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Deutsche Grammophon presents the second and final volume of Ferenc Fricsay’s complete recordings for the label. Vol. 2 gathers the totality of Fricsay’s œuvre with the human voice, covering all of his opera, orchestral song and choral recordings on 37 CDs.

Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936) enjoyed right from the beginning a roaring success, being praised by critics as a masterpiece. It was also the composer's last work published by Universal-Edition in Vienna. A fierce opponent of National-Socialism, he stopped co-operating with his main publisher soon after. The Divertimento (1939), though definitely not a “lightweight”, does hardly give any indication of the political circumstances and events at the time it was created. The piano works on the present recording, arranged for percussion ensemble, are in their original form miniatures whose strong rhythms almost predestinate them for percussion arrangements (Bartok himself experimented extensively with percussion instruments and was familiar with them). Pietari Inkinen is one of the noted rising stars on the international conducting scene. His comprehensive experience in both opera and symphonic repertoire enable him to shape various repertoire into powerful, convincing interpretations. As chief conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, he achieved superb performances.

Simply put, this set is a treasure that is also a bargain. Two masterful performances by Barshai and the outstanding Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (a youth orchestra playing like a world class orchestra), both performances among the best available versions of each work. Mahler's unfinished score for his Tenth symphony has been ably projected and realized in performing editions of (most commonly) Deryck Cooke, Joe Wheeler, Clinton Carpenter, Remo Mazzetti, and others. Performances of the Tenth are now commonplace, and there are numerous recordings, many compelling.

Conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, signed to the Deutsche Grammophon label at age 23 and promised to be the next phenomenon from Finland, impresses with his debut album offering fresh performances of three familiar Mozart symphonies. Some young conductors burn out, but one may hope it doesn't happen to Peltokoski, who shows impressive control over the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in these recordings. The sheer intensity of these readings also may bring the notion of burnout to mind. Other conductors have taken Mozart symphonies at a quick clip, but Peltokoski is close to the fast end of the spectrum, and he takes care to shape intermediate phrases to push the motion forward.

Conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, signed to the Deutsche Grammophon label at age 23 and promised to be the next phenomenon from Finland, impresses with his debut album offering fresh performances of three familiar Mozart symphonies. Some young conductors burn out, but one may hope it doesn't happen to Peltokoski, who shows impressive control over the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen in these recordings. The sheer intensity of these readings also may bring the notion of burnout to mind. Other conductors have taken Mozart symphonies at a quick clip, but Peltokoski is close to the fast end of the spectrum, and he takes care to shape intermediate phrases to push the motion forward.

Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1936) enjoyed right from the beginning a roaring success, being praised by critics as a masterpiece. It was also the composer's last work published by Universal-Edition in Vienna. A fierce opponent of National-Socialism, he stopped co-operating with his main publisher soon after. The Divertimento (1939), though definitely not a "lightweight", does hardly give any indication of the political circumstances and events at the time it was created. The piano works on the present recording, arranged for percussion ensemble, are in their original form miniatures whose strong rhythms almost predestinate them for percussion arrangements (Bartok himself experimented extensively with percussion instruments and was familiar with them).

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Franz Liszt's birth, Deutsche Grammophon has assembled a limited-edition, 34-CD collection, housed in a sturdy cubic package that many collectors will covet for its impressive appearance. But this comprehensive set is really aimed at serious Liszt aficionados who appreciate the diverse ways of playing this arch-Romantic's passionate music.

Matthias Goerne marks a notable first with his latest album. He departs from the familiar territory of Schubert’s songs with piano accompaniment to perform a selection of pieces freshly arranged for voice and orchestra by his long-standing recital partner Alexander Schmalcz. Exploring this new terrain with Goerne are the musicians of The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Schubert Revisited is released today.

Deutsche Grammophon presents a complete survey of Sir John Eliot Gardiner's recordings for Achiv Produktion and DG. Orchestras & Choirs: Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists, the Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantic, the Wiener Philharmoniker, NDR-Chor, NDR Sinfonieorchester, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Soloists include: Anne Sofie von Otter, Ian Bostridge, Barbara Bonney, Emma Kirkby, Mark Padmore, Bernarda Fink, Magdalena Kozena, Bryn Terfel, and many more.

In anticipation of his 75th birthday in 2017, this luxurious 55-CD set presents Pollini's complete recordings on DG with their original covers, including the first ever release of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under Maxim Shostakovich (recorded in 1974). Also included are a 200-page booklet and 3 bonus DVDs: concerto recordings with Böhm and Abbado as well as Bruno Monsaingeon's documentary film De main de maître (2015).