Start

Artists

Diverse Künstler

News

Out now: TORU TAKEMITSU - 1982 Historic Recordings

Wiederveröffentlichungen / Raritäten Klassik

KLASSIK

Takemitsu: 1982 Historic Recordings Cover

Toru Takemitsu: 1982 Historic Recordings

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the iconic composer's passing we announce the first release of a recording of the legendary concert from June 27, 1982,

TORU TAKEMITSU - 1982 Historic Recordings Release Website News Header

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the iconic composer's passing we announce the first release of a recording of the legendary concert from June 27, 1982, conducted by Hiroyuki Iwaki (1932 -2006) and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra at which three of the composer's works were given their world-premiere performances. These included A Way A Lone II (for string orchestra), Toward the Sea (for alto flute, harp and string orchestra) and Dreamtime (for orchestra).
The album is out now and includes a previously unreleased speech by Takemitsu himself in which he speaks about his life, music and the pieces performed at this concert.

STAGE+ Launches Its Offer for Academic Libraries Worldwide

Campus licences and consortial models bring classical music, jazz and audiovisual productions to universities and research institutions
Berlin, 27 October 2026. STAGE+, Deutsche Grammophon's streaming service for classical music and jazz, is launching an offer for libraries worldwide. Universities and research institutions can now obtain access through a campus licence or a consortium model. Students, faculty and researchers gain institutional access to a curated selection of audiovisual content, including livestreams, operas, concerts and documentaries, as well as more than 20,000 audio albums. The offer includes recordings spanning the past 119 years from the world's leading labels: Deutsche Grammophon, Decca Classics, ECM Records, Blue Note Records, Impulse!, Verve Records, Hyperion, Myrios and Carus. STAGE+ is the only service that meaningfully brings together audio and video catalogues as well as offerings from classical music and jazz. It therefore covers content types and genres that are otherwise spread across several existing academic platforms.
The academic offer is designed from the outset for institutional use: a campus licence gives access to all members of an institution, including off-campus access via IP authentication. Consortia and library networks can take out shared licences on attractive terms. STAGE+ thus complements individual consumer subscriptions with a model for research, teaching and shared library use. Depending on the production, audio is available in lossless quality up to 24-bit/48 kHz and Dolby Atmos, with video in 4K.
&ldquo;STAGE+ brings a distinctive proposition to the academic classical music and jazz market: it combines extensive audio catalogues with concert and opera productions, as well as live and on-demand video, on a platform available under institutional licences,&rdquo; says Dr Sven Fund, General Manager of STAGE+. &ldquo;The offer complements both research-oriented audio libraries and specialist video archives.&rdquo;
Libraries receive searchable metadata for works, composers, performers and ensembles through STAGE+. Opera subtitles are available to users in ten languages. Dedicated interfaces and usage statistics are also provided specifically for libraries.
The offer is available worldwide. Libraries and consortia can request trial access and pricing information at www.stage-plus.com/libraries&nbsp;
About STAGE+ STAGE+ is Deutsche Grammophon&rsquo;s streaming service for classical music and jazz. Each year, the platform presents more than 50 livestreams from renowned festivals, concert halls and opera houses around the world. Its programme brings together exclusive premieres, on-demand concert and opera productions, music videos, documentaries and interviews, alongside new audio releases and thousands of albums in high-quality audio and video. STAGE+ is available via TV, web and mobile apps. Depending on the production, video is available in up to 4K and audio in lossless, Hi-Res and Dolby Atmos formats; selected content can also be used offline on supported mobile devices. Partners include Carnegie Hall, the Royal Opera House, Staatsoper Berlin and Teatro alla Scala.
www.stage-plus.com &nbsp;

Deutsche Grammophon China and Xinghai Concert Hall Present the Inaugural DG Music Festival in Guangzhou

