This latest release in our series of Charles Ives’ complete orchestral works comprises a programme of the composer’s shorter pieces, seven of which are heard in their world premiere recordings. It’s a fascinating miscellany of miniatures, including some of Ives’ imaginative orchestrations made while he was still a student at Yale. And there can be no more authoritative an interpreter than conductor James Sinclair, who is one of the world’s pre-eminent scholars and champions of Ives’ music. James has conducted the world premiere performances and first recordings of more than 30 Ives works; he also provided the booklet notes for this release. All in all, this is a must-have album for any collector of Ives’ music in this 150th anniversary year of the composer’s birth.

Famed for his sublime Requiem, Gabriel Fauré is otherwise known as a composer of chamber music and small-scale songs and piano works, many of which were orchestrated by others. Here, however, is a new series dedicated to his orchestral works, and possibly the most intriguing item on this first volume is the only surviving movement of his rarely heard Violin Concerto, which Fauré worked on between 1878 and 1879 before leaving it incomplete and unpublished. Had he finished the concerto as intended so early in his career, it might have changed our view of him as a composer happiest writing chamber music. Making up the rest of the programme is the short prelude to Pénélope, Fauré’s only opera, and arrangements of favourites such as the poignant Élégie, the beloved Dolly and, famous amongst flautists, the distinguished Fantaisie. Making his Naxos debut with this recording is violinist Pierre Fouchenneret, while conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud will be familiar to many of you for his numerous acclaimed Naxos recordings of other French orchestral music.

Collectors of Vittorio Rieti’s Complete Piano Solo & Duo Works on our Grand Piano label (GP921, GP938) are going to be very enthusiastic about this new recording of his piano concertos. Often infused with Parisian joie de vivre and the subtle humour of Les Six, Rieti’s piano works are refreshingly unstuffy and accessible. The concertos share this lightness of touch while taking the opportunity to probe a wider spectrum of emotions. They’re virtually unknown, and are certainly deserving of a revival. Soloist Alessandro Marangoni considers the works to have ‘music of great liveliness, joy, rhythm and brilliance, certainly to be included in the great repertoire for piano and orchestra.’ And I agree with him. He’s joined by Orazio Sciortino in the Concerto for 2 Pianos; Giuseppe Grazioli conducts the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano.

This seventh of ten volumes of Auber’s overtures features several notable items. The ‘fairy opera’ Le Cheval de Bronze is represented by examples from both the 1835 and 1857 versions, the latter with extended ballet extracts that exemplify exotic chinoiserie, while the overture is heard here both in Auber’s original version and in an 1889 arrangement by Engelbert Humperdinck. Auber’s poetic and graceful score for Le lac des fées was highly regarded in Germany where it proved influential on Wagner, whilst Marco Spada has some of Auber’s most accomplished mood setting. You may care to note that Auber’s metronome markings are strictly adhered to throughout by conductor Dario Salvi, who is also a researcher and musicologist noted as a specialist in the restoration, recording and performance of rare Viennese works, comic opera, ballet and orchestral music. ‘Salvi’s interpretation of Auber’s music is very refined indeed and one can hear the attention to detail and level of personal research that has gone into the performance in every track on the disc.’ (The Light Music Society on Vol. 2, 8.574006)

Ferrucio Busoni’s unfinished opera Doktor Faust was subsequently completed by his student Philipp Jarnach. It’s based on the well-known story of Goethe’s play, yet with a structure that reflects Busoni’s own unique conception of the text: two Prologues, a beautiful orchestral Intermezzo, and three Scenes that combine to produce one of Busoni’s most creative and unsettling works. This is the audio version of the world premiere audiovisual production from Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, which was released on the Dynamic label in March of this year. The extensive cast of singers perform under the distinguished baton of Cornelius Meister. Corriere Fiorentino commented how ‘everything musically works perfectly’ and that Meister’s reading of the score proved ‘a revelation’, while Gramophone noted that ‘Cornelius Meister [conducts] by turns with sensitivity and vigour ... capturing effectively the haunting, mysterious sound world of the piece.’

