For their second release on Ondine the acclaimed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under chief conductor Daniel Reuss perform Psalm settings by Felix Mendelssohn and Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek (1889-1962).

Cyrillus Kreek, a graduate of the St Petersburg Conservatory and a collector of folk songs, laid the foundation for Estonian professional music.

The unique coupling highlights the familiarity between Mendelssohn and Kreek in terms of vocal and harmonic setting.

录音时间：2011年5月。

Ondine proudly presents a release of the Violin Concerto and orchestral works by György Ligeti (1923-2006) featuring Benjamin Schmid, the Finnish RSO and Hannu Lintu.
The disc presents an excellent overview to the development of Ligeti's compositional technique over a period of 30 years. One of the most impressive developmental progressions in the history of 20th-century music.
Ligeti was inspired to use the violin as a solo instrument to explore the entire history of music. The work incorporates influences from Medieval and Renaissance music, to the late Romantic and contemporary styles. In the third movement of the Violin Concerto Ligeti gives the impression of complete chaos, freedom and spontaneousness despite detailed and thorough performance instructions.
Performing Ligeti's works is technically very challenging. Although there is often a high amount of pressure and intensity it often leads to an imagination-fuelling and mind-blowing experience!
Known for his exceptionally wide repertoire and a great sense of musicality Benjamin Schmid is one of the most versatile violinists of today. Described as "one of the most valuable of today's golden-age-violinists" (The New York Sun), Schmid has performed with orchestras such as Wiener Philharmoniker, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Gulbenkian Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is also a sought-after jazz violinist. In 2006 the Strad Magazine wrote: "Schmid mesmerises from his very first entry, shaping phrases with a skin-rippling sensitivity to send the spirits soaring. His golden tone, immaculate intonation, faultless technique and total identification with this magical score are truly things of wonder."
Chief Guest Conductor from 2012 on, Hannu Lintu will assume the post of Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra with the new season in autumn 2013. He has rapidly been creating an international career and is a sought-after conductor.
This is Benjamin Schmid's and Hannu Lintu's second collaboration for Ondine. Their first release, Reger's Violin Concerto (ODE 1203-2) with the Tampere PO was highly praised e.g. by Klassik-Heute.de.

This isn't an easy item to review. First of all, I own almost every recording of Ligeti in existence. He is a wonderful composer who is the equal of great composers like Debussy and Bartok. There simply aren't enough recordings or live concerts of his music.