Curated by Daniel Hope, the four-day festival celebrates classical music, cross-cultural collaboration and China&rsquo;s emerging musical voices, November 15&ndash;18, 2026
GUANGZHOU, CHINA &mdash; Deutsche Grammophon China and Xinghai Concert Hall will jointly present the inaugural DG Music Festival in Guangzhou from November 15 to 18, 2026. The first officially presented in-person music festival in the label&rsquo;s nearly 130-year history will bring together leading Chinese and international artists for four days of concerts, exhibitions and encounters with audiences.
With the globally renowned violinist and DG artist Daniel Hope serving as the festival&rsquo;s Curator and Guest Artistic Director, the programme features three headline concerts alongside a wide-ranging series of exhibitions and public events. Participating artists include cellist Jian Wang, pianists Xiaofu Ju and Yingjia Xue, guzheng artist Yang Yang, vocalist Linna Gong and the AIR Ensemble. Immediately preceding the core festival performances, longstanding DG artist Yuja Wang will be appearing at Xinghai Concert Hall with Mahler Chamber Orchestra and kicking off the celebration.
Spanning solo recitals, chamber music, vocal performances and cross-cultural collaborations, the festival places classical masterworks alongside traditional melodies, new arrangements and original compositions. It invites audiences across the Greater Bay Area to experience music as a living dialogue between cultures and generations.
A Historic Partnership, a Long-Term Vision
Founded in 1898, Deutsche Grammophon has long been one of the world&rsquo;s most prestigious classical music labels. With nearly three decades of history, Xinghai Concert Hall is an internationally renowned, world-class concert hall and one of China&rsquo;s most influential performing arts venues.
Launched in 2025, DG China is dedicated to discovering and supporting Chinese musical talent in keeping with DG&rsquo;s artistic standards, and bringing China&rsquo;s voices to the world. The festival marks an important step in that commitment. More than a touring event, it is envisioned as a lasting cultural initiative developed together with Xinghai Concert Hall.
Guangzhou&rsquo;s longstanding openness to international exchange provides a fitting setting for this collaboration. Bringing DG&rsquo;s recording heritage into dialogue with Xinghai Concert Hall&rsquo;s dynamic artistic programme, the festival will create a shared space for established masters, emerging artists and audiences to listen, discover and connect.
Dr. Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon and New Business Strategy Global Classics at Universal Music: &ldquo;For nearly 130 years, Deutsche Grammophon has championed exceptional artists and brought their music to audiences around the world. The inaugural DG Music Festival in Guangzhou opens a new chapter in that mission, creating a space where our artistic heritage meets the energy and imagination of Chinese musicians. With Daniel Hope as Curator and Xinghai Concert Hall as our esteemed partner, we look forward to celebrating the power of live music to connect cultures, generations and communities.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We hope that what we create over these four days at Xinghai Concert Hall will be more than a few concerts: a truly open musical space that welcomes all music and conveys hope and energy,&rdquo; says Daniel Hope, Curator and Guest Artistic Director of DG Music Festival. &ldquo;Music&rsquo;s most precious power is not to show us how different we are, but to remind us to share, understand and discover together.&rdquo;
Three Concerts, Three Musical Journeys
Salut d&rsquo;Amour
November 16, 2026 | 8:00 p.m. Jian Wang and Yingjia Xue
