Following an initial reconstruction on disc in 2015, the Ballet Royal de la Nuit enjoyed a triumphal modern premiere at the Théâtre de Caen in November 2017. That staged version, presented in this outstanding box set, at last includes the entire musical score (twenty-seven additional dances). The meticulous reconstitution of Sébastien Daucé, the incomparable poetry of Francesca Lattuada, an oneiric universe featuring more than 120 costumes designed by Olivier Charpentier, all contribute to an incredible enchantment further enhanced by the exploits of virtuoso jugglers and circus artists. In this ballet, a masterly achievement from every point of view, the spell remains unbroken from first note to last.

The evolving musical climate of the 1950s occasioned a profound shift of culture and attitude in the performance of Bach’s great choral works. By the close of the decade, it was one of Bach’s own successors in the post of Kantor at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, Karl Richter (who’d become organist there at age 23 in 1947), who’d become torch-bearer for a new generation of Bach interpreters. Richter’s recordings with the Munich Bach Choir and Orchestra (ensembles he founded in 1951 and with which his name has become synonymous) heeded an unbroken Leipzig tradition that could be traced back to the time of Bach himself.

Cantata Collective, an ensemble "of San Francisco early music luminaries" (San Francisco Chronicle) inaugurates a major series of J. S. Bach's choral works with a live recording of the composer's St. John Passion. With celebrated conductor Nicholas McGegan, the toast of today's new generation of vocal soloists and a three-to-a-part chamber choir, the Cantata Collective conveys the emotional intimacy and dramatic power of this monumental passion in a highly polished performance that led Early Music America to implore: "To the excellent musicians of Cantata Collective: More Bach Please!"

Sir Roger Norrington has been chief conductor of the former Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (today the SWR Symphonieorchester) for thirteen years. During this time he has caused a stir internationally with what has come to be termed ‘The Stuttgart Sound’: a synthesis of historically-informed performance practice with the technical capabilities of a modern orchestra. Whether in Mozart, Haydn, Bruckner or Brahms, Norrington has sought to capture the performance experience of the time, adjusting the orchestra’s size and seating plan to create an authentic sound without vibrato. His artistic credo was to keep as close as possible to the composer’s expectations. The present re-issue brings together in a boxed set three of most the important works of Sacred Music from the 19th century: Berlioz' Requiem, Brahms' A German Requiem and Beethoven's Missa solemnis."

When four friends create an ensemble where their biggest love is playing Baroque music on recorders, one has to get creative. There is a serious lack of original Baroque repertoire for this combination, and that's how our concept 'Borrowed, not Stolen…' was brought into being. Woodpeckers' journey began 17 years ago while they were all living in Stockholm, Bach's wonderful 'Art of Fugue' being an integral part of the programming in their first concerts. The idea has developed over the years into the format that you find on this recording. They have 'borrowed' music of all kinds and turned it into their own: some arrangements came into being through improvising and playing around in rehearsals, while others were commissioned by them, and some were already in existence and too good to leave out or tamper with. Despite their wanderings in life, the four of them are still deeply rooted in their childhood traditions stemming from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Ireland, and some of their favourite folk tunes, many of which date from the Baroque era or even earlier, appear on this CD, alongside works by Bach, Telemann and Vivaldi.

This is a baroque dream: a performance of the sacred drama David and Jonathas, a masterpiece by Charpentier and one of the miracles of French opera, in the Royal Chapel of Versailles! In 1688, the Louis-le-Grand Jesuit school performed this vibrant version of the fateful, fusional love between David and Jonathas… and the inevitable confrontation between their armies. Their deep friendship - biblical love - leads to the death of Jonathas in the arms of the victorious David. The intense emotion exuded by this piece is amplified by the staging, sets and costumes, under the stirring direction of Gaétan Jarry: a sumptuous, dazzling baroque vision.

