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Colorado MahlerFest releases live recordings of Richard Strauss, Alpine Symphony on 29 August and Mahler, Symphony No. 4 and Wunderhorn Songs, on 12 September 2025

16/7/2025

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Click covers above to pre-order on iTunes with digital booklets

Colorado MahlerFest releases live recordings of Richard Strauss, An Alpine Symphony, on 29 August, and Mahler, Symphony No. 4 and Wunderhorn Songs with soprano April Fredrick and tenor Brennen Guillory on 12 September 2025, conducted by Kenneth Woods. 


Pre-order from QOBUZ:
RICHARD STRAUSS ALBUM
MAHLER 4/WUNDERHORN ALBUM


Miore pre-order, download and streaming links will be published here.

Electronic press kit, CDs and pre-release listening link
available for reviewers and radio producers from Ulysses Arts.


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JOHANNES SCHLECHT 'DIR' ALBUM RELEASED BY ULYSSES ARTS ON 24 OCTOBER 2025

16/7/2025

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Ulysses Arts announces the release of DIR, a new double album of songs and chamber music by German composer Johannes Schlecht, on 24 October 2025 (UA240040). This is Ulysses Arts's second album with Johannes Schlecht, following Ich Spiele Noch in 2022.
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Click above to download DIR from iTunes with digital booklet or to stream on Apple Music
Click here to download from Qobuz

Wie kann ein Komponist sich Schlecht nennen!

„Wie kann ein Komponist sich Schlecht nennen!“, rief ein Musikalienhändler aus, der Anfang der 1990er Jahre nach dem Fall der Berliner Mauer eine Dependance in Thüringen, eines der neuen Bundesländer, eröffnete und indessen Gesichtskreis Johannes getreten war. Seine Empfehlung lautete: „Ich würde mir ein Pseudonym zulegen.“

Johannes folgte dieser Empfehlung nicht. 1948 in der Mitte Deutschlands geboren, wuchs Johannes Schlecht in eine sich teilende Welt hinein. Noch bestand Deutschland aus Ländern, kontrolliert von vier Besatzungsmächten. Doch kein Jahr später gab es schon zwei deutsche Staaten, die von Jahr zu Jahr mehr und mehr auseinanderdrifteten – politisch, wirtschaftlich, kulturell, mental.

Johannes wurde im politischen Osten sozialisiert – als Sohn eines Pfarrerehepaars, was eine natürliche Opposition zur Ideologie der neugegründeten Deutschen Demokratischen Republik nach sich zog. 1990 „ging sein Land“, um eine bekannte Formulierung des (ost-) deutschen Schriftstellers Volker Braun aufzugreifen, „in den Westen“. Johannes blieb, wo er aufgewachsen war: im politischen Osten, der sich – nach kurzer Euphorie – entgegen aller Erwartung nicht dem Westen Deutschlands anglich, sondern zunehmend bis heute eine eigene Identität entwickelt, deren Wurzeln in 40 Jahren Leben in der DDR und in den einschneidenden Erfahrungen der Wendezeit liegen.

Das alles beeinflusste Johannes‘ Ästhetik in keinerlei Weise. Johannes beobachtet die politische Entwicklung mit Aufmerksamkeit und wachsender Sorge. Doch bleibt er bei seinem Stil, der geprägt ist von Genrevielfalt. Johannes schrieb sinfonische wie Filmmusik, Lieder wie Chansons, Singspiele wie Musicals, alle Art von Bühnenmusiken. Er inszenierte, sang und spielte zahlreiche Kinderliedprogramme und setzt sich ein für ein ganzheitliches, alle Sinne animierendes Liedtheater, gerichtet an kleine und große Leute. In dieser Eigenschaft arbeitete er mit Gisela May, Werner Schneyder, Michael Heltau, Cox Habbema, Annekathrin Bürger und anderen zusammen.

Auch musizierpraktisch lebt er in unterschiedlichen Welten. Er leitete viele Jahre einen traditionsreichen Chor in Eisenach und spielt weiterhin Klavier in einer Jazzband, die dem traditionellen Jazz verpflichtet ist und erfolgreich im Inund Ausland tourt.

Auf vorliegender Doppel-CD liegt der Schwerpunkt auf Kammermusik. Der Einfluss der geistigen Weggefährten
Anton von Webern und Reiner Bredemeyer, dessen Schüler Johannes für kurze Zeit war, ist unüberhörbar. Lassen Sie sich mitnehmen von Johannes‘ Witz und Heiterkeit, von seiner Lust an Wortspielen, aber auch ergreifen von seinem Ernst, ohne den alle Musik flach und schal wird.
How can a composer call himself Schlecht ['bad']!

"How can a composer call himself Schlecht!" exclaimed a music dealer who, in the early 1990s after the fall of the Berlin Wall, opened a branch in Thuringia, one of the new federal states, and into whose sphere of influence Johannes had come. His recommendation was: "I would adopt a pseudonym."

