A Portrait oft he composer Thorsten Encke „When you embark on an artistic project, structural considerations can serve as a spark of inspiration. Like an architect, you roll out a blueprint, jot down a series of notes, and establish a basic framework of interval relations. Then you thoughtfully furnish the interior by relating motifs to one another and assigning them dramatic roles within the musical narrative. All of this is certainly necessary.

Soprano Leontyne Price is joined by Jon Vickers, Rita Gorr, Robert Merrill, the Coro del Teatro dell' Opera di Roma, and the Orchestra del Teatro dell' Opera di Roma conducted by Georg Solti.
Decca marks the 90th birthday of Leontyne Price with the soprano leading casts conducted by Sir Georg Solti and Herbert von Karajan.

Gabriel Faure's lasting influence on French music is tied to the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War - a conflict in whcih France sought to limit Prussia's bid for German unification. In an age of widespread nationalism, and with the threat of German power at their doorstep, French artists set out to establish a firm national identity of their own. It was under these circumstances that Caille Saint-Saens co-founded the Societe Nationale de Musique to promote the music of young French composers.

Their recording debut, Symphonies 2 & 7, revealed Søndergård to have a profound understanding of the great Finnish composer. Sibelius has been a major feature of Søndergård's relationship with the BBC NOW since their debut eight years ago; their widely acclaimed Proms performance of the symphonies was a highlight.

Thomas Søndergård's opening concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, at which Sibelius was the highlight, was hailed a triumph by audiences and press alike and marked a new era for the orchestra.Building on this triumphant debut the 2013 BBC Proms saw Søndergård and a reinvigorated BBC NOW win over the critics with their charismatic performance and formidable interpretations of 20th century repertoire.

„Faced with such an enormous choice of recordings of the Beethoven concerto, this one at least has a unique selling point in new cadenzas composed for David Grimal by Brice Pauset. Although they remain within the bounds of propriety, that for the first movement is unusual in its inclusion at its mid-point of an orchestral role with solo piano. Otherwise the performance, taken from a Dijon concert in 2010, is a rewardingly fresh reading of the printed score. Maybe the central Larghetto is a little slow, but the whole account has an unhurried feel, and Grimal’s long lyric lines are shaped with beauty and much affection.“ (David Denton, theStrad)

With the Thirty Years War raging around them, Lutherans considered death to be the true fulfillment of their earthly life. Prince Heinrich von Reuss organised all the details of his funeral in advance, from the music that would be sung - to be composed and then performed by Heinrich Schütz during the funeral ceremony - to the coffin itself. Our programme includes not only the renowned Musicalische Exequien but also other funeral motets by Schütz, one of which was composed on the death of his friend Johann Hermann Schein.

This double-disc set is a determined effort to clear the shelf and record as much of Dave Brubeck's classical output as possible while the composer was still around to participate and guide the performers' hands. The project was done in only four sessions at London's Abbey Road Studios without the benefit of tuneup concerts; conductor Russell Gloyd says that the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices were practically sight-reading throughout…