In the twentieth century, the flute underwent a remarkable revival as a solo instrument. The sonatas by Henri Dutilleux and Francis Poulenc represent the impulse for this development, which originated in France. In his series of sonatas for every melody instrument, accompanied by piano, Paul Hindemith began with the flute. Frank Martin, the mediator between the German and French traditions, created a colourfully eloquent variant of the sonata form with his Ballad. The sonata written by the American composer Robert Muczynski became the most famous example of his classicist, brilliant style.

Trio Testore, as part of its recording of the complete Brahms Piano Trios, presents both versions of the Trio in B major, Op. 8: the original version and the revised version which was made thirty-five years later and which, to a large extent, amounts to a new composition. Whilst revising his first trio, Brahms also wrote another pair of new, contrasting trios. Together, these works provide an exemplary impression of Brahms’ development as a composer.

During the past ten years the Quartetto di Cremona has matured into a string quartet of international renown, combining the Italian culture of string playing with an awareness of historical performance practice. The first volume of their recording series of the Complete Beethoven String Quartets comprises three distinctive works from Beethoven’s early, middle and late periods.

Four works – four composing styles – four creative periods of Ernst Krenek – four trouvailles of classical modernism. The first Solo Sonata urges towards expressive breadth, the Triophantasie alludes to the music of Franz Schubert. The second Sonata for Violin and Piano, modern in idiom and classical in form, was written in exile. The second Solo Sonata presents a condensed, more objective counterpart of the first. Christoph Schickedanz convinces with outstanding technical brilliance, multifaceted colouration and exuberant music-making.

This recording of the complete chamber music works for clarinet by Johannes Brahms is presented with first rate interpreters: Laura Ruiz Ferreres, one of the most gifted clarinettists of her generation, and pianist Christoph Berner. Internationally renowned cellist Danjulo Ishizaka and the Mandelring Quartet complete the superb line-up of instrumentalists for this recording.

Carl Stamitz’s Clarinet Quartets Op. 8 and Op. 19 are remarkable documents of the development of the clarinet’s cantabile qualities, and the increasing significance of the instrument in the second half of the eighteenth century.

The Swiss Piano Trio follow their recent new recording of the first two piano trios by Robert Schumann with a new disc, comprising his Phantasiestücke Op. 88, the third Piano Trio Op. 110, alongside Clara Schumann’s only Piano Trio Op. 17 in G minor which has been unjustly overshadowed by her husband’s works.

As part of their complete recording of Felix Mendelssohn’s chamber music for strings, the Mandelring Quartett presents three quartets of completely different temperament and biographical context. The first two works from Op. 44 were tailored to the brilliant playing of Mendelssohn’s violinist friend Ferdinand David and contain the whole range of the composer’s musical colouring in chamber music. In contrast, his last quartet, Op. 80, composed in 1847, represents an unsettling document of his shock following the death of his sister Fanny.

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Louis Vierne‘s death, the present recording marks the beginning of audite‘s three-part complete recording of the composer‘s six Organ Symphonies with the organist Hans-Eberhard Roß. Recorded at the Goll organ of St. Martin in Memmingen, the recording is characterised by the warm, soft and widely mensurated sound of the organ. Its sound creates unobtrusive power and fullness, making a symphonic effect in the church interior of St. Martin and yet always remaining clear. The polyphonic structures of the works become distinct and the transparency of sound permits fresher tempi than usual – both of which cannot normally be taken for granted with recordings of Vierne.

The role of the organ at the Viennese Habsburg Court is illuminated in this recording with a richly varied selection of original keyboard compositions and arrangements. Through the interplay of the two historic Bossart organs of the Abbey of Muri – founded by the forefathers of the Habsburgs – and through the connection between the organ and Gregorian chant, an intriguing musical period is brought to life.

Elegant and style-conscious, the sisters Mona and Rica Bard undertake a pas de deux, at one and at two pianos, through eighty years of French piano music. Their programme includes Bizet‘s masterly miniatures, Ravel‘s refined, temperamental portraits of Spain, Milhaud's comedy about a character of the Commedia dell’Arte and the stylistic versatility of Francis Poulenc, who was both able to flirt with the entertainment music of his time and also, around 1950, to compose a substantial commentary on classicism and modernism beyond the main currents with his Sonata for Two Pianos.