Johannes Schlecht did not follow this advice. Born in 1948 in the centre of Germany, Johannes Schlecht grew up in a dividing world. Germany still consisted of states, controlled by four occupying powers. Less than a year later, there were already two German states, which drifted further and further apart from each year – politically, economically, culturally, and mentally.

Johannes was socialised in the political East – being the son of a pastor couple led to a natural opposition to the ideology of the newly founded German 'Democratic' Republic. In 1990, to borrow a well-known phrase from the (East) German writer Volker Braun, "his country went to the West." Johannes remained where he grew up: in the political East, which – after a brief euphoria – contrary to all expectations, did not resemble West Germany, but has increasingly developed its own identity to this day, rooted in 40 years of life in the GDR and the dramatic experiences of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

None of this influenced Johannes' aesthetics in any way. Johannes observes political developments with attentiveness and growing concern. However, he remains true to his style, characterized by genre diversity. Johannes wrote symphonic and film music, songs and chansons, singspiels and musicals, and all kinds of stage music. He directed, sang, and performed numerous children's song programs and advocated for a holistic, all-senses song theater, aimed at young and old alike. In this capacity, he has worked with, amongst others. Gisela May, Werner Schneyder, Michael Heltau, Cox Habbema, Annekathrin Bürger.

In his musical practice, Johannes also lives in different worlds. He led a traditional choir in Eisenach for many years and continues to play piano in a jazz band dedicated to traditional jazz, which tours successfully both in Germany and abroad.

This double album focuses on chamber music. The influence of his spiritual companions Anton von Webern and Reiner Bredemeyer, whose student Johannes was briefly, is unmistakable. Let yourself be captivated by Johannes' wit and cheerfulness, by his love of wordplay, but also by his seriousness, without which all music becomes shallow and stale.




Part One/Teil Eins: SPRICH AUCH DU

ZEHN LIEDER NACH TEXTEN VON PAUL CELAN
1. Chanson einer Dame im Schatten 4.36
2. Eis, Eden 1.48
3 Lob der Ferne 1.59
4. Auf hoher See 1.19
5. Die Halde 1.54
6. Sprich auch du 2.54
7. Irisch 1.35
8. Du liegst im großen Gelausche 1.17
9. Nachmittag mit Zirkus und Zitadelle 2.04
10. Krokus 1.02
Stefan Freiberge, Singer/Stimme / Eva Gerlach-Kling, Klavier

WENN ALLE BÄCHLEIN FLIEßEN
Sechs Kommentare zu einem Choral von Johann Sebastian Bach für Violoncello allein
11. Sehr ruhig 2.49
12. Schnell, motorisch 1.35
13. Wieder ruhig 3.13
14. Gehend 1.23
15. Langsam und ruhevoll 1.59
16. Ruhig 3.14
Grita Bühler, Violoncello

SECHS HOLZSCHNITTE FÜR CELLO ALLEIN
Elly Viola Nahmacher gewidmet
17. Neutraler Beginn 0.59
18. Auf spechtische Art 0.39
19. Komischer Choral 0.58
20. Hölzerner Walzer 0.45
21. Ungewöhnlicher Takt 1.03
22. Kurzes aber schönes Ende 0.37
Grita Bühler, Violoncello

MEIN VATERLAND IST TOT
Fünf Lieder nach Texten von Rose Ausländer
23. Damit kein Licht uns liebe 3.03
24. New York 2.12
25. Muttersprache 1.56
26. Mutterland 1.26
27. Freund 2.00
Ulrika Strömstedt, Singer/Stimme / Daniel Gutierrez, Violoncello

Part Two/Teil Zwei: ACH GOETHE ODER

SAH EIN KNABE KEIN RÖSSLEIN STEHN: Sieben Stücke für Violoncello allein
28. Heißspornig und was sonst noch 2.11
29. Verliebt, aber nicht verlobt 2.16
30. Neugierig auf Carl & August 1.02
31. Platonisch, aber wer weiß schon 2.35
32. Politisch, aber nicht schlecht 1.35
33. Gastlich, auch ein bißchen selbstgefällig 2.23
34. Schon älter, aber immer noch klassisch 3.36
Grita Bühler, Violoncello

FÜNF ARTEN ZU GEHEN - UND EINE ZU STEHEN: Gangarten des Island-Ponys
35. Galopp 1.17
36. Rennpass 1.01
37. Schritt 1.40
38. Sehr ruhig 3.03
39. Tölt 1.19
40. Trab 0.41
Eva Gerlach-Kling, Klavier/piano