Many years before Richard Strauss composed his opera on the subject of Salome and John the Baptist, Jules Massenet had explored the same relationship in Hérodiade. In Massenet’s 1881 opera, however, it's the vengeful Hérodiade, Salomé’s mother, who demands John the Baptist’s head, not her daughter. The opera’s lyrical introspection focuses on the characters’ most intimate feelings in a way that had not been heard before and was considered radical at the time. The principal roles are taken here by a stellar line-up of singers, whose past performances have all been greeted with critical acclaim, including lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani, who has given more than 300 performances in over 20 roles at New York’s Metropolitan Opera and is ‘one of the finest tenors around today.’ (South Florida Classical Review); also baritone Dean Murphy who, as Figaro in Rossini’s Barber of Seville ‘convinced us totally with his wonderful baritone voice from the beginning ... [he] plays this character stunningly.’ (Opernmagazin) As for musical director Enrique Mazzola, The Chicago Tribune has enthusiastically remarked that ‘[t]his conductor is a discovery indeed.’

Here we have the second and concluding volume of Beethoven’s complete works for cello and piano, performed by cellist Gabriel Schwabe and partnered by Nicholas Rimmer, both of whom maintain an impressive presence in our catalogue; Vol. 1 (8.574529) is scheduled for release in September. Beethoven obliged us all by ensuring that these works fit so neatly onto two albums; he also put cello/piano duos in his debt by composing such varied and immediately attractive music. The three sonatas on this programme are full of unexpected shifts of harmony and mood, virtuoso flourishes and experimental surprises, all of which defy convention. Gabriel has established himself among the leading cellists of his generation as a laureate of several national and international competitions, while Nicholas has proved an exceptionally sympathetic recording partner for him, The Strad noting that in Schumann’s Five Pieces in Popular Style (8.573786) ‘Schwabe’s and pianist Nicholas Rimmer’s sensitive hands radiate enchantment in every bar.’

This selection of piano favourites by Liszt includes music inspired by folklore and Italian culture, literary texts and poetry, opera, the brilliance of Paganini, and a sheer delight in pianistic virtuosity. Additionally, soloist Goran Filipec joins a long tradition of making arrangements and adaptations to find new vitality and freshness in this much-loved music. These personal alternatives, conceived in the spirit of Liszt and pianists of the grand style that came after him, are a notable feature of the recording that will surely prove attractive and interesting beyond more traditional interpretations. The informative booklet notes for this release have been written by Goran himself, and I’m certain that this carefully curated and superbly performed programme will appeal to seasoned Liszt fans and a wider public alike.

This final volume in Wolf Harden’s wonderful series of Busoni’s piano music focuses on beginnings and endings. Early works and transcriptions are featured, plus a substantial body of music that Busoni wrote for his multi-volume Klavierübung, which contains his last completed work. The teasing and witty early miniatures also serve as inventive examples of his mastery of Bachian style and techniques, while the excerpts from Klavierübung, in which Busoni uses his own music and that of others, embody the full breadth of his creative vision. The album makes a fitting end to this series performed with such authority by Wolf Harden, whose playing of of the Busoni repertoire has been described as ‘the clear current benchmark.’ (BBC Music Magazine on Volume 2, 8.555699) I should mention that the album also serves to mark the centenary of Busoni’s death.

German poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes (1680–1747) re-invented the Passion oratorio tradition, transforming it into a poetic meditation that captured the imagination of many German Baroque composers. Handel’s is by far the most famous of several settings, creating an eloquent and moving score from his friend’s libretto. There are previous audio and audiovisual recordings of the work performed in concert as an oratorio, but this acclaimed audiovisual staged version directed by Walter Sutcliffe extends the vision of the original by asking fundamental questions about the evolution of mankind and its dangerous implications for planet Earth. Originally produced at Oper Halle in 2021 when Covid restrictions were still in force, Sutcliffe advanced the evolution of the Brockes Passion by taking it out of its static context and turning it into a form of character-driven, staged drama that was well received by the critics: ‘Great cheers from the audience after three hours of exciting musical theatre ... an ambitious production in both the religious and political areas. This hasn’t happened at the Halle Opera for a long time … Highly recommended, not only for early music lovers!’ (Klassik Begeistert)

Also available on Blu-ray Video (NBD0167V)

