Studiosecrets
We reveal who’s recording what and where...
Pentatone Records has announced a new, long-term recording partnership with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and its American chief conductor Karina Canellakis. The multi-album deal begins with the acclaimed conductor and orchestra showcasing their prowess with a recording of Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Four Orchestral Pieces, released just recently by the label.
Conductor Hervé Niquet and Le Concert Spirituel have teamed up with the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and the Théâtre des Champs-elysées for an ambitious recording project celebrating the Royal Academy of Music during the reign of Louis XIV. Four annual releases are planned, with the first – Marais’s opera Ariane et Bacchus – just recently launching the project. Recordings of works by Charpentier, Desmarest and Lully will follow on Alpha Classics in 2024, ’25 and ’26.
First Hand Records have permission from the Britten estate to record a new English translation (by Timothy Adès) of
Les illuminations. A recording, planned for October at Henry Wood Hall in London, will be the first ever in English and will feature Ukrainian-born soprano Julia Kogan and the Britten Sinfonia under Steven-lloyd Gonzalez. FHR hope to release the recording, which will also feature Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, in the Spring of 2024.
Divine Art Recordings Group celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and its range of labels (including Divine Art, Métier and Athene) continues to grow its roster of artists and releases. Recently announced items include Chopin from English pianist Jonathan Phillips (out now), an album of new music by Nicola Lefanu performed by the Gemini Ensemble (out in the Autumn) and a pair of summer releases to mark the 80th birthday of composer Edward Cowie.