LATEST NEWS    LATEST RELEASES      FUTURE RELEASES

LATEST NEWS

May 10: New discount sets are being made available: two new collections, both of award-winning and highly praised recordings, can be purchased at around 20% off usual price (and only pay postage for one item - a big saving. We have packaged the five double CDs of the wonderful baroque concertos and sonatas of Charles Avison (set MW5) and the seven volumes of piano music by Erik Chisholm (MW6). Also still on special offer are Schubert Piano Masterworks (3 double CDs MW3) and John R Williamoson Piano Music (2 singles CDs, MW4)

May 5: New CD release! Available here now, not in the shops until July, Tchaikovsky - click Latest Releases for details.

May 5: Heritage Media - vintage radio drama. Our Heritage Media division has an enviable catalog of classica radio dramas and documentaries and ofr many yers has supplied radio stations worldwide. Now we are making these classics available to enjoy any time. Following our 4 double CDs of the Sherlock Holmes series, we are now issuing an extended series of plays starring Laurence Olivier, under the title 'Theatre Royal'. These will be issued for digital download in our digital music store, and can also be purchased from Audible, iTunes and Classics Online at bargain prices. Details.

May 3: We have held all of our shipping charges for over 2 years, but due to the very high increase in Royal Mail charges (the rate for small packets shipped overseas has more than doubled since 2011) we have been forced to raise our shipping charges - however the UK shipping rates have been held for the time being..

April 25: We've had several great reviews for the disc of David Jennings piano music. This CD has been given a RECOMMENDATION at Expedition Audio

April 13: New release: A lovely program of light classical favourites for flute and piano -click Latest Releases!

April 12: International Record Review gives it's coveted 'Outstanding' award to the new Ronald Stevenson Piano Music set (dda21372) and we have many new confirmed projects including a first performance of Michael Finnissy's completion of Grieg's unfinished Movement for Piano Quintet, and a new disc of chamber music with brass and voice by leading American composer Carson Cooman, whose recent organ music CD won rave reviews.

March 23: Two more new releases now available from us but which won't be in other webstores or high street shops until June. Music from James Weeks, Gordon Crosse and Sir John Manduell - click 'Latest Releases' to view details.

March 13: Divine Art Recordings Group has signed a worldwide distribution and fulfilment contract with Naxos Global Logistics. NGL is busy ingesting our catalogue and will manage trade distribution of our CDs and DVDs worldwide. We are deighted to announce this move which will enable customers in many countries to obtain our recordings more easily in their local stores.

February 6: we are now adding to this site and the online store the next new releases, available here but not in the shops until April. Music from Handel, Haydn, Finnissy, Schwartz, Lea-Cox and Petridou. Click "Latest Releases" to view.

January 1: HAPPY NEW YEAR ! It will be a very busy one with more new recordings than ever being progressed: click 'Latest Releases' above for information on the first new titles of the year. This is also our 20th anniversary - the company issued its first recording on cassette in 1993 (now reissued as ddv24101).

December 17: NEW DISTRIBUTION IN AMERICA: As from 1 February 2013, Divine Art group labels will be distributed in the USA by Naxos of America, who we have also appointed to manage our global digital distribution and sales. We are sorry to say goodbye to Albany Distribution who have been our distributors for a number of years, but now with over 300 CDs and more new projects than ever, we need the much larger resources of Naxos to cope with the quickly changing markets. Naxos will also re-introduce our catalog to Canada and we will work wth them to enter the markets in South and Central America too.

December 4:Three new CDs now available here, not in the stores until February or March - see 'Latest Releases link above.

November 11: A major accolade; not only do we constantly receive glowing reviews for our CDs, but this month Gramophone magazine carried an article on the Concord Piano Sonata by Charles Ives, one of the most important American piano works ever written: out of many vesions, ours was picked as the Number One Choice (metier msv92037)

November 4: We have not published much news recently but that is because we have been too busy... most of October was taken up with the delayed relocation of our American offices, where we are still getting established; due to the ongoing building work we are retaining the existing postal address for a while, but our new phone number in the USA is 1-802 247 4295. Meanwhile, the first of our 2013 releases are being produced and we expect four at least - perhaps five - to be available on this site before Christmas. These will include a major 3-CD set of piano music by Ronald Stevenson performed by Murray McLachlan, a 2-CD set of the little known Notturni and Scherzandi by Haydn, and The Four Seasons by G A Guido, a real baroque gem. Also we will have the first of two volumes of new oboe music, performed by Christopher Redgate, and perhaps the second volume of Harpsichord Suites by Handel.

