Divine Art Records

Product Cat: Recording

  • Forbidden Voices

    Forbidden Voices

    The composers on this disc are part of what is sometimes called “The Lost Generation” – those who because of their Jewish background were prevented from working, deported or imprisoned. While some, such as Korngold, were able to emigrate, Schulhoff, Ullmann and Haas all died in Nazi concentration camps. Much of their music has been re-discovered over the past few years, and this collection includes several world premiere recordings.

  • Elgar: Symphony no. 2 / Hoddinott: Investiture Dances

    Elgar: Symphony no. 2 / Hoddinott: Investiture Dances

    To celebrate the 60th birthday of the oldest national youth orchestra in Europe, a sparkling and brilliant performance of Elgar’s Second Symphony, and the only recording available of the three Investiture Dances by Wales’ premier composer.

  • Moeran: The collected 78rpm recordings

    Moeran: The collected 78rpm recordings

    Though E.J. Moeran is one of the leading British composers of the 20th century,very little of his music was commercially recorded during his lifetime – this is all of it!
    This performance of the Symphony from 1942 is still widely regarded as the best version ever recorded.
    CD contains:
    String Trio in G major (recorded 1941)
    Jean Pougnet, Frederick Riddle, Anthony Pini
    Symphony in G minor (recorded 1942)
    The Halle Orchestra, conducted by Leslie Heward
    Songs:
    Diaphenia and The Sweet o’ the Year (recorded 1945)

    Heddle Nash (tenor)
    O Sweet fa’s the Eve (recorded 1925)
    Can’t you Dance the Polka? (recorded 1925)
    Sheep Shearing (recorded 1926)
    John Goss (baritone) & Cathedral Male Voice Quartet

  • Bizet: Carmen

    Bizet: Carmen

    Raymonde Visconti, Georges Thill, Louis Guénot, Andreé Vavon, Andreé Bernadet, Choeur et Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, conducted by Elie Cohen*

    This classic recording of the world’s most popular opera, made in and around 1928, has previously only had very limited exposure on LP or CD. While advertised and labelled as being by the Paris Symphony, the forces are actually those of the Opéra-Comique. In Georges Thill, playing Don José, we have the greatest French tenor of the century, and overall this is a memorable performance, as ever restored with great skill by Pristine Audio.

    DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

    Carmen: Raymonde Visconti (mezzo-soprano)
    Don José: Georges Thill (tenor)
    Micaëla: Marthe Nespoulpous (soprano)
    Escamillo: Louis Guénot (baritone)
    Frasquita: Andreé Vavon (soprano)
    Mercédès: Andreé Bernadet (soprano)
    Dancaïro: Robert Roussel (tenor)
    Remendado: Téo Mathyl (tenor)

    * The Flower Song (CD1, track 13) recorded in 1927 and conducted by Philippe Gaubert.

  • Louis Glass Piano Music

    Louis Glass Piano Music

    Alongside Nielsen, Glass is the genius of Danish romantic music, but recordings of his work are rare – we present the first recording of his two fine sonatas and other works.

  • Exequy and Elysium

    Exequy and Elysium

    Our third disc of organ music by young British composer James Cook, with two major symphonies and other works. Cook’s music is haunting, ethereal and spiritual – no fireworks; this is music to savour with mind at ease. Almost 160 minutes of music.

  • Szymanowski: Complete Piano Music

    Szymanowski: Complete Piano Music

    The music of Szymanowski is lively, thrilling, robust, and exciting. It is also immensely difficult to play, and few artists can cope with its technical demands of bravura and virtuosity. One who can, with consummate skill and musicianship, is Sinae Lee, whose new recording “makes other versions of the complete piano works seem amateurish by comparison” according to pianist Raymond Clarke, whose own disc of Szymanowski sonatas was rightly acclaimed.

  • Coates and Moeran: Violin Concertos

    Coates and Moeran: Violin Concertos

    RARE BRITISH MUSIC!!
    Runner-up, Concerto category, Classic Record Collector Awards 2006

    Colin Sauer (violin) with the BBC Northern Orchestra* conducted by Sir Charles Groves:
    VIOLIN CONCERTO in D (1934) by Douglas Coates

    (live broadcast performance 1951)

    Alfredo Campoli (violin) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult:
    VIOLIN CONCERTO (1937-41) by E J Moeran
    (live broadcast performance 1954)

    * now the BBC Philharmonic

    A ONE AND ONLY…
    In 1951, the BBC was under the spell of modernism and the Second Viennese School and was awfully dismissive of anything approaching tonality as many veteran composers can attest. So it was that after recording a live broadcast of the unashamedly tuneful and Romantic Violin Concerto by English composer Douglas Coates, the harsh comments about ‘obsolete and meaningless music’ from conductor Charles Groves and the program producers so upset the composer that on his way home he disposed of score and parts (the only copies) into the Thames. As the BBC did not record the concert, the work was totally lost to posterity. Until by a trillion-to-one chance, a collector came across a set of studio acetate discs in a junk shop marked only ‘Coates Concerto’. Long story short – after two years of research and audio restoration of the discs (again the sole copy in existence), producer Stephen Sutton at Divine Art Records was able to release the recording on his Historic Sound label also including a 1950 Adrian Boult performance of the Moeran concerto.

    The one and only performance in remarkable though of course ‘vintage’ sound. End of story and a very popular album. Except that a music fan has been in touch with some news: he was born in Coates’ home town; his wife was actually present at the performance (in Manchester), spent time with the composer and conductor, and (having just discovered the said recording) 69 years later, these wonderful people intend to have the score reconstructed (an expert has been identified..) so that this vibrant work can once again see the light of the concert hall. If the reconstruction is successful the plan is for it to be published by Divine Art and hopefully a gala performance will take place in London at some point.

  • Milhaud: Orchestral Music

    Milhaud: Orchestral Music

    A variety of historic treasures:

    SERENADE FOR ORCHESTRA
    TROIS RAG CAPRICES
    SUITE FROM “MAXIMILIEN”
    CINQ ETUDES FOR PIANO AND ORCHESTRA *
    Vienna Symphony Orchestra / Henry Swoboda
    *with Paul Badura-Skoda (piano)
    SYMPHONIC SUITE No. 2 (Protee)
    San Francisco Symphony Orchestra / Pierre Monteux
    Little Symphony No. 3

    Pougnet, Pini, Kell, Draper & Eskdale, conducted by Walter Goehr
    Trio for Violin, Clarinet & Piano
    Parrenin, Delecuse & Haas-Hamburger

  • Graham Whettam Piano Music

    Graham Whettam Piano Music

    Graham Whettam’s music has been praised highly for its skillful construction, drama and atmosphere. Here we have two pieces for piano duet and several solo pieces in superb performances by the late Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow.

  • Schubert Unauthorised Piano Duos, Vol. 2

    Schubert Unauthorised Piano Duos, Vol. 2

    This CD contains music by Schubert, arranged for piano duo by the composer’s close friend and duet partner Josef von Gahy, all recorded for the first time, as well as Schubert’s “Friendship” Rondo.

    See Volume One and Volume Three.

  • The Voice of the Clarinet

    The Voice of the Clarinet

    Along with the cello, the clarinet is often regarded as the most “voice-like” expressive instrument. In a unique programme, 20 art-songs and lieder (and one swing classic!) have been newly arranged for clarinet and piano. The result is a beautiful, unusual and uplifting recital with music from across the world.