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Isata Kanneh-Mason: A Personal Letter to Prokofiev - Out April 10, 2026

Decca Classics announces Prokofiev, the new album from pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, released on 10 April 2026. The recording stems from a long and personal relationship with the composer&rsquo;s music, which reached a major public milestone when she made her BBC Proms solo debut in 2023, performing Prokofiev&rsquo;s Piano Concerto No. 3.
The eldest of the famous musical siblings, Isata recalls at the time: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m playing Prokofiev&rsquo;s Third Piano Concerto, one of my favourites, completely crazy and very rhythmic.&rdquo;. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s something I really relate to, the patterns and precision.&rdquo; She first heard the concerto at the age of 18 through a YouTube performance by Yuja Wang. &ldquo;I instantly fell in love with it and dreamed about playing it,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;It was another eight years before I started learning it properly, but I listened to it constantly. It&rsquo;s always exciting to bring this piece to new people. The music speaks to a place deep inside of me. I feel very free when I perform it.&rdquo;
The concerto has been a key part of Isata Kanneh-Mason&rsquo;s concert life. She has performed it with orchestras across the UK, Europe, and North America, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Bremer Philharmoniker, Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on tour in the United States, and brought it to a wide national audience at the BBC Proms.
A significant milestone came with performances of the concerto in Toronto under the baton of Ryan Bancroft, followed by her BBC Proms debut with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. These performances directly informed the recording, which was made with Bancroft and the Philharmonia Orchestra, bringing a shared performance history into the studio.
&nbsp;Prokofiev places the Concerto at the centre of a wider programme exploring the composer&rsquo;s piano music across different periods and styles. Alongside the concerto, which moves between dreamy lyricism, percussive rhythms and dazzling virtuosity, the album includes early pieces such as the Toccata, Ten Pieces for Piano and the striking Sonata No. 3, works that already show Prokofiev&rsquo;s restless imagination and rhythmic bite. These sit alongside piano transcriptions from Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella, where pointed energy and humour contrast with moments of tenderness and lyrical ease, as well as music from The Love for Three Oranges, whose March and Scherzo capture the composer&rsquo;s satirical edge. Completing the programme is Troika from Lieutenant Kij&eacute;, a piece full of colour and character that reflects Prokofiev&rsquo;s gift for memorable melody and vivid storytelling.
Highlights of Isata Kanneh-Mason&rsquo;s 2026 season include concerto appearances with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Rudolfinum, performing Rachmaninoff&rsquo;s Piano Concerto No. 3, followed later in the summer by further performances of the same work with the Budapest Festival Orchestra at the Gstaad Festival and at La Chaise-Dieu. Alongside these orchestral engagements, she undertakes an extensive international solo recital tour, appearing across Europe and the UK at the Societ&agrave; Filarmonica di Trento, Brucknerhaus Linz, De Bijloke in Ghent, the Norwegian National Opera in Oslo, Buxton Festival, Bold Tendencies in London, Snape Maltings, and with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra at Merton College Chapel. In North America, highlights include recitals presented by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, and the Howland Chamber Music Circle in Beacon, New York. In June, she is joined by members of her family for chamber concerts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wigmore Hall, Perth Concert Hall, and Munich&rsquo;s Herkulessaal.
Prokofiev is set for release April 10, 2026. <a href="https://isatakannehmason.lnk.to/prokofiev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Listen to the first single 'The Love for Three Oranges, Op. 33ter I. March' now and pre-order the album here.</a>
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Yunchan Lim presents Bach’s Goldberg Variations 'Live at Carnegie Hall’

The once-in-a-generation pianist offers a deeply personal vision of Bach&rsquo;s masterpiece as &ldquo;a journey of life in music&rdquo; (Yunchan Lim)
Decca Classics today announces Yunchan Lim: Bach, Goldberg Variations &lsquo;LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL&rsquo;, released on 6th February 2026. The full concert film will be available on <a href="https://www.stage-plus.com/de/artist/artist_85P78QBJEHFJADPM6SP0">STAGE+</a> and Carnegie Hall+ starting from February 6th.
Revered for its technical complexity and emotional depth, the (nearly) 300-year-old solo keyboard masterpiece is an established peak for any concert pianist to conquer.
Here Yunchan Lim does just this, with his fourth album since signing with Decca Classics in October 2023. This landmark Carnegie Hall live recording offers a deeply personal vision of Bach&rsquo;s famous work, and is something Lim has thought about for most of his life so far.
Lim describes the Goldbergs as &ldquo;a journey of life in music &mdash; from the first opening of our eyes in the Aria, through thirty deeply human variations, to the final Aria, when our eyes gently close.&rdquo; He reminisces, &ldquo;The first time I heard Bach&rsquo;s Goldberg Variations was when I was eight years old and I discovered a box set of Glenn Gould&rsquo;s Bach recordings. When I first listened to it, I was amazed by its grandeur and beauty, and it has remained close to my heart ever since. I&rsquo;ve dreamt of releasing this piece as a live album from Carnegie Hall.&rdquo;
Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall, Sir Clive Gillinson, explains in the album sleeve-notes, &ldquo;Following Yunchan&rsquo;s winning performance at the Cliburn Competition, our artistic planning team made one of our easiest decisions ever in immediately offering him a solo recital in our main hall&hellip; We knew we were listening to a very special artist at the start of what will undoubtedly be an extraordinary career, an artist who will bring inspiration to audiences worldwide for a very long time.&rdquo;
Lim&rsquo;s interpretation of the Goldbergs has already captivated audiences worldwide and garnered glowing reviews. The Guardian praised his Wigmore Hall performance of the piece for its &ldquo;youthful vibrancy with interpretative maturity&rdquo; and the Financial Times noted his &ldquo;intellectual precision, baroque elegance, expressive balance and virtuosic flair&rdquo;. Internationally, El Pa&iacute;s reports that it is &ldquo;considered by many as the best version of this work currently available.&rdquo;
Since becoming the youngest-ever winner at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022 aged 18, where his electrifying performance of Rachmaninoff&rsquo;s Piano Concerto No. 3 moved conductor Marin Alsop to tears, Lim&rsquo;s rise has been meteoric.
His debut studio recording, Chopin &Eacute;tudes (Decca Classics, 2024) made history at the BBC Music Magazine Awards 2025 as the first artist to take home three awards for one recording. The album also went quadruple Platinum in Korea, won the Diapason d&rsquo;or de l&rsquo;ann&eacute;e in France and topped charts internationally. The Guardian described it as &ldquo;The most thrilling pianistic debut of the last decade.&rdquo;
Lim&rsquo;s second Decca release, his live recording of Rachmaninoff No. 3 (Decca Classics, 2025), the landmark Cliburn performance, is now the most-watched version of the concerto on YouTube with over 17 million views. The Times said Lim is &ldquo;a pianist in complete command of his instrument&rdquo; with The Guardian calling it a recording that &ldquo;deserves a place alongside Argerich and Rachmaninov himself.&rdquo; His third album, Tchaikovsky&rsquo;s The Seasons (Decca Classics, 2025), was praised for its sincerity and vision, with the Financial Times declaring, &ldquo;this new recording edges into the number one spot.&rdquo; and Gramophone writing, &ldquo;Few if any young pianists have shown such unfaltering assurance and never more so than when going against the conventional grain.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Lim&rsquo;s concert appearances have confirmed his standing as a global phenomenon, with sold-out debuts at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the BBC Proms 2024 at The Royal Albert Hall. His NPR Tiny Desk Concert has garnered a million views, with NPR commenting on his &ldquo;powerful command of every note&rdquo; and that he made their upright piano sound like a concert grand, adding, &ldquo;Lim will be enchanting listeners for a long time.&rdquo;
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LIVE:
Lim&rsquo;s 2025&ndash;26 season includes a series of high-profile engagements across the United States, Europe, and Asia. He performs at Santa Cecilia Hall, Rome (13&ndash;15 Nov) and Taipei&rsquo;s National Theater and Concert Hall (25 Nov), before returning to Chicago (18&ndash;20 Dec). Early 2026 brings concerts at Amsterdam&rsquo;s Concertgebouw (15 &amp; 18 Jan), Konzerthaus Dortmund (16 Jan), Kulturpalast Dresden (21 Jan), and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (12&ndash;15 Feb). March sees three Paris appearances at the Philharmonie and Cit&eacute; de la Musique (11&ndash;13 Mar), followed by Boston&rsquo;s Symphony Hall (19&ndash;22 Mar), Carnegie Hall, New York (24 Apr), Seoul Arts Center (12 May), Wigmore Hall, London (29 May), and finally Gewandhaus Leipzig (18&ndash;21 Jun).
The full concert film of Yunchan Lim: Bach, Goldberg Variations &lsquo;LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL&rsquo; will be available on STAGE+ and Carnegie Hall+ starting from February 6th 2026.

Decca Classics announces new recording from Grammy-award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti

Violin Caf&eacute; will be released on 21 November
The album coincides with Nicola&rsquo;s first solo tour in over a decade performing at 14 venues across the UK and Ireland&nbsp;
Decca Classics is delighted to announce a brand-new recording from Grammy-award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti. Violin Caf&eacute; is packed full of popular virtuosic and seductive romantic works, freshly arranged for a new dynamic group of instruments. Soon to be taken on tour, this album reunites Nicola with audiences she has known and been supported by for over 22 years. This is a thank you to the people of all ages, from all across the UK and around the world, who share a deep love of classical music and the violin, whose children Nicola has taught after concerts and whose curiosity of the arts she shares.
This inventive new line-up of instruments delivers a communal, conversational &lsquo;evening cafe appropriate&rsquo; sound. A sound with the flexibility to work across genres, cultures and performance environments. The guitar and accordion are beloved around the world, and in the masterful hands of Samuele Telari and Pl&iacute;nio Fernandes, these intelligent, creative arrangements have breathed new life into violin virtuosic classics and seductive lilting melodie. The cello brings an indispensable resonance and grounding in the hands of Thomas Caroll. Nicola is also joined by the wonderful Br&igrave;ghde Chaimbeul (smallpipes) for the traditional Scottish set, and virtuoso Yume Fujise (violin) for Sarasate&rsquo;s Navarra.
The Repertoire includes Sarasate&rsquo;s Carmen Fantasie and Navarra, and Wieniawki&rsquo;s Polonaise arranged by Steve Goss; Ponce&rsquo;s Estrellita and Maxwell-Davis&rsquo; Farewell to Stromness arranged by Paul Campbell; Bloch&rsquo;s Prayer and Debussy&rsquo;s Beau Soir arranged by Simon Parkin, Sicilienne arranged by Juliette Pochin and arrangements of traditional Scottish music by piper Br&igrave;ghde Chaimbeul.
Singles from Violin Caf&eacute; will be released on 10 October (Farewell to Stromness) and 24 October (Skye Boat Song) and 7 November (Sicilienne) in the lead-up to the full album being available from 21 November.
Nicola embarks on her first solo tour of the UK and Ireland in over 10 years, performing repertoire from Violin Caf&eacute; in 14 venues across the UK and Ireland from 12 October.
Nicola Benedetti commented, &lsquo;The ensemble combination of violin, guitar, accordion and cello came to me in the middle of the night. The standard violin and piano duo has a formality I knew wasn&rsquo;t right, and this line-up of instruments delivers a communal, conversational &lsquo;cafe appropriate&rsquo; sound. Our first rehearsal, given we were tackling brand new arrangements for the first time, had a higher dose of anticipation than is normal. But as we tore through one arrangement after another, we became increasingly bound as a group. We discovered the humour, textural wit and instrumental virtuosity of Stephen Goss&rsquo; &lsquo;Carmen Fantasy&rsquo;. We indulged in the conversational polyphony and sweet sonority of Juliette Ponchin and James Morgan&rsquo;s &lsquo;Sicilienne&rsquo;. We were challenged and inspired to bring our best playing to the integrity of Paul Campbell&rsquo;s &lsquo;Farewell to Stromness&rsquo;. We searched and gazed our way through the layering of Simon Parkin&rsquo;s tender &lsquo;Beau Soir&rsquo;. And I was hypnotised and compelled to follow the stillness, darkness and present-ness of the formidable Bridghe Chaimbeul.&rsquo;
Nicola continues, &lsquo;Although this formation of musicians, instruments and written arrangements were all brand new, things from the past always have a way of coming back around. And for me this is particularly true of my time at the Yehudi Menuhin School. As we began our first play through for a small invited audience, in order to test out the eclectic mix of pieces for real, not just imagined, people, I realised quite how much relevance this programme had to that time in my life. All the virtuosic pieces, I learnt for the first time in my early teens at the school studying with professor Natasha Boyarsky. I learnt not only the fundamentals of technical playing, but how to deepen the fire, passion and sonority of my playing. But although a fun, fulfilling yet challenging time was had in tackling all those notes and basking in all that charm, the slow, luscious, emotional writing has had my heart from my first days learning the violin. It&rsquo;s therefore unsurprising that there&rsquo;s no shortage on this album.&rsquo;
Nicola Benedetti is a GRAMMY Award winner (Best Classical Instrumental Solo, 2020), two-time winner of Best Female Artist at the Classical BRIT Awards, and in 2021 was recognised as BBC Music Magazine&rsquo;s &lsquo;Personality of the Year&rsquo; for her online support of young musicians during the pandemic. A long-time leader in music education, she established the Benedetti Foundation in 2019, delivering transformative experiences through mass music events. She was made an MBE in 2013, received the Queen&rsquo;s Medal for Music in 2017, and was appointed a CBE two years later. Since October 2022, she has been the Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, becoming the first woman &ndash; and first Scot &ndash; to ever hold the position.
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Album track list
Wieniawski: Polonaise de Concert Opus 4 (arr. Stephen Goss)
Maria Theresia von Paradis: Sicilienne (arr. Juliette Pochin &amp; James Morgan)
Maxwell Davis: Farewell to Stromness (arr. Paul Campbell)
Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy Opus 25 (arr. Stephen Goss)
Bloch: Prayer From Jewish Life: I (arr. Simon Parkin
Trad: Skye Boat song (arr. Br&igrave;ghde Chaimbeul)
Trad: A' Choille Ghruamach (arr. Br&igrave;ghde Chaimbeul)
Trad: Hacky Honey Reel (arr. Br&igrave;ghde Chaimbeul)
Ponce: Estrellita (arr. Paul Campbell)
Sarasate: Navarra Opus 33 (arr. Stephen Goss)
Debussy: Beau Soir (arr. Simon Parkin)
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Tour dates
12 October, <a href="https://www.anvilarts.org.uk/events/nicola-benedetti">Anvil Arts, Basingstoke</a>
15 October, <a href="https://www.dundeebox.co.uk/online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&amp;BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=3979244C-7D03-46BA-99CD-1F5E45DB0A95">Caird Hall, Dundee</a>
17 October, <a href="https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/dumfries/easterbrook-hall/an-evening-with-nicola-benedetti/e-moyybm">Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries</a>
19 October, <a href="https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/nicola-benedetti-2025/">Music Hall, Aberdeen</a>
21 October, <a href="https://www.usherhall.co.uk/whats-on/evening-nicola-benedetti">Usher Hall, Edinburgh</a>
24 October, <a href="https://tickets.eden-court.co.uk/Online/mapSelect.asp?doWork::WSmap::loadMap=Load&amp;createBO::WSmap=1&amp;BOparam::WSmap::loadMap::performance_ids=256F6872-0E27-48F1-9E65-7E57EBF7A73B&amp;returnTo&amp;_gl=1*1maj2pi*_ga*MTI4OTgwMjY2NS4xNzQ2MTM0MDAz*_ga_BS0SVHJ48E*czE3NDczNzUwMTYkbzIkZzAkdDE3NDczNzUwMTYkajYwJGwwJGgw">Eden Court, Inverness</a>
28 October, <a href="https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/an-evening-with-nicola-benedetti">Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow</a>
31 October, <a href="https://thegaiety.co.uk/events/an-evening-with-nicola-benedetti-ayr-town-hall/">Ayr Town Hall, Ayr</a>
19 November, <a href="https://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk/whats-on/nicola-benedetti-191125/">Bridgewater Hall, Manchester</a>
23 November, <a href="https://www.nch.ie/all-events-listing/nicola-benedetti-violin">National Concert Hall, Dublin</a>
27 November, <a href="https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2025/nicola-benedetti">Royal Albert Hall, London</a>
29 November<a href="https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/nicola-benedetti/">, Lighthouse, Poole</a>
1 December, <a href="https://www.ulsterhall.co.uk/what-s-on/nicola-benedetti/">Ulster Hall, Belfast</a>
4 December, <a href="https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/event/an-evening-with-nicola-benedetti/">The Royal Hall, Harrogate</a>

Feliz Navidad! Ein kubanisches Weihnachtsfest mit Sarah Willis und »The Sarahbanda«

Sarah Willis, Hornistin der Berliner Philharmoniker, ver&ouml;ffentlicht zu Weihnachten ein neues Album mit ihrer kubanischen Band &raquo;The Sarahbanda&laquo; bei Deutsche Grammophon
Cuban Christmas verkn&uuml;pft die Kl&auml;nge von Salsa, Mambo, Bolero und Son mit festlichen Klassikern &ndash; von Stille Nacht &uuml;ber White Christmas und Jingle Bells bis Feliz Navidad
Mit Bearbeitungen von Bach und Tschaikowsky &ndash; voller kubanischem Flair
Cuban Christmas erscheint am 3. Oktober 2025 &ndash; H&ouml;ren Sie <a href="https://www.universal-music.de/">hier</a> das Brandenburgische Konzert Nr. 3 (1. Satz)
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Sarah Willis und &raquo;The Sarahbanda&laquo; pr&auml;sentieren Cuban Christmas &ndash; mitrei&szlig;ende Rhythmen, die w&auml;hrend der Festtage in jedem Winkel Kubas zu h&ouml;ren sind.
Seit 2001 geh&ouml;rt Sarah Willis mit ihrem Horn zum festen Klang der Berliner Philharmoniker. Mit &raquo;The&nbsp;Sarahbanda&laquo; hat sie nach ihrem Erfolgsprojekt Mozart y Mambo erneut einige der besten Musikerinnen und Musiker Kubas um sich versammelt. Die kubanische Band mit &raquo;dem gewissen Etwas&laquo; erh&auml;lt durch Sarahs Instrument &raquo;einen Hauch klassischer Raffinesse&laquo;.
Aufgenommen in Berlin, bringt Cuban Christmas Yuniet Lombida (Saxofon) und Harold Madrigal Fr&iacute;as (Trompete) als Solisten zusammen, dazu die Pianisten Ernesto Oliva und Edgar Olivero, die Perkussionisten Adel Gonz&aacute;lez, Alejandro Agu&iacute;ar und Jes&uacute;s Estrada sowie Carlos Garc&iacute;a am Bass. Die Streicher werden von Anabel Est&eacute;vez geleitet, die Band selbst von Jos&eacute; Antonio M&eacute;ndez Padr&oacute;n. Und Carlos Calunga, bekannt durch Buena Vista Social Club, &uuml;bernimmt in drei St&uuml;cken den Gesang.
Cuban Christmas erscheint am 3. Oktober 2025 digital und auf CD bei Deutsche Grammophon. Das Bach-Arrangement wird bereits am 22. August als Single ver&ouml;ffentlicht, gefolgt von White Christmas am 5. September und The Christmas Song am 19. September.
&raquo;Dieses Album ist ein fr&ouml;hlicher Mix aus Klassikern wie Jingle Bells und Stille Nacht, alle durchdrungen vom unwiderstehlichen Groove von Salsa, Mambo, Bolero und Son&laquo;, sagt Sarah Willis. &raquo;Und au&szlig;erdem haben wir Tschaikowskys Nussknacker-Suite und Bachs Brandenburgisches Konzert Nr. 3 mit dem Herzschlag Havannas versehen.&laquo;
Musik bestimmt das Leben in Kuba &ndash; und besonders w&auml;hrend der Feiertage. &raquo;Kubanische Rhythmen werden seit Generationen weitergegeben&laquo;, so Sarah Willis. &raquo;Sie bringen Familien und Gemeinden zusammen, oft bei spontanen Feiern, die sich zu rauschenden Festen auswachsen k&ouml;nnen und gern bis in die Morgenstunden dauern. Weihnachten in Kuba dreht sich um Essen, Lachen, Musik und vor allem ums Tanzen.&laquo;
Und Tanzrhythmen geben den Takt vor auf Cuban Christmas: We Wish You a Merry Christmas schwingt zu einem Salsa-Groove, Jingle Bells bekommt ein echtes Mambo-Makeover, sanfte Bolero-Rhythmen machen den Ton aus in Stille Nacht, in dem die weichen Kl&auml;nge von Sarah Willis&rsquo; Horn die Melodie pr&auml;gen, w&auml;hrend Yuniet Lombida White Christmas einen Hauch von Jazz verleiht. Die Band spielt au&szlig;erdem das sch&ouml;ne kubanische Weihnachtslied Criolla Navidad, das sie auf einer LP aus den fr&uuml;hen 1970er-Jahren entdeckt hatten.
In Edgar Oliveros Arrangement von J.&nbsp;S. Bachs Brandenburgischem Konzert Nr. 3 trifft barocke Eleganz auf die spr&uuml;hende Energie der Karibik. Die Cuban Nutcracker Suite hingegen versetzt Tschaikowskys frostige russische Weihnachtsfantasie in w&auml;rmere Gefilde &ndash; eine weitere wunderbare Verschmelzung so unterschiedlicher Traditionen.
Schlie&szlig;lich ist auf Cuban Christmas in drei St&uuml;cken die Stimme von Carlos Calunga zu h&ouml;ren. Neben seiner Interpretation von We Wish You a Merry Christmas mit Band singt er ausdrucksstark den Klassiker The Christmas Song von Mel Torm&eacute; und Nat King Cole sowie die Abschlussnummer des Albums, eine Salsa/Timba-Version von Jos&eacute; Felicianos Feliz Navidad.
&raquo;Cuban Christmas ist ein Fest der Kultur, des Miteinanders und der Musik, die die Weihnachtszeit so magisch macht&laquo;, sagt Sarah Willis. &raquo;Ich hoffe sehr, dass dieses Album Ihnen ebenso viel Freude ins Haus bringt, wie mir die Arbeit daran bereitet hat &ndash; und nat&uuml;rlich, dass Sie aufstehen und tanzen!&laquo;
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Sarah Willis und &raquo;The Sarahbanda&laquo; &ndash; Cuban Christmas-Konzerte 2025
19.&nbsp;Dezember &ndash; Konzerthaus Freiburg 21.&nbsp;Dezember &ndash; Meistersingerhalle, Gro&szlig;er Saal, N&uuml;rnberg 22.&nbsp;Dezember &ndash; Philharmonie Berlin

