Crystal Records — New Releases

All of our CDs can be purchased on-line. Click on BUY NOW which will take you to the shopping bag.  If you prefer, you may order via e-mail, order@crystalrecords.com., or place your order by phone at 360-834-7022, or by mail. Price of all CDs is $19.95. U.S. shipping is FREE. Canada shipping US$14 per order. Other countries US$20 per order. All CDs are also available for download or streaming from select third party vendors. Write staff@crystalrecords.com for information.

Our special 4 for 3 free offer is available. For each 4 CDs ordered, what you need to do is place the order for the first 3 CDs using the Buy Now buttons. On the Payment Information Page, before checking out you will be given an opportunity to write a comment to go with your order.   In the "leave a comment" space, write FREE CD with the catalog number of the one you want. In that way, you will receive the 4 CDs and only be charged for 3. The free CD with purchase of 3 is good for 6 CDs (2 free ones), 9 CDs (3 free ones), 12 CDs (4 free ones), etc.

 

This page lists all new releases starting 2023. The newer CDs are at the top. We will add to the list as necessary. Please check back frequently; we usually issue one or two new releases each month. SOUND SAMPLES are available for selected movements of most of the new releases and more will be added when available.  

For a copy of our 2025 catalog (32 large pages in color with copies of the covers and listings of more than 320 CDs) please email us at staff@crystalrecords.com. The 2025 catalog was sent to everyone on our mailing list in November 2024. (if you have ordered before or asked for a catalog before you should have gotten one).

Price on all CDs is $19.95. To order on-line through our secure ordering system, please click on BUY NOW for the CD you want. You may also order by phone, email, or mail. We accept Visa, MC, Discover, American Express, U.S. check, or money order. Shipping is FREE for US orders (regardless of the size of the order). U.S. shipping is FREE. Canada shipping US$14 per order. Other countries US$20 per order, regardless of the size of the order. 

CD784, DOLCE. Kenneth Tse, Saxophone; Casey Dierlam Tse, Piano.
Viet Cuong, Sanctuary; J.S. Bach, Italian Concerto BWV 971; Heitor Villa-Lobos, Fantasia in F, W490; Alexis Ciesla, Ocres rouges; David DeBoor Canfield, Ragtime Sonata after Joplin; Andy Scott, And Everything is Still...; Astor Piazzolla, Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires). 009414778420  BUY NOW

NOW AVAILABLE. Kenneth Tse is one of the most acclaimed saxophonists in the world. He has ten CDs on Crystal. "Tse plays with seductive tonal beauty and sheer virtuosity." (American Record Guide) The amazing pieces on this CD show off both his beautiful tone and his virtuosity. He attained inernational fame in 1996 when he won two major competition awards, then had highly acclaimed performances at Carnegie Hall and has since performed as soloist on five continents.   See www.kennethtse.com for more information.

The following are excerpts from a review by Jonathan Woolf that appears in Music Web. "Dolce, this disc’s title, provides only some indication of the variety and pleasure that is contained within. Kenneth Tse, the luminous soprano saxophonist, and pianist Casey Dierlam Tse perform a recital that ranges from Bach to contemporary pieces and do so with flair and perfect rapport...
            "Tse’s soprano tone is focused and crystalline but full of unexpected colour and his agility is splendid... Viet Cuong’s Sanctuary is a nourishing, circling tune for the saxophone.. Villa-Lobos' Fantasia in F is tart, warm and sometimes frothy, its liveliness is both distinctive and attractive... In Ocres rouges, Alexis Ciesla saturates the work in klezmer sonorities, in soaring melodies, melancholic and joyful, that smear and coil their way through seven exciting minutes... David DeBoor Canfield's a Ragtime Sonata after Joplin [is] music of sparkling communicativeness put across with the maximum of precision – listen to the precision of Tse’s articulation in the finale.. Andy Scott's And Everything is Still [with] languid, long-breathed lines, flecked with decorations and curlicues, rising above the piano’s regular repeated phrases, are truly evocative... In Piazzolla’s Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, the duo is joined by alto saxophonist Jichen Zhang. It’s sonically interesting how the two saxes sometimes seem to mimic the sound of a bandoneon and Piazzolla’s heat-filled, fiery tango inspirations permeate all four ‘seasons’. The most evocative of the four is surely ‘Winter’ in which the two saxophones’ dovetailing and curling lines are truly moving.
         "Tse is a marvellously communicative player with perfect intonation and timbral variety. He leads the dance, the drama and the delights of a beautifully recorded disc."