ALLEZEIT HEYDERKEIT: Jost Heyder gewidmet
41. Laßt uns froh und Heyder sein 1.04
42. Heyderlein, ging allein 0.57
43. Hoppe,hoppe, Heyder 0.58
44. Heyderwalzer 1.16
45. Heyderröslein 1.28
46. Auf den Feldman Heyder 2.41
47. Stille Nacht, heydere Nacht 1.03
Grita Bühler, Violoncello

DIR: Vierzehn Lieder nach Texten von Heinrich Vogeler
48. Sehr ruhig, heiter, mit herziger Ironie, nicht satirisch, nicht sarkastisch 1.30
49. Betrachtend, sehn- und mondsüchtig, nicht melodramatisch 1.18
50. Heiter, hüpfend, fast ausgelassen, nicht überschwänglich 0.32
51. Ratlos, ängstlich, nicht hoffnungslos 1.43
52. Mit viel Sehnsucht und Melancholie, nicht traurig 2.42
53. Verinnerlicht, liebevoll, nicht sentimental 1.01
53. Drängend, glücksahnend, nicht sicher 0.59
54. Anmutig, heiter, erzählend, nicht wehmütig 1.53
54. Traumtänzerisch, mir ängstlicher Sehnsucht, nicht gramvoll 0.58
57. Rückschauend, resümierend, nicht fatalistisch 0.52
58. Mit leichter Verzweiflung, schöner Erinnerung,
wenig Hoffnung, nicht froh 2.34
59. Absichtsvoll, mit innerem Frieden, nicht wehmütig 2.02
60. Erinnernd, paradiesisch, verklärend, nicht weltfern 0.53
61. Testamentarisch, mit unendlicher Weisheit, nicht vorwurfsvoll 2.48
Ulrika Strömstedt, Singer/Stimme / Luise Denis Nesprias,Viola / Daniel Gutierrez. Violoncello

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Johannes Schlecht was born in 1948 in Neuhaus - Schierschnitz, South Thuringia. In 1967 he achieved his ‘Abitur’ (highest high school exams in Germany) in Eisenach. He then commenced study in Theology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. From 1969 his natural inclination and academic ability led him to the Franz-Liszt-Hochschule in Weimar, with studies in Pop music, piano, theory and methodic by Erika Heide and M. Schmitz, organ lessons with Rainer Böhme, arrangement lessons with Alo Koll and composition lessons with Joachim Thurm); Johannes graduated in Theology as ‘Diplom-Theologist and continued music study until 1976.

His works in music have been vast and varied such as performing as the piano player of the ‘Old Time Memory Jazz Band 1968-1973’, freelance work as a composer in Berlin from 1975 on, composing pop music and recording for radio and television. He has also toured Europe with many different projects. Johannes was a founding member of famous East German children’s music group CIRCUS LILA. With this group, he has:

– Developed many musically pedagogical programs for children and young people in nurseries and schools
– Won first place at many national festivals
– Composed and conducted many records for children
– Produced children’s series for radio and television. He has been a producer and composer of many GDR television series, e.g. Gisela Mays ‘Pfundgrube’ and worked with many renowned and well-known artists of the European Singer,-songwriter & acting scene. Composed Original Soundtracks for the ‘DEFA’ (east german film production firm); such as dramas, documentaries and children’s movies.

His catalogue of work and achievements is vast, including:
– Winning national and international awards (e.g. for the OST of ‘Kai aus der Kiste’ (‘Kai in the box’)
– Member of the ‘VKM’ -Verband der Komponisten und Musikwissenschaftler der DDR (‘collective of composers and musicians of the GDR’)
– Private lessons as choir and orchestra conductor with Manfred Fabricius at the School of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin;
– More work as a composer in the area of the ‘E-Musik’;
– Student of Rainer Bredemayer;
– Winner of the ‘Hanns-Eisler-Price’ (radio price of the GDR) for composing ‘Paul-Celan-Songs’(for piano and singing) in 1989;
– Compositions for music theatre premieres in Eisenach, Kassel, Gemünden & Marl;
– Several orchestra pieces, chamber music ensembles, choir pieces and live singing and instrument compositions;
– Arrangements and productions for his band ‘Medical Syncopater Jazzband’ and other groups, ensembles and artists;
– Since 2015, choir leader for the ‘Eisenbahn-Chor Friedrich List e.V.’ in Eisenach;
– Since 2016, piano player for the ‘Old Time Memory Jazz Band’ again.


PRE-ORDER FROM QOBUZ WITH DIGITAL BOOKLET
More details will be announced here, including further pre-order, download and streaming links.


Electronic press kit available for reviewers and radio producers from Ulysses Arts.

