Mieczysaw Weinberg was familiar with the clarinet from his youth, given its prominent place in klezmer bands and theatre ensembles, and he wrote three works specifically for the instrument. In the Clarinet Concerto he draws a wide range of textures from the accompanying strings, over which the soloist explores the clarinets extremes of register in virtuosic fashion. Despite having been written when Weinberg was still in his mid-twenties, the Clarinet Sonata is a mature work with Romantic and folkloric elements. His last completed work was the Chamber Symphony No. 4, an impassioned piece with a wrenching chorale theme and role for obbligato clarinet.

Obviously Ludwig van Beethoven wrote many pieces. But in addition to the well-known masterpieces, there is a huge pool of unknown pieces and curiosities. Berlin Classics has compiled a 9 album edition with world-famous performers such as the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur or the Brahms Trio.

A stunning collection of classical-soul, piano-led pieces composed, arranged and performed by Alexis Ffrench. The perfect follow up album to his chart-topping Sony Music debut, ‘Evolution’. Includes works for solo piano, piano & orchestra, and a special guest feature from international cello superstar Tina Guo.

Pianist Luisa Imorde loves innovative combinations: following on from circus dances by Schumann and Widmann and the affair of honour between Woelfl and Beethoven, she now prepares to cast light on Johann Sebastian Bach and Nikolai Kapustin. This is an album whose spectrum ranges from Baroque counterpoint through to polyrhythmic jazz sounds.