The following is from an email from Jim Tevenan, Classical Host, Spokane Public Radio. "Congratulations all around on Dolce! It's one of the most consistently rewarding listens I've encountered for some time. Great program, very fine musicianship, and superb recorded sound. Thanks to you and Crystal!"

CD784 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the title shown. (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Cuong: Sanctuary     J.S. Bach  Italian Concerto BWV 971: Mvt.1 Allegro   Mvt. 2 Andante   Mvt. 3 Presto     Villa-Lobos  Fantasia in F, W490: Mvt. 1 Animé   Mvt. 2 Lent (beg. :20)  Mvt. 3 Tres Animé     Ciesla: Ocres rouges     Canfield  Ragtime Sonata after Joplin: Mvt. 1 Jaunty walking tempo   Mvt. 2 Easy does it!   Mvt. 3 Let’er rip!     Scott: And Everything is Still…     Piazzolla  Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Four Seasons of Buenos Aires): Mvt. 1 Otoño Porteño (Autumn)   Mvt. 2 Invierno Porteño (Winter)   Mvt. 3 Primavera Porteño (Spring)   Mvt. 4 Verano Porteño (Summer)

 

CD828: THREE RIVERS TRIOS.  Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, Oboe; William Caballero, Horn; Rodrigo Ojeda, Piano. UPC 009414782823.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), Trio for Oboe, Horn, and Piano; Robert Kahn (1865-1951), Serenade in F Minor, op. 73; Chris Massa (bn. 1981), Scenes from Lake Chautauqua; Eric Ewazen (bn. 1954), Three Rivers Trios; Heinrich Molbe (1825-1915) (Heinrich von Bach), Air Arabe.  BUY NOW

Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, William Caballero, and Rodrigo Ojeda are Principal Oboe, Horn, and Piano with the Pittsburgh Symphony, positions they have held since 1991, 1989, and 2006, respectively. All have been featured frequently as soloists.

 

Fanfare Magazine has called Cynthia DeAlmeida “hands down, one of the best oboe players in the world”.

Gramophone magazine wrote, “Pittsburgh’s first horn (William Caballero) is as spectacular as any on disc.”

 

“a unique chamber CD…refined individual playing and stunning tonal blend between the oboe and horn…the three are extremely well-matched in style and create a playful dialogue reminiscent of Mozart’s operas. Hearing these masterful musicians perform Mozart is a delight. While every track on the album is a gem, two other stand-out performances are the newly-commissioned works depicting bodies of water: Chris Massa’s “Scenes from Lake Chautauqua,” (2020) and Eric Ewazen’s “Three Rivers Trio” (2023). The “Barn Dance” movement in Massa’s piece is particularly fun, with playful rustic rhythms laid down by the horn and piano. Above the rhythmic background, triumphant horn lines ascend and the sensual tone of the oboe joins in a countermelody.

   “DeAlmeida, Caballero, and Ojeda have produced a joyful and optimistic album featuring classic and tonal contemporary works. On a deeper level Three Rivers Trios it is a beautiful celebration of partnership.”   IDRS “The Double Reed” Journal, Issue 47-3, Fall 2024, reviewed by Meghan /Woodard.

 

Three Rivers Trios: The title of this album and Eric Ewazen’s piece are a tribute to the city of Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny River and Monongahela River converge to form the Ohio River. The photograph on the cover is of the three soloists on Mt. Washington overlooking downtown Pittsburgh.

