It's been a while! Thank you for sticking around. Thank you for listening.
- "Orchestral Works: Ravel, Berkley, Pounds" - on the heels of their recent, fantastic recording of Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Sinfonia of London releases this new album of music from three interconnected composers: Maurice Ravel was a mentor to English composer Lennox Berkeley, just as Berkeley was to Adam Pounds. The highlight here is the world premiere recording of Pounds' Third Symphony, written during the COVID-19 pandemic, which aims to capture the ‘sadness, humor, determination and defiance’ which everyone faced at this time.
- "Take 3" - violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, clarinetist Reto Bieri, and pianist Polina Leschenko collaborate on works by composers Francis Poulenc, Béla Bartók, and Paul Schoenfield in this new release. These artists have a palpable connection that speaks through their interpretations and they're not shy to lean into the music's whimsical nature, or to veer into thrilling turns.
- "Sibelius: Karelia Suite; Rakastava; Lemminkäinen" - Susanna Mälkki leads the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in music from Finland's famed composer Jean Sibelius. His Karelia Suite is drawn from a series of tableaux that evoked events in the history of Karelia, the region where Finland and Russia meet; Rakastava ("The Lover") takes influence from Finnish poetry; and Lemminkäinen recounts the folklore adventures of a daredevil hero.
- "Le Temps retrouvé" - Mélanie (Mel) Bonis' elegant Sonata is a fascinating find upon first listen, and it is a perfect introduction to her music, which was popular during her lifetime but forgotten in the years following her death. Violinist Elena Urioste has a particular capacity for weaving long melodies together, which she employs to great effect throughout this album of French music for violin and piano.
- "Écoles de Paris – Paris Pour École" - players from the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin share superb interpretations of music for wind ensemble, from Ibert's frothy concerto for cello and winds to the dry, witty Stravinsky Octet. Also on the record is Polish composer Simon Laks' Concerto da camera, a mini treasure trove of refined neoclassicism that falls fresh on the ears.
