January’s New Album Releases 2025
3/2/2025
Moominvalley — Original Score Music
The complete music of the Moominvalley animated series is out! Co-written by Pekka Kuusisto, Samuli Kosminen and Jarmo Saari, the album features music written for the popular Finnish-British series about the Moomin family.
Pekka says: “The music for Moominvalley was designed to be played on instruments you might imagine finding in the Moominhouse. A harmonium, a soft-toned upright piano, a violin, and a mandolin were part of the process from the beginning, along with Samuli’s imaginative array of percussion instruments, ranging from pots to suitcases. In animation, music plays a significant role in highlighting the emotions of the characters. The work was intense, sometimes challenging, and involved sleepless nights, but the opportunity to resonate with Tove Jansson’s world made it all worthwhile.“
Nulla in mundo pax sincera
Julie Roset gives an angelic rendition of Nulla in mundo pax sincera on Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Le Consort’s new recording of Vivaldi: Le quattro stagioni released on the Harmonia Mundi label. Forum Opéra reviewed the album and made special mention of Julie’s aria: ‘From the very first notes of this aria, Julie Roset captivates the listener with a voice of crystalline purity and remarkable delicacy, both in the melodic line and the vocal embellishments. These few minutes of bliss alone would justify listening to the entire album.’
Khachaturian
Jean-Yves Thibaudet’s latest album, Khachaturian, was released by Decca on 31 January. Collaborating with Gustavo Dudamel and Los Angeles Philharmonic, this disc features Khachaturian’s rarely recorded piano concerto alongside solo piano works, including the ever-popular Adagio from Spartacus and Sabre Dance. The disc has already been hailed for Thibaudet’s “flamboyant yet precise playing” (The Guardian) and “tremendous panache” (Financial Times).
Carmina Burana
Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich released Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on the Alpha Classics label. The soloists are soprano Alina Wunderlin, countertenor Max Emanuel Cenčić, and baritone Russell Braun.
“Paavo Järvi has produced a very clean new recording at the podium of his Tonhalle- Orchester Zürich, with a slim, swinging sound. The voices of the Zürcher Sing-Akademie and the Zurich Boys’ Choir also follow suit. Alina Wunderlin also sounds softly tender with soprano wellness tones from the court of love, while Max Emanuel Cencic delivers a sparkling cabinet piece of quirky countertenor comedy in his only number as the swan burnt in the pipe.”
Rondo, January 2025
