Hyperion

[spomania]

April 2007 Releases

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The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol 42 - Alnæs & Sinding ALNÆS Piano Concerto in D major Op 27; SINDING Piano Concerto in D flat major Op 6 PIERS LANE piano, BERGEN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA / ANDREW LITTON Hyperion travels to Norway for the latest release in their extensive survey of the Romantic Piano Concerto. Alnæs’s work is a glorious late romantic masterpiece, akin in idiom to Rachmaninov. The Sinding is a thrillingly virtuosic, extravagant romp and the perfect vehicle for the flamboyant artistry of Piers Lane. Compact Disc CDA67555

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Medtner: The Complete Skazki Skazki Op 8; Skazki Op 9; Skazki Op 14; Skazki Op 20; Skazki Op 26; Skazka Op 31 No 3; Skazki Op 34; Skazki Op 35; Skazki Op 42; Skazki Op 48; Skazki Op 51; Romantic Sketches for the Young Op 54; Skazka (1915) HAMISH MILNE piano The complete Skazki have never been recorded together, and some of the pieces here are receiving their long overdue first recordings. The Skazki were the most personal of Medtner’s idioms and contain his most immediately appealing music: they are miniature tone poems full of atmosphere and colour and are arguably the most neglected ‘great’piano music in the repertoire. Medtner has been central to Milne’s repertoire since the 1970s, and here he has surpassed himself in a recording graced with superlative piano sound. 2 Compact Discs CDA67491/2

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Jongen & Peeters: Masses JOSEPH JONGEN Messe en l’honneur du Saint-Sacrement Op 130; Deus Abraham W150; Pie Jesu W71; Quid sum miser? W99; FLOR PEETERS Missa Festiva Op 62 CHOIR OF ST JOHN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, PAUL PROVOST organ, LONDON CITY BRASS / DAVID HILL The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is experiencing another year of musical and vocal excellence. In this latest CD for Hyperion, its trademark sound, immaculate yet energetic and joyful, is employed in the service of a fascinating selection of sacred choral works from the 20th century. Jongen’s Messe en l’honneur du Saint-Sacrement is a major large-scale work, harmonically vivid and original. Flor Peeters’ Missa Festiva is similarly vibrant and enjoyable. Compact Disc CDA67603

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Manchicourt: Missa Cuidez vous que Dieu nous faille Regina caeli; Peccantem me quotidie; Missa Cuidez vous que Dieu nous faille; Osculetur me; Ne reminiscaris, Domine; Magnificat secundi toni; JEAN RICHAFORT (c1480–after 1547) Cuidez vous que Dieu nous faille THE BRABANT ENSEMBLE / STEPHEN RICE The Brabant Ensemble’s first recording for Hyperion surveyed the music of Thomas Crecquillon to great acclaim. This second recording turns to the lesser-known figure of Pierre de Manchicourt, a master whose neglect seems all the more extraordinary once his output and contemporary renown are explored. His music combines melodic invention and rhythmic ingenuity within a whole of refreshing accessibility. Compact Disc CDA67604

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Hyperion's budget label

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Mendelssohn: Choral Music Ave Maria Op 23 no 2; Ehre sei Gott; Kyrie; Mitten wir im Leben sind, Op 23 no 3; Heilig ist Gott; Six Anthems Op 79; Three Psalms Op 78; Hear my prayer CORYDON SINGERS, ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA / MATTHEW BEST Compact Disc CDH55268 'This is one of the most wonderful choral discs I have ever beard. A must for anyone who valves really wonderful music fantastically well performed' (Organists Review)

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Schubert: String Quintet & String Trio String Trio movement in B flat major, D471; String Quintet in C major, D956 THE RAPHAEL ENSEMBLE Compact Disc CDH55305 'Rarement Quintette fut plus soigneusement lu, plus finement détaillé et exprim, de tout son suc musical' (Répertoire, France)

