Divine Art Records

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

  • Dina Parakhina: 200 Years Diabelli Variations

    Dina Parakhina: 200 Years Diabelli Variations

    Celebrating 200 Years of the Diabelli Project

    To commemorate the bicentennial of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, the Divine Art label proudly presents “ 200 Years: Diabelli Variations”. Originally introduced by Anton Diabelli with words of admiration for its innovation and artistic brilliance, the Diabelli Variations have since transcended time, becoming a cornerstone of the piano repertoire, rivalling even the esteemed works of J.S. Bach.

    The story behind the Diabelli Variations adds to their mystique. Legend has it that Beethoven initially dismissed Diabelli’s theme as a mere “cobbler’s patch.” Yet, he later transformed this simple waltz into a complex, kaleidoscopic masterpiece, showcasing a wide range of characters, styles, and textures. From playful parodies to profound meditations, Beethoven’s variations span over 60 minutes of inventive musical exploration.
    Renowned pianist Dina Parakhina, who first performed the Diabelli Variations during her final recital at the Moscow Conservatory, brings her deep understanding and lifelong study of this monumental work to her latest recording. Parakhina’s interpretation captures the intricate structural unity and the emotional depth of Beethoven’s composition, reflecting her illustrious career and devotion to classical music.

    About Dina Parakhina
    Dina Parakhina, a distinguished Russian pianist and educator, has been a Piano Professor at the Royal College of Music since 2009 and a College Fellow since 2019. She has taught at prestigious institutions such as the Central Music School in Moscow and Chetham’s School of Music, and currently holds a position at the Royal Northern College of Music. Parakhina has performed globally as a soloist, made numerous recordings, and given master-classes around the world. Her expertise and passion for music have also seen her serve on juries for international piano competitions.

    Parakhina’s illustrious career began in Sochi and led her to study under notable mentors in Moscow. She toured extensively with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and later organized significant projects like the Medtner Marathon, which celebrated the works of Nikolai Medtner. Her recording of Medtner’s Piano Sonatas and Fairy Tales was critically acclaimed, highlighting her dedication to bringing classical masterpieces to contemporary audiences.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete 35 Piano Sonatas

    Ludwig van Beethoven: Complete 35 Piano Sonatas

    Experience the full scope of Beethoven’s musical evolution with this comprehensive collection of his 35 piano sonatas, meticulously organized in chronological order to offer a panoramic view of his artistic journey, tracing Beethoven’s transformative progression as a composer.

    While opus numbers traditionally guide the dating of Beethoven’s works, exceptions abound, notably in the case of the Opus 49 Sonatas. This collection challenges the conventional exclusion of the early “Kurfürst” Sonatas, shedding light on Beethoven’s formative years as a composer. Musicologist Professor Barry Cooper’s advocacy for their inclusion, based on their publication by Beethoven himself and their intrinsic merit, finds resonance in this comprehensive set.

    Pianist Tamami Honma brings these sonatas to life with precision, adhering closely to Cooper’s editorial corrections in the ABRSM edition. Cooper’s meticulous research, comparing original manuscripts, early editions, and historical sources, ensures an authentic interpretation of Beethoven’s intentions, from note values to nuanced articulation. This collection is not merely a recording; it is a vibrant testament to Beethoven’s brilliance, offering a fresh perspective on his extraordinary works.

    Renowned Japanese-American pianist Tamami Honma is celebrated for her expressive and captivating performances, earning acclaim in prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, St John’s Smith Square, and Carnegie Hall. Her recordings, including the Chopin concertos with the Vilnius String Quartet, have garnered five-star reviews in Gramophone and the BBC Music Magazine. As a distinguished piano performance educator, Honma serves on the music faculty at Stanford University and Santa Clara University

  • John Boyden: A Celebration

    John Boyden: A Celebration

    By kind permission, dedicated to H.M. The Queen, Patron of the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra.

    This album to be released in March celebrates the life and career of John Boyden, a pivotal figure in British music circles, not least for his founding of Classics for Pleasure, and later Enigma Records. Two key recordings from the original catalogues are presented for appraisal anew, together with a brand new recording of the ‘Trout’ Quintet, commissioned specially for this release and recorded at the Henry Wood Hall, London,  on 10 and 11 July, 2023. Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata is played by John Lill courtesy of Universal /Decca (successors to the Enigma catalogue), and Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin by Ian and Jennifer Partridge is licensed from Warner Music as current owners of the former EMI/Classics for Pleasure list.

    Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 (“The Trout”) from this album is available as a digital ‘EP’ in high definition download here.

  • Shades of Night: a piano recital by Andrew Brownell

    Shades of Night: a piano recital by Andrew Brownell

    Step back to a time when the night was an antithesis to the clarity of illumined day. In the especially fertile imaginations of the 19th-century Romantic composers, this was a time when the world gave itself over to mystery and magic.

    These works explore the “otherness” of night and its potential for strangeness. The album also focuses on the theme of passion, mostly from the Romantic period.

    In the especially fertile imaginations of the 19th-century Romantic composers, this was a time when, shielded from the gaze of the Almighty, the world gave itself over to mystery and magic: lovers met for forbidden trysts, revelers drank and cavorted through the small hours, and spirits walked the earth.

    In this album, Brownell hopes to transport you out of our sterile, modern understanding of night and into the stranger, more interesting reality it must have been for most of human history. Described by Musical Opinion as “potentially one of the most significant pianists of his generation”, since winning 1st Prize at the 2005 J.N. Hummel Competition (Bratislava), he has achieved widespread recognition as “one of the foremost Hummel interpreters of our time” (Hudobný Život).

    Brownell’s performances have been seen and heard on BBC radio and television, Classic FM, NPR, CBC, ORF, and RBB KulturRadio. He has been soloist with orchestras such as the Hallé, Royal Liverpool
    Philharmonic, and Calgary Philharmonic.

  • Visions and Ventures

    Visions and Ventures

    Works from three different musical eras seemingly unconnected – but in the mind of Pianist Stephen Beville very linked – hence the album title – as inspired by Visions and Ventures: Bach always a visionary musically and guided by his religious faith; Beethoven venturing into Romanticism with revolutionary ideas and optimism for a better world; Prokofiev caught up in the unrest in pre-revolutionary Russia, sketching pieces to escape the political turmoil – at least in his imagination. The Visions Fugitives come from a composer in his mid-twenties, just graduated and full of musical confidence, and are typically Prokofievian while some contain radical modernist elements. The Beethoven Sonata is likewise the work of a young 26-year old. It is full of playful invention and optimism and is perhaps one his most appealing works.

    Stephen Beville was acclaimed in 2010 as ‘one of the most talented young musicians to emerge from the UK’. (Frankfurter Neue Press). His interpretations have been compared to Arrau, Rubinstein and Ax. Rock-solid technique and virtuosity while avoiding showmanship have informed his playing from student days at the Junior Royal Academy in London from age 11, tutoring from the great Peter Katin, and postgraduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in England and the Hochschule für Music in Karlsruhe. He has performed in many international festivals.

    As well as a firm grounding in classical and 20th century repertoire, Stephen Beville is also a busy composer, his works having been performed by several leading new-music ensembles.

    Stephen’s debut CD ‘Stephen Beville in Karlsruhe’ was given warm reception on its release:
    “Beville is a thoughtful artist, whose accounts of each of the established masterpieces here are well worth hearing.” – Robert Matthew-Walker (Musical Opinion)
    “An intelligent, controlled and searching pair of hands quite capable of imparting power as well as finesse.” – Gary Lemco (Audiophile Audition)

  • Mdina – Music for Horn

    Mdina – Music for Horn

    Following the release of his debut album in May 2007 the virtuoso horn player Etienne Cutajar, who took up his first orchestral seat at 18, has seen his career develop with important orchestral appointments in Scotland and elsewhere before returning to his native country to become principal horn of the Malta Philharmonic. He has also appeared as chamber soloist in many prestigious venues.

    This album is named for the central work, Mdina, by Maltese composer Jesmond Grixti; this is a work for horn solo and accompanied by two more contemporary pieces: Air für Horn by Jörg Widmann and Cynddaredd-Brenddyd by Heinz Holliger. These works require the highest accuracy and technical ability which Cutajar supplies with aplomb.

    Accompanying these new pieces are three mainstream works: Beethoven’s well known Sonata receives a superb performance, as do the Andante by Richard Strauss and Brahms’s Horn Trio in E flat.