Many buyers of the 3-CD set of flute and piano music inspired by Paul Taffanel (21371) asked about availablity of scores; most of the works were out of print or unpublished; our associate, Brandon Music Publishing, has now published two of the pieces, the Nocturne by Alphonse Catherine, and the Romance by Jacques Durand, in new performing editions prepared by Ken Smith. He is working on several more of these lovely works which we hope to have available in 2013.

October 4: Latest release: David Jennings Piano Music (25110) has just arrived and can be pre-ordered now for early delivery. A fine debut for this composer of expressionist and tuneful music

September 5: One composer who has a totally original voice, merging modernism with jazz, European folk rhythms and traditional German cabaret theater, is Thomas Fortmann, who switched to the world of concert music form rock where he was a regluar partner of Frank Zappa. HIs new piano trio "Prolitheus" already well received in Italy, will receive its US premiere at new York's Carnegie Hall in October, and will be on a new album which also includes Fortmann's new Violin Sonata and Four Pieces for Two Violins. The album will be on full release early 2013 but a special fast first print is to be made so as to be available by mid October. As a preview, please listen to the fourth movement (Rondo finto) from the Piano Trio here.

September 1: There are still a number of new releaes to come this year, though most will not be available through dealers until early 2013 - but they can all be acquired here. First and ready to ship before 30 September is the awesome new CD of spectral piano music composed by Joshua Fineberg and Hugues Dufourt - click Latest Release above..

August 27: After a short gap due to the indisposition of Dunelm founder and producer Jim Pattison, the Dunelm catalogue is now available again.

August 24: BML has now published Eric Craven's Set for Piano (as premiered on Metier MSV28525 ): the full work is available and each of the 12 parts is also sold separately - see here. We are being inundated with new recording projects, so 2013 could be a busy year.. meanwhile, the audio -only version of our recent Kreutzer Quartet DVD is being made available in digital download form only: it should be available by the end of October on iTunes, Amazon mp3, and all other download sites (and of course our won digital music store). The catalogue number for this album is MSVCD92105 and i is a fine recording in its own right containing four major modern string quartets

July 11: Several of our September and October releases can already be purchased on this site.. be the first! See New Releases July for information. These include two excellent further volumes in our Russian Piano Music series, a debut recital of major classics by bright young star Stephen Beville and another debut - the world premiere recording of a new work by Eric Craven, which which wil be pubished by Brandon Music very soon. All piano works but very very different!

The scores and performing parts for John Ramsay's four highly praised String Quartets are now available here

We have now deleted all Campion and Cameo CDs from the webstore as we are now concentrating on our own products only, though we may well re-introduce other labels via our retail store in the USA when it opens next year.

June 20: Another of our tracks is to feature in a major British studio movie to be released in 2012. More details to follow.

June 15: Our Music Cafe in the USA has been hosting a fantastic series of jazz concerts every Sunday (switching to Thursdays as from July 1), featuring top artists from New York, Boston and elsewhere. We have been recording these, and plan to issue limited edition CDs of the concerts, to raise funds for the Compass Music and Arts Foundation and its planned work in music education. The musicians have all said yes so we hope to have the albums available at a very attractive price before the end of this year.

May 17: A track from Goldstone & Clemmow's performance of Holst's Planets Suite (Neptune- ddv24154) in its original piano duo version, is to be featured as a key theme in a new feature film('The First Aggregate') produced by a Welsh company for the Mongolian market. We do do seek out new frontiers! We hope to have the DVD in stock soon.

May 10: Most of our summer releases can now be ordered here, for delivery before the end of May: most of these will not be in the stores or online dealers until September. As well as those noted below, we have a fine selection, of course including many stunning rediscoveries and rare works. Our favourite piano duo Goldstone and Clemmow excel once again in Magical Places (dda25104), while Anthony Goldstone also presents a solo album, the first volume of piano transcriptions of works by Tchaikovsky (dda25093).