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Draghi & Blow: Odes to Saint Cecilia JOHN BLOW The glorious day is come (Ode for St Cecilia); GIOVANNI BATTISTA DRAGHI From Harmony, from heav'nly harmony Soloists, THE PARLEY OF INSTRUMENTS, PLAYFORD CONSORT Compact Disc CDH55257 'As ever, the disc is a revelation ... Once heard this infectious music is not easily forgotten, which is a tribute to the enthusiasm and conviction of the performances' (Classic CD)

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Bartók: 44 Duos for two violins 44 Duos for 2 violins, Sz98 ANDRÁS KISS violin, FERENC BALOGH violin Compact Disc CDH55267 'Molto del merito della riuscita del CD va ai bravissimi Andras Kiss e Ferenc Balogh' (Musica)

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March 2007 Releases

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Haydn: Piano Sonatas Piano Sonata No 50 in C major Hob XVI:50; Piano Sonata No 40 in G major Hob XVI:40; Piano Sonata No 46 in A flat major Hob XVI:46; Piano Sonata No 41 in B flat major Hob XVI:41; Piano Sonata No 52 in E flat major Hob XVI:52; Piano Sonata No 23 in F major Hob XVI:23; Piano Sonata No 43 in A flat major Hob XVI:43; Piano Sonata No 24 in D major Hob XVI:24; Piano Sonata No 32 in B minor Hob XVI:32; Piano Sonata No 37 in D major Hob XVI:37 MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN piano Exploring all facets of the classical sonata, Haydn’s piano sonatas are a central part of his oeuvre. From the galant to the magnificent, they are characterised by an exuberant physicality and a constant sense of adventure and surprise. On this 2CD set, the brilliant Marc-André Hamelin brings his limitless technique and innate musicianship to ten of these delightful, ebullient works. 2 Compact Discs CDA67554 (for the price of 1) 'Hamelin kicks off with the late C major sonata, H50, nailing his virtuoso credentials firmly to the mast with a mercurial account of its opening movement … Hamelin's playing is dazzling … These are altogether splendid performances … These beautifully recorded performances can't be recommended too highly' (BBC Music Magazine)

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Palestrina: Third Book of Lamentations In Coena Domini Maundy Thursday; In Parasceve Good Friday; Sabbato Sancto Holy Saturday WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR / MARTIN BAKER The Master of Music Palestrina composed four sets of Lamentations, the third of which is recorded here. Throughout the centuries composers of sacred music have aspired to do justice to this most dramatic of texts and Palestrina’s settings rank amongst the finest. The Choir of Westminster Cathedral brings its unparalleled reputation and unique ‘continental’ tone to the music. Compact Disc CDA67610 'Among the many other things for which the independent records company Hyperion deserves our gratitude is its long-standing engagement of Westminster Catherdral Choir, England's finest Catholic choir, to record the masterpieces of sacred polyphony … Palestrina's thrid of his four settings of the Lamentations of Jeremiah is marked by sinuous vocal lines, harmonic richness, unpredictable modality and telling passages of homophonic writing … Martin Baker rightly emphasises the classical perfection of Palestrina's polyphony … As usual, Hyperion's engineers have worked miracles with the difficult acoustics of Westminster Cathedral. Jon Dixon contributes a first-rate booklet essay, which helpfully situates the performance of Lamentations within the complex rituals of Holy Week celebrations' (International Record Review)

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Brahms: Viola Sonatas & Trio Sonata in F minor for viola and piano Op 120 No 1; Trio in A minor for viola, cello and piano Op 114; Sonata in E flat major for viola and piano Op 120 No 2 LAWRENCE POWER viola, TIM HUGH cello, SIMON CRAWFORD-PHILLIPS piano Lawrence Power is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most thrilling young performers around. Acclaimed for his recordings of York Bowen and Cecil Forsyth concertos, he now turns to these cornerstones of the viola repertoire. Brahms’s magnificent craftsmanship and expression‎! of deep feeling are superbly demonstrated by the players in performances of great intimacy. Compact Disc CDA67584 'It is hard to remember, when listening to this superb disc, that the three works, Brahms's last, were written with the clarinet in mind. Power is among the most persuasive instrumentalists of our day, and, with his unremitting eloquence, could make you believe the viola was a trombone, but his communicativeness is a matter of the deepest feeling. The andante un poco adagio movement of the F minor sonata is infinitely touching, with a pathos that seems to go to the viola's heart, though the stocism, defiance and even exuberance with which the persuasive wistfulness of these works is contrasted are just as authentically rendered' (Sunday Times)

