Celso Albelo, Jonas Kaufmann, & Gerhild Romberger Lead New CD/DVDs Releases

By Francisco Salazar

This week several great stars will release new solo albums. Here is a look at some of the ones that we recommend you stream this week.

Das Lied von der Erde

Iván Fischer leads the Budapest Festival Orchestra and soloists Gerhild Romberger and Robert Dean Smith in Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde.” In a statement, Fischer noted, “The long, endlessly stretched crescendo on the single note “e” (filled with so much desire) leads to the final part of Abschied, which I can only describe with the word ‘cosmic’. The voice is surrounded by floating meteors, objects, particles, or stars, which move in various directions and speeds. We have left the atmosphere and look back on the beautiful green and blue planet.”

“APDP… en busca de la PAZ”

 Tenor Celso Albelo releases his latest album which includes popular songs from the Canary Islands and Latin America as well as songs written by the tenor himself. The new album, which was recorded entirely recorded during lockdown, includes artists Javier Camarena, Pancho Corujo, Blanca Valido, and Sergio Núñez.

The recording will be released by Atlántida Music and includes music from the Canary Islands as well as from Cuba, Argentina and Mexico, and a bolero from the Puerto Rican writer Pedro Flores, performed as a duet with Camarena.

Peaceful Choirs 

Sony Classical will release the new album by Lavinia Meijer and chamber choir World Choir of Peace. The album is a relaxing musical journey through the manifold colors and sounds of contemporary choral music and was recorded with 360° Reality Audio production by Grammy-winning sound engineer Gregor Zielinsky. The album includes music by Sir Karl Jenkins, Hauschka, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, John Rutter, Maarja Nuut, David Reichelt, Ola Gjeilo, Eric Whitacre, Max Richter, Hans Zimmer, and Arvo Pärt. Other composers that contributed to the album include Kim André Arnesen, Dan Forrest, Jake Runestand, and Elaine Hagenberg.

Selige Stunde

Jonas Kaufmann releases his new album alongside Helmut Deutsch. The new recording, which was made during lockdown includes a highly personal selection of lieder by Schubert, Brahms, Strauss, Mahler, and other masters. “Selige Stunde” is the first album from this series of recording sessions. 

In a statement, Kaufmann noted, “We couldn’t go into the studio as originally planned, because it had to close on orders from the state. So the whole thing could only take place in private quarters. In the end, it proved to be a blessing in disguise, because something different comes out in private surroundings compared to a studio. You’re closer to the zeitgeist of these pieces, most of which were originally performed in more intimate settings, namely, in private circles, in so-called salons.”

Categories

DVD and CD ReleasesNews