These recordings of central works of the Viennese School, made between 1949 and 1965, are unique musical and historic documents. The first-rate interpreters predominantly come from the immediate circle around the composers, either as pupils of Schoenberg’s or as acquaintances of the composers. With this degree of authenticity and thanks to manifold interpretational approaches, this anthology offers comprehensive first-hand insights into the Second Viennese School.

Bronislaw Gimpel was one of the “old school” virtuosos. His distinctly individual approach towards sound and phrasing left a strong mark in the history of violin playing. This edition presents on three CDs the complete recordings made by Gimpel for the RIAS Berlin during the 1950s.

“As artists we are chroniclers of the emotions of a particular time, and if we are lucky, our chronicles radiate a little, illuminating the path” (Moritz Eggert). This recording with the Stuttgart Kammerorchester shows how diverse these paths and emotions can be. The spectrum ranges from pieces such as “Der Rabe Nimmermehr Ouvertüre” to “Tetragrammaton”, specially composed for the ensemble, as well as “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen”, a homage to Mahler and the almost extinct tradition of the orchestral chanson which was written with, and for, Inga Humpe.

After the successful release of César Franck's complete organ works on 3 double SACDs audite now presents these recordings in a 6 CD boxed set. This complete edition naturally includes the 12 major well-known works of this composer. In addition to these, it contains many smaller treasures of the...

This collection of duos for oboe (specifically English horn) and piano from the years 1935-1941 are haunting documents of the musical paths of Britten, Hindemith, Haas and Skalkottas through a gloomy time period.

Tenor legend Fritz Wunderlich sings the solo part in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on Schiller’s “Ode to joy” – a unique document from 1962.

With two-, three- and four-choir works by Giovanni Gabrieli and Heinrich Schütz, the Cappella Murensis and the ensemble Les Cornets Noirs make perfect use of the four galleries in the Abbey Church of Muri: voices and instruments blend with the historic Bossart organs to produce a unique sound.

The Mandelring Quartett begin their new recording series, Mendelssohn – The Complete Chamber Music for Strings, with the youthful work of the 14-year-old set alongside the early master works, Op. 12 and Op. 13: two tributes to the recently deceased Ludwig van Beethoven, and both looking far ahead into the future.

This première recording of three orchestral works and one concert piece by Eduard Franck, written during the 1840s, continues the revival of this unjustly neglected composer.

In the history not only of the piano trio but also of Russian chamber music in general, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio Op. 50 forms a monumental milestone in two movements. This masterpiece of 1882 is dedicated to the memory of his friend Nikolai Rubinstein, the founder of the Moscow Conservatory.

In this SACD William Thomas Best (1826-1897), with his arrangements of selected organ works and the Chaconne for Solo Violin by Bach, makes his appearance as a dramatic director: his stage directions in matters of choice of tempo, articulation, registration, selection of manuals and, where appropriate, the use of the swell pedal, enable the great free-standing organ works to appear as dramatic scenas or ballads, while the smaller-scale works and chorale preludes come across as poetry. Carsten Wiebusch dramatises Bach on the new Klais organ in the Christuskirche, Karlsruhe, in a way that is both poetic and powerful.

The recordings of the Bach cantatas presented in this boxed set formed part of a project initiated by the conductor Karl Ristenpart at the RIAS Berlin in 1947. Although he was not able to record the complete cantatas as planned, the existing recordings nonetheless document a Bach ideal which was pioneering in its day: small-scale choral and orchestral forces and a selection of soloists who all went on to become renowned Bach singers, the professionalisation of interpretation in the choir, and a fine balance between rhetorical succinctness and expressive performance.

This first release of Lieder sung by Barry McDaniel impressively documents that the American baritone – contrary to media-driven perception, which unjustly tended to class him in the shadow of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who was five years his senior – was one of the outstanding singers in the post-war era. His interpretations are characterised by an interleaving of knowledge and naivety, feeling and craftsmanship, expression and impeccable singing. "Whatever I sing, I have to believe in it." That is exactly how these recordings sound.

In the past year audite has, once again, successfully managed to realise its concept of offering both archive and new recordings of the highest quality. Outstanding releases included the first two volumes of our Grieg series with the WDR Sinfonieorchester under the baton of Eivind Aadland, the five...

This recording of works by German, French and British composers, spanning two centuries, demonstrates the manifold abilities of the clarinet and piano as a recital duo. This is the first in a series of recordings that present repertoire for this esteemed instrumental partnership.

The audite series of chamber music for string instruments by Eduard Franck continues with his two String Quintets Op. 15 and Op. 51 which, once again, demonstrate his originality and noblesse as a composer.