The festival&rsquo;s opening headline concert pairs celebrated cellist Jian Wang with pianist Xue Yingjia in a programme of lyrical miniatures spanning the Classical era, Romanticism and the twentieth century.
Highlights include works by Schumann, Saint-Sa&euml;ns, Faur&eacute;, Tchaikovsky, Piazzolla and Elgar, alongside Chinese composer Liu Rongfa&rsquo;s Pastoral Song. Daniel Hope will also make a special appearance.
The first Chinese musician to sign an exclusive contract with DG, Jian Wang embodies a longstanding connection between the label and Chinese artistry. His newly recorded Bach Cello Suites, released in 2025, also marked DG China&rsquo;s first album release.
Music in Harmony
November 17, 2026 | 8:00 p.m. International Masters Meet DG China
Daniel Hope and Jian Wang join Nicola Mosca, principal cellist of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and DG China artists Xiaofu Ju and Yang Yang for an evening of musical exchange across generations and traditions.
Bringing together violin, cello, piano, guzheng and Irish harp, the programme includes selections from Tan Dun&rsquo;s Hero Concerto, Mendelssohn&rsquo;s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, and Xiaofu Ju&rsquo;s arrangements of Dowland&rsquo;s In Darkness Let Me Dwell and Mozart&rsquo;s Lacrimosa from Requiem.
Yang Yang contributes her original work Tianmu Yin and her own arrangement of Ludovico Einaudi&rsquo;s Nuvole Bianche. Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake, arranged by Paul Bateman, and Piazzolla&rsquo;s Winter in Buenos Aires further expand the evening&rsquo;s cross-cultural conversation.
A Night of Brilliance
November 18, 2026 | 8:00 p.m. Daniel Hope, AIR Ensemble and Special Guest Linna Gong
The final headline concert brings Daniel Hope together with the AIR Ensemble and acclaimed vocalist Linna Gong for a journey across more than four centuries of music.
Rooted in the Baroque tradition, the AIR Ensemble moves fluently between early music, folk traditions and cross-cultural arrangements. The programme travels from Renaissance and Baroque Europe to Ireland and China, featuring music by composers including Ortiz, Corelli, Purcell and Vivaldi, alongside Irish traditional melodies and special arrangements of Chinese favourites such as Jasmine Flower, Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon and The Moon Reflected in Erquan.
Beyond the Concert Stage
Throughout the four-day festival, exhibitions and public events will invite audiences to explore the stories, ideas and craftsmanship behind the music.
Four themed exhibitions will showcase performances and artist interviews from DG STAGE+ platform; trace the evolution of DG&rsquo;s album-cover design; celebrate vinyl recordings and the label&rsquo;s recording heritage; and introduce official DG merchandise to China.
The public programme will include a talk marking the 120th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich&rsquo;s birth, alongside artist conversations, music-sharing salons, a session exploring concert etiquette, city walks, signing events and an after-party.
These activities will offer opportunities for audiences to meet musicians beyond the concert stage, extending the festival into a broader cultural experience that encourages curiosity, participation and a deeper connection with classical music.
Full programme details, activity announcements and ticketing conditions are available through Xinghai Concert Hall&rsquo;s official channels.
DG Music Festival 2026 November 15&ndash;18, 2026 Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou, China presented by Deutsche Grammophon China and Xinghai Concert Hall
Public Tickets Contact：<a href="mailto:program@concerthall.com.cn">program@concerthall.com.cn</a>