Another British music institution is the composer, lecturer and broadcaster Antony Hopkins, whose 'serious' music has been wrongfully neglected, perhaps for being too tuneful (?) and whose superb light operas and stage musicals have been largely forgotten. However he has always been revered by the music and broadcast profession, and thanks to a very long list of subscribers and patrons, many of whom are household names, we are delighted to present 'Antony Hopkins - A Portrait', a 2 CD set featuring awesomely good music by Hopkins and also a suite of eight tribute pieces written for his 90th birthday in 2011 by a number of leading composers. (dda21217)

May 4: Now available, 'Dark Formations' (msv28530) a 2CD set of music by Ed Hughes, one of Britain's young composers with a fine and growing reputation already. Also we are delighted to have in stock a fabulous DVD. "Shining Night" is an award winning new documentary about composer Morten Lauridsen and features much of his best music in the sound track, including extracts from our 'Madrigali' CD (dda25094)

WEBSITE and NEWSLETTER
Our e-newsletter is published every 2 or 3 months, with details of new releases.  This will contain discount vouchers so to avoid the newsletter ending up in your spam folder, make sure that you clear mail from us and add our address to your "whitelist".  To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here

FUTURE RELEASES:   See below for details - we have some delights in store for you and see the Forthcoming Page.

For quick reference, you can now download our catalogues in pdf format or browse the listings.

LATEST RELEASES (last 12 months - click on catalogue number for more information and to order)

MAY 2013 (available in stores July)
Following the rave reviews of Anthony Goldstone's album of Tchaikovsky Piano Transcriptions (dda25093) we are delighted to announce the second volume which features music from the ballets - a major release with first-ever recordings of transcriptions made by Tchaikovsky's contemporaries. Tchaikovsky Rare Transcriptions and Paraphrases vol. 2 is on dda25106

APRIL 2013 (available in stores June)
Top flute and piano duo Kenneth Smith and Paul Rhodes appear in their fifth album which is a fabulous collection of lighter popluar pieces including original works and arrangments, from Borne's Fantasy on Carmen, to The Carnival of Venice, The Swan and much more: 'Flute Vocalise - Beloved Concert Classics now available here on ddv24156 at mid price.

MARCH 2013 (available in stores May)
From composer James Weeks, a fascinating and unique disc, which has three virtuoso solo pieces, which also fit together to form a brilliant chamber work. Performed by three top soloists who comprise Apartment House - on msv28532. Two more senior composers whose work is less modernist but first class in every respect are Gordon Crosse and Sir John Manduell. We have a double CD set of double concertos by the two, all first recordings of course, on 'Mixed Doubles' (msv77201) performed by some of the foremost instrumentalists in the UK, with the Manchester Sinfonia

FEBRUARY 2013 (available in stores April)
First we mention Gilbert Rowland's new recording: Handel's Harpsichord Suites (and the famous 'Chaconne in G' in volume 2 of his series. dda21220 is now ready to purchase - hot off the press. Another very different 2-CD set is the first commerical recordixng of works by Greek Cypriot composer Cilia Petridou. Cilia and her family were displaced from their home after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974; most of herr work is influenced by that traumatic experience, reflecting on the happiness of childhood living near Mout Olympus (the beautiful Chioinistra) and the tragedy of civil war. 'Sounds of the Chioinistra' is on dda21224. Soprano Lesley-Jane Rogers and pianist Jennie-Helen Moston who are among the many top artists on the Chionistra set also present an album of songs and anthems by Peter Lea-Cox - another composer whose works has not been adequately acknowledged up until now. "Of TImes and Seasons":dda25109

There are also two superb new titles from Metier: 'Tapestry' is a disc of new chamber music by New Englander Elliott Schwartz (msv 28537) while our acclaimed and extensive Michael Fninissy series contiues with a CD of three new pieces (two chamber works and one song cycle) on a disc entitled 'Unknown Ground (msv 28536).

JANUARY 2013 (available in stores March)
Two releases of more traditional music.. from the baroque era we have a splendid recording of The Four Seasons - not Vivaldi's but the suite by G A Guido - a fine work indeed, and well worthy of knowing. Some scholars now believed that Guido's version was written first and that Vivaldi used it as inspiration for his own piece. Performed by The Band of instruments - dda25072. And into the early classical perios with some lesser-known works by Haydn - his sets of Notturni and Scherzandi , on a 2CD set - dda21221. Made in assocation with the Haydn Society of Great Britain.

DECEMBER 2012 (available in stores February)
From Divine Art we have a magnum opus - a 3 CD set of piano music by Ronald Stevenson, brilliantly performed by Murray McLachlan. Stevenson is a legend among musicians, as a composer , arranger and pianist: this set inlcudes original works, including the formidable Feste d'Alkan, and a number of transcriptions and arrangements, for which he is renowned. Ronald Stevenson Piano Music is on Divine Art dda21372.