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TODD MASON, LUX ÆTERNA ALBUM RELEASED BY ULYSSES ARTS ON 26 SEPTEMBER 2025

10/7/2025

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Ulysses Arts releases Todd Mason's album Lux Æterna, also including his String Quartet No. 3, City of Angels and When You are Near, on Friday 26 September 2025 (UA2500. The performers are the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra and Ars Brunensis Choir conducted by Pavel Šnajdr, Budapest Scoring Orchestra conducted by Peter Illényi, Zelter String Quartet and soprano Anna Schubert with conductor Zoltán Pad.
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LUX AETERNA (2023) 22.03
1. Part 1: Requiem dona eis
2. Part 1: Kyrie, eleison
3. Part 2: In Paradisum
4. Part 3: Lux aeternam
5. Part 3: Kyrie, eleison
6. Part 3: In Paradisum

Brno Philharmonic Orchestra: Pavel Šnajdr, conductor
Ars Brunensis Choir: Dan Kalousek, choir director
Jana Vondrů, soprano; Aneta Podracká Bendová, alto
Jaroslav Zouhar, recording engineer
Todd Mason, studio producer and post-production

STRING QUARTET NO. 3 (2022): 15.26
7. Allegro sostenuto - Spirito - Moderato - Andante espressivo - Allegro moderato

Zelter String Quartet
Kyle Gilner and Gallia Kastner, violins
Carson Rick, viola; Allan Hon, cello
Van Webster, recording engineer, Mount Wilson Observatory
Todd Mason, studio producer and post-production

CITY OF ANGELS (2024) 16.12

8. Restless City (Pensive) 6.44
9. Dream City (Expressive) 5.40
10. Irrepressible City (Festive and Fast!) 3.48

Budapest Scoring Orchestra; Peter Ilényi, conductor
Viktor Szabo, recording engineer; Bálint Sapszon, orchestra manager
Todd Mason, studio producer and post-production

WHEN YOU ARE NEAR (2020)

11. Espressivo 4.48

 Budapest Scoring Orchestra:; Zoltán Pad, conductor; Anna Schubert, soprano
Dénes Rédly, recording engineer; Bálint Sapszon, orchestra manager
Todd Mason, studio producer and post-production

Total timing: 58'29"



DOWNLOAD ON QOBUZ

Electronic press kit for reviewers and radio producers available from Ulysses Arts.

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Lullula's children album The Birds releases on 20 June 2025

22/4/2025

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Lullula releases its children's album The Birds on 20 June 2025 (UA25050), in partnership with Ulysses Arts.
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Click above to download from iTunes with digital booklet
Lullula's The Birds tells a musical story through a single, arching day – from the dances of early morning playtime to lullabies for dreaming. A musical picture book for very young listeners that journeys through the mountains of the Southern Appalachians, Irish playgrounds, and the Wiegenlieder of 19th century Germany. An album of familiar and new songs, games, rhymes, and friendships – to be listened to again and again.

Artists


Lydia Mahnkopf (soprano), Simone Easthope (soprano), Jonathan Ware (piano), Joel Frederiksen (19th century guitar, lute)

PRE-RELEASE SINGLES


Electronic press kit available from Ulysses Arts.

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Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind with CBSO Chamber Musicians, released by Luminate Records, 2 May 2025

8/4/2025

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Osvaldo Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind for clarinet and string quintet, with the CBSO Chamber Musicians - live recording, releases with Luminate Records on 2 May 2025, in partnership with Ulysses Arts.
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Click above to download now on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music

Osvaldo Golijov’s The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind is an important piece of contemporary
chamber music that melds the traditions of classical string quartet writing with the idiomatic language of klezmer. Composed in 1994, the music epitomises Golijov’s innovative style and pays homage to Isaac the Blind, a mystic whose life and thought continue to inspire Jewish artistic expression.






Electronic press kit for reviewers and radio presenters available from Ulysses Arts Ltd..

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Colorado MahlerFest Live Releases First Album: Mahler, Symphony No. 3 and Gunning, Symphony No. 10, on 21 March 2025

4/3/2025

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Colorado Mahler Fest Live releases its first album on 21 March 2025, with Mahler, Symphony No. 3 and Christopher Gunning, Symphony No. 10, conducted by Kenneth Woods, with mezzo-soprano Stacey Rishoi, the Women of the Boulder Concert Chorale, and Boulder Children's Chorale Festival Choir, in partnership with Ulysses Arts (MFL2502).
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Click above to download on iTunes or stream on Apple Music
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Christopher Gunning, Symphony No. 10: A Note by the Composer


'I
composed Symphony No. 10 in a fairly natural way, the material stated at the beginning constantly leading me from one section to the next. The result could be likened to a series of variations, each
contrasting with the last. There is no longer a “standard” format for a symphony; in classical formats there would usually be four movements, but Sibelius changed all that with his mighty Seventh Symphony, which has but one movement in the space of little more than twenty minutes. My Tenth Symphony also plays for some twenty minutes non-stop, and follows a dramatic narrative which to me is vitally important. I have always looked on my symphonies as novels, with characters in the form of themes or motifs which return and develop.