Universal Music celebrates twelve wins at OPUS KLASSIK 2026 - Martha Argerich receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Berlin, 11 October 2026. Artists from Deutsche Grammophon, Decca Classics and DG partner labels CAvi-music, ECM and Myrios received twelve awards across eleven categories at OPUS KLASSIK 2026. Martha Argerich was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating her extraordinary contribution to classical music. The gala at Konzerthaus Berlin featured performances by Alice Sara Ott, Andr&egrave; Schuen, Katharina Konradi and Sarah Willis with her band, The Sarahbanda. D&eacute;sir&eacute;e Nosbusch hosted the ceremony, accompanied by the Konzerthausorchester Berlin conducted by Anna Rakitina. The ceremony was televised by German public broadcaster ZDF.
The awards recognise a remarkable range of artists, repertoire and recording projects. Anna Lucia Richter was named Female Singer of the Year for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/mahler-songs-of-fate-anna-lucia-richter-14171">Mahler &ndash; Songs of Fate</a>, while Andr&egrave; Schuen received the Male Singer of the Year award for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/mozart-andre-schuen-13743">Mozart</a>. Sarah Willis, for<a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/cuban-christmas-sarah-willis-the-sarahbanda-14085"> Cuban Christmas</a>, and Yunchan Lim, for his recording of Bach&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/bach-goldberg-variations-yunchan-lim-14306">Goldberg Variations</a> live from Carnegie Hall, were honoured as Instrumentalists of the Year.
Andris Nelsons was named Conductor of the Year for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/mendelssohn-oratorios-symphonies-andris-nelsons-14271">Mendelssohn: Symphonies &amp; Oratorios</a> with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla received the Symphonic Recording of the Year award for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/back-to-nature-mirga-grazinyte-tyla-14009">Back to Nature: Čiurlionis &amp; Gražinis</a>. Alice Sara Ott won in the New Classic/Neoclassic category for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/johannsson-piano-works-alice-sara-ott-13864">J&oacute;hann J&oacute;hannsson &ndash; Piano Works</a>, featuring world premiere recordings of piano transcriptions. Katharina Konradi and Daniel Heide received the award for Vocal Solo Recording of the Year for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/liszt-songs-vol-iii-un-cycle-imaginaire-daniel-heide-katharina-konradi-14130">Franz Liszt: Un Cycle Imaginaire</a>.
Producer Rainer Maillard received the Innovative Listening Experience of the Year award for Mikhail Pletnev&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/chopin-scriabin-preludes-mikhail-pletnev-14043">Chopin &amp; Scriabin: Pr&eacute;ludes</a>, DG&rsquo;s first entirely analogue new recording since the 1980s. The Chamber Music Recording of the Year award went to <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/pur-ti-miro-wu-wei-14258">Pur ti miro</a> by Wu Wei, Martin Stegner and Janne Saksala, which brings together the sheng, a Chinese mouth organ, with viola and double bass. Lang Lang received the Bestseller of the Year award for <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/piano-book-2-lang-lang-13779">Piano Book 2</a>, spanning music by Bach, Chopin and Liszt alongside film, anime and gaming music.
Argerich&rsquo;s Lifetime Achievement Award recognises a career that has inspired generations of musicians and listeners. Over almost six decades, she has built an exceptional discography at Deutsche Grammophon. At 85, she continues to perform worldwide and champion young musicians.
The gala brought several of the award-winning artists to the stage. Alice Sara Ott performed a nocturne from her DG recording <a href="https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/field-complete-nocturnes-alice-sara-ott-13665">John Field &middot; Complete Nocturnes</a>, while Andr&egrave; Schuen sang &ldquo;Non pi&ugrave; andrai&rdquo; from Mozart&rsquo;s Le nozze di Figaro. Sarah Willis and The Sarahbanda performed an arrangement of Mozart&rsquo;s Eine kleine Nachtmusik with vocals, followed by &ldquo;Horn Extravaganza&rdquo;. Katharina Konradi joined Jonas Kaufmann for &ldquo;Tanzen m&ouml;cht ich&rdquo; from Emmerich K&aacute;lm&aacute;n&rsquo;s Die Cs&aacute;rd&aacute;sf&uuml;rstin.
&ldquo;Our artists represent different generations, cultures and musical voices. From great classical works and Cuban rhythms to anime and gaming music, they bring fresh perspectives and create new ways for audiences to connect with classical music. This diversity keeps classical music alive &ndash; and we are proud to support our artists on their artistic journeys,&rdquo; says Kleopatra Sofroniou, General Manager Classics, Deutsche Grammophon.
Frank Briegmann, Chairman &amp; CEO Universal Music Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada &amp; Deutsche Grammophon: &ldquo;Twelve OPUS KLASSIK awards are a tremendous recognition of our artists and, at the same time, a powerful testament to the creative vitality of classical music. Martha Argerich has inspired generations for decades, while other artists are opening up new perspectives on great works today. That is precisely what makes classical music so special: the pursuit of the highest artistic standards, an enduring spirit of curiosity, and the courage to bring fresh perspectives to timeless works. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to all the award winners. My sincere thanks also go to ZDF, the media partner of OPUS KLASSIK, for providing these exceptional artists and their music with such an outstanding platform.&rdquo;
OPUS KLASSIK honours outstanding classical artists and productions. The winners are selected by an independent, eleven-member expert jury from the music and media industry.