 

CD828 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear 35 seconds or more of the title shown. (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button) Samples by Riccardo Schulz, Recording Engineer.
Mozart  Trio: Mvt. 1 (Allegro)   Mvt. 2 (Andante)   Mvt. 3 (Allegro)     Kahn: Serenade in F Minor     Massa  Scenes from Lake Chautauqua: 1. First Light   2. Sunrise   3. Barn Dance   4. The Moon on the Lake     Ewazen  Three Rivers Trio: Mvt. 1 (Allegro energico)   Mvt. 2 (Andante teneramente)   Mvt. 3 (Allegro energico)     Molbe: Air Arabe

 

 

CD719: SILVERHEELS. JOHN BARCELLONA, FLUTE. Hanah Charbonneau, Piano; Christopher Caliendo, Guitar. UPC 009414771926.  BUY NOW

Christopher Caliendo, Flute Sonata No. 5, The Italian Sonata; & Farandula (to party); Louis Moyse, Hommage a Krishna, Meditation & Introduction, Theme, and Seven Variations; Dan Welcher, Florestan's Falcon, A Fantasy after Schumann; John Barcellona, Silverheals; & Sliding Life Blues on a Robert Dick Motive.

“Here Barcellona plays piccolo, bass flute, and a special head joint allowing glissandos with well centered sound. He does some singing and playing at the same time...The entire program offers likeable, rewarding pieces that make great additions to the repertory.” Amercan Record Guide (Gorman)

John Barcellona is Professor Emeritus of Flute and Director of Woodwind Studies at Calif. State University, Long Beach and is flutist with the internationally acclaimed Westwood Wind Quintet. He played principal flute with many international ballet companies and has taught and performed in many music festivals, including ones in Brazil and Peru and the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival for 30 years.

The Westwood Wind Quintet is “nothing short of breathtaking.” International Record Review

 

Dan Welcher wrote about his piece on this CD: “John Barcellona and Hanah Charbonneau really “got” this piece, which touches on Schumann’s mental illness.  The virtuosity required of both players is major, and they both possess that quality in high numbers.  But the depth of emotion, and the passion of the interpretation, is a completely different thing.  John and Hanah allow both the frightful and the serene to emerge from the piece.  I couldn’t be happier”.

 

"This release..is a true treasure. Barcellona's playing is exquisite and individual. He explores tone colors of the flute like a painter, especially in his own composition Sliding Life Blues [in which] he uses a glissando headjoint." The Instrumentalist, February 2024, Patricia George.

 

"John Barcellona takes us on a musical journey through the ookie, spookie, and just plain groovy...The album is fantastic, unique, fun, and inspiring--a great addition to any contemporary flutist's playlist." Flutists' Quarterly Winter 2015, Rachel Taylor Geier

 

“This is a fine, very varied recital, marked by Barcellona’s virtuosity and Hanah Charbonneau’s pianistic excellence, all held in a very good recording. Recommended. Caliendo is a respected film composer, and his mastery of melody and atmosphere shines through...Barcellona sees Moyse’s Hommage a Krishna for solo flute as a “late century Syrinx”, and it is indeed as sinewy and beautiful as the Debussy classic...Welcher’s piece is both difficult and clever, but most of all it shines by its capacity to surprise, delight, and touch the listener. The result is beautiful; Hanah Charbonneau is a true partner of equals here...Barcellona’s own Silverheels [has] a lovely sense of panoramic grandeur, as the flute sings over a rolling piano figuration. The passages for bass flute seem partcularly lovely; how many players can incorporate flutter-tonguing so softly, gently, and convincingly in a legato line?”  Fanfare (Colin Clarke)

 

