A summary of recent releases - suitable for printing

Handel: Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (The triumph of Time and Enlightenment), HWV46a ACADEMIA MONTIS REGALIS / ALESSANDRO DE MARCHI ‘Il trionfo’ is a landmark in baroque music. It is Handel’s first oratorio, product of his astonishing flowering in Italy in his early twenties. The libretto is a highly crafted composition drawing on a rich mix of artistic forebears. This is the second disc for Hyperion from Academia Montis Regalis, who drew great acclaim for their recording of Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista. 2 Compact Discs CDA67681/2 'Handel's first oratorio … is also his most exquisite. "The Triumph of Time and Dis-Illusion" … bursts with youthful vitality and virtuosity as it blends a moral-religious allegory with some astute early psychology … Alessandro De Marchi energises his Academia Montis Regalis and some fine soloists into the perfect blend of Baroque dynamism and ethereal beauty' (Observer)

Leighton: The World's Desire Sequence for All Saints Op 75; Chorale Prelude on Rockingham; O God, enfold me in the sun; Morning Canticles; The World’s Desire Op 91 WELLS CATHEDRAL CHOIR / MATTHEW OWENS Kenneth Leighton’s music is at the heart of English Cathedral repertoire, and demonstrates the composer’s happy absorption in this milieu from an early age. This latest disc from Wells Cathedral includes some first recordings in impeccable, lasting performances. Wells Cathedral has maintained a choral tradition virtually unbroken for over 800 years. Compact Disc CDA67641 'Two things stand out in this new release featuring a selection of Kenneth Leighton's sacred choral music: the inclusion of three first-time recordings and the glorious, energetic performances of the Wells Cathedral Choir … [The World's Desire] The return of Heber's hymn brings both the work and the disc to a close in such a spine-tinglingly awesome fashion that the listener is compelled to hit the 'play button' again almost immediately' (International Record Review)

Spohr: Clarinet Concertos 3 & 4 Clarinet Concerto No 3 in F minor WoO19; Clarinet Concerto No 4 in E minor WoO20 MICHAEL COLLINS clarinet, SWEDISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA / ROBIN O'NEILL This disc is a long-awaited sequel to Hyperion’s disc of Spohr’s Clarinet Concertos Nos 1 & 2, recorded by the same forces. Of the four concertos Spohr wrote for the great clarinettist Johann Hermstedt, the Third is the most overtly virtuosic, with a fiery energy supporting grand themes of real distinction. The Fourth ranks among Spohr’s finest compositions. Compact Disc CDA67561 'Collins completes his recordings of these delightful concertos with the contrasting works presented here … Collins dazzles like a bel canto diva in the pyrotechnic leaps, trills and runs, while he lavishes his rich tone, phenomenal breath control and deeply satisfying expressive insights on the E minor' (Sunday Times)

Buxtehude: Complete Organ Works - Volume 1 Praeludium in D major BuxWV139; Nun freut euch, lieben Christen gmein BuxWV210; Fuga in C major BuxWV174; Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder BuxWV178; Von Gott will ich nicht lassen BuxWV221; Ich dank dir schon durch deinen Sohn BuxWV195; Canzona in D minor BuxWV168; Nun bitten wir den heiligen Geist BuxWV208; Praeludium in G minor BuxWV150; Ciaccona in C minor BuxWV159; Toccata in F major BuxWV157; Magnificat noni toni BuxWV205; Praeludium in G major BuxWV162; Auf meinen lieben Gott BuxWV179; Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott BuxWV184; Praeludium in A major BuxWV151 CHRISTOPHER HERRICK organ Dieterich Buxtehude was famously visited by JS Bach who walked from Arnstadt to Lübeck to hear him play. The indefatigable Christopher Herrick has embarked on a complete series of Buxtehude’s organ music. The repertoire falls into two basic categories: free works, and works based on pre-existing melodies. A tantalizing selection of these is recorded here on the great organ of Helsingør Cathedral, Denmark. Compact Disc CDA67666

Monte: Missa Ultimi miei sospiri Miserere mei, Deus; Missa Ultimi miei sospiri; Magnificat sexti toni; Ad te levavi; Fratres, ego enim accepi; Asperges me, Domine; Gaudent in caelis animae Sanctorum; Ne timeas, Maria; PHILIPPE VERDELOT Ultimi miei sospiri CINQUECENTO In their third disc for Hyperion, the acclaimed vocal ensemble Cinquecento continue their exploration of the rich repertoire engendered in the Habsburg court. The prolific composer De Monte, Kapellmeister to the Emperor Maximilian II, wrote over a thousand madrigals as well as hundreds of sacred works, and the expressive aspects of the madrigal form infuse his sacred music delightfully. Compact Disc CDA67658 'An unusually gifted ensemble, both vocally and musically … Here is a group whose tone, vocal flexibility, collective and individual musicianship and commitment to their chosen repertoire places them at the very forefront of modern-day specialists in the performance of Renaissance vocal music … A disc which is not only a real treat to the ears but a most valuable and worthwhile exposé of little-known repertoire … Unfailingly compelling and absorbing performances … It is the Mass which, at 25 minutes, dominates the disc and shows most obviously the many strengths of this outstanding vocal ensemble … At the start of the Kyrie, for example, we have a layered texutre the subtle balance of which, while seeming entirely natural, must have taken a great deal of effort to achieve. As it unfolds there is the impression of clouds parting to reveal a vast landscape as viewed from a montain top, a sense of spaciousness and a grandeur which is profoundly moving. This is a veritable jewel of a disc' (International Record Review)

