Soiree captures the atmosphere of informal, domestic music making. Czech star mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena offers an intimate and highly personal collection of international songs together with an outstanding group of musical friends, including Sir Simon Rattle, who makes his recording debut as a pianist.

The German lied is represented by Brahms (Two Songs, Op. 91 and Five Ophelia Songs, WoO 22) and Strauss (Morgen!), the French chanson by Chausson (Chanson perpetuelle) and Ravel (Chansons madecasses), and 20th-century avant-gardism with Stravinsky’s Three Songs from William Shakespeare.

Soiree is the second release of Magdalena Kozena’s exclusive collaboration with PENTATONE, after having presented the baroque cantatas recital album Il giardino dei sospiri in 2019.

Magdalena Kozena (mezzo), Sir Simon Rattle (piano), Rahel Rilling (violin), Wolfram Brandl (violin), Yulia Deyneka (viola), David Adorjan (cello), Andrew Marriner (clarinet)

Brahms: Ophelia-Lieder (5), WoO posth. 22
Brahms: Two songs for contralto with viola obbligato, Op. 91
Chausson: Chanson perpetuelle, Op. 37
Dvorak: Me srdce casto v bolesti, B11 No. 11
Dvorak: Sirokymi rukavy (Wide sleeves)
Dvorak: Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op. 55 No. 4
Dvorak: Struna naladena (Rein gestimmt die Saiten), Op. 55, No. 5
Dvorak: Zalo dievca, zalo travu (When a Maiden Was a-Mowing), Op. 73 No. 2
Janacek: Rikadla (Nonsense Nursery Rhymes)
Ravel: Trois chansons madecasses
Strauss, R: Morgen, Op. 27 No. 4
Stravinsky: Three Songs from William Shakespeare