CD719 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the title shown. (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Caliendo Flute Sonata No. 5, The Italian Sonata  1. Mediterranean   2. Tragico   3. Tarantella     Moyse  Hommage a Krishna, Meditation     Welcher  Florestan’s Falcon     Barcellona  Silverheels     Moyse  Introduction, Theme, and Seven Variations  Introduction (begins: 11)  Theme   Variation 1, Vivo   Variation 2, Grazioso   Variation 3, Molto vivo   Variation 4, Tranquillo   Variation 5, Poco lento e accel.   Variation 6, Andante   Variation 7, Molto cresc. e accel.     Barcellona  Sliding Life Blues on a Robert Dick Motive  (begins :57)   Caliendo  Farandula (to party)

 

 

CD696: VELVET BROWN, TUBA. Ron Stabinsky, Piano; Amy Gilreath, Trumpet. UPC 009414769626.  BUY NOW

Barbara York, How Beautiful; Roger Kellaway, Dr. Martin Luther King, In Memoriam;; John Stevens, Monument; Meyer Kupferman, Sound Objects 1-3; Drew Bonner, Naptown.

Velvet Brown is an international soloist, composer/arranger, chamber ensemble performer, recording artist, conductor, orchestral player, and professor. This is her sixth solo CD (four on Crystal Records). She has performed and taught in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, and North America. She is principal tubist with the New Hampshire Music Festival, and has been principal tuba with the River City Brass, guest principal with the Lahti Philharmonic (Finland), Detroit Symphony, and as substitute principal tubist with the St. Louis Symphony and Fort Wayne Philharmonic. She is Music Professor at Pennsylvania State University and Artist Faculty at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. Click here for more details on Velvet Brown.

“Velvet Brown is one of the best tuba players anywhere.” (Fanfare) “a very expressive player whose tone is focused yet robust and lively in all registers.”  (American Record Guide)

“Fairly specialist fare, you might think; but Velvet Brown is no ordinary tuba player. This is her fourth disc on Crystal Records, and on it she presents a sequence of premiere recordings... This is a fascinating recital showcasing a notable exponent of the tuba, Velvet Brown.” (Fanfare; Colin Clarke)

 

“Repertoire is of absorbing interest...playing of high quality. Virtuoso energy. John Stevens’ tribute to Tommy Johnson – who played the iconic high solos in John Williams’ Jaws – is an aural equivalent of everything that tubas are about: size and gravity and beauty.” (Gramophone: Laurence Vittes)

“Velvet Brown has once again created an album that is sure to become a staple of tuba players’ listening libraries. An outstandng collection of music, Brown showcases her verstility as a musician throughout the album, deftly moving from dramatic heartfelt performances to stylistically sensitive jazz to displays of modern techniques...How Beautiful by Barbara York is a moving tribute with great sense of comfort and peace. Brown performs this work exquisitely with an incredible amount of heart and comppassion...Roger Kellaway’s Dr. Martin Luther King is a superb tribute to a great man...Naptown by Drew Bonner highlights Brown’s talent for technique and style...It is a tremendous encore to a fabulous collection of music.”  ITEA Journal (Dr. Steven Maxwell)

CD696 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the title shown. To return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
York  How Beautiful     Kellaway  Dr. Martin Luther King, In Memoriam Part I   Part II   Part III     Stevens  Monument (begin at :32)   Kupferman  Sound Objects  Sound Objects #1   Sound Objects #2   Sound Objects #3     Bonner  Naptown

 

CD962: JOHN HOLT, TRUMPET; Facets Five. John Holt, Trumpet, Steven Harlow, Piano, Maria Schleuning, Violin.  UPC 009414796226   BUY NOW

Eric Ewazen: Trio for Trumpet, Violin, and Piano; Pierre Gabaye: Boutade; Ennio Porrino: Preludio, Aria e Scherzo; Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel: Bist du bei mir (attributed to J.S. Bach); Eugene Bozza: Badinage; Eugene Bozza: Rustiques; G.F. Handel: Aria con Variazioni; Astor Piazzolla: Oblivion; Bruce Broughton: Oliver's Birthday; Alexander Goedicke: Concert Etude.  

Click here for more John Holt CDs.

