The first two volumes (Books I-II and III-IV) of their complete cycle of Gesualdo madrigals received an enthusiastic reception! To coincide with the release of the last two books, undoubtedly the most “radical” settings produced by the composer, Les Arts Florissants present their recording of some of his famous ‘Tenebrae’ Responsories, which he had printed as a separate collection.
Available since 10 March 2023
Isabelle Faust and François-Xavier Roth explore here extremely contrasting facets of Stravinsky’s output for violin. From the Concerto to the Pastorale, the composer plays with codes and colours, sketching extraordinarily vivid soundscapes. Once again, the musicians of Les Siècles have succeeded in rediscovering the works’ original dynamic by using period instruments – and that changes everything!
Whether we call them ‘Mystery’ or ‘Rosary’ Sonatas, these fifteen pieces crowned by a sublime passacaglia for unaccompanied violin form one of the greatest violinistic masterpieces of the Baroque repertory. This version by Amandine Beyer and Gli Incogniti, derived from a dance project with the Rosas company, leads us into their magical universe through a novel prism: that of movement, to which these pieces are an infinite ode!
Currently on tour throughout Europe with Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and the Rosas company.
While paying glittering homage to the animal kingdom, this programme also takes us on a journey through the centuries: the existing pieces freely inspired by birdsong, from Couperin to Ravel, are mirrored by an astonishing ‘Carnival of Animals in Peril’. Its composer, Vincent Bouchot, reminds us of the disappearance of certain species of animals – and of certain musical instruments that very nearly became extinct too.
Twenty years after his harmonia mundi recordings reviving the tradition of performing the great French harpsichord composers (Rameau, Couperin) on the piano, Alexandre Tharaud now joins forces with his longstanding partner Jean-Guihen Queyras to explore the works of Marin Marais . . . on piano and cello! Drawing on their respective experiences in Baroque music, the two artists have taken up the challenge of presenting the essence of the master of the viola da gamba: timeless, even universal!
Following on from his formidable complete recording of the Preludes, Nikolai Lugansky now immerses us in two more major cycles by Rachmaninoff, the Études-tableaux. Like Chopin and Liszt, the Russian composer here transcends every technical difficulty to make room for emotion alone. At once poet and virtuoso, Nikolai Lugansky is unmatched in his ability to do justice to this prodigious musical kaleidoscope
Cédric Tiberghien has long been interested in the principle of the Beethovenian variation: 20 years ago, he recorded a first disc for harmonia mundi devoted to the famous Eroica… Today he is offering us a project on a completely different scale, in which Beethoven’s different series of Variations will be set against works which, from the Renaissance to the present day, illustrate the evolution of the genre. The result of several years of research and reflection, this project takes the form of a trilogy, the first of which will be released shortly. Cédric Tiberghien has just recorded the second volume.
To be released on 24 March 2023.
Some five years ago, Isabelle Faust entered the recording studio with Il giardino armonico and Giovanni Antonini to make an album of the complete Mozart Violin Concertos, which earned them a Gramophone Award and a tour across Europe. The snowbound days of December 2022 saw them come together once again to record a dazzling selection of violin concertos and concerti grossi by Locatelli—considered to be among the most fiendishly difficult works in the repertoire—for release in Autumn 2023.
A few weeks prior to that, Sébastien Daucé and the Ensemble Correspondances carried on their exploration of the hidden corners of the repertoire to which they alone hold the keys: namely, the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier, of course! This time around, one of his top “hits” is on the agenda: the composer’s Midnight Mass—available in time for Christmas 2023
The film dedicated to her has already thrilled hundreds of thousands of spectators: it must be said that Zahia Ziouani’s career has not failed to arouse admiration! 25 years after its foundation, the Divertimento orchestra has just recorded its very first album, devoted to Saint-Saëns and the Mediterranean. Entitled Bacchanale (in reference to the dance in Samson and Delilah), it paints an unusual portrait of a tireless traveller, notably in Spain, Algeria and Egypt. Zahia Ziouani has succeeded in combining the Algerian music of her origins with the orchestra of Saint-Saëns in this album, a formidable musical journey through space and time.
To be released on 19 May 2023
Before devoting himself entirely to opera, Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) produced a number of wonderful early works—many of them unfamiliar to the public—which already convey the full measure of his genius. This occasion to revisit his remarkable Messa di Gloria is also a chance to discover the Capriccio sinfonico, the beautiful elegy Crisantemi, or the Scherzo for string orchestra…
Available 14 April 2023
French Suites, Inventions and Sinfonias, transcriptions of pieces for solo violin: this 8th volume of Bach’s complete keyboard works follows two already memorable boxed sets, the first book of the Well-Tempered Clavier and the preludes of the Little Organ Book. As always, Benhamin Alard plays on extraordinary instruments, the Johannes Couchet harpsichord restored by François-Étienne Blanchet around 1720 and a very fine clavichord build by Émile Jobin after Friederici. As a bonus, four preludes from François Couperin’s L’Art de toucher le clavecin.
To be released on 12 May 2023
No less than 17 new releases and a minimum of 12 remasterings are announced in Dolby Atmos format on the label in 2023. Find the complete list of releases in this format in our Topics.
Now 65, the label cultivates an insolent youth. Exploring new repertoires, broadening our horizons, developing young talent and constantly striving for excellence: this is harmonia mundi’s motto. We are demanding, passionate and proud of our independence. This is our story…
![Concerto pour alto [violoncelle] / Suite pour alto et orchestre](https://www.harmoniamundi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/902618_12x12-768x768.jpg.webp)
