Duo 陳奕迅

Instrumental arrangements of Brahms at his most unbuttoned and relaxed, including a world premiere recording for this version of the Zigeunerlieder.

The violin and cello duo cannot be considered as a musical rarity; yet it is also far from one of the most popular instrumental combinations in Western classical music. It is a challenging ensemble for both those composing for it and those venturing in the performance of its repertoire. It is a duo which invites counterpoint: the deep nature of both instruments and their vocation is to melodic singing, to the sustained lines which translate the human being’s aspiration to vocality into instrumental music. In consequence, to undertake a composition for violin and cello duo is also to implicitly accept the challenge of polyphony, and to affirm one’s mastery of its most intricate secrets.

Originally written for oboe (unique composition for this instrument), the "Drei Romanzen", Op. 94 were composed in late 1849 when Schumann seemed to be inspired by old legends.

The pianist, composer, producer and renaissance musician Jeroen van Veen has played many concerts with both his wife Sandra and his brother Maarten, and has recorded with both of them for Brilliant Classics. The present compilation brings together a unique sequence of masterpieces for the genre in live and studio performances, made between 1992 and 2008, and given by the brothers as Piano Duo Van Veen.

Following their Navona Records debut in 2019, Duo Sequenza returns with YES… IT’S STILL A THING!, a new program geared towards building new audiences for today’s classical music and promoting the work of living composers. Comprised of flutist Debra Silvert and classical guitarist Paul Bowman, Duo Sequenza brings an enchanting and harmonious quality that showcase the complementary capabilities of their respective instruments. From emotive and introspective works to scenic vistas painted in sound, the duo once again proves their musical chops and adaptability across a wide array of compositional styles.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations is a contrapuntal tour de force, and one of the pinnacles in the history of the variation genre. Composed ‘to refresh the spirits of music-lovers’, it is a constantly fascinating and deeply enriching evocation of an entire musical universe. This arrangement with two ten-string guitars is a transcription of the original text including later corrections and additional musical indications made by the composer. The additional bass strings of these instruments provide an entire lower octave, giving access to the full range of musical timbres in this eternal masterpiece.

Formed in 2019, award-winning violin and cello duo GAIA have rapidly won plaudits for their pioneering programming and bold and daring performances.Their debut album release features three works specially written for the duo, and also bears testimony to their championing of works by underrepresented and overlooked voices from classical music’s past.

Now the famous and successful Genova & Dimitrov Piano Duo turns to the American composer Amy Beach. Her compositional oeuvre marks a high point within the great phase of consolidation experienced by art music in the United States between the Civil War and World War I. Amy Beach was not the first American woman who composed or the first America woman who earned money with her compositions; but she created a stir in the music world by forging ahead into genres in which previously only men had distinguished themselves. However, it was above all the piano that was Amy Beach’s lifelong companion. She honored her instrument with solo compositions in a total of twenty-six opus numbers distributed equally over her entire compositional career from the 1880s to the 1930s. Even though her music for piano four hands or for two pianos is limited to a few compositions, they just as positively attest to their author’s talent as do her works for two hands.

Brazilian-Canadian Violinist Vladimir Rufino and Brazilian-Canadian violist Fabiola Amorim have been performing together as a duo as well as with orchestras and chamber ensembles in Brazil, United States and Canada since 2005. Their love for chamber music has brought their art to stages in Canada, USA, France, Italy and Brazil.

Duo Dialog consists of guitarist Magnus Grönlund and clarinettist Dan Larsson. They have for a long time developed repertoire and interplay for the clarinet and guitar. A real favorite is the Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla. Piazzolla is of course one of the most important composers in modern history and well represented on many albums, but when it comes to performances on clarinet and guitar, his music is not so commonly used. To Duo Dialog, which is one of Sweden's most diligent chamber ensembles, the combination of clarinet and guitar is a fantastic and obvious way to present Piazzolla's chamber music. The guitar with it's wealth of colors and tones and the clarinet with it's great dynamic possibilities, together they have the opportunity to present Piazzolla's music in the best way. This release contains Piazzolla's chamber music in it's original as well as in transcribed forms. Great effort has been put into correct transcriptions from the original instruments to clarinet and guitar. Of course the guitar has an obvious place in this repertoire, but in order to be able to use the clarinet in the best way and be faithful to the original, several different clarinets have been used; A-clarinet, Bb-clarinet, C-clarinet and basset clarinet.