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Martin Phipps:

Napoleon (Soundtrack From The Apple Original Film)

Milan Records today releases Napoleon (Soundtrack From The Apple Original Film) by BAFTA and Ivor Novello Award-winning composer Martin Phipps. Available everywhere now, the album features an original score written by Phipps for director Ridley Scott’s action epic starring Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix as the iconic French Emperor. The first collaboration between Scott and Phipps, it was important to Scott that the music reflect Napoleon’s persona as an outsider from Corsica, with Phipps incorporating traditional Corsican choirs, Ensemble Organum and Ensemble Spartimu, across the score. This emphasis on authenticity extends to the score’s instrumentation, with Phipps utilizing rougher, folk instruments like the accordion and hurdy-gurdy, as well as a piano once owned by Napoleon himself to capture the iconic ruler’s origins while creating a distinct soundscape for the film. Apple Original Films’ Napoleon is now available exclusively in theaters worldwide in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

ABOUT NAPOLEON 
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar®-winner Joaquin Phoenix. Against a stunning backdrop of large-scale filmmaking orchestrated by legendary director Ridley Scott, the film captures Bonaparte's relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine, showcasing his visionary military and political tactics against some of the most dynamic practical battle sequences ever filmed.

Written by David Scarpa. Produced by Ridley Scott, Kevin J. Walsh, Mark Huffam and Joaquin Phoenix. Executive Producers are Raymond Kirk, Aidan Elliott and Michael Pruss. The film also stars Vanessa Kirby.

Ryuichi Sakamoto:

Monster (OMPS)

The Hirokazu Kore-eda-directed film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Best Screenplay award. The soundtrack contains existing pieces licensed from Sakamoto’s catalog alongside two new pieces specifically composed for the film “Monster 1” and “Monster 2” prior to his passing this past spring.

Composer: Ryuichi Sakamoto (1.96M Monthly Listeners)

When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, his mother feels that there is something wrong. Discovering that a teacher is responsible, she storms into the school demanding to know what's going on. But as the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher and child, the truth gradually emerges.
 
‘Monster’ Director Kore-eda Hirokazu on Working With Composer Sakamoto Ryuichi on One of His Last Musical Compositions
“Kore-eda hoped a collaboration would happen after an earlier opportunity to work together over a decade ago fell through. He penned a letter to Sakamoto, who said yes. However, Sakamoto, who died earlier this year, said he didn’t have the strength to write the music for an entire score.

Sakamoto contributed music for two scenes in the film, including an important scene with Saori as she confronts Mr. Hori on insulting and hitting the children at school. Sakamoto’s music underscores that moment. He also wrote the end cue. Unable to give him a full composition, Sakamoto gave the director access to use music from his last solo album “12.” “He is such a unique talent,” Kore-eda says.”

James Newton Howard:

THE HUNGER GAMES -THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

Sony Music Masterworks today releases THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE) by award-winning composer JAMES NEWTON HOWARD. Available everywhere now, the album features original score music written by Howard for the new prequel to the massively popular dystopian film franchise. Howard makes his return to the world of Panem after scoring the franchise’s original four films, part of the composer’s longstanding creative relationship with director Francis Lawrence. Featured throughout the album’s 40 tracks is global superstar pianist YUJA WANG, infusing the score with her extraordinary musicality and lyricism. The soundtrack is also set to be released in vinyl format, arriving on colored discs enclosed in a 2-LP gatefold set alongside liner notes and stills from the film – preorder now. Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is now in theaters – watch the trailer. 

The prequel takes place 64 years before the events of the first film. In composing the score for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Howard embraced the opportunity to compose a fully orchestral score with a minimal amount of electronics. “The challenge for composing scores for movies is always about storytelling and connecting with the unique tone of the movie,” Howard says of the process. Utilizing baroque instruments like the viola de gamba and cello d’amore was effective in evoking a more rural, folk feel to the score, both a nod to the prequel’s earlier time period and also a stylistic extension of the original songs performed throughout by lead Rachel Zegler. 

John Medeski:

The Curse - MUSIC FROM SHOWTIME ORIGINAL SERIES

Milan Records today releases THE CURSE (MUSIC FROM THE SHOWTIME® ORIGINAL SERIES), the official soundtrack to Benny Safdie and Nathan Fielder’s genre-bending series featuring music written and performed by renowned keyboardist and composer JOHN MEDESKI executive produced by DANIEL LOPATIN aka ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER– LISTEN HERE. The latest in a longstanding creative partnership between Lopatin and Safdie, the keyboard-heavy score is a crucial element of the series, with Medeski’s atmospheric and meditative compositions coalescing to create an additional perspective on the onscreen story. Co-produced by SHOWTIME® and A24, The Curse debuts new episodes each Friday on streaming and on demand for Paramount+ subscribers with the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plan, and on-air on SHOWTIME® every Sunday at 10pm ET/PT.  

