Shostakovich Jazz

One hundred and eleven musicians celebrating a large-scale symphony that sounds like Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, or Arnold Schoenberg. In fact, the composer of this symphony, Alfred Schnittke, had precisely these composers (and many others) in mind back in 1981. Whereas he initially mirrored certain styles from figures as Mahler, Mozart, Bach, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, he was soon also borrowing concepts from trivial music, folklore, jazz, tango, as well as many other styles. He himself described his compositional technique, but an aesthetic programme: a serious effort to break through the vicious circle of the self-satisfied and self-sufficient avant-garde music.

Through its passionate commitment to speak in a unique voice, eschewing the creation of an international quartet sound, the Debussy Quartet has established its reputation as one of the finest quartets touring and recording today. Formed in 1990 by a group of young musicians studying at the Conservatoire de Lyon, France, the quartet has gained international renown for its exciting performances and award-winning recordings. In major concert halls from New York to Tokyo they perform a wide range of works, and are perhaps most well known for their devotion to the French repertoire.

We are excited to announce the re-release of Ben's iconic score for Walking With Dinosaurs on all streaming platforms. The original BBC Concert Orchestra recordings, captured at Angel Studios, London have been sensitively remastered specially for streaming with the composer's endorsement. Also in the works is a unique vinyl triple disk set that will include the complete score from Walking With Beasts, including the missing tracks with BBC Singers.

We are excited to announce the re-release of Ben's iconic score for Walking With Dinosaurs on all streaming platforms. The original BBC Concert Orchestra recordings, captured at Angel Studios, London have been sensitively remastered specially for streaming with the composer's endorsement. Also in the works is a unique vinyl triple disk set that will include the complete score from Walking With Beasts, including the missing tracks with BBC Singers.

“Zimerman’s pianism was extraordinary, a staggering combination of dexterity with nuance, each phrase telling a story. Rattle breathed with him, the two sharing razor-sharp wit and a mood of playful delirium with the orchestra,” Financial Times, 20 June 2018.

Warner Classics is honouring Bernstein with live recordings, made in Rome in February 2018, of his three symphonies and his Prelude, Fugue and Riffs. Sir Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and the soloists are pianist Beatrice Rana, mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux, soprano Nadine Sierra and narrator Dame Josephine Barstow. Bernstein, who died in 1990, was one of the defining forces in 20th-century music, not only as the first great American-born conductor and as a charismatic communicator, but as a composer who represents the cultural ‘melting pot’ of the USA.

Lawrence Kramer has been a pivotal figure in the development of the controversial new musicology, integrating the study of music with social and cultural issues.