Tag Archives: Deutsche Grammophon

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Music, Performing Arts, Videos

Classical: Violinist Mari Samuelsen Plays Dessner

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Deutsche Grammophon – DG (August 9, 2024):

‘To me, Song for Octave welcomes you into a different world. A dreamland in slow motion. I imagine being a child and walking in a glass house for the very first time, watching the rays of sunshine coming through the leaves of a big tree. It’s a quiet and peaceful conversation between light and shadow. (Pure and beautiful).‘

Rich in contemporary colour and contrast, LIFE – Mari Samuelsen’s third album for Deutsche Grammophon – is inspired by her experience of becoming a mother. Known for her vibrant and imaginative programming as well as her passionate and virtuosic playing, the Norwegian violinist has created a kaleidoscopic musical reflection of some of the emotional discoveries that come with parenthood.

The album presents music by Olivia Belli, Bryce Dessner, Ludovico Einaudi, Nils Frahm, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Mário Laginha, Hania Rani, Max Richter and Steve Reich, with a dash of Schubert also thrown into the mix. Samuelsen was joined at Teldex Studios in Berlin last autumn by a small group of fellow musicians, including the string players of Scoring Berlin, conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer. LIFE comes out digitally and on vinyl on 23 August 2024.

Find out more about Mari Samuelsen here: Instagram:   / samuelsenofficial   Facebook:   / marisamuelsenofficial   X:   / samuelsofficial   Website: https://marisamuelsen.com/

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Music, Performing Arts, Videos

Classical: Solo Guitarist Laura Lootens In Castilla

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Deutsche Grammophon – DG (October 31, 2023) – Laura Lootens, a winner of the Andrés Segovia Competition in Spain, performs here Castilla, from the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz’s Suite Española. This work was originally written for piano, but Laura Lootens has arranged it herself for solo guitar.

This piece is a track from Laura Lootens album of works by Albéniz on CAvi music: Laura Lootens – Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1 Op. 47: No. 7, Castilla (arr. for solo guitar) and Laura Lootens / Albéniz: Suite Española Malagueña and Other Works

As a homage to well-known regions and towns of Albéniz’s home country, Spain, it is written in a Romantic, national style, and features typical dance rhythms of its corresponding localities. Born in 1860, Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz was mainly a pianist and wrote primarily for the piano.

More than any other musician, he succeeded in incorporating the Spanish guitar idiom and folklore into his style. Thus, for instance, his works contain allusions to rasgueado, a guitar technique that strums all six strings percussively in rapid succession, as we often hear in flamenco.

So it is no wonder that many of Albéniz’s piano works have also been performed on the guitar.

Album page: https://dgt.link/lootens-albeniz

Video direction: Jure Knez

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Music, Videos

Classical Guitar: Laura Lootens Plays Albéniz

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Deutsche Grammophon – DG (October 10, 2023) – Laura Lootens, a winner of the Andrés Segovia Competition in Spain, performs here Malagueña, from the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz’s work España.

This work was originally written for piano, but Laura Lootens has arranged it herself for solo guitar. Born in 1860, Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz was mainly a pianist and wrote primarily for the piano. More than any other musician, he succeeded in incorporating the Spanish guitar idiom and folklore into his style.

Thus, for instance, his works contain allusions to rasgueado, a guitar technique that strums all six strings percussively in rapid succession, as we often hear in flamenco. So it is no wonder that many of Albéniz’s piano works have also been performed on the guitar.

This piece is a track from Laura Lootens album of works by Albéniz on CAvi music. Laura Lootens – Albéniz: España, Op. 165: No. 3, Malagueña. Allegretto (Arr. Laura Lootens) Laura Lootens / Albéniz: Suite Española, Malagueña and Other Works

Album page: https://dgt.link/lootens-albeniz

Video direction: Jure Knez

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Music, Videos

Classical: Cellist Camille Thomas Plays Chopin

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Deutsche Grammophon – DG (September 13, 2023) – Franco-Belgian cellist Camille Thomas plays on the Franchomme’s mythical cello – the Stradivarius Feuermann.

Chopin: No. 4 in E Minor, Largo Arr. for Cello and Piano by A. Franchomme / Adapted by Camille Thomas Listen to ‘The Chopin Project’ : https://camillethomas.lnk.to/TheChopi…

A journey in three chapters to discover Chopin’s life through the sound of the cello. The most ambitious project of the The Chopin’s sonata for cello and piano was dedicated to his friend Auguste-Joseph Franchomme. Franchomme transcribed the Chopin’s piano pieces for cello after knowing Chopin found no objection to this.

PIANO Julien Brocal

VIDEO DIRECTOR Olivier Saint-Yves

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Music, Videos

Classical: Pianist Hélène Grimaud Plays Schumann

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Deutsche Grammophon – DG – French Pianist Hélène Grimaud plays Kreisleriana, Op. 16, a composition in eight movements by Robert Schumann for solo piano, subtitled Phantasien für das Pianoforte.

It was written in only four days in April 1838 and a revised version appeared in 1850. In 1839, soon after publishing it, Schumann called it in a letter my favorite work, remarking that The title conveys nothing to any but Germans. The work’s title was inspired by the character of Johannes Kreisler from works of E. T. A. Hoffmann.

Arts & Literature, Classical Music, Concerts, Performing Arts, Videos

Classical Piano: Alice Sara Ott – Beethoven “Für Elise”

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Deutsche Grammophon (July 28, 2023) – Earlier this year, pianist Alice Sara Ott became the face of the Apple Music Classical app when she starred in its launch video, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and its Chief Conductor Karina Canellakis.

Beethoven: Für Elise, WoO 59 - YouTube

The recording of it now becomes the headline work in Ott’s latest Deutsche Grammophon album, Beethoven. The pianist has paired it with a series of solo works, including “Für Elise” and the “Moonlight” Sonata.

Arts & Literature, Books, Music, Reviews, Videos

Graphic Novels: ‘The Final Symphony – A Beethoven Anthology’ (Dec 2020)

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A new original graphic novel, The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology, celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday, has been published via Z2 Comics and Deutsche Grammophon. 

The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology, written by Brandon Montclare and Frank Marraffino, was inspired by the composer’s life and music. The graphic novel reimagines the life of the legendary composer through striking new visuals created by world-class artists. Readers will be able to experience both masterpieces and lesser-known gems in a brand new light. The deluxe edition will be accompanied by an exclusive double vinyl LP following the story through the composer’s own works.

Featuring Alice Sara Ott, Ezinma and Max Richter

Pianist Alice Sara Ott, violinist Ezinma and composer Max Richter, are all featured in their own chapters in The Final Symphony: A Beethoven Anthology. In the chapter featuring Alice Sara Ott, drawn by Creees Lee, the pianist invites the composer to hear one of his works played in a modern concert hall. The chapter featuring Ezinma, drawn by Jarrett Williams, celebrates Beethoven’s groundbreaking musical personality, and Max Richter has been transformed by artist Dave Chisholm, who also wrote the chapter.