John Holt has been Principal Trumpet with the Dallas Opera Orchestra since 1989. He is Professor of Trumpet and Brass Coordinator at the University of North Texas. "Holt plays with perfect technique and intonation, altering his sound deftly to suit {the} works. {He} is an elegant, sensitive artist."  Gramophone

“Quite good. He has an intimate way of playing–this is chamber music” American Record Guide (Kilpatrick).

“Gabaye’s Boutade is a breath of fresh air...Holt’s playing shines..Porrino’s Prelude, Aria e Scherzo is skillfully crafted with an infectious sense of humor...Holt’s superb legato shines...Bozza’s music is ever-engaging, technically challenging and Holt triumphs over every obstacle, be it sudden high entrances or large leaps at some velocity...Rustiques is a piece of some profundity, appealing melody. What a lovely piece this is with both Holt and Harlos at the top of their games...utterly enjoyable. Ewazen’s Trio is fairly substantive, with some terrifically inventive writing...Holt’s ultra-subtle use of vibrato (it is almost not there but it is) is brilliant...Holt and Harlos are fine advocates of this music throughout.”  Fanfare (Colin Clarke)

“a wonderful collection of standard repertoire for the progressing, advanced, and professional trumpet player...A terrific album [which] should be in the library of every musician.”  Intl Trumpet Guild Journal (Demarr Woods)

One facet of a trumpet player's performing experience is as a recitalist. Collaboration with like-minded professionals...requires the highest levels of endurance, sensitivity, strength, and balance. This CD explores this facet.

CD962 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
 (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)

Gabaye: Boutade     Porrino: Preludio, Aria e Scherzo     Stolzel (attrib. J.S. Bach): Bist du bei mir     Bozza: Badinage   Rustiques     Piazzola: Oblivion     Broughton: Oliver’s Birthday     Goedicke: Concert Etude     Ewazen: Trio  Mvt. 1 Andante   Mvt. 2 Allegro molto   Mvt. 3 Adagio   Mvt. 4 Allegro molto

 

 

CD776, JOSE ZARZO, HORN, with Juan Francisco Parra & Rudolf Koumans, piano, and Carlos Parra, violin. UPC 009414777621  BUY NOW  

Anthony Plog, Horn Sonata; Jose Brito, Namaste; Frederic Duvernoy, Trio no. 2: Horn, Violin, Piano; Franz Danzi, Horn Sonata, op.28; Rudolf Koumans, Horn Sonata.

Jose Zarzo studied at The Hague Royal Conservatory. In 1984 he was named principal horn with the Amsterdam Sinfornietta. He remained with this Orchestra until 1989, when he became principal horn with the Gran Canaria Phiharmonic Orchestra in Spain, a position he still holds. With this Orchestra he has toured to the main cities of Spain, Germany, France, Slovakia, Switerzerland, Austria, China, and Japan. This is his third solo CD on Crystal Records. Of his other CDs, Gramophone said “Artistry is virtuosic”.  See CD771 and CD772 on the Horn page.

“Jose Zarzo plays with admirable distinction throughout the recital. His tone is consistently attractive, compact, and evenly produced, regardless of dynamics. His impressive breath control lends itself to phrasing that encompasses an extended, flexible line. His passagework is precise, and keenly articulated.” Fanfare, Ken Meltzer

“Jose Zarzo performs beautifully. Congratulations, Mr. Zarzo, on another wonderful recording with Crystal Records.”  Horn Call Magazine, Lydia Van Dreel

CD776 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
 (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Plog: Horn Sonata  Part 1/Mvt. 1   Part 1/Mvt. 2   Part 2/Mvt. 3   Part 2/Mvt. 4     Brito: Namaste     Duvernoy: Trio no. 2  Mvt. 1 Adagio-allegro   Mvt. 2 Moderato   Mvt. 3 Adagio   Mvt. 4 Allegro     Danzi: Horn Sonata, op. 28  Mvt. 1 Adagio-allegro   Mvt. 2 Larghetto   Mvt. 3 Allegretto     Koumans: Horn Sonata  Allegro

