It is believed that the major Polish composer was born on 1st March 1810, even though parish records say February 22.

Daguerreotype by Frederich Chopin (1948)

OnClassical celebrates Chopin's 200th birthday event with the release of the Opus Omnia by pianist Roberto Poli, along with previously released albums by Giampaolo Stuani (Preludes Op. 28) and Gianluca Luisi (4 Scherzos and Polonaise Op 53).

Happy listening!

We are happy to publish a new album by great guitarist Pablo Lentini Riva, accompanied this time by the splendid soprano voice of Laura Catrani.

This first album is a re-edition of a previous album: Le Tombeau De Mousieur Blancrocher. This new version, more ample, contains new tracks devoted to French lutenist Charles Fleury de Blancrocher (c.1605–1652), including the only composition we know of this composer: the Allemande, L’Offrande. The other new tracks are of music by Robert De Visée (Suite No. 9 in d minor and La Plainte, Tombeau des Mesdemoiselles de Visée); the last new piece is the Courante Dixiesme by renaissance composer Robert Ballard.

This renovated album is an exhaustive collection of Tombeau's dedicated to Mr. Blancrocher: an amateur musician well known by the best composers of his time: Couperin, Froberger, Gaultier and many others. So don't miss it!

Also don't forget to download the new cover!

The second album, Las Flores No Valen Nada, contains masterpieces by some of the greatest Spanish composers, and includes songs for soprano and guitar by Federico Garcia Lorca: very rare pieces of music written by a very well known poet and dramatist! Many of the tracks are played by Lentini Riva on an antique guitar which was built in Madrid by Santos-Hernandez in 1925. The sound and phrasing of this interpreter are extremely refined and richly expressive, perfectly echoing the poetry of these wonderful works

The title of the album is taken from the words of a beautiful love song called "Zorongo" (tr. 11).

La luna es un pozo chico
La luna es un pozo chico
las flores no valen nada;
lo que valen son tus brazos
cuando de noche me abrazas.

The moon is a tiny well,
the flowers are worthless;
the only things that matter are your arms
when they embrace me at night.

We hope you thoroughly enjoy listening to these splendid albums. And don't forget that by purchasing the albums you help our musicians directly, since they earn 50%!

In celebration of Chopin's 200th birthday, Roberto Poli continues his venture into the complete works of the composer.

The first couple of albums is already available!

The first album features: Prelude in c sharp minor, Barcarolle Op. 60, Fantasy Op. 49, Ballade Op. 47 and other pieces including some minor and less known pieces by the Polish composer such as Cantabile, Largo, Variations on a theme by Paganini, etc.

"This recording of Chopin�s works by the Venetian pianist Roberto Poli couples the familiar with the unknown to reveal a different persona from the romantics� Chopin, one closely attuned to popular tastes and actively engaged with the political strife of his own day. The collection also emphasizes what the nineteenth century failed to appreciate fully: a master craftsman in full command of large-scale musical forms". (James H. Johnson - Associate Professor of History, Boston University)

The second volume is devoted to some of Chopin's late works: Polonaise Fantaisie in A flat major, Op. 61; Three Mazurkas Op. 59; Sonata in b minor, Op. 58. Recorded Live on March 30, 2008, these works were part of a recital performed at the newly built Rivera Recital Hall at the Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, Massachusetts, USA, where Roberto Poli is Artist in Residence.

Licensing of the complete albums are royalty and DRM-free.

OnClassical, in the person of its founder, Alessandro Simonetto, has been invited to attend the 1st International Piano Competition Guido Alberto Fano of Camposampiero (Padova). Mr. Simonetto will be part of the jury as a representative of the world of music recordings, along with well-known personalities from the music field, such as Valentina Lo Surdo (RadioTre) and pianists Riccardo Zadra, Rodolfo Alessandrini and Mattia Ometto. President of the Jury is renowned pianist, Leslie Howard, and the only one ever to enter the Guinness World of Records for having recorded the complete works of Franz Liszt.

Prizes for a total of c. 10,000 euros (including a concert at the Gran Teatro La Fenice) and a disc for the OnClassical label.

The Honorary Committee is chaired by renowned pianist Earl Wild, Michael Roland Davis (Ivory Classics Foundation) and the Fano Foundation, each of whom will offer special awards for the interpretation of original compositions.

More details at: premiofanocsp.com (Guido Alberto Fano, International Piano Competition, official website)

New albums have now been published! These are three albums from the new serie we were talking about some months ago.

Jacopo Salvatori, Piano
C. Debussy: Images I/II and other works...

Debussy as played by young Florentine pianist, Jacopo Salvatori, who is a pupil of famous pianist Maurizio Baglini. His reading reveals a profound poetic sense and a proper timbre research. An album entirely recorded on a Fazioli grand piano inside Fazioli's new recording hall.

The sound of Mr. Simonetto is veiled and highly dynamic (Clair de Lune is even DR 19!) created for hi-fi systems of high precision.

Details Play Buy perfect CD files!

Simone Stella, Harpsichord
G.F. Handel: Suites de pieces (2 albums)

Simone Stella is certainly one of the best young Italian musicians today. His first (double) recording reveals a character that is respectful, accurate and highly musical; in a word, a mature performance. The instrument on which he plays is a brand new harpsichord built by William Horn on the model of historical Flemish harpsichord by Johannes Ruckers (Antwerp 1638).

