Isabelle Faust / Swedish Symphony Orchestra / Daniel Harding ARNOLD SCHOENBERG Violin Concerto - Verklärte Nacht

                                       VIOLIN CONCERTO - VERKLÄRTE NACHT

Christian Poltéra / Kathryn Stott SCHUMANN - BRAHMS Sonatas and Songs

                                                          SONATAS AND SONGS

Trio Zimmermann JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Goldberg Variations

For close to 300 years Bach’s Goldberg Variations have awed performers as well as listeners, through an unparalleled combination of a dazzling variety of expression and breath-taking virtuosity with stupendous polyphonic mastery. No wonder then that other musicians than harpsichordists have wanted to make it their own – pianists, first and foremost, but also accordion players and guitarists, flautists and harpists. 

Having performed and recorded much of the classical as well as the modern string trio repertoire, Trio Zimmermann began working on the Goldberg Variations several years ago, playing an existing arrangement. But in their own words, the three members – among the leading string players of our time – ‘soon became captivated by the original score and its innumerable beauties and details’. As a result they have jointly prepared a performing version which here receives its first recording. Playing an important part on this disc are also the Trio’s instruments – all by Antonio Stradivarius, and featured in close-up on the cover.

Pascal Moraguès / Frank Braley / Christian Poltéra BRAHMS Clarinet Sonatas & Trio

Brahms is re-inspired thanks to... the clarinet. For one year the composer wrote little, feeling that his work must be finished. But in 1891 he would go to Meiningen in Germany, and make the reinvigorating acquaintance of virtuoso court orchestra clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld. By the sides of this extraordinary musician, Brahms would gain a deeper understanding of his playing as well as the technical and musical possibilities of the instrument. He thus composed his four last chamber music pieces with the clarinet : The Trio Op. 114 in 1891, the Quintet Op. 115 ; then in the summer of 1894 his two Sonatas for Clarinet, Op. 120.