Die Kunst der Kammermusik –  Andreas Ottensamer veröffentlicht Romanza 

Ottensamer und sein langj&auml;hriger Kammermusikpartner Jos&eacute; Gallardo spielen lyrische Werke f&uuml;r Klarinette und Klavier&nbsp;
Romanza erscheint am 30. Mai 2025 digital &ndash; h&ouml;ren Sie&nbsp;<a href="https://dgt.link/OttensamerRomanza">hier</a> Improvisation aus Templeton&rsquo;s Pocket Size Sonata No. 1 
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&raquo;Die Kammermusik ist f&uuml;r mich so etwas wie die &rsaquo;reinste Form&lsaquo; Musik zu machen&laquo;, sagt Andreas Ottensamer. &raquo;Die K&ouml;nigsdisziplin, die Virtuosit&auml;t, Ausdruckskraft und maximale Sensibilit&auml;t im Zusammenspiel fordert. Es z&auml;hlt jede Note.&laquo; Die Liebe des &ouml;sterreichischen Klarinettisten und Dirigenten zu diesem Genre inspirierte ihn zu Romanza, seinem neuesten Album f&uuml;r Deutsche&nbsp; Grammophon. Ottensamer nahm es mit dem argentinischen Pianisten Jos&eacute; Gallardo auf, seinem langj&auml;hrigen Kammermusikpartner, mit dem er zudem das B&uuml;rgenstock Festival gegr&uuml;ndet hat und k&uuml;nstlerisch leitet.
Das Duo interpretiert Werke von Brahms, Debussy, Gershwin, Poulenc, Rachmaninow, Rota und anderen. Einige wurden f&uuml;r Klarinette und Klavier komponiert, andere sind Transkriptionen &ndash; auch von Ottensamer selbst. Seit seinem Abschied als Soloklarinettist der Berliner Philharmoniker im Januar widmet sich Ottensamer intensiv dem Dirigieren. Doch auch in Zukunft wird er sein Publikum als Solist und Kammermusiker begeistern.
Romanza erscheint am 30. Mai 2025 digital. Eine erste Single, der Eingangssatz aus Templetons Pocket Size Sonata Nr. 1, ist schon jetzt als Stream und Download erh&auml;ltlich. Brahms&rsquo; Andante un poco adagio aus der Klarinettensonate in f-Moll, op. 120 Nr. 1 kommt am 2. Mai heraus, gefolgt von Ottensamers Interpretation von Saties Gymnop&eacute;die Nr. 1 am 16. Mai.
&raquo;Auf Romanza versammeln sich Werke, die ich insbesondere aufgrund ihrer leisen, langsamen Momente sch&auml;tze&laquo;, erkl&auml;rt der K&uuml;nstler. &raquo;Es geht darum, eine emotionale, gedankliche Tiefe zu erzeugen, die schwebend, fast transzendental wirkt.&laquo;
Ottensamers Auswahl umfasst S&auml;tze aus Brahms&rsquo; erster Sonate op. 120, aus den Sonaten von Poulenc und Saint-Sa&euml;ns, Rotas an Brahms erinnernde Sonate, Templetons jazzinspirierter Pocket Size Sonata sowie alle drei Romanzen op. 94 von Schumann.
Der sangliche Ton der Klarinette, der Romanza durchzieht, entfaltet seine besondere Wirkung in zwei Bearbeitungen vokaler Werke: in Rachmaninows wortlos-expressiver Vocalise und in &raquo;Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen&laquo; aus Mahlers R&uuml;ckert-Liedern, das das Album fast verhalten ausklingen l&auml;sst.
Das Duo spielt zudem Ottensamers eigene Transkriptionen von Saties zeitloser Gymnop&eacute;die Nr. 1, die Romanza er&ouml;ffnet; Gershwins Klavierprelude Nr. 2 (&raquo;eine Art Blues-Wiegenlied&laquo;, so der Komponist); Debussys meditativer R&ecirc;verie und La fille aux cheveux de lin sowie dem Adagio aus Schuberts Arpeggione-Sonate. Alle Bearbeitungen spiegeln Ottensamers k&uuml;nstlerischen Ansatz wider &ndash; dem Werk eine neue Farbe, einen neuen Ausdruck zu verleihen.
&raquo;Ich freue mich sehr, dieses Rezitalalbum mit meinem Kammermusikpartner, dem fantastischen Pianisten Jos&eacute; Gallardo, realisiert zu haben&laquo;, schlie&szlig;t Andreas Ottensamer. &raquo;Romanza ist auch ein Manifest unserer Freundschaft. Und es ist eine Liebeserkl&auml;rung an das Instrument, durch welches ich die Welt der klassischen Musik kennengelernt habe: die Klarinette.&laquo;
&nbsp;
Andreas Ottensamer &ndash; Konzerttermine, Fr&uuml;hling/Sommer 2025 (Details <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/andreas-ottensamer/on-tour">hier</a>)
20.&nbsp; Mai &ndash; Musikverein f&uuml;r Steiermark, Graz (am Pult) &middot;&nbsp; 23. Mai &ndash; Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (mit Jos&eacute; Gallardo) 5.&nbsp; Juni &ndash; Residenz, W&uuml;rzburg (am Pult) &middot; 6./7. Juni &ndash; B&uuml;rgenstock Festival (mit Gallardo und Freunden) 24.-29. Juni &ndash; Ris&oslash;r Chamber Music Festival &middot; 12.&nbsp; Juli &ndash; Kobe International Music Festival (m Pult) 18./19. Juli &ndash; Hitachi Sytems Hall, Sendai (am Pult) &middot; 26./27. Juli &ndash; Budapest Festival (am Pult) 28. Juli &ndash; Klosters Music (Kammermusik) &middot; 30. Juli &ndash; Menuhin Festival, Gstaad (Kammermusik)

Decca Classics Signs Himari, the Once-in-a-Generation Talent

Decca Classics is delighted to announce the exclusive signing of Japanese violinist, Himari, who, at 13 years old, has become the youngest-ever female artist to join the legendary British label.
Himari is set to release her debut EP on 23 May 2025, preceded by two singles: Carmen Fantasy by Franz Waxman and Romance by Amy Beach. Himari&rsquo;s performances have already garnered millions of views online, where she has built a dedicated community of over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. She has now been named a Classic FM Rising Star for 2025.
This landmark signing comes ahead of Himari&rsquo;s European debut with the Berlin Philharmonic on 20 March 2025 at the Philharmonie, where she will perform Wieniawski&rsquo;s Violin Concerto No. 1 in a sold-out series on 20, 21, and 22 March 2025.
About the Berlin Philharmonic, Himari says: "Since childhood, I have had the privilege of experiencing performances by the Berlin Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic, and have long dreamt of the day I would perform alongside them, through the orchestra members I met during my visits to Japan and at the Salzburg Festival.&rdquo;
Himari began playing the violin at the age of three and by the age of six, was already performing with professional orchestras. In 2022, she joined America's famous music conservatory, Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she now studies under the renowned violinist Ida Kavafian.
Himari has been hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent. She has captivated the classical music world with her extraordinary technique, playful and imaginative interpretations, and her remarkable ability to convey emotional depth &mdash; all from the unique and refreshing perspective of a young artist. Her talent has been recognised globally, earning her first prizes at prestigious competitions, including the Lipinski-Wieniawski International Violin Competition and the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition. In December 2024,&nbsp;she performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra&nbsp;during the &ldquo;New Year's Eve Celebration&rdquo; with conductor Marin Alsop. She will perform this same programme with Marin Alsop with the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival.
Himari&rsquo;s teacher, Ida Kavafian Nina von Maltzahn Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute, remarked: &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re listening to Himari and you close your eyes, you wouldn&rsquo;t realise her age. Inside Himari, there is an older person and a wise musician&hellip; she&rsquo;s immensely talented.&rdquo;
About her signing, Himari says: &ldquo;I am very happy to be signing with Decca Classics! I hope you enjoy my performances through the&nbsp;recordings!&rdquo;
Decca Classics Label Director, Dominic Fyfe, says: &ldquo;Signing a debut artist is always an exciting moment. In Himari we truly have a talent for the ages. Technically fearless, Himari has purity, musicality and breathtaking temperament. There is a voice in Himari&rsquo;s playing which can speak to any generation. All of us at Decca Classics welcome her to the label and are thrilled to bring her music-making to a global audience.&rdquo;
Co-Presidents of Decca Records, Laura Monks and Tom Lewis, say: &ldquo;Jaws are dropping in concert halls around the world. Himari's virtuosity and musical talent are remarkable &ndash; but when you also consider her young age, she is simply&nbsp;astonishing.&rdquo;
Himari plays the 1717 &ldquo;Hamma&rdquo; Stradivarius violin, generously loaned by Mr. Yusaku Maezawa, and a bow provided by the Munetsugu Collection.