From Metier two discs of new music of very different styles. "In Dust We Trust" (msv28534) is the title of a new disc of chamber works by Thomas Fortmann, and perhaps signifies that this music is full of fun and satire - using Fortmann's unique blend of jazz, serialism and German theatre and cabert styles, a refreshing change yet still "propoer" chamber music - not lightweight. And we have a new CD from oboe player Christopher Redgate which is rather important on two fronts - firstly becuase it has the first recording of two major new works for oboe by Edwin Roxburgh and Michael Finnissy - and also because it introduces a brand new instrument, developed by Redgate in association with Howarth of London. In fact there are two newcomers, as the FInnissy work also features a bass oboe known as the Lupophon. "New Music for a New Oboe (msv28529).

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 (available in stores soon)
The best selling of all the Metier CDs is Marilyn Nonken's recording of the piano music of Tritan Murail (92097). Murail was one of the founders of the spectral school of piano music, a pupil of Messiaen and a crucial figure in the development of this new genre. Now Marilyn has recorded a stunning new album which contains a major work by another elder of the movement, Hugues Dufourt, and several works by young American composer Joshua Fineberg. The new disc, 'Voix Voilées' wil be in stock by the end of September and can be pre-ordered now here (msv28524) Also, for lovers of more traditional yet refreshingly new piano music, the latest release on the Divine Art label features pianist James Willshire in a recital of works by young British composer David Jennings.Check this out (dda25110)

JULY 2012 (available in stores September/October)
Four piano albums, but with an enormous range of styles: starting with the classcis, we have a debut album from a bright young English pianist , Stephen Beville (dda25108). Not widely known yet he has recently returned from many years in Germany where he has established a fine reputation. He plays two major Beethoven Sonatas, and works by Schuman, Chopin and Boulez in a 2 CD set at the price of 1. Moving to 'Romantic' or post-romantic music in the Soviet/Russian tradition, volumes 9 and 10 of the Russian Piano Music series are devoted to Polish-born Myczyslaw Weinberg and contain all six of his Piano Sonatas, 1-3 on dda25105 and 4-6 on dda25107, all perfromed with usual brilliance by Murray McLachlan. Previously released on Olympia. In a different style altogether is the new music of contemporary English composer Eric Craven, which is largely written in 'non-presprictive' method, allowing the performer a varying amount of choice and option in working through a fixed central basis in the score. Awesomely talented pianist Mary Dullea performs Craven's "Set for Piano" which manages to be thoroughly experimental while remaining in many parts melodically tuneful - quite a feat. This Metier release (msv28525) is the first recording of Craven's work.The 12th section is very 'free' and Mary Dullea has recorded a 2nd version, which is available as a free download.

MAY 2012
Our summer releases will not be in stores and online dealers until September but can be ordered now for delivery during May. More detail is given in the Latest News section above about our 2CD set devoted and dedicated to Antony Hopkins (dda21217); Goldstone & Clemmow present 'Magical Places' (dda25104) while Anthony Goldstone adds anogther fascinating disc of solo piano transcriptions (this time of music by Tchaikovsky - dda25093).

RECORDING PLANS (See also 'future releases' page for more info and audio preview samples)

In addition to these CDs, we are busy planning a major series of live jazz recordings - details following soon!

Two more albums on the way from top oboe player Christopher Redgate: one also features Paul Archbold and is entitled "The Electronic Oboe"; and the second will include alternative readings of new pieces by Sam Hayden and Richarrd Barrett amongst other world premieres, as volume 2 of the New Music for New Oboe series.

In the USA (and beyond) one composer whose star is very much in the ascendent is Carson Cooman - also distinguished organist, producer and writer, and a new disc of his music will be released in Septembe (and available here well before then). This CD "Rising at Dawn" features a song cycle for mezzo, trumpet and piano, and chamber works for piano, trumpet/harp and tuba/piano. Top American performers produce a delightful programme.

Another really unique album (we do like to be different) is a true classical and jazz fusion disc in the best sense - no awful 'crossover' muzak but new works and arrangements specifically written for jazz soloists with string quartet. Performed by top German sopranio sax player Uwe Steinmetz, jazz violin virtuoso Mads Tolling, and the famed Fitzwilliam String Quartet.

