Zemlinsky

The performance of von Otter and Gardiner on this CD encompasses both approaches without compromising the ideals of either. It is a magnificent achievement. Do you like Mahler? Especially the Mahler of Das Lied von der Erde, the slow movement of the fourth symphony, the adagietto from the fifth symphony, the finale of the ninth? Buy this disk.

This concert is Renee Fleming's very personal homage to 'Fin de Siecle' Vienna. At the turn of the last century, the capital of the Austrian Empire was also one of the cultural centers for the fi ne arts and, in particular, for music. The city of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, a 'melting pot' of cultures and musical traditions, attracted gifted musicians and composers alike and provided the perfect soil for much of the greatest music of that time. With this selection of works by Hugo Wolf (1860 -1903) and Gustav Mahler (1860 -1911), combined with more progressive songs by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), Arnold Schoenberg (1874 - 1951) and Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 - 1957), Renee Fleming presents to us the full variety of this unique epoch. The venue of her recital with Maciej Pikulski at the piano is, of course, the Golden Hall of the Musikverein Vienna.

The original idea for this fifth clarinet competition was that it would be part of the “Van Eyck project 2020 – 2021”. Everyone knows why this has been delayed by a year. For this competition, three composers were asked to write a new work inspired by the characteristic painting by Jan Van Eyck, “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”. The composers Alain Crepin (Lam Gods Impressions), Johan Duijck (L’Homme désarmé) and Dirk Brossé (The Secret of the Mystic Lamb) have succeeded in this in a very special way. The International Clarinet Competition Ghent has now been organized for the fifth time. It has now grown into a special and highly appreciated competition that, due to its great and quickly built up success, has attracted registrations from more than 200 candidates from 5 continents. Of these, 65 clarinetists were selected to participate. On this album you can listen to the three finalists and enjoy their exceptional playing. Accompanied by the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, the Zemlinsky Quartet, Johan Duijck (piano) and soprano Franches Dhont, they will take you into the atmosphere of the competition!

After the success of his stunning album ‘Otello’, revered tenor Jonas Kaufmann returns with the sensational new album ‘Selige Stunde’. ‘Selige Stunde’ is the first recital in a small series of recordings that Jonas has made during the Covid-19 crisis. This stunning album includes a varied and heart-felt selection of songs that cover the most prominent Lieder composers. All tracks are short and are often performed as encores. The theme of the lyrics centre around love, longing, peacefulness and farewell. Kaufmann is considered one of the greatest tenors of this generation. He has performed at the world’s most prestigious concert venues including the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Kaufmann has won numerous prestigious awards including Gramophone Awards and Echo Klassik Awards.

Known for its championship of neglected repertoire, the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective presents a programme of works by members of the Second Viennese School, based around Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Probably Schoenberg’s best-known piece – in either of its two orchestral versions or the original string sextet version heard here, Verklärte Nacht is certainly not neglected!