Decca Classics Announces Sheku Kanneh-Mason’s New Album Shostakovich & Britten – A Deeply Personal Exploration of 20th-Century Cello Music

Decca Classics proudly announces Shostakovich &amp; Britten, the new album from internationally acclaimed cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, set for release on 9th May 2025. Featuring Shostakovich&rsquo;s Cello Concerto No. 2, performed with John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London, alongside the cello sonatas of Shostakovich and Britten, this deeply personal recording pays tribute to cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, the towering figure who inspired both composers&mdash;and Kanneh-Mason himself.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason has a long-standing connection and affinity to Rostropovich and Shostakovich. His 2018 debut album, Inspiration, featured Shostakovich&rsquo;s First Cello Concerto &mdash;the piece that secured his victory at the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition and launched his international career. The album made chart history, making him the youngest cellist ever, at 18 years old, to break into the Top 20 of the UK Official Album Chart. Now, seven years later, he returns to the composer&rsquo;s music with Cello Concerto No. 2, an introspective masterpiece composed for Rostropovich in 1966, and the Sonata in D minor, written in 1934 for Viktor Kubatsky. &ldquo;This concerto is a piece I&rsquo;ve loved and studied for a long time,&rdquo; Kanneh-Mason reflects. &ldquo;It contains some of the most beautiful and sweetest moments in music, as well as some of the darkest and bleakest. To have all of that within one piece is very powerful.&rdquo;
Following a widely acclaimed tour showcasing the concerto, his October 2024 performances with Sinfonia of London marked a triumphant culmination, earning rapturous reviews. i News hailed them as 'bloody fantastic' (★★★★★), while The Guardian praised his 'thoughtful yet tense interpretation,' adding, 'the cello&rsquo;s voice glowed all the brighter for it' (★★★★★). The tour concluded with these celebrated performances, which were followed very shortly by sessions at St Augustine&rsquo;s, Kilburn.
Sheku Kanneh-Mason&rsquo;s performance captures the raw vulnerability and unrelenting depth of Shostakovich&rsquo;s writing. Reflecting on the recording process, he recalls: &ldquo;It was very intense spending seven hours in a world of emotions that have a genuine effect on me. John is always searching for more, and the orchestra was invested in every note, which is really the dream for this piece.&rdquo;
John Wilson adds, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s been a real joy to work with Sheku on this particular piece because we both seem to have the same idea of how we want to do it, which is what is on the page. And the fact that we had several opportunities to play is particularly rewarding and gratifying because you can get closer and closer to the truth as you go.&rdquo;
A tribute to the mutual connections and musical journeys shared by Shostakovich, Rostropovich, and Britten, Kanneh-Mason says of the programme: &ldquo;Musically, Shostakovich&rsquo;s Second Cello Concerto, and his and Britten&rsquo;s respective cello sonatas, work well together. There&rsquo;s also that connection through Rostropovich, who is the cellist I really admire in terms of his playing and his legacy of commissioning new works for the instrument. This album is a homage to him.&rdquo;
Alongside the Concerto, the album features Shostakovich&rsquo;s Sonata in D minor, showcasing the composer&rsquo;s early style, blending classical form with deeply expressive lyricism. It also includes Britten&rsquo;s Cello Sonata, composed in 1961 as a testament to his friendship with Rostropovich, which was initiated through Shostakovich himself. The five-movement work is filled with stark contrasts, from its electrifying pizzicato Scherzo to the profoundly moving Elegia, which Kanneh-Mason describes as capturing &ldquo;different stages of grief with extraordinary sensitivity.&rdquo;
These chamber works, recorded at the historic Snape Maltings Concert Hall that was established by Britten, hold deep artistic significance. Kanneh-Mason is joined by his sister and longtime collaborator, Isata Kanneh-Mason, whose exceptional pianism brings an added dimension to the recording. &ldquo;Both sonatas are amazingly written for these two instruments,&rdquo; Kanneh-Mason explains. &ldquo;To record them in an acoustic that enhances the music&rsquo;s intricate details&mdash;especially in a place so deeply connected to Britten&rsquo;s legacy&mdash;was very special.&rdquo; The venue itself carries immense historical importance, as it is where Britten and Rostropovich premiered the Cello Sonata in 1961 and later recorded it for Decca in London the same year. It also became the home of Britten&rsquo;s Aldeburgh Festival in 1967. Kanneh-Mason reflects, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the perfect acoustic for this music, and the perfect setting as well.&rdquo;
A performer of remarkable versatility, Kanneh-Mason has captivated audiences worldwide. His 2022 album, Song, bridged classical and contemporary styles, while 2020&rsquo;s Elgar made history as the first-ever cello album to reach the Top 10 in the UK chart. Sheku will serve as the&nbsp;New York Philharmonic's Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence for the 2025/26 season. His upcoming engagements also include an Artist in Residence role at Konzerthaus Berlin, a featured spot as Artiste &Eacute;toile at the Lucerne Festival, and major tours with the Czech Philharmonic, Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Beyond the concert hall, Kanneh-Mason is a dedicated advocate for music education. He was appointed the first Menuhin Visiting Professor of Performance Mentoring at the Royal Academy of Music and serves as a patron of UK Music Masters. In recognition of his contributions to music, he was awarded an MBE in 2020. Sheku Kanneh-Mason plays a Matteo Goffriller cello (1700), generously on indefinite loan to him.

Lise Davidsen Unveils A Once-in-a-lifetime Recording of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer Captured Live From Norwegian National Opera

