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Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski and early music ensemble I Zefirelli are each releasing a new CD today: Peter Jablonski has recorded “Piano Works” by Scottish composer Ronald Stevenson (1928-2015) for the Ondine label. This collection includes four premiere recordings that reflect Jablonski’s deep understanding of these demanding works by Stevenson.
The early music ensemble I Zefirelli has release “Telemann in der Taverne” (“Telemann in the tavern”) which contains works by Georg Friedrich Telemann that date from the composer’s Hamburg period. In addition, songs and pieces can be heard as they might have been played and sung in the taverns of Hamburg in Telemann’s time. This recording has been released on the Arcantus label.

Maria Narodytska presents her debut album “War Poems” today. For the SOMM Recordings label, the Ukrainian pianist has recorded solo works for piano that were written in times of war or revolution. The CD features compositions by Szymanowski, Shostakovich, Chopin and Artem Liakhovich (*1982), as well as a solo work by Maria Narodytska herself. The pianist and Liakhovich wrote their works in the context of the war in the Ukraine.
As a prizewinner of the Takamatsu, Santa Cecilia, Mauro Paulo Monopoli and WorldVision competitions, the Maria Narodytska has won more than 30 first prizes in total. In 2023, she won first prize at the Bradshaw & Buono Piano Competition in New York.

Jonathan Berman has received the highest acclaim for his recording of Franz Schmidt’s four symphonies for the Accentus Music label. The BBC Music Magazine emphasises Berman’s ‘commitment and enthusiasm, delivering playing of sensitivity and technical brilliance’; the Spanish magazine Scherzo states that ‘this is perhaps the most convincing approach to the composer’s musical universe’; the Belgian Crescendo speaks of a ‘landmark recording’ and the Austrian Online Merker also recognises in this interpretation ‘new standards, in that each work is interpreted with precision, passion and tonal refinement’. Fono Forum attests Berman ‘a deep understanding of [Schmidt’s] music’, the Italian magazine Musica emphasises ‘the expressive particularity of a warm, cheerful lyricism without sentimental devotion and without rhetoric’, the Austrian Radio Ö 1 confirms the recording’s ‘taste and transparency’ and the Australian Limelight magazine is also impressed by the ‘beautiful playing’.

Jonathan Berman has recorded Franz Schmidt’s symphonic oeuvre with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales; the CD box set has been available in stores and online platforms, e.g. here, and on all streaming platforms since 1 December 2023.

All four symphonies by Franz Schmidt are being released today in a recording of Jonathan Berman. Conducting the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, he has recorded the works of the Austro-Hungarian composer for Accentus Music. The Belgian magazine “Crescendo” is already talking about a “ground-breaking release”, “Scherzo” from Spain states: “This is perhaps the most convincing approach to the musical universe of this composer.” Jonathan Berman’s most thorough research lasting more than five years resulted in “The Franz Schmidt Project“, for which he conducted interviews with Franz Welser-Möst, Fabio Luisi, Wayne Marshall and Simone Young, among others.

Purchase your copy here.

Finnish guitarist Petri Kumela presents a new recording for Alba Records today. On the disc with the title “Exquisitely absurd” he has recorded works by contemporary composers: Antti Auvinen, Riikka Talvitie and Lotta Wennäkoski. Kumela is accompanied by the Tapiola Sinfonietta conducted by Dima Slobodeniouk. The compositions are commissioned works written for and premiered by Petri Kumela.

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High praise for the recordings by soprano Stephanie Lamprea and baritone Konstantin Ingenpass: Stephanie Lamprea's recording of Georges Aperghis' "14 Récitations" (New Focus Recordings) was praised as a "true high-performance act" (Fono Forum), a "sportive vocal adventure of imposing proportions" (Concerti), the Saarländische Rundfunk described the soprano as a "breathtaking vocal acrobat" who "approaches the interpretation with tremendous precision."

Konstantin Ingenpass, who released the CD "Welt & Traum" for Hänssler Classic, is praised for his "clear, voluminous voice, much depth and seriousness" (radio Ö 1), radio WDR 3 describes Ingenpass' voice as "ravishingly beautiful, [... ] with many tonal facets", Takt1 praises the baritone for the "sheer beauty of his voice with intelligence and empathy", Concerti raves about "the beautiful and delightful colour values from the dark voice", radio BremenZwei describes it as "mature and round with clear highs and warm depths", moreover, Ingenpaß' "deep psychological insight can be felt."

Both recordings are available since 10 February.

Soprano Stephanie Lamprea and baritone Konstantin Ingenpass release two new recordings today: Stephanie Lamprea, of Colombian-American origin, has recorded Georges Aperghis' "14 Récitations" for New Focus Recordings. The avant-garde cycle for unaccompanied solo voice describes a woman in a traumatic state. The exact content cannot be understood due to the use of syllables, phonemes and vocal utterances. Konstantin Ingenpass, winner of the International Hugo Wolf Competition Stuttgart 2020, releases his first own recording with songs by Viktor Ullmann, Franz Liszt, Gustav Mahler and Hugo Wolf. For Hänssler Classic he has recorded „Welt & Traum“ („World & Dream“) with a chamber ensemble conducted by György Mészáros.

Purchase your copy of "Welt & Traum" here.

Today sees the release of a new disc of the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam. For the Rubicon label, the Dutch musicians have recorded the 5th String Quartet Op. 92 by Dmitri Shostakovich and the String Quartet No. 4 by the Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz. These works are complemented by some of Shostakovich's 24 Préludes Op. 34. Originally written for piano, the quartet have arranged these for their formation. A special release-event is planned on the 2nd of December in Amsterdam.

Purchase your copy here.