Deutsche Grammophon honoured at the 2026 Gramophone Awards

Berlin/London, 8 October 2026. Deutsche Grammophon recordings and partners have been honoured with two major wins at the 2026 Gramophone Classical Music Awards. Kaija Saariaho&rsquo;s Adriana Mater has won the Opera Award, while the Bamberg Symphony has been named Orchestra of the Year.
The Opera Award went to the world premiere recording of Kaija Saariaho&rsquo;s Adriana Mater, performed by the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus under Esa-Pekka Salonen. Recorded at Davies Symphony Hall in June 2023, the performance was captured only days after Saariaho&rsquo;s death. The production was directed by Peter Sellars and features Fleur Barron in the title role, alongside Axelle Fanyo, Nicholas Phan and Christopher Purves. Released by Deutsche Grammophon shortly after, Adriana Mater went on to win the 2025 GRAMMY&reg; Award for Best Opera Recording.
The Bamberg Symphony, meanwhile, has been voted Orchestra of the Year as it celebrates its 80th anniversary and a decade of Jakub Hrů&scaron;a as Chief Conductor. Its latest Deutsche Grammophon releases include Bomsori's second solo album, featuring the Bruch and Korngold violin concertos, and the critically acclaimed Bohuslav Martinů &ndash; The Symphonies, presenting the composer's complete six-symphony cycle and reflecting the orchestra's distinctive Bohemian sound and close artistic partnership with Hrů&scaron;a.
&ldquo;We are delighted to see Deutsche Grammophon recordings and partners recognised once again by Gramophone,&rdquo; says Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon and New Business Strategy Global Classics. &ldquo;Adriana Mater is a profoundly moving testament to Kaija Saariaho&rsquo;s singular voice, while the Bamberg Symphony&rsquo;s Orchestra of the Year award recognises the exceptional artistry of the ensemble and its remarkable partnership with Jakub Hrů&scaron;a. My warmest congratulations to all involved.&rdquo;

Antje Weithaas, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and Dénes Várjon perform Robert Schumann's complete works for piano trio

The new album brings together Schumann's three piano trios and the Fantasiest&uuml;cke, Op. 88
Deutsche Grammophon presents Schumann's complete works for piano trio: the Piano Trios, Opp. 63, 80 and 110, together with the Fantasiest&uuml;cke, Op. 88.
The album will be released on 30 October 2026 as a 2-CD set and digitally.
"You have to be willing to embrace darkness and, with Schumann, be able to leap from heaven to hell in a tenth of a second." Antje Weithaas
Violinist Antje Weithaas, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and pianist D&eacute;nes V&aacute;rjon devote their new album to Robert Schumann's complete works for piano trio. Robert Schumann: Complete Works for Piano Trio brings together the three piano trios (No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63, No. 2 in F major, Op. 80, and No. 3 in G minor, Op. 110), alongside the Fantasiest&uuml;cke, Op. 88. These compositions move between intimacy and passion, lyrical tenderness and restless energy. The three internationally acclaimed musicians combine established solo careers with many years of chamber-music experience. Their shared musical language, developed in rehearsal, concert and the studio, responds to Schumann's abrupt shifts of mood and brings the layered dialogue between the three instruments to the fore. The album was recorded over seven intensive days in February and March 2025 at the Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal in Cologne; Christoph Franke was responsible for recording, editing, mixing and mastering.
Schumann's music can change its emotional temperature within a few bars. Bright lyrical moments turn into nervous agitation, dark energy gives way to unexpected calm, and seemingly stable forms begin to shift. For Antje Weithaas, this is precisely what makes these works both challenging and compelling. As she puts it, they demand the courage to embrace darkness and the ability, in Schumann, to leap from heaven to hell in a tenth of a second. D&eacute;nes V&aacute;rjon describes the music as personal as a diary - powerful and vulnerable at once. The album is released in the year in which Antje Weithaas celebrates her 60th birthday.
The Fantasiest&uuml;cke, Op. 88, occupy a special place in this overall picture. Schumann began them in December 1842 as his first work for piano trio and revised them before their publication in 1850. The four movements combine song-like and march-like characters with formal freedom and intricate dialogues. Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 63, was written in 1847 and may be understood as a tribute to Mendelssohn. Canonic structures, triplets and syncopations drive the first movement, where dark energy and lyrical brightness rapidly alternate.
Piano Trio No. 2 in F major, Op. 80, was composed between 1847 and 1849 as a more melodic, sunnier companion to the first trio. Motifs from the Eichendorff song Dein Bildnis wunderselig run through the first two movements; in the lilting third movement and capricious finale, the interplay of the three voices unfolds further. Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, Op. 110, dates from 1851. Its tense, at times sombre atmosphere is driven by unrelenting rhythmic restlessness; its later movements introduce unusual harmonies that already point towards the music of the future.
Taken together, the four works reveal how Schumann repeatedly reimagined the piano trio: as a tightly woven dialogue between equal voices, a space for extreme shifts of feeling and a realm of poetic ambiguity. For the three performers, recording this repertoire was a long-held ambition. Weithaas, Hecker and V&aacute;rjon approach Schumann's unusual notation and hidden musical ideas with great precision, without smoothing away the spontaneity and sense of risk in this music. The result is a multifaceted portrait of a composer whose chamber music remains at once powerful, sensitive and disconcertingly modern.
The three artists are in demand internationally both as soloists and chamber musicians. Antje Weithaas was named Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2025 OPUS KLASSIK Awards; Antje Weithaas and D&eacute;nes V&aacute;rjon received the 2024 annual prize from the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik for their Beethoven recordings released by CAvi. Marie-Elisabeth Hecker won the Rostropovich Competition in 2005, while D&eacute;nes V&aacute;rjon is a winner of the G&eacute;za Anda Competition and a recipient of the Kossuth Prize. In Schumann's piano trios, they find music that brings together their different experiences while giving each instrument its own distinctive space.
The album Robert Schumann: Complete Works for Piano Trio will be released on 30 October 2026 as a 2-CD set and digitally in SD and HD. The third movement of the Fantasiest&uuml;cke, Op. 88, Duett. Langsam und mit Ausdruck, will be available to stream and download from 16 October 2026.

