New Release: Phillip Ramey – “Music for French Horn”

Widely recognized as one of the world’s best horn players, Philip Myers also inspired as well as commissioned most of the pieces on this historically significant album with world premieres of horn music by American composer Phillip Ramey, whose works have been performed by such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and whose Horn Concerto (with Philip Myers as soloist) was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for their 150th anniversary.

This release presents world premieres of works for solo horn, for two horns, and for horn in different combinations with piano and/or violin, stunningly performed by hornists Philip Myers and Howard Wall, whose long-time partnership as New York Philharmonic musicians extends into fantastic chamber music collaboration, also including splendid contributions by pianist Virginia Perry Lamb and violinist Elmira Darvarova (a former Metropolitan Opera concertmaster). Some of the works are newly recorded, while others are only now receiving their premiere on CD after first performances over twenty years ago, with the Trio Concertant  recorded live, and the Dialogue,  and the Sonata-Ballade  restored from archival material. All of the works on this disc are magnificently performed contributions to the horn repertoire.

Available now at Amazon and iTunes.

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New Release: “Forever Sing” – Music of Dvořák, Rubbra, Honegger, Freed, Sowerby, Altman, Cleveland, Tindley, Lowry

Internationally renowned baritone Elem Eley’s fourth solo album, Forever Sing, is deeply personal, rooted in his southern upbringing and the heartfelt expression of singing from the Psalms. For this CD, Elem Eley chose beloved songs evoking memories of his youth, some that he has since called on in decades of performing around the world, and as Professor of Voice at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. Meeting this challenge demands collaborators of diverse skills: His partner for the first three albums, pianist JJ Penna, plays the Classical settings of Dvořák, Rubbra, Honegger, and Altman. Concert organist Noel Werner accompanies Eley in the two sets by Isadore Freed and Leo Sowerby, recorded in the historic 1836 sanctuary of his home church, Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ. The final set of three Gospel songs is arranged and accompanied on piano by the nationally renowned Dr. J. Donald Dumpson of Philadelphia; their session was emotional and exciting to witness, as these two personal friends and outstanding artists created a unique sense and sound of the Gospel musical genre, unique to their partnership and recorded here for the ages. Pure genius in every track, AFFETTO Records takes pride in presenting this multi-faceted collaboration of music incredibly performed with depth and personal resonance.

Available now at iTunes and Amazon.

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The Affetto Classical Sampler, featuring nine tracks from our nine album releases, is out and it’s Free on Amazon.

The Affetto Classical Sampler, featuring nine tracks from our nine album releases, is out and it’s Free on Amazon.

Listen to the spellbinding work of Grammy-nominated violinist Elmira Darvarova teamed with Indian sarod masters the Ali Khans, from “Amalgam” and “Soul Strings” albums.

Hear baritone Elem Eley, one of the world’s expert song cycle artists, interpret new works from “Lenoriana.”

Cellist Kate Dillingham and harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, play a movement from J.S. Bach’s De Gamba Sonatas from a new Schirmer edition edited by Ms. Dillingham.

Listen to a track from “Masterpieces by Beethoven / Franck / Clara Schumann” by Elmira Darvarova on violin and Shoko Inoue on piano.

Rutgers University’s exquisite early music ensemble Musica Raritana, led by Dr. Andrew Kirkman, performs Mendelssohn’s earliest work for piano and strings.

The outstanding early music vocal ensemble The Thirteen, led by founder Matthew Robertson, harmonizes on  a piece by King Henry VIII from “Voice Eternal.”

Elmira Darvarova (on her fourth Affetto album!) and the late Octavio Brunetti perform tangos by Piazzolla from “Adios Nonino” with incomparable spirit and passion.

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Masterpieces By Beethoven, Franck, and Clara Schumann by Elmira Darvarova, Violin & Shoko Inoue, Piano

Fantastic renditions of timeless masterpieces, presented by Grammy-nominated violinist (and former MET Opera concertmaster) Elmira Darvarova and internationally-acclaimed pianist Shoko Inoue. Clara Schumann’s magnificent Three Romances Op. 22,  Beethoven’s immortal “Spring” Sonata,  and César Franck’s universally beloved Violin Sonata in A Major  are interpreted here with breathtaking excitement, immense passion and marvelous poetry. An unusually intense and deep artistic connection between the two instrumentalists brings out the multifaceted dimensions and sparkling brilliance of these eternally beautiful gems.

Available at Amazon and iTunes.

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