Following the release of The Complete Chamber Music Works of Johannes Brahms which has received critical acclaim, Pierre and Théo Fouchenneret have laid the foundation stone of a Schumann Collection with this inaugural volume dedicated to the composer’s violin works. To complement the trilogy of Sonatas for Violin and Piano is the Concerto, an essential link in the repertoire, performed with the collaboration of the Normandy Regional Orchestra and its musical director Jean Deroyer

A famous French horn virtuoso in his days, the shadowy figure known only as 'Mr Charles the Hungarian' was an eccentric opportunist who travelled to Dublin in March 1742. A natural entrepreneur, he capitalized on the 'Handelmania' surrounding Handel's residence in the city at the time, and produced a concert at the Smock Alley Theatre which consisted mainly of Handel's music. This album recreates the programme and the bohemian atmosphere of the event, showcasing solos for various instruments, some of which had never been heard in Ireland before. The highly resourceful Irish Baroque Orchestra and Peter Whelan have a proven record of curating enticing programmes inspired by Ireland's musical heritage, and this is yet another fine example. Together with works by Hasse, Telemann and Bocchi, a performance of John Walsh's early edition of Handel's Water Music gives a perfect cross-section of this captivating moment in Dublin's musical history.

"Blue stands for a particularly intimate mood," admits the exceptional Spanish guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas. Accordingly, the title of his new album is "The Blue Album," which will be released by Sony Classical in June 2023. "Blue symbolizes a mysterious in-between realm: just think of the moment when the sun rises and the night slowly retreats," Pablo Sainz-Villegas continues. These are moments of the extraordinary, moments between silence and awakening, between heaven and earth, between light and dark. And they are the moments that take us away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life into a mood of dreaming, relaxation and deceleration. All this is also reflected in Pablo Sainz-Villegas' new program. Hardly any composer has captured this atmosphere in his music as unmistakably as the Frenchman Erik Satie in his Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes. Claude Debussy's Clair de lune and La fille aux cheveux de lin are also pieces of almost magical expression - music full of peace and magic.

In this new album, the Portuguese soprano Raquel Camarinha and the French pianist Yoan Héreau explore a rich variety of musical and poetic genres: ‘Life Story’ is a series of life stories with works that echo them down through the centuries, in different languages, that analyses a whole range of feelings of love.The album owes its title to the text by Tennessee Williams, which also gave its name to opus 8 composed in 1993 by Thomas Adès, music with powerful expressivity, followed by Debussy’s Baudelaire cycle. In addition to the pleasure of hearing the soprano sing in her mother tongue: A criança em ruínas (A child in ruins), composed by Benjamin Attahir to the words of the author José Luís Peixoto, commissioned by the Festival Messiaen au Pays de la Meije in 2019, introduces a heartrending cry.

This acclaimed edition covering the early 20th century’s fashionable wave of hot dance music from America into Europe now takes us to Switzerland. One luxury hotel owner was able to boast that ‘only here, and at the Savoy Hotel in London, can you hear real jazz’. The trend for hotel bands spread its influence to all corners of ‘light’ and ‘classical’ musical culture, and Switzerland, as a popular destination for international travel, became an epicentre for this worldwide dance fever. 20th Century Foxtrots, Vol. 5 presents more evocative piano rarities from this Golden Age, performed with panache and grace by Gottlieb Wallisch.

"The Chopin Project" is the most ambitious project of the Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas to date, which includes a trio of albums paying tribute to Chopin's favorite instrument.

Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas presents her most ambitious project to date, 'The Chopin Project: Trilogy' recorded with Deutsche Grammophon. Through the sound of the cello, the artist makes us discover the life and work of one of the greatest composers of classical music in a different way. This work is presented in three chapters: chamber music, cello arrangements and the legacy of Franchomme (a close friend of Chopin who arranged most of his cello works).

David McVicar's production of Manon takes a more than usually harsh view of the story…Here, everything and everybody is for sale… It is thrilling, sometimes even slightly shocking, and throughout the direction of the cast is faultless: every scene bears re-viewing for the amount of detail and dramatic energy that is released. It is unlikely that Natalie Dessay will ever give a greater performance than this. Her singing of each of the great arias is equally fascinating. The scene in which she and Rolando Villazón size each other up before speaking is exquisitely managed… Villazón makes a passionate hero. I cannot imagine that we will see another Manon to equal this for a long time. (Gramophone)

Enchanting, oppressive, calming, frightening… The forest exerts such an intense fascination over our senses and psyche that it has been a constant source of inspiration for artists. This collection of 50 tracks, entitled Forest Murmurs as a nod to the piece by Wagner, captures the evocative power of woodlands as beautifully rendered by the greatest composers. Featured artists include Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Beecham, Sharon Isbin, Aldo Ciccolini, Leif Ove Andsnes, Paavo Järvi, André Previn, Montserrat Caballé and many more.