Just added to our forthcoming list - a double CD of music for recorder and piano by several composers, and featuring particularly the compositions of Anthony Burgess - yes the novelist and Shakespeare scholar most famous for 'A Clockwork Orange' - very few people know that he was also an accomplished composer - they soon will....

and also we are fascinated by a new disc being made with the Kreutzer Quartet and pianist Roderick Chadwick - this includes an unifinshed Piano Quintet by Grieg, completed by Michael Finnissy, and Finnissy' own composition reflecting and building on the Grieg work.

The Russian Piano Music series has reached 10 volumes - we are now actively looking for pianists anxious to add to this series!

We also await with great anticipation a disc of 20th century piano trios from Australian group Trio Anima Mundi. Classical-period specialist Jill Crossland returns with a new recital of Bach, Beethoven and Mozart and we have a superb disc of piano music by Marcus Blunt (picked from our Dunelm catalogue for reissued played by Murray McLachlan.

One of the UK's most celebrated flute soloists, Susan Milan, has joined Divine Art and has signed an initial four-CD contract; this will see two discs with pianist partner Andrew Ball, one of 19th century "flute showcases"; the other of contemporary British music was released in 2010 to great critical acclaim (metier msv28510). There will also be two discs of chamber trios including one released in spring 2012, as well as these four discs, we are planning several more with Susan including orchestral recordings.

Another three British composers are added to our roster of fine and individual music to discover - Michael Garrett writes quite outstanding tonal music and we are delighted to be working on a CD of Garrett's music with the stunningly good Polish pianist Barbara Karaskiewicz;We also look forward to a disc of chamber music by British composer Robert Fokkens, who is getting quite a name in modern music circles.

The third new British composer to join us is Michael Ellison, professor of music at Bristol University, who has composed a stunning new opera based on the legend of Rumi, the ancient middle-eastern mystic. 'Say I am You' is unique in its wide use of Turkish instruments and vocal techniques and just must be heard. The work is given its concert premire in Istanbul in June. Another new opera is about to appear on Metier, this time from Ed Hughes, whose double CD Dark Formations elicited immense praise from critics. This time, the story is that of lost love, betrayal and tragedy, linking a modern day couple) to the myth of Orpheus. This wonderful work will be presented in a special 2-disc pack, with both CD and multiregion DVD, the latter a film of the recording being made. The standard of performance is staggeringly good.

On a more traditional note, some lighter music from the top flute and piano team of Kenneth Smith and Paul Rhodes (see their four current albums all of which are wonderful! We havea double-disc album of British Flute Sonatas, ranging from the early 18th to late 20th century which should appear in 2014, but before then in the autumn we have a lovely double-CD set of lighter music, well known favourites from a host of composers - Elgar, Debussy, Vaughan Williams, Grainger and many more. These discs complement the recently released 'Flute Vocalise'.

There are about 20 more recordings for the Metier label in various stages of preparation, and we are working with Metier Productions to bring these to release soon.  Volumes 5 and 6 of the "Beethoven Explored" series with violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved and pianist Aaron Shorr have been recorded recorded for release next year.  Meanwhile, Metier's modern music series continues with more very fine contemporary progammes - then regular Metier artist Ian Pace presents a disc of piano music by Brian Ferneyhough, which promises to be of major interest and also very challenging. Ian is also working on Michael Finnissy's magnum opus, the History of Photography in Sound, recorded by Metier in 2005 but left on the shelf - now being readied for a 6-CD box set release in 2013.

The fourth volume of our Galuppi piano sonata series is underway.  Meanwhile, pianist Peter Seivewright is also busy with several projects.  Following the recent release of "American Piano Sonatas" a further four volumes in this series are being prepared.  Peter has also recorded Bach's Goldberg Variations  and a disc of the magnificent piano music of Max Reger.   These should see release dates in 2013-4. 

For many years the only Armenian composer well known in the West was Khachaturian, but since independence many more voices are being heard from this unique area. Here we have works for cello and piano by several contemporaries including Arutunian, Stepanian, and Babajanian and a number of folk song arrangements from the Talalyan classical archive.. . They are to be performed by Heather Tuach (cellist with the renowned Fitzwilliam Quartet) and Montreal Armenian pianist Patil Harboyan, to be released 2013. This recording has just been made, in the Oscar Peterson Hall in Montreal, and has been kindly supported by Yamaha.