Inspired by the spiritual jazz music of Alice Coltrane, Daniel Lopatin enlisted one of his personal musical heroes, John Medeski, to compose and perform the series’ original score, trusting the modern jazz virtuoso to bring to life the depth of sound inherent throughout Coltrane’s work. A frequent collaborator to the Safdie brothers, Lopatin, meanwhile, was tasked with overseeing the series’ music as executive producer, while also co-producing and contributing to a couple of the compositions. Composer and engineer Randall Dunn also contributed on the recording and mixing side. The resulting collaboration is an evocative and unsettling score that not only provides a sonic backdrop to the series but also acts as an additional observer, offering its own distinct perspective of the unfolding story. Expressed through layers of organs, synthesizers, electric pianos and mellotrons, the 52-track score is deeply contemplative in nature, its depth of emotion and tone reflecting the complexity of the onscreen story.

Lise Davidsen:

Christmas from Norway

Lise Davidsen, the most in-demand soprano in the world right now, releases her new album, ‘Christmas From Norway’ via Decca Classics out now! Hailed as “The living, breathing meteor of the current opera world” (The i Paper), Lise’s forthcoming album presents a delightful and personally-selected collection of traditional Norwegian Christmas music and classic festive favorites, spreading the warm glow of the Scandinavian Christmas spirit. Reflecting on the project, the soprano expresses her long-standing desire to create this album. Lise says, “For Scandinavians, Christmas serves as a beacon of light in the midst of a lengthy winter. Perhaps that is why we embrace it so wholeheartedly.”

‘Christmas From Norway’ is an album particularly close to Lise’s heart – the holiday season not only being the singer’s favorite time of the year but also embodying her vision for music: breaking barriers and making it accessible to all without losing the craft. “Christmas is how I got into music” she recalls. “We listened to all kinds of music: choral music, popular music, and Norwegian songs.” A time when everyone can feel welcome to experience the beauty of classical music, even if they do not understand it fully at first, as she confessed “I’ve been in that situation myself a million times, wondering what’s going on… I’ve fallen asleep. I’ve not understood things. Classical music is for everyone, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to understand right away”.

For this album, the soprano draws inspiration from the classic albums of iconic predecessors on Decca Classics, such as Kirsten Flagstad and Birgit Nilsson. The album features beautiful arrangements drawn from the label's archive, originally made for such legendary singers as Luciano Pavarotti, Leontyne Price, and Renée Fleming.

Jung Jaeil:

A Prayer

A new digital EP from Jung Jaeil, ‘A Prayer’, is available today! An extension of his previously released digital album, ‘Listen’, the new EP includes works featuring Korean traditional vocals and percussion with words based on Korean traditional prayers, as well as ambient tracks.

Jaeil is currently busy working on several exciting projects, including Squid Game 2 and some new films, with his profile rising all the time.

"Writing his first film score at 15 and releasing his debut album at 20, multi-instrumentalist Jung Jaeil had a prodigious early career" - The Guardian

Soundtracks:

Maestro - Music of Leonard Bernstein

Directed, written, produced by, and starring Bradley Cooper in the title role, opposite Carey Mulligan, Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love. Deutsche Grammophon is delighted to be releasing the original soundtrack album for the movie, which has already garnered widespread critical acclaim. All the music in the film was chosen by Cooper, and the new recordings on the soundtrack were made by the London Symphony Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who also worked closely with the actor-director as conducting consultant before and throughout the film-making process. 

The album released digitally today, and on CD and vinyl on 1 December. Maestro is released in cinemas in the US on 22 November, in the UK on 24 November, and in the rest of the world between 1 and 8 December. It will then arrive on Netflix on 20 December. 

Maestro’s director and star has been surrounded and captivated by classical music since childhood. “Many an opera and classical album were playing in our house growing up,” recalled Bradley Cooper, who was speaking before the current SAG-AFTRA strike. “I spent hours conducting an imaginary orchestra to the best of my 8-year-old ability. There was one recording of Leonard Bernstein on heavy rotation. So the pilot light I needed to make Maestro turned on many years before I actually came across the project.”