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Delius: Songs Seven Songs from the Norwegian; In the Garden of the Seraglio from Seven Danish Songs; Irmelin Rose from Seven Danish Songs; Il pleure dans mon coeur; Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit; La lune blanche; Chanson d’automne; Summer Eve from Five Songs from the Norwegian; Longing from Five Songs from the Norwegian; Sunset from Five Songs from the Norwegian; The nightingale has a lyre of gold; I-Brasîl; Summer Landscape; O schneller, mein Ross; Aus deinen Augen fließen meine Lieder; So white, so soft, so sweet is she from Four Old English Lyrics; To Daffodils from Four Old English Lyrics; Love’s Philosophy from Three Shelley Songs; Summer Nights from Seven Danish Songs YVONNE KENNY soprano, PIERS LANE piano Delius’s unique compositional language is expressed in these lyrical and beautiful songs. The magical twilit world of the Scandinavian poets is explored in Norwegian and Danish settings admired by Grieg. English songs on Elizabethan texts written in exile during the first world war have a characteristic sense of fading beauty and regret. Compact Disc CDA67594 'These attractive songs are the music of a passionate young romantic … There are faint echoes of Grieg and Wagner, even, in a group of delicately atmospheric Verlaine settings, and also of Fauré and Chausson. Yet so distinctive was Delius’s sinuous harmonic style that even the simplest song could be by no one else … Yvonne Kenny is, as ever, a scrupulous, sensitive artist, always alive to mood and character. She vividly catches the bardic desolation of Twilight Fancies, the sensuality of In the Garden of the Seraglio and the wayward charm of The Nightingale Has a Lyre of Gold. Her poised, soft singing is heard to beautiful effect in the Verlaine songs, and in an exquisite setting of Ben Jonson’s So white, so soft, so sweet is she' (The Daily Telegraph)

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Hyperion's budget label

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C.P.E. Bach: 'La Folia' and other works Variations on 'La Folia', Wq118/9; Sonata 'Sanguineus und Melancholicus', Wq161/1; Gamba Sonata in D, Wq137; Trio Sonata in B flat, Wq158; Sinfonia in D THE PURCELL QUARTET, ROBERT WOOLLEY harpsichord Compact Disc CDH55232 'The Purcell Quartet play with sensitivity and seem well attuned to the particularly individual sensibility of this composer' (The Penguin Guide to Compact Discs)

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Demidenko plays Rachmaninov Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op 3 (original version); Etudes Tableaux: C major, Op 33/2; G minor, Op 33/8; F sharp minor, Op 39/3; B minor, Op 39/4; E flat minor, Op 39/5; Preludes: F sharp minor, Op 23/1; D minor, Op 23/3; G minor, Op 23/5; C minor, Op 23/7; G flat major, Op 23/10; F minor, Op 32/6; A minor, Op 32/8; B minor, Op 32/10; G sharp minor, Op 32/12 NIKOLAI DEMIDENKO piano Compact Disc CDH55239 'A marvellous disc' (BBC Music Magazine)

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The Songs of Clara Schumann 3 Songs from Friedrich Rückert's "Liebesfrühling"; Sechs Lieder, Op 13; Sechs Lieder aus 'Jucunde' von Hermann Rollett, Op 23; Walzer; Der Abendstern; Am Strande; Ihr Bildnis; Volkslied; Die gute Nacht, die ich dir sage; Sie liebten sich beide; Lorelei; Oh weh des Scheidens, das er tat; Mein Stern; Beim Abschied; Das Veilchen; Der Wanderer; Der Wanderer in der Sägemühle SUSAN GRITTON soprano, STEPHAN LOGES baritone, EUGENE ASTI piano Compact Disc CDH55275 ‘Thoroughly recommendable … fluid, attractive, fully committed performances’ (Fanfare, USA)