Martinu: The Complete Music for Violin and Orchestra - 3 Suite concertante for violin and orchestra (first version) H276; Suite concertante for violin and orchestra (second version) H276A; Rhapsody-Concerto for viola and orchestra H337 BOHUSLAV MATOUSEK violin, CZECH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA / CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD This is the third volume in Hyperion’s set of the complete works for violin and orchestra by Martinu, featuring the wonderful Bohuslav Matousek with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Christopher Hogwood. Many first recordings are included in the series, as well as works totally unperformed outside the Czech Republic. Compact Disc CDA67673 'Martinu was prolific in every field, but perhaps no more so than in the concerto, where he explored a variety of forms and instrumental combinations … Bohuslav Matoushek plays all three works here with energy and an imaginative range of tonal colour, while the accompaniments from Christopher Hogwood and the Czech orchestra are equally resourceful' (Daily Telegraph)

Bortkiewicz: Piano Music Lamentations and Consolations Op 17; Aus Andersens Märchen (Ein musikalisches Bilderbuch) Op 30; Ten Preludes Op 33; Ballade in C sharp minor Op 42; Élégie in C sharp major Op 46; Quatre Morceaux Op 3; Quatre Morceaux Op 65; Sonata in B major Op 9 STEPHEN COOMBS piano 2 Compact Discs CDD22054 'The hand of a master melodist and tone painter is manifest throughout this beguiling recital. A recital to delight the connoisseur of forgotten late 19th-century romantic piano music' (Classic CD)

Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras 1 & 5 Bachianas brasileiras No 1; Suite for voice and violin; Preludes and Fugues from Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier; Bachianas brasileiras No 5 JILL GOMEZ soprano, PETER MANNING violin, PLEETH CELLO OCTET Compact Disc CDH55316 'Stunning performances' (BBC Record Review)

German Seventeenth-Century Church Music HEINRICH SCHÜTZ Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott; CHRISTOPH BERNHARD Was betrübst du dich, meine Seele?; JOHANN ROSENMÜLLER Christum ducem, qui per crucem; Sonata II a 2 in E minor; DIETERICH BUXTEHUDE Jesu, meine Freud und Lust BuxWV59; Jubilate Domino, omnis terra BuxWV64; CHRISTIAN GEIST Vater unser, der du bist im Himmel; HEINRICH BACH Sonata I in C major; Sonata II in F major; JOHANN CHRISTOPH BACH Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte; JOHANN MICHAEL BACH Auf, laßt uns den Herren loben; JOHANN PHILIPP KRIEGER O Jesu, du mein Leben; attributed to MELCHIOR HOFFMANN Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde (formerly attributed to J S BACH, Cantata No 53) ROBIN BLAZE countertenor, THE PARLEY OF INSTRUMENTS / PETER HOLMAN Compact Disc CDH55230 'For its combination of excitingly new repertoire and luminous instrumental textures this CD is a must-have for anyone who wants to understand the early baroque' (Early Music Quarterly)

Marc-André Hamelin in a state of jazz FRIEDRICH GULDA Exercise Nos 1, 4, 5 from Play Piano Play; Prelude and Fugue; NIKOLAI KAPUSTIN Sonata No 2 Op 54; ALEXIS WEISSENBERG Sonate en état de jazz; Six arrangements of songs sung by Charles Trenet; GEORGE ANTHEIL Jazz Sonata MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN piano The brilliant Marc-André Hamelin turns his attention to the music of Kapustin, Antheil, Gulda and Weissenberg - all composers who felt keenly that there was a fundamental desire on the part of the concert-going public to hear something different. This wonderful disc is full of surprises - as Hamelin writes in his entertaining yet scholarly liner notes, ‘There is much to be enjoyed here, and much to be amazed by’. Compact Disc CDA67656 '… Played with such astounding agility and aplomb that you end up mesmerised by virtually every bar. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that no other pianist could approach Hamelin in such music. Notes pour and cascade like diamonds from his fingers and he has an inborn flair for the music's wild, free-wheeling melodies and rhythms, for its glittering whimsy and caprice … Superbly presented and recorded, this is a special addition to Hamelin's towering and unique discography' (Gramophone)

Richard Strauss: The Complete Songs - 3 Nichts Op 10 No 2; Die Zeitlose Op 10 No 7; Die Verschwiegenen Op 10 No 6; Seitdem dein Aug’ in meines schaute Op 17 No 1; Ständchen Op 17 No 2; Das Geheimnis Op 17 No 3; Aus den Liedern der Trauer Op 17 No 4; Nur Mut! Op 17 No 5; Barkarole Op 17 No 6; Wozu noch, Mädchen, soll es frommen Op 19 No 1; Schön sind, doch kalt die Himmelssterne Op 19 No 3; Hoffen und wieder verzagen Op 19 No 5; Ach weh mir unglückhaftem Mann Op 21 No 4; Die Frauen sind oft fromm und still Op 21 No 5; Heimliche Aufforderung Op 27 No 3; Ich trage meine Minne Op 32 No 1; Sehnsucht Op 32 No 2; Liebeshymnus Op 32 No 3; O süßer Mai! Op 32 No 4; Himmelsboten Op 32 No 5; Für funfzehn Pfennige Op 36 No 2; Anbetung Op 36 No 4; Winterweihe Op 48 No 4; Winterliebe Op 48 No 5; Freundliche Vision Op 48 No 1 ANDREW KENNEDY tenor, ROGER VIGNOLES piano Hyperion’s Strauss Lieder series is fast becoming a worthy successor to the seminal Schubert and Schumann Lieder sets on the label. In this third volume, the wonderful young British tenor Andrew Kennedy performs a range of songs, from favourites such as Ständchen to some fascinating rarities. Roger Vignoles performs with his usual matchless musicianship and provides the extensive booklet notes. Compact Disc CDA67602 'The third volume of Hyperion’s Strauss song series comes with a tenor riding the chromatic waves. Kennedy’s young voice still has some growing to do in lieder, but his flexible tones and avoidance of the Precious Beautiful Voice give lots of pleasure. Roger Vignoles’s piano accompaniments are superb' (The Times)