Cooper, who also co-wrote Maestro with Josh Singer, worked closely with Bernstein’s three children, Jamie, Nina and Alexander in preparation for the filming. To make his portrayal of both the man and the artist as authentic as possible, he immersed himself in the classical world, spending hours with the New York Philharmonic and other orchestras, and learning from conductors Michael Tilson Thomas, Gustavo Dudamel and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The latter then assisted Cooper on set, notably on location at Ely Cathedral for a magical re enactment of Bernstein’s famous recording of Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony. He now hopes the soundtrack will inspire listeners to explore further the output of a man he considers to have been the most influential musician of the 20th century.

Luo Ning:

Rhapsody In Blue

In 2023, jazz pianist Luo Ning introduces his new album, "Rhapsody in Blue", a heartfelt expression of his initial passion and dedication to the world of jazz. Simultaneously, this release serves as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of the legendary composer George Gershwin's masterpiece, "Rhapsody in Blue". The album will be released globally on 8th November, 2023 via Universal Music China/Decca Records.

"Rhapsody in Blue" is a concerto composed in 1924 by the prolific American composer and pianist George Gershwin (1898-1937) for piano and orchestra, blending elements of classical and jazz music. Gershwin, a musical genius born into a Russian-Jewish immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York, wrote numerous jazz standards during his lifetime. "Rhapsody in Blue" stands as one of his most renowned compositions, marking a pivotal moment in the jazz era and establishing Gershwin as a globally acclaimed composer, ushering in a new era in American music history.

Avi Avital:

Concertos w/ Il Giardino Armonico - G. Antonini

“This is how I want to make music!” That was Avi Avital’s reaction when he first saw Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini play live in Jerusalem. Now famed worldwide for his own charismatic and passionate performances, the mandolinist is delighted to be joined by this exciting period-instrument ensemble and its conductor and co-founder on his latest album, entitled simply Concertos. Together they perform three original concertos for mandolin – by Barbella, Paisiello and Hummel – and Avital’s own adaptations of concertos by J.S. Bach and Vivaldi. Antonini is the recorder soloist in the Bach, while elaborate recording techniques allow Avital to play all four parts in the Vivaldi. Concertos is set for release by Deutsche Grammophon on 17 November. The Vivaldi concerto and the Andantino of the Barbella are available to stream or download now, while excerpts from the Paisiello and Hummel works will be released on 29 September and 27 October respectively.

Avi Avital was a young student at the Jerusalem Music Academy when he was, to use his own word, “dragged” by a Baroque enthusiast friend to an Il Giardino Armonico concert. “It was a truly formative experience,” he recalls. “Everything about them was different – they played Vivaldi with such physical energy and power of expression.” Now, on Concertos, the ensemble partners Avital in what he says is probably his favourite Vivaldi concerto: RV 580 in B minor, originally for four violins. 

The mandolinist had long cherished a “clear vision” of how he wanted to perform this work. Given recent technological advances, he and Antonini decided to experiment with multitrack recording to enable him to play all four parts in his adaptation of the concerto. Avital ended up using four different mandolins – and two mandolas – in this showstopping interpretation, enabling each voice to have a different colour and character. “I’m extremely proud of the result,” he says. “I feel we managed to create the feeling of a live performance in which the soloists are communicating with each other.” 

Avital’s second adaptation transforms J.S. Bach’s well-known Concerto for violin and oboe, BWV 1060R into a “lighter and brighter” version for mandolin and recorder. Rehearsing and recording the work, notes the artist, led to all the musicians involved reformulating the way they thought about the concerto. His fellow soloist here is none other than Giovanni Antonini – a virtuoso recorder player and flautist. Avital’s inclusion of this work is part of his “lifelong mission” to record as much of the composer’s music as possible, and extends his existing DG Bach discography.