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Boccherini: Cello Sonatas Sonata in C major, G17; Sonata in E flat major, G10; Sonata in C minor, G2; Sonata in A major, G4; Sonata in B flat major, G565 RICHARD LESTER cello, DAVID WATKIN cello, CHI-CHI NWANOKU double bass Compact Disc CDH55219 ‘There is a touch of the impetuous about Richard Lester’s playing of these sonatas which seems to me to capture very happily their character’ (Gramophone)

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February 2007 Releases

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The Romantic Cello Concerto, Vol 2 - Schumann, Volkmann, Gernsheim & Dietrich ROBERT VOLKMANN Cello Concerto in A minor Op 33; ALBERT DIETRICH Cello Concerto in G minor Op 32; FRIEDRICH GERNSHEIM Cello Concerto in E minor Op 78; ROBERT SCHUMANN Cello Concerto in A minor Op 129 ALBAN GERHARDT cello, RUNDFUNK-SINFONIEORCHESTER BERLIN / HANNU LINTU Praised for his ‘passion and sensitivity’ by BBC Music Magazine for Volume 1 of this series (CDA67544), Alban Gerhardt turns his attention to works by four of his compatriots for this second volume in Hyperion’s Romantic Cello Concerto series. This disc includes the Schumann cello concerto, unperformed until 1860, and recordings of concertos by Schumann’s contemporaries, Volkmann, Gernsheim and Dietrich. Compact Disc CDA67583 'Alban Gerhardt throws himself into the fray with thrilling virtuoso abandon and the recording is out of Hyperion's top drawer' (Classic FM Magazine ) *****

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Richard Strauss: Metamorphosen & Piano Quartet Metamorphosen (version for string septet); Piano Quartet in C minor Op 13; Prelude to Capriccio Op 85 THE NASH ENSEMBLE Completed in 1945, Metamorphosen can be regarded as Richard Strauss’s reaction against the wartime destruction of German culture and heritage, and is a work at once angry, poignant and intensely beautiful. Presented with the early Piano Quartet and Prelude to Capriccio, these works are given a typically vigorous performance by Britain’s best-loved chamber ensemble. Compact Disc CDA67574 'Reducing the string size of Strauss's Metamorphosen from 23 to the seven of the composer's short score … might seem to be going light on the tragic force of this great wartime elegy. Not so in the hands of the Nash Ensemble. If anything Strauss's mostg private moments of grief have even more eloquence … The recap almost breaks the heart in its restored purity of expression‎! [Prelude to Capriccio] … Truthful recording does full justice to the warmth, poise and integration of these marvellous performances' (BBC Music Magazine)

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Elgar: Great is the Lord Great is the Lord Op 67; They are at rest; Queen Alexandra Memorial Ode; Ave Maria Op 2 No 2; The Spirit of the Lord Prologue from The Apostles Op 49; Te Deum & Benedictus Op 34; O salutaris hostia; Ave verum Op 2 No 1; Ecce sacerdos magnus; O hearken Thou Op 64; Give unto the Lord Op 74 WESTMINSTER ABBEY CHOIR, ROBERT QUINNEY organ / JAMES O'DONNELL From the regal opulence of Great is the Lord to the quiet devotion of Ave verum and Ave Maria, this varied programme is the perfect guide through Elgar’s rich choral output. James O’Donnell transports the men and boys of Westminster Abbey through the grandiloquence and tenderness of this seminal music. The full gamut of Elgar’s career is represented and at every turn these performers offer new insights into the music. Compact Disc CDA67593 'The most impressive items are Great Is the Lord and Give unto the Lord, two powerfully expressive large-scale anthems composed just before the First World War. Their texts allow Elgar to explore a wide range of choral and organ effects in the service of some vividly graphic word-painting, which Westminster Abbey Choir bring to life with obvious relish' (The Daily Telegraph)