With this recording, sound engineer, Alessandro Simonetto, has obtained an enthusiastically brilliant and weighted sound. We believe it will be a real joy for your ears.

#1 Details Play Buy perfect CD files!
#2 Details Play Buy perfect CD files!

Sonatori Fiorentini, Baroque ensemble
Il Diavolo & La Follia (Tartini, Corelli and more...)

This is what we can define a demoniac performance even without taking any reference to the subject of the disc. The three Florentine (Sonatori Fiorentini) musicians are certainly at their ease between pulses and dynamic variety while always keeping faith with the text and the tradition of baroque repertoire. Lead violinist Antonio Aiello is a very gifted and refined musician.

Registration, as always, is 100% natural, and leads the listener to a real, thorough enjoyment. One of the best recordings by sound engineer Alessandro Simonetto ever!

Details Play Buy perfect CD files!

Enjoy!

Next Saturday 5 Dicember 2009, starting h. 15.00, Rome / EUR, the OnClassical's founder, Alessandro Simonetto, will be interviewed by Marco Traferri at the important exhibit Più libri più liberi.

Other guests of the interview concerning P2P, iTunes & Internet: XFactor judge, Mara Maionchi.

More details: here.

Leggi in italiano.

In association with Teatro Montegrappa and based on an idea by the founder, Alessandro Simonetto, we proudly announce the First OnClassical Gala entirely focused on our new featured pianists.

Date: Sunday, 15 November 2009
Time: 16:15
Location: Cinema/Teatro Montegrappa
Street: 36027 Rosà, Via Capitano Alessio 7
Town/City: Very close to Bassano del Grappa, Italy

16.15 - Concert Gala with the latest featured OnClassical performers Alessandro Deljavan, Maddalena Falda, Mattia Ometto and Jacopo Salvatori.

18.00 - Projection of the film-documentary Rubinstein à Venice François Reichenbach (1978), in lingua originale con sottotitoli in italiano - 50'

The gala is an OnClassical & Teatro Montegrappa production.

Your RSVP at OnClassical's facebook.

Press release -- Pove del Grappa, 01 July 2009

The Italian record company, OnClassical, has started his program of music licensing, where featured artists earn well 50%!

Purposes may be for music from:
* Video/Film/Documentaries/Serial Sinc.
* Radio/TV advertising/broadcasting
* Promotional clips
* Samples/Remix/Compilations
* YouTube, Power Point, ecc.
* Background music for public
* Videogames, computer programs
* Music on hold

OnClassical is an independent corner for classical music of self-produced recordings. At the Italian label's website, onclassical.com, it is possible to listen to, download or share the entire catalogue in full-length files (MP3), buy perfect original masters in WAV / CD files (DRM-free) or, since now, license music royalty free.

"Our beginning with our new licensing program has been so very successful: we are already receiving the many requests for music on DVDs and micro-film promotions", says Alessandro Simonetto, founder of the internet label.

Very recently OnClassical licensed music for important film productions such as for the Canadian film "Turbid" by George Fok, recently selected for the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal.

Simonetto continues: "The producers seem to understand the benefits of this new type of licensing: no longer royalties and dispersing practices, only one organization to contact [OnClassical] and a price which is pre-cleared, all completed to the finish for you."

Licensing price is competitive and flexible: a good 20% less than rates on the e-market, a good 30% less with respect to the authors’ societies controlled market.

Kevin Kastning is the new artist at onclassical.com: guitarist, composer and instruments inventor, he is obtaining large consensus in America for his innovative music and recordings. His four last publications (2006-2009) have been recently included in our catalog: these albums are artistically relevant, curious, and impeccable at a sound level. The art of Kevin Kastning and of musicians Szabó and Siegfried, who flanked him, is innovative, courageous, hypnotic. We directly speak with the artist in a long interview that Alessandro Simonetto, founder of OnClassical, prepared for the OC blog.

A.S. Your music is a sort of improvisation that becomes composition in the act of performing it. We know this is a very original style of composition and performance at the same time. What are the influences of your artistic language? How do your thoughts and your own musical artistic processes impact these compositions?

K.K. Wow, that is a good question. I don’t know if I could list all my artistic influences, as I am sure there are some which are there, but unconscious and unknown to me. A few composers that come to mind are Bartok, Elliott Carter, Gesualdo, Tallis, Beethoven’s middle and late period string quartets, Ockeghem, the second Viennese school, Schnittke, Shostakovich, Bach, Byrd, Josquin, Praetorius, and even going back as far as Machaut. Bartok’s string quartets had a deep and tremendously profound impact on me; both artistically and even spiritually. I also suspect that I have been impacted by artists from the French post-impressionist and the abstract expressionist periods; as well as authors such as Joyce, Proust, and Eliot. Sometimes I think I have a tendency to translate the visual into the audible.

New OnClassical featured Artist: Kevin Kastning.

Read more...

Due to various requests we have just implemented the payment method with PayPal. Purchases will be easy, fast and secure as before: from the page of payment (ex. onclassical.com/purchase.htm?id=16) you can now choose between the options: BankPass and PayPal.

Good listening!