Anne-Sophie Mutter - Mutters Virtuosi:

Bach, Bologne, Previn, Vivaldi, Williams

As part of a 10-concert European tour in June 2023, Anne-Sophie Mutter and her Virtuosi ensemble, comprising some of today’s finest young string players, gave an acclaimed concert at the Vienna Musikverein. This took place just days before the violinist’s 60th birthday and it speaks volumes that she chose to share a stage with her young colleagues rather than marking the occasion with a gala solo performance. Based on that live concert, Mutter’s latest Deutsche Grammophon album shows the variety and versatility for which she has become renowned, its repertoire ranging from Vivaldi and Bach to Previn and John Williams, via Joseph Bologne. It is set for release on 10 November, with three taster tracks to be issued digitally, complete with videos: Williams’s Theme from Schindler’s List on 6 October; the Allegro finale from Vivaldi’s Concerto for 3 Violins on 27 October; and the central Largo from Bologne’s Violin Concerto in A major on the same day as the album. The Vienna concert was filmed as a Unitel production, in co production with Deutsche Grammophon & ZDF, and in cooperation with Arte Concert & Wiener Musikverein. Viewers around the world can enjoy it now on STAGE+, with the exception of those in France and Germany, who will be able to access it on the platform from 29 December onwards. 

Anne-Sophie Mutter’s extraordinary gifts were instantly recognised by Herbert von Karajan when she auditioned for him at the age of 13. The legendary conductor became her trusted mentor in the early years of her hugely successful international career. Mutter has since gone on to adopt a significant mentoring role herself, supporting young musicians through the foundation she established in 1997. In 2011, she set up Mutter’s Virtuosi, whose continually changing membership primarily comprises current and former recipients of Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation scholarships. Under her leadership, it tours widely, premieres new works and gives benefit concerts, thus both reflecting Mutter’s own priorities and offering its players a well-rounded introduction to the life of a professional musician. “Music moves us only when it tells a story”, Mutter says. “And I’m on the trail of the next generations of storytellers.” 

With its chamber-like qualities, the Virtuosi ensemble is particularly well suited to Baroque and Classical works, as can be heard on the new album, where the players are joined by harpsichordist Knut Johannessen. The opening work is Vivaldi’s appropriately virtuosic Concerto for 3 Violins, RV 551, on which Mutter’s fellow soloists are Elias David Moncado and Mohamed Hiber. Vivaldi features among the encores, too – a dazzling performance of the Presto finale from the “Summer” Concerto. Staying with the Baroque, Mutter also programmes J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, providing individual moments for each of the nine string soloists, and his Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, whose meditative central Andante is framed by exhilarating fast movements. 

Lara Somogyi:

! (expansion)

The pioneering electronic artist and harpist Lara Somogyi unveils an exciting new chapter in her musical journey with the announcement of '! (expansion)' – a digital-only expanded album following her debut solo release, '!' (pronounced "Exclamation"). Released via Mercury KX on the 20th October, the expansion features ten captivating versions of original tracks from her acclaimed album '!', each offering a mesmerizing fusion of orchestral arrangements, expanded harp versions, acoustic renditions, and remixes by artists including Kinnship, CARM & Trever Hagen, and Joviale. 

With the original album '!', Somogyi introduced audiences to a unique and captivating sound world, merging the expressive capabilities of the harp with electronic elements. The result was an awe-inspiring exploration of the instrument's vast potential. Lara Somogyi's unique and visionary approach to music has garnered support from esteemed publications and radio platforms. Pitchfork, DJ Mag, Wonderland, and BBC Radio 6's Mary Anne Hobbs have all recognized her groundbreaking work, with Wonderland describing her music as "blissful, meditative, and daring ambient harp-centered productions," while Mary Anne Hobbs praises her for taking the harp into new and contemporary worlds.

Now, with the expanded album, Somogyi delves even deeper into her sonic journey, incorporating orchestral expansions that showcase her profound love for symphonic strings harmonizing with the harp. Collaborating with composer and producer Cyrus Reynolds, who co-composed the album, the expanded tracks feature mesmerizing arrangements that weave together contrasting rhythms, textures, and soaring accompaniments.

Discussing the expanded album, Somogyi reveals, "The orchestral expansions came from a profound love of symphonic strings alongside with the harp. I have such deep orchestral roots, so pairing these songs with a string ensemble felt like such a natural evolution within all of these compositions. The string timbres against the harp and electronics create a captivating language that intrigues me. I'm excited to have these versions out in this release."

Chloe Flower:

Chloe Hearts Christmas

In the last 12 months alone, pop-classical virtuoso Chloe Flower has performed for the President of the United States at the Kennedy Center Honors, accompanied Lil Baby on Saturday Night Live, and teamed up with Mimi So and Daniel Martin to design a ring for AAPI Month—spending much of this time behind one of Liberace’s pianos in couture high fashion pieces. What better way to cap off an unbelievable year than with the release of her first-ever holiday album, Chloe Hearts Christmas, available from Sony Music Masterworks.

