Cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan present a complete recording of Beethoven’s cello sonatas. Composed over a span of nearly twenty years, these works not only contain some of the most appealing and lyrical music Beethoven wrote, but also allow the listener to trace his exceptional artistic development. The third sonata, moreover, is a watershed in sonata writing, arguably presenting the cello and piano as fully equal partners for the first time in music history.

This album brings together orchestral music by two English composers who are also good friends – and both born in East Anglia: Nicholas Barton in Norfolk in 1950 and Christopher Wright in Suffolk in 1954. Moreover, they share a similar musical language: largely tonal, if loosely so, rhythmically alert, transparently but dramatically scored and with a natural feeling for symphonic argument and growth, and a powerful sense of scale.

Towards the end of the 19th century, ´several composers were taking a new interest in folk music. Folk tunes, or imitations of them, had previously mainly been used in order to provide ‘local colour’ or as a way of catering to nationalist sentiments, but it was now seen as a means to revitalize art music itself, opening up for new possibilities in terms of rhythm and harmony as well as melody. At the forefront of this development was Béla Bartók, who also considered the use of folk elements as a tool to transcend boundaries – to achieve a ‘brotherhood of peoples’.

In English Renaissance collections of music, the term ‘lessons’ is often used to describe instrumental pieces, even though they aren’t pedagogical exercises as such. But as Jonas Nordberg writes in an introduction to his new disc ‘there remains much in them to be studied’. John Dowland is one of the composers whose music was a driving force of the Early Music revival already at the beginning of the 20th century. He has also played a central role in the rediscovery of the lute itself, an ongoing process which began more than a hundred years ago.

These two works for string orchestra were composed on either side of the flight of the Viennese composer Richard Stöhr (1874–1967) from occupied Austria to the USA, and from prominence and danger to liberty and obscurity, and they reflect the change in his circumstances: the Concerto in the Old Style is expansive, witty, energetic and endlessly good-natured, whereas the Second Suite is introspective, understated and deeply felt. These first recordings allow the discovery of two major additions to the repertoire for strings; the Second Suite is also one of the last grand statements of late Romanticism.

During his lifetime, Hugo Alfvén became known as one of Sweden’s principal composers of his time, with works that struck a chord with a wide audience. As a result of his popularity, a nationwide collection was held in celebration of his 70th birthday in 1942, with the proceeds used to build Alfvéngården, the composer’s home during his final years. Now, 80 years later, Elin Rombo and Peter Friis Johansson are releasing their tribute to Alfvén’s 150th anniversary, recorded at Alfvéngården using the composer’s own piano.

Common ground in differences, moments, and eternity: The new GENUIN CD by the internationally award-winning pianist Nadezda Pisareva makes great strides with major works by Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven. The younger composer's Six moments musicaux and the older composer's Hammerklavier Sonata were written at roughly the same time, both marking the epochal shift from the Classical to the Romantic era in their own way. The young pianist, who counts pianist Georgy Tchaidze, violinist Diana Tischenko and the Casals Quartet among her chamber music partners, is enormously impressive in her approach to both musical works, tracing their structures with clarity.

This album is a well-thought-out program devoted to Romantic composer César Franck, who we don’t hear enough. The two piano solos, the Prélude, choral et fugue (1884) and the Prelude, Aria and Finale (1886-1887), find Franck favoring the tripartite form he loved, revealing a superbly expressive composer for the piano (he was an organist by profession). Tanguy de Williencourt gets under their skin and plays with poetry (the Choral is lovely) and real sweep. Joined by orchestra for the “Symphonic Variations,” he spreads his wings and gives a very impressive performance, while the slightly spooky “Les Djinns” is full of atmosphere.

The love for the Latvian landscape is audible in the piano works of Latvia’s greatest living composer, Peteris Vasks (b. 1946), especially in his Seasons, the composer’s most frequently performed piano work. For this album pianist Reinis Zariņš has brought two other piano works alongside The Seasons as first recordings: Vasks’ early piano work Cycle (Zyklus) from the 1970s, and a new piano work, Cuckoo’s Voice. Spring Elegy, written by the composer for Reinis Zariņš during the pandemic.

During his lifetime, Hugo Alfvén became known as one of Sweden’s principal composers of his time, with works that struck a chord with a wide audience. As a result of his popularity, a nationwide collection was held in celebration of his 70th birthday in 1942, with the proceeds used to build Alfvéngården, the composer’s home during his final years. Now, 80 years later, Elin Rombo and Peter Friis Johansson are releasing their tribute to Alfvén’s 150th anniversary, recorded at Alfvéngården using the composer’s own piano.

The cycle of the seasons has been celebrated many times by composers, from Jean-Baptiste Lully (Ballet of the Seasons) to Alexander Glazunov, not forgetting Antonio Vivaldi and Joseph Haydn. In the 19 th century, composer-pianists such as Carl Czerny and Isaac Albéniz used the seasons as inspiration for keyboard pieces. Others imagined painting a little musical picture for each month of the year. This was the case for Fanny Hensel (the sister of Felix Mendelssohn) with Das Jahr (1841), for the French composer Charles-Valentin Alkan with Les Mois (1872) and for Tchaikovsky with his Seasons, which are undoubtedly the most famous of these musical calendars.

The English rock band The Who perform on their first live album "Live at Leeds". The album features, what is considered to be, the group's best line-up with Pete Townshend on guitar, Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, John Entwistle on bass guitar and Keith Moon on the drums. "Live at Leeds", often referred to as one of the best live rock albums of all time, was recorded at the University of Leeds in Yorkshire. The 33 song set list includes "My Generation", "Summertime Blues" and "Magic Bus", along with many other classic titles by the group.

GARN these are the threads Meier, Stucki, Mueller, Steiner and Müller. What a crazy texture! Yarn! If you listen to the individual thread fabrication of Garn, you are amazed at the weave and weave, the colour nuances and the diversity that each individual of the band Garn brings to this formation. The weave of the band Garn guarantees a surprising thread live with every musical weave presented. Musically, anything is possible in this band. There is loose and relaxed weaving, musical threads are picked up and mixed, outrageous what Garn allows themselves.

Bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick (Portico Quartet) launches new collaborative project with saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands).

A reawakening for the Swedish visionaries, Sincere solidifies their impressive trajectory in a fuzzed out haze of dark and arresting shoegaze pop. An expansive trip through noisier, bittersweet pop realms that recalls My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Deerhunter.