Classical From Method to Madness

The pinnacle of Renaissance music and its practice was forged in an incessant coming and going, a constant journey of musicians and musical chapels through courts or noble, royal, ducal, and papal houses throughout Europe. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, musicians from far and wide gathered in Flanders to catch up on musical material, sent by kings, dukes and counts from all over Europe. Some musicians called these gatherings “the schools.” These meetings served, in addition to learning things about their Art, as a kind of market for musicians. Musicians from the Franco-Flemish regions brought their polyphonic compositions and most refined musical skills to other countries like Italy or Spain.

A daring album: Inspired by once forbidden dances, Ensemble La Ninfea combines things that don't actually belong together - tango & chaconne, sarabande & waltz, from Monteverdi to Mozart, from Handel to Piazzolla. These dances have never been heard like this before! This Anniversary Album celebrates 15 years of Ensemble La Ninfea!

The pinnacle of Renaissance music and its practice was forged in an incessant coming and going, a constant journey of musicians and musical chapels through courts or noble, royal, ducal, and papal houses throughout Europe. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, musicians from far and wide gathered in Flanders to catch up on musical material, sent by kings, dukes and counts from all over Europe. Some musicians called these gatherings “the schools.” These meetings served, in addition to learning things about their Art, as a kind of market for musicians. Musicians from the Franco-Flemish regions brought their polyphonic compositions and most refined musical skills to other countries like Italy or Spain.

Regardless of whether they actually traveled south of the Alps, as Handel did early in his career, all of the major German composers of the 18th century were influenced by the Italian vocal and instrumental styles of the period.

A spectacular tribute to Hungarian-born composers, from the brilliant, award-winning performers - Grammy-nominated violinist ELMIRA DARVAROVA (first and only woman-concertmaster of The Metropolitan Opera) and pianist THOMAS WEAVER (professor at Curtis Institute of Music), the album "FROM LISZT TO LIGETI" brings an exceptionally vivid narrative linking historic milestones in the legacies of a number of superb Hungarian-born musicians - composers and performers, who have so enormously contributed to enriching the world's cultural treasure-trove.Liszt, Joachim, Bartok, Kodaly, Hubay, Goldmark, Ligeti - they have all bequeathed us masterpieces to behold and cherish, throughout several centuries of showcasing, shaping, preserving, and amalgamating national traditions and global influences through the prism of their own personal creative gifts.

SOAKED IN COLOUR is a collection of music from different eras and genres, interpreted by the special line-up of four cellists and one singer. Early music meets jazz, art song meets pop song. The collective wanders through different epochs and styles of music history and each piece is specially orchestrated. SOAKED IN COLOUR takes you through a colourful mix of sounds, dives into the depths, surges once more into the air, and refreshes the senses.

The members of the Hegel Quartet grew up in different parts of the "New World": Australia, United States of America and Canada. In search of the roots of the musical traditions in which they grew up, each of them made their own way to Europe during their studies. It was pure coincidence that they met in mid-life, having already absorbed so much of the legendary musicians who make the European concert scene so rich.

A Symphonic Journey from Philly to to Utopia contains world premiere recordings of some of the works Dirk Brossé has written over the past 10 years, performed by the Brussels Philharmonic and conducted by the composer.

This album from Passacaille with the exceptional baroque violinist Mayumi Hirasaki presents masterpieces of the virtuoso violin literature with 'scordatura', which had its heyday between about 1600 and 1730. In addition to well-known names such as Biber and Tartini, the varied and cleverly arranged programme also features charming rarities by Johann Joseph Vilsmayr and Pietro Castrucci.

The American countertenor Christopher Lowrey founded the vocal ensemble Altera ‘to form the beating heart of professional choral music in the United States’. Now regarded as one of the finest and most enterprising choirs on the North American continent, Altera has devised this musical tour through sacred territories which focuses on epic narratives from various periods, from Renaissance music to the present day.