Hugely prolific as well as widely acclaimed, Kalevi Aho has composed 30 concertos to date. Many of them are available in recordings from BIS, and the present release features two works from the past decade. The Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra was commissioned for Jörgen van Rijen, who also performs it here.

Sueye Park introduced herself to the general public in 2017 with no less a calling-card than Paganini’s 24 Caprices for solo violin. On the present disc, the South-Korean violinist (born in 2000) has a pianist on her side, namely Love Derwinger, himself known from a number of recordings. The repertoire is also a more varied offering this time, with violin favourites such as Elgar’s tender Salut d’amour and Tchaikovsky’s Mélodie, as well as more virtuosic fare, for instance in the fireworks of Wieniawski’s Scherzo-Tarantelle.

Dubbed "the French Al Jolson," Maurice Chevalier was among the most beloved song-and-dance men of the pre-war era. Born September 12, 1888 in Paris, he was the youngest of nine children, quitting school at the age of 11 to work as an apprentice engraver and factory worker. Chevalier also later performed as a circus acrobat, but after suffering serious injuries he instead turned to singing in Parisian cafes and music halls; although his voice lacked power, he compensated with his fine comedic skills, and before long was among the most popular performers in France, often partnering with the infamous Minstinguett in the Folies-Bergere.

Deutsche Grammophon is marking the 120th anniversary of its company foundation on December 6, 1898 with a carefully curated global programme of DG120 live concerts, special events, record releases and much more. The world’s oldest and best-known classical label will use its anniversary year to continue building a lasting legacy. The company’s unprecedented DG120 programme has been designed to reach existing fans worldwide, attract new followers in Asia and beyond, and share its peerless catalogue with as many people as possible. It has already attracted new audiences in search of great recordings and performances, as well as garnering extensive international media coverage.

From a 21st-century perspective, Sibelius may appear to stand more or less alone in the history of Finnish music. It is easy to forget that he could not have fulfilled his artistic potential if his environment had not been conducive to musical creativity. But much of the music that was part of that environment has been almost completely forgotten, often because its aesthetic didn’t accord with the prevailing nationalist trends of the late 19th century.

Alpha and the Festival of Aix-en-Provence continue their Young Talents series, in which Laureates of the Académie of the Aix Festival are each accorded an album. The American baritone John Chest enjoys a brilliant career that has already led him to Glyndebourne Festival and the BBC Proms. In partnership with the Brazilian pianist Marcelo Amaral, he presents Die schöne Magelone by Johannes Brahms. Among all the wealth of Lieder that Brahms composed, this is his only real song cycle.

Bosque Mágico is the new project of the German world musician Ralf Siedhoff together with the Ukrainian oboist Mykyta Sierov. Both musicians live in the introspective classic town of Weimar and are rooted in world music. In their duo Bosque Màgico they fuse distances, cultures and languages into a common musical line.

Raw Elegance includes 3 primordial contemporary percussion works based on Skin, Wood, and Metal: Rebonds (1989) by Iannis Xenakis, Mani.Matta (2008) by Pierluigi Billone, and Maskine (‘machine’, 2012) by Toke Odin, commissioned by me. These 3 are all “architectural” pieces which, in my opinion, speak very directly to people of all ages and interests because of their primordial qualities.

For this album, I chose to use the aesthetic ideas suggested by classic Victorian era English rhyme to curate all the aspects of the production process. I also specifically selected musicians who are “old” familiar faces: Art Hirahara, Boris Kozlov, and Rudy Royston. There are some “new” friends as well: Alexa Tarantino, Nick Finzer, and Sam Dillon. The carefully selected musical program features some borrowed compositions taken from earlier Posi-Tone releases, which were subsequently produced to create performances reminiscent of the mid-1960’s, the “blue” period of modern jazz. I sincerely hope everyone will experience as much “Maximum Enjoyment" listening to these musical offerings as I did producing them. - Marc Free, producer