Isabelle Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov, Freiburger Barockorchester & Pablo Heras-Casado – Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56 & Trio, Op. 36 (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Isabelle Faust, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Alexander Melnikov, Freiburger Barockorchester & Pablo Heras-Casado – Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56 & Trio, Op. 36 (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:06:18 minutes | 1,12 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

After a successful trilogy devoted to the concertos and trios of Schumann, the team assembled alongside the Freiburger Barockorchester and Pablo Heras-Casado could not ignore one of Beethoven’s most unusual works: the Triple Concerto. They bring this score to life as only true chamber musicians can, revealing its subtlest colours and balances. The trio transcription of the Second Symphony, which was supervised by the composer himself, judiciously completes this exploration of lesser-known Beethoven, in which intimacy mingles with grandeur.

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Concerto Köln, Pablo Heras-Casado – El Maestro: Farinelli (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Concerto Köln, Pablo Heras-Casado – El Maestro: Farinelli (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:08:29 minutes | 1,26 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Archiv Produktion

Pablo Heras-Casado, “one of the most exciting conductors of his generation” (Die Welt), makes his Archiv Produktion debut performing instrumental and vocal music associated with Farinelli, the legendary 18th-century castrato who served as impresario and court musician to the kings of Spain.

As one of the label’s Archiv Ambassadors Pablo Heras-Casado enjoys an unusually varied conducting career: He has encompassed the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically-informed performance and cutting-edge contemporary scores, and has already developed a special rapport with a number of soloists, orchestras and opera houses. Now he returns to his core repertoire and musical heritage.

This new album with works of Baroque composers like Hasse, Porpora and Jomelli represents a fine selection of pieces, which Farinelli presented during his time as concert master/conductor in Madrid and Aranjuez. El Maestro Farinelli features eight world premier recordings, including some arias sung by Bejun Mehta, “the best countertenor in the world” (Süddeutsche Zeitung).

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Philharmonia Orchestra And Pablo Heras-Casado – Debussy: La Mer, Le Martyre De Saint Sébastien (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/48kHz]

Philharmonia Orchestra And Pablo Heras-Casado – Debussy: La Mer, Le Martyre De Saint Sébastien (2018)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 57:02 minutes | 510 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

2018 marks the centenary of the death of Claude Debussy. Considered by some to be the father of modern music, Debussy’s highly original system of harmony and musical structure expressed in many respects the ideals to which the Impressionist and Symbolist movements of his time aspired. Alongside two shimmering masterpieces, La Mer and the celebrated Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, the Symphonic Fragments from Le Martyre de saint Sébastien receive loving attention from the distinguished musicians of the Philharmonia Orchestra – making their harmonia mundi label début – conducted by Maestro Pablo Heras-Casado.

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Isabelle Faust, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado – Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto – Symphony No. 5 & The Hebrides (2017) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Isabelle Faust, Freiburger Barockorchester, Pablo Heras-Casado – Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto – Symphony No. 5 & The Hebrides (2017)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:01:37 minutes | 1,21 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

After the mystical Hebrides Overture and the masterly ‘Reformation’ Symphony, Mendelssohn embarked on his second violin concerto. After a long gestation in which he polished the orchestration and meticulously revised the solo part, the work was finally premiered in Leipzig in 1845. From David to Joachim, several virtuosos honed the violin part with the composer over successive revivals, leaving posterity traces of their playing style: fingerings, bowings, performance marks. This precious heritage has been scrutinised here for previously unexploited expressive resources. Isabelle Faust, accompanied by the Freiburger Barockorchester in top form under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado, offers us a miracle of purity and lyricism in this freshly minted interpretation that fulfills Mendelssohn’s promise of ‘a concerto to make the angels rejoice in heaven’!

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Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado – Mendelssohn: Symphonie No. 2 “Lobgesang” (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado - Mendelssohn: Symphonie No. 2

Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado – Mendelssohn: Symphonie No. 2 “Lobgesang” (2014)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 01:01:46 minutes | 601 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

The „Lobgesang“ (or „Hymn of Praise“) was commissioned by the city of Leipzig from its Kapellmeister Mendelssohn to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the invention of printing in 1840, and has elements of the symphony, cantata and oratorio. But, at the opposite pole from Beethoven’s Ninth, we have here a symphonic miniature in three movements, intended to act as the overture to the sung part of the work, which is twice as long. Thus this splendid „Symphony-Cantata“ expands into a sweeping vocal and choral epic.
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Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Pablo Heras-Casado – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 & The Tempest, Op. 18 (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Pablo Heras-Casado – Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 & The Tempest, Op. 18 (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:08:19 minutes | 1,17 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

Pablo Heras-Casado enjoys an unusually varied conducting career—encompassing the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically informed performance and cutting-edge contemporary scores. He has served as Principal Conductor of Orchestra of St. Luke’s since 2011, now extended to September 2017. OSL began as a chamber ensemble based at The Church of St. Luke in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Today, St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble consists of 21 virtuoso artists who perform a diverse repertoire and make up OSL’s artistic core. harmonia mundi are proud to release OSL’s debut album for the label featuring two of Tchaikovsky’s earliest notable works, both of which are dramatic and vibrant: Symphony No. 1, ‘Winter Dreams’ and ‘The Tempest’, a sprawling and turbulent seascape.

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Alisa Weilerstein, Pablo Heras-Casado, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Shostakovich: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Alisa Weilerstein, Pablo Heras-Casado, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks - Shostakovich: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

Alisa Weilerstein, Pablo Heras-Casado, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks – Shostakovich: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (2016)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:00:50 minutes | 1,04 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © Decca Music Group Ltd.

It was in Shostakovichs First Cello Concerto that cellist Alisa Weilerstein prompted the Los Angeles Times to marvel: Weilersteins cello is her id… She and the cello seem simply to be one and the same. Alisa returns with Shostakovichs cello masterworks Concertos 1 & 2.

Composed for the virtuosic cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, the coupling and contrasting of these two arresting works is irresistible: the anti-heroic, relentless, emotionally suppressed First Concerto set alongside the sarcasm and isolation of the Second.

Weilersteins interpretation is underpinned by her meeting Rostropovich a close friend of the composer when she was 22, playing Shostakovich for him and absorbing his advice and wisdom.

Her outstanding rapport with conductor Pablo Heras-Casado and the Symphonieorchester Bayerischen Rundfunks is evident in this new recording.
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