One also chooses a form to suit the emotional range of the music one wishes to compose—or perhaps the form emerges from the material one has. I suppose that was how No. 10 came into being. I knew the piece had to have a wide emotional range; I also knew it had to be relatively concise and straightforward for a listener to follow. If all this sounds excessively technical, I would counter such suggestions by saying that for me the emotional content is everything; if music doesn’t move us, it really is of no value at all.'






DOWNLOAD ON HDTRACKS

CLICK HERE TO STREAM ON AMAZON MUSIC

Electronic press kit available for reviewers and radio producers from Ulysses Arts.

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LUMINATE RECORDS RELEASES ELGAR PIANO QUINTET WITH ROBERT MARKHAM AND CBSO CHAMBER MUSICIANS ON 14 MARCH 2025

10/2/2025

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Luminate Records releases Elgar, Piano Quintet (live recording), with pianist Robert Markham and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chamber Musicians Jack Greed, Bethan Allmand, Chris Yates and Kate Setterfield, on 14 March 2025, in partnership with Ulysses Arts (LR246708).
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Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music



Electronic press kit for reviewers and radio producers available from Ulysses Arts.

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ENGLISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RECORDS RELEASES SIBELIUS SYMPHONIES 6 & 7 AND TAPIOLA ON 25 APRIL 2025

10/2/2025

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ESO Records releases its second album, with live recordings of Sibelius's Symphonies No. 6 and No. 7, and symphonic poem Tapiola, on 25 April 2025, with the English Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Woods (ESO2502), in partnership with Ulysses Arts.
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Electronic press kit for reviewers and radio producers available from Ulysses Arts.

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DENIS DELAIR VIOLIN SONATAS WORLD PREMIÈRE RECORDING: MARGUERITE WASSERMANN, JOSEF LAMING & THE LEVÉE, RELEASED BY WARBLING QUIRE RECORDS ON 25 APRIL 2025 (WQ2501)

10/2/2025

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Seven Sonatas for Violin and Continuo attributed to Denis Delair, performed by Marguerite Wassermann, violin, Josef Laming, harpsichord and The Levée: world première recording released by warblingQUIRE Records on 25 April 2025 (WQ2501), in partnership with Ulysses Arts.
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Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music
Denis Delair is known today as a theorist and the author of the Traité d’Acompagnement pour le Theorbe, et le Clavessin, first published in 1690. Despite mention of his instrumental compositions in the 1724 edition of his treatise, Delair’s compositions have - until now - fallen into obscurity.

In looking through the catalogue of the Düben Collection, a Swedish musical manuscript collection started in the 1640s, members of The Levée came across seven ‘Sonates à Violino seul’ by a ‘Mr De L’air’. When we began studying these sonatas, we were captivated by Delair’s unique style of composition: the rich harmonies, his rhetorical, vocal writing for instruments, the heavy chromaticism and surprising modulations.

These sonatas are an excellent counterpart to Delair’s theoretical writing: they are the perfect vehicle for the application of ideas from the treatise, and they feature examples of the harmonies
that Delair mentions in his chapter on ‘Acompagnemens [sic] extraordinaires’.

DELAIR’S SONATAS IN SWEDEN

While no other copies of Delair’s Sonatas have yet been found, their appearance in the Düben Collection suggests that the works circulated amongst musicians.

The Sonatas were copied by the Swedish church musician Carl Hintz. Hintz held positions in churches in Sweden and Latvia, but there is no evidence that he travelled to France. In the 17th century, the Swedish court had a taste for French aesthetics, and many artists were sent to Paris for educational purposes. Hintz was employed as a copyist under the Hofkapellmeister Anders von Düben to copy parts from French stage works by composers like Lully for performances of a French troupe of actors and musicians resident in Stockholm from 1699 to 1706. It is possible that these French musicians brought Delair’s sonatas to Sweden, and that Hintz was tasked with making a copy. Hintz died in either 1710 or 1711, so Delair’s sonatas must have been written and circulated before this date.

'Unearthed elegance'. Read more on Continuo Connect.

Delair: The Violin Sonatas, on France Musique

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The Levée is an early music ensemble formed to bring forgotten music back to life and to explore new stories of music history. They want to interrogate why some music had a continuous performing tradition, and why other music remained untouched. They find that relatively unknown music presents exciting challenges to modern historical performance practice and understanding of music history.

The Ensemble reflects the interests of its constituent members in its focus on the ‘unwritten’ aspects of music which bring it to life: historically informed ornamentation, improvisation, and basso continuo realisation. Works like these Delair’s Sonatas on their debut album break down preconceptions about what we now categorise as Italian, French or German national styles,  and are of particular interest to the group.


The Levée takes its name from a painting and engraving of the same title in William Hogarth’s series A Rake’s Progress (1732-35). The eight painting series depicts the machinations of a spendthrift, hedonist son of a wealthy merchant who comes to no good but enjoys himself along the way.