Decca Classics is proud to announce the release of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, the first full-length opera recording on the label from &ldquo;the greatest soprano in the world right now&rdquo; (The Telegraph), Lise Davidsen. Set for release on April 18, 2025, this recording was captured live over two spectacular nights at the opera house in Oslo during the summer of 2024.
In this performance, Davidsen&mdash;described as "one of the greatest vocal talents to have emerged in recent years, if not decades" (Gramophone)&mdash;brings her extraordinary artistry to the role of Senta, a part she currently does not plan to sing again. Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder not only captures a defining moment for Davidsen but also preserves a significant piece of Wagnerian history, with her portrayal of this iconic character set against the dramatic Norwegian fjords that inspired the opera.
Lise Davidsen has quickly become the leading Wagnerian soprano of our time, praised by Opera Now as &ldquo;a once-in-a-generation Wagnerian&rdquo; and &ldquo;a phenomenon in today&rsquo;s opera world.&rdquo; She has performed Wagner&rsquo;s great heroines on the world&rsquo;s top stages, including Bayreuth, the Met, and Covent Garden, earning a reputation for her powerful voice and deep connection to his music. As Kevin Ng wrote in the Financial Times, she is &ldquo;the opera world&rsquo;s next great hope for the big Wagner and Strauss roles.&rdquo; True dramatic sopranos who can take on these demanding roles are extremely rare, and Davidsen is one of them. This makes her live recording of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, her only-ever performance as Senta, a truly special moment.
Joining Davidsen on this landmark recording is internationally renowned Canadian baritone Gerald Finley, whose portrayal of the Dutchman has been widely celebrated for its lieder-like finesse and emotional depth. The performances were conducted by Edward Gardner, marking his debut as the new Music Director of The Norwegian Opera and Ballet, further underscoring the significance of this production.
Reflecting on the experience, Davidsen shares: &ldquo;I can never know if it will be my last,&rdquo; she adds, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s a role I was asked to sing for a long time and waited because I thought it was too demanding. Now I have so many other Wagner roles coming up that it&rsquo;s unlikely I will sing it again. But I was very grateful to do it like this: in concert, with great friends and colleagues, and to top it off with a recording.&rdquo;
Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder also serves as a tribute to Wagner&rsquo;s own experiences in Norway near the town of Sandvika, an hour from where Davidsen was born. The composer&rsquo;s inspiration for this opera was sparked by a stormy sea voyage along the Norwegian coast in 1839, during which he was struck by the haunting natural acoustics of the fjords&mdash;an experience that profoundly shaped the opera&rsquo;s dramatic atmosphere. The legend of the cursed mariner found new life in Wagner&rsquo;s hands, shaping the tempestuous music and existential drama of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, first performed in 1843. Wagner was deeply moved by the region&rsquo;s rugged landscape, describing the fjords&rsquo; granite walls and the sailors&rsquo; voices as "one of the most remarkable and beautiful impressions of my life." Speaking about her connection to the role, Davidsen says: &ldquo;I love that Senta is a dreamer and a believer in so many ways. She has a mission in life, and she&rsquo;ll do anything for it. That is a human trait I admire deeply.&rdquo;
An exclusive Decca artist, this will be Lise&rsquo;s fifth album with the label, following a series of critically acclaimed recordings. Her debut album
Decca Classics is proud to announce the release of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, the first full-length opera recording on the label from &ldquo;the greatest soprano in the world right now&rdquo; (The Telegraph), Lise Davidsen. Set for release on April 18, 2025, this recording was captured live over two spectacular nights at the opera house in Oslo during the summer of 2024.
In this performance, Davidsen&mdash;described as "one of the greatest vocal talents to have emerged in recent years, if not decades" (Gramophone)&mdash;brings her extraordinary artistry to the role of Senta, a part she currently does not plan to sing again. Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder not only captures a defining moment for Davidsen but also preserves a significant piece of Wagnerian history, with her portrayal of this iconic character set against the dramatic Norwegian fjords that inspired the opera.
Lise Davidsen has quickly become the leading Wagnerian soprano of our time, praised by Opera Now as &ldquo;a once-in-a-generation Wagnerian&rdquo; and &ldquo;a phenomenon in today&rsquo;s opera world.&rdquo; She has performed Wagner&rsquo;s great heroines on the world&rsquo;s top stages, including Bayreuth, the Met, and Covent Garden, earning a reputation for her powerful voice and deep connection to his music. As Kevin Ng wrote in the Financial Times, she is &ldquo;the opera world&rsquo;s next great hope for the big Wagner and Strauss roles.&rdquo; True dramatic sopranos who can take on these demanding roles are extremely rare, and Davidsen is one of them. This makes her live recording of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, her only-ever performance as Senta, a truly special moment.
Joining Davidsen on this landmark recording is internationally renowned Canadian baritone Gerald Finley, whose portrayal of the Dutchman has been widely celebrated for its lieder-like finesse and emotional depth. The performances were conducted by Edward Gardner, marking his debut as the new Music Director of The Norwegian Opera and Ballet, further underscoring the significance of this production.
Reflecting on the experience, Davidsen shares: &ldquo;I can never know if it will be my last,&rdquo; she adds, &ldquo;but it&rsquo;s a role I was asked to sing for a long time and waited because I thought it was too demanding. Now I have so many other Wagner roles coming up that it&rsquo;s unlikely I will sing it again. But I was very grateful to do it like this: in concert, with great friends and colleagues, and to top it off with a recording.&rdquo;
Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder also serves as a tribute to Wagner&rsquo;s own experiences in Norway near the town of Sandvika, an hour from where Davidsen was born. The composer&rsquo;s inspiration for this opera was sparked by a stormy sea voyage along the Norwegian coast in 1839, during which he was struck by the haunting natural acoustics of the fjords&mdash;an experience that profoundly shaped the opera&rsquo;s dramatic atmosphere. The legend of the cursed mariner found new life in Wagner&rsquo;s hands, shaping the tempestuous music and existential drama of Der fliegende Holl&auml;nder, first performed in 1843. Wagner was deeply moved by the region&rsquo;s rugged landscape, describing the fjords&rsquo; granite walls and the sailors&rsquo; voices as "one of the most remarkable and beautiful impressions of my life." Speaking about her connection to the role, Davidsen says: &ldquo;I love that Senta is a dreamer and a believer in so many ways. She has a mission in life, and she&rsquo;ll do anything for it. That is a human trait I admire deeply.&rdquo;
An exclusive Decca artist, this will be Lise&rsquo;s fifth album with the label, following a series of critically acclaimed recordings. Her debut album, Lise Davidsen, featuring works by R. Wagner and R. Strauss, was widely praised: &ldquo;Throughout the whole album, one marvels at the voice&mdash;its easy grandeur and sheer size, its steely focus and security&mdash;all well captured by Decca's engineers.&rdquo; (Gramophone). This was followed by Beethoven &ndash; Wagner &ndash; Verdi with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder, which received widespread acclaim: &ldquo;Davidsen's supple soprano is bright and full, especially in Beethoven's Leonore, and her attention to detail is thrilling.&rdquo; (The Guardian ★★★★). More recently, she released Lise Davidsen &ndash; Grieg with Leif Ove Andsnes, showcasing &ldquo;a vibrant voice and brilliantly polished piano&rdquo; (The Times ★★★★), as well as Christmas from Norway.
She continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Among her recent successes are Ariadne auf Naxos in Vienna, La Forza del Destino at the Metropolitan Opera, her role debut as Salome in Paris, and Tosca at the Met, Berlin State Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Wiener Staatsoper. With each season, her reputation continues to grow, making her one of today&rsquo;s most sought-after opera stars. She will sing Leonora in Fidelio at the Metropolitan Opera, a role in which Royal Opera House Music Director Antonio Pappano once exclaimed: &ldquo;She has a one-in-a-million voice&hellip; When she opened her mouth, we were all stunned. The voice has a light in it.&rdquo; She will also be part of the Met&rsquo;s new Wagner Ring cycle.
Davidsen has toured with the world&rsquo;s leading orchestras and conductors, performing signature works such as Verdi&rsquo;s Requiem at the BBC Proms with the Royal Opera House under Antonio Pappano, with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Fabio Luisi, and with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Edward Gardner; Vier letzte Lieder with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Wesendonck Lieder and R&uuml;ckert-Lieder with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; and Sibelius&rsquo; Luonnotar with the BBC Philharmonic at the BBC Proms.
, Lise Davidsen, featuring works by R. Wagner and R. Strauss, was widely praised: &ldquo;Throughout the whole album, one marvels at the voice&mdash;its easy grandeur and sheer size, its steely focus and security&mdash;all well captured by Decca's engineers.&rdquo; (Gramophone). This was followed by Beethoven &ndash; Wagner &ndash; Verdi with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder, which received widespread acclaim: &ldquo;Davidsen's supple soprano is bright and full, especially in Beethoven's Leonore, and her attention to detail is thrilling.&rdquo; (The Guardian ★★★★). More recently, she released Lise Davidsen &ndash; Grieg with Leif Ove Andsnes, showcasing &ldquo;a vibrant voice and brilliantly polished piano&rdquo; (The Times ★★★★), as well as Christmas from Norway.
She continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Among her recent successes are Ariadne auf Naxos in Vienna, La Forza del Destino at the Metropolitan Opera, her role debut as Salome in Paris, and Tosca at the Met, Berlin State Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, and Wiener Staatsoper. With each season, her reputation continues to grow, making her one of today&rsquo;s most sought-after opera stars. She will sing Leonora in Fidelio at the Metropolitan Opera, a role in which Royal Opera House Music Director Antonio Pappano once exclaimed: &ldquo;She has a one-in-a-million voice&hellip; When she opened her mouth, we were all stunned. The voice has a light in it.&rdquo; She will also be part of the Met&rsquo;s new Wagner Ring cycle.
Davidsen has toured with the world&rsquo;s leading orchestras and conductors, performing signature works such as Verdi&rsquo;s Requiem at the BBC Proms with the Royal Opera House under Antonio Pappano, with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Fabio Luisi, and with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Edward Gardner; Vier letzte Lieder with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra; Wesendonck Lieder and R&uuml;ckert-Lieder with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; and Sibelius&rsquo; Luonnotar with the BBC Philharmonic at the BBC Proms.

Juwelen französischer Orchestermusik – Daniel Barenboim und die Berliner Philharmoniker mit Werken von Franck und Fauré

Er gilt als einer der gr&ouml;&szlig;ten Musiker unserer Zeit. Jetzt feiert Daniel Barenboim seine 60-j&auml;hrige Zusammenarbeit mit den Berliner Philharmonikern mit einem neuen Album. Im Zentrum steht C&eacute;sar Francks eigenwillige Sinfonie in d-Moll.

Als er 1964 bei den Berliner Philharmonikern deb&uuml;tierte, war er 21 Jahre alt. Damals setzte er sich entspannt an den Fl&uuml;gel und spielte mit schier unfassbarer Coolness Bart&oacute;ks Erstes Klavierkonzert. Publikum und Kritik staunten nur, mit welchen F&auml;higkeiten dieser junge Pianist gesegnet war. Sie sollten in den kommenden Jahrzehnten noch oft staunen, wenn sie Barenboim auf der B&uuml;hne erlebten.&nbsp;
Unterdessen entwickelte sich der vielseitig begabte Musiker zu einer der charismatischsten K&uuml;nstlerpers&ouml;nlichkeiten der Gegenwart, der nicht nur als Klaviervirtuose f&uuml;r Aufsehen sorgte, sondern auch als Dirigent, kulturpolitischer Ideengeber und engagierter Intellektueller.
Jetzt feiert der Maestro seine 60-j&auml;hrige Zusammenarbeit mit den Berliner Philharmonikern und kr&ouml;nt das Jubil&auml;um mit einem bewegenden Album, das ihn als intimen Kenner der franz&ouml;sischen Orchestermusik ausweist.
<h3 dir="ltr">Angeborene Eleganz</h3>
Daniel Barenboim war als Nachfolger von Georg Solti 13 Jahre lang Chefdirigent beim Orchestre de Paris. Die Zeit in Frankreich hat ihn tief gepr&auml;gt. Er entwickelte damals ein Gef&uuml;hl f&uuml;r den spezifischen franz&ouml;sischen Ton in der Orchestermusik. Die Mischung aus tiefem Ernst und formvollendeter Eleganz, aus Innigkeit, gepaart mit steter Tanzbereitschaft, kam seinem Temperament entgegen. Barenboim genoss es seit jeher, emotionale Tiefen zu durchmessen, ohne sich dabei zu versteifen.&nbsp;
Der Dirigent verf&uuml;gt &uuml;ber eine nat&uuml;rliche Eleganz, die es ihm gestattet, selbst tief melancholischer Musik eine gewisse Leichtigkeit abzugewinnen. Diese Begabung bew&auml;hrt sich in besonderer Weise auf seinem neuen Album, das mit Francks Sinfonie in d-Moll und Faur&eacute;s Orchestersuite aus der B&uuml;hnenmusik zu Maeterlincks Theaterst&uuml;ck "Pell&eacute;as et M&eacute;lisande" zwei Klassiker der franz&ouml;sischen Orchestermusik versammelt, denen ein entspannt flie&szlig;ender Ton bereits kompositorisch eingezeichnet ist.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Scharfe Konturen</h3>
Die scharfen Konturen im Klang der Berliner Philharmoniker wirken da zun&auml;chst wie ein Kontrastprogramm. Doch Barenboim wei&szlig; die bezwingende Klarheit in der Artikulation, die dieses Weltklasse-Orchester auszeichnet, zu nutzen, um die differenzierte Sch&ouml;nheit und Originalit&auml;t der Harmonien von C&eacute;sar Franck und Gabriel Faur&eacute; darzustellen.&nbsp;
In Faur&eacute;s Orchestersuite imponieren die impressionistischen Stimmungslagen, die Barenboim farbenreich herausarbeitet. F&uuml;r Albrecht Mayer an der Oboe und Emmanuel Pahud an der Fl&ouml;te sind die feinen Schattierungen der Berliner Philharmoniker eine ideale Basis, um ihre jeweilige solistische Klasse zur Geltung zu bringen. Bei Franck fesselt das romantische Pathos, die gro&szlig;e Geste, vor der Barenboim nie Angst hatte und der er als passionierter Wagnerianer Gestalt zu verleihen wei&szlig;.
Barenboim war schon als Kind &uuml;berw&auml;ltigt vom Klangbild der Berliner Philharmoniker. Sp&auml;ter pr&auml;gte er das Orchester, dessen Ehrendirigent er seit 2019 ist, jahrzehntelang. Mit seinem neuen Album hat er seiner reichhaltigen Diskografie mit dem renommierten Klangk&ouml;rper von der Spree eine weitere Kostbarkeit hinzugef&uuml;gt.