RIAS Kammerchor Berlin and Justin Doyle Present Winter Tales - The Britten Christmas Album

To mark the 50th anniversary of Benjamin Britten's death on 4 December, the album combines much-loved Christmas music with rarely heard choral works
With the exception of&nbsp;The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard&nbsp;the entire programme is new to the Deutsche Grammophon catalogue
The album will be released on CD and digitally in stereo and Dolby Atmos on 16 October 2026
&ldquo;A Ceremony of Carols&nbsp;is well known and loved, but the rest of the repertoire will probably be less familiar. The album is conceived as a kind of &lsquo;Christmas stocking&rsquo; of discoveries.&rdquo; Justin Doyle
The&nbsp;RIAS Kammerchor Berlin&nbsp;and its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director&nbsp;Justin Doyle&nbsp;turn to Benjamin Britten's choral music for their new album.&nbsp;Winter Tales - The Britten Christmas Album&nbsp;will be released digitally and on CD on 16 October 2026, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the composer's death. At its heart are&nbsp;A Ceremony of Carols,&nbsp;A Boy was Born&nbsp;and&nbsp;Missa brevis in D, complemented by&nbsp;A Hymn of St. Columba&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard. With the exception of&nbsp;The Ballad, the entire programme is new to the&nbsp;Deutsche Grammophon&nbsp;catalogue. The recording also features the boys of the Staats- und Domchor Berlin, harpist Anna Viechtl, organist Marcel Andreas Ober and pianist Philip Mayers.
The album is conceived as a Christmas release but follows no conventional festive arc. Britten's familiar Christmas music is set alongside works heard far less often, opening up different facets of his choral writing. For Doyle, this repertoire is closely bound up with his own biography. A former chorister at Westminster Cathedral, he encountered several of these works as a boy. For the new recording, he also worked from scores containing Britten's handwritten annotations, gaining insights into the composer's sound world and performance practice.
Britten began&nbsp;A Ceremony of Carols&nbsp;in 1942 while returning to Britain from the United States. Before leaving Halifax, Nova Scotia, he acquired Gerald Bullett's anthology&nbsp;The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems; during the voyage, he set five of its texts, which became the core of the&nbsp;Ceremony. Medieval poetry and plainchant meet Britten's distinctive harmonies and melodic lines. Although the work is now often associated with children's voices, it was originally written for adult women's voices.
Set alongside the&nbsp;Ceremony&nbsp;is&nbsp;A Boy was Born, a work Britten composed at the age of 19: a 30-minute sequence of a cappella variations for adult and boys' voices.&nbsp;Missa brevis in D&nbsp;was written in 1959 for the choir of Westminster Cathedral and its director George Malcolm. Its rhythmically lively&nbsp;Gloria, twelve-tone&nbsp;Sanctus&nbsp;and unsettlingly fading&nbsp;Dona nobis pacem&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Agnus Dei&nbsp;show Britten's ability to turn rigorous compositional techniques into immediate dramatic expression.