Tormis: Choral music Kaks laulu Ernst Enno sõnadele (Two songs to words by Ernst Enno); Kolm eesti mängulaulu (Three Estonian game songs); Kolm laulu eeposest ‘Kalevipoeg’ (Three songs from the epic ‘Kalev’s Son’); Liivlaste pärandus (Livonian heritage); Laevas lauldakse (Singing aboard ship); Sügismaastikud (Autumn landscapes); Neli eesti hällilaulu (Four Estonian lullabies); Helletused (Childhood memory (Herding calls)) HOLST SINGERS / STEPHEN LAYTON The Holst Singers are acclaimed as one of England’s greatest amateur choirs. Veljo Tormis is one of Estonia’s most important living composers, holding an almost mystic status in his home country. He is also a passionate and practical torch-bearer for Estonian folk-singing revival. His music is almost all written for choirs; few composers have ever been so committed to one genre. For Tormis, the words and the music are inseparable. This is beautiful music, immaculately performed - a great discovery. Compact Disc CDA67601 'Stephen Layton and his superlative choir deliver an inspiring programme of a capella choral works by the Estonian composer. The music springs from the East European folk tradition - rhythmic underlay, biting harmonies, melodies seemingly smoothed by time. The British choristers tackle these alien sounds with conviction, precision, passion, perfect tuning across the octaves and much variety of tone colour and dynamics. Exciting moments abound: the Livonian songs are wittily profound, the final chord of Heather is a golden climax, while Childhood Memory proves that the choir harbours top soloists as well. It's hard to believe that they all have day jobs' (The Times)

The Feast of the Ascension at Westminster Abbey MATINS Caelos ascendit hodie (STANFORD); The Preces (BERNARD ROSE); Psalm 24 (SIR JOSEPH BARNBY); Festival Te Deum in E (BRITTEN); Der 100. Psalm (SCHÜTZ); The Responses (ROSE); O clap your hands (VAUGHAN WILLIAMS); EUCHARIST Missa brevis (WALTON); God is gone up (FINZI); EVENSONG Ascendit Deus (PETER PHILIPS); Psalm 93 (SIR GEORGE MACFARREN); Chichester Service (WALTON); Viri Galilaei (PATRICK GOWERS); The Dismissal (ROSE); Toccata (FRANCIS POTT) THE CHOIR OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY, ROBERT QUINNEY organ / JAMES O'DONNELL The Choir of Westminster Abbey, under its inspirational director, James O’Donnell, continues its exploration of the repertoire of the liturgy in the Abbey with music for the Feast of the Ascension. The works recorded here represent a wide range of the best of liturgical music, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Along the way are works from the great flowering of English cathedral music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Compact Disc CDA67680 'This addition to Westminster Abbey's invaluable series of music for feast-days gets off to a cracking start with Stanford's magnificent eight-part motet Caelos ascendit hodie. This sets a jubilant tone for the whole programme, which contains some outstanding 20th-century contributions to the Anglican repertoire, including Britten's Festival Te Deum with its exciting organ effects, Finzi's triumphant God Is Gone Up and Patrick Gowers's Viri Galilaei, whose meditative opening leads to a paean of exultation. All these, and Schutz's Der 100. Psalm, are sung with exhilarating panache' (Daily Telegraph)

Monckton: Songs from the shows from The Arcadians: Charming weather; All down Piccadilly; from A Country Girl: Under the deodar; Yo ho, little girls, yo ho!; Try again, Johnnie; from A Runaway Girl: The sly cigarette; The boy guessed right; from The Toreador: When I marry; Amelia; Keep off the grass; from The Messenger Boy: Maisie; from The Orchid: Liza Ann; from The Cingalee: My cinnamon tree; Pearl of sweet Ceylon; from The Circus Girl: A simple little string; from The Shop Girl: Beautiful bountiful Bertie; from The Mousmé: The Temple Bell; from The Quaker Girl: A bad boy and a good girl; The little grey bonnet; Tony, from America; from The Girls of Gottenberg: Two little sausages; from Our Miss Gibbs: Mary; Moonstruck CATHERINE BOTT soprano, RICHARD SUART baritone, NEW LONDON ORCHESTRA / RONALD CORP Lionel Monckton was among the finest British melodists, ranking as such with the likes of Arthur Sullivan and Ivor Novello. This new recording is the perfect introduction to his charming songs and features soloists Catherine Bott and Richard Suart—the master of the patter song. Formerly better-known as an early music specialist, Catherine Bott’s cabaret entertainment London Pride (CDA67457) established her as an ideal performer of this repertoire. Compact Disc CDA67654 'Both Bott and Suart demonstrate a natural aptitude for the material. Ronald Corp conducts the New London Orchestra and Light Opera Chorus with obvious affection. Listening to this CD made me feel ridiculously happy' (Gramophone)

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol 45 - Hiller FERDINAND HILLER Piano Concerto No 1 in F minor Op 5; Piano Concerto No 2 in F sharp minor Op 69; Piano Concerto No 3 in A flat major ‘Concerto espressivo’ Op 170 TASMANIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / HOWARD SHELLEY piano The Romantic Piano Concerto series continues to bring undiscovered works to the listening public, performed by the greatest piano virtuosos of today. The composer Hiller was admired by Schumann, who described him as the exemplar of ‘how to combine orchestra and piano in brilliant fashion’. This disc contains two premiere recordings, brought to life by Howard Shelley who directs the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra from the piano. Compact Disc CDA67655 '[Second Concerto in F sharp minor] It is one of the gems of the genre, the first to be written in that key and with many surprising features such as the soloist kicking off proceedings fiercely and without any introduction … No 1 is a brilliant display vehicle … In No 3, presumed lost until recently, Hiller again strives to be innovative in terms of structure and handling of material … Once more, one has to take off one's hat to Howard Shelley for leading such exuberant performances while simultaneously tackling demanding keyboard writing with amazing agility, innate elegance and complete stylistic empathy' (Gramophone)