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Bloch and Ben-Haïm: Violin Suites BLOCH Baal Shem Suite; Suite hébraïque; Suite No 1 for solo violin; Suite No 2 for solo violin; BEN-HAÏM Sonata in G minor for solo violin Op 44; Berceuse sfaradite; Improvisation and Dance Op 30 HAGAI SHAHAM violin with ARNON EREZ piano ‘Intoxicating performances guaranteed to set the pulse racing’ is how Hagai Shaham’s first disc of Bloch’s music for violin and piano was received by BBC Music Magazine. With this new release Shaham completes his survey and adds Bloch’s best-known work for violin and piano, his Baal Shem Suite. The disc includes other suites by Bloch and music by Israeli-born composer Paul Ben-Haïm, including his popular Berceuse sfaradite. Compact Disc CDA67571 'Both composers are served extremely well on this beautifully recorded disc, Hagai Shaham and Arnon Erez in particular giving a totally convincing performance of Bloch's well-known Baal Shem … The overall impact is all the more powerful for the sure sense of pacing both artists demonstrate through the recital' (BBC Music Magazine)

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Music for the Court of Maximilian II JACOBUS VAET Videns Dominus; Conditor alme siderum; O quam gloriosum; Ascendetis post filium ‘In laudem Invictiss. Rom. Imp. Max. II’; Continuo lacrimas ‘In mortem Clementis non Papae’; ANTONIUS GALLI Missa Ascendetis post filium; PIETER MAESSENS Discessu; ORLANDUS LASSUS Pacis amans CINQUECENTO The court of Maximilian II offered an unparalleled opportunity for artistic and musical development. Lassus and his contemporaries take us on an exhilarating tour of Maximilian’s bejewelled royal chambers, an environment every bit as opulent and artistically ambitious as that of contemporary Tudor England. This is the debut recording by the thrilling all-male ensemble Cinquecento who bring new vision to this rich repertoire. Compact Disc CDA67579 'Continuo lacrimas, Vaet's gracious lament on the death of the composer Clemens non Papa, is a small masterpiece both in technique and emotional resonance … Cinquecento is an all-male vocal ensemble with members drawn from five European countries … The voices are young, lithe, pure in intonation and warm in timbre - in short, ideal for interpreting Renaissance polyphony. Their phrasing is supple, mellifluous and understated, while always alert! to the musical rhetoric … No lover of Renaissance polyphony should overlook this outstanding début recording' (International Record Review)

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Hyperion's budget label

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The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Songs and polyphonic pieces both sacred and secular, and mainly anonymous, from the great age of the Gothic cathedrals GOTHIC VOICES / CHRISTOPHER PAGE Compact Disc CDH55273 'Compacto absolutamente recomendable' (CD Compact, Spain)

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The Castle of Fair Welcome ANON Las je ne puis; En amours n'a si non bien; Mi ut re ut; MORTON Le souvenir de vous me tue; Que pourroit plus; Plus j'ay le monde regarde; REGIS Puisque ma dame; BEDYNGHAM Myn hertis lust; BINCHOIS Dueil angoisseux; VINCENET La pena sin ser sabida: FRYE So ys emprinted; ENRIQUE Pues servicio vos desplaze; CHARLES THE BOLD Ma dame, trop vous mesprenes; DUFAY Ne je ne dors GOTHIC VOICES / CHRISTOPHER PAGE, CHRISTOPHER WILSON lute Compact Disc CDH55274 'The sound is beautifully carved out, and the ensemble includes some of Britain's finest singers' (Gramophone)

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The Spirits of England and France COOKE Gloria; MATTEO DA PERUGIA Belle sans per; MACHAUT Ay mi! dame de valour; PEROTINUS Presul nostri temporis; PYKINI Plaisance, or tost; ANONYMOUS Quant la douce jouvencelle; In Rama sonat gemitus; Le premier jor; Deduc, Syon, uberrimas; Virgo plena gratie; Flos in monte cernitur; Crucifigat omnes; Beata nobis gaudia; 3 Estampies; Ave Maria; Laus detur multifaria: Credo (Old Hall Manuscript); En cest mois de May GOTHIC VOICES / CHRISTOPHER PAGE, PAVLO BEZNOSIUK medieval! fiddle Compact Disc CDH55281 'Unalloyed pleasure … Once again a superb recording that stimulates, that charms' (Gramophone)

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