Poulenc: The Human Voice

A passionate lover of the human voice, Francis Poulenc composed the Dialogues des Carmélites in 1953, using a libretto he himself had written from a screenplay by Georges Bernanos. The first ever performances in Munich, this production was entrusted to Dmitri Tcherniakov, whose worldwide reputation is underpinned by productions like Eugene Onegin and Macbeth at the Paris Opera and Don Giovanni at Aix-en- Provence. The superb international cast includes a fine Blanche de la Force in Susan Gritton and an excellent Madame de Croissy by Sylvie Brunet, who was favourably compared to Rita Gorr in the press. They are superbly backed up by Soile Isokoski, Susanne Resmark, Hélène Guilmette, Alain Vernhes and the fabulous Bernard Richter. Kent Nagano with the Dialogues literally at his fingertips he recorded a landmark version some years ago is at the helm of the Bavarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

With their new album "Chansons sans paroles", the young brass ensemble "Salaputia Brass" takes us through the history of French chanson. From the Renaissance madrigal to the present day, almost every era is represented. New arrangements specially tailored for the ensemble allow these works to be heard in a completely new tonal brilliance. Due to the expressiveness of the brass instruments and their tonal proximity to the human voice, the music speaks volumes, even without the words.

With her new programme "L'amour, la mort, la mer" Patricia Petibon flies freely from one register to another, from one language to another, and from one style to its exact opposite. However, she does base her repertoire around her own personal journey. This is what grants her seemingly eclectic style the consistency of an unparalleled performance. It is less a recital than a story that unfolds from one composer to the next—a secret story of grief, travel, and solitude. In this way, she echoes the idea underpinning Saint- John Perse’s poem, Amers: “The tragedians came down from the quarries.

A crystal's piano. His music, black and white, subtly sad and timeless, takes you to pictures of far beyond.
This is the first splendid album of Ashram’s pianist solo. Crystal notes of piano, nostalgia of violin, grace of Cello brings one into a very intense feeling of emotion, moving & intimist. Like an original soundtrack, the music draws the most peaceful & celestial timeless landscapes one can imagine. Luigi Rubino started playing and studying piano and liturgical organ when he was 10, with both Italian and foreign teachers. Piano player with the band Ashram, he collaborated with bands such as Argine, Corde Oblique, Trees… Today he dedicates himself to original composition and loves 20th century classical music (Debussy, Poulenc, Bach, Pergolesi, Rachmaninov, Chopin, Wagner but also Satie, Keith Jarrett, Arvo Part or Morricone).