Dufay: Music for St James the Greater Mass for St James the Greater; Rite majorem Jacobum canamus / Arcibus summis miseri reclusi; Balsamus et munda cera; Gloria - Credo; Apostolo glorioso THE BINCHOIS CONSORT / ANDREW KIRKMAN Compact Disc CDH55272 'This is Dufay as I have always wanted to hear him. [It] is as close to a perfect Dufay CD as I have ever heard … So utterly compelling is this recording that I can imagine it acquiring cult status' (Gramophone)

Schumann: Piano Sonatas, Op 11 & Op 14 Piano Sonata in F sharp minor Op 11 Piano Sonata in F minor Op 14 NIKOLAI DEMIDENKO piano Compact Disc CDH55300 'A pair of performances which can justly be described in terms of superlatives. Outstanding readings of remarkable works' (Classic CD)

Poulenc: Gloria Gloria; Salve regina; Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence; Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël; Exultate Deo SUSAN GRITTON soprano, POLYPHONY, BRITTEN SINFONIA / STEPHEN LAYTON Stephen Layton and Polyphony continue to blaze a trail as great interpreters and dazzling performers of a wide range of choral music. Their recent disc of Bruckner’s Mass in E minor and motets was acclaimed as a benchmark recording. For their latest Hyperion disc they turn to some of the most bewitching and unusual, yet well-loved, choral works of the twentieth century. Poulenc’s beautiful choral music is a deep expression both of his faith and of his unique musical language. Compact Disc CDA67623 'From the very outset of the Gloria it's clear that this is a performance of real distinction … The 38 voices of Polyphony are augmented by 31 from Trinity College, Cambridge, while an unusually hefty contingent of orchestral players makes up the Britten Sinfonia on the disc. What results is not only music-making of immense power and vibrancy - but also an ability, brilliantly directed by Layton, to capture Poulenc's 'half hooligan, half monk' musical persona … Then, in the final chorus of the Gloria, after the boisterous start, we have a moment of profound sanctity and another, crowned with incredible delicacy by Susan Gritton, of mouth-watering enchantment … It is the vivid sense of unfettered joy in the Gloria and the matchless intensity of feeling revealed in the motets that make this such a gloriously distinguished disc' (Gramophone)

Boccherini: Flute Quintets, Op 19 Quintet No 1 in E flat major G425; Quintet No 2 in G minor G426; Quintet No 3 in C major G427; Quintet No 4 in D major; Quintet No 5 in B flat major G429; Quintet No 6 in D major (‘Las Parejas’) G430 AUSER MUSICI Auser Musici is a vocal and instrumental ensemble which brings together instrumentalists and singers with an international reputation for historical performance practice. This is their first recording for Hyperion. Boccherini’s Op 19 quintets cover a wide range of character and display all the resources, technical as well as expressive, common in the composer’s major works. Boccherini writes virtuoso parts for all instruments, and the flute writing recalls his masterly use of the instrument in the orchestration of his symphonies. Compact Disc CDA67646 'These are delightful works played with a persuasively affectionate period-instrument style, with a felicitous lead from the nimble and gently expressive flautist, Carlo Ipata. Hyperion do the players proud in their debut recording; we shall surely hear more of them' (Gramophone)

Ernst: Violin Music Fantaisie brillante sur la Marche et la Romance d’Otello de G. Rossini Op 11; Sechs mehrstimmige Etüden; Élégie sur la mort d’un objet chéri Op 10; Erlkönig: Grand Caprice pour violon seul sur ‘Le Roi des Aulnes’ de F. Schubert Op 26 ILYA GRINGOLTS violin, with ASHLEY WASS piano As a virtuoso violinist, the Moravian Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst was a legend in his own lifetime. His legacy lives on in his own works for his instrument. As a composer Ernst combined the reckless virtuosity of Paganini and Liszt with a sure instinct for musical substance, putting transcendent violin technique at the service of something more than mere display. The acclaimed Russian violinist Ilya Gringolts is the ideal performer of these dazzlingly difficult works. Compact Disc CDA67619 'Ilya Gringolts has the measure of both the virtuosity and the romantic sensibility - his performance of the fantasy is quite outstanding … He plays the lyrical passages with an intense commitment that's reminiscent of Heifetz His imaginative grasp of the music's expressive character makes for a gripping account of the Elegy … and the unaccompanied items fare just as well … Gringolts' technical command, beautiful intonation and exciting, deep involvement with the music make for a great listening experience' (Gramophone)

Stephen Hough's Mozart Album MOZART Fantasia in C minor K475; Sonata in B flat major K333; Fantasia in C minor K396/385f; JOHANN BAPTIST CRAMER Hommage à Mozart Étude Op 103 No 6; IGNAZ FRIEDMAN (1882–1948) Menuetto in D major (from Mozart’s Divertimento for string quartet and two horns K334); STEPHEN HOUGH Three Mozart Transformations (after Poulenc); LISZT / BUSONI Fantasia on themes from Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ STEPHEN HOUGH piano Hyperion is delighted to present an eagerly awaited recital disc from Stephen Hough. This fascinating programme begins with some of Mozart’s most audacious and forward-looking piano works. The second part of the disc features Mozart as seen by others, from the homage of a near-contemporary right up to the modern day, with Hough’s own irresistibly quirky Mozart imaginings, and from elegant miniatures to Liszt/Busoni’s virtuosic Figaro Fantasy. This disc is full of surprises, and demonstrates the full range of Hough’s extraordinary artistry. Compact Disc CDA67598 'Here's another winning, imaginatively conceived disc from Britain's finest pianist … It is unexpected and delightful programme-building. Prized for his pianism, Hough is also a superb Mozartian. He lends these Fantasias an almost Beethovenian weight and depth of expression … Hough's playing is dazzling throughout' (Sunday Times)