The Levée, the second painting in Hogarth's series, shows the protagonist "Tom Rakeford" indulging in sport and artistic luxuries. Present at Rakeford’s levée (morning ceremony) is a harpsichordist thought to represent Handel or Porpora, alongside a dancing master holding a small violin.

The Levée comprises founding members:
Marguerite Wassermann - Baroque Violin    
Josef Laming – Harpsichord
Niels Pfeffer – Theorbo
Martin Jantzen – Viola da Gamba

Guest artist (Delair album)
Elise Dupont - Baroque Violin


The Levée on CONTINUO CONNECT
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Marguerite Wassermann (photo c. Elam Rotem)
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Josef Laming (photo c. Elam Rotem)
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The Levée
Instrumentalists Marguerite Wassermann (violin), Martin Jantzen (viola da gamba) and Josef Laming (harpsichord) studied together in Switerzland at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and benefitted from coaching from professors such as Amandine Beyer, Eva Saladin, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher and Thomas Leiniger. The Levée made this recording in St John's Church, Loughton, in the UK, where they also presented a showcase concert of selections from Delair's Opus, followed by performances of their 'Delair in Context' programme in the UK, Germany and Switzerland.

ALBUM LAUNCH CONCERT: BASEL, SWITZERLAND, 24 APRIL 2025
Zunftsaal Schmiedenhof, Rümelinsplatz 4, 4001 Basel, 7:30pm







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NIMBUS RELEASES DISCOVER JEAN FRANÇAIX: THE BEST OF MARTIN JONES,  ON 2 MAY 2025

10/2/2025

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Nimbus Records releases Discover Jean Françaix: The Best of Martin Jones, on 2 May 2025 (NI.7732). The album is a compilation of Martin Jones's acclaimed three-volume set of Jean Françaix's complete piano music.
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Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music
Jean René Désiré Françaix was born in Le Mans on 23 May 1912 into a musical family – his father was a composer and pianist, his mother a singing teacher.

Françaix was a prolific composer, whose output amounts to over 200 works in a wide range of genres. His œuvre includes symphonies and cantatas, but he was most prolific in writing for the forces of soloist and orchestra. He first made his name in 1932, with a performance of his Eight Bagatelles for piano and string quartet at the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in Vienna. His language is resolutely tonal, with a generally restricted but effective harmonic vocabulary… Charm wit and elegance, often with a sense of wry detachment, inform his scores, which are distinguished by their precision and clarity. Though an archetypally French composer, he exhibited a cheerful eclecticism, ranging over the Western musical tradition in all its diversity, which chimes with the ‘magpie’ instincts of his compatriots Poulenc and Ibert, for example.

The piano occupies a prime position in Françaix’s output, whether as a concertante instrument or in the more intimate forms of chamber music and instrumental pieces for solo piano and duets. He used it principally as a vehicle for exhibiting his virtuosity, yet his piano scores contain several examples of introspection and nostalgic reflection.
© Paul Conway


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Celebrated British pianist Martin Jones recorded the complete piano music of Jean Françaix (1912-1997) in 2012 on 3 CDs. This is a compilation of his best music, in which wit, sophistication and extreme virtuosity combine in one of the twentieth century’s instantly recognisable voices.

Martin Jones has been one of Britain’s most highly regarded solo pianists since first coming to international attention in 1968 when he received the Dame Myra Hess Award. The same year he made his London debut at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and his New York debut at Carnegie Hall, and ever since has been in demand for recitals and concerto performances on both sides of the Atlantic.

He is a prolific recording artist and his many major projects include the complete solo piano works of Mendelssohn, Brahms, Debussy, Grainger, Stravinsky, Korngold, Szymanowski, Granados, Guastavino, Mompou, Ernesto Halffter, Joaquin Nin, Has Gál, Jean Françaix, Jean Roger-Ducasse, and Alan Richardson.






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LYRITA RELEASES BRITISH PIANO CONCERTOS: MUSIC BY JOHN ADDISON, PHILIP CANNON AND FRANCIS CHAGRIN, ON 2 MAY 2025

10/2/2025

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Lyrita Recorded Edition releases British Piano Concertos on 2 May 2025, with music by John Addison, Philip Cannon and Francis Chagrin, performed by soloist Simon Callaghan with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by William Boughton (SRCD.444)
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Philip Cannon’s Concertino for piano and strings (1951) dates from his formative years. It was written for the Petersfield Festival, where it was premiered on 27 January 1951 by soloist Joseph Cooper, with the Petersfield Orchestra conducted by Kathleen Merritt. This lively, neo-classical piece has achieved over a thousand performances internationally.

