Felix Mendelssohn

Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809–1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's work includes symphonies, concerti, oratorios, piano music and chamber music.

His most-performed works include his Overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, the Scottish Symphony, the Hebrides Overture, his Violin Concerto, and his String Octet. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and anti-Semitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, his creative originality has now been recognised and re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.

Mendelssohn was particularly well-received in Britain as a composer, conductor and soloist, and his ten visits there – during which many of his major works were premiered – form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes, however, set him apart from many of his more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner and Hector Berlioz. The Leipzig Conservatoire (now the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig), which he founded, became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.

Compositions by Felix Mendelssohn appear on

Magnificat

Douglas Lawrence plays a magnificent recital on the organ he designed, the impressive 4 manual Rieger organ in The Scots' Church, Melbourne.

Composer

Mendelssohn Cello

Mendelssohn is often regarded as a composer who lived a charmed life and therefore whose compositions lack a certain integrity or depth of expression. The gloriousness of his music, its likeability and his creativity in celebrating humanity are certainly primary reasons for his music's longevity.

Composer

Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields

15 historic organs in the Ballarat region can be heard on this CD released to coincide with the 2005 festival. There is a fully illustrated 16 page booklet which surveys the organ builders, churches and their organs, the music, and the performers.

Composer

Great Hall Grandeur

Amy Johansen plays the Rudolf Von Beckerath organ in the Great Hall, University of Sydney. Great Hall Grandeur showcases one of Australia's most beautiful, versatile and exciting pipe organs (one of Rudolf von Beckerath's last masterpieces) played by one of Australia's finest concert organists.

Composer

The Rieger at Scots'

So just what does one play to demonstrate the resources of a large, beautifully voiced new organ? Douglas Lawrence has tried here to show something of the immensely wide tonal palette available on the Rieger organ at The Scots' Church in Melbourne, completed in 1999.

Composer

Organ at the Opera

One of Move's all-time best sellers! Sydney City organist Robert Ampt and Amy Johansen perform a program of popular organ duets on the famous Sydney Opera House organ.

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Historic Organs of the Barossa Valley, Volume 2

Volume 2 in this series of stunning performances by Christopher Dearnley and John Stiller on seven more of the historic church organs of the Barossa Valley.

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Teamwork

An eminently listenable collection of piano pieces written for four and six hands. An exciting, romantic, all stops out tour-de-force!

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With Tenderness, With Fire

Ronald Farren-Price encores his hugely popular "Reflections" CD with this recital of music ranging from the sublime beauty of a Beethoven Adagio to the thundering splendour of Prokofiev's "Toccata".

Composer

Just Married – organ music for a wedding

A compilation of history's most celebrated organ music which also happens to be popular at weddings. Insert notes for the disc contain a useful tabulation of the tracks into processionals, recessionals and 'signing music'.

Composer

Reflections

Internationally acclaimed pianist Ronald Farren-Price presents superb performances of some of the greatest music ever written for the piano.

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Jinker Ride

Here is a musical collection in celebration of the glorious instrument, the piano, expressly written for and the fully exploiting the resources of the modern pianoforte.

Composer

Festival of Organ Masterpieces

Douglas Lawrence plays the organ of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. Includes many of the best loved and frequently played works from the organ repertoire.

Composer

Lotus Dreams

Since the release of Shu-Cheen's other CDs, Lotus Moon, Willow Spirit Song and Serenade with ABC Classics, many music lovers have suggested that they would like to hear her sing Lieder and other styles of repertoire. This CD is a collection of her favourite songs and ballads.

Composer

Sing to the Lord, ye Heavenly Hosts

The Choir of Scots' Church presents music from Palestrina in the sixteenth century to twenty-first century music by a contemporary Australian composer, Andrew Batterham. It also includes a rare performance of the Widor Mass for choir, baritone choir and two organs.

Composer