In April, PENTATONE releases three enthralling additions to the catalogue: Bach Cello Suites with Alisa Weilerstein,  Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana with Melody Moore, Lester Lynch, Brian Jagde, Dresdner Philharmonie, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig and Marek Janowski and Kaleidoscope: Beethoven Transcriptions with Mari Kodama.

Summit of the Cello Repertoire

Alisa Weilerstein

After her acclaimed PENTATONE debut with Transfigured Night, Alisa Weilerstein returns with a complete recording of Bach’s Cello Suites. These pieces present the highest mountain to climb for any cellist, and one of the most transcendent and rewarding experiences for listeners alike. With his suites, Bach crafted — essentially without direct precedent — a body of solo cello music that forever defined the genre and brought the Baroque cello on par with its more popular cousin, the viola da gamba. Since Pablo Casals put them in the limelight again after 150 years of relative oblivion, Bach’s suites have become the alpha and omega for generations of cellists. To Weilerstein, the joy of this music — vibrant, contemporary, unquestionably alive — is the joy of discovery. Having heard and studied these pieces for years, she now entrusts her interpretation to the listener. Since signing an exclusive contract with PENTATONE, Alisa Weilerstein has released Transfigured Night (2018), and featured on Inon Barnatan’s Beethoven Piano Concertos Part 1 as well as Old Souls, an album with music for flute and strings (both released in 2019).

This album will be released as 2 CDs and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186751)

A Symphonic Approach to Verismo 

Melody Moore, Lester Lynch, Brian Jagde, Dresdner Philharmonie, MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Marek Janowski

Marek Janowski and the Dresdner Philharmonie present a new recording of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, the verismo opera par excellence. Mascagni’s debut opera turned him into an overnight world star and continues to captivate listeners today. Even if the depiction of simple village folk and the direct emotional appeal of Cavalleria rusticana were initially greeted as a welcome alternative to the gods, intellectual pretences and dense orchestral textures of Wagner, Mascagni’s score in fact has many more symphonic qualities than is usually acknowledged. Marek Janowski, a champion of Wagnerian opera and German symphonic music, is the ideal candidate to demonstrate those qualities. He does this together with the Dresdner Philharmonie, the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir and a cast of outstanding vocal soloists, including Melody Moore as Santuzza, Brian Jagde as Turridu and Lester Lynch in the role of Alfio.

Marek Janowski is one of the most celebrated conductors of our times, and enjoys a vast PENTATONE discography including a recent recording of Weber’s Der Freischütz (2019) with the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir. This recording is the first in a series with the Dresdner Philharmonie, where Janowski currently serves as chief conductor. Melody Moore and Lester Lynch both have been featured on several PENTATONE releases, including Verdi’s Otello (2017). Brian Jagde is one of today’s rising opera tenor stars, and makes his PENTATONE debut.

This album will be released as 1 Super Audio-CD and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186772)

Beethoven Through the Lens of Other Great Composers

Mari Kodama

After her acclaimed complete recording of Beethoven’s piano sonatas, Mari Kodama returns with a programme consisting of Beethoven string quartets transcribed for piano by Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky and Balakirev, as well as Beethoven’s variations on the finale of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet. Most pieces are recorded for the first time. Kaleidoscope is designed as a homage, considering and experiencing Beethoven through the lens of other great composers.

Mari Kodama is one of the most extraordinary pianists of our age, and has an impressive PENTATONE discography, featuring Beethoven’s Complete Piano Sonatas (2003-2014), Piano Concertos of Loewe and Chopin (2003), Tchaikovsky Ballet Suites for Piano Duo (2016), De Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain (2017) and Martinů’s Concert for Two Pianos (2018).

This album will be released as 1 Super Audio-CD and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186841)