Reger: Cello Sonatas Cello Sonata No 1 in F minor Op 5; Cello Suite No 1 in G major Op 131c No 1; Cello Sonata No 2 in G minor Op 28; Cello Suite No 2 in D minor Op 131c No 2; Cello Sonata No 3 in F major Op 78; Cello Suite No 3 in A minor Op 131c No 3; Cello Sonata No 4 in A minor Op 116 ALBAN GERHARDT cello, MARKUS BECKER piano Alban Gerhardt’s profound musicality and charisma have made him one of the most sought-after cellists of his generation. His ebullient personality is present in all his performances; he is nevertheless passionately committed to the intentions of the composer, and his recordings are always the product of an intense personal journey into the music. Gerhardt’s espousal of Reger’s cello sonatas and suites is thus greatly welcomed. This is fascinating and difficult music, wonderfully performed and recorded. 2 Compact Discs CDA67581/2 'Exceptionally rewarding … It would be difficult to find more persuasive advocates than cellist Alban Gerhardt and pianist Markus Becker, both of whom are steeped inside the idiom and know exactly how to present the music with cogency and a sure sense of direction. The Four Cello Sonatas provide a fascinating overview of Reger's musical development, moving from the Brahmsian warmth of the First to the highly expressionist and unsettling Fourth. With the aid of excellent sound, Gerhardt and Becker map out this musical journey with wonderful sensitivity … Hyperion's decision to add to this already challenging progamme the Three Unaccompanied Suites of 1914 is fully vindictated by an outstanding performance which once again demonstrates Gerhardt's formidable control of musical line and breathtaking virtuosity' (BBC Music Magazine)

Spohr: Symphonies 4 & 5 Overture ‘Das befreite Deutschland’ WoO64; Symphony No 4 in F major ‘Die Weihe der Töne’ Op 86; Symphony No 5 in C minor Op 102 ORCHESTRA DELLA SVIZZERA ITALIANA / HOWARD SHELLEY In this second volume of Spohr’s symphonies, Howard Shelley and the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana continue their exploration of this enjoyable and little-known repertoire. Symphony No 4 was quickly acclaimed as the composer’s symphonic masterpiece after its first performance. Symphony No 5 is a deeply felt work, pouring out pent-up emotions from dramatic events in the composer’s life at the time of writing with real expressive power. Compact Disc CDA67622 'Spohr the symphonist repays the attention this disc merits; his programmatic fourth symphony features a slow finale that set a precedent for Tchaikovsky and Mahler, while Shelley and his fine Italian players capture the expressive power of the turbulent fifth' (Observer)

Angela Hewitt: Bach Performance on the Piano Bach Performance on the Piano (lecture): Introduction; The Essentials; Interpretation; The Dance in Bach; Learning a Fugue; Ornamentation; Practical Advice Angela Hewitt Live in Concert: Partita No.4 in D major BWV828; Italian Concerto in F major BWV971; Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue in D minor BWV903 ANGELA HEWITT piano Angela Hewitt shares the inspiration and experience behind her award-winning playing in an illustrated lecture that explains the technical and practical steps essential for performing Bach on the piano. Angela Hewitt is a phenomenal artist who has established herself at the highest level over the last few years, not least through her superb recordings for Hyperion. She has been hailed as ‘the pre-eminent Bach pianist of our time’ and ‘nothing less than the pianist who will define Bach performance on the piano for years to come’ (Stereophile). The second DVD features Angela Hewitt live in concert. 2 DVDs DVDA68001 'No Bach lover will want to be without this fascinating double-DVD set from world-renowned Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt, who's virtually inherited the mantle of 'high priestess of Bach' from the late Rosalyn Tureck. She delivers her very substantial lecture in a friendly manner yet provides a succession of deep, intricate insights into the astounding variety of musical issues involved in playing Bach on the modern piano. Best of all, though, is the recital … where Hewitt delivers her Bach with a compelling blend of virtuosity and respect' (Classic FM Magazine *****)

Howells: Requiem & Vaughan Williams: Mass & Te Deum HOWELLS Requiem; Take him, earth, for cherishing; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Mass in G minor & Te Deum CORYDON SINGERS / MATTHEW BEST Compact Disc CDH55220 'One of the most luminous and touching of 20th-century Requiem settings' (Tower@classical music)

Fire Burning in Snow JUAN DE ARAUJO Dixit Dominus; Silencio; Dime, amor; ¡A, de la región de luces!; ¡A, del cielo!; ¡Fuego de amor!; En el muy gran Padre Ignacio; Dios de amor; ¡A, del tiempo! DIEGO JOSÉ DE SALAZAR ¡Salga el torillo hosquillo!; ANONYMOUS Hanacpachap cussicuinin EX CATHEDRA / JEFFREY SKIDMORE ‘For fire burning in snow is the effect of love’. The final line of Juan de Araujo’s Dime, amor gives this recording its title and conjures up the passion and dramatic contrasts which make this disc such a delight. Ex Cathedra’s uplifting recordings of Latin American Baroque polyphony are always eagerly awaited, and here they present more great music, hitherto hidden in obscurity but alive with melodic beauty and joy. Performances are infectiously energetic and dazzlingly stylish. Compact Disc CDA67600 | Super Audio Compact Disc SACDA67600 'Skidmore and his choir … have included the largest of Araujo's liturgical pieces, an imposing Dixit Dominus in eight parts. The colourful, carefully paced sequence is interspersed with sections of an anonymous setting of the Quechua text Hanacpachap Cussicuinin, a Marian hymn that is regarded as the oldest printed piece of polyphony from the Americas. With beautifully varied instrumental support, Ex Cathedra turn it into a hauntingly beautiful processional' (The Guardian)

