Rameau's 'acte de ballet' 'Pygmalion', was the composer's first work to bear that designation. The term denotes a one-act opera with the usual solo numbers, duets, and choruses, interspersed with dance episodes and is generally more pageant-like than plot-driven! The opera was performed 30 times in 1748 and was revived to rapturous acclaim three years later.

Admired for her remarkable creative imagination and exemplary musicianship, soprano Patricia Petibon, in her newest album for Deutsche Grammophon, offers a treasure-trove of fascinating Baroque curiosities guaranteed to enthral both the Baroque aficionado and the casual listener.

Over the last 25 years, Fazıl Say has firmly established himself as a musician to be reckoned with – as a pianist, director and composer. He is particularly noted for interpretations of Mozart, and it was with a recording of the complete sonatas that he made his debut recording for Warner Classics. Following the release in spring 2017 of 4 Cities with long-time recital partner, cellist Nicolas Altstaedt, he now turns to another composer/performer, Frederic Chopin, arguably the greatest of the 19th century.

Here is the third and last instalment in the ‘Live at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées’ series of Mozart operas conducted by Jérémie Rhorer. After Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail and La clemenza di Tito comes Don Giovanni, recorded in 2016. On the occasion of the performances (directed by Stéphane Braunschweig) during which Radio France recorded the present discs, Le Figaro wrote: ‘Jérémie Rhorer expertly conducted his orchestra “Le Cercle de l’Harmonie”.

This debut CD of L'Estro d'Orfeo ensemble takes its title Altri Canti d'Amor from a madrigal found in Claudio Monteverdi's Eighth Book of Madrigals. The program focuses on the music of the Italian Seicento and more precisely on the schools of northern Italy; mainly the Venetian school. It combines both instrumental and vocal pieces - the latter in instrumental versions - connected to the subject of 'love'.

Born in the Lebanon and brought up in Canada, Joyce El-Khoury studied in Ottawa and Philadelphia, before graduating from the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development programme. Today she is one of the brightest young stars in the opera world, recently receiving universal acclaim for her landmark performance of Violetta in La Traviata at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. As well as singing extensively in America, she appears widely in opera and concert throughout Europe, including the Bayerishe Staatsoper. She returns to Covent Garden in 2018, but before then will star in Glyndebourne and Madrid, as well as singing extensively in concert.

One of the most talented singers of the new generation brings to light four gems for soprano and orchestra belonging to the great eighteenth -century tradition of Neapolitan sacred music. The three composers are representative of as many generations of an industrious dynasty: Francesco Feo (1691-1761) was the uncle of Gennaro Manna (1715-79), who in turn was the uncle of Gaetano (1751-1804). Comparison between their scores allows us to observe the extraordinary development from the austerity of the late Baroque to the elegance of the galant style.

The Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman brings his trademark lightness of touch and exquisite musical sensitivity to Schubert’s final two sonatas, written just months before the composer’s death in 1828 at the age of 31. Both of these undoubted masterpieces span the emotional spectrum, their dying composer reaching into the dark recesses of his soul one moment, before expressing his resignation to fate with music of radiance, tenderness, and beauty. Zimerman deftly negotiates Schubert’s internal conflicts in a recording of staggering depth and richness.

For her first Sony Classical album of Mozart arias, the young Swiss soprano Regula Mühlemann received fantastic reviews all over the world. She was introduced to an audience of millions in 2016 at the ZDF Advent Concert from the Frauenkirche in Dresden, where she conquered the audience along with the second soloist of the evening, Sonya Yoncheva.

The first album of the young cellist Raphaela Gromes presents a selection of interesting Italian late romantic masterpieces for cello and piano. Raphaela is accompanied by pianist Julian Riem and presents an interesting programme of chamber works by Busoni, Martucci, Casella, Sinigaglia, Capuis and Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Raphaela has been delighting her ever-increasing public not only with her technical brilliance but also with her great feel for the works that she plays and with her exceptionally winning personality. Even the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma was im-pressed by the “courageous curiosity and energy” which radiated from the artist. Specialist promo & marketing activity.