The queen of pop-classical has reimagined, reinvented, and reinvigorated 17 seasonal classics with her own “popsical”—pop-meets-classical—spin. As such, she breathes new life into traditional melodies, beloved standards, contemporary pop hits, and holiday soundtrack staples. Chloe Flower doesn’t unwrap these soon-to-be holiday staples alone though. Academy® Award- and GRAMMY® Award-winning icon and The Roots Co-Founder Questlove appears on four tracks, including “Blue Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “The Christmas Waltz,” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Meanwhile, Chloe’s mentor and legendary producer and songwriter Babyface co-produced her take on “Carol of the Bells.”

Palle Mikkelborg/Jakob Bro/Marilyn Mazur:

Strands - Live at the Danish Radio Concert Hall

“When we walked out on stage it felt like a homecoming,” says guitarist Jakob Bro of this texturally spacious and emotionally charged live recording from Copenhagen, on which three of the defining protagonists of improvisation in Denmark, leading musicians from three generations of Danish jazz, come together. The concert, in February 2023, was particularly poignant since it marked a return to performance for trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, who delivers characteristically thoughtful playing here, always in service of the group context.

Repertoire - primarily by Bro but also including Mikkelborg’s piece “Youth” as well as “Returnings”, co-written by Palle and Jakob - is addressed in spontaneous and exploratory spirit. Material is gently transformed and reinvented as Marilyn Mazur’s subtle percussion language of blossoming gongs, bowed metals and rumbling drums blends with Bro’s drifting and rippling washes of sound.  The music’s atmospheric qualities, as well its eruptive moments, are enhanced by the resonant acoustics of the Danish Radio Concert Hall. 

Cast Albums:

Stephen Sondheim - MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

Sony Masterworks Broadway, along with producers Sonia Friedman, David Babani and Patrick Catullo release the digital version of the New Broadway Cast Recording of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG out now, alongside the official music video for the title track – watch here. The physical CD is set for release on January 12, 2024 and available now for preorder here. Produced by David Caddick, David Lai, Joel Fram and Maria Friedman, the album was recorded and mixed by Ian Kagey at Berklee at PowerStationNYC and Renaissance Recording NY. The New Broadway Cast Recording includes new liner notes from Director and Album Producer Maria Friedman as well as former New York Times Chief Theater Critic, Ben Brantley.  

“Merrily We Roll Along’s initial short run may have been nothing but a footnote in the illustrious career of Stephen Sondheim without the preservation of his amazing score on the Original Broadway Cast Recording,” says Scott Farthing, EVP of Sony Masterworks U.S. “How amazing that over 40 years later, Masterworks Broadway had the opportunity to memorialize the musical’s celebrated new revival to live alongside the iconic original album.”

Tony Ann:

EMOTIONALLY RED

After generating hundreds of millions of views across platforms and attracting a fervent global audience, piano virtuoso, multiplatinum songwriter, and social media sensation Tony Ann will releases his third EP, EMOTIONALLY RED, out today via Decca Records/Universal Music France.

Tony has captivated listeners everywhere online. Following stints at both Cleveland Institute of Music and Berklee College of Music, the classically trained solo pianist has consistently unveiled viral content at a prolific pace. His online imprint consists of nearly 2 million total followers, while he has generated several million total views. Along the way, he has instituted fan favorite series such as “play that word” where viewers suggest words, and he crafts his own original compositions with letters on the keyboards.

Continuing on a brighter note, with “EMOTIONALLY RED”, Ann explores romance through a free flowing and spirited performance that effectively expresses the ubiquitous emotions associated with love. The main theme passes effortlessly between both hands showing Tony’s brilliant technique and ability as a composer to create compositions that are both simple and sophisticated simultaneously.

Nitai Hershkovits:

Call on the old wise

Call on the Old Wise is Nitai Hershkovits’ first record for ECM, presenting his powerful pianistic ingenuity in a largely improvised solo setting. Nitai’s improvisations unfold like compositions being created in real-time: “It’s like I’m playing with several periods of music at once, but in a sort of augmented-reality-environment,” states Nitai. “To me the album is like a journey taking you through multiple varying experiences in the blink of an eye. Like jumping through frames holding different pictures or looking through windows to different worlds.” Call on the Old Wise follows Isabela and Here Be Dragons, where Nitai has been heard as a member of Oded Tzur’s quartet. 