Ives: Romanzo di Central Park IVES On the Counter; The Circus Band; Two Little Flowers (and dedicated to them); Ilmenau; A Night Song; Down East; Premonitions; The See’r; Songs my mother taught me; In the Alley; Mists; They are There!; In Flanders Fields; The South Wind; My Native Land; Watchman!; The Children’s Hour; Evidence; The World’s Wanderers; Slow March; Omens and Oracles; Those Evening Bells; Allegro; Evening; The Last Reader; To Edith; At the River; A Christmas Carol; The Light that is Felt; Romanzo (di Central Park) GERALD FINLEY baritone, JULIUS DRAKE piano In a second disc of Ives’s songs, Finley and Drake again enthral their listeners, bringing them to the emotional core of each work and confirming that theirs is an unbeatable musical partnership. ‘Gerald Finley, Julius Drake, and Hyperion here give us the best-ever male-voice selection from one of the most astonishing volumes in vocal history … we ordinary citizens have the right to hear the whole Ives songbook, from these artists. So don’t stop now, Hyperion’ (Fanfare, USA) Compact Disc CDA67644 'Finley is a wonderfully assured interpreter … perfectly registering their switchback changes of mood and presenting their occasional lapses into sentimentality with total conviction. More than any other performers on disc, Finley and Drake establish these songs, with all their quirks and flights of fantasy, among the most important of the 20th century in any language.' (The Guardian)

Pitts: Alpha and Omega PITTS The Peace of Jerusalem; Sanctus and Benedictus; A Thousand Years; My Dove; The 'I AM' Sayings of Jesus TONUS PEREGRINUS / ANTONY PITTS There are few better examples of a composer’s style developing concurrently with the emergence of a vocal group than in the a cappella vocal music of Antony Pitts. The Tonus Peregrinus octet exists to perform ancient and modern works interspersed with music written by its director. Building on the success of their first Hyperion release Seven Letters CDA67507, this disc contains further ecstatic, arresting, thought-provoking works, sung with limpid beauty by Tonus Peregrinus. Compact Disc CDA67668 'A disc worthy of serious attention … This is a most successful recording, Tonus Peregrinus never wearied by the vastness of its task and the vision of Christ always palpable in the composer's creative insights' (International Record Review)

Clementi: Complete Piano Sonatas - 1 CLEMENTI Sonata in E flat major Op 1 No 1; Sonata in G major Op 1 No 2; Sonata in B flat major Op 1 No 3; Sonata in F major Op 1 No 4; Sonata in A major Op 1 No 5; Sonata in E major Op 1 No 6; Sonata in C major Op 2 No 2; Sonata in A major Op 2 No 4; Sonata in B flat major Op 2 No 6; Sonata in G major WO14 (alternative first movement to Op 1 No 2); Sonata in E flat major Op 7 No 1; Sonata in C major Op 7 No 2; Sonata in G minor Op 7 No 3; Sonata in G minor Op 8 No 1; Sonata in E flat major Op 8 No 2; Sonata in B flat major Op 8 No 3; Sonata in A flat major WO13 HOWARD SHELLEY piano This is the first volume in a complete chronological survey of the Clementi sonatas which we hope to complete in six ‘2 for the price of 1’ double-CD sets released over the next three years. There is very little competition for this repertoire and indeed this volume appears to include the first-ever recording of Clementi’s six sonatas Opus 1. This is a fascinating body of work which spans European musical life from Scarlatti to Chopin. 2 Compact Discs CDA67632 'Listening to this opener in Howard Shelley's complete cycle, recorded on a pristine-sounding modern piano, it is hard to imagine anyone else ever making them sound better … Shelley reveals this by treating each and every one of these works with the utmost respect, his constant attention to the subtlest details of touch and phrasing meaning not only that things are never allowed to descend into the routine, but that he is more than able to respond to those moments when Clementi really does find a vein of poetry … The Andante cantabile of Op 8 No 1 is a gem., the excellent Op 7 No 3 is storngly epxressive throughout … Shelley realises them all while also coping coolly with the more finger-breaking exhibitions of virtuosity … Shelley's performances, which seem well capable of achieving definitive status, make you wonder if Mozart was hiding some genuine discomfort' (Gramophone)

Dvorák: Piano Trios 1 & 2 DVORÁK Piano Trio in B flat major Op 21 (B51); Piano Trio in G minor Op 26 (B56); JOSEF SUK Elegy in D flat major Op 23 THE FLORESTAN TRIO The Florestan Trio is one of the world’s leading piano trios and imbues every performance and recording with the 'palpable joy and unerring sense of ensemble' (The Times) which is its trademark. Dvorák’s Piano Trios are full of the instinctive Slavic vigour which is so characteristic of his music. He was also greatly influenced by Brahms and Schumann, and a deep, complex Romantic sensibility is present in these works. This CD completes The Florestan's recordings of four Dvorák trios. Compact Disc CDA67572 'Enchantment strikes straight away. There's that clean freshness and bounce, the trio's trademark. There's Dvorák himself, strongly lyrical and folksy at the start of his Op 21 Piano Trio. The players balance one another: Richard Lester's cradling cello, Anthony Marwood's emotionally generous violin, Susan Tomes's energising piano. Dvorák's Op 26 trio - subtler, more thoughtful - is a neat contrast. The usual excellent Hyperion recording' (The Times)