Klaus Mäkelä Conducts Shostakovich with the Oslo Philharmonic

&ldquo;A MIND-BLOWING PERFORMANCE &ndash; AS THRILLING FOR ITS EMOTIONAL CONTRADICTIONS AS FOR ITS PULVERIZING UNITY OF PURPOSE&rdquo; &nbsp;★★★★★ - The Scotsman
Following their highly acclaimed cycle of the complete Sibelius symphonies, Decca Classics is thrilled to announce the release of Shostakovich Symphonies 4, 5, &amp; 6 with Klaus M&auml;kel&auml; and the Oslo Philharmonic on 14 August 2024.
To celebrate the release, the Oslo Philharmonic and Klaus M&auml;kel&auml; launch their 5th season with a special concert featuring Symphony No. 5, a work that has been central to M&auml;kel&auml; and the orchestra&rsquo;s repertoire since they first performed it in November 2019, before he began as Chief Conductor.
The Oslo Phiharmonic then take Shostakovich&rsquo;s Fifth to the Salzburg Festival on 21 August, marking Klaus M&auml;kela&rsquo;s Salzburg debut and the orchestra&rsquo;s first return to the festival since its historic concert with Mariss Jansons in 2000. They also perform Shostkakovich&rsquo;s Fifth at the Musikfest Berlin on 1 September.
These performances are Klaus M&auml;kel&auml;&rsquo;s first Shostakovich on record and he was determined that Symphonies Nos, 4, 5 and 6 should appear together. Composed during the 1930s, these three works reflect a deeply traumatic period for the composer. For M&auml;kel&auml;, the Fourth Symphony is the composer&rsquo;s ultimate masterpiece. &lsquo;The gestures are so incredibly modern &ndash; it sounds as if it was written yesterday. It is a very problematic work not only because it received its premiere much, much later, but it's so unusual, even for Shostakovich. In a way it contains everything -&nbsp; the core of all his expression. And it's shocking in terms of its structure and harmonic language which can be extremely brutal at times.&rsquo; The Fifth Symphony, probably the composer&rsquo;s most-popular work, in M&auml;kel&auml;&rsquo;s words, &lsquo;is almost the perfect piece in terms of expression and structure. What makes it so great is that it has so many layers of expression which can be interpreted in such different ways.&rsquo; The Sixth Symphony, composed in 1939, after the immediate danger to Shostakovich&rsquo;s life has passed following Stalin&rsquo;s denunciation of the opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, is a work close the conductor&rsquo;s heart. &lsquo;The Sixth is one of my favourites because it is such a deeply personal work with an unusually imperfect form. The intense first movement Largo is followed by two short dances of grotesque joy and parody, giving a depth to the work which is both intensely dramatic and intimate.&rsquo;
The set also shows off the Oslo Philharmonic&rsquo;s fine pedigree in the music of Shostakovich, one it learned with a former Chief Conductor (1979-2002), Mariss Jansons. Jansons studied with Yevgeny Mravinsky, the Principal Conductor of the Leningrad (now St Petersburg) Philharmonic, the man who premiered no fewer than five of Shostakovich&rsquo;s symphonies. He also worked with another conductor close to the composer, Kurt Sanderling.
The Oslo Philharmonic and M&auml;kel&auml;&rsquo;s performance of Shostakovich&rsquo;s Fifth at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival garnered widespread critical acclaim: &ldquo;M&auml;kel&auml; squeezed out every drop of energy at key moments&hellip; he struck the ambiguous balance with thrilling perfection.&rdquo; (★★★★★ - Bachtrack). "Whatever they are giving to those string players in Oslo, they should try and make it more widely available, because orchestras all over the world would kill for a string sound like the Oslo Philharmonic managed in this performance &hellip; It was both the foundation stone and the life-blood of perhaps the finest performance of this piece I have heard&rdquo; &nbsp;(Seen and Heard International). &ldquo;In this terrific performance, low woodwind, principal horn, trumpet, and percussion were outstanding&hellip; the first Leningrad audience is said to have wept at the slow movement. You can see why&rdquo; (The Observer).
In addition to touring with the Oslo Philharmonic this summer, Klaus M&auml;kel&auml; also performs with the Orchestre de Paris at the BBC Proms, in a programme of works by Berlioz, Debussy and Stravinsky.
For M&auml;kel&auml;&rsquo;s complete performance dates visit<a href="https://klausmakela.com/schedule/"> https://klausmakela.com/schedule/</a>. 
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/klausmakelaofficial/">Instagram</a> |<a href="https://twitter.com/klausmakela"> Twitter</a> |<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KlausMakelaMusic"> Facebook</a> |<a href="https://klausmakela.com/"> Website</a>

Das Vermächtnis Herbert von Karajans – Elektrisierende Film- und Tondokumente auf STAGE+ und audiophile Neueditionen von Aufnahmeklassikern des Jahrhundertdirigentens

Am 16. Juli 2024 j&auml;hrt sich zum 35. Mal der Todestag Herbert von Karajans. Aus diesem Anlass r&uuml;ckt Deutsche Grammophon jetzt das audiovisuelle Erbe des Jahrhundertdirigenten ins Zentrum der Aufmerksamkeit

Herbert von Karajan war ein Technik-Enthusiast ohnegleichen. Die Arbeit am klanglichen Detail, neue Aufnahmeverfahren und filmische Inszenierungen von klassischer Musik konnten den Stardirigenten in Bann schlagen wie kaum etwas sonst. Der umtriebige Maestro war an der Entwicklung der Compact Disc beteiligt. Seine Einspielung der "Alpensinfonie" von Richard Strauss schrieb 1981 als erste Klassik-CD auf dem Musikmarkt Geschichte. Mit Unitel und seiner eigenen Produktionsfirma Telemondial verwirklichte Karajan zahllose Filmprojekte. Diese Filme dokumentierten nicht nur seine einzigartigen Interpretationen, sondern schufen in ihrer k&uuml;nstlerisch durchdachten Form und ihren k&uuml;hnen Perspektiven auf den Dirigenten und auf Musizierende auch neue Zug&auml;nge zu klassischer Musik.
Diesem audiovisuellen Erbe nimmt sich Deutsche Grammophon jetzt auf <a href="https://www.stage-plus.com/de/artist/artist_85P78QBJEHFJ8E9I68">STAGE+</a> an. Das Gelblabel pr&auml;sentiert auf seiner Streaming-Plattform neben Highlights aus Karajans Unitel-Videokatalog exklusiv s&auml;mtliche Streifen, die der Dirigent mit seiner eigenen Produktionsfirma Telemondial gedreht hat. Hinzu kommen alle Alben, die Karajan jemals f&uuml;r Deutsche Grammophon und Decca aufgenommen hat. Die Tonaufnahmen erscheinen in 25 Etappen bis Ende September 2024. Im Herbst sollen s&auml;mtliche DG- und Decca-Alben Karajans auf STAGE+ greifbar sein. Das Filmmaterial ist ab sofort zug&auml;nglich. Es besteht aus insgesamt 70 Einzeltiteln, darunter gro&szlig;artige Opern, Konzerte und Sinfonienzyklen sowie bewegende Dokumentationen.
Um sich in dem Dschungel der Tonaufnahmen zurechtzufinden, hat das Gelblabel eine digitale Bibliothek entwickelt. Die einzelnen Titel der summa summarum 300 Stunden Musik sind nach Komponistennamen sortiert, ausgefaltet in umgekehrter alphabetischer Reihenfolge, von Z - A, beginnend mit&nbsp;Wagner-Wolf-Ferrari, endend mit Adam-Bart&oacute;k. Die Orientierung durch eine virtuelle Bibliothek wird flankiert von verfeinerten Metadaten, die den Abonnenten die M&ouml;glichkeit schaffen sollen, die umfangreiche Sammlung ohne viel Aufwand zu erkunden.
<h3>Audiophile Meilensteine</h3>
Neben der Initiative auf STAGE+ hat Deutsche Grammophon die Neuedition vergriffener Aufnahmeklassiker des gro&szlig;en Dirigenten angek&uuml;ndigt. So legt das Gelblabel Karajans Ring neu auf. Die bahnbrechende Studioaufnahme der Jahre 1967&ndash;1970 mit Stars wie Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Christa Ludwig oder Gundula Janowitz erscheint am 14. Juni 2024 in einer audiophilen Edition, mit einem 48-seitigen Booklet, im verlustfreien HD-Sound (24-Bit/96kHz) auf einer Blu-ray Audio Disc.&nbsp;
Am 2. August 2024 folgt in einer limitierten und nummerierten Vinyl-Edition Karajans legend&auml;rer Bruckner-Zyklus der Jahre 1975&ndash;1981. Die Kult-Aufnahme mit den Berliner Philharmonikern erscheint in Deutsche Grammophons audiophiler Original Source-Serie, neu gemastert und geschnitten von Rainer Maillard und Sidney C. Mayer in den Emil Berliner Studios. Eine 17-LP-Deluxe-Edition, die editorisch und klangtechnisch ihresgleichen sucht - ein Meilenstein der Bruckner-Interpretation zu Bruckners 200. Geburtstag.
Last but not least sei auf zwei Karajan-Klassiker aus den 1970er Jahren verwiesen, die 2024 digital auf Dolby Atmos herauskommen werden: Karajans &uuml;berw&auml;ltigende Interpretation von Verdis Requiem aus dem Jahr 1972, angek&uuml;ndigt f&uuml;r den 12. Juli 2024, und seine hypnotisierende Aufnahme der Symphonie fantastique von Berlioz aus dem Jahr 1975, die am 13. September 2024 erscheinen wird. Beide Projekte verwirklichte Karajan mit den Berliner Philharmonikern. 2024 ist Karajan-Jahr!

