Virgin Classics

Philippe Jaroussky - Caldara in Vienna (Forgotten Castrato Arias)
Concerto Köln / Emmanuelle Haim - Philippe Jaroussky
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Label/Cat#: Virgin Classics # 50999 641927 2 7 | Country/Year: Europe 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque, Vocal, Castrato

"…It would be hard to imagine a more compelling case for this material than that made by Jaroussky and Emmanuelle Haïm, who plays harpsichord and conducts Concerto Köln. They invest this music with such life and devote such exquisite attention to its nuances that the album fully deserves the attention of fans of the Baroque or Vivaldi, or of anyone who simply cherishes hearing terrifically talented and spirited performers giving their all to music they clearly love. The album is beautifully produced and has clean, vibrant, and natural sound, with excellent balance." ~allmusicguide

Jordi Savall & Hesperion XX - Espana Antigua - Spanish Secular Music c.1200-1700 (2001) {8CD Virgin Classics}
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© 1976-1986, 2001 Virgin Classics / EMI | 7243 5 61964 2 1
Classical / Early Music / World Music / Renaissance / Baroque / Medieval / Chamber Music

This box set comprises eight discs recorded by the remarkable Jordi Savall with his wife Montserrat Figueras and the wonderful Hespèrion XX. They span a period of ten or so years from 1976 were originally issued on LP by Virgin Classics. Since those days Savall’s performances have matured and grown in confidence but one can still easily recognize the brains behind the outfit and the sound-world he wanted to create. Later he moved to Auvidis Astrée and in more recent times has set up his own label - Alia Vox - where he really has been set loose. He has produced discs with superb documentation which have investigated many forgotten corners of medieval and Renaissance music which quite often we never even knew existed.

Unanimously acclaimed by her peers, the music-loving public and the press, French pianist Catherine Collard (1947-1993) died far too soon. The memories of her concerts, master classes and generosity are still very much alive today. The recordings made for Erato and EMI gathered here bear witness to her exceptional talent.

Quatuor Ebene - Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn (2013) {Virgin Classics}
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© 2013 Virgin Classics / EMI | 50999 464546 2 1
Classical / Chamber Music

France's Quatuor Ebène has been known for its classical-pop fusion experiments (they dislike the term "crossover"). Here they stick with classical string quartet pieces, but their style and choice of music is still plenty unusual. The chief repertory attraction here is Fanny Mendelssohn's String Quartet in E flat major, composed in 1834. This work, the composer's only string quartet, is not usually included in comparisons of music by Felix Mendelssohn and his older sister, but it deserves to be better known.

Christina Pluhar & L'Arpeggiata - Mediterraneo (2013) [CD+Bonus DVD] {Virgin Classics Deluxe Edition}
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© 2013 Virgin Classics / EMI Records / Christina Pluhar | 5099946454720
Classical / Early Music / Vocal Music / Chamber Music / World Music / Folk

Christina Pluhar and l'Arpeggiata invite you on a musical cruise that will take you from Portugal to Turkey, following the coasts of Spain, Catalonia, Greece, and Italy, caressed by the rocking of the waves and the captivating dialogue between traditional plucked instruments of the Mediterranean region the qanun, saz, Greek lyre and lavta, the oud and Portuguese guitar and the Baroque strings of l'Arpeggiata. Mediterraneo is truly a musical exploration of the Mediterranean Sea. The recording features the fabulous voices of Mísia, Nuria Rial, Vincenzo Capezzuto, Raquel Andueza and Aikaterini Papadopoulou who perform traditional tarantellas, sung in Greek. These folk pieces were a custom in the Baroque era in the Greek-Albanian villages of Calabria. Join Christina Pluhar on this unique musical odyssey. The deluxe casebound edition of Mediterraneo includes a bonus DVD featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes recording sessions of Are mou Rindineddha, Sem saber, Hasapiko, and Tres sirenas.

On October 22nd, French Pianist Alexandre Tharaud will release Swinging Paris Le Boeuf Sur le Toit, a new album of jazz music inspired by the legendary 1920s Parisian cabaret. The album features a kaleidoscopic selection of music from composers ranging from Ravel to Gershwin to W.C. Handy, and includes a diverse group of guest artists including Natalie Dessay, Madeleine Peyroux and more. This new release caps a busy year for Alexandre - he starred in Michael Haneke s film Amour, which took the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival (Tharaud also provided the soundtrack to the album, which will be released on Virgin Classics in January of 2013), and was also featured on the smash hit Fifty Shades of Grey The Classical Album.

Vihuela Music Of The Spanish Renaissance - Christopher Wilson (1990) {Virgin Classics}
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© 1990 Virgin Classics | 0777 7595962 8
Classical / Renaissance

The vihuela is not a viol, it is a sort of lute. Vihuela and lute coexisted in Spain but the composers wrote only for the former. The works played in this recording were mainly published between 1535 and 1554; Daza's book (1576) and a collection of other authors (1593) mark the end of the era of the vihuela. Then the instrument lent its shape to the guitar, as you can infer from the cover of the CD.

Beethoven - Complete Sonatas For Violin & Piano - Renaud Capuçon & Frank Braley (2010) {3CD Virgin Classics 50999 642001}
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© 2010 Virgin Classics / EMI Records | 50999 642001
Classical / Sonatas / Piano / Violin

Among the many genres Beethoven used to build on his reputation upon his arrival in Vienna, the violin sonatas allowed him not only to demonstrate his own prowess on the keyboard, but also played to the increasing popularity of chamber works that might be attempted by sophisticated amateurs. Following Mozart's trend of liberating the violin from a mere secondary role, Beethoven continued to bring about the equality of both instruments in all of his duo sonatas. Performing these 10 sonatas is the splendid duo of violinist Renaud Capuçon and pianist Frank Braley. The recordings take place in la Chaux de Fonds concert hall in Switzerland, a venue that offers listeners an exceptionally wonderful, intimate sound quality even on a CD.