We reveal who’s recording what and where...
Harpischordist Christophe Rousset is enjoying a busy recording schedule with two solo Bach albums planned for release by Aparté in March and May next year. Those follow the latest releases in his glittering Lully cycle of recordings with Les Talens Lyriques. Coming in January are both Acis et Galatée and Psyché, the latter coinciding with concert performances in Versailles and Vienna.
Albion Records has big plans for 2022, Vaughan Williams’s 150th-anniversary year. The label took a who’s who of artists to Henry Wood Hall recently for a blockbuster project featuring Clare College Choir, Mary Bevan, Sophie Bevan, Jess Dandy, Britten Sinfonia and more besides, and in December they record the Tredegar Town Band for an album called Vaughan Williams on Brass.
Manchester contemporary classical ensemble Psappha has joined forces with NMC to release its back catalogue and future recordings. Beginning with reissues of music by Peter Maxwell Davies and Kenneth Hesketh in September and January, an album of new commissions by the likes of Alissa Firsova and Tom Harrold is set for release in February. The ensemble turns 30 this year.
Fans of contemporary music will also be interested in October House Music, a new initiative which is part record label, part music publisher and part streaming/ download platform. Launched in October, it features exclusive content for subscribers, with the first batch of releases including performances and recordings by Kit Downes, Max Baillie and Héloïse Werner.
The Pentatone label marks its 20th anniversary with a mini-series of digital-only releases from its back catalogue. Launched in September, the series raises a toast with titles like Frizzante, Limoncello and Spätburgunder. Each showcases works that made an impact on release or deserve a second hearing.