OPUS KLASSIK 2024 Nominierungen

F&uuml;r den diesj&auml;hrigen OPUS KLASSIK wurden viele Deutsche Grammophon K&uuml;nstler und K&uuml;nstlerinnen nominiert darunter Jonathan Tetelman, Lang Lang und Mar&iacute;a Due&ntilde;as.&nbsp;

Die Nominierungen f&uuml;r den diesj&auml;hrigen OPUS KLASSIK sind ver&ouml;ffentlicht. Auch in diesem Jahr sind eine Vielzahl von K&uuml;nstlern und K&uuml;nstlerinnen der Deutsche Grammophon nominierten.
Lang Lang kann dieses Jahr auf seine dritte Auszeichnung hoffen. Er ist in der Kategorie "Instrumentalist*in des Jahres" f&uuml;r sein Album "Saint-Sa&euml;ns" nominiert. Dort konkurriert er mit dem ebenfalls bei der DG gesigned K&uuml;nstler Avi Avital und dessen Album "Concertos". Dieser ist auch noch in der Kategorie "Konzerteinspielung des Jahres" nominiert.
Jonathan Tetelman kann nach der Auszeichnung seines Albums "Arias" 2023 auch dieses Jahr auf eine Auszeichnung als "S&auml;nger des Jahres" f&uuml;r sein neuestes Album "The Great Puccini" hoffen. In der Kategorie "Nachwuchsk&uuml;nstler*in des Jahres" stellt das gelbe Label dieses Jahr gleich zwei der Nominierten: die Violinistin Mar&iacute;a Due&ntilde;as ("Beethoven and Beyond") und den Pianisten Bruce Liu ("Waves: Music by Rameau, Ravel, Alkan").
Dar&uuml;ber hinaus ist Hilary Hahn in der Kategorie "Solistische Einspielung Instrument des Jahres" f&uuml;r ihr Album "Eug&egrave;ne Ysa&yuml;e"&nbsp; sowie Trevor Horn in der Kategorie "Klassik ohne Grenzen" f&uuml;r sein Album "Echoes: Ancient &amp; Modern" nominiert. Des Weiteren hat J&oacute;hann J&oacute;hannssons Musik auch nach seinem Tod ihre Strahlkraft nicht verloren und ist in den Kategorien "Sinfonische Einspielung des Jahres" und "Innovatives H&ouml;rerlebnis des Jahres" ("J&oacute;hann J&oacute;hannsson: A Prayer tot he Dynamo") nominiert.&nbsp;
In der Kategorie "Filmmusik/ Score des Jahres" sind gleich zwei Alben von DG nominiert - "Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein" und Joe Hisaishis "A Symphonic Celebration". Joep Beving ist f&uuml;r den "Videoclip des Jahres" f&uuml;r "POST" nominiert und in der Kategorie "Editorische Leistung des Jahres" steht das Album "William Steinberg &amp; Boston Symphony Orchestra: The Deutsche Grammophon Recordings" zur Auswahl. Dirigent Long Yu und Komponist Aaron Zigman k&ouml;nnen in der Kategorie "Weltersteinspielung des Jahres" f&uuml;r "&Eacute;migr&eacute;" auf eine Auszeichnung hoffen.&nbsp;
Der OPUS KLASSIK ist der wichtigste Preis in Deutschland f&uuml;r klassische Musik. Er wird j&auml;hrlich vom Verein zur F&ouml;rderung der Klassischen Musik e.V. ausgerichtet. Die Gewinner und Gewinnerinnen werden dabei von einer neunk&ouml;pfigen Fachjury aus der Musik- und Medienbranche gew&auml;hlt. Der Preis wird dieses Jahr am Wochenende 11. -13. Oktober verliehen.&nbsp;

Isata Kanneh-Mason to Release Fanny Mendelssohn's Rediscovered 'Easter' Sonata

A piece previously attributed to the composer's brother Felix,&nbsp;in a ground-breaking album that celebrates equality among the siblings' music&nbsp;
Also set to perform at the First Night of The BBC Proms 2024
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New album &lsquo;Mendelssohn&rsquo; released 9th August 2024 on Decca Classics
Listen to the first single, <a href="https://isata.lnk.to/Notturno" target="_new" rel="noreferrer">Fanny Mendelssohn</a>:&nbsp;<a href="https://isata.lnk.to/Notturno" target="_new" rel="noreferrer">Notturno in G Minor, H-U 337 now</a>
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As she prepares to open the 2024 BBC Proms season, Isata Kanneh-Mason today announces her fourth solo album, Mendelssohn, to be released on 9th August on Decca Classics. Here the pianist presents music from both Mendelssohn siblings: the glittering Piano Concerto No.1 by Felix and the long-lost &lsquo;Easter Sonata&rsquo; by his exceptionally talented but overlooked elder sister Fanny, as well as transcriptions by other composers of some of Mendelssohn&rsquo;s most famous music.
&ldquo;I am fascinated by Fanny Mendelssohn,' says Kanneh-Mason, 'She lived in such a confined way, yet her music has so much fire and so much passion.&rdquo; That confinement was part and parcel of life for women in the 19th-century: Fanny was prevented by her father from pursuing a career as a concert pianist or composer due to her gender. Rather than adhere to his strict instructions that music should be merely an 'ornament' for his daughter, Fanny composed in private, writing nearly 500 works. Many of these are still being discovered today, with several &ndash; such as the 'Easter' Sonata, written when Fanny was only 22 &ndash; a piece lost for 150 years, originally assumed to have been created by Felix and performed under his name for decades.
Isata recently featured in the critically acclaimed film &lsquo;Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn&rsquo;, produced by the composer&rsquo;s great-great-great-granddaughter Sheila Hayman, which explores the life of Fanny Mendelssohn, later Fanny Hensel, and revealing the fascinating story behind &lsquo;Easter Sonata&rsquo;. This new album features the world premiere recording of the new urtext edition of this work.&nbsp;
In programming the sonata alongside better-known music by Felix, Isata hopes to bring long-deserved recognition to Fanny's achievements. Supporting neglected women composers is important to the eldest Kanneh-Mason sibling:&nbsp;the pianist recorded Clara Schumann&rsquo;s concerto on her 2019 album Romance and will perform that work at this year's First Night of the Proms (on 19th July; with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Elim Chan).
The album blends well-loved works &ndash; Felix Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25, performed with the London Mozart Players, conducted by Jonathan Bloxham &ndash; with lesser-known gems, including&nbsp;Fanny's Notturno in G minor for solo piano &ndash; also unpublished in the composer's lifetime. The Mendelssohns regularly performed together during childhood and remained close through adulthood &ndash; even dying within a year of each other. As a member of one of the UK's most beloved musical families, Isata Kanneh-Mason understands the musical connection between siblings (as heard on Muse, her 2021 duo album with cellist brother Sheku) and brings this empathy to her performance.
In an interesting programmatic twist, Kanneh-Mason includes three transcriptions by other composers who were inspired by Felix Mendelssohn. Rachmaninoff's version of the Scherzo from A Midsummer Night's Dream is among his most virtuosic solo adventures. &ldquo;You're leaping all over the piano and it's incredibly complex, but also very subtle,&rdquo; says Kanneh-Mason.
The Mendelssohn constellation also connects&nbsp;Moritz Moszkowski's version of the dreamy Nocturne from A Midsummer Night's Dream, an ethereal, sparsely beautiful reimagining of the sleeping lovers scene. Although Moszkowski was well known in his lifetime, his work has fallen out of fashion, and this is another revival of a rarely heard piece.
The carefully selected programme is all, of course, delivered with Isata&rsquo;s unique style and perspective. The pianist is increasingly busy with concerto appearances, solo recitals, and chamber concerts throughout the UK and abroad. This season's highlights include performances at the Lucerne Festival, the Zurich Tonhalle, Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Saint-Denis Festival in Paris, and an extensive US tour starting in June. Key dates include a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York with the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO) and Iv&aacute;n Fischer on August 6th, as well as recitals in Baltimore on October 6th, Florida on October 9th, Ann Arbor on October 10th, and Burlington on October 12th, among others.
Track listings:
<ol>
<li>Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: I. Molto allegro con fuoco*</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: II. Andante*</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25: III. Presto &ndash; Molto allegro e vivace*</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61: Scherzo (transcription by Rachmaninoff)</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 61: Nocturne (transcription by Moszkowski)</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: On Wings of Song S. 547: I. Auf Fl&uuml;geln des Gesanges (transcribed by Liszt)</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte VI, Op. 67: II. Allegro leggiero, MWV U145 ('Lost Illusions')</li>
<li>Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte VI, Op. 67: VI. Allegretto non troppo, MWV U188 ('Cradle Song')</li>
<li>Fanny Mendelssohn: Notturno in G Minor, H-U 337</li>
<li>Fanny Mendelssohn: Easter Sonata: I. Allegro assai moderato</li>
<li>Fanny Mendelssohn: Easter Sonata: II. Largo e molto espresso &ndash; Poco pi&ugrave; mosso</li>
<li>Fanny Mendelssohn: Easter Sonata: III. Scherzo. Allegretto</li>
<li>Fanny Mendelssohn: Easter Sonata: IV. Allegro con strepito</li>
</ol>
* with the London Mozart Players, conducted by Jonathan Bloxham
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Brillantes Chopin-Debut-Album von Yunchan Lim

Yunchan Lim, der j&uuml;ngste Gewinner des Van Cliburn-Wettbewerb, bringt bei Decca sein Debutalbum heraus und interpretiert darauf die &Eacute;t&uuml;den von Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Chopin. Das Album erscheint am 19. April.

