Flutist Juliette Hurel and harpist Isabelle Moretti present an inspired selection of French music arranged for their instruments, featuring key masterpieces alongside some rare delights. Their program highlights the virtuosity and expressive verve of a duo of great stylistic finesse and features the Suite en duo of Jean Cras (1879–1932), Deux Impressions by Eugène Bozza (1905–1991), Claude Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque, and select …

The latest release from Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov combines the fire and virtuosity suggested by the album’s title (and cover), tempered with the musical depth and poetic communication for which he is equally acclaimed. Inferno begins with music by Carl Czerny, a pupil of Beethoven and a teacher to Liszt best known for his technical exercises from The School of …

The third solo album from German pianist Esther Birringer surveys music by 15 different composers, bringing the masters such as Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, and others into dialogue with modern voices like Lera Auerbach, Ludovico Einaudi, and Valentin Silvestrov. “The term spectrum is usually associated with physics: when white light passes through a prism, it breaks into a full rainbow of …

In a program teeming with contrasts and discoveries, Trio Wanderer (violinist Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, cellist Raphaël Pidoux, and pianist Vincent Coq) explores French chamber music around the year 1900. The ardent lyricism of Édouard Lalo is represented by his Piano Trio No. 3. Maurice Ravel’s shimmering can be heard in his Piano Trio and his Sonata for Violin and Cello. The …

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “brilliant” and “superb,” SAKURA Cello Quintet (Stella Cho, Michael Kaufman, Yoshika Masuda, Zachary Mowitz, and Peter Myers) explores great music of the past through dazzling arrangements on familiar works, and continually expands the five-cello repertoire through commissioning new works. The group’s name, SAKURA, is a tribute to their mentor, cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, whose …

Music director JoAnn Falletta leads the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in works by three French composers who saw Spain as a paradise of warmth, fragrance, and color, whether real or imagined. Debussy’s Images, Ibert’s Escales, and Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole show the considerable impact Spanish culture had on French composers in the early 20th century. “I have personally always been drawn to …

Rising American violinist Karisa Chiu — Cedille Records’ 2021 Emerging Artist Competition Finalist — and renowned Chinese pianist Zhu Wang unite for Chiu’s debut album, HOME. Influenced by her Chicago upbringing, pandemic discoveries, and Korean and Chinese family roots, the recording reflects the various interpretations of “home” in the 25-year-old violinist’s life. “This album is not only a story of …

The debut solo album of French cellist Juliette Herlin — noted for having given the first performances since 1919 of a lost cello sonata by Camille Saint-Saëns — pairs her with Canadian pianist Kevin Ahfat. This repertoire features original works for cello and piano (Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Debussy’s Cello Sonata, etc.) as well as song transcriptions, exploring the subtle connections between …

Saxophonist Jess Gillam and her ensemble continue their innovative exploration of sound in the second EP (five tracks) in the PRISM series, blurring boundaries between classical, folk, and contemporary music. Arrangements of Debussy’s “Clair de lune” and Nadia Boulanger’s “Cantique” showcase the lyrical tone of the soprano saxophone. Transcriptions of Baroque works include Scarlatti’s F minor sonata and Telemann’s Oboe …

The Neave Trio explores the power and majesty of the ocean as the inspiration behind their newest album of French works for piano trio. La Mer includes: Trio No. 2, Op. 92 in E minor by Camille Saint-Saëns; Soir-Matin, Op. 76 by Mel Bonis; and La Mer by Claude Debussy, arranged by Sally Beamish. “La Mer is a meditation on …

Andreas Ottensamer, who recently announced he will step down as principal clarinet of the Berlin Philharmonic to focus on conducting, presents his latest album with pianist José Gallardo. Romanza features select movements from clarinet sonatas by Brahms, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns, Rota, and Joseph Horovitz. The album also includes Ottensamer’s own transcriptions of beloved classical melodies such as Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, …

Pablo Ferrández describes his Moonlight Variations program as “night followed by day.” The latest album from the star Spanish cellist is a realization of his dream to record Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, the centerpiece of the program, recorded here with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra led by Martin Fröst. The orchestra also joins Ferrández for his own transcription of the “Song to …

This tribute album from baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu honors Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s centenary. “The first time I heard his voice was at school when I was twelve,” says Appl. “In 2009, I applied for his master class at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg which was the start of a long and transformative relationship. I was fortunate to work with …

After a few albums that stretched the ensemble towards contemporary, crossover, and popular repertoire (including an all-Disney program), The King’s Singers, prolific recording artists at any rate, present a new album that can be characterized as a return to standard repertoire. “’Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On’ is an exploration of European choral music from the early 20th century …

In her debut album on Decca, acclaimed harpist Ashley Jackson presents her own arrangements of spirituals and works by Margaret Bonds, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Alice Coltrane. The album also includes Debussy’s “Danse Sacrée” and original compositions by contemporary composers Brandee Younger, João Luiz Rezende, and Jeromy Thomas. Jackson sings on a few selections and is supported by the Harlem Chamber …

Ukrainian pianist Dmytro Choni is internationally recognized for his technically impeccable pianism, stupendous virtuosity, clarity of articulation and finest sensitivity. In recent years he garnered international attention by winning numerous awards, including the bronze medal at the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition and fourth prize at the 2021 the Leeds International Piano Competition. His debut solo album on for Naïve Classiques …

On her debut solo album, pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason takes listeners on a journey that explores connections across different composers’ sound worlds – whether they met, influenced each other, or simply existed in resonance. From Claude Debussy, Frédéric Chopin and Alexander Scriabin to Florence Price, Margaret Bonds and William Grant Still, Jeneba presents a program which is also very personal to …

The new album from acclaimed pianist Orion Weiss features music by Brahms, Schubert, and Debussy paired with works from young composers after World War I and II: Ernst von Dohnányi, György Ligeti, and Louise Talma. As the final issue of his ambitious three-part Arc series, this album is a set of pieces born from the bright points of life, inspired …

The Nash Ensemble presents Debussy’s String Quartet, Violin Sonata, Cello Sonata, Sonata for Flute, Viola & Harp, and a chamber ensemble arrangement of the Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. From two players to twelve, the elite musicians of the Nash Ensemble respond with authority to the varied demands made by this wonderful collection of Debussy’s chamber music. Currently celebrating its …

From the Paris Exhibition to the 1950s, trumpets and cornet à pistons made in France inspired many compositions for the instruments resulting in an abundance of solo repertory. Music flourished everywhere in Paris during the period covered by this new album. Using four historical instruments from the collection of the Musée de la musique (such as a valve cornet ca. …

Pianist Fazıl Say writes: “Oiseaux tristes brings together works by three prominent French composers… As I was working on the album during the pandemic period, it reflects the mood of that time… (Ravel’s) Miroirs is one of the most comprehensive and interesting works in the piano repertoire. I spent months working on it, and although it’s difficult to play, it …

Quatuor Van Kuijk explores treasures by Fauré, Debussy, Satie, Ravel and Poulenc that were originally composed for piano or voice. The program includes Debussy’s Petite Suite pour piano à quatre mains, Ravel’s famous Pavane pour une infante défunte and well-known songs by Poulenc, Fauré and Satie in transcriptions made especially for this recording by Van Kuijk violist Emmanuel François and …