 

 

 

CD154: BRIAN MINOR, Alto Saxophone. Leon Stein: Sextet for Alto Saxophone and Woodwind Quintet and Quintet for Alto Saxophone and String Quartet; Vincent Persichetti: Parable XI, Solo Alto Saxophone; Lawson Lunde: Sonata No. 1 for Alto Saxophone and Piano; Paul Creston: Suite for Alto Saxophone and Piano;  Bernhard Heiden: Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano. UPC 009414715425   BUY NOW

with Westwood Wind Quintet, Chicago Symphony String Quartet, and pianists Lawson Lunde and Cola Heiden.

 

"lovingly shaped...perfect beauty...Scrupulously polished" (American Record Guide). This CD is a combination of Brian Minor's LPs on Crystal Records: S151 and S154, remastered digitally in 2022.    

 

CD154 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
 (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Stein  Sextet: 1.Allegro moderato   2.Adagio; Andante   3.Allegro     Persichetti: Parable XI     Lunde  Sonata No. 1: 1.Allegro   2.Andantino cantabile   3.Allegro vivace     Creston  Suite: 1.Scherzoso   2.P storale   3.Toccata     Heiden  Sonata: 1.Allegro   2.Vivace   3.Adagio; Presto     Stein  Quintet: 1.Allegro   2.Andante   3.Adagio; Allegro

 

 

CD311: LOUISE DiTULLIO, FLUTE. Jacques Ibert, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra; Pierre-Max Dubois, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra; Frank Martin, Ballade for Flute, String Orchestra, and Piano with the English Chamber Orchestra, Elgar Howarth, Conductor; and Sergei Prokofiev, Sonata for Flute and Piano; Pierre Sancan, Sonatine for Flute and Piano, with Virginia DiTullio, piano.  UPC 009414731128    BUY NOW

 

Louise DiTullio is one of the world’s most widely heard flutists, having recorded over 1200 motion picture and hundreds of television scores. DiTullio’s playing was heard nightly on television shows including Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Little House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Dallas. DiTullio was principal flutist with the Columbia Symphony, performing many works of Igor Stravinsky with Stravinsky conducting. She was a long-time member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and frequent soloist with many orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Mexico City Symphony, Carmel Bach Festival, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, and many more.

         

The list of film composers with whom she has collaborated includes the most distinguished names in music today. Composer John Williams, probably the most honored film composer in history, refers to her as being “in the very front rank among the world’s great flutists”.

         

Louise DiTullio can be heard on the albums of recording stars Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Kenny G, and Michael Jackson, among others.

 

This CD is a combination of Louise DiTullio’s LPs on Crystal Records: S311 and S503. “Crystal’s original recordings were excellent. This is well worth the reissue.” Music Web (Jonathan Woolf) “some really awesome flute playing and some delightful musical treats. Wonderfully vibrant CD transfer.” Fanfare, Jan/Feb 2023 (Jerry Dubins)

 

“The performances of these works are first rate. Legendary flutist Louise DiTullio continues to sparkle with a beautiful sound and top-notch phrasing. This recording is an inspiration for any flutist.” The Instrumentalist, Oct/Nov 2022 (Patricia George)

 

CD311 Sound samples (mp3 files) Click on the link to hear up to 35 seconds of the movement shown.
 (to return to this page after listening to samples, please use your browser back button)
Ibert: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra  1. Allegro   2. Andante   3. Allegro scherzando     Dubois: Concerto for Flute and Orchestra  1. Presto leggiero   2. Pavane   3. Tempo di Gaviotto   4. Scherzando    Martin: Ballade for Flute, String Orchestra, and Piano     Prokofiev: Sonata for Flute and Piano  1. Andantino   2. Scherzo   3. Andante   3. Allegro con brio     Sancan:  Sonatine pour Flute et Piano

 

 

 

 

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Phone 360-834-7022,  email: staff@crystalrecords.com

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