In der breiten Schar junger Talente und emporstrebender K&uuml;nstler gibt es immer wieder einige wenige, die besonders hervorstechen und schon Fr&uuml;h mit ihrer einzigartigen Strahlkraft und Begabung in den Bann ziehen. Einer davon ist fraglos Yunchan Lim. Mit gerade einmal zwanzig Jahren begeistert er die Welt der Klassik und rei&szlig;t Publikum wie Kritiker gleicherma&szlig;en zu Jubelst&uuml;rmen hin. Nun hat der Decca-Exklusivk&uuml;nstler sein erstes Album eingespielt und pr&auml;sentiert darauf die Klavier-Et&uuml;den von Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Chopin. Das Debutalbum erscheint am 19. April bei Decca in allen Formaten.
<h3>Gefeiert und preisgekr&ouml;nt</h3>
Yunchan Lim kam vor zwanzig Jahren in Siheung in Korea auf die Welt und begann im Alter von 7 Jahren mit dem Klavierspiel. Bald schon wurde sein au&szlig;erordentliches Talent offenbar und so wurde er mit nur 13 Jahren am Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts aufgenommen, wo er seinen Lehrer und Mentor Minsoo Sohn kennenlernte. Sein internationales Deb&uuml;t gab Yunchan im Jahr 2018, als er beim Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists ausgezeichnet wurde. Weitere renommierte Preise folgten: So war er mit 15 Jahren der j&uuml;ngste Gewinner des internationalen IsangYun-Wettbewerbs in Korea, 2022 wurde er, abermals als j&uuml;ngster Gewinner, beim Van Cliburn-Wettbewerb gek&uuml;hrt. Mit seiner mitrei&szlig;enden Ausdruckskraft, seiner innigen Musikalit&auml;t und B&uuml;hnenpr&auml;senz hat sich der junge K&uuml;nstler l&auml;ngst eine weltweite Fangemeinde erspielt und wird mit gutem Grund gefeiert als "One-in-a-million-Talent" (Dallas Morning News).
<h3>Die Chopin-Et&uuml;den &ndash; pianistische Meisterwerke</h3>
Die Klavier-Et&uuml;den von Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Chopin z&auml;hlen zu den ebenso herausforderndsten wie beliebtesten Meisterwerken des Komponisten, die mit brillanter Virtuosit&auml;t, Spielfreude und Tiefe in den Bann ziehen. Chopin hob mit seinen Et&uuml;den f&uuml;r Klavier die Art, Klavier zu &uuml;ben, auf ein v&ouml;llig neues Niveau. So sind die &uuml;beraus anspruchsvollen St&uuml;cke explizit nicht als reine &Uuml;bungsst&uuml;cke angelegt, sondern sind sie jedes f&uuml;r sich ein k&uuml;nstlerisches Meisterwerk mit eigenem Charakter und Pers&ouml;nlichkeit. Insgesamt komponierte Chopin 27 Et&uuml;den f&uuml;r Klavier: die "12 Et&uuml;den op. 10" und die "12 Et&uuml;den op. 25", die- angelehnt an Johann Sebastian Bach - jeweils einen Zyklus bilden, sowie weitere drei Et&uuml;den, die sp&auml;ter separat ver&ouml;ffentlicht wurden.
<h3>Eindrucksvolles Debut</h3>
Dass Lim f&uuml;r sein mit Spannung erwartetes Debutalbum bei Decca die Chopin Et&uuml;den ausgew&auml;hlt hat und sich damit einreiht in eine Reihe hochrangiger Pianisten, kommt nicht von ungef&auml;hr. So sagt Lim: "Die Pianisten, die die Chopin-Et&uuml;den gespielt haben, sind f&uuml;r mich ein riesiges Universum. Ich habe immer davon getr&auml;umt, eines Tages ein so profunder Musiker zu werden wie sie und wollte in ihre Fu&szlig;stapfen treten." Die Et&uuml;den gleichen f&uuml;r Lim einer musikalischen Spiegelung des Lebens in all seinen Facetten und Themen. So stellt er fest: "In den Et&uuml;den gibt es Dinge wie die Agonie der Erde, das Bedauern eines &auml;lteren Menschen, Liebesbriefe, Sehnsucht und Freiheit. Selbst wenn ich sie nicht &uuml;be, reiften die Et&uuml;den tief in meinem Geist." Diese intensive Auseinandersetzung und die reife Deutungskraft des Pianisten spiegeln sich in seiner Interpretation eindrucksvoll wider. Ungemein vielfarbig, wendig und technisch &uuml;berlegen erweckt Lim die verschiedenen St&uuml;cke zum Leben und offenbart dabei spannende neue Blickwinkel auf das oft gespielte Meisterwerk Chopins. Ein beeindruckendes Debutalbum.

Continuum II: Víkingur Ólafssons intimes Bach-Tagebuch

F&uuml;r&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/de/kuenstler-innen/vikingur-olafsson">V&iacute;kingur &Oacute;lafsson</a>&nbsp;ist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/composers/johann-sebastian-bach">Johann Sebastian Bach</a>&nbsp;kein abgeschlossenes Kapitel der Musikgeschichte, sondern t&auml;gliche Gegenwart. Seit &uuml;ber drei Jahrzehnten setzt sich der isl&auml;ndische Pianist Tag f&uuml;r Tag ans Instrument, um ein wenig Bach zu spielen, eine Gewohnheit, die er als den einen konstanten Fixpunkt seines Lebens beschreibt. Aus dieser fortw&auml;hrenden Zwiesprache erw&auml;chst nun Continuum II, das zweite Kapitel eines Projekts, dessen Titel bereits sein Programm in sich tr&auml;gt: Im Deutschen meint das Wort Bach einen flie&szlig;enden Strom, und genau als solchen ununterbrochenen Fluss begreift &Oacute;lafsson die Musik des Thomaskantors, als unsichtbaren Faden, der Epochen, Menschen und Erfahrungen miteinander verbindet.
Das neue Album erscheint am 6. November 2026 bei Deutsche Grammophon und kn&uuml;pft unmittelbar an das erste&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/de/katalog/produkte/continuum-vkingur-olafsson-13630">Continuum</a>&nbsp;aus dem Oktober 2024 an. Anders als sein Vorg&auml;nger entstand es vollst&auml;ndig an einem einzigen, sehr pers&ouml;nlichen Ort: im The Nutshell, dem neuen Heimstudio des Pianisten in Island. Der Charakter dieses R&uuml;ckzugsraums durchzieht die gesamte Aufnahme, die &Oacute;lafsson selbst als sein erstes wahres &bdquo;album domesticum&ldquo; versteht, ein Album der h&auml;uslichen, stillen, nach innen gewandten Musik, in der Bach von seiner intimsten und pers&ouml;nlichsten Seite erscheint.
&nbsp;
<h2>Das Album: Chor&auml;le, Transkriptionen und die Kunst der Miniatur in Continuum II</h2>
Im Zentrum von Continuum II stehen sechs Chor&auml;le, die &Oacute;lafsson auf dem Klavier interpretiert, darunter &bdquo;Wie sch&ouml;n leuchtet der Morgenstern&ldquo;, BWV 436, &bdquo;Welt, ade!&ldquo;, BWV 27/VI, sowie &bdquo;Es ist genug&ldquo;, BWV 60/V. F&uuml;r den Pianisten offenbaren diese urspr&uuml;nglich vokalen und liturgischen S&auml;tze am Klavier eine neue Klanggestalt, besonders im zerbrechlichen, fast fl&uuml;sternden Timbre des aufrecht stehenden Pianinos. Erg&auml;nzt wird dieser geistliche Kern durch das fr&uuml;he Choralvorspiel &bdquo;Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott&ldquo;, das der Produzent Christopher Tarnow f&uuml;r die Aufnahme vorschlug. Bach schrieb dieses St&uuml;ck in jungen Jahren, und seine unvorhersehbare harmonische Entwicklung und lamentierende Grundhaltung wirken wie ein Vorgriff auf die Ausdruckswelt des romantischen Liedes.
Ein zentrales Werk des&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/de/kuenstler-innen/vikingur-olafsson/diskografie">Programms</a>&nbsp;ist &Oacute;lafssons eigenes Arrangement des ber&uuml;hmten Air aus der Orchestersuite Nr. 3, weithin bekannt als &bdquo;Air on the G String&ldquo;. Der Pianist nahm es in zwei Fassungen auf, auf dem Konzertfl&uuml;gel und auf dem Pianino, und widmete seine Bearbeitung dem Komponisten Gy&ouml;rgy Kurt&aacute;g zu dessen 100. Geburtstag. Hinzu treten das Largo aus dem Cembalokonzert Nr. 5 f-Moll, eine kammermusikalisch erweiterte Lesart des Adagios aus der Violinsonate Nr. 5 f-Moll f&uuml;r Klavier, Streichquartett und Kontrabass, eingespielt mit dem Siggi String Quartet und dem Bassisten Xun Yang, sowie das Larghetto aus dem Keyboard Concerto Nr. 1 D-Dur, BWV 972, das Bach selbst nach einem Vorbild von Antonio Vivaldi bearbeitet hatte. Abgerundet wird die Anthologie durch sechs kleine Pr&auml;ludien, die Bach einst als &Uuml;bungsst&uuml;cke f&uuml;r seine Sch&uuml;ler:innen und die eigenen Kinder verfasste: Miniaturen, deren &auml;u&szlig;ere Knappheit eine erstaunliche musikalische Tiefe verbirgt.
&nbsp;
<h2>Der Interpret: V&iacute;kingur &Oacute;lafsson</h2>
V&iacute;kingur &Oacute;lafsson, geboren am 14. Februar 1984 in Reykjav&iacute;k, z&auml;hlt zu den gefragtesten Pianist:innen der Gegenwart. Seine Weltreise mit Bachs Goldberg-Variationen, die er auf zahllosen B&uuml;hnen auff&uuml;hrte, m&uuml;ndete in eine vielbeachtete Aufnahme, f&uuml;r die er seinen ersten GRAMMY Award&reg; erhielt. Weltweit wurden seine Einspielungen mehr als eine Milliarde Mal gestreamt, rund die H&auml;lfte davon entf&auml;llt auf Bach-Repertoire, was seine besondere Stellung als Interpret dieser Musik unterstreicht.
Bei Deutsche Grammophon hat &Oacute;lafsson &uuml;ber die Jahre ein unverwechselbares Profil geformt, von seiner Auseinandersetzung mit Philip Glass &uuml;ber Debussy und Rameau, Mozart und dessen Zeitgenoss:innen bis zu den introspektiven Alben From Afar, den Goldberg-Variationen und zuletzt Opus 109. Continuum II f&uuml;gt sich als konsequente Fortsetzung in dieses Werk ein und vertieft zugleich den ganz eigenen, tagebuchartigen Zugang des Pianisten zu Bach.
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<h2>Formate und Verf&uuml;gbarkeit</h2>
Continuum II erscheint am 6. November 2026 bei Deutsche Grammophon in digitaler Form, auf CD und auf Vinyl. Als Vorgeschmack auf das Album stehen bereits zwei Singles zum Streamen bereit: &Oacute;lafssons Fl&uuml;gelversion des Air on the G String (seit dem 17. Juli 2026) sowie das Larghetto aus dem Keyboard Concerto Nr. 1 D-Dur, BWV 972 (seit dem 14. August 2026).
Sammler:innen und H&ouml;rer:innen, die den kompletten Bogen dieses intimen Bach-Portr&auml;ts erleben m&ouml;chten, d&uuml;rfen sich also auf ein Album freuen, das die Stille des Studios in klingende Gegenwart verwandelt.
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<h2>Jetzt endlich die Fortsetzung Continuum II erleben!</h2>
Continuum II jetzt bei&nbsp;<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/de/katalog">Deutsche Grammophon</a>&nbsp;entdecken und f&uuml;r den 6. November 2026 vormerken. Alle Aufnahmen des Pianisten sowie physische Editionen finden Sie im DG Store, weitere Hintergr&uuml;nde auf seiner K&uuml;nstler:innenseite.
&Oacute;lafssons gefeierte Goldberg-Variationen mit der Lichtinstallation von Olafur Eliasson sind auch als Stream auf&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stage-plus.com/video/live_concert_9HKNCPA3DTN66PBIEHFJ2CPH6C">STAGE+</a>&nbsp;verf&uuml;gbar!

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