Though John Addison’s Concertino for piano and orchestra is, for the most part, couched in a light-hearted language, it is the product of a serious, and unfailingly inventive, approach to keyboard and orchestral writing. Speaking of the work to Lesie Ayre of the London Evening News, the composer remarked that, ‘it is a real concerto in the full sense of the word...I would not be ashamed to show the work to any first-class pianist’.

Francis Chagrin maintained an intensely practical and unpretentious attitude towards his own craft, observing that, ‘My music is not for first performances– it is just to be played’. His Piano Concerto was first performed by soloist Franz Osborn, with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer, at an SPNM Experimental Rehearsal held at the Royal College of Music on 4 February 1944.

Conversation Piece by John Addison was written in 1958 to a commission from the BBC Concert Orchestra for that year’s British Light Music Festival. John Addison felt that, by the late-1950s, too great a divide had opened up between serious and light music: ‘Concert goers think contemporary music is so alarmingly serious that when confronted with a mildly witty turn of phrase, they assume something has gone wrong. I remember the astonished sigh of relief when, in the course of introducing one of my chamber works, I told the audience I would not mind if they smiled’. In Conversation Piece, Addison exploits to the full his talent to amuse and divert.

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Simon Callaghan performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, in parallel with a highly successful career as a recording artist. A favourite performer at the internationally-renowned Husum Festival of Piano Rarities in Germany, Callaghan’s recent sell-out concert was praised by VAN Magazine as a “cleverly curated recital full of discoveries” and by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “technically brilliant”.

Callaghan has developed a wide following and appears on a regular basis in the UK’s major concert halls, and on tours to Asia, North America and Europe. Recital partners have included Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Nicholas Daniel, Adrian Brendel, Feng Ning, Samuel West, Prunella Scales and Timothy West. BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist Coco Tomita and Callaghan have a successful duo partnership which saw their first record released in 2022 on Orchid Classics. He is also a founding member of the London Piano Quartet, joining colleagues from the renowned Piatti Quartet to showcase the repertoire for piano quartet with a particular focus on revivifying works that have fallen into obscurity.





Electronic press kit for reviewers and radio presenters available from Ulysses Arts.

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ENGLISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RECORDS RELEASES FIRST ALBUM: ELGAR SYMPHONY NO.1 AND IN THE SOUTH, ON 28 MARCH 2025

6/2/2025

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English Symphony Orchestra Records announces the release of its first album, with live recordings of Elgar Symphony No. 1 and In The South conducted by Principal Conductor and Artistic Director Kenneth Woods, on 28 March 2025, in partnership with Ulysses Arts (ESO2501).
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Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music
PictureKenneth Woods, conductor
'From my first contact with the ESO, it was clear this music was in their blood. My predecessor, Vernon Handley, was as fine an Elgarian as there’s ever been, and a protégé of Elgar’s preferred conductor, Adrian Boult. Yehudi Menuhin, possibly Elgar’s closest collaborator at the end of his life, was our Principal Guest Conductor for the last decade of his life.

With the memory of their contributions to the orchestra’s Elgar legacy still fresh, it felt from day one that Elgar here is no distant historic figure of the past. Unlike Gustav Mahler, whose own performances only survive on a few piano rolls, we can even see and hear Elgar the conductor. These performances are informed deeply by the many revelatory lessons I have gleaned from listening to his definitive and thrilling interpretations of his own music.


There are studio recordings aplenty of Elgar’s major works. Our aim with these Elgar Festival Live recordings is not simply to share a performance of a piece, but to share a memory of an occasion and a flavour of this magical place. Each is a record of a single performance that grew out of a week’s immersion in all things Elgar, down to the sights he saw, the streets he walked and the air he breathed. I never take for granted that I get to stand on the same spot in Worcester Cathedral that Elgar did so many times, not so long ago. I hope the passion and virtuosity of my incredible colleagues, the intensity of our audience’s listening, and the magical acoustics of this great building all help you to feel closer to Elgar.

Elgar Festival Live is to remind us that Edward Elgar is someone whose personality remains fresh in the memory. He is somewho whose legacy is very much alive, whom the listener can think of more as a friend of a friend.'

Kenneth Woods, ESO Principal Conductor and Artistic Director




Pre-Release Singles
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Released on 28 Feb 2025
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Released on 14 Mar 2025


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JULIUS RÖNTGEN VIOLA SONATAS WITH HERBERT KEFER AND MARKUS SCHIRMER RELEASED BY NIMBUS RECORDS ON 4 APRIL 2025

18/1/2025

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Click above to pre-order download with digital booklet from Presto Music
Nimbus Records releases its Julius Röntgen Three Viola Sonatas album, with Herbert Kefer, viola, and Markus Schirmer, piano, on 4 April 2025 (NI 8118).
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These Sonatas were written between November 1924 and March 1925. They show the composer at the height of his art… His friendly respect for the great North German and Viennese masters has quite obviously found its way into his creative thinking, and he makes use of the most diverse procedures with a sure hand. Nowhere is there a dubious proportion, no piece seems too long, no subject unduly strained. It should also be noted that Röntgen has a profound knowledge of the instruments - himself an excellent pianist, the piano part makes great demands, the viola part exploits the advantages of the instrument skilfully without ever overtaxing it. © Herbert Kefer

