To mark the 150th anniversary of one of the most popular of all classical composers, Grammyr-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and his 'Fabulous Philadelphians' present Rachmaninoff's Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3, and the symphonic poem Isle of the Dead. This release completes their two-part survey of the three symphonies and other major orchestral works and, like the first instalment of 2021, continues to build on the orchestra's incomparable Rachmaninoff legacy.

Star pianist Daniil Trifonov releases his new album My American Story – North, embarking on a very personal musical journey across the Americas. The first of a total of two albums, My American Story – North, begins in the USA, where Trifonov has spent almost half of his life. It features a collection of pieces reflecting the variety of his experiences. The album’s diverse repertoire “has given me access to many perspectives, styles, cultures, places, people, stories and forms of expression that have shaped and molded my experience of America,” says Trifonov.

As a special project to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Eugene Ormandy's death, we will release 10 stereo recordings that represent the essence of Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra from the vast amount of recordings he left behind for Sony Classical and RCA. The rich orchestral sound, with its thick string parts as the foundation, its unparalleled woodwinds, and its beautiful brass, is beautifully imprinted with the spirited 1950s and 1960s, and the 1970s, when Ormandy's voice grew more mature and profound, as he reached the pinnacle of 20th century orchestral art.

‘Muti can suggest a sensibility driven to the edge of sanity by its nightmare,’ wrote Gramophone of this intense interpretation of Berlioz’s visionary Symphonie fantastique, judging it among the finest recordings of the work and praising the conductor’s mastery at ‘holding the thread of argument together firmly, while never minimizing the incidental excitement’.

The three works by Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky that Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra perform on this Ondine twofer are usually found as filler pieces on other albums, often coupled with one or another of the symphonies or concertos, so this combination is a bit out of the ordinary. The fantasy overture Romeo and Juliet and the symphonic fantasy Francesca da Rimini are often paired and work fairly well together because of the similarity of their stormy Romantic music and tragic subjects, even though Romeo and Juliet is plainly the superior piece of the two. But the Serenade for strings is possibly Tchaikovsky's most Classically balanced work, and it stands in stark contrast to the other selections for its cool beauty and elegance.

Sony Classical's Great Performances Series has scored yet another winner with its coupling of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 and the First Cello Concerto. Previously released individually, the close proximity in the recording dates of these two works (1959 and 1960) makes them a natural choice for a pairing. Continuing in the Philadelphia Orchestra tradition, the performance of the Symphony No. 1 follows the 1928 United States premiere of the work, given by the same orchestra and conducted by Ormandy's predecessor, Leopold Stokowski. Inherited from him is the notably lush sound of Philadelphia's lower strings, which capture the essence of Shostakovich's weighty harmonies.

The journey continues: Deutsche Grammophon is releasing an exclusive box set of Rachmaninov's four piano concertos, recorded by Daniil Trifonov and the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézét -Séguin, to mark the 150th Rachmaninov anniversary. Also included are the Paganini Rhapsody, as well as Trifonov's own Rachmaninov transcriptions.

One of today's most popular and most critically-acclaimed pianists, Daniil Trifonov records an album of Rachmaninov Variations. Album includes solo performances of Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Variations on a Theme of Chopin and Trifonov's own composition, Rachmaniana. Also included is the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for which Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra join.

Pianist Daniil Trifonov releases Destination Rachmaninov - Departure, the first of two albums comprising Trifonov's cycle of the great Russian composer's piano concertos. The album features Concertos Nos. 2 & 4, recorded with Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra (the same orchestra with which Rachmaninov recorded this set of concerti over 80 years ago), along with Rachmaninov's solo piano transcriptions of three movements from Bach's Violin Partita in E Major.

Following Departure, an album hailed by NPR as a singular combination of swagger and stunning technique, Daniil Trifonov completes his two-part Destination: Rachmaninov journey with Arrival, a coupling of Rachmaninov s Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 3 performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Arrival also features Trifonov s own transcriptions of Rachmaninov s Vocalise and The Silver Sleigh Bells.

TDavid Oistrakh was one of those violinists beloved by people who don't especially like violinists. Don't get me wrong, plenty of violin aficionados love him too. But the fact that he played with such warmth of tone and musicality, never indulging in the screeching cat-music stuff that some violinists think sounds flashy, makes him uniquely listenable to folks not into violin playing for its own sake. Perhaps the fact that he was also a distinguished conductor had something to do with it, for he always seems to know where he is–how everything fits together. His performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is a case in point: soulful, exciting, never ragged or overblown. Add Emil Gilels' epic rendering of the Piano Concerto and how can you refuse?

The Philadelphia Orchestra and its Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin continue their pioneering project to revive neglected music by Black American composers. Their latest recording, set for digital release on 15 September, presents Florence Price’s Symphony No. 4 and William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, a work premiered by The Philadelphia Orchestra back in 1934.

This compilation is excellent value. It's interesting how, as the major classical labels mine their back catalogues, once famous artists, not forgotten but perhaps somewhat sidelined by later arrivals, are being reappraised and brought back into favour. Eugene Ormandy is one such. Reissue of many of his recordings is richly deserved and hopefully will introduce a younger generation to his recorded legacy, the product of his legendary 44-year tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

As one of the finest pianists of his era and an improviser of genius, Ludwig van Beethoven's preferred vehicle for musical exploration was the piano. With his five piano concertos composed between 1788 and 1809, he not only achieved a brilliant conclusion to the Classical piano concerto, but also established a new model for the Romantic era: a sort of symphony with obbligato piano which was to remain a reference point well into the twentieth century. After the first two concertos, which still closely follow the models of Haydn and Mozart, Concerto No. 3 marks a profound stylistic change. In the piano part, Beethoven pushes the instrument to it's limits, leading commentators to remark that he was writing for the piano of the future.