Odinn Baldvinsson - Cantilena: Music for Flute & Piano - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

This album combines pieces for the core quintet of Onyx Brass with works for extended brass forces, plus piano in the case of Florence Price's Octet for Brasses and Piano. The majority of the pieces here receive their first commercial recording, the two Britten premieres bringing two long-forgotten pieces out of the Britten Pears Archive, in Aldeburgh, into the sunlight. Alongside these new discoveries are performances of established favourites by Sir Malcolm Arnold and Joseph Horovitz, staples of the brass chamber repertoire for more than half a century. The selection of composers spanning most of the twentieth century, and from both sides of the Atlantic, gives the album a refreshing contrast of musical traditions and styles. Founded in 1993, and initially inspired by the pioneering early years of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Onyx Brass remains a leading light in cementing the place of the brass quintet as a medium for serious chamber music. To this end, the group has commissioned and performed the world premieres of more than 200 new works; many more are in the pipeline for performance and recording.

Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 54 performed by the USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra with Guennadi Rosdhestvenski conducting.

This Vermeer album collects five compositions of five German artists; among them only Hans Werner Henze Sonatina and Paul Hindemith Sonata were enough played. Also an open mind and complete performer as Jean-Pierre Rampal never include them in his wide discography, but Fortner, Henze, Genzmer and Höller Sonatas deserve all our interest and curiosity beginning from Wolfang Fortner Sonata (1974) a musician very important during the second half of XX Century having also a leading role in famous Darmstad Ferienkurse and was the teacher of many German musicians. Not less important Harald Genzmer (1909 - 2007) that was Paul Hindemith student at Berlin Hochschule für Musik. The second Sonata for flute and orchestra was composed in 1952 and it can be seen a work of tonal substantial language and it is articulate in only three movimenti. Born in Bamberg in 1907 Karl Höller from 1933 taught at Munich Academy and from 1938 was at Frankfurt Hochschule für Musik and from 1949 to 1972 taught at Munich Conservatory; his wide production, in many ways inspired by Richard Strauss and Hans Pfiztner includes also two flute and piano Sonatas and the most famous of which is the second Sonata in C major op 55 composed in 1955 very poetic and delicate work that seems have a strong French music influence.