Various Artists Georges Bizet Djamileh, Vasco de Gama, Cantates, Musique Chorale, Mélodies & Musique Pour Piano (po Flac

A en croire les historiens ibériques, tant espagnols que portugais, la découverte des Amériques par les Turcs, lesquels ne sont pas le moins du monde turcs, mais arabes de bonne souche, a eu lieu très tardivement, à une époque relativement récente ; en tout cas, pas avant le siècle dernier.
Il faut tenir compte du fait que les auteurs de la Péninsule sont directement intéressés, et par là même suspects : pour eux, seuls sont à exalter et magnifier les hauts faits et les grandes figures d'Espagnols et de Portugais, Christophe Colomb, Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco de Gama, Fernand de Magellan et autres vedettes. Castillans et Lusitains de la plus haute vertu, du plus noble lignage chrétien, du sang le plus pur, les intrépides, les indomptables héros. Avant d'aller plus loin, il faudrait d'ailleurs rappeler que des littérateurs italiens, produisant témoins et certificats de naissance, revendiquent pour l'autre péninsule, celle des macaronis, la gloire d'avoir été le berceau de Colomb et de Vespucci : celui qui fit la découverte et celui qui en tira parti pour donner son nom aux terres jusque-là inconnues. Autres documents, autres témoins, voilà les Espagnols qui répliquent, allez donc savoir qui a raison ; on peut toujours falsifier des cachets, acheter des témoins avec du vil métal. Si les Espagnols méritent peu de crédit, les Italiens moins encore, comme le prouve aisément l'imposture de Vespucci. Et les Vikings, dans cette affaire ? Un beau sac d'embrouilles, la Découverte.

A treasury of the classical guitar: as a solo and concerto instrument, and as a partner to other instruments, in music from Europe and Latin America that spans five centuries. This box assembles all releases from the ground-breaking series, Panorama de la guitare, which showcased luminaries of the guitar’s ‘new golden age’ in the 1960s and 70s. Most of these recordings are making their first appearance on CD, and all have been remastered from the original tapes in 24bit/96kHz, revealing the sound of the instrument in its true intimacy and beauty.

38ème Festival International de Piano de La Roque d'Anthéron contains the definitive Artists & Classical Music. The Best hits from CLaire Désert, Iddo Bar-Shaï , Yulianna Avdeeva and many more.

Since 2004, Andreas Haefliger has been presenting Perspectives, a series of recital programmes, in concert and on recordings. Each programme focusses on one or two Beethoven sonatas, juxtaposed with works by other composers which in some way interact with Beethoven’s music and with each other. Now, for his latest release on BIS, Haefliger has instead opted for an all-Beethoven recital, choosing to present the composer’s three sonatas Op. 31 as a group.
In his introduction to the disc, Haefliger describes the set as occupying ‘a very special place in the Beethoven sonata cycle: It preserves a link to the past but gives us also a vision of the works to come, exploring humour and tenderness, nature and the psychology of the human mind.’ The recording took place in the Salle de Musique in La Chaux-de-Fonds, celebrated for its superb acoustics, on a Bechstein concert grand which Haefliger describes as ‘a piano which, while a modern instrument, retains a nostalgic quality in its sound world and was a constant source of inspiration during the sessions.’

One of the problems of getting a complete set of songs by a single composer, particularly nowadays, is that there always seems to be at least one singer in the mix who has a defective voice. I should get this out of the way quickly and point out that the fly in the ointment here is Canadian baritone Marc Boucher, who has an uneven, loose vibrato and occasional strain and nasality in his high notes. He is an interesting interpreter, so he has that in his favor, whereas the wonderful soprano Hélène Guilmette doesn’t appear to interpret much at all, but for my taste he gets way too many of these songs to sing. In some of the faster songs, i.e. Les Matelots, his voice doesn’t wobble too much because he doesn’t have that many sustained notes to sing.

Released by Menuetto Classics, this album brings together essential works by four of France's most celebrated composers: Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Maurice Ravel, and Gabriel Fauré. These masterpieces showcase the depth and beauty of French piano music, from Debussy's impressionistic textures and Satie's minimalist elegance to Ravel's rich harmonies and Fauré's lyrical charm. Ideal for both seasoned listeners and newcomers, this collection offers a captivating journey through the timeless genius of these iconic composers.

Au fil de l’art en musique is a musical companion to the stunning international collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art in the new Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace.
The 16 pieces selected for this recording were inspired by the Museum’s 800 works, which include landscapes, sacred scenes, portraits, genre scenes, and still life. The music spans several centuries — from a motet by the late medieval composer John Dunstable to Astor Piazzolla’s tango, Loving. Music by Gabrieli, Praetorius, Schütz, Chopin, Wagner, Debussy, Weill, and Rota, among others, were chosen to correspond to a specific era, region, or artistic movement reflected in the Museum’s collection.

For almost 39 years, the International Piano Festival of La Roque d'Anthéron has established itself as an exceptional mainstay in the worldwide musical and piano scene. Although other Festival venues have been added in recent years, the grounds of the Château de Florans remain the key site for unclassifiable encounters between all types of musical creation (classical, contemporary…), every style (jazz, electronic…) and all types of artists, with emerging talents alongside the greatest international performers. The acoustic qualities of the stage, just as suitable for piano recitals as it is for concertos and symphonies, only add to the charms of this mythical and magical park, filled with the entire history of the Château de Florans.

For the first time, here is an album full of piano duets written expressly for teacher and student, from the first in the genre, Haydn’s Il Maestro e lo Scolare, through many well-known composers of the 19th and 20th centuries up to the current decade. Very few of these works have attained any sort of public awareness apart from Stravinsky’s Easy Pieces, but though written deliberately with one ‘easy’ part for the learner, the pieces are thoroughly delightful, tuneful and never simplistic: indeed they display all the hallmarks of Romantic, Impressionist (and in two cases jazz-inspired) music-making of high quality and all make more extremely entertaining and pleasant listening. Antony Gray is a London-based pianist and teacher with acclaimed recordings to his name. His work with students of all ages, those that wish to pursue advanced training and even those who do not, produces a wonderful rapport which shines through in these recordings. Over 50 of Gray’s students are represented on the album.