Magdalena Kozena, one of the most acclaimed recitalists of today, presents a haunting collection of songs by Czech composers such as Dvorak, Janacek, Martinu, Schulhoff and Eben, all deeply rooted in the rich Czech folk song tradition. Magdalena Kožená’s most personal album so far, exploring the richness of her cultural background and her own musical memories.

Gluck’s neglected masterpiece with Magdalena Kožená as a stunning Paride. The role of Paris, with more than half a dozen beautiful arias plus duets and trios, offers Magdalena Kožená everything she needs to charm listeners with her exceptional singing – so does the role of Helena for Susan Gritton, a long-standing ally of McCreesh and the Gabrielis. Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Consort & Players offer a splendid accompaniment.

Dawn Upshaw received Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Soloist for this record. Dawn Upshaw's voice is perfect for twentieth century classical music. The Barber is beautiful, I like the Harbison Mirabai Songs, but my favorite piece on the album is the Stravinsky No Word from Tom. This album was recorded twenty years ago, so it's a young Dawn Upshaw. Her voice may be richer and more mature now, but the lightness and clarity of her flexible voice is thrilling.

Neither is the only opera by Morton Feldman, dating from 1977. The libretto consists of a 56-line poem by Samuel Beckett. The work is for a soprano soloist and chamber orchestra. It could more properly be called a monodrama, but given Feldman's own disdain for opera, it can be described as an anti-opera.
There is no story, no mise-en-scene. The intensity results from an emotional/aesthetic tension, not plot manipulation or character confrontation. The music does not attempt to accompany or depict the text in the usual fashion; instead Feldman has created a kind of musical equivalent to the environment that the words suggest, invoking the same atmosphere and sharing a similar vision.
“Art lange”

Mauricio Kagel's death six weeks ago was a vast blow for contemporary music. Kagel's heritage is a commentary on the ideals and ideologies of music history as well as a self-conscious contribution to the canon - but that is exactly why he should be essential listening for anybody interested in new music. On this CD, first piece called "1898". It was written in 1973 as a commission for DGG's 75 anniversary. The second piece, Music for Renaissance Instruments, is the original recording from 1967 (written 1965/66) that was released on vinyl by DGG in 1969.

John Cage, Peter Garland, Raphael Mostel, Frederic Rzewski, Haruna Miyake, Alvin Curran, Kentaro Haneda, Barbara Monk-Feldman, Yoriaki Matsudaira, Akir Inoue When pianist Aki Takahashi, known for her beautiful interpretations of contemporary classical composers, was approached by Toshiba-EMI to record an album of Beatles songs, she instead decided to commission a wide range of contemporary composers to write their interpretations of the Lennon/McCartney songbook. They have taken Beatle harmonic and melodic materials and recontextualized them. The result is a decidedly avant garde piano montage with fleeting moments of beatles music. Hyper Beatles is a fascinating experiment, interesting and worth hearing.

One of the world’s greatest piano virtuosos, Aki Takahashi has been revered for her consummate technique and musicianship as much as for the freshness and sparkle of her interpretations of new music. Aki has premiered many works by important composers as well as compositions written specifically for her. A prolific catalog of her recordings includs a couple of outstanding Feldman discs.

Here is her legendary LP set, not available on CD - recording of 20 contemporary piano works, Aki Takahashi Piano Space, which includes 20 contemporary piano works by Anton Webern, Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Iannis Xenakis, Olivier Messiaen, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Sylvano Bussotti, John Cage, Toru Takemitsu, Joji Yuasa, Keijiro Satoh, Yori-Aki Matsudaira, Shuko Mizuno, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Maki Ishii, Shigeaki Saegusa, Jo Kondo, Yuji Takahashi.

Michel Follin’s film remains one of the finest testimonials on this insatiable inventor of sounds, renovator of musical theory and exceptional pedagogue. Portrait of the Hungarian composer is not only a complete biography, it is also a reflection on the aesthetic universe Ligeti: metamorphoses, visions, apparitions, continuum ...

Volume 8 of Sony's Ligeti Edition presents the revised score of 1997, taken from live performances in Paris. There are numerous changes and the opera is shorter by some ten minutes. The revision also changes the language from German to English. The German original is available on Wergo in a fine performance. The Sony recording preserves a performance of even greater brilliance of what is now one of the great comic operas in English.

Fifth volume of Teldec's 'The Ligeti Project' (not to be confused with Sony's Ligeti Edition).

It includes Aventures, Nouvelles Aventures; Artikulation for tape; Eight Pieces from ‘Musica ricercata’; Sonata for Solo Cello; The Big Turtle Fanfare from the South China Sea; Ballad and Dance; Old Hungarian Ballroom Dances.
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… once again high standards of production, performance and presentation are in evidence and make this a very fitting end to an invaluable series.

Third volume of Teldec's 'The Ligeti Project' (not to be confused with Sony's Ligeti Edition).
It includes Cello Concerto; Clocks and Clouds; Violin Concerto; Sippal, dobbal, nádihegedüvel.
Production values on this Teldec’s third volume are again very high. The recording has stunning clarity and presence, and authoritative liner notes are once more by the composer. There is a huge range of music on offer here, and even hardened conservatives will find something to which they can respond…