Giya Kancheli / Djansug Kakhidze:
Symphonies 1-7 / Liturgy (Mourned By The Wind) / Light Sorrow

Release date: October 2, 2020

“A magnificent monument to his life and work.” – GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE

CUGATE CLASSICS is pleased to release the complete symphonic works of the Georgian composer GIYA KANCHELI plus “Light Sorrow” and “Mourned By The Wind”, all in newly remastered versions. Conducted by DJANSUG KAKHIDZE.

GIYA KANCHELI (1935 – 2019) was and still is the best-known Georgian composer, celebrated for his mastery of silence and his (deceptive) simplicity. KANCHELI’s career as classical composer started in the 1960s after first attempts with chansons and popular songs, his first symphony was accomplished and premiered in 1967 in Tbilisi, conducted by DJANSUG KAKHIDZE. Actually, as KANCHELI emphasized repeatedly, many of his works were composed assuming that his close and lifelong friend KHAKIDZE will conduct them.

In total, KANCHELI composed seven symphonies, the opera “Music For The Living”, the liturgy “Mourned By The Wind”, “Light Sorrow”, music for films and theater plays and a number of chamber works like “In l’istesso tempo” (1997) or “Chiaroscuro” (2010), released on ECM and interpreted by GIDON KREMER. KANCHELI’s compositonal approach is deeply rooted in the music of his Georgian origin and blends modern elements with a beautiful but deceptive simplicity, a melancholic tone and a captivating silence – qualities he shares with the great ARVO PÄRT. But KANCHELI developed his own musical idiom, and his death on October 2nd 2019 is a great loss for the world of classical music.

Under the direction of MEMO RHEIN, a lontime friend of KANCHELI’s and founder of CUGATE CLASSICS, the remastering of the symphonic works have been realized when KANCHELI was still alive. CUGATE CLASSICS honours the great Georgian composer with a selected CD program: all seven symphionies plus “Light Sorrow” and “Mourned By The Wind”, all in newly remastered versions and conducted by the critically acclaimed and award-winning DJANSUG KAKHIDZE.

 

 

Available as a box set or individual CDs.
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Press:
“A magnificent monument to his life and work.” – GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE
“… a great musician of the modern age …”   Rodion Shchedrin
” … the biggest philosopher among today’s composers …”   Fono

About

CUGATE Classics is a classical music label founded by Memo Rhein in the nineteen nineties.
Memo Rhein started producing a series of classical music records, along side his partner Iris Mazur. These records where recorded in eastern European countries including Russia, Lithuania and Georgia, with the intent of creating a cultural exchange in the aftermath of the Cold War. The series grew to include over 800 albums, all of which where recorded in high definition 24 bit / 96 khz – pioneering new recordings standards. The catalogue consists not only of famous compositions, but also of lesser known symphonic and chamber music. Furthermore the catalogue includes Georgian and Russian ethnic works, as well as international classical pieces.

300 of these records were licensed to SONY CLASSICAL. However, do to their differences, Rhein and SONY ended their partnership, leaving CUGATE Classics in charge of the remaining material.
In addition to releasing records, Rhein started focusing on the development of anti-piracy software, as well as comprehensive 4k Ultra High Definition video development.

Coincidentally, Rhein met a former Sony Classical manager in the late 2000s. Together they decided to relaunch the complete archived catalogue. The material was then remastered in the award winning b-sharp studio, located in Berlin. Thus, CUGATE Classics is releasing the remaining Albums, which you can purchase on our Bandcamp page.

Releases

Stahlhammer Klezmer Classic Trio: In Memory (CGC 045)


Vakhtang Kakhidze: Piano Concerto, Amazons Suite, Conjugations (CGC 043-2)


Robert Schumann: Toccata, Op. 7 Kinderszenen, Op. 15 | Carnaval, Op.9 | Revaz Lagidze: Rondo Toccata (CGC 042-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol.9 (CGC 037-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol.8 (CGC 036-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol.7 (CGC 035-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol.6 (CGC 034-2)


Rodion Shchedrin: Carmen Suite (after Georges Bizet) | Arnold Schoenberg: Verklaerte Nacht, Op. 4  (CGC 032-2)


Mikhail Glinka: Waltz Fantasy, Kamarinskaya, Divertimenti on a theme by Bellini, Grand Sextuor (CGC 031-2)


Bohemian Rhapsody
Anton Dvorak: Cello Concerto in B minor, op.104 | From the Bohemian Forest, Silent Woods, op. 68/5 | Rondo in G minor, op.94 | Polonaise (CGC 029-2)


Norwegian Wood
Edvard Grieg: From Holberg’s Time, op. 40 | Two Nordic Melodies for String Orchestra, op.63 | Two Melodies for String Orchestra, op. 53 | Two Lyric Pieces for String Orchestra, op. 68 | Two Elegiac Melodies, op.34 (CGC 028-2)


Vakhtang Kakhidze: Christmas Trilogy Moon Dances (CGC 027-2)


From the Movies
Dmitri Shostakovich: The Gadfly Suite, Op. 97A | Georgy Sviridov: Snowstorm (CGC 026-2)


In Memoriam Saulius Sondeckis
Dmitri Shostakovich: Hamlet Suite, Op. 116A Concerto for Trumpet, PianoOrchestra, Op.35 Quartett No. 8, Op.110 (CGC 025-2)


Fairytale MusicRimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade – Symphonic Suite Op.35 The GoldenCockerel – Suite from the Opera (CGC 024-2)


National GeographicsSmetana: Má Vlast (CGC 023-2)


Caucasian Impressions
Sulkhan Tsindsadze: Quartet No. 10 (poliphonical) Miniatures for String Quartet | Nodar Gabunia: Quartet No.2 (CGC 022-2)


Babi Yar
Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor Op. 113 „Babi Yar“ (CGC 021-2)


Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 | Bruckner: String Quintet in F (CGC 013-2)


Bartok: Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113 | Romanian Folk Dances, SZ. 56 Piazzolla: Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (CGC 012-2)


Schubert: String Quartet No.14 in D minor, D.810 | Shostakovich: Chamber Symphony, Op.110A (CGC 011-2)


Made in Germany
Sergei Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, op. 27 The Rock, Symphonic Poem op. 7 (CGC 010-2)


String QuartetsPeter Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, op. 11 | String Quartet No. 3 in E flat minor, op. 30 (CGC 009-2)


Rebirth of Bizet’s Carmen Suite (CGC 008-2)


Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartets (CGC 007-2)


Sergei Prokofiev: Back in the USSR (CGC 006-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol. 5 (CGC 005-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol. 4 (CGC 004-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol. 3 (CGC 003-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol. 2 (CGC 002-2)


Djansug Kakhidze – The Legacy Vol. 1 (CGC 001-2)

Contact

For further information regarding our catalogue, artists an cooperations refer to:

info@cugate-classics.com