Schubertiade

A kaleidoscope of folkloristic, international Christmas carols This CD presents secular Christmas carols from Europe and South America. These traditional songs have been newly arranged by Manfred Fränkel for voice, accordion, violin and percussion instruments.

A kaleidoscope of folkloristic, international Christmas carols This CD presents secular Christmas carols from Europe and South America. These traditional songs have been newly arranged by Manfred Fränkel for voice, accordion, violin and percussion instruments. The carols are intended to sound as natural as possible and yet offer something unusual. Older and more recent songbooks from a wide variety of countries served as the basis for the adaptations; in some cases the original languages were retained, and in others the texts have been translated into German.

After A Soprano’s Schubertiade (BIS2343) and Elysium (BIS2573), Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton present a new recital devoted to Schubert’s songs on the theme of the changing seasons.

After A Soprano’s Schubertiade (BIS2343) and Elysium (BIS2573), Carolyn Sampson and Joseph Middleton present a new recital devoted to Schubert’s songs on the theme of the changing seasons.

Beethoven as a giant of the symphony and the sonata has somewhat overshadowed Beethoven as a creator of songs. On this varied and insightful recording, tenor Werner Güra performs a program featuring Adelaide and the first song cycle in history, An die ferne Geliebte, that proves Beethoven's lieder lacked neither appeal nor originality. Accompanist Christoph Berner plays a Streicher fortepiano of 1847 that is perfectly suited to both the songs and to his solo performance of the wonderful Bagatelles of Op.126.

Francesco Piemontesi i s a pianist of exceptional refinement of expression, which is allied to a consummate technical skill. Widely renowned for his interpretation of Mozart and the early Romantic repertoire, Piemontesi’s pianism and sensibility has a close affinity too with the later 19th century and 20th century repertoire of Brahms, Liszt, Dvořák, Ravel, Debussy, Bartok and beyond. Of one of his great teachers and mentors, Alfred Brendel, Piemontesi says that Brendel taught him “to love the detail of things”.

Baritone Benjamin Appl pays tribute to his mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose centenary we celebrate in 2025.

Baritone Benjamin Appl pays tribute to his mentor, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, whose centenary we celebrate in 2025. “The first time I heard his voice was at school when I was twelve. In 2009, I applied for his master class at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg which was the start of a long and transformative relationship. I was fortunate to work with him on my entire repertoire over countless hours in his homes in Berlin and Berg.”

Schumann is the new album from the critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated cellist Sol Gabetta. This recording features a recording of Schumann’s cello concerto with the renowned Kammerorchester Basel under the direction of Giovanni Antonini. Sol Gabetta also teams up with the wonderful French pianist, Bertrand Chamayou to record Fantasy Pieces op. 73, the Adagio and Allegro op. 70 and the Five Pieces in Folk Style op. 102.