Soviet composer Nikolai Kapustin (1937–2020) built his reputation as a jazz pianist during the 1950s and 1960s. Staking a claim as a classical composer who happened to work in a jazz idiom, and citing Oscar Peterson as his single biggest influence, Kapustin’s music often sounds largely improvised, but is actually set down in densely notated scores. As we continue to discover more of his music, not least in the dazzling performances on this new recording, Kapustin shows how he developed his style subtly and steadily, always moving with the times. This included shadowing the development of Big Band Jazz, which can be heard on the world premiere recording of his Toccata for piano solo and big band, Op. 8, dating from 1964, and his Concerto No. 6 for piano and big band, composed some thirty years later. Piano soloist Frank Dupree is the consummate interpreter of Kapustin’s works, having gained plaudits for his previous recordings on the Capriccio label: ‘The fluency and rhythmic élan on display throughout this disc are the kind that make you smile and shake your head in disbelief.’ (Gramophone on C5495) Dominik Beykirch directs the SWR Big Band and the SWR Symphonieorchester.

A century after its world premiere at the Teatro all Scala under Arturo Toscanini, conductor Francesco Cilluffo opened the 2024 season of the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with this acclaimed new production of Arrigo Boito’s rarely performed Nerone. Set in Rome and focusing on Nero during a time of conflict between belief in Roman Gods and Christianity, Boito’s opera combines his forward-looking harmonies with an eloquent and masterly handling of large orchestral forces. If you’re unfamiliar with the work, then this is certainly the recording to invest in, the performance having received glowing reviews for all aspects of the production: ‘A refined staging … the attentive and meticulous Francesco Cilluffo recreates the magic of the score … Excellent vocal cast.’ (Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata); ‘A production of great dramaturgical intelligence … Francesco Cilluffo, together with an engaged and brilliant orchestra, unravels the harmonic boldness of the score with commendable accuracy.’ (lesalonmusical.it)

Also available on Blu-ray Video (DYN-58047)

Felix Krieger is the conductor on this recording of Wolf-Ferrari's one-act opera Il segreto di Susanna. He’s been artistic director and principal conductor of the Berlin Opera Group since it was founded more than a decade ago. Its principal aim is to present operatic rarities, such as Donizetti’s Deux hommes et une femme and Betly, and Krieger’s recent world premiere recording of Donizetti's opera Dalinda (OC989) was described by MusicWeb International as ‘one of the most successful revivals of its kind.’ Lidia Fridman sang the title role on that recording: ‘The role of Dalinda is extremely demanding, and Russian soprano Lidia Fridman gives us plenty of thrills, with a dark fury in her tone and real dramatic presence throughout.’ (BBC Music Magazine). I’m confidently expecting a similar reaction for her wonderful performance in the title role on this new album.

This Royal Opera audiovisual production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is an all-round winner that perfectly marries outstanding musical and stage direction. The performance of Puccini’s poignant 1904 opera is as beautiful as it is shattering, with Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production drawing inspiration from 19th-century European images of Japan, and the incomparable Asmik Grigorian starring in the title role; Kevin John Edusei conducts Puccini's exquisite score. The critics duly lauded the production’s all-round excellence: ‘Grigorian inhabits the part to a degree one does not often experience.’ (The Guardian); ‘A delightfully simple balance between Japanese culture and the west.’ (The Daily Express); ‘A blisteringly poignant revival of Puccini’s tragic drama.’ (The Independent)

Here’s another fine production from Opus Arte’s Critics’ Choice series, a collection of past titles featuring many of the classic, innovative and perhaps less well-known audiovisual productions for which the label has long been renowned. This latest re-release is of the pulsating 2004 Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of Strauss’ ever-popular comic operetta Die Fledermaus. Filmed in high definition, it features outstanding performances by opera stars Pamela Armstrong, Thomas Allen, Ragnar Ulfung and Håkan Hagegård, who impress as singer-actors of the highest calibre. The production received wide critical praise for its all-round excellence: ‘The set is spectacular’ (Classical Net); ‘Thomas Allen is a perfect bourgeois cad … and the young Vladimir Jurowski confirms his talent as a conductor in a brilliant reading of Strauss’ marvellous score.’ (Le Monde de la Musique) Finally, I would add that the release includes many extra features, including interviews with Thomas Allen, Pamela Armstrong and Håkan Hagegård, director Stephen Lawless and conductor Vladimir Jurowski.