    In these works, Cutajar is joined by esteemed pianist and Royal Academy professor John Reid, and in the Brahms Trio by Carmine Lauri, one of the UK’s principal orchestral violinists, who has led the London Symphony, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and Royal Opera House among others, and has been featured violinist in a host of major feature films.

    “Cutajar impresses with his breath control, rock-solid evenness of tone, and amazing pppppppps. One has to admire Cutajar for his facility and technical prowess.” – Robert Markow (Fanfare)

  • Beethoven: Diabelli Variations

    Beethoven: Diabelli Variations

    Beethoven’s Opus 120, the 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, is an extraordinary and great work: in many ways ahead of its time, it is exceptionally complex but always accessible. The imagination Beethoven applies to Diabelli’s theme – itself ‘rich in solid musical facts’ (Tovey) – leads to a wealth of original structures and ideas. Incomprehensible as late Beethoven was to many, Diabelli himself recognized its genius and advertised the work as a ‘great and important masterpiece’.

    Diana Boyle is a fine pianist who records little but prepares each recording with years of thought, consideration and meditation on the music. Her interpretations are individual and thought-provoking, often delicate, not always conforming to the norm which pianists of lesser talent will follow, but looking to breathe new life and spirit into classic masterpieces.

    Like all of Boyle’s work this is a very carefully prepared and well crafted performance, an excellent addition to the library of recordings of this work.

  • Mozart, Beethoven, Bach-Busoni Piano Works

    Mozart, Beethoven, Bach-Busoni Piano Works

    A British pianist specializing in the late baroque and classical periods, Jill Crossland has acquired an impressive reputation for her new insights into even the most familiar and hackneyed of ‘core repertoire’ works. Penguin Guide to CDs has said “a natural Mozartean … wonderfully lyrical Beethoven”. Here, Jill gives that special treatment to the ‘Moonlight’ with a beautiful and fresh reading; she presents three Bach-Busoni chorale preludes in full Romantic style and sparkles in delightful Mozart.

  • Stephen Beville in Karlsruhe

    Stephen Beville in Karlsruhe

    After studies at the Royal Academy and the Royal Northern College of Music, British pianist Stephen Beville won a scholarship to study at the Staadt Hochschule in Karlsruhe, Germany. During his time there he gave several acclaimed concerts and made studio recordings, a selection of which make up this, his commercial recording debut. Described as ‘one of the most talented young musicians to emerge from the UK’ by Frankfurter Neue Press, his musicianship and deep consideration of his music are well demonstrated. In this 2 CD set the performances of the Beethoven Op. 111 and Schumann’s C major Fantasie are taken from live concerts.

  • Rainlight – Evocations of Water for Piano Solo

    Rainlight – Evocations of Water for Piano Solo

    From the gentle to the torrential, water in nature affects, blesses (and afflicts) us in many ways, and composers have been drawn to this theme time and again. Here one of the world’s brightest young pianists, in his first CD for us, pulls together a stunning programme representing little raindrops and fountains to oceans and stormy tempests, and including five very fine and atmospheric new pieces by British-Australian composer Alicia Grant.

  • Inspiration – Homage to Maria Curcio

    Inspiration – Homage to Maria Curcio

    Maria Curcio was one of the most influential and sought after piano teachers of the latter part of the 20th century including among her students such luminaries as Martha Argerich, Peter Frankl, Radu Lupu, and Mitsuko Uchida – and Anthony Goldstone. Following Curcio’s death in 2009 at the age of 89, this is Goldstone’s tribute to his mentor – a fine recital in its own right, and works all of which have a connection to her, in some way or other. This is the first ever recording of the lovely Waltzes composed by Artur Schnabel. As a bonus we include one of the very few surviving recordings made by Maria Curcio, where she accompanies Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in a Mozart aria – a performance first broadcast in 1957.

  • Christopher Langdown Live in London

    Christopher Langdown Live in London

    This 2-CD set contains the whole of an acclaimed recital at the Wigmore Hall, London, on 9 June 2009 by the awesomely talented young British pianist Christopher Langdown, who gives phenomenal performances of Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata and other virtuoso works, as well as the world premiere of his own Deo Omnis Gloria, a very fine set of three neo-romantic pieces conceived in the late 19th-century style. This debut album shows yet another remarkable talent in the world of modern pianism.