Martinu: The Complete Music for Violin and Orchestra - 2 MARTINU Concerto da camera for violin and string orchestra with piano and percussion H285; Concerto for violin, piano and orchestra H342; Czech Rhapsody H307a BOHUSLAV MATOUSEK violin, CZECH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA / CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD This is the second volume in Hyperion’s set of the complete works for violin and orchestra by Martinu, featuring the wonderful Bohuslav Matousek with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Christopher Hogwood. Many first recordings are included in the series, as well as works totally unperformed outside the Czech Republic. Compact Disc CDA67672 '[Concerto da camera] With its fresh invention and lively demeanour, this remains one of his more popular concertos although it has never received its due on disc. This newcomer sets that omission straight, however, crisply performed and immaculately recorded. The same applies to its companion pieces … Strongly recommended' (Gramophone)

Organ Fireworks XII BUXTEHUDE Prelude, Fugue and Chaconne in C major BuxWV137; Prelude and Fugue in G minor BuxWV148; EBEN Hommage à Buxtehude; GADE Tone Piece in F major No 1 from Tre Tonestykker, Op 22; RHEINBERGER Fantasia on ‘Tonus Peregrinus’ from Sonata No 4 in A minor Op 98; VIERNE Carillon de Westminster No 6 from Pièces de fantaisie, Op 54; DUPRÉ Prelude and Fugue in G minor Op 7 No 3; BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture Op 80 arranged by Edwin Lemare; KARG-ELERT Passacaglia and Fugue on B.A.C.H. Op 150 CHRISTOPHER HERRICK organ Christopher Herrick’s enduring Organ Fireworks series on Hyperion is one of the most comprehensive and popular collections of repertoire in existence. For this twelfth volume he turns to the great organ of Haderslev Cathedral in Denmark, and performs a fascinating range of works with his usual triumphal panache. The programme includes a number of pieces with a Danish connection. Compact Disc CDA67612 'The unfailingly superb Christopher Herrick… This instrument is just right for this music, and the sumptuous Hyperion sound captures it all with great clarity … These are fireworks good and proper, lit with unerring precision and vividly displayed … Herrick has come up with performances of the two great French show-pieces which are so perfectly suited to the instrument that these wonderful performances stand as yardsticks … You have, for my money at least, the most glitteringly splendiferous set of Fireworks so far (International Record Review)

English Classical Violin Concertos JAMES BROOKS Concerto No 1 in D major; THOMAS LINLEY JUNIOR Concerto in F major; THOMAS SHAW Concerto in G major; SAMUEL WESLEY Concerto No 2 in D major ELIZABETH WALLFISCH violin, THE PARLEY OF INSTRUMENTS / PETER HOLMAN Compact Disc CDH55260 'It's good to see this fine recording reissued at mid price … These concertos are attractive, tuneful and extremely accomplished' (Classic FM Magazine)

The Medieval Romantics ANONYMOUS Quiconques veut d'amons joir; Je languis d'amere mort; Quant voi le douz tans; Plus bele que flons; Degentis vita; Mais qu'il vous viegne a plaisance; SOLAGE Joieux de cuer en seumellant estoye; PORTA Alma polis religio; MACHAUT C'est force, faire le weil; Comment qu'a moy lonteinne; Tant doucement me sens emprisonnes; TENORISTA Sofrir m'estuet et plus non puis durer; SENLECHES En ce gracieux tamps joli; DUFAY Je requier a tous amoureux; Las, que feray? Ne que je devenray?; VELUT Je voel servir plus c'onques mais; LYMBURGIA Tota pulcra es, amica mea GOTHIC VOICES / CHRISTOPHER PAGE Compact Disc CDH55293 'The beauty of this once-so-remote music is all immaculately tuned and articulated: what else do you expect from Gothic Voices? … I hope those who didn't collect the set first time are doing so now' (Early Music Review)

The Romantic Piano Concerto, Vol 44 - Melcer MELCER Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor 1892–4; Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor 1898 JONATHAN PLOWRIGHT piano, BBC SCOTTISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA / CHRISTOPH KÖNIG Hyperion’s celebrated Romantic Piano Concerto series reaches volume 44. This disc includes two prize-winning concertos written in the 1890s by the Polish composer-pianist Henryk Melcer. Contemporary critics wrote of ‘themes full of expression in Polish character that are developed so splendidly and broadly that they leave us enraptured … an unforgettable impression remains after hearing the Concerto’. The wonderful Jonathan Plowright performs this music with idiomatic brilliance. Compact Disc CDA67630 'The Second Concerto from 1898, also in three movements, is crowned by a hair-raising final Allegro con fuoco, a remarkable tour de force which, were it ever to be heard in a concert hall, would have you on your feet at the end cheering … Plowright enhances his glowing reputation as a musical alchemist of rare distinction with a transcendent technique' (Gramophone)

Stradella: San Giovanni Battista San Giovanni Battista ACADEMIA MONTIS REGALIS / ALESSANDRO DE MARCHI Hyperion is pleased to announce a new recording relationship with Academia Montis Regalis, of which this thrilling disc is the first fruit. San Giovanni Battista is a deeply ‘Baroque’ score, vibrant, rhythmically insistent and vocally exciting. The libretto is dramatic and emotionally vivid, and the music is closely tied to the text, creating a distinctly operatic atmosphere— described by the disc’s conductor Alessandro De Marchi as ‘a true Salome’. Compact Disc CDA67617 'When you learn that Handel owned an early copy of the manuscript all the pieces begin to fall into place; here is a perfect example of the Italian manner that was to influence him so fundamentally … Each soloist is given masses of opportunity to display their bravura technique, both as individuals and jointly, when they comment on the action in some lovely choruses and madrigals … De Marchi really scores in his choice of soloists. Salome is sung by the exquisite soprano Anke Herman, Battista by the firm-voiced countertenor Martin Oro and the court counsellor by the excellent tenor Fredrik Akselberg, but the star of the disc is the bass Antonio Abete who as Herod thunders through some truly stunning arias' (The Observer)

Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Revelge; Lob des hohen Verstandes; Rheinlegendchen; Lied des Verfolgten im Turm; Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen; Der Schildwache Nachtlied; Das irdische Leben; Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt; Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht?; Trost im Unglück; Verlorne Müh; Der Tamboursg’sell; Urlicht STEPHAN GENZ baritone, ROGER VIGNOLES piano Roger Vignoles writes in his booklet notes that ‘to enter the world of Mahler’s Wunderhorn songs is like opening a picture book. Each page gives us another character, another fairy tale, another episode, whether happy or tragic, in the tale of human existence … Mahler achieves a remarkably intense evocation of human life in this collection, portrayed with empathy, humour and compassion’. Stephan Genz brings his easeful beauty of tone and acuteness of insight to these beautiful, intriguing songs. Compact Disc CDA67645 'The charm of Mahler's Lieder-composing style - so close to Schubert's - comes across beautifully. Stephan Genz is more than just a very fine singer: his precision, sensitivity and range of imagination proclaim him a true successor to the great Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. And Vignoles's booklet note is an informative pleasure in itself' (Classic FM Magazine)

Herz: Piano Music Deuxième thème original avec introduction et variations Op 81; Variations on ‘Non più mesta’ from Rossini’s La Cenerentola Op 60; Trois Nocturnes caractéristiques Op 45; Première Ballade Op 117 No 1; Le mouvement perpétuel Op 91 No 3; Fantaisie dramatique Op 89; Deuxième Ballade Op 117 No 2; Fantaisie et Variations sur des Airs nationaux américains variés Op 158 PHILIP MARTIN piano This is the first recording devoted exclusively to the delightfully enjoyable solo works of Henri Herz. The Variations on ‘Non più mesta’ from Rossini’s La Cenerentola Op 60 is Herz’s best-known work. Several composers were attracted to the show-stopping aria sung by Rossini’s eponymous heroine, and Herz’s response is as dazzling and witty as the original, demanding pyrotechnical displays of agility from the pianist—here the brilliant and accomplished Philip Martin. Compact Disc CDA67606 'Hyperion continues its invaluable exploration of the piano's highways and byways with this richly enjoyable programme from Philip Martin, focusing on the scintillating output of Viennese child prodigy Henri Herz … The salonesque, radiant charms of the La Cenerentola variations … comes tripping off the page in this affectionately sparkling performance from Philip Martin, whose warmly engaging style is a constant source of pleasure throughout' (Classic FM Magazine)

Britten & Dowland: Lute Songs DOWLAND Unquiet thoughts; Say, Love, if ever thou didst find; Sorrow, stay!; Away with these self-loving lads; Fantasia No 7 from A Varietie of Lute Lessons; Come again! sweet love; Sleep, wayward thoughts; Come, heavy Sleep; Flow, my tears; I must complain; If my complaints could passions move; Captain Digorie Piper’s Galliard; What if I never speed?; To ask for all thy love; Now, O now, I needs must part; In darkness let me dwell; BRITTEN Nocturnal after John Dowland Op 70 MARK PADMORE tenor, ELIZABETH KENNY lute, CRAIG OGDEN guitar Mark Padmore is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest tenors working today. He is admired—among other things—for his ‘extraordinary diction and whispering chamber-like intimacy … [his] joy in conveying the emotional core of each situation’ (Gramophone) and it is these facets of his performance—together with the exquisite musicianship of Elizabeth Kenny—which make this disc of Dowland songs such a delight. Compact Disc CDA67648 'The lyrical tone, immaculate diction and musicianship of Britain's finest tenor … He makes the strongest possible case for regarding Dowland as the father of English song with his expressive, deeply-felt accounts of some of the best-known numbers … Kenny's authoritative booklet notes puts the songs into a fascinating historical context' (Sunday Times)

Handel: Trio Sonatas Sonata No 1 in B flat; Sonata No 2 in D minor; Sonata No 3 in E flat; Sonata No 4 in F; Sonata No 5 in G; Sonata No 6 in D; Sonata No 8 in G minor CONVIVIUM Compact Disc CDH55280 'Oboist Anthony Robson and violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch are exquisite soloists' (Classic FM Magazine)

Dufay: Music for St Anthony of Padua Missa de S Anthonii de Padua; O proles Hispaniae / O sidus Hispaniae THE BINCHOIS CONSORT / ANDREW KIRKMAN Compact Disc CDH55271 'A felicitous marriage of scholarship and first-rate musicianship' (Soundscapes, Australia)

Weelkes: Anthems Alleluia, I heard a voice; All laud and praise; Laboravi in gemitu meo; Give the king thy judgments; O Lord, arise: Evening Service for trebles; Give ear, O Lord; If King Manasses; When David heard; O how amiable; Gloria in excelsis Deo; O Jonathan, woe is me for thee; Hosanna to the Son of David; Pavan; Voluntaries I, II WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR / DAVID HILL Compact Disc CDH55259 'What a feast is here! Superb, radiant, colourful singing of a perfect selection of Weelkes' music. A finer selection more persuasively sung would be hard to imagine. Buy it' (Organists' Review)