PictureHerbert Kefer
Herbert Kefer, viola

Herbert Kefer was born in Eisenerz, Austria, in 1960. At the age of five he received his first musical education on the violin. He continued his studies with Prof. Karl Frischenschlager in Leoben and with Prof. Karl Stierhof at the University of Music in Vienna. In 1986 he graduated with distinction. In 1980 he founded, together with three colleagues, the Artis-Quartett. The Quartet made more than thirty recordings, some honoured with the Grand Prix du Disque and the Diapason d'Or. In 1991 Herbert Kefer was appointed head of Viola at Graz University of Music / Institution Oberschuetzen. He is in demand as a soloist as well as a sought-after partner for chamber music groups.
                                  
© www.wyastone.co.uk/viola-concertos-herbert-kefer.html



PictureMarkus Schirmer (photo: Christian Jungwirth)
Markus Schirmer, piano

Energy, expression and emotion characterize Austrian top-pianist Markus Schirmer’s music making. No matter where he tours he receives audience acclaim for his charismatic musicianship and his ability to tell vivid stories with the instrument. Markus has worked with numerous orchestras worldwide including the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.For his exceptional artistic diversity Markus Schirmer was awarded the “Music Manual Award“ at the Euromusic International Music Convention and is a recipient of one of Austria’s most prestigious awards, the Karl Böhm Interpretation Prize. One of his reviews sums him up: 'A pied piper on the piano ... music that comes straight from the heart, the brain and the fingertips.'

© www.markusschirmer.at/artist/biography



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NIMBUS RECORDS RELEASES JULIUS RÖNTGEN PIANO MUSIC 6 WITH MARK ANDERSON ON 4 APRIL 2025

18/1/2025

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Click above to pre-order on iTunes
Nimbus Records releases Julius Röntgen Piano Music Volume 6, performed by Mark Anderson, on 4 April 2025 (NI 8117).

'I must confess that I’ve been following this series since it began and I’ve been very impressed with all of the discs so far.' Jonathan Welsh, MusicWeb International

This recording provides the listener with a chronological overview of Julius Röntgen’s creative output, from his earliest published composition, written in 1864—when he was just nine years old—to pieces written as a mature composer five decades later. The latter reveals a composer of outstanding skill, diverse influences, and a master of musical forms and compositional techniques. It has been said that “One would look in vain for anything truly original or shocking in Röntgen’s output....”. However, there are works included on this recording that dispel that assumption. This pianist would argue that three works stand out, which are truly unique and powerfully original. The first is a short Toccata, which is something of a mystery work having never been published and lacking a date of composition. The others are the Sonata in C Minor from 1877 and the Passacaglia and Fugue of 1911. It is the latter that most decidedly distinguishes Röntgen as having a truly original voice. Julius Röntgen composed over 600 works and is especially known for his concertos, symphonies and chamber music. His piano music has remained unjustifiably neglected since he died in 1932. © Mark Anderson

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Mark Anderson
 
Pianist Mark Anderson’s recordings and performances have met with widespread critical acclaim. Since his successes at the 1993 Leeds (U.K.) and 1994 William Kapell (U.S.) International Piano Competitions, Mark Anderson has appeared frequently as recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. He has performed in Japan, throughout much of Europe and Great Britain, Ireland and North America. Mark Anderson has collaborated with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Nicholas McCegan, William Boughton, George Cleve, and Adam Fischer. Mark given recitals at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and Weill Hall, the Kennedy Centre and the Phillips Gallery in Washington D.C., London's Wigmore Hall and Zurich's Tonhalle and elsewhere throughout Europe and North America. His solo and concerto performances are complimented by chamber music work, most recently with the newly formed Röntgen Piano Trio.



NIMBUS MUSIC PUBLISHING

Alongside this album, Nimbus Music Publishing is publishing sheet music for Julius Röntgen's Passacaglia und Fuge (NMP 1292), Piano Sonata in C minor (NMP 1293), and Toccata (NMP 1294).



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J A MONTEIRO LIMEHOUSE MASS EP RELEASES ON 21 FEBRUARY 2025

12/12/2024

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J.A. Monteiro's Limehouse Mass, performed by the Happenstance Singers conducted by Matthew Swann, is released by Ulysses Arts as an EP on 21 February 2025 (UA250020). The release also includes Monteiro's And Ruth said, Ave Maria, and organist James Gough playing Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem.
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Click above to download on iTunes with digital booklet or stream on Apple Music



Pre-Release Singles



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