Symphony No. 3 (compl. 1946), only one movement of which was performed during Antheil’s lifetime, and Symphony No. 6 (compl. 1950), in which the influences of Shostakovich and Ives make themselves heard.

Along with his contemporaries, Mozart was often called upon to fulfil the aristocracy's musical requests destined for all kinds of society events. He, for sure, knew how to provide a much profounder dimension to any genre which did not normally have too many expectations placed upon it and the Gran Partita, without losing its playful aim, is a superb example of this. In a similar way, the Divertimentos of Martín y Soler on Una cosa rara, and of Went on Die Entführung aus dem Serail, fill out an accurate portrait of what was, in the 18th century, music meant for noble entertainment.

A portrait, on the tercentenary of the composer's birth, of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), probably the most gifted of the sons of Johann Sebastian Bach. Highly admired in his own century by Haydn, Gluck and Mozart, he stands out today as a brilliant and highly original composer. For CPE Bach, music had to be an expression of personal feelings and to achieve his aim, he revolutionised the established principles of form, harmony and rhythm.

Das berühmte Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker ist auch 2020 der prachtvolle und exzellente Auftakt zum neuen Klassik-Jahr.Im festlichen und für seinen Klang berühmten Goldenen Saal des Wiener Musikvereins präsentieren die Wiener Philharmoniker ein beschwingtes Programm.Erstmals leitet der lettische Dirigent Andris Nelsons, einer der besten Dirigenten der Welt und bekannt auch als Chef des Gewandhauses Leipzig, die Wiener Philharmoniker, mit denen er seit vielen Jahren eng verbunden ist.Das unterhaltsame Programm enthält bekannte und entdeckenswerte Walzer und Polkas von Johann Strauss Vater und Sohn, Carl Michael Ziehrer, Franz von Suppé, Hans Christian Lumbye und anderen Komponisten.Und das allererste Mal ist bei einem Neujahrskonzert auch Musik von Ludwig van Beethoven zu hören, dessen 250.Geburtstag die Klassik-Welt 2020 feiert.

This concerto for orchestra in seven parts, is a beautifully crafted work incorporating Eastern European folk and Jewish melodies. While the subject matter is clearly about the Jews and their suffering up to and including the end of World War 2, the music and melodic themes avoid portrayal of the Nazis.

Jiří Bělohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic present Leoš Janáček’s most notable works. This release continues the series of Jiří Bělohlávek’s last recordings of Czech masterworks for Decca Classics before he sadly passed away last year. August 2018 marks 90 years since Janáček’s death in 1928. This album commemorates the great Czech composer with these informed recordings by the Czech conductor and orchestra.

In full neoclassic mode as in the opening bars of 'Les Biches,' Francis Poulenc sounds quite a bit like Igor Stravinsky. (It's the predominance of wind instruments and the careful attention to instrumental voicing.) He shifts modes easily, and the shadow of Stravinsky disappears as smoothly as it came. Poulenc has often been taken to be a composer of trifles, of light music. His elegance and wit came at a time when music had to be profound and atonal to be taken seriously. Yet in Paris between the wars, Poulenc's music fared well. Each of his works is an evocative, tuneful jewel, unabashedly tonal yet filled with inventive chromatic turns.

Great sound from DG + great playing from the Vienna Philharmonic under Claudio Abbado in these 1980s recordings. Abbado goes for leaner textures and faster tempos in some Allegros than Karajan/Berlin (DG) considered the benchmark standard by many listeners.

The most comprehensive edition devoted to Gioachino Rossini marking his 150th anniversary.
Born in 1792, Rossini was the most popular opera composer of his time. Although he retired from the Opera scene in 1829, he continued to compose in other genres, including sacred music, piano and chamber works. He did gather his late works under the ironic title Péchés de vieillesse (Sins of Old Age), which veils a true collection of masterworks.

If you dont own any of Krommers music, I cannot think of a better way to make his acquaintance. –Fanfare

This Ondine recording is the first instalment in a series of Brahms recording with the Gävle Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor JaimeMartín. Together with the orchestra Martín offers delightful interpretations ofthese two early examples of Brahms’ orchestral writing.