The album is partially dedicated to Nitai’s former piano teacher Suzan Cohen, with whom he studied in Jerusalem and who according to Nitai is the mentor to whom the term ‘wise’ in the record’s title alludes. The pieces “The Old Wise”, “Of Mentorship” and “For Suzan” refer directly to her. But Nitai draws from wide-reaching influences, ranging from his work in jazz contexts and cutting-edge contemporary explorations to his background in classical music. This immaculate balance of idioms gives rise to an abundance of colours and timbres, explored by a pianist, who has successfully forged his very own voice as improviser and shape-designer.

David Young:

Merry Christmas

This breathtaking recording is graced with angels and full symphonic orchestral sound - melodies to fill you with gentle peace and healing energy while drawing you inward and upward, like a soft heavenly breeze. David Young's unique approach of playing two recorders in harmony offers you an invitation to take a journey to the deepest, most precious place inside yourself. Capture the spirit of the holiday season with these original arrangements of traditional carols while the dreamlike sounds of harp, guitar and recorder create a magical backdrop for the hoilday season - beautiful renditions of your favorite Christmas music!

Arvo Part:

Tractus

Tractus emphasizes Arvo Pärt compositions that blend the timbres of string orchestra and choir. New versions predominate, with focused performances from the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under Tõnu Kaljuste’s direction that invite alert and concentrated listening. From the opening composition Littlemore Tractus, which takes as its starting point consoling reflections from a sermon by John Henry Newman, the idea of change, transfiguration and renewal resonates, setting a tone for a recording whose character is one of summing up, looking inward, and reconciling with the past.

Tõnu Kaljuste, a long-time ally of Pärt, points out that much recent discussion with the composer has revolved around new approaches to the scores. Commenting on the wide-reaching and evocative repertoire brought together here, Wolfgang Sandner remarks in the CD’s liner note, “sound and silence, music and word always remain in dialogue in Arvo Pärt’s work. But the vocal and the instrumental too, the secular and the profane, complement each other. Liturgical ritual and spiritual concert are in exchange and form a context that points to a common origin.”

Ella Fitzgerald:

Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas

Ringing in the 2023 holidays with a timeless seasonal classic, Verve Records announces a new edition of Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas, the legendary holiday album from Ella Fitzgerald. The collection of festive tunes—now on “ruby red” vinyl with a collectible cover that is unique to this color variant — is sure to enchant fans new and old. The new version also features the official visualizer for Ella’s rendition of “Good Morning Blues.” Order HERE and watch the visualizer HERE.

Hailed as "the best holiday album ever" by Salon, Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas has been a cherished holiday classic amongst jazz aficionados for more than sixty years. Ranking #10 on Rolling Stone's "25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time" and #2 on The Guardian's "20 Greatest Christmas Albums” this stunning edition introduces a new spirit to this timeless collection of classics from Ella and makes for a perfect gift for any fan.  

Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she sold more than 40 million albums and received most every honor a performer could dream of winning, including the Kennedy Center Honor (1979), the National Medal of Arts (1987), France's Commander of Arts and Letters (1990), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1992) and 13 Grammy Awards. In 2007, the United States Postal Service honored Fitzgerald with a postage stamp.

In her six-decade long career, the Queen of Jazz recorded more than 200 albums and roughly 2,000 songs, making her the most recorded female – and the second most recorded – performer in history. Fitzgerald's distinct style has influenced multiple generations of singers and her work transcends generations and musical genres.

Bruce Liu:

Waves - Music of Rameau, Ravel, Alkan

Victory at the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition in October 2021 turned Bruce Liu into a worldwide sensation. Deutsche Grammophon’s live album of his competition recordings was released to rave reviews the following month, and the Canadian-Chinese pianist became an exclusive DG artist in March 2022. He released a series of Rameau and Chopin singles in 2022, and an acclaimed interpretation of J.S. Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in April this year (“[a] carefully conceived and superbly played reading” ClassicalMusic.com). As a result, he has already amassed over 25 million streams across all platforms.

Liu has now recorded his much-anticipated debut studio album, its repertoire spanning two centuries of French keyboard music and including two works new to the DG catalogue. Waves: Music by Rameau · Ravel · Alkan, featuring liner notes by Gramophone editor James Jolly, is out digitally, on CD and vinyl (2 LPs), and as a signed limited-edition deluxe version out today. Three singles with performance videos are also released in advance of the album: the Gavotte from Rameau’s Suite in A minor– coinciding with Liu’s Hollywood Bowl debut; “Une barque sur l’océan” from Ravel’s Miroirs; and the Menuets from Rameau’s Suite in G major on.

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