Oksana Volkova / Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra / Constantine Orbelian POISON D'AMOUR

 

POISON D'AMOUR

 

Latvian Radio Choir / Sigvards Klava KOMITAS Divine Liturgy

DIVINE LITURGY

Ekaterina Siurina / Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra / Constantine Orbelian AMOUR ÉTERNEL

AMOUR ÉTERNEL

Sabrina-Vivian Höpcker / Fabio Bidini BRAHMS Hungarian Dances

Brahms probably heard most of these tunes as a child growing up in Hamburg, played by the Gypsy orchestras that were famous for their 'Hungarian' dance tunes. These passionate and high-spirited melodies fascinate with their abrupt changes of mood, fanciful reveries and extravagant embellishments. Brahms may even have written a few of the melodies himself! But his hand is evident in the lush harmonies and emotional depth. This version for violin and piano was arranged by Brahms' friend Joseph Joachim, the greatest violinist of his generation. The dances are played brilliantly by violinist Sabrina-Vivian Höpcker, who captures flawlessly the wild exuberance and deep sorrow of these alluring tunes. Fabio Bidini is the ideal collaborator, and together they have produced an album of uncommon beauty and appeal.

Dmitry Kouzov / Peter Laul FRENCH FAVORITES

Three major masterpieces—sonatas for cello and piano by renowned French composers—make up this passionate, turbulent, tender, exuberant, and optimistic album.

Debussy’s forward-looking sonata is one of the best examples of the master’s late style. The transcription of Franck’s violin sonata for cello will make you wonder if the piece wasn’t originally planned for cello and piano (there is some evidence that it was). And Chopin’s sonata represents a rare foray into chamber music by everyone’s favorite composer of piano music. For good measure, Ravel’s short Cuban dance piece is included.

Cellist Dmitry Kouzov and pianist Peter Laul deliver breathtaking interpretations of these towering masterpieces.

Nina Kotova / Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra / Vladimir Fedoseyev TCHAIKOVSKY

Nina Kotova has joined links with Russian maestro Vladimir Fedoseyev to replay the wonderful works of Tchaikovsky in her latest album ‘Tchaikovsky’. The album includes a total of thirteen emotional, moving and simply terrific pieces by the man himself – played with soul and meaning.

Kotova’s skill to play the Cello is unquestionably splendid, throughout the album she showcases her maturity and connection to the pieces especially in lively pieces such as ‘Pezzo capriccioso Op. 62’. Furthermore, the album is full of range, joyous themes are shifted from when the sound of ‘Serenade for Strings’ enters, ultimately moving us from theme to theme.

Conclusively, the album is a terrific showcase of the dynamic that Kotova and Fedoseyev have as collaborators. Bringing back the great works of Tchaikovsky in a masterful way for those that sometimes forget the impact he has had, giving us a scale of emotions in one true album. This album is one for fans of classical music, especially those that adore the work of Tchaikovsky – one we recommend. (Modestas Mankus)

Unknown Music of NADIA BOULANGER

Delos has the tremendous honor of issuing the first-ever album devoted to the wonderful compositions of Nadia Boulanger: truly a release of great historical importance. 

None dispute that Boulanger was by far the twentieth century’s most influential composition teacher. Yet “Mademoiselle,” as she has long been known in the music world, dismissed her own works as “useless,” with the result that they are almost completely unknown to the musical public today. But not anymore. 

Music lovers everywhere can now hear Boulanger’s complete works, published and unpublished (including 13 world premieres), in the genres of the art song, solo piano, cello and piano, and organ, as performed by an all-star array of musicians. We at Delos are elated to share these 37 musical gems with you and are confident that you will in turn share our own amazement at the beauty and originality of Mademoiselle’s music.