Judith Ingolfsson and Vladimir Stoupel embark upon a challenging programme: two masterworks of twentieth century chamber music by Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich whose characteristics could not be more disparate.

With the great demand for the LP version of our internationally successful Furtwängler 12-CD boxed set, audite now presents a selection of recordings in LP format for audiophile vinyl enthusiasts. Containing compositions by Beethoven, Bruckner, Schubert, Brahms and Wagner, the LP boxed set (comprising 14 LPs on 180g vinyl) presents the principal works of the CD boxed set.

This CD boxed set, containing both live and studio recordings, documents the artistic cooperation between Otto Klemperer and the RIAS-Symphony-Orchestra (later known as the Radio-Symphony-Orchestra Berlin) from 1950 until 1958. These recordings illuminate Klemperer’s late performing style, his repertoire and his interpretational ideals. He explored the repertoire of the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries by creating three-dimensional sound, concise rhythms, clearly contoured forms and precise characterisations. Based on the two principal modernist styles in which he specialised, his artistic credo could be termed “objective expressionism”. For this edition, the original tapes from the RIAS archives were made available for the first time, ensuring the best possible technical quality.

Christian Ferras was one of the prominent representatives of the Franco-Belgian violin school. This studio recording was made in 1951 on the occasion of his sensational début with the Berlin Philharmonic under Karl Böhm with Beethoven’s violin concerto. Ferras was also a leading interpreter of Alban Berg’s violin concerto, as is impressively demonstrated by this emotionally charged live recording with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin.

The South German Organ Tradition was a considerable influence on Bach’s œuvre. This recording portrays representative works of the South German composers Johann Jakob Froberger, Johann Caspar Kerll, Georg Muffat and Johann Pachelbel alongside compositions of Bach, thus outlining these interrelations. In addition, this SACD realises the historical performance practice of the Magnificat: works by Pachelbel and Bach are newly combined in a traditional performance of the Magnificat including sung and played verses, forming one musical unity.

Two principal works of Schubert’s piano music, two solutions for the great form. They appear as contrary poles: energetic, resolute and boastful in the case of the Wanderer Fantasy whereas the final piano sonata is restrained, elusive and at times faltering. The common elements are in the slow movements. No other Romantic addressed so radically what is brought into focus here: the notion of time. In the Wanderer Fantasy it is reflected as rhythm, as “measured time”. The sonata questions the course of time itself, the elementary medium of life in music. In her interpretation, Hideyo Harada elucidates the contrasts as well as the common undercurrent which forms a link between the works.

Leo Blech was considered one of the greatest conductors of his time before he was forced in 1937 by the Nazis to emigrate, due to his Jewish faith. His artistic partnership with Julian von Károlyi, one of the leading pianists of his generation, is documented on this CD in a live recording from 1950. Both artists, outstanding interpreters of the twentieth century, are unjustly neglected today.

Anton Bruckner’s Third Symphony - the first fully valid example of his extraordinary symphonic idea: a combination of resplendent sounds and church service, as well as demonic romanticism and the comforting belief in heaven.

Edvard Grieg integrated his native dance rhythms as well as the Norwegian language into his music to such an extent that it became a symbol of longing for political independence from Sweden – notably in his songs, the most popular of which have been recorded here by the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln in Grieg’s own arrangement for string orchestra. These are complemented by Grieg’s suite in the “old style”, From Holberg’s Time, a homage to the great poet of the baroque, Ludvig Holberg.

This selection of French music for horn and piano from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries reveals the increasing variety in sound which the horn was able to produce thanks to the invention of valves.

Edvard Grieg was the voice of Norway in the nineteenth century, ringing out across the whole of Europe. His Symphonic Dances Op. 64 use authentic melodies and rhythms from the Norwegian mountains, whilst Grieg’s incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s drama Peer Gynt is characterised by more diverse writing. From the world-famous string line in Morning Mood to the wild chase in the Hall of the Mountain King, Grieg demonstrates every facet of his orchestral skills.

Composed in 1847, Robert Schumann’s Piano Trios Op. 63 and Op. 80 are consummate examples of the genre. The Swiss Piano Trio proves that these are unjustly neglected masterpieces of nineteenth century chamber music.

Sergiu Celibidache (1912-1996) directed the Berlin Philharmonic for seven years after the war as vicegerent for Furt­wängler who had been banned from conducting. This period is documented by live and studio recordings of the RIAS Berlin. For this edition the original tapes from the RIAS archives...