The other works lead into different historical and spiritual worlds.&nbsp;A Hymn of St. Columba&nbsp;was written in 1962 to mark the 1,400th anniversary of Columba's voyage from Ireland to Iona, combining a text about the Last Judgment with deep organ rumblings and concentrated choral writing.&nbsp;The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard&nbsp;was composed during the Second World War for Britten's friend Richard Wood and fellow musicians at the Oflag VIIB prisoner-of-war camp near Eichst&auml;tt. Britten sent the manuscript to the camp one page at a time on microfilm. Set against a wintry backdrop, the story tells of forbidden love, jealousy and murder; Britten's setting follows it with striking immediacy.
Winter Tales&nbsp;was recorded in Berlin's Auenkirche in January 2026. Its clear yet resonant acoustic and newly restored organ provided ideal conditions for the precision of Britten's choral writing. The exclusively digital&nbsp;Dolby Atmos version&nbsp;brings out the church's acoustic space and the choir's procession in and out of&nbsp;A Ceremony of Carols&nbsp;to beautiful effect.
The changing forces - from women's voices and harp, to a full choir with boys' voices, to men's voices and piano - are central to the album's dramatic design. They make audible the variety of Britten's music for the concert stage. For Doyle, they also reflect a fundamental idea in Britten's music: &ldquo;It doesn't really matter who sings his music. What matters is that it is performed well, with the appropriate spiritual or dramatic intention.&rdquo;
Winter Tales - The Britten Christmas Album will be released on CD and digitally in SD, HD and Dolby Atmos on 16 October 2026.&nbsp;There Is No Rose&nbsp;from&nbsp;A Ceremony of Carols&nbsp;will be available to stream and download from&nbsp;2 October 2026. Around the 50th anniversary of Britten's death, the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin will also bring music from the album to the concert stage: on&nbsp;5 December 2026&nbsp;at Berlin Cathedral and on&nbsp;6 December 2026 at the Marktkirche in Hanover, both under Justin Doyle's direction.

Schumann: Complete Works for Piano Trio

SCHUMANN Complete Works for Piano Trio / Dénes Várjon, Antje Weithaas, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker

Britten: Winter Tales

WINTER TALES The Britten Christmas Album / RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, Justin Doyle

Sarah Willis - Marais: Le Basque

LE BASQUE Sarah Willis, Kotowa Machida, Cordelia Höfer

Dmitry Sitkovetsky - J.S. Bach, Paganini, Prokovief, Andriasov

J.S. BACH · PAGANINI · PROKOFIEV · ANDRIASOV Dmitry Sitkovetsky

Justus Eichhorn: The Source

THE SOURCE Justus Eichhorn

MUSSORGSKY · RAVEL · GINASTERA Hans-Christian Wille

Get news about new DG releases, artist updates, exclusive promotions, and specials delivered straight to your inbox.

Use * after final word when searching with multiple words (e.g. van beethoven*) and as placeholder to complete words (e.g. *eethov*)

How to use the filters

Showing 1 - {currentResults} of {totalResults} total results

Showing 1 - {currentResults} of {totalResults} product families for series "{webSeries}"

The content is not available in this language. It is shown in original language.

Out now: TORU TAKEMITSU - 1982 Historic Recordings

More music from Diverse Künstler

More news from Diverse Künstler

Out now: TORU TAKEMITSU - 1982 Historic Recordings - Diverse Künstler | Deutsche Grammophon

Out now: TORU TAKEMITSU - 1982 Historic Recordings

More music from Diverse Künstler

More news from Diverse Künstler