Jamie Barton / Brian Zeger ALL WHO WANDER

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton burst upon the global opera and concert scene in recent years after having won many of the world's most prestigious prizes for vocal excellence and accomplishments. Delos has scored a major coup in releasing her debut album. Jamie's well-chosen program of late-Romantic repertoire begins with eight of Gustav Mahler's finest lieder- including his wonderful Five Ruckert Songs- before treating us to the rare delights of Antonin Dvorak's song cycle Gypsy Songs. Her album concludes with even more seldom-heard selections from the many lovely Swedish-language songs of Finnish master Jean Sibelius. This sublime release- further graced by pianist Brian Zeger's peerless collaboration- will take your breath away, and leave you hungry for more from Jamie Barton, considered by many of the world's top vocal and operatic experts to be the rising mezzo of our time.  

"A great artist, no question, with an imperturbable steadiness of tone, and a nobility of utterance that invites comparison not so much with her contemporaries as with mid-20th century greats such as Kirsten Flagstad.” (The Guardian) 

“The world has been waiting for this voice for a long time – one that reminds you of how capable the human voice is of creating something of absolute beauty. Jamie pours all of her heart into every phrase of this deeply personal debut album. You will be utterly transported.” (Joyce DiDonato)

Dinara Alieva & Aleksandrs Antonenko VERDI - PUCCINI - TCHAIKOVSKY

After building a career in the former U.S.S.R., the Azeri soprano Dinara Alieva has had engagements at major European houses in Berlin, Vienna, Munich and Dresden. Her voice offers warmth, vibrancy (occasionally too much) and a fundamentally handsome tone color. (Alieva has upped her game since her last Delos disc.) The beefy-voiced Latvian dramatic tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko rose to international prominence when Riccardo Muti chose him to sing Otello at Salzburg in 2008. The Met secured him the next year for Rusalka; striking successes in new Met productions of Il Tabarro and Boris Godunov followed, along with strong work in revivals of Norma and Carmen, plus Otello with the Chicago Symphony. Antonenko opens the 2015–16 Met season as Verdi’s Moor in a new production directed by Bartlett Sher and conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. 

This often exciting joint recital was recorded in Kaunas, Lithuania, in July 2014. The track order is a bit bizarre — Aida, Tosca, Trovatore, Queen of Spades, with the Tosca Act I love duet following the opera’s three most famous arias. Perhaps, as CDs yield to downloads, such factors matter less. As Radamès, Antonenko is certainly better than solid, though his voice in midrange at middle volume can take on a tonal bluntness and undue tremolo; the warrior’s testing aria more than passes muster, but it’s not exactly the desired “romanza.” Alieva gets more character and dynamic variety into a warmly sung “Ritorna vincitor!”; she deploys her characteristic tremolo to good effect here. Besides these Act I arias, the program includes the entire final scene, which is very accomplished by contemporary standards. Antonenko starts sensitively, and Alieva follows his lead in honoring soft dynamic markings. We hear a good chorus and a capable and, unbelievably, unidentified Amneris. One would welcome hearing these artists paired in this opera. 

The competence and (relative) nuance of Antonenko’s “Recondita armonia” reflects his experience as Cavaradossi in London, Milan, Frankfurt and elsewhere; the hushed Act III aria occasions too much unsteadiness. The soprano’s B-flat at “Le voci delle cose” doesn’t quite cut it, and while feeling is plentiful — even generous — her words could be more sharply articulated. But Alieva sounds like she might develop into a sonorous, charged Tosca. Il Trovatore has already figured in her repertory, and she presents a very creditable Act IV scena, including a verse of “Tu vedrai.”

Antonenko’s power singing sounds better suited to Gherman than to Manrico. The Tchaikovsky excerpts unsurprisingly bring forth more detailed verbal commitment from both artists: this is another joint casting one would welcome. Conductor Constantine Orbelian knows his métier, offering considerate support, if occasionally rhythmical indulgence. He cuts several bars off the beautiful “Celeste Aida” postlude. Delos supplies neither Sacristan for Tosca nor Ruiz for Il Trovatore. The booklet presents Cyrillic transliterated (not a problem) but misstates the title of the final